Revelations by Jennifer Carole Lewis
Publication date: January 30th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Synopsis:
For millennia, the lalassu have existed at the fringes of society,
hiding in the shadows. But someone is
determined to drag them into the light.
Dani has spent years fighting against her family’s urges to take on the
mantle of High Priestess for the lalassu. Stronger and faster than any ordinary
human, she has no interest in being a guide for her people. She likes being
independent and enjoys her night-job as a burlesque dancer. But a darker secret
lurks inside of her, one which threatens everyone around her.
Isolated and idealistic, Michael works as a developmental therapist for
children, using his psychometric gifts to discover the secrets they can’t share
with anyone else. When one of his
clients is kidnapped, he will do almost anything to rescue her. The
investigation leads him to a seedy little performance club where he is shocked
and thrilled to discover a genuine live superhero.
Michael and Dani must join forces to save those they care about from
becoming the latest victims of a decades-long hunt. But the fiery chemistry
between them threatens to unlock a millennia-old secret which could devour them
both.
The clock is ticking and they will be faced with the ultimate hero’s
choice: save the world or save each other?
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Chapter
One
Wherever there is prey, there
are hunters. Jungle, ocean, city—the location doesn’t matter. A predator will
always find the vulnerable.
People spilled across the Lost
Eden’s dance floor, a constant tide of glittering men and women ebbing to and
from the bar. Dim lights flattered the desperate and popular alike, hiding the
first glimpses of age-drawn wrinkles.
Past experience had taught Dani
Harris that she could choose whomever she wanted from the crowd to go home with.
The small army of free drinks lining the bar behind her only reinforced the
lesson. But she’d come here with a specific purpose in mind, dressed in her
guaranteed-to-attract-attention, curve-hugging red silk dress, her black hair
artfully tousled to evoke sweat-dampened pillows and her eyes painted with
smoldering charcoal for a classic bedroom look. All she needed was a suitable
candidate.
Toying with the straw in her
drink and scanning the crowd, she made note of the few potential candidates. Her
fingers clenched the straw, crushing it with her growing unease. Since she’d sat down, the sexual tension had
ratcheted up, becoming as tangible as the dry ice fog. Guilt gnawed at her, but
she’d already pushed her luck further than she should have. She didn’t have the
time to indulge in her conscience. Time to choose and hope she didn’t end up
too badly scarred.
The thickly muscled black man
with the shaved head in the corner kept fondling the waitresses and the
customers, using his size to intimidate any potential protests. The blond in
the custom-tailored leather jacket up on the VIP platform, whose companions
avoided eye contact as he carried on an energetic monologue, ignoring the buxom
redhead cuddled up to his side. A pair of massive bodyguards stood guard at the
entrance. And the guy with the purple hair, piercings in his nose, lip, and
tongue was harassing the female DJ, trying to climb into the booth. They were
the best she could hope for tonight.
Brilliant light strobed the
crowd in time with frenetic bass and drums. Dani scanned the club again,
shaking her head lightly. The crowd was beginning to turn ugly, shoving matches
breaking out on the dance floor. The oaky taste of her whiskey went sour on her
tongue. She should leave and try her luck elsewhere.
“You can’t leave just yet.” A
deep male voice cut across the ambient noise.
Perhaps she had a winner after
all. “Why the hell not?”
“Because then I wouldn’t get a
chance to talk to you.”It was the blond from the platform.”And you should know
that I personally find it inexcusable.”
“What would that be?”She didn’t
offer him a seat but wasn’t surprised when he took it anyway. Up close, his
looks were even better: easily over six feet with broad shoulders and a
well-used gym membership.
“Whoever left you waiting. He
should have his head examined. Let me buy you a drink.”He lifted his hand in
the bartender’s direction. Immediately, the young Latino man behind the bar
abandoned the thirsty crowd to bring Dani’s new acquaintance a glass of scotch.
His glib smugness struck sparks
of irritation in her, but long practice helped her to keep her feelings masked
under a seductive smile. Time for a test.”You know what they say. No matter how
hot you are, someone is tired of your shit.”Dani looked deliberately at the VIP
platform.”For example, I think Miss Copper Top over there is getting tired of
yours.”
The buxom redhead in question
glared down at them with a ridiculously childish, sulky pout. The blond glanced
over his shoulder and waved his hand in a universal gesture of dismissal. Immediately,
one of the bulky bodyguards approached the redhead and said something to her. She
shouted something inaudible through the music and actually stamped her foot. The
gentleman insisted and began escorting her off the platform.
