Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Wednesday Briefs: Mine! Part Two Chapter Twenty-nine



The prompt for this week is:  I'm having the time of my life.

The smaller rocks hurt, but it was the large rock I’d stumbled over and the ones that pummeled my body as I lay dazed on the ground that had done the most damage. Sickening pain radiated from my lower leg. More blood dripped down my face to mix with the dust coating my skin, and the iron tang filled my mouth when I licked my lips. The rough tunnel was crumbling, and I cringed to think what had happened to that underground facility if the damage was this bad outside of that building. I was glad I’d sent Ritch ahead with the others while I made sure nothing followed us.

I held on to the wall, though the rocks shifted and more fell every time I had to take a hopping step forward. A light danced in the darkness, and I wasn’t sure if it was real or something my rattled brain was imagining.

“Park?” Ritch’s tentative voice startled me. He was wheezing, but I could make out his face through the thick dust. He looked okay—or at least not worse than he had in that room. “Are you okay?”

“What are you doing? You need to get the hell out of here. Some of those things might have escaped!” I took a step forward with my broken leg and cried out as bone ground on bone and the scent of fresh blood filled the air. Dizzy waves crashed over me, and I fought back the urge to vomit “Fuck!”

“Are you okay? What happened?” Ritch slipped under my arm and took my weight as he wrapped his arms around my chest. I coughed, and he eased his hold.

“Broke my leg.” We hobbled out of the tunnel and into the basement of the house. A werekin swept a bright light through the darkness. It seared my eyes, and I snarled. “Watch it!”

“Sorry. Had to make sure you weren’t one of those feral things.”

“We’re not. Where is everyone?”

“Made it out. Alpha asked me to make sure you got out when your mate insisted on going back in for you.”

“I’m not his—”

I cut Ritch off. “Take my left side.”

“Oh, shit, of course.” The guard came up on my uninjured side. We made our awkward way through the basement and to those rickety stairs which were still standing. Thank the fucking gods for small miracles, at least.

Of course, they were narrow, so we ended up going sideways, each of us on a different stair. My foot knocked into one of the boards, and I promptly leaned over and vomited, unable to hold it in as the pain stole my control over my body. I’d have fallen if I didn’t have two sets of arms holding me up.

“We can try to lift you,” Ritch suggested

“I’ll be fine. Go. Another one.” After an eternity, we made it up and out of that underground nightmare. Werekin were moving around the room, but I could smell the acrid stench of Deke’s fear and anger. He hovered over Kraig while someone cleaned him up with a first aid kit.

“We need help over here,” Ritch shouted. One glance down at my leg told me exactly where the panic in his voice came from.

The break was as bad as I thought it was, and pieces of bone were sticking out of my calf. The wound looked like raw meat, and I was filthy. Werekin are sturdy and heal quickly, so we rarely had the need for medical care beyond basic first aid, but this was going to hurt—a lot.

Doctors were rare, hence the reason the bastard who’d held Kraig captive had been able to gain access to so many clans, but there was one with us who was trustworthy. Good thing, because I was definitely in need of her services.

“Is he okay?” I asked Deke, nodding toward Kraig.

“Oh, I’m having the time of my life,” Kraig said. He hissed and cringed away when the claw marks on his neck were swabbed.

“Physically, he’ll be okay.” Deke’s voice was grim. He rubbed his chest.

“Are you okay?” I sank down gratefully in the chair someone dragged over to us, but I was having a hard time staying upright. I leaned against Ritch, nuzzling his side. For those few seconds he’d been held by Trein before the ferals attacked, I’d feared the worst. Sending him ahead of me in the tunnels had been gut-wrenching, but I needed him to be okay first and foremost. I knew Deke felt the same way about my brother.

“We lost her, Park. I felt it when the connection snapped. Your father’s soul too. I’m so sorry.”

Kraig looked up. “Don’t be sorry about that bastard. He’s the one who betrayed us, betrayed Mom. Dad’s soul was corrupt from the betrayal of his kin and streak, and that same evilness was in the man they put it in.”

