“Drake?” Maggie asked, sounding bewildered.
The man on my front doorstep, Luke Montague, gave Maggie a frown before he faced me. “I don’t appreciate how you’ve been ignoring my phone calls and emails,” he started. He was the essence of Drake in his physical appearance but he lacked Drake’s kind personality. Luke Montague was a bastard who needed to be taken down a peg or two.
“I haven’t ignored anything from you,” I returned.
“You haven’t responded to three phone calls and multiple emails.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
“Need I repeat myself?” he asked, the smug piece of shit that he was. “I’ve emailed and called you but it appears you persist in avoiding me. Not a proper thing to do to someone you’re currently fighting in a court.”
“I have no record of you reaching out to me at all,” I said.
Luke glared at me and inspected my disheveled state before turning to a man standing behind him. From my vantage point upstairs, all I could see was the pinstriped sleeve of a tailored suit.
I took the few steps that separated us so I could get a better look at whomever came with Luke.
“And you also missed a meeting with me,” the man said, without bothering to introduce himself. He was thin with a ratty face and a puff of faded red hair. He was also covered in freckles.
“And who the hell are you?” I asked, staring at both of them.
“You should know,” Luke said. “You were supposed to meet him.”
“The only meeting I had was with your lawyer, one which we attended,” I yelled back at him before facing the red-haired man again. “Now who is he?”
“I don’t know which lawyer you think you met with but it wasn’t I,” the man said as he stepped forward. “My name is Frederick Hinsley, and I represent Mr. Montague. I am afraid that you didn’t attend our meeting.”
“Frederick Hinsley?” I repeated, shaking my head as I faced Luke while trying to make sense of what the hell was going on. “Your lawyer was Reginald Ewing,” I finished. “And Ryan and I met with him.”
“Reginald Ewing?” Luke repeated. “Never heard of him.”
“That’s impossible. I… I met with him! I went to the address just as I was instructed,” I insisted.
“Sounds like a bunch of shit to me,” Luke said.
“Maggie,” I started as I turned to face her and pointed to the fireplace. “On top of the mantel there. Can you hand me that card?”
She nodded and rushed to the mantel as quickly as she could, grabbing the card and handing it to me. “Here.”
“It lists The Museum of Antiquities on Auburn Place,” I said as I showed Frederick the card.
“Where does it say that?” he asked, shaking his head as he studied the card.
I turned the card around so I could see the address myself. 1020 West Maple Way was printed in black, block letters. I shook my head and wondered what the hell was going on.
“But I,” I started.
“I don’t know what game you’re playing, Ms. Clark, but I don’t know any Reginald Ewing,” Luke said, straightening his suit.
“The only Reginald Ewing I know of was the head docent at The Museum of Antiquities,” Frederick started.
“There! See!?” I said as I nodded in quick succession.
Then Frederick frowned at me. “That man died ten years ago from a bad ticker.”
I shook my head as my heart leapt into my throat. “I don’t understand how that could be,” I said, wondering if I were losing my mind. I had to be losing my mind. That was the only answer that made any sense.
Luke laughed. “Miss one more meeting, and I’ll have the deed to this place by the end of the year.”
“He was the one,” Maggie shouted as she glared at Luke. “It must have been him!”
“Who was the one?” I asked, shocked by everything that passed between us. “What are you talking about?”
“He broke in,” Maggie said as she glared at Luke. “He’s the one who destroyed Lizzie!”
“The fuck I did!” Luke protested as he whipped around.
“Are you accusing my client of felony breaking and entering?” Frederick asked. “Because you can get into a lot of trouble for libel for making scandalous accusations like that.”
“You both need to leave,” I said as I started to shut the door in their faces. But Daschel was already outside barking at them both as they backed up. “This house is mine and if I see you again, I’ll get a restraining order,” I threatened.
Luke simply puffed out his chest. Seeing how he looked so much like Drake was almost impossible for me to accept. “This is my house,” Luke hissed. “You don’t belong here and the sooner you realize that, the better!”
Daschel rushed at them, barking and growling, and Luke kicked at him. Daschel dodged Luke’s foot as he snapped at his heels. I reached forward and grabbed the dog around the collar. The last thing I needed was Daschel being euthanized for biting Luke.
Angharad suddenly appeared in the hallway and cleared her throat. She walked right past me and approached the front door. I didn’t even know she was here. She opened the door wide and strolled outside as Luke and Frederick watched her in surprise. She was holding the hypnosis umbrella that she used with us earlier, and spinning it in Luke’s direction. I watched his eyes settle on the lines of the umbrella as he continued to stare at it. He was as captivated by it as the rest of us were. He became still and so did Frederick. They seemed completely lost in the swirling, red spiral.
“Luke, you will turn around and return to your automobile,” Angharad said as Luke nodded dumbly. He started to turn around and Angharad followed him. I followed her with Daschel and Maggie behind me.
Angharad walked down the stairs beside Luke, who continued to turn his neck so he could watch the red spiral of her umbrella.
