There's no doubt that Reece is one of my favorite Gambit characters. He's passionate, deeply complex, beautiful to look at, and more than a little dangerous. And then there's the long hair. My kind of crush, lol. Keep reading if you'd like a glimpse into the mind of a brilliant Core commander...

P.S. A bit of trivia...I named Reece after another crushworthy, futuristic solider: Kyle Reese from The Terminator. :)

Character Spotlight - Commander Reece

(featured 5/19/15 on A Book Addict's Bookshelves)

The residents of the Core are afraid of me. I can see it in their eyes when I walk the crowded streets. I can hear it in their voices when they dare to speak my name. They whisper and stare and move aside so that I may pass. They know who I am, and it’s in their nature to fear a superior being.

The Academy taught me differently. There, under strict supervision with no means of escape, I was bombarded with the concept of not being enough. Their goal was ultimate perfection of mind and body, and they made it clear they would accept nothing less.

My gene therapy began at age seven. I remember it all in vivid detail—the lectures, the daily injections, the heavy straps they used to restrain my flailing limbs. I remember my eyes fading to an odd shade of blue. Most of all, I remember the pain.

Everything changed after my Surge. The virus mutated me in ways the doctors could not explain. My appetite was enormous. I barely needed sleep. I could recall everything happening to me, inside and out. When my body outgrew itself, I felt each excruciating bone fracture, each cell replicating at a speed never before recorded in the history of the Core. I became what they wanted. I became strong and unstoppable. Ultimately perfect.

And now, I am feared.

It works to my advantage. My reputation precedes me. I’m offered generous security contracts every week. Prisoners spill information as soon as they see me entering their interrogation units. People maintain a polite distance, and the rebels scatter into hiding when I’m sent after them. No one dares to defy me.

Except the girl. I knew the moment I stepped into the tavern that she would end up being a problem. Her stubborn expression, the tilt of her chin, the way she hissed when I put her father in his place. The little brat barely flinched when I asked for her name. I almost laughed at her nerve. She doesn’t realize who I am. Yet.

But it doesn’t matter. I know who she is, and sooner or later, she will learn to be afraid of me. I’ll make sure of it, because I have no other choice.

It’s the only way to keep us both alive.

Photo credit: Blog Tour Banner by Ashley Ruggirello, REUTS Publications; Quote by C.L. Denault