by Sarah Makela
He ran his hands across the code and memorized every detail of it. He tried to yell it out and to call it, recite it to the unmoving air around him, but slowly the corruption ran first halfway, and then three-fourths of the way across it. Focusing inward, he suddenly remembered an elementary piece of his art, his craft, and his power. Passion and heart. Every line of code he had written he had done so with passion. Around him, his internal world was dying. Going for his gut feeling, he brought the code up in his mind and focused on a single word before the world around him changed.
Hannah.
Ian blinked as Hannah jiggled her gun and stared up to find Redmoore crossing the room toward her. Power flared inside of Ian. He needed to protect her.
Redmoore turned toward the table.
Hannah’s frantic fingers were still trying to get the gun working properly.
Ian glanced at the table to find Leon on the ground, passed out. He had to do something to protect Hannah and Leon. He was their only hope. Pushing to his feet carefully, he took a deep breath.
“This isn’t possible. You should be dead!” Redmoore growled and strode in his direction.
Ian let out a breath and mumbled the few words of power his mother had taught him. He lifted his gaze to Redmoore’s. Power roared through him, filling him completely like a hand in a snug glove. Redmoore crumbled to his knees, but he crawled toward Ian all the same in jerky motions.
“I can’t hold him for much longer. Take the shot, Hannah,” Ian said, his voice breathy even to his own ears.
Hannah finally unjammed the gun and pointed it at Redmoore.
Redmoore stood almost before Ian now, and his fingers reached toward Ian’s throat.
Hannah’s eyes narrowed as she fired into Redmoore until the clip was empty.
Redmoore staggered and fell toward Ian. Blood pooled around the body at his feet, and Ian felt drained. He slumped against the wall near Leon and closed his eyes.
Chapter Eleven
Hannah put away her cell phone after calling the police and Maggie, Dr. Grant’s assistant. She leaned her head back against the wall and huddled in between Ian and Leon, who were both in bad shape. Pain radiated through her body, and she wanted nothing more than some heavy-duty painkillers and Ian safe in bed with her.
Redmoore’s body lay in the middle of the room, and she watched it carefully, not entirely trusting that he was dead, but hoping against all hope that he was.
What felt like hours passed before the paramedics and police came to take them off to the hospital and get them fixed up. After she was bandaged up and given the much-desired painkillers, she saw Dr. Grant walk up to her hospital bed. He smiled and held out a hand to her.
“I’d like to thank you on behalf of the hospital for solving these horrible murders. I’m also grateful that you saved one of my staff. My assistant will put your payment in the mail, as well as a decent bonus. In addition to that, I’ll make sure that you’re taken care of with the hospital since you were injured while handling my case.” He nodded his head to her before walking off.
Hannah just blinked and leaned her head back against the hospital bed. She pushed into a sitting position and carefully pushed her legs off the side of the bed, wondering where Ian and Leon were.
A nurse came by at that moment and frowned at her. “Miss, you shouldn’t be moving around so much.”
“I need to see Ian Bradley. Besides, I’d like to go home now.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. We need to make sure that you stay overnight. You were pretty badly beaten.” She glanced at a chart at the end of the bed. “Miss Franklin. You need your rest.”
She sighed. “Is Ian okay at least? What about Leon?”
“They’re both recovering from what happened. They’ll be fine. We have our best doctors taking care of you all.” The nurse replaced the chart and walked closer to Hannah, helping put her legs back on the bed. “Depending on how well you’re doing tomorrow, you may be able to go home.”
“Good.”
* * *
The next day, Ian and Hannah stood in his living room and looked at the sheer mess Bernard had made in the apartment. “What the hell?” Ian said.
Bernard peeked his head out from the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re home! Stinky humans. I was worried I’d have to find someone new.” He tottered into the living room and hopped on the coffee table.
“So you went around flinging… are those… party streamers all over the place?” Ian picked up a strand and studied it. Yes, party streamers. “What were you doing in here?”
Hannah slumped onto the couch and placed her head in her hands. He set his hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her. Her gaze rose to meet his, and Bernard’s response almost went unnoticed.
Almost.
“Well, a gnome has NEEDS, you know. But I took that pretty young thing elsewhere. I was waiting for you two to come home. That’s right.” He cackled and threw confetti in the air, dousing them with it.
Holy crap. Bernard must’ve gotten high again.
“What did you do with the gnome I know?” Ian said.
“Can’t I be happy that you’re home?” He grinned and bounced away as Ian reached out to thump his pointy hat.
“You need to clean this mess up. Seriously,” Hannah said, finally talking. She sounded tired.
“Bah! Fine! Can’t a gnome get some RESPECT?” He crossed his arms over his chest and hopped off the table, going back into the kitchen. He started mumbling.
“Thank you for caring, if you do.” Hannah rose to her feet.
Bernard peeked around from the kitchen again and nodded. “Hrrrummphf! You’re welcome. Now give Uncle Bernie a kiss.” He started cackling again and disappeared.