It had to be true, because Ritch had told me stories about his cousin, and he’d been a good man. And clearly Kraig was still himself, the same honest and caring brother I’d grown up with, even if the suffering he’d endured had aged his spirit and put shadows in his eyes.

Other werekin were in the kitchen, moving in and out. I think it was a triage area because most of them were hurt; claw marks and bites, even one guy who looked like he had a venomous stinging wound surrounded by necrotic tissue.

This wasn’t the place to ask more questions, but I desperately needed to know how Trein had taken Mom, Ritch, and Kraig. “Is the area secure?” I asked.

Landon entered the room just then. “It is. We’ve posted men at the entrance to the facility through the basement here and at the other end of the tunnel that was in a building on the far side of the property. The werekin who surrendered are under guard.”

TBC

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Briefers Website

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Wednesday Briefs: Mine! Part Two Chapter Twenty-Eight




The prompt for this week is:  You and what army?



Trein had Ritch on his knees in front of him, his face swollen and blood trickling down his neck where Trein’s claws dug in to the vulnerable column. Two other Tigers held my mom and brother in the same position. Panic nearly swamped me, and it took everything I had not to attack.

It would only get them killed. I had a split second to hope Wilbur would know not to attack, but that was it before I focused in on Trein.

That bastard had a gloating smirk on his face as he watched me. Oh, he hated Deke, but I could see he knew about the bond between me and Ritch. He knew hurting him would enrage me. He bent down and licked one side of Ritch’s neck, lapping at the blood. “Don’t move, little bitch,” he hissed. “Or I’ll kill you here and now.”

I roared and the sound echoed in the room. Red flashed across my vision. It set off the army behind Trein, at least thirty of them and half had to be feral, held back by leashes around their necks, the Tigers holding them struggling to keep them from bolting toward us.

“Park.” Just one word from Deke, and I stilled, my nostrils flaring. Deke pushed forward but not in front of me. Even so, I worried about someone shooting him in the head. There were humans interspersed with the others. They held guns.

Was that how he got to them? Humans and guns? Were the men and women, or gods… the children all dead? No, Deke would’ve felt it.

“What do you want, Trein? There has to be something or you would’ve let those monsters loose on us the moment we entered. If you hurt my family, I will kill you.”

Trein sneered. “You think? You and what army? Those pathetic males with you? Delusional fool! Maybe I just wanted you to fully appreciate your doom.”

Appreciate our doom? What kind of fucked up shit was that? Kraig rolled his eyes. “Lame, asshole. Fucking lame.” Yeah, definitely my brother.

The Tiger holding him slammed his knee into his back, and Kraig gasped. If my roar had hurt everyone’s ears, Deke’s pissed off roar through the room like echoing thunder. It didn’t drown out Trein’s cackling laughter.

I looked at my mom. She had tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed.

No way. I shook my head, then darted a quick look at Trein. It was his fault, not hers. Nothing she’d done or not done could have led to her deserving this.

Wilbur’s stealthy movement in my peripheral caught my attention. He was slowly easing some device out of his pocket. Another grenade? We had people over there! “We’ll save you,” I promised.

He’d better get the fucking hint.

“I don’t think so,” said Trein. He dug his fingers into Ritch’s neck and the blood welled up. Ritch screamed and writhed, unable to stay still under the torture. The ferals behind him snarled. “I think you’re all going to die. Some sooner than later.” Trein lifted his hand, opening his mouth like he was going to lick Ritch’s blood off.

Then all hell broke loose.

One feral slipped his handler and jumped for Trein. He shouted, letting go of Ritch, and I leapt forward, going for my mate. Several other ferals gained their freedom just as Wilbur tossed something into the crowd of them. It hit the ground with a clank.

“Eyes down,” he shouted.

“Fuck that.” I didn’t look away from Ritch as he knelt, one hand on the floor keeping him up as his blood began to puddle on the floor. I wasn’t taking my eyes off him ever again. A loud bang, and a shockwave of pain shot through my ears as a bright white burst appeared in the room behind Ritch. Clouds of smoke billowed from the explosion just as I reached him.

