RYKER I made a mistake. Avery’s not talking to me, and it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have given into my desire. I knew better. Before I have time to fix what I broke, a phone call with distressing news adds an extra layer of trouble to our current situation. I’m torn between saving a missing friend and keeping the fragile bond I have with Avery from breaking apart. AVERY Trust me, he says. How can I trust him when I can’t even trust myself anymore? Ryker’s worried our bond is a mess, a bond I never wanted. What he doesn’t know is that our little experiment strengthened the soul tether magic. He's stuck with me, and I'm stuck with him. I'll deal with it. But what I'm not prepared for is the weird feeling I get when his attention is focused on finding his friend instead of on me. Is this jealousy? Tainted Heart is the third book in the Consequences of a Sin series, following the story of vampire Avery and human Ryker as they try to unravel the mystery of their connected pasts. Each book is not standalone and may contain cliffhanger endings. For full enjoyment, they should be read in order.