Ian placed his hand on Hannah’s back and nudged her toward the bedroom. He wanted to relax, even if the pain was still sharp regardless of the meds the doctor had given him.
* * *
Hannah walked into the bedroom with Ian at her back. She was still trying to process everything that had happened to them. The memory of Ian being held down and… What had Redmoore done to him? All she knew was that it had scared her to think that she could’ve lost Ian. Chilled her to the core.
She sat on the bed and stared up at him as he closed the door behind him and locked it. He sat next to her and gently placed an arm around her shoulder.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She took a shaky breath and nodded. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I couldn’t imagine life without you.”
He embraced her and leaned in for a kiss, but stopped, his breath a caress against her lips. “I couldn’t imagine life without you either, but don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.” He rubbed his thumb over her cheek and planted a kiss on her lips.
Her arms circled his neck, and she leaned back into the bed. She felt a hunger for him grow within her like a fiery blaze. He nudged her knees open, and she hissed as pain shot through her leg from where Redmoore had kicked her.
“I’m sorry,” he said and pulled away a little.
She pulled him back toward her, and her hand brushed his shoulder. He winced and started to laugh. “Ack! Sorry.”
“No problem.”
He lifted his shirt, and she could see the full extent of Ian’s bruises and bandaging. Her breath left in a hiss.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked.
He grinned. “Do you really have to ask that?”
Her gaze lowered to the full bulge in his jeans, and her eyes widened. Guess she hadn’t needed to ask. She stood and shimmied out of her jeans and then lifted off her T-shirt.
Ian grimaced and ran his hand over her carefully. “I hate seeing you hurt like this. We’ll have to pick our cases more carefully in the future.”
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “I don’t believe you. You’d really not have taken the hospital case?”
He sighed and frowned. “No, I think it was good, but…”
“No b
uts, unless that’s what you’re into…” She winked and slid off her panties before crawling onto the bed, careful of her knee and lying on her side.
Ian sucked in a breath, and she heard his pants hit the ground with a thump. He came up behind her and caressed his hand over her curves. He cupped her breast and squeezed gently, massaging in soft circles. His mouth brushed kisses against her neck.
He trailed his mouth over her shoulder and switched breasts, pulling her closer to his firm body in the process.
She nearly moaned and tilted her head to the side, savoring the feel of his mouth on her skin. Reaching back, her hand brushed his cock. He was hard and solid in her hand. She so enjoyed touching him like this.
He groaned and rested his forehead against her shoulder. His hand skimmed down the length of her torso, stirring up heat between her legs.
She spread her legs as his finger dipped between her moist folds and flicked over her clit before sliding down even more to slip inside her. He thrust his finger in and out of her, curving his digit slightly to brush against her g-spot. Her body heated up, and she bit her lip to hold in a moan. He pressed another kiss against her neck and then shoulder.
He moved away for a moment, and she nearly cried out from the absence of him cuddled snugly to her. She heard a familiar rip of plastic and then felt the press of his condom-wrapped cock against her pussy.
She spooned against him, and he guided himself in. Her breath came out in a gasp as he took her at a relaxed pace.
“This time I get to take my time with you,” he said. He wore a smile as he kissed her lips. His hand slid along her thigh and zeroed in on her clit.
She reached back and ran her hands into his short, brown hair. He sped up the pace a little, and she felt herself draw nearer to the edge. He seemed to sense that and rocked his hips against hers even more.
A slight sheen of sweat had slickened their bodies as orgasm came crashing down on them. She bit her lower lip against a moan and squeezed her eyes shut, enjoying wave upon wave of pleasure.
He groaned and held himself inside her as his cock throbbed within her. “I love you, Hannah.”
“I love you too, Ian,” she said, smiling and trailed her fingers over his jaw.
“What is it with you humans and LOVE?” Bernard wiggled the doorknob, and she grimaced.
Ian pulled away, and they hopped under the covers before the gnome broke in.
“You need to get a better lock for the door.” Hannah glared at the gnome as he stuck out his tongue.
“That one is top of the line,” Ian said.
“Ah, hell…” She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face.
Bernard grinned like a little maniac. “I’ll catch you two in the act one of these days. Uncle Bernie ALWAYS wins!”
Ready for more Hacked Investigations? Grab the third book, Blacklist Rogue…
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Savage Bytes! Changeling Press previously published this book in September 2011. There are four books in the series that follow Ian and Hannah and one freebie for Bernard the gnome.
These books sparked something different in my writing style. Before working on this series, I never saw myself writing anything sci-fi related, let alone cyberpunk. However, I enjoyed my time with these books. The characters made this series for me. I’ve thought about returning to this world for a book or two when the rights come back. But I am really happy with writing shifter romance since I don’t have to scramble for my techy husband’s help with brainstorming quite so much. :-)
I hope you’ve enjoyed this novella. If you did, please consider leaving a review at the retailer’s website or even on Goodreads. It truly helps! Also, if you’re interested in being the first to know about my next release, sign up for my newsletter.