Trein was fighting off the feral that was trying to gnaw on his hand, and as much as I wanted to take him out, I wanted to get Ritch and my mom out first. “Get up,” I shouted, unsure if he could hear me since I wasn’t even sure if I can hear my voice. I wrapped my hand around his arm and yanked him to his feet, pulling him against my side. I turned toward where the guard had held my mother, just feet away, but to my horror I was too late. A feral had sunk his teeth into her neck, its muzzle bloody, and the light had already left her eyes. Her soul was gone. What that meant for my father’s soul I didn’t know.

A war waged inside me. That thing was eating her, but I had to get Ritch out of there before a feral attacked him too. Someone grabbed my shoulder, and I spun snarling, never letting go of Ritch but pushing him behind me with the arm still holding him close.

Landon jumped back before my swipe could disembowel him. “The second group topside found the other entrance. We have to get out of here.”

I followed him, my back to the door and facing the complete and total mayhem in front of us. Something had gone terribly wrong for Trein and his men, and the ferals were decimating them. I couldn’t even see my mother’s body as some of the monsters started feeding in packs.

Grief and rage swamped me, nausea sending churning bile up my throat. I was the last one out, but then Wilbur stepped in front of me and chucked two more devices into the room and slammed the doors shut.

“These ones are gonna explode big. Go, go, go!” He took off at a run. He really was fast.
We raced for the tunnel to get out of this nightmare of horrors. Seconds later two booms went off in rapid succession, and the whole hall rocked and shuddered. Dirt, rocks, and who knows what else rained down on us.

TBC

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Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Wednesday Briefs: Mine! Part Two Chapter Twenty-seven



The prompt for this week is:  When hell freezes over, that's when!


