Watchers, Keepers
Set to Release February 28th!!
Blurb:
For seven years now, life for Taylar Wennings and Cal Gains has been
simple. Track the monsters and kill them. The fact that Taylar is a
freak herself and can track anything she concentrates on is no longer an
issue. That is, until Devin, a man with unusual talents himself, enters
their lives. Warned that the end of life as they know it is near, Taylar
and Cal step up in an attempt to help track down other freaks like Taylar;
freaks who, after being hunted because of their differences, will need much
convincing to join their cause.
Now that she knows more about what she is and that she isn't the only one
of her kind, Taylar can finally relax... or can she? As word spreads
among the hunter community, she quickly starts to make the top of everyone's
hit list. If the stresses of the job and the frequent attempts on her
life aren't enough, she now has to deal with Devin. Cocky, rude, and out
of this world, the man who calls himself a Watcher has her skin tingling in more
ways than one. Where Cal makes her feel warm and safe, Devin makes her
hot and wild.
Will the three of them be able to track down those they seek? Is
there truly a hope in their daunting task to stop the end of the world?
Excerpt:
“Son of a bitch!” The urge to scream
in frustration was overwhelming, but Taylar managed to keep it in. She
blinked in an attempt to get her eyes to adjust to the darkness. How long
had she been out? Her head was pounding from the blow she’d taken.
The shelf she was tied to was digging between her shoulder blades and she
pulled at the ropes binding her wrists over her head. When nothing
budged, she tried again.
“It’s no use.” The man’s voice
was hoarse, like he’d had nothing to drink for days, making his slight Irish
lilt thicker than she thought it might otherwise be.
She blew out a frustrated
breath. “Who are you?”
“Nobody.”
Taylar clenched her jaw.
Really? They were tied up and helpless and the man was going to be an
ass? She looked back over her shoulder to the shelf he was up against.
“I’m Taylar.”
“Aye. I know who ye
are.” He coughed.
She didn’t like being at a
disadvantage in any situation. “Well, isn’t that just fantastic for
you.” She fought the urge to look up at her watch, knowing she wouldn’t
be able to see it from this angle. Where the hell was Cal? Had they
brought him? She tried to look around, hoping beyond hope that he wasn’t
down here as well. Was he still alive?
“Were you awake when they brought me
in?”
The silence that answered her made
her blood boil.
“They didna bring your boyfriend
down, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“How did you…”
“Again. I repeat myself.
I know who ya are and anyone who knows anything about the great Taylar Wennins
knows that wherever she is, so is Cal Gains.”
Taylar grunted. “Well, I guess
you’re wrong, then. Cal’s not here, now is he?” She tried to keep
her heart from dropping as she thought of him lying in the alley, possibly
bleeding to death. The man had saved her life and was the reason she was
doing what she did. He’d taught her everything she knew about hunting
things ninety-nine percent of the human population were too scared to admit
lived in the shadows. Cal was one of the best at what they did, but she
knew he wasn’t immortal.
“Aren’t ye a wee bit irritable.”
Ignoring the man, she pulled at the
ropes holding her, again with no results.
“Goddammit!”
“Take it easy, lovely. Ye’ll
hurt yourself.”
She caught the laughter in his voice
and shot a glare back in his direction. The door to the basement opened
and let in a bit of light.
“Hey, freak! Are you done
yet?” Mark’s voice dripped with contempt. When no one answered, the
door slammed shut again.
“What’s he talking about?” she
whispered back and nearly screamed as a dark shape moved toward her.
“He’s talking about me.” The man’s
deep voice whispered in her ear and she shivered.
“What are you?”
“Well, if ye ask yer mate Mark, it
seems I’m some sort of evil shapeshifter. Apparently, I was supposed to
eat you.” He sat back on his heels and grinned. He ran a hand
through short dark hair and shrugged.
She frowned. “So you’re not a
shapeshifter?”
“Oh, aye, I can change shape.
What I don’t do, however, is eat people.” He looked so disgusted with the
thought it made her smile.
“I have to admit, I’m glad.”
They stared at each other silently,
sizing each other up. She was shocked to find that even though the room
was nearly pitch black, his green eyes shone, almost like cat eyes reflecting
the tiniest bit of light piercing through the shadows of the night.
“So what’s your deal? How’s he
keeping you down here?”
“Oh, he’s not. He just thinks
he is. He’s…”
“But…”
“I’ve been looking for ye,
Taylar. When he found me, he told me I’d get to meet ya and get my
revenge; for all of my slain kin, I suppose.” He rolled his eyes.
“I let him think he’d caught me, yeah? I’ve been waiting for ye so...”
“But…”
He blew a breath out of his
nose. “Do ya think ye could stop interrupting for one minute? Big
things are coming, Taylar. Bad things, and you’ll be caught right in the
middle of it all. This dimension is about to crack open. It’ll let evil
in your kind has never imagined. We need to stop it.”
He looked at her expectantly.
Her heart jumped in her chest.
“What? You just… What are you waiting for? A happy dance?”
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“Ye don’t have much choice in the matter.”
