Diamond in the Rough

WELCOME TO THE WASTELANDS It's been thirty years since the devastating Virus hit, leaving the world in shambles. In the newly formed Safe Zones of America, the key to survival is to stay behind the Zones' impenetrable walls-and out of the mutant-infested lands beyond. Former assassin Ethan Ellis used to answer directly to the president. When he is betrayed by another agent and convicted of his crimes, he finds himself facing exile as punishment. Thrown into the cold reality of day-to-day survival-fighting both the mutants and the rogue groups of exiles that roam the wastelands-Ethan finds it hard to put the past behind him as he struggles to come to terms with the betrayal that knocked his world upside-down. Then he meets Laiken. Bubbly, charismatic, and always wearing a smile, Laiken annoys Ethan to no end. But when a band of exiles threatens both of their lives, forcing them together, Ethan realizes that he might need Laiken more than he thought. In this debut novel by Jayden Thompson, Ethan is forced to decide if living is enough-or if enjoying the life he has is the true key to survival.