“Not one identifying mark. No insignia, no rank, nothing in their pockets. Shit,” one of the guards said. “Now we have to wonder about the government?”
“We don’t have to wonder.”
The alpha of the wolves stood. He’d torn the sleeves off four of the dead men, the ones who still had arms attached. “I thought I saw some ink on that piece over there. Turns out, they all have it.”
“I don’t recognize the insignia,” I said.
“It’s military. A secret group in an even more secret branch that doesn’t even have an alphabet soup attached to it. These are the men sent to kill the boogeymen—usually the ones the government created.”
Deke narrowed his eyes. “And how do you know about them?”
“Blowing shit up isn’t the only thing my wolves can do, and your clan isn’t the only one that believes in changing with the times. Hacking is an art, but one some of my people have an… affinity for. I keep an eye on things, watch for certain buzz words or codes that might mean the government is on to our kind.” He snarled, his lips curling back from his pointed teeth. “Clearly we missed something big.”
I exchanged a look with Deke. There was a lot more going on with other clans than we thought. We’d been under the impression they were mostly mired in the past, living simple lives close to their favored environment. There’d been exactly one alpha convocation since Deke’s dad died, leaving him alpha, and that had been to honor his memory and confirm Deke’s place in the clan. Once again, I missed the older alpha’s experience and knowledge yet again; there was still a lot he’d had to teach us.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Landon said. “This whole thing might be small potatoes, which is why it didn’t pop up on any computer traces. Or maybe they’ve gone rogue. It wouldn’t be the first time a secret has given birth to more secrets.”
“We can only hope,” I said. I wanted this business over with so I could be home with Ritch. “And for them to stop ruining lives. I’m still killing Trein.”
“Either way, this is proof that the government knows about us. It changes everything.” Werekin were vulnerable, but some more than others. The horse werekin were strong, muscular, but with long faces and large eyes. The smaller clans, the ones whose bonded spirits were smaller non-predators, would not be able to fight back if they were targeted.
Deke rubbed his face. “Maybe we should stop thinking this is just about human werekin wanting to get revenge for their mistreatment and consider that it’s more. It might have started that way, but somehow, a government agency got involved and now it’s gone beyond that. Blending souls with non-werekin spirits, creating serums to send werekin into a feral rage, that’s all about finding ways to soup up the humans. They started with human werekin, but now…?”
“Super soldiers? But to fight us or someone—or something—else?”
“Who knows?” I said. “Right now, I don’t care. I want to purge this place, take every bit of evidence we can find so you guys can figure that out, and rip the balls off Trein and shove them down his throat until he chokes on it.” I flexed my claws. “And none of that is going to happen if we keep standing here talking.” They hadn’t moved in several minutes, and that was unacceptable. “They’re either going to get away or have time to regroup, if they haven’t already.”
Wilbur stepped up to my side. “I like this guy. Lots of imagination. Great visuals. You and me will get these bastards on our own if we have to and afterward you can come back to my place.” He gave me a sidelong grin.
“Not happening. I have something to do when we’re done here.” It wasn’t any of his business—or anyone else’s—what that was, but it involved me, Ritch, and my big bathtub.
“I can wait. Just tell me when.” Wilbur caressed his gun, but his eyes were definitely not on his gun as he stared at me. “I can just be patient.”
“When Hell freezes over, that’s when.” He wouldn’t appreciate the imaginative visual I was having right that moment. “Or when pigs fly.” Because I would knock him on his ass, and he would not be getting up again.
“Enough. Let’s go.” The bodies were pushed to either side of the area, creating a corridor. We took point again, and the alphas pulled back, remaining in the middle of the column as we went room to room, clearing out one carefully.
Some of the rooms made my stomach hurt, and my hands shook with the need to tear into someone, anyone, as the cages, stained metal devices, and the abandoned medical equipment. “Where is everyone?” I whispered.
“Gone? Out a back door we haven’t found?”
“Maybe. Or maybe this is a big trap and we haven’t taken the cheese yet.” Wilbur had his head tilted.
“What? Do you hear something?”
“Crying.” He pointed forward with his gun. “That way.” Taking time to clear each room, two of them very large and holding cabinets and shelves that could hide a full-grown male, had slowed us down.
Maybe they’d had time to collect their specimens and soldiers in the one place we hadn’t yet gone into. The hall actually ended in a wide set of solid double doors. These didn’t have locks, but we couldn’t see past them or through any windows.
“On three,” I said. I glanced back at the guards with us, and they were all ready. “One. Two.”
“Three,” Wilbur shouted and pushed through the doors. I cursed and followed him, peeling off to the left as he went right. This room was brightly lit, and standing in the middle, in front of an army of transformed men stood Trein—with my mother, Ritch, and Kraig.

TBC
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Tuesday, July 11, 2017

AE Via Promises 3

Today I have the great pleasure of sharing my review of A.E. Via's Promises 3, the third novel in her Bounty Hunter's series, featuring Dana and Ford's story. Read on, then go pick up your copy if you haven't already. And don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter contest for one of three signed copies!

MY REVIEW

Complicated. The men in A.E. Via's Bounty Hunter series definitely fit in that category. They are exactly what they seem like on the surface: Badass Bounty Hunters with special skills that including beating down anyone dumb enough to take them on. Dana and Ford are no exceptions to this, but just like with the other men on the team, there's a whole lot more going on.

To me, Ford is fighting far more baggage as he faces the desire he has for Dana. He's lost a lot in his life, but he'd do it all over again because he saved his brother, the one man he'd sacrifice everything for. But someone else is creeping into his heart, and he isn't sure he can handle that.

Cue Dana. By and far, Dana feels like the character in the story who has the least baggage, though his life has been no picnic. He's never let that stop him, overcoming many obstacles to become the best at what he does. Dana's a marksman, and he never misses his target.

Of course, Dana has to get past the fact that he has a girlfriend, that Ford thinks he's straight, and the inevitable complication of working with the man he wants to work over all night long. I loved Promises 3, giving it a solid 4.5 on the 5 star scale, though I'm even more eager for Brian's story as he always steals a bit of the show when he pops up in the books.


Author A.E. Via
Title:  Promises Part 3
M/M GAY CONTEMPORARY/ACTION
Edited by: Tina Adamsk
Cover Artist – Jay Aheer
PAGE COUNT – 222
Release Date: June 30, 2017

A bounty hunter’s partners to lovers’ story.
The hunt is on… and he’s the prey.