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About Sarah Mäkelä
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Sarah Mäkelä loves her fiction dark, magical, and passionate. She is a paranormal romance author and a life-long paranormal fan who still sleeps with a night light. In her spare time, she reads sexy books, watches scary movies, and plays computer games with her husband. When she gets the chance, she loves traveling the world too.
Other Books by Sarah Mäkelä
Beneath the Broken Moon Series (New Adult Paranormal Romance)
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Cry Wolf Series (New Adult Paranormal Romance)
Book 1: The Witch Who Cried Wolf
Book 2: Cold Moon Rising
Book 3: The Wolf Who Played With Fire
Book 4: Highland Moon Rising
Book 5: The Selkie Who Loved A Wolf
Cry Wolf Series Boxed Set (Books 1-3)
Edge of Oblivion Series (Urban Fantasy Romance)
Book 1: The Assassin's Mark
Book 2: The Thief's Gambit
The Amazon Chronicles Series (Paranormal Romance)
Book 1: Jungle Heat
Book 2: Jungle Fire
Book 3: Jungle Blaze
Book 4: Jungle Burn
The Amazon Chronicles Collection
Hacked Investigations Series (Futuristic Paranormal Romance)
Book 1: Techno Crazed
Book 2: Savage Bytes
Book 2.5: Internet Dating for Gnomes
Book 3: Blacklist Rogue
Book 4: Digital Slave
Feral Ink Series (New Adult Paranormal Romance)
Book 1: Skin Deep
Book 2: Inked Fury
Courts of Light and Dark Series (New Adult Fantasy Romance)
Book 1: Captivated
Book 2: Surrendered
SuperPowered Series (Superhero Romance)
Book 1: Stolen
Book 2: On Thin Ice
Standalones and More
Captive Moonlight
Moonlit Feathers
Saved by Moonlight
Vera’s Christmas Elf
Write to Success
Excerpt For Blacklist Rogue (Hacked Investigations #3)
Chapter One
Ian Bradley hit send on an email to one of Hacked Investigations’ frequent customers. This time, the business owner had needed him to check on his future partner to make sure there wouldn’t be trouble if he signed the partnership agreement. Ian had the potential business partner’s email hacked in no time, and within five minutes, he’d completed his task.
Easy.
The client was paranoid, and, even if Ian thought those types of assignments were frivolous, he had a paycheck on its way.
Slender, feminine arms wrapped around his chest as Hannah hugged him from behind. Her lips brushed his earlobe, and her velvety tongue slid along the edge of it. “Now that we’ve wrapped another case, how about we celebrate?” Her voice was a low purr.
He shivered and placed his hands over hers. “I’ll be right there. Let me shut down the computer. Bernard has been surfing some nasty porn sites. I’m not chancing that he’ll get another virus on my machine.”
Hannah nibbled his neck, and he groaned. She pulled away, trailing her fingertips over his chest and shoulder.
Swiveling in his chair, he watched her saunter toward the bedroom. Once she got to the doorway of the bedroom, she looked back at him, giving him a seductive smile.
Ian grinned and then spun around to face the computer. He changed the password again, tweaking the system’s safety features, and shut it down.
From the living room, he heard Bernard, the pint-sized gnome, talking in hushed tones entirely different from his usual loud, obnoxious demeanor.
The urge to see what mischief Bernard was getting into nearly drove him toward the living room, but Hannah’s sexy smile won out. He headed toward the bedroom, thinking of the things he’d like to do to her. His hand was hovering over the doorknob when the ph
one rang.
Sighing, he walked to the office phone, but it fell silent.
From the other room, Bernard spoke in an annoyed, yet strangely husky voice. “Uh huh. Well, buster, I don’t care who you are. There’s someone important on the other line giving me some, uh, juicy details about something,” Bernard said. He had a slight manic pitch that always grated on Ian’s nerves.
Reaching for the phone and fearing the worst, Ian hoped whoever had called their business line wasn’t already completely insulted by Bernard’s behavior. He mentally made a note to keep Bernard caged when at all possible.
“Oh, stop your whining. You can call back later.” Impatience picked up in the gnome’s voice as did his volume.
Ian barely managed to pick up the office phone as he heard the other phone slam onto the receiver in the living room. “Hello? Anyone there?”
“Ah, Ian, hello. It’s been a while.” Senator Kendall’s voice came through clearly.
“Hello, Senator. How can we help you?” Ian said, remembering the trial by fire the three of them went through with MAX Home Security after their first meeting not long ago.
“Who was that? A new assistant?” The senator sounded both intrigued and insulted. “Never mind. You need to know about what’s going on. So far, my team has brought the corruption suspicions up to middle-management level, but we’re blocked from going to the executive level.” He let out a harsh sigh. “All leads we have point to a separate operative within MAX who has worked outside the executives’ knowledge. Or so they say.” Senator Kendall didn’t sound like the same guy Ian had talked with before. His voice came across as worn down and harsh, probably from the legal battle against MAX he was orchestrating.
