Vixen: A Dark Protectors/Rebels Novella Read online

  Thank goodness. That just meant we would set things for trial.

  Chuck smiled. “Unless you agree to dismiss.”

  I smiled back. “I’d like to keep my job for another week.” Probably. “So no.”

  Chuck turned as the bailiff entered through a side door by the bench and told everyone to stand, even though we were already standing. Then Judge Hallenback swept in.

  Oh my. My mouth dropped open, and I quickly snapped it shut. It was rumored the judge had been going downhill for some time, and I was thinking that for once, rumors were right. While he had to only be in his mid-sixties, maybe he had early dementia? Today he wore a customary black robe with a charming red bow tie visible above the fold. It contrasted oddly with the bright purple hat with tassels hanging down on top of his head. A bunch of colorful drawn dots covered his left hand while a gray and white striped kitten was cradled in his right, and he hummed the anthem to Baby Got Back as he walked.

  He set the cat down and banged his gavel, opening a manila file already on his desk. “Elk County vs Ralph Ceranio for felony counts of fraud, theft, and burglary.”

  I swallowed.

  “My client pleads not guilty and requests a jury trial, your honor,” Chuck said, concern glowing in his eyes. He and the judge had probably been friends for years, too.

  “Bail?” the judge asked, yanking open his robe to reveal a Hallenback’s Used Car Lot T-shirt. Oh yeah. The judge and his brother owned a couple of car dealerships in the area. If he retired now, he’d be just fine. “Hello? Prosecuting attorney talk now,” he muttered.

  I quickly read Scot’s notes. “Two hundred thousand dollars. The defendant is a flight risk, your honor. He has access to a private plane and several vehicles.”

  “Everyone has a private plane. Heck. I even have one.” The judge shook his head before Chuck could respond. “Fifty thousand dollars. How many days do you need for trial?”

  I had no clue. I didn’t even know the case.

  “Probably a week, Judge,” Chuck said, helping me out.

  I could only nod.

  “All right.” The judge reached for a calendar and announced the date six months away. “See ya then.”

  Chuck patted my shoulder. “I’ll be in touch.”

  I swallowed again, wanting to beg him to stay with me for the second hearing. But I had to at least act like I had a clue what I was doing. The bailiff, a brawny guy whose nightstick somehow looked thicker than usual, moved for the door he’d emerged from earlier and opened it. He grabbed an arm covered by an orange jumper while I shuffled the files and looked down, trying to read Scot’s mangled notes. Hopefully I could get caught up quickly.

  The judge slammed down his gavel again. “Elk County vs. Aiden Devlin for narcotics possession and intent to distribute.”

  I stilled. Everything inside me, from thoughts to feelings to dreams and hard reality, just halted. I slowly turned to face a tall man dressed in an orange jumpsuit. Oh my God. “Aiden,” I whispered, the entire world grinding to a harsh stop.

  He smiled, his eyes bluer than I remembered, his face much more rugged. “Hi, angel.”

  Guardian’s Grace

  Dark Protectors Book 12

  By Rebecca Zanetti

  Click here to purchase.

  Want to see more of Adare and his wayward mate? Take a sneak peek at Guardian’s Grace:

  Duty—or desire?

  Vampire soldier Adare O’Cearbhaill’s default setting is cranky. Or irritated. Or down-right hostile. Still, as a Highlander of honor and duty, he stepped up to save an enhanced and special human female by mating her—with merely a bite and a brand. The last person he wants in his life is a fragile human, yet he can’t get her out of his mind as she regains her strength before taking off for parts unknown. And when he discovers she is in danger, nothing can stop him from hunting her down—whether she likes it or not.

  There’s only one way to find out…

  Photographer Grace Cooper has had it with vampires, demons, and the rest of an immortal world she was happier not knowing about. She also doesn’t believe she’s destined for some great battle because of an old birthmark. Forget the fact that her mate is the sexiest thing on two stubborn feet, or that her brand is fading along with her health. She’ll handle things on her own—until an old enemy reappears and she learns the only way to stay alive is to actually mate, wild sex and all, with that ripped and dangerous Adare—a powerful, captivating Highlander who demands nothing less than everything…

  * * * *

  Excerpt:

  Adare’s nostrils flared, and Grace’s body reacted, stopping her in her tracks. Then he started moving toward her, smooth and graceful, his six-foot-six height and broad chest making him look like the proverbial immovable object.

  Sebastian swallowed loudly and backed to her side. “That guy is huge. Like huge huge.” He looked toward her, one fluorescent blue contact falling out of his eye. “What have you gotten me into?”

  The lump in her throat nearly choked her. “Nothing. You’re fine, but don’t go around pretending to be something you’re not. Trust me, Sebastian.”

  “Freddy,” the kid croaked. “My name is Freddy. Not Sebastian. I thought that sounded more like a creature of the night.”

  The huge blond guy’s mouth dropped open and then shut quickly.