Bradford (Ford) King was sure he had the rest of his life mapped out. Though he was no longer a SEAL Lieutenant, his brother was home safe and he had a job that still allowed him to satisfy his hunger for hunting bad guys. Life was simple, no distractions or complications – at age forty-six – that’s all Ford wanted. What he didn’t want was his work partner, sniper/watchman, Dana, giving him s**t all the time. 

Dana Cadby had grown up labeled a roughneck from the wrong side of the tracks. He’d fought, scrounged, and survived despite a father that constantly told him he couldn’t. Dana pulled himself up by his own boot straps and made a name for himself in the marksman community. He’d been Duke’s bounty watchman for five years. It was his job to ensure their safety, watch their backs. At thirty-three, he was trusted, well respected by his peers, his bosses, his friends… so why couldn’t he earn the same respect from his partner? 

Dana knew he was bisexual before he graduated high school. He also knew he was attracted to the huge, 6’3”, SEAL from the moment he and his brother came to join their team. It wasn’t easy for him to tamp down his immediate reaction to Ford’s thick muscles, full beard, and dark eyes. Still, Dana exhibited nothing but professionalism towards him, not wanting to make his ‘straight’ partner uncomfortable. 

After Dana took back his ex-girlfriend, he’d noticed an intensification in Ford’s bad attitude. One that turned aggressive and downright antagonistic, and Dana was damned if he’d just lay down and take it. He was gonna make that man respect him if it was the last thing he did. 

When Duke sends Dana and Ford out to track down their most dangerous bounty yet, they both embrace the fact that they make one hell of a team… but they fight tooth and nail against the powerful intimacy brewing between them. 
Beware: When Ford and Dana connect, no fugitive can hide from the hunter and his watchman.

This story is a part of a series but can stand alone. It does not end on a cliffhanger and has a HEA. 
Disclaimer: This book is about MM romance, albeit there is a very brief MF scene.

Amazon Link:  https://goo.gl/KQ32Uz

Kobo: https://goo.gl/qXPIzK




A.E. Via is an author in the beautiful gay romance genre and also founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books. Her writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

When she’s not clicking away at her laptop, she devotes herself to her family—a husband and four children.

Adrienne has tons of more stories to tell, so be sure to visit her site to learn more! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com  for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak on upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.


Author Official Website: http://authoraevia.com

A.E. Amazon Author Pagehttps://goo.gl/AVpOeJ

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/aeviaauthor


EXCERPT

Dana tossed his napkin into his empty plate. He waved to the server for the check since Jessica appeared to be finished with her food.

“Oh, wait. I wanted another glass of wine. It’s been a day, sweetie.”

“I’m ready to go, Jess. It’s been a fucked-up day for me too, ya know.” Not that you asked. “I wrestled with a three-hundred-pound man today. I’m really tired.” Dana turned his mug up to down his last gulp when he was hit hard in the center of his back by a hand heavy enough to leave a bruise. Most of his beer flew out his mouth from the surprise impact, jerking him forward so hard the table rattled. Jessica gasped, her eyes lurching upwards at the hulking figure behind him. Dana knew who the fuck it was.

“My fault. Just wanted to say bye,” Ford grumbled. He clamped his thick hand down on Dana’s shoulder and squeezed, but Dana didn’t give him the satisfaction of the pained grunt that threatened to escape his clenched mouth. “You two have a good night.”

Ford walked away, Brian right behind him. Brian gave Dana a quick nod and kept moving. The few people gathered near the door hurried out of their path. One guy even stopped to hold open the door for them. 

“Well that was childish and uncalled for,” Jessica said, looking repulsed and offended. “Are you okay, sweetie?”

“Of course, I’m fine.” Dana kept his growl low. He wiped the beer off his chin with the back of his hand, glaring at Ford’s broad back. Motherfucker. 

