by A. C. James
“It might take some time and it won’t be easy with her record being sealed.”
“I know but figured with your position there must be something you can do.”
His brows furrowed as he looked at the photograph he held in his hand. “She’s almost pretty if you lose the glasses. How much trouble could she be?”
“It’s always the pretty ones that are. Haven’t you learned that? Look at your wife.”
“Look at you,” he said with a warm smile as he put his hand on my arm. He released my arm and shuffled through the other papers in the file folder. “There’s no birth certificate.”
“There’s not a whole lot of anything on this girl. But her name is Holly,” I said. “Holly Ellis.”
He nodded. “Ok, give me a week and I’ll get back to you.”
The toilet flushed and his wife returned from the bathroom. She beamed at me as she entered the room.
“Thank you for everything Tessa. You’ve brought me and my husband closer than we’ve been in years.”
I hugged Eleanor and planted a chaste kiss on her cheek. “It was my pleasure.”
The senator placed an arm around his wife’s shoulders. I gathered the toys and repacked my suitcase. Donning my trench coat, I said my good-byes and left the file on Holly Ellis with the senator. I blew out the candles on the dresser on my way out the door.
Holly Ellis.
The girl looked identical to someone I hadn’t thought about in years but I imagined Arie thought about her often. It was probably why he started frequenting the coffee shop to begin with. I had a bad feeling about her uncanny physical resemblance to someone who had been the bane of Arie’s existence. Now all I could do was wait and hope I was wrong.
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Table of Contents
Eternal Ever After Preface
I never guessed that I could die with a sea of faces surrounding me, all cheering for my death. A woman wearing a jacket dress made of brocade only laughed louder when blood splattered the low square neckline. Where is Arie? I scanned the crowded club but all I could see were pale faces, some half covered by masks.
My time had come and I prayed she would finish me off quickly. The warm trickle of blood ran down my neck and chest, saturating the corset bustier of my gown. It seemed like a shame to ruin such a pretty dress. Strangely, I felt relieved the bodice was black and not a light color that would show a stain.
The fear of dying or more accurately, the fear of not existing, scared me stiff. Perhaps if I had satisfied this existential anxiety with faith I wouldn’t jump from panic to ambivalence. I should be angry at everyone who simply watched. They must think the gruesome display is part of the entertainment for tonight. After the bloody burlesque show I could hardly blame them.
Holly, I gave you the chance to leave. Her telepathic transference hardly seemed relevant at this point. I knew if I’d never gone to the Hellfire Club, I wouldn’t be facing death now. Still, if my death meant the killings would stop it seemed justifiable.
“No!” I could barely hear Arie scream above the cheering voices clamoring for attention. The constant drone defies my effort to discern coherent thoughts. I looked up and could see him on the balcony. When I blinked he had disappeared into the throng. Katarina retracted her fangs, released my neck, and the audience applauded her brutality. I crumpled at her feet, looking up at her smile as thin as paper.
I didn’t want this to be the story of my death but this part is only a fragment of a narrative as old as time. Its voices fill the shadows with whispers of legend. We are told that the damned cease to exist and those absolved from sin are given eternal life. The damned can never be saved. They walk the earth in an eternal hell. I fear it will be my curse if death doesn’t claim me instead.
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About the Author
A.C. James is a book blogger and writer, living in Northeastern Pennsylvania with her loving husband, her children, and her cat. Nothing makes her day more than curling up with a glass of wine, a blanket, and getting lost in a good book.
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A.C. talks about contemporary and paranormal erotica with bdsm elements on her blog, Paranormal Passion. She would love it if you dropped by to say hello. There’s also her website at www.acjames.com. You can also pop by Google + or follow her on Twitter where she interacts with fans. Then there’s her Facebook fan page. Alternatively, you can send her an email at
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Other Books You Might Like
Coming December 2013 - Eternal Ever After
The Gothic Cinderella story of 22-year-old Holly Ellis, a barista, who meets her unwilling prince charming. Arie, our prince, is an ancient vampire and Chief Justice of the Council of Sanguis. He serves the notorious Tessa Green. She’s the dominatrix queen of Chicago’s underground Hellfire Club. The unlikely pair entangle when a powerful force threatens Holly’s life and compromises exposing their world.
