Legends of the Damned: A Collection of Edgy Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Lindsey R. Loucks

  “Was one of them, now he’s one of us. You tell us what you need us to do. We’re in.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  That tosser Terry! When she got her hands on him she was gonna wring his scrawny neck and then spit in his eye!

  The rope he’d used to tie her with was rough and scratchy. Her nose tickled and she needed a piss. Where the hell was she? She glanced around the room the size of a large wardrobe. No window, one door and some odds and sods including a pair of stinky gardening boots on the floor. If she didn’t die of lack of oxygen then the smell alone would kill her!

  And then she felt him, Ryder…he was close. Maybe even outside. She didn’t bother screaming, the gag had made her mouth too dry to do much, but her heart fluttered with anxiety. What was Terry telling Ryder? She couldn’t bear for him to think she’d been in on this. She needed to get to him, get out of here. Didn’t they understand that he needed her? In less than an hour the settlers would take out Rubble Town with their machines and their weapons and Ryder was their only hope. He could fail, he could be hurt, die even.

  The thought of any harm coming to him made her toes curl.

  “Gah!” She kicked out in frustration.

  The door opened and Terry poked his head in. “Calm down, girly, it’ll be over soon and the powers that be might even allow you twos a brief meeting.”

  She glared at him, trying to convey her loathing for him through her eyes.

  He laughed.

  “Gah!”

  “Look, I told him you didn’t know about this. He knows ya innocent.”

  Some of the fight left her.

  “I’ll be back to gets you when it’s over.”

  He shut the door, leaving her alone once more.

  Like hell she was gonna stay cooped up in here while Ryder’s life, and the lives of everyone, including her family, was in danger.

  She needed out and she needed it now.

  Scanning the inside of the tiny room one last time, she searched with focus, something sharp to cut the ropes.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Ryder stood alone at the edge of town closest to City. The sun was setting, red, gold and orange. Everyone had retreated to the furthest edge of town—everyone mobile enough. He knew Midge was still at home and Star’s parents had refused to leave without her. The medic was gone. There was nothing he could do for Midge, but Ryder still had hope. If he could stop the settlers maybe the insiders would help him save Midge, maybe they’d tell him where the healing Horseman was.

  He waited, watching the skies, knowing what he needed to do, but afraid that he would fail. He heard them first, the whoomp, whoomp of the rotors of their aircraft, the low buzzing sound of the scouts that would scan the terrain. And then he saw them, a mass on foot and the rest ensconced in the huge machines that would flatten anything in their wake.

  He had to stop this and he had to do it without affecting the townspeople.

  The noise grew louder. A scout hovered directly above him before circling and whizzing away.

  The land craft crested the rise into Rubble Town and Ryder allowed his rage to boil over.

  Star sobbed at the pain in her palm, it was wet and slippery with blood as she slid it free of the ropes. She held it up to her face to examine the wound and gasped to see the shine of metal embedded in her palm. The switch was exposed, which meant she could get it out, all she needed to do was dig it out.

  Biting back her scream she grabbed hold of the metal and tugged. A shock ran all the way up her arm, a fizzing in her brain.

  What the hell?

  She tugged harder and saw white spots dancing before her eyes.

  What was this? It was like it was connected to her, inside her, to her brain.

  Ryder’s words came back to her…some kind of smart metal…had it somehow integrated with her? The panic that assaulted her with that thought had her tearing at the switch in a frenzy; pain be damned, white spots be damned. Something inside her snapped and the switch slid free, clutched between her forefinger and thumb.

  Ignoring the pain, Star hammered on the door, screaming for Terry to let her out. Getting out of the ropes had been pointless. She was still locked in the room and, stealth be damned, she needed out.

  The door opened in the middle of one of her battering episodes and she stumbled forward into someone’s arms.

  She recognised that scent. “Garret?”

  Garret flashed her a quick grin. “You been a bad girl, Star?”

  “That fucker Terry, I’m gonna…hang on, this was your idea!” She cocked her fist to deliver a punch, but he grabbed her first and twisted her arm up her back.

  “Calm down! I know it sucks, but no one made you fall for the guy.”

  He was right, none of this would have happened if she hadn’t fallen for Ryder. She relaxed in his grip and he released her.

  “I’m sorry, Star, this is fucked up. Terry told me about Ryder, he’s good people and right now, from what I hear, he needs you.”

  Star glanced behind her at the bloody switch on the floor. She held up her bleeding palm. “I don’t think I’m going to be much use.”

  Garret’s eyes widened. “Shit!”

  Star stared at her palm as an idea formed in her mind. “He can do this, he can, he just needs to believe and I think I have a way to help him.”

  Ryder watched as the machines faltered and came to a standstill. The army on foot turned to each other and began to fight.

  But the air attack advanced. He couldn’t focus the fury. It was too big and spreading along the ground like a stain. He needed Star, needed the switch because he couldn’t make it stop and the townspeople were next, they were next!