Saturday, July 8, 2017

New Release! Burning Boundaries by Bellora Quinn & Sadie Rose Bermingham

I'm so pleased to have the authors of Burning Boundaries, Book 2 of the Elemental Evidence series, on my blog today! First we're going to get to know Sadie Rose Bermingham a little better, and then I have the gorgeous cover and all the buy links you could want to get your copy of the eBook!


Getting to know Sadie Rose Bermingham

1.                   Who do you write for (your audience or who you hope to reach)?
I write for myself, really. Im unapologetically selfish. I write the stories that I want to immerse myself in, and if other people enjoy those stories, it makes me happy. I write for the GLBTQIA audience because, as a genderfluid bisexual author, theyre my people, and for the Paranormal and Magical Realism fans because I grew up with and love those genres. And if my stories reach out beyond those boundaries and pull in people from outside, broadening their spectrum of understanding, then thats a bonus.

2.                   What do you wish people knew about your books or characters?
That theyre just about ordinary people, really, like you or me. Just because I write about Gay or Bi or Ace or Transsexual people, for example, it doesnt really mean that Im not telling a story for people outside of those brackets. Theyre human, with very human emotions and motives. They need love and laughter and to talk to one another and care for one another, just like anyone. If they have sex, well, dont most of us? I dont get why some people are hung up about erotica. We all get turned on, from time to time, most of us feel attraction to another human and want to do something about that. Its just part of being human.

3.                   Are there any common themes you see in your work?
Hahah, oh yes. I have a lot of running themes. I used to joke that I recycle characters and if you look closely you can see that. I like outsiders, people with a short fuse, characters that are flawed sometimes near-fatally. I love a character with a secret, something they dont talk about but which impacts on nearly every decision they make. I like androgynous characters, guys who havent really made up their minds which side of the gender divide they sit, guys who will flirt with women as well as men, guys who dont mind experimenting with make-up and more ambiguous attire. I have an obsession with eyes, the eyes are the windows of the soul.

Many of my characters are secret masochists, they cant resist the urge to damage themselves, physically, or emotionally. Rayne, in the Dark Paths series and A Boy Who Came in From the Cold, saw himself as spoiled and soiled by childhood abuse, and spent much of his life punishing himself for that. Mari in Elemental Evidence is outwardly more confident, with a kinder upbringing. Still, he feels pressure to excel in everything he does and that causes relationship problems for him because he has the niggling doubt that he will ever be good enough to reel in and keep the man of his dreams.

A lot of my stories are about people looking for redemption.

Publisher: Pride Publishing
Author: Bellora Quinn and Sadie Rose Bermingham
Cover Artist: Emmy Ellis
Length: 103,000 Words
Format: eBook
Release Dates:
Preorder: 23rd May
Early Download (from Pride Publishing): 6
th June
General Release: 4
th
July
Pairing: MM
Heat Level: 4 out of 5
Genre(s): Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Fantasy - Urban & Magical Beings, Mystery & Thriller, Paranormal, Paranormal - Psychic Talents
Price: $5.99




Blurb:
Mari Gale’s life has been a whirlwind since meeting Jake Chivis. A new job prospect and his mother’s health preoccupy him, so when Jake invites him on a date he’s ready to cut loose. Their night out turns into a nightmare when a fire breaks out in the basement of the bar and they barely escape.

Soon Jake learns that the horrific accident is being investigated as a possible homicide, and it’s not the only case. Detective Inspector Cordiline of the London Met hints at spontaneous human combustion, but as far as Jake knows, SHC doesn’t exist.

When Mari looks into a group called Birthright, he finds a connection to the victims of the fires and Jake risks himself to go undercover at the shadowy organization. The race is on to determine the truth before Jake becomes the next target.

Elemental Evidence Series Info:
Former Detective Jake Chivis is a Fire Elemental who uses psychometry to see the past. Doctor Ilmarinen Gale is an Air Elemental, a human/cybernetic interface, able to infiltrate even the toughest information systems. Together they find out just how potent a combination Fire and Air can be when it comes to solving crimes.

Amid murder, conspiracy and a world that views them with suspicion, and sometimes contempt, Jake and Mari circumvent the conventional. While the police aren't always appreciative of their methods they can't deny the results.

