WICKED
KISS
Realm
Enforcers #4
by
Rebecca Zanetti
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pub
Date: 7/4/2017
Working
as an informant for the DEA, Victoria Monzelle is used to living on
the edge. But she’s not a big fan of getting kidnapped. And
definitely not by a bunch of bad boy witches with fancy-colored fire
to shoot at people. So when Adam Dunne shows up and claims to be a
witch enforcer, she’s not going to put her life in his hands based
on his word, no matter how smooth and smart and beautifully Irish his
words sound. But on the run from a tribunal of witches, she isn’t
going to make it far . . .
Before
she knows it, Adam’s word is all that stands between her and
execution. Sophisticated, just-gotta-ruffle-him Adam has vowed to
make her his one eternal mate, wild and unpredictable as she is—to
save her from a sentence of certain death. But Tori isn’t
interested in being anyone’s pity date. And if they think she’s
unpredictable now, they should see what’s coming next . . .
So far, the magical world of Ireland sucked
eggs. Her dreams of rolling hills, rugged men, and wild adventures had given
way to facts that tilted her universe, spun it around, and spiked it headfirst
into the ground.
The world held too many secrets.
Tori Monzelle leaned her shoulders
against the cold interior wall of the van and tried to blink through a tight
blindfold. Nothing. She couldn’t see a thing. The carpet in the rear of the van
smelled fresh but was rough against her pants, while she sat with her knees
drawn up and her hands tied behind her back.
A metallic taste filled her mouth. Her
mind whirled, and she tried to focus, but her breath panted out of her lungs as
if somebody squeezed them.
The vehicle hiccuped a couple of times
but ran smoothly for now. It would experience a mechanical glitch at some
point. Her curse was predictable. At least then she could run.
She cleared her throat. The whole
situation was just so surreal. If she could get the two kidnappers to stop the
van, maybe she could get free. “Listen, jackasses. I’m done with this entire
kidnapping scenario. I promise not to tell anybody that supernatural beings
exist. Just let me go.”
A snort came from the front seat.
“Supernatural,” one of the men muttered.
Her chest heated. “So you think you’re
natural. Then how about I refrain from announcing your species even exists?”
Another snort.
Where were they taking her? The sounds
of drizzling rain and honking horns filtered in from outside, while the two men
breathed loudly in the front seats. She hadn’t recognized either of them when
they’d arrived at the penthouse an hour before. For an entire week, she’d been
held hostage in various luxurious Dublin locales after having been kidnapped
from Seattle. The last penthouse where she’d been kept even had a piano.
Finally, she’d been able to play music and had created a new score.
Then they’d come for her—again. This was
the first time she’d been blindfolded during relocation. That couldn’t be good.
Had it only been a week since she’d learned
the world wasn’t as she’d thought?
Immortal beings existed. As in really
existed.
“Are you witches, demons, or vampires?”
If she had to guess, they were witches. They were just a different species from
humans. So far, she’d seen witches create and throw fireballs, and she’d met a
demon who’d shown her his fangs. She had to go on faith that vampires really
existed, but at this point, why not believe? “Mr. Kidnappers?”
No answer. She’d seen their faces; the
only reason to blindfold her now was to keep her lost and confused. So she
couldn’t find her way back to safety. She shuddered.
The van swerved, and she knocked her
head against the side.
“Ouch.” It was time to get free. “This
is international kidnapping.”
Did witches care about international laws?
Her shoulders shook, and a welcome anger soared through her.
The van jerked.
“What the hell?” one of the guys
snapped.
The world tilted.
Something sputtered. The engine?
An explosion rocked the van, and it
started to spin. Her temple smacked metal. Pain flashed white and red behind
her eyes. She rolled to the other side across the carpet. Breath swooshed from
her lungs. Blood welled on her lip, and she blinked behind the blindfold.
The van stopped cold, and she rolled
toward the front, her legs scrambling. Her forehead brushed the carpet and she
shook her head frantically, dislodging the blindfold.
The front doors opened, and grunts
sounded. Men fighting. Punches being thrown.
The back doors opened, and light flooded
inside. She turned just as broad hands grabbed her ankles and dragged her
toward the street. Kicking out, she struggled furiously, her eyes adjusting and
focusing on this new threat. A ski mask completely covered the guy’s head,
leaving only his eyes and mouth revealed.
With the light behind him, she couldn’t
even make out the color of his irises.
His strong grip didn’t relent, and he
easily pulled her toward the edge, dropping her legs so her feet could touch
the ground.
She threw a shoulder into his rock-hard
abs and stood. He was at least a foot taller than she and definitely cut hard.
Everything in her screamed to get the
hell out of the area and make a run for it. She was smart, she was tough, and
she could handle the situation. No time to think. She leaped up and shot a quick
kick to his face. While he was tall and fit, he probably wasn’t expecting a
fight.
He snagged her ankle an inch from his
jaw, preventing the impact. Using her momentum to pull her forward, he manacled
his other hand to the back of her thigh and lifted, tossing her over his
shoulder in one incredibly smooth motion.
Her rib cage slammed into solid muscle,
knocking the wind from her lungs. She stilled in shock. Her adrenaline spiked,
and the blood rushed through her ears. Free—she had to get free. This guy was
too powerful and way too much in control. She couldn’t fight him, and there was
no doubt she was outmatched. Fear sharpened the entire day into focus.
She tried to struggle.
One firm hand anchored her thighs, and
he turned, moving into a jog. The sound of fighting behind them had her lifting
her head to see more men in ski masks battling the two guys from the van. Those
two were losing badly. Blood sprayed from the driver’s nose, and he went down.
Hard.
Then her captor turned a corner and ran
through an alley, easily holding her in place.
“Let me go,” she gasped, pulling on the
restraints holding her hands. Cobblestones flew by below, while cool air
brushed across her skin. Rain pattered down, matting her hair to her face.
Begging wouldn’t work with this guy—she just knew it. What did he want? “Leave
me here, and I won’t turn you in.”
He didn’t answer and took two more
turns, finally ending up in yet another alley, next to a shiny black
motorcycle. Her hair swooshed as he ducked his shoulder and planted her on her
feet. Firm hands flipped her around, and something sliced through her bindings.
Blood rushed into her wrists, and she
winced at the prickly pain, pivoting back around. “Who are you?” She set her
stance to fight. He reached out and tugged the blindfold completely off her
head before ripping off his ski mask.
New
York Times and USA
Today Bestselling
author Rebecca
Zanetti has
worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and
a hearing examiner - only to culminate it all in stories about Alpha
males and the women who claim them. She writes contemporary romances,
dark paranormal romances, and romantic suspense novels.
Growing up amid the
glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest
has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her
stories. She resides in the wild north with her husband, children,
and extended family who inspire her every day—or at the very least
give her plenty of characters to write about.
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the tour HERE
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1 comments:
Thank you for the great excerpt.
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