Desert of the Damned: While working on an environmental project in the Arizona desert, research scientist Amy Weston finds herself caught in the war between two men. Dante Akanto lures her into the desert to explore the dark side of her passions, pleasuring her in erotic ways she never thought possible with his bizarre sex games. And park ranger Jake Montag has a compelling mysticism and powerful sensuality that’s HOT and impossible to resist. But the two men, demon and shapeshifter, are engaged in a supernatural fight between worlds. Amy and her high level of life force energy is the key. Dante’s world and his immortality depend on claiming her as his own. The choice Amy makes between the two men will affect both her world and her future. Reader Advisory: Contains scorching scenes of bondage. Publisher Note: This book is loosely based on a short story previously published elsewhere.
Damned and Desired 2 (Demons in Exile): She’s a demon, he’s a shapeshifting leopard. From their first meeting in the Arizona desert, passion ignites and trouble begins. As a demon, Sakari Lock must harvest lifeforce energy through sexual seductions to sustain her exiled world. But when Sakari meets Brad, she breaks the number one rule of Anartia-don’t get personal with your quarry. Physician’s assistant Brad Montag is drawn to Sakari’s lustful advances with a blazing desire he can’t explain, unaware of how dangerous she is. No matter how enticing, she’s a complication he doesn’t need until he can conquer his past and regain control of his shapeshifting abilities. Sex this wicked and good can only lead to disaster. When immortals from an alternate dimension try to free their exiled world, Brad is caught in the middle of a battle that could destroy not only him, but the land he loves. Reader Advisory: This book offers a bit of bondage for your BDSM pleasure, as well as secondary characters getting down with a little M/M/F fun of their own.
Damned and Defiant 3 (Demons in Exile): Book 3 in the Demons in Exile series. Though a stand-alone story, we suggest reading in sequence to fully enjoy.
Mortal women surrender to Dante’s seductions. He is a Drone, an immortal who feeds off their lifeforce energy—the chi that keeps his kind alive. When his dimension is on the edge of destruction, Dante must seek the help of one special woman.
Haley Moore is a Sha Warrior—a mortal with excess lifeforce. She’s always been drawn to Dante. When they meet again he thinks luck is on his side—his quota of chi energy would be obtained after one scorching scene with this mortal. The problem is that he is overwhelmingly attracted to her and once with this woman won’t be
enough.
Haley tries to draw out the man buried deep within the demon. Their fierce, undeniable passion unravels his plans and threatens her life. But Dante is destined to leave Earth forever. He must choose whether to return to Prygos or give up his immortality and share his future with Haley.
Dragon Witch : 2011 PRISM Award Finalist. Biologist and witch, Jaida Chel is protector and sexual companion to Kai, the last shapeshifting dragon on her world of Somerled. But when Captain Brayden Stokes reenters her life, not only is Kai’s life at stake, but so is Jaida’s secured position in the colony. Brayden and Jaida can’t resist the sexual heat between them, even though she knows a relationship would be doomed.
When Kai morphs into a human, his sex drive is ravenous. Jaida is torn between her companion and Brayden. Unrestrained passion temps the three into forbidden encounters. With Jaida’s sassy, wicked ways, they all cross boundaries, exploring eroticism beyond their imagination. When secrets and betrayals are revealed, Brayden must risk everything for one last chance at love.
Acknowledgements
For Kathy—for your keen eyes, encouragement, and vast array of publishing knowledge that helped create Cursed Ever After.
For Donna—for your friendship and information on the BDSM lifestyle that helped someone as vanilla as me write something almost authentic ;)
Ok, maybe not so vanilla…