“Crap.” My parents were worry warts. I was their only girl and not supposed to be in danger, unlike my brother who was on a nuclear sub somewhere in some ocean he couldn’t say. We only spoke to him about every three months.
“You were unconscious, and your mom called me as soon as we got to the hospital,” Harper said. “She’d been watching the news, and the explosion was all over it. She knew we’d planned on coming down for the parade and wanted to make sure we weren’t with the protestors. I had to tell her we were and that you got hurt.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s fine. So, is it only the cuts to your hands?” I asked James. “And how about you, Harper and everyone else?”
“Just this,” James said. “My dad should be here any second now too; he saw the news and already spoke to me. And everyone else is fine. They came to the hospital but this place is a madhouse, they had to leave. They’d only let the two of us in here with you.”
“And I’m fine. Not a scratch. But, you gave us quite a scare,” Harper told me and hugged me just as James’ phone dinged.
“That’s my dad; he’s looking for me. I’m glad you’re going to be okay. If you need anything just call but I’ll check on you later.”
James wrapped his arms around Harper then me and left us both. The doctor came in right after and told me he looked over all of my results, and he would sign the paperwork to release me, but my activities would be restricted for the next twenty-four hours.
Harper looked at me and grinned. She left me to go get a soda while I waited for my release papers and my parents. I heard my mother’s voice in the hallway before I saw them.
They rushed to my bedside, and I was happy to see them. “I’m fine, parents.” Was the first thing I said to them before they could get a word in, I knew it’s what they wanted to know. I sat up and grinned at them both. “The doctor’s already released me.”
“Thank God! You could have been seriously hurt,” my mom said. “But she wasn’t,” my dad offered as he kissed my forehead. “Our baby girl’s going to be alright.”
“Okay, but what did the doctor say? What happened?” my mom asked as she touched the bandage over my eye.
I told them.
“Sweet Jesus,” my mother cried and hugged me again. “You’re sure you feel fine? And, how about Harper and the others?”
“James’ hand got cuts from broken glass, but Harper’s fine. She’ll be right back. And I just have to take it easy, no exercise or anything strenuous for the next day or so. I don’t even have to take any meds.”
“What about Steve,” my mom asked.
“He wasn’t with us, he’s out of town for a few days.”
“Okay, you ready to go then?” my dad asked. “We can go to your place and get your things. Your mom already has us booked into a hotel. We’ll take care of you and make sure you are all good before we leave in a couple of days.”
I groaned.
“We leave after we speak to the doctor,” my mom added.
“That’s fine. You can take me home, but I’m not staying at the hotel with you. I will be fine back at my apartment. You can check on me there.”
“We’ll see what the doctor says, specially since your roommate wouldn’t be there,” my mother added.
“He wouldn’t be there anyway since he has to work.” I’d sigh but it would do no good. If the doctor told them I shouldn’t be alone, they wouldn’t bother taking me to the apartment I shared with a roommate. They’d take me to whatever hotel they were staying in. I couldn’t have that. If push came to shove, and I insisted on staying in my apartment, which I would, I know my mom would stay on the pull out couch.
“Do you have all of your things?” my mother asked.
“Yes, but we can’t leave yet anyway, Harper went to get a soda, and she left her bag here. Let me go get her,” I said.
“No, tell me where she is and I’ll go find her,” my dad offered.
“It’s fine. I’m fine, promise.” I stood. “I want to get a drink of water too and just want to stretch my legs. Besides, I can see the doctor at the nurse’s station, better grab him while you can. I’ll be right back with Harper.”
I hurried out of the room before they could protest. I loved my parents, but they could be just a tad too much at times. Besides, I’d heard the nurses talking about how some of the skin heads had gotten attacked and were in the hospital too and no one wanted to treat them. I can’t say I blamed them, nor did I want my father to run into any of them. My dad was in special forces until a flash bomb went off too close to his eyes. He could see, but he had to wear some heavy duty glasses, so he got a medical discharge. He did consulting and training for the private sector now. So, my father running into any Nazis’ Neo or otherwise, right now, might not end well at all.
But, I was more worried about Harper; she’d been gone a little too long, and she was dating one of them. I still had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that my black upper class, totally left bougie in the dust, friend was seeing a skinhead. I hoped for her sake, he had nothing to do with that bomb. I needed to make sure she was alright. A nurse had also mentioned someone had died.
I didn’t want to stop at the nurse’s station because the doctor still stood there, and my parents were headed in that direction. I spied an elevator and moved toward it. There was a sign next to the call buttons that said beverage and snack machines on the 4th floor, that was two floors up. I pressed the elevator button, and as I waited, I sent a text to Harper to let her know my parents had arrived.