When they aren't busy consulting for the police, figuring one another out is their next big mystery. One that proves as frustrating as it is passionate. Between hunting killers and avoiding competing government agencies that want the two of them working on their side, they just might have enough time for love.

Excerpt:

Was that flirting? Was he flirting with the guy? Jake tried to rein those thoughts in but he couldn’t help it. Mari had a habit of flirting, but it had never bugged Jake before. Jesus, they’d managed to go to one bar for an hour and already he was devolving into Neanderthal territory. He realized something else. It had never really bothered him when he and Alex had gone out and his ex had spent all night coming on to strangers. Then again, he’d known Alex was doing it to get a rise out of him. That was not Mari’s way, at all.

“You want another drink?” Jake asked, by way of keeping himself from hauling Mari out of there and grilling him about whether he wanted to sleep with Mr. Whips and Tattoos. They had to step to one side as a sweating, agitated-looking guy pushed by them on the stairs in an obvious hurry to get down to the basement for some chastisement. Though he looked chastised enough already, in Jake’s opinion.

“If you do,” Mari said, then exhaled a huff that might have been regret and might have been relief. “Unless, of course, you just want to put me over your shoulder and carry me out, Mr. Caveman. I wasn’t giving him the come-on. So you can stop looking daggers. And don’t deny it.” He pointed a slender finger at Jake as he opened his mouth. “I could see you thinking it. Yes, he’s very cute, but he’s not really my type. I do like his toy box though.”

Jake snapped his mouth closed then pushed a hand through his hair and let out a sigh of his own. He had always pitied guys that acted like possessive jerks and here he was being as transparent as glass, all but snarling at anyone who got too close to Mari. “I’m sorry. I was aiming not to be obvious. I’ll try and refrain from clubbing you over the head and dragging you out by the hair.” He managed a sheepish grin.

“In that case, it would be my pleasure to have another drink with you, Chivis.” Mari chuckled, slipping a hand around the nape of his neck and towing him in for a brief, firm kiss.

They made their way back up into the bar and as they were weaving their way through the crowd, Jake heard someone shout, then screaming coming from the direction of the basement.

The red and gold lighting seemed to be flickering and Mari yelled, “Can you smell something burning?”

Jake noticed the smell just as Mari was saying it, and turned his head. A curl of pale smoke was winding up from the basement stairway, not thick but noticeable.

“Shit!” He grabbed Mari’s arm. “Get out of here. Hurry.”

Jake gave him a push toward the front exit then shoved through the crowd, trying to get to the stairs.

Buy Links, Etc:

Author Bio:
Bellora Quinn:
Originally hailing from Detroit Michigan, Bellora now resides on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida where a herd of Dachshunds keeps her entertained. She got her start in writing at the dawn of the internet when she discovered PbEMs (Play by email) and found a passion for collaborative writing and steamy hot erotica. Soap Opera like blogs soon followed and eventually full novels. The majority of her stories are in the M/M genre with urban fantasy or paranormal settings.

Sadie Rose Bermingham:

Author Links:

Website:
https://www.belloraquinn.com
https://www.sadierosebermingham.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ElementalEvidence/

Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/BelloraQ
https://www.twitter.com/SadieBermingham

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Wednesday Briefs: Mine! Part Two Chapter Twenty-six



The prompt for this week is:  This is my last resort.