“Or what? You’ll eat
me?” A trickle of sweat ran down her neck over her collar bone and into
her tank top. The man watched it before returning his strange gaze to her
eyes.
“No, but if ya don’t help me,
hunting the odd shapeshifter or ghost is goin ta seem like child’s play.”
“Look, whoever you are, you’re
obviously insane…”
Instead of getting upset, he slumped
his shoulders as though suddenly exhausted. His hand ran over his face.
“I suppose I’ll just have ta show
ye, then.” He moved closer slowly. It reminded her of cat going
after a mouse and she tensed. He paused. “I won’t hurt ye,
Taylar.” He cocked his head to the side as though thinking through his
options before giving her small smile. He straddled her legs and sat on
them, effectively pinning her where she was. She jerked at the ropes
holding her wrists. One large hand covered them, holding them still while
the other touched her face lightly. His fingers tilted her chin up and
she found herself gazing into his eyes, suddenly unable to fight.
Taylar had a fraction of a second to
think that his lips looked amazing before he pressed them lightly against
hers. She jerked as a small current of energy ran through her. The
man sucked in a breath pulled back slightly before claiming her mouth again,
this time with more obvious intent. His tongue slipped over her lips and
the shock caused her to gasp, giving him the opportunity to delve into her
mouth. Her entire body filled with heat and she moaned.
Taylar whimpered and pressed herself
against him, trying to get at more of the energy flowing through them.
She didn’t notice when her hands became untied, only that suddenly she was able
to lace them behind his head, pulling him down to her harder.
He groaned and stood, hauling her up
with him and pressing her against the wall. A flash of lightning was quickly
followed by a burst of thunder and Taylar paused at the feel of the sudden
downpour. The man’s lips trailed down her neck and settle lightly against
the top of her shoulder. She fought to catch her breath, tilting her head
back to look up at the grey sky above her.
“What the fuck’s happening?”
He shook himself and
straightened. “Look around, Taylar. Tell me what ye see.”
She fought to look away from his
lips so she could concentrate on their surroundings. They were in a
city. Cars were parked haphazardly up and down the streets, a fine layer
of rust covering each and every one of them. Not one of the buildings in
view had a window intact. Everything was grey and Taylar realized
with a shock that no vegetation grew in the vicinity.
“Where are we?” She looked
back up to him, her heart pounding, hoping she was wrong.
“Kalhan City.”
Her throat tightened and she swallowed
hard. Her eyes found the broken sign she’d recognized and a tear rolled
down her cheek. Gabriel High School. It was where she’d graduated
from what seemed like an eternity ago.
“What happened? When did it
happen?” Another tear was quickly followed by more. Taylar wiped
her arm across her face.
“This is what happens if the rift
opens between the dimensions. It happened three years ago.” Noting
the confusion on her face, he changed his answer. “Two years after I meet
ye in your mate’s basement.” He put one hand on her shoulder and the
other cupped her cheek, his thumb wiping away a fresh wave of tears. “It
hasn’t happened yet, Taylar.”
She closed her eyes,
disbelieving. “How am I supposed to stop this?” She gaped,
surprised at his chuckle.
“This isn’t all on you,
lovely.” He tucked some wet blonde hair behind her ear. “It will
take many and we’re lucky the bloodline is strong. Having said that, it
will take all of ye to win. I need ye to help me track down the others.”
He smiled. “Aye, I know how ye can hone in on whatever ye’re hunting.”
She gawked at him, completely
bewildered. “What are you?”
His smile
softened in what seemed to be an attempt to ease her nerves. “I, my
lovely, am a Watcher.” He kissed her again and when she opened her eyes,
she was back in the basement, though free of the ropes this time.
Her next
question stopped short as a loud crash was heard overhead.
“It seems
your hero has arrived.”
Cal’s voice
was filled with anger. “Where is she?”
Taylar
frowned. His energy was weak.
“She’ll be
dead before you get to her,” declared Mark.
The strange
man beside her grunted. “But he’s daft, yeah?”
She couldn’t
help but smile.
“Cal, it’s
better this way.”
If Mark was
hoping to talk his way out of the situation, it seemed Cal wasn’t having
it. Mark’s groan made its way down the stairs.
“You
ignorant bastard!” Cal’s growl was emphasized by another of Mark’s grunts
of pain.
“Cal.”
Mark’s voice squeaked up an octave. “I was just doing my job.”
Taylar
thought of calling out to let Cal know she was still alive, but quickly decided
against it. She didn’t want to distract him.
“Cal,
buddy.”
Taylar
jumped as a gunshot echoed through the house. Who had pulled the gun? Had
Cal been shot again?
“That’s my
cue to leave, Lovely. I’ll see you soon.”
“Taylar!”
Cal’s shout overhead was enough to make her forget the Watcher.
“Cal!”
She ran up the basement stairs and pounded on the locked door.
“Thank
god! Tay! Are you alright?” He unlocked the door and pulled it
open.
Her throat
tightened at the site of him. He leaned against the door frame, his
clothes soaked in blood, his left hand covering the bullet wound on the right
shoulder. Eyes filled with pain and relief met hers and she swallowed
hard.
“You’re
weak.”
He
grinned. “Hello to you, too.”
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