The minute the elevator doors opened, and I stepped out I knew I’d made a mistake. There were those white shirts, red suspenders, black pants wearing assholes everywhere on that floor. The same clothes they wore during the march. I wanted so badly to get back on the elevator and return to the safety of my parents, but I had to make sure Harper wasn’t anywhere near this mess. I glanced away from the five men congregated at one end of the hall and looked in the other direction. I could see the edges of the soda machines, so I moved that way. As I did my phone buzzed with a text. It was from Harper she was headed back to my room. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned sharply back in the direction of the elevator when I ran into something solid as a rock.
Red filled my vision—red suspenders. I tilted my head back and looked up into the piercing amber eyes of my enemy. We stared silently at each other for I don’t know how long. No one else existed for me in that hallway at that moment. I could feel the blood pumping through my heart, pushing through my veins, readying me to fight or flight, but as we stared mutely at each other, something unspoken passed between us. Without taking my gaze from his, I reached over and pressed the elevator button. It was still on the floor, so the doors opened immediately. He didn’t move except for the flaring of his nostrils. Without turning my back to him, I got on the elevator and pressed my floor. The doors seemed to slowly close as we continued to silently stare at each other.
Not until the elevator began to move did I release the breath I’d been holding.
What the hell?
Chapter 2
Gage
I couldn’t stop looking at her. No, not a her—an it. Her very being should have been an affront to my senses. Still, I couldn’t look away until the damn doors closed, literally breaking out connection. A link that should not exist.
I stared at my image in the polished metal doors, but it wasn’t me that I saw. It was the niggeress with her creamy chocolate skin, hair pulled back into a ponytail giving her features an exotic look, making her thick lips…I shook my head. Those thoughts, I couldn’t let them continue down that path in my mind. I abruptly backed up and spun around to walk down the hall. The medicinal smell wafting through the passage made my head hurt. Dealing with Dwight added to my stress.
My dad’s younger half-brother, the Professor as he had built himself up to be was walking a knive’s edge with authorities and his sanity had become seriously questionable. Sent at my father’s request to not only bring s
upplies for the parade but also to check on Dwight. I stopped at a wall of windows in a small waiting area, someplace quiet and dug the cell from my pocket. A few stabs with my finger on the screen and rings could be heard through the tiny earpiece.
“Son.” My Pop’s gruff tone filled my ear.
I stared down into the tree dotted parking lot that looked more like a park with it wrought iron benches and colorful foliage. “Dwight is a problem.” Even though he is a blood relative I found it hard to work up any respect for the man.
“Can you clean up the mess this time?”
That was dad. Straight to the point. I followed the various people walking to their vehicles with my sight. I found myself tracking the niggers crossing the concrete slabs. “Not this time. Someone died. Dachs mother. I think good ole Dwight did it on purpose.”
“The fuck!” Dad’s voice exploded through the earpiece. “That dumb son of a-”
“Careful, you’re talking about grandma.” I couldn’t hide the chuckle threatening to burst past my lips.” Grandma raised both boys and my aunt with distinctive beliefs. Each of grandma’s children have a different father. Something about the disappointment of men and hell, I just tuned the old woman out after a while.
“It’s her fault I am stuck taking care of the little shit and the reason you are always having to clean up his bullshit.”
Dad has a point. Nothing could save grandma’s youngest from his latest stupidity. Wait until Aunt Grace got a whiff of what happened. As an elected official no one knew her true values and she sometimes used her position for—well—more than expected. Looked like her brother was going to sink any further aspirations she may have in climbing the political office ladder, if the word got out of who he really was. “Dachs-”
Dad cut me off. “That boy is a damn good soldier for our cause. To alienate one of our own. That fucking asshole.”
Good soldier alright. Not the way Dachs was watching that porch monkey. His brother had a bad case of jungle fever. The way you watched that niggeress. Are you any different?
Quiet Strength
The Second Book in the Defiant World Coming Soon
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Coming Soon
While you wait for Quiet Strength check out the latest from Ursula’s alter ego, LaVerne Thompson as well as Kassanna’s
Releases April 23, 2020
Available for Pre-Order Now!
With but a kiss.
Coming Soon from Kassanna
About the Authors
Ursula Sinclair is the alter ego of LaVerne Thompson a USA Today Bestselling, award winning, multi-published author, an avid reader and a writer of contemporary, fantasy, and sci/fi sensual romances. She loves creating worlds within and without our world. She writes romantic suspense and new adult romance under the pen name Ursula Sinclair.