  Oh, this was so bad. She’d tried hard not to leave a trail. Fake name, fake email address, and she’d even moved around to use different library computers and IP addresses—in different towns. What kind of laws had she broken? As far as she knew, there weren’t prisons for immortals, so what did that leave? Death for treason?

  Not that she wasn’t dying anyway.

  The blond, his black eyes taking in the entire room, quickly stepped up to the bar and flashed a badge. “U.S. Government. We only want those two for federal crimes.”

  “Whew,” one of the kids in the back sighed.

  The bartender shrugged, still drying off a beer glass with a dirty towel. “Take ’em.”

  Freddy lifted his hands. “I haven’t done anything. Really. The chick is nuts. She thought I was a vampire, and she wanted to buy blood, so I figured, why not? Freaky sex might be fun.”

  “Shut. Up.” Adare manacled Freddy’s neck with one hand, cutting off all sound. Without taking his gaze off Grace, he flicked his wrist and tossed Freddy toward the blond. “Nick? Take him, please.”

  The please, for some reason, sent shivers down Grace’s back. Her legs weakened, but she lifted her chin, facing Adare. It had been nearly three years since they’d crossed paths, and he appeared even better-looking than she remembered. Meaner and bigger, too. A pissed-off expression on him was normal, but this one was new. All heat and fury. “I’ll get going, too,” she said, taking another step back.

  Nick caught Freddy and leaned to the side, holding the human like a rag doll. “Adare? Do you know this female?”

  Adare slowly nodded, his focus stronger than any hold. “She’s my mate.”

  “I am not,” she retorted.

  “Yes. You. Are.” Adare’s face was as impenetrable as rock, even as the words rolled out with that brogue.

  Nick’s light eyebrows rose. He looked around the bar and, apparently satisfied that nobody was going to attack, returned his focus to Adare. “What’s your mate doing trying to buy vampire blood in Colorado?” he whispered.

  It sounded ridiculous. Heat spread up Grace’s chest to her face, causing her cheeks to pound.

  Adare’s gaze followed the heat, making her even warmer. “We’re about to get an answer to that question.” He held out one broad hand, no leniency on his hard face. “Let’s do this somewhere else.”

  It was an order, not a question.

  “No.” She said it softly but with authority. The bond of their mating was almost gone, and he had no hold on her. He never would, which suited them both just fine. “This was obviously a mistake, so let’s just go our separate ways.”

  His lids half-lowered
, slowly and deliberately, the deadly predator at his core fully visible. Not many people disobeyed the dangerous hybrid, and a human female, one whose life he had saved, shouldn’t even have thought about it. But she was no longer his responsibility, and she was done being lost.

  “Grace.” One word, said in that brogue, with a demand that was absolute.

  If she could run, she would. Instead, her body froze, her heart thundering. “I know I goofed up here, and I won’t do it again.” The appeasing note in her voice ticked her off, but she wasn’t up to a physical struggle right now. This disastrous meeting had taken weeks to set up. “Let’s just forget this and move on.”

  “Have you lost your mind?” He sounded more curious than angry.

  Hope flared through her. “Yes, briefly. It happens.” He’d never wanted anything to do with her, so giving him an out should work nicely. A simple apology—she tried to sound sincere—although she wanted to kick him in the shin instead. He’d always been a jackass, but there was no doubt he’d win any physical fight. Even at her best, which she wasn’t close to right now, she couldn’t take him. It was doubtful anybody could. “This whole thing was a mistake, and I’m sorry.” She choked on the last word.

  “Let’s go.” His hand was still out.

  An electric shiver took her. “Adare, I don’t think—”

  “Exactly. You didn’t think.” A muscle ticked in his rugged jaw, revealing the effort his control was costing him. “Apparently that’s something we need to discuss. At length.”

  Was that a threat? Yep. That was definitely a threat. “Not a chance,” she snapped, drawing on anger to camouflage panic.

  Nick turned Freddy and shoved him toward the door. “We need to take this somewhere else,” he muttered.

  “Not me,” Freddy said. “Really. This isn’t my fault.” He pushed back against Nick, his voice dropping to a whine. “I just wanted to get laid. Whatever she’s into, I’m not a part of it. Please. Let me go.”

  Nick opened the door and propelled him into the snowstorm. The wind shrieked, blowing snow inside.

  Adare grasped her upper arm. “Now.”

  She tugged free. “Absolutely not.”

  “I wasn’t asking.” For a big male, he moved surprisingly fast. He ducked his head, and within a heartbeat, she was over his shoulder, heading toward the door.

  Her chin hit his lower back, and her stomach lurched, the alcohol she’d consumed stirring around. She pounded against his waist with her good hand, not close to stopping him. This was a disaster. Panic grabbed her, and she tried to struggle but could barely move. “Let me go. Now.”

  “Hold on to your strength, Grace. You’re going to need it.” With that, he took her into the storm.

  Discover the World Of 1001 Dark Nights

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  Liz Berry, M.J. Rose, and Jillian Stein would like to thank ~

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  Table of Contents

  Book Description

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16