“Continue forward,” she said and he obeyed her. Frederick stood there, watching the whole thing placidly. Angharad’s attention was momentarily drawn to the end of the street where a large moving truck was moving at a fast clip. She faced Luke again.
“Keep going, Luke,” she said and he nodded as he started across the sidewalk, heading for the street. A black Mercedes was parked on the opposite side and I presumed it was his because I never saw it before.
The truck continued to approach, and the driver and passenger were laughing. The driver’s attention was more focused on his passenger than on the road before him.
“Cross the street, Luke,” Angharad said and my heart started beating faster.
“Angharad,” I said as I glanced at the truck and then at her. She continued to walk beside Luke until she reached a parked car directly in front of my house.
“Keep going, Luke,” she said as she spun the umbrella and Luke obeyed, walking forward as he looked back at the umbrella.
When the truck hit him, the driver didn’t even have time to brake.
###
Everything happened at once, but I don’t know what happened first—I was screaming, Luke was hit by the truck, and Angharad was smiling like she just accomplished something monumental. As soon as the truck hit Luke, it stopped and the driver jumped down, his face a contortion of horror and concern.
“I didn’t see him!” he yelled. “He walked right in front of me!”
Angharad nodded and held up the umbrella, spinning it as the driver looked down at the red lines spiraling before him. “Get back in your truck and carry on. You will forget this ever happened. You will go now and wash the truck and with it, all the memories of this whole day.”
The man nodded, got back into his truck and drove away. Meanwhile, Luke’s body lay in a puddle of blood. His arms and legs were bent in impossible angles and I couldn’t catch my breath.
Angharad turned to face Frederick, spinning the umbrella at him. “Well, what are you waiting for? Carry him into the living room,” she said.
Frederick immediately nodded and started for the street, whe
re he bent over and pulled Luke into his arms. Then he carried him into the living room as I wondered what in the hell would happen next.
“He shouldn’t move him!” I said to Angharad as I followed her into the house. “He should be left in the street until the fire department gets here. We need to check his vitals and give him CPR if he needs it!”
Angharad ignored me and followed Frederick up the stairs into the house.
“Angharad!” I yelled.
She looked over at me with an annoyed face. “He’s almost dead and he will be dead in another few moments,” she said. “No point in alerting the authorities.”
“But,” I countered. “But everyone saw it!”
“No one saw it,” she answered, shaking her head as she dismissed my concern with a wave of her arthritic, gnarled, vein-covered hand.
“Frederick,” I replied.
“He won’t remember anything in another moment or two,” she answered.
We both watched Frederick carry Luke into the living room and set him down on the floor. Daschel immediately walked over to him and sniffed him with a curious expression on his face. Soon, his tail began to wag hesitantly.
“Return to your office, Frederick, and forget you were ever here,” Angharad said as she held the umbrella up and Frederick stared at it, nodding before he walked to the front door. “You will hear from Luke with instructions soon enough.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked as I shook my head in disbelief and wondered what the hell was going on. “Luke is dying if he isn’t already dead!”
Then I decided I had enough. Hurrying as fast as I could into the living room, I knelt down and examined Luke’s mangled body. Only he didn’t appear too mangled. Sure, there was blood all over him but as I watched, his bones were already resetting themselves with a horrible popping sound.
“Um,” I glanced up.
“There, there,” Angharad said. “All better.”
“All better?” I repeated.
I thought I heard Luke trying to talk so I looked down and found his eyes were open and focused on me.
“Are you okay?” I asked, in a small voice.
He stared at one side of me and then the other before his eyes grew wider. He looked like he’d just seen a ghost, which made sense after he almost became one. It was amazing that he was even alive—something that had everything to do with Angharad and her witch magic, I was sure. Magic that turned out to be much more impressive than I originally imagined.
“Luke, can you hear me?” I asked as I peered down at him, trying to decide what I should do next. Call 911? Take him to the emergency room? Let Angharad deal with him?
“Mmm,” he replied but he seemed to have trouble moving his lips.
“It’s okay,” I said. “You’re going to be okay.”
“M…Ma… minette?”
Instantly my stomach dropped to my toes and I felt like I could throw up.
“Ma minette?” he said again and his eyes were as wide as mine must have been.
I stared down at him, seeing the familiar warm brown in his eyes. I started to accept the truth of what just happened. It was so absurd, it seemed entirely impossible. The proof was lying right in front of me.
“Drake?” I replied.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Introducing Angel, book one in my brand new series,
The Sacred Oath Series!
“This may be my new favorite series from H.P. Mallory.” –Terry Tresler, ★★★★★
“This book is unlike any other she has ever written... much more hardcore and in your face!!” –Cooking Mama ★★★★★
“Standing ovation and 5 stars for another fantastic book!” –JM4 ★★★★★
“This book was seriously great!”—Melinda ★★★★★
About Angel, Book 1 in the Sacred Oath Series:
I don’t know who I am or where I came from.
The only thing I do know is that I’m running from something.