  He was losing his grip on it, couldn’t hold it any longer.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered to no one and everyone.

  And then he prepared to let it go.

  “Ryder! Wait!”

  Star? He glanced over his shoulder to see her running toward him. Her hair was open, flying behind her like a brown flag.

  Oh god, he wanted to crush her to him, to kiss her senseless. She was here and she was alright.

  The molten lava inside him, however, was on a roll, and he felt it erupt.

  Star’s eyes flared. “Ryder, I got you.” She held up her fist, the one with the switch. “I got you, we can pull it back, focus with me, listen to my voice. You can do this.”

  Ryder felt her positivity, her certainty and it was like a balm to his senses. He turned back to the advancing army, his mind sharper, more focused and he drew the anger back into himself, felt it coil until it was nestled in his solar plexus and then he fixed his eyes on the landscape ahead. These were the enemy. His focus had to lie on them and then he unleashed his fury.

  It unravelled whiplash across the settlers who turned on each other instantly, shooting, ploughing down, and killing with abandon.

  Star joined him and they watched the massacre side by side and as the sun set fully, silence reigned.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  “They’ll be back,” Ryder said. “Not everyone perished, there’ll be survivors, the scouts… They’ll be back.”

  He knew how it worked. The information would be relayed back to the settler’s enforcers in City and they’d send reinforcements. They knew about him now, and they would hunt him anew. “They’ll be back and they’ll be looking for me.”

  “I know,” Garret said. “We’re evacuating the town. You bought us some time Ryder, thank you. You better leave. Now.”

  Ryder slipped his arm around Star. They hadn’t had the chance to talk about it, he hadn’t had the chance to tell her how he felt, but he looked down on her now, trying to tell her with his eyes and the smile she gave him told him she understood.

  “I’m taking Star with me.”

  Garret sighed. “Yeah, I thought you might say that, so I squared it with the powers that be. I told them that building trust with the Horseman would lead to a more lasting relationship. Please don’t pr
ove me wrong. They’ll be watching, keeping tabs and if they think you’re going off course they’ll do whatever they need to get you under control again.”

  “And how do you have so much clout?” Star asked.

  Garret flashed a dimple. “We all have our secrets, Star. Needless to say, you’re free to go, but you promised to help us and we’d like you to start by recruiting the healer. You’ll find him in the Derby settlement up north.”

  “Midge!” Star turned to Ryder. “Did you get the medic?”

  Ryder hated to kill the hope in her eyes. He opened his mouth to tell her that her sister was dying and there was nothing they could do, but snapped it shut again as he realised that would be a lie.

  “Midge will be fine, we just need to get her to the healer and we need to convince him to cure her.”

  Star pressed her fist to her mouth. She understood the gravity alright.

  Garret turned to Star. “We have a contact at the Nag and Sow public house. Maxim’s his name. Find him when you’re ready and he’ll get you to our main safe house. Meanwhile, you know the score, stick to the small safe houses and don’t outstay your welcome.” He backed up. “Go, now, before they come up with some other use for you.”

  The watched him walk away and join a group of the black garbed men.

  Ryder slid his arm off Star’s shoulder and took her hand. “Thank you, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Star caught her bottom lip between her teeth and then held up her hand, the one with the switch, except it was bandaged and bloody. Ryder reached for it, gently puling aside the bandage and gasped.

  “I don’t have it anymore, Ryder. It’s useless, gone. This was all you. You did it.”

  He swallowed as heat unfurled in his chest, panic mingled with relief. He’d done it, he’d unleashed his fury, but succeeded in controlling it. He’d done what he’d never thought he would do. He’d tamed his rage.

  “Thank you.” He wanted to crush her to him, take her mouth in a savage kiss that would never end, but now wasn’t the time. “Let’s go get Midge, and we need to get some antiseptic for that wound.”

  She smiled. “We need transport.”

  Ryder grinned. “Ah, I forgot you’ve not met my baby yet, have you?”

  Epilogue

  Their first safe house was sanitary and although there had been no hot water, Star was clean and extremely tired. Her hand was wrapped in a fresh bandage and the medication that Ryder had given her had dulled the pain in her palm.

  Midge was asleep on the bed, curled into a ball. They’d been forced to leave mum and dad behind; the kart wasn’t big enough for them all. But they’d agreed that the safest place for Midge was with Star and Ryder at the main safe house.

  They had a long way to go before they could hole up for the long stretch though, and her body ached from being cooped up in the kart all night.

  Travel by night, sleep by day, Ryder had decided. It was safer. She lifted her hand up, bandaged and clean. His face when she’d told him there was no switch, that it had been all him; the confusion, the dawning realisation, and then the exhalation of awe and relief. He was finally in control.