She is a certified chocoholic and is currently working on several projects. Some might even involve chocolate. But, writing helps maintain her sanity.
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Read More from Ursula Sinclair
WWW.URSULASINCLAIR.COM OR WWW.LAVERNETHOMPSON.COM
More About the Authors
Kassanna is a strong believer in love at first sight and happily ever after.
Writing has always been her passion, but fate sometimes has other roads that must first be taken. Navigating the road less traveled was not only unexpected, but in the end, extremely rewarding. Her books are mainly contemporary romance, but she has delved into the paranormal, fantasy, and plans on expanding into other areas as the ideas come to her. Right now, she is enjoying life and seeing her works come into fruition, making it that much more pleasurable especially when her books make others smile. Kassanna wouldn't have it any other way.
http://www.flavorfullove.com
Other Books by LaVerne Thompson/Ursula Sinclair
PARANOMAL/ROMANTIC FANTASY/URBAN FANTASY
SERIES
Story of the Brethren
A romantic fantasy
Dragon’s Heart Book 1
Dragon’s Blood Book 2
Redemption
An urban fantasy
Angel Rising Book 1
Angel Rising also on audio
Angel Hunter Book 2
Angel Guardian Book 2.5
Lost Gods
A romantic fantasy
Zeus Book 1
Ledo Book 2
Linc Book 3
CHILDREN OF THE WAVES
A romantic fantasy
Sea Bride
Sea Storm
Sea Witch
Sea Child
The Children of the Waves Collection Books 1-3 in KU
THE ELEMENTALS
A medieval fantasy
Journey of the Princess of Ice- A graphic Novella Edition
The Beast Within World
A paranormal fantasy romance
The Beast Within
Audible also Coming Soon-
The Hidden Series
A dark paranormal romance
Dark Mist
Dark Shadow
Writing as Ursula Sinclair
Fantasy/Paranormal/sci/fi/new adult
The City of Sin
After Midnight- City of Sin
When Dawn Comes- City of Sin
The Eventide Hour- City of Sin
Contemporary
The Ballerina Series
Contemporary new adult
The Ballerina & The Fighter- Book 1
Maze- The Ballerina Series Book 2
The Dancer- The Ballerina Series Book 3
The Ballerina Series Collection- Books 1-3
Young Guns
Contemporary new adult
The Prison Guard’s Son- Young Guns Book 1
The Martini Lounge
Contemporary new adult (can be read as stand alones)
Shaken- The Martini Lounge (also Young Guns Book 1.5)
Stirred- The Martini Lounge
Frozen- The Martini Lounge
The Guardian Agency
Romantic suspense
White Wedding- The Guardian Agency Series Book 1
Something Blue- The Guardian Agency Series Book 2
Wine and Roses- The Guardian Agency Series Book 3
Guardian Agents Boxed Set
Sci/fi
Shadow Wars
Sci/fi new adult
Shadow Wars Homebound
Co-Written
The Maji Series co-written with Phoenix Daniels
A paranormal romance
The Cigar King in KU
Defiant co-written with Kassanna writing as Ursula Sinclair
A new adult contemporary romance
Stand Alones
The Princess Bed
A fairytale fantasy romance
The Glass King
A fantasy romance
The Christmas Spirit
A holiday romantic fantasy short
Day in the Sun
A futuristic sc/fi romance
Come To Me
A contemporary romance
Hold On
Contemporary romantic suspense
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Tears On A Rose
Tatianna
Coming 2020/2021
Soul Collectors full length
Quiet Strength
Wild Child- CroXroads full length (June 6th Pre-order Now)
Chances Are
Dark Soul- The Hidden Series Book 3
Sea Child- Children of the Waves Book 4
Choose Me- The Ballerina Series Book 4
The Otherworlders- Wolfen (Ursula Sinclair)- New Adult
Shadow Wars Ronin Riders (Ursula Sinclair)- New Adult
Living On The Edge- The Clan
Skye High
Kissed By A Rose
Lexi’s Journal
The Ice Man Cometh- The Elementals Book 2
Other books by Kassanna
Pack Rulez
(Volkshire Pack, Betaille Coalition, Rattler, Texas Clutch. Feria Train and Black Mountain Pack)
Scar
Kuma
Fangs
Claws
Hiss
Pack
Misère
Omega
Roar
Noir
Redemption
Pride Riders
(Lyons Motorcycle Club)
Prey
Primal
Prowl
Shifter Legends
(Beasts that have been around a Millennia- Ancient Ones who only exist in Legends…)
Rogue Dragon
Stone Guardian
Defiant Dragon
Beast Protector
Defiant Page 19