“She won’t be a problem anymore.”
The blond turned back to Dani, clearly pleased with himself. For the first
time, his smile reached his eyes. He’d enjoyed the public spectacle and
humiliation.”I’m Josh Hinton, and my family owns this club.”
Dani watched as the woman was
summarily hustled out the front door. She forced herself to relax her grip on
the smooth glass tumbler before she shattered it.
“Break-up via bodyguard. A new
low mark for the record books. Somewhere between text and post-it note.” Dani
shook her head and started to get up again.
Josh immediately grabbed her arm
and held her down in her seat, looming over her.”You didn’t tell me your name.”
Dani searched the room,
considering her options. The bartenders were studiously ignoring her companion.
The people who had been sitting beside her at the bar were long gone, pushed
aside by Josh’s evident ego. A wild recklessness burned inside her, urging her
to lash out and escape. But common sense warned her: no one wanted to get
involved, and no one would stand up to help—and even if they did, she would still
be trapped by her own demons.
Her mouth dried as a scrap of
memory flickered briefly despite years of suppression. He must have seen the
fear in her eyes. Predators always sensed fear no matter how deeply it was hidden.
She’d learned that lesson the hard way.
“I think you’re starting to
understand.”He let his hand trail up her arm, his thumb casually brushing
against her breast on the way past.”I always get what I want.”
The bodyguards had descended and
now stood on either side of Josh like unmovable monoliths, an unbreakable
prison wall. Dani swallowed hard. It was as if the three men sucked up all the
air around her.”You could have any other girl here. Why not pick someone more
interested?”
“I like the challenge. Come with
me to my apartment. You’d love the view.” He ran his hand freely up and down
her side, a chill slither like the rasp of a reptile’s skin.
A human predator doesn’t take victims in public. A second location will
be chosen in advance for the attack. Once a victim reaches the second location,
chances of survival drop to nearly zero. Never go quietly to the second
location. The words whispered inside her head, distantly remembered from the
urgent plea of a police officer who’d spoken at her school.
“Don’t freeze up, and don’t
pretend it isn’t what you came here for in your little red dress.”He slid his
hand up her thigh, inching up the hemline.”Everyone comes here to have a good
time.”
Dani studied the looming
bodyguards. Not a blink or even a grimace of disapproval. The time for second
thoughts was over. She wasn’t going to do better tonight. This was her
punishment and the sooner she accepted it, the sooner it would be over.”Is that
what you came for?”
“Business mostly. This tourist
trap has a lot of things to recommend it.”He took a healthy swig from his drink.
It certainly had. The town of Perdition
had a reputation as the “New York experience without the expense,” according to
the tourist board. Between conventions and other events, the majority of the
population changed on a weekly basis. It was one of the reasons her family had
chosen to live here.
She put down her drink. No
amount of whiskey would make this easier. She got to her feet but the
bodyguards quickly blocked her exit. Adrenaline surged and her legs tensed to
run but instead she forced herself to keep her wits. Blindly fleeing never
helped. She couldn’t resist a flash of strength, glaring down at Josh, still
perched on his stool.”Does this intimidation approach ever actually work for
you?”
He grinned.”I like you. You’re interesting. Most people don’t have the balls to call me on
anything.”He stood up.”Let’s get out of here. Come on, I’ll show you I can be a nice guy
with the right motivation.”
Dani kept her face impassive. Maybe
this wouldn’t be as bad as she feared. Josh moved in for the kill.
“Trust me. I’m worth it. I
guarantee it’ll be a night you’ll always remember.”
Or one you’ll always pray to forget.
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About the
Author:
Jennifer
Carole Lewis is a full-time mom, a full-time administrator and a full-time
writer, which means she is very much interested in speaking to anyone who comes
up with any form of functional time-travel devices or practical cloning methods.
Meanwhile, she spends her most of her
time alternating between organizing and typing.
She
is a devoted comic book geek and Marvel movie enthusiast. She spends far too much of her precious free
time watching TV, especially police procedural dramas. Her enthusiasm outstrips her talent in
karaoke, cross-stitch and jigsaw puzzles. She is a voracious reader of a wide variety of
fiction and non-fiction and always enjoys seeking out new suggestions.
Author
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