  She could hear him now, moving around in the washroom. In all the commotion they hadn’t had a moment alone to…reconnect, to tell each other how they felt. She wanted to cup his face and look into his eyes and tell him that he had her heart, had it completely and utterly and she wanted to hear those words in return.

  The washroom door opened and he stood in the doorway, torso bare and beaded with water, towel slung low on his hips.

  He was magnificent, perfect, and he was all hers.

  He was watching her with that hungry look in his eyes, the one that made her wonder if she looked like a double cheeseburger. Man, she missed cheeseburgers, and then he was pointing at something beside her.

  “Could you…”

  She looked down at the boxers on the bed.

  She wanted him.

  She picked them up and walked toward him. Eyes locked on his, she placed a hand on his chest and pushed him gently back into the bathroom.

  His gaze heated, fell to her lips.

  They had a long way to go, yes, but she loved him and showing was so much better than telling.

  She closed the door softly behind them.

  Time for some show and tell.

  The Horseman series will continue Winter 2017

  In the meantime, stay on top of Debbie Cassidy’s New Releases, and grab a FREE short story by signing up to her Newsletter below:

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  Debbie Cassidy’s Newsletter.

  About the Author

  Debbie Cassidy is a British author from a little village in Bedfordshire. She nurtures a love of coffee and cinnamon swirls, oh, and she can never say no to a freshly baked donut. Mother of three, housewife and multi-tasking guru, Debbie is ready to accept her superwoman status as soon as someone decides to award it to her.

  * * *

  After writing co-authored work under the pen name Amos Cassidy for seven years, Debbie decided to branch out, and released her solo debut, Forest of Demons, with Kindle Press in May 2016. Since then, Debbie has penned four more novels under her own name, which will be releasing 2017 with many more exciting projects to come.

  Valia’s Villain

  Jocelyn Dex

  Valia’s Villain © 2016 Jocelyn Dex

  * * *

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Created with Vellum

  Valia’s Villain

  Nothing will stop the demon from getting revenge on the female who enslaved him years ago.

  * * *

  Valia, a Sempire, approaches the Ferox demon expecting scorching sex and a feed. Instead, he handcuffs her, transports her to the demon realm, and accuses her of crimes she has no memory of committing. Even though she believes her captor to be crazy, she feels a connection to him she’s never experienced before.

  * * *

  While looking for a kill, Rydin, a Ferox demon, senses the Sempire who locked him up, fed on him, and used him as a sex slave many years ago. Knowing his wait for revenge is finally over, he imprisons her in the demon realm where she is under his control. With nothing but punishing her on his mind, he’s angered by the undeniable need that sparks between them every time they touch.

  Chapter One

  Rydin’s muscles tensed as an old, but all too familiar, sensation assaulted his senses. He couldn’t believe it. She was here, in the human realm, in this nightclub. He didn’t know how he knew, but he felt her presence in a primal way.

  He scanned the club needing his eyes to confirm what his body felt. There. He squinted as her absurdly red hair blazed beneath the offensive, pulsating lights. His gut twisted, and his cock hardened in anticipation.

  He’d almost given up on ever finding her and getting revenge on the sultry bitch. He forced himself not to run at her, throw her down, and take her amongst the writhing bodies on the dance floor.

  His nails pierced his palms as his hands balled in to fists. She looked exactly as he remembered. The insane craving for revenge had kept her image burned into his brain.

  Thirty years had passed
since she’d fucked him—literally and figuratively. Thirty years he’d longed to do to her what she’d done to him. Lock her up for three days, fuck her, lick every inch of her body, whatever he wanted, when he wanted, whether or not she wanted it. He’d make her want it. He’d been her sex slave for three days, and he knew what made her hot. That wasn’t typically his style, but this wasn’t a typical situation. She’d done it to him and finally…finally he had his chance for revenge.

  One problem, he had another mission tonight—to kill a demon. He didn’t know why, nor did he give a shit. He only knew that Debol, the deranged Incubus who held his contract, wanted the demon dead, and after killing it, Rydin would be one step closer to being free. Free of the demon realm, free to live the life he wanted.

  Being contractually obligated to a deranged Incubus for one hundred thirty years put Rydin in a generally shitty mood, but tonight it enraged him. He refused to miss this opportunity. Refused to wait any longer to get his revenge. The bitch was his. Tonight. But he had to kill the demon too.

  If he breached contract, that fucker, Debol would add more time to his contract. With only twenty years left, no way, no matter how badly the need for revenge made his ass itch, would he let her be the cause of him being stuck for another fifty years.

  He watched her glide through the club, confident, at ease, while males, human and demon alike, stared after her with carnal gazes. And he didn’t blame them. She presented a salacious picture in that green miniskirt and matching halter top that barely covered her breasts. She was a vision even with that ridiculously red hair. He’d think it a dye job if he hadn’t been up close and personal with her. He’d have detected the scent of chemicals, but there had been none. No, her hair had smelled of sweet citrus and pineapple that made him think of a tropical paradise.