Chapter Twenty-six

“Those hinges are going to squeal like a bitch,” Landon cursed softly.
“Shit.” I debated on the best course. Throw the door open fast and be sure to make a huge racket, but be able to face what was on the other side quicker, or try to ease it open and reduce the noise, but leave whoever might be on the other side time to attack us? “They have to know we’re coming. I’d have someone on the other side of this door.”
“Several someones, and we’re choked down here.” There was maybe room for three men to stand abreast, and they’d have to be back far enough to avoid the door which swung into the tunnel, by the shape of the hinges. Damn inconvenient.
A slender wolf came through the crowd of guards. “Let me take point.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You.”
“Along with this.” He pulled out a beefy gun from that hung down his back on a strap.
“What the hell is that?” Landon asked.
“The Uzi Pro with a thirty-two round magazine. And I have spares.” The wolf smirked. “I might not be the biggest in my pack, but I’m the deadliest. Claws and teeth only take you so far, and the humans have guns—so should we.”
I shook my head. “Damn, man. Okay. You take point on the right, Landon and I will get this door open, then we’ll stagger behind you as we come out. Everyone watch for ferals, and don’t take out someone on our side.” My orders were passed along the ranks in whispers.
“What’s your name?” I asked the wolf while everyone get into the best position to storm through the tunnel exit.
“Wilbur.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, my mom had a thing for the book. A wolf named for a pig.” He grimaced. “I had to figure out some way to scare the fuck out of the bigger wolves just to survive.” He lifted his Uzi. “Found it.”
I fought the urge to laugh. “Yeah. You ready?” He braced himself along the wall, holding his gun at the ready.
“Let’s take these fuckers out,” he said.
Landon and I grabbed the metal ring and on the whispered count of three, pulled back. The metal screech hurt my ears, but it was drowned out by the rapid rat-a-tat-tat of Wilbur’s shooting. He sprayed the space through the door, then stepped forward. Landon took up a place on his left, and I waited two more steps before I took the right.
Moving as a unit through the door, I immediately had to step over a body. I spared a single glance down—werekin.
 But not all of them. I also saw two pure humans in all black. Guards? The florescent lights overhead flickered, then grew brighter. I squinted. “Fuckers.” Darkness wouldn’t stop werekin senses from operating, but too much light?
“Incoming.” I could still hear, and the pounding of booted feet coming our way was unmistakable. We were sitting ducks in the hallway. We’d take out some of them, but they’d probably take us out too. “Try the doors.”
There were three doors in the hall. “Storage.”
“Damn.” We took the one farthest. “Everyone inside.” These rooms weren’t really any better.
“I might have a few other things that could help, but we’re underground, so it might also bring a shit ton of earth down on top of us.”
I wish Wilbur hadn’t reminded me of that. I hated the feeling of being hemmed in, and knowing there was a lot of soil and rocks above us didn’t help. “What?”
He pulled out two grenades. “This is my last resort.”
“Seriously?” Landon’s eyes were huge. “Dude, what the fuck do you have grenades for?”
“I like to be prepared.” Wilbur’s eyes gleamed. “And blow shit up.”
This fucker was crazy—but he was on our side, at least. Did our phones work? I pulled mine out. “Thank god.” How they hell they got cell service down here, I didn’t even want to know. He answered on the second ring.
“Yeah?”
“Take cover, pass it along. This wolf brought some grenades.”
“Holy shit. All right. There’s an adjoining door between us and the storage room behind ours, so we’re all together. Be careful, Park. I don’t want to tell my mate his brother got blown to pieces.”
“Doing my best.”
I hung up. “Let’s do this.”
Landon was peering through a crack in the door. “We got humans. More like those ones before. They’re spreading out, and they have major weaponry and shields.”
“Shields won’t help them with this.” Wilbur took Landon’s place at the door. I couldn’t see what he was doing, but I heard him counting, then the door open and slam. “Take cover!”
I crouched down and covered my head. There was a loud bang and then walls shook. Screams filled the air, and the stench of chemicals and blood followed it when Wilbur opened the door. We took point again, but guards poured out of the second room when no one opened fire.
“I don’t think they were expecting that,” Landon said. Wilbur lead the way and Landon followed. They stood next to the edge of the hall, then peeked around the corner. “It’s clear over here.”
“No, I don’t think they were. Help me out here.” I crouched next to a human who was unconscious… nope, dead. A chunk of metal was lodged in his throat when I rolled him over. I started searching through his pockets.
“What are you doing?” Durant asked.
“Wilbur and Landon are covering it. We need to see if there’s any information we can find on these bodies. These are pure humans and they’re wearing uniforms with military-style guns.”
“They could be mercenaries,” Deke said.
“They could be government.”
That got everyone’s attention.
TBC
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