And there’s a voice inside my head that guides my every move…
When I’m taken prisoner to be thrust into a lifetime of prostitution, I learn I’m an angel. Yes, I bear the markings on my back: markings that reveal my wings have been removed. But when my only ally, a foul-mouthed sprite, insists my wings are intact, I realize the danger I’m facing.
I need protection. And that protection can only come from three magically powerful men who were destined to protect the balance between shadow and light:
Dragan, a gargoyle and the King of Shadow;
Cambion, an elf and the King of Nature;
and Baron, a vampire and the King of Death.
At one time there were four but Variant, the King of Light, grew greedy and usurped control for himself. He banished Cambion to the fae realm and Dragan to the shadow realm.
And he murdered Baron.
And now Variant is after me.
AVAILABLE NOW!
Read on for a sneak peek of Angel, Book 1 in the Sacred Oath Series!
###
Dragan,
The King of Shadow
I take a step away from the beautiful woman, intent on leaving both her and the annoying sprite, but something pulls me back, as if invisible arms are pushing me to her. The shadows within me are pulling, struggling to maintain their grasp on the unconscious girl. I can feel them wrapping their tendrils of dark mist around her, holding onto her tightly.
“Bloody fuck,” I grumble under my breath as I realize I can’t leave her here, though I also can’t say why. A woman has never had this effect on me.
I wrap her in the bed linens. As soon as I touch her, though, something happens. I feel power pulsing through her tiny body. It envelops my hand and weaves up my arm, into my chest and causes my breath to freeze. It feels like a legion of ants dancing over every inch of my skin, but the energy is beneath my skin, not on top of it, thrumming and crackling electricity.
I pause momentarily, surprised. There’s strength in her. Power. By touching her, I feel my own magic begin to boil up as if it answers her silent call. But this time, the shadows aren’t trying to force me to take her—they’re responding to her, stimulated by her, drawn to her.
I can’t explain it, but I feel captured by her, by the magic that undoubtedly flows within her.
“Didn’t I tell you she was beautiful?” the sprite asks. His voice snaps me out of whatever trance I’ve fallen into.
“No, you didn’t,” I respond, throwing her over my shoulder. Using the Arcane Magic that’s part of me, I imagine everything surrounding me in black. Then, I whisper the words to allow myself to become invisible in the eyes of those who would perceive me.
Blind from sight.
I imagine myself fading into the darkness around me, becoming one with the shadows, one with Shadow Magic that infiltrates me—that is me.
###
Cambion,
The King of Nature
Angels are beings of light, but they aren’t immune to corruption. And I know their proclivity toward decadence and greed better than most.
Then, I remember the visions the angel had...
First, the sex. A not-altogether-unpleasant visual. It was more than a vision, though. Like a dream, the sensation—phantom, but present—has arrested me and now I can’t stop replaying it.
I don’t trust her. And I don’t trust the vision, either. In fact, the more I think about it, the more convinced I become that she’s after something. Women, I’ve found, are manipulative, and the smart ones understand they possess what every man wants between their legs. This one is no different. I’m more than convinced she’s using her extreme beauty to seduce us. And, so far, it appears to be working.
Well, at least on Dragan.
Yet, I, too, find myself craving her. But I’m not satisfied that this desire originates from inside me. Instead, I wonder if I’ve been enchanted. Dragan definitely appears to have been completely bewitched, because he can’t take his bloody eyes off her for mor
e than a few seconds. The barbarian is too stupid for his own good.
I can’t deny there was attraction between the angel and me from the onset. I know that much is true. But the ferocity of my need and my inability to curb it fills me with concern. I’m not a man who obsesses over a woman; I’ve never been that type. I’m too rational, too logical of mind. And yet I can’t stop thinking about this woman—a woman I don’t even know.
She’s placed falsehoods in my mind, I’m sure of it. And these lies are confusing because they feel like the truth.
Her beauty is undeniable, but it’s her power that concerns me.
I’ve seen first-hand the hold she already has on Dragan and I won’t allow myself to become her second casualty. Where he sees an injured doe in the woods, I see an intelligent predator in the midst of setting a very convincing trap…
###
Baron,
The King of Death
Dragan’s eyes are on me instantly. He doesn’t trust me; that much is obvious. But he really doesn’t trust me with the girl. Little does he know I’m uninterested. Yes, I find her as beautiful as everyone else does. But physical pleasures are of little interest to me. The only emotion that drives me is revenge.
I walk far enough that I can still see the light from their fire, but no longer hear their voices. The silence around me is comforting, and I feel myself begin to relax somewhat.
The constant squabbles and dissension between them is distracting and irritating. I’ve been on my own for so long, I find company both disagreeable and tiring. Their constant chatter fills my head and I can’t concentrate on anything. But that’s not the only reason I seek my solitude.
I don’t like the way I feel around that angel. I don’t know if it’s her light that appeals to the darkness within me, but being around her does something to me. It’s almost as if I can feed from her energy. As a vampire, I require sustenance from other beings, something which usually comes in the form of their blood. But with her, it’s different.
If You've Got It, Haunt It: A ghost romance (The Peyton Clark Series Book 4) Page 23