by Jory Strong
Detective Rico Santana wants and needs Skye—for himself, and to track a couple of kids who have gone missing.
In all the centuries that Giovanni Banderali has been alive, he’s never desired any woman enough to bind her to him as a companion. That changed the moment he saw Skye. She’s a threat to the fledgling vampires he’s searching for, but nothing will stop him from claiming her—not even the Angelini blood that flows through her veins.
Adversaries, natural enemies—dangerous allies—the bond that links them is stronger than lust, more powerful than love. When an Angelini chooses a mate, no man can resist.
Syndelle’s Possession (The Angelini, 2)
Syndelle Coronado. For Brann O’Ciardha, she is a prize beyond measure, a vampire myth made reality. He knows there will be those who will want to kill her when they learn of the old magic carried within her. But the moment Brann tastes Syndelle’s blood and feels her hidden power as his companion Rafael mates with her, he resolves to claim her, to possess her. He’s waited centuries to find a female such as Syndelle, and he won’t let her escape him. She will be his for all time, bound to him and Rafael by her own nature and the laws that govern both vampire and Angelini alike.
While Rafael is the human mate Syndelle has always dreamed of, Brann is the vampire bogeyman of her nightmares. There’s no denying the Angelini magic that has chosen them as her mates, and once claimed, they will crave her as desperately as she will crave them. But Syndelle intends to have more from Rafe and Brann than just their lust, she wants their love, and she intends to be viewed as their equal.
Mystic’s Run (The Angelini 3)
Mystic Renaldi might have been born to guard the border between the human and supernatural worlds, but in her mind she will never measure up to the other Renaldi Angelini. She can dance, mix drinks, play hostess, manage the music and even sing along with a band, all the things necessary for a good party — but not what’s required of a hunter.
When she slips away from the Howl for an adventure in Las Vegas, little does she know she’s stepping into her Angelini destiny. Her first hunt awaits, along with three alpha males who are ready to convince her she’s the equal of any Renaldi female.
For Roman, Mystic is the mate who’ll appease the gryphon he was before becoming vampire. For Hawk, she’s the mate who'll gain him a pack of his own. For Christian, a lone wolf, she’s the mate he never dreamed possible. But once she’s theirs, she becomes so much more than they imagined. Nothing’s left to chance when an Angelini takes a mate. And everything is claimed — body, heart and soul.
Excerpt from Inked Magic
Fog turned the cemetery into shades of black and gray. It lay on those gathered around the grave, a wet, heavy shroud muting the sounds of grieving as the priest spoke his final words and mourners moved toward the immediate family.
Cathal didn’t cross to offer his condolences though his mother did, resplendent in designer black and tasteful jewelry. He remained in place even as his father and uncle departed without a word.
They glided through the fog like a pair of ravens, black coats shiny with moisture. Harbingers of death, he thought, knowing that scattered among the mourners were police as well as FBI and ATF agents.
He lingered, trying to recall the dead girl’s face, to dredge up personal memories of Caitlyn, something beyond the smiling photographs present in the funeral home. He failed. All that came to him were thoughts of his cousin, Brianna, and with it, guilt over how seldom their lives intersected.
In the span of a year Brianna had lost her mother and brother.
And now this.
Drugs and gang rape and the death of a friend.
Insanity and murder, if not by intention, then by end result.
He should have made more time for her. He should have . . .
With an acknowledgment of failure, he left the gravesite, returning to the long line of automobiles parked against the curb, transport back to everyday life.
Two heavily muscled men emerged from the gloom as his father and uncle neared identical dark-windowed Mercedes. The men opened back doors, then stood, waiting at attention like the soldiers they were.
Words passed between the brothers. Icy intensity rather than heated argument, accompanied by a glance in his direction before his uncle climbed into a car and was driven away.
A sense of foreboding settled around him but he didn’t slow his footsteps or refuse when his father indicated with a wave that he was to get into the back of the remaining Mercedes. He surrendered his cell phone, a precaution against being listened in on by the authorities, then got into the car.
The doors closed, walling off sound and the possibility of being overheard. His father’s eyes locked onto his. “The animals responsible for this can’t go unpunished.”
Despite knowing his father’s idea of justice involved a shot to the back of the head and an unmarked grave, he said, “I agree.”
“Good.”
The tension left his father. “Good,” he repeated. “A source passed on a name at the funeral. There’s an artist who can help us identify the guilty parties. But there’s a complication.”
The sense of foreboding deepened. “What complication?”
“She might be related to a cop. The guy who passed on the name didn’t know whether it was true or not. All he could say for sure was that she’s got a freaky way with victims.”
“So call in a favor. Have a case file opened. There’s enough about what happened to Brianna and Caitlyn to force an investigation. Let the police make arrangements with the artist. Let them handle it officially and prosecute the guilty parties.”
His father tilted his head toward the empty parking place in front of the Mercedes. “This is personal business. Something your uncle and I need to take care of ourselves. The sooner the better. If you were around more—and I’m not saying you should be, I understand your reasons and I respect your decision—then you’d know Denis isn’t thinking straight. First losing Margo then Brian. Now this.
“He’s hurting. And a man in that much pain is capable of striking out, damn the consequences. That’s why I’m asking you to run interference here, to minimize the collateral damage by approaching this woman. Pull the right strings to get her to visit Brianna and come up with pictures of the responsible parties.
“Maybe it’ll be simple. Cash for services rendered. Maybe she wants to be a rock star and you can make it happen for her. Maybe she’s lonely and you can convince her between the sheets. Show her a little love so she’ll want to help out here and be willing to keep quiet about it afterwards. If you set your mind to it, you can get it done.”
“And if I don’t? If I can’t?”
His father shrugged. “Then my conscience is clear. I’ve tried to do the right thing, walk the line as much as I can given the situation. But I’m not going to stand between Denis and the animals responsible for drugging and raping his baby girl. I’m not going to turn my back on family. Justice will be served on behalf of those two girls, regardless of whether you involve yourself in this matter or not.”
Cathal curled his hand into a fist and fought the urge to answer the verbal jab. He looked beyond his father, at the mourners moving through the fog, leaving Caitlyn to be lowered into her grave.
After a lifetime of keeping his distance, of staying clear of his father and uncle’s business, he wondered if he was about to take the first step on a slippery slope that ended in prison or violent death for most of those who took it.
“How much time do I have to convince her?”
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Sue-Ellen Gower and Jennifer Kiziah for helping me make this the best story it could be!
About the Author
Jory Strong has been writing since childhood and has never outgrown being a daydreamer. When she’s not hunched over her computer, lost in the muse and conjuring up new heroes and heroines, she can usually be found reading, riding horses, or walking dogs.
Her stories
have won numerous awards, as well as been national best sellers. She lives in California with her husband and a menagerie of pets.
She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website at http://www.jorystrong.com or contact her at [email protected].
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Vampire’s Companion
Copyright © 2013 by Valerie Christenson
Edited by Sue Ellen Gower
Cover by Croco Designs
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
Excerpt of Inked Magic copyright © 2012 by Valerie Christenson
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Thank you!
Other Angelini World Stories
Excerpt from Inked Magic
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Thank you!
Other Angelini World Stories
Excerpt from Inked Magic
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright