by Anna Hackett
Fury & Darkness
Warriors of the Wind #4 and #5
Anna Hackett
Fury & Darkness
Published by Anna Hackett
Copyright 2017 by Anna Hackett
Cover by Melody Simmons of eBookindiecovers
Edits by Tanya Saari
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-925539-37-0
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Original editions published as Defying the North Wind, 2014, and Claiming the East Wind, 2014.
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, events or places is coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form.
Contents
What readers are saying about Anna’s action romances
Action Romance Box Set
Fury
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Darkness
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Preview - Hell Squad: Marcus
Preview - Among Galactic Ruins
Also by Anna Hackett
About the Author
What readers are saying about Anna’s action romances
Unexplored – Romantic Book of the Year (Ruby) Novella Winner 2017
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At Star’s End – One of Library Journal's Best E-Original Romances for 2014
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Return to Dark Earth – One of Library Journal's Best E-Original Books for 2015 and two-time SFR Galaxy Awards winner
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The Phoenix Adventures – SFR Galaxy Award Winner for Most Fun New Series and “Why Isn’t This a Movie?” Series
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Beneath a Trojan Moon – SFR Galaxy Award Winner and RWAus Ella Award Winner
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Hell Squad – Amazon Bestselling Science Fiction Romance Series and SFR Galaxy Award for best Post-Apocalypse for Readers who don’t like Post-Apocalypse
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The Anomaly Series – #1 Amazon Action Adventure Romance Bestseller
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"Like Indiana Jones meets Star Wars. A treasure hunt with a steamy romance." – SFF Dragon, review of Among Galactic Ruins
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"Strap in, enjoy the heat of romance and the daring of this group of space travellers!" – Di, Top 500 Amazon Reviewer, review of At Star’s End
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“High action and adventure surrounding an impossible treasure hunt kept me reading until late in the night.” – Jen, That’s What I’m Talking About, review of Beyond Galaxy’s Edge
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“Action, danger, aliens, romance – yup, it’s another great book from Anna Hackett!” – Book Gannet Reviews, review of Hell Squad: Marcus
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Fury
Warriors of the Wind #4
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Anna Hackett
Chapter One
“Everyone out.” Luca Aquilon Venti thrust his hand toward the door. “Now.”
At his sharp command, the employees sitting around the large boardroom table froze or shifted uneasily. Luca scowled. His people at the head office of Venti Enterprises Rome were used to his fierce temper and abrupt orders, but the employees at Venti Enterprises Venice were not.
“Out.” He watched as looks of shock were quickly smothered. Folders were closed, papers shuffled, then they filed out.
All except one.
Steady, cool green eyes watched him. Her stylus was poised over her tablet. “Is there anything else you require today, Signor Venti?”
Even his new personal assistant’s voice was cool with the faintest tinge of an English accent. His fingers curled. Damn Pietro for falling ill. Luca didn’t want to break in a new personal assistant. Especially one who inflamed his already stretched temper. He had enough problems without also wanting to mess up Rayne Santini’s sleek swing of chin-length red hair. Or to get some sort of reaction out of her. Any reaction.
He’d yelled at her plenty of times this week and she’d barely blinked.
Si, something about Rayne rubbed him the wrong way. Although during the last six weeks, everything had rubbed him the wrong way.
Six weeks ago, the evil Tempest Winds had escaped, and as head of the Warriors of the Wind, it was Luca’s duty to ensure they were all hunted down.
Rayne crossed her long legs, the movement catching Luca’s attention. Her gray suit was stylish and fitted, but hardly provocative. Still, it fired something in his blood. Something he knew he didn’t have time for right now. He shoved his chair back and stood. He grabbed his jacket and shrugged into it. “No. I’m going for a walk.”
“As you wish.”
Dio, that frosty tone grated. What would it take to see a bit of fire in this woman? He released a breath. Not something he should be worrying about.
He had bigger problems. Like tracking down the evil Northeast wind, Caecius. Cazzo, it might only be weeks since the Tempest Winds had escaped from their prison and the Keeper of the Winds—Luca’s brother, Lorenzo—but most days, it felt like forever.
Tension pumped through Luca. Every day, he felt the vice of anger growing inside him. Each day, the struggle got a little harder.
So far, two of his brothers, Dante and Antonio, had succeeded in defeating their Tempest Winds. But Luca’s prey, Caecius, was cunning. He’d been lying very, very low like the snake he was.
Luca realized his hands were clenched so tight his knuckles were hurting. He forced them to relax.
“Get the Rossi report to me in the morning.” He stalked to the door, flexing his shoulders.
He had to get out of the confines of the office and do something physical. He needed to feel the wind around him. Anything to shake off the nasty rage that was eating him alive from the inside. Caecius spread the vice of anger, and now Luca battled every day not to become the violent, furious man he knew lived inside him.
I will find you, Caecius. The Tempest Wind was here in Venice. Somewhere. He might be hidden, but he was still stirring up anger in the locals. He was pushing tempers to the breaking point, causing fights, brawls, and terrible domestic violence. Luca sensed the fury on the wind.
His jaw clenched. Air. He needed some air.
“Signor Venti?”
He frowned at Rayne. “I’ve told you to call me Luca.”
She fell into step beside him, her green gaze on his face. “Do you want me to make a reservation at Da Fiore for the weekend…Signor Venti.”
His eyes narrowed. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she was testing him, and his patience. “What reservation?”
She raised a brow. “For dinner. For you and Signorina Barzini.”
Dio, he’d forgotten about the leggy model who’d refused to leave him alone at the last charity event he’d attended. “Call her and cancel. Send her flowers.”
“Si.” That icy-cool tone again.
For a second, Luca wanted to reach out and wrap a hand around Rayne’s slim throat. Would he feel the hot, fast tick of her pulse? Or would it be slow, even, and unaffected by him?
Air hissed through his teeth. It was the vice biting at him. He needed to focus on finding Caecius, not think about tangling with his new assistant. “I’ll be at my suite at the Hotel Venti San Marco later, if you need me.”
She gave him a brisk nod and turned.
Instead of immediately leaving and heading into the street to search for the scent of his prey, Luca stayed there and watched the sway of Rayne’s hips as she walked away.
Merda. He forced himself to walk into the elevator. Moments later, he strode out of the building and into the streets of Venice.
He followed a well-worn path, passing through an alley lined by old stone walls, and then stepped out onto a narrow canal. As he listened to the lap of water and the hum of a boat engine nearby, he tried to find some calm. He loved the never-ending whirl of Rome, but he also liked Venice. She was like a capricious lady who kept you guessing. You could get lost in her twists and turns, and always discover something new.
His heels clicked on the stone and he breathed in the distinct scent of the City of Bridges. Not always pleasant, but always unique. He moved through crowds of people and ahead, a wide canal cut through the city, old buildings crowded up against it. He crossed the Ponte di Rialto, the oldest bridge spanning the Grand Canal. He wondered what its long-ago critics would think of it now—still standing after hundreds of years, despite their predictions of ruin. He liked the idea that it had prevailed against the odds.
Vaporetto waterbuses and gondolas sailed under the bridge, while wide-eyed tourists and tired-looking Venetians walked over the top. Luca paused at the peak and stared down at the busy waterway beneath. Night was falling, shrouding the city in a mysterious haze.
A cool natural breeze brushed over his face, ruffling his dark hair. Surreptitiously, he moved his hand and stirred the air.
The North Wind responded.
Each Warrior of the Wind controlled one of the cardinal winds, like their ancestors before them. Each Warrior felt the weight of their duty to protect mankind from the Tempest Winds.
His wind was cold, carrying the chill of the northern countries. It brushed over him, cooling the anger that simmered under his skin. But Luca knew that it could also drive him into an icy rage—one that could not be stopped.
The taint of something fetid teased his senses.
Caecius.
Luca tensed. Turning, he descended from the bridge and strode into the shadows of a back alley. His suit jacket flared out behind him and he summoned his wind. Find him.
The stench grew. Following the trail, Luca crossed a tiny bridge with wrought-iron railings. As the darkness of night deepened, ornate lampposts flickered on along a small canal. Here in the back alleys, there were no tourists, no crowds.
He turned a corner and heard the thud of flesh on flesh.
When he stepped into the small square, he saw two men pummeling each other without mercy. As Luca moved closer, he noticed three more men watching, cheering them on.
A wall of aggression slammed into Luca and he staggered under the weight of it.
His jaw tightened. This was not natural. It had the Tempest Wind’s taint all over it.
“Stop!” He stepped into the circle of light from a lamppost. “You don’t want to do this.”
The fighting men stopped. One’s white shirt was covered in a spray of blood from his broken nose. The other had a rapidly swelling eye.
The spectators moved closer and as Luca watched, all five men circled him.
Heat spiked in his blood and he flexed his hands. He was honest enough to admit that a part of him wanted to fight. Si, a part of him wanted to let his anger loose and work out the edgy frustration riding him.
Luca’s anger was like a hungry beast eager to escape its leash.
“We do want to do this.” One man looked at his friends. “Don’t we, boys?”
As they grumbled their responses, Luca slipped out of his jacket and tossed it over a nearby bench. A deeper part of him knew he needed this. Because he’d discovered over the last few weeks that one thing helped him control his vice—pain.
The men charged.
Luca thrust a fist into the face of the first man, then spun and caught the next in the stomach.
Knuckles slammed into Luca’s kidneys and he grunted. He ducked under one man’s arm, dragging the man in front of him like a shield. One of his friend’s blows hit the man in the chest.
Luca pushed him away and kicked at the next attacker. The man yelped and staggered back. Luca smiled coldly, but then a weight hit him from behind.
He went down hard, but he was already rolling, shoving his attacker off him. Two more were there, grabbing his arms, pinning him to the ground. The fire in his system ignited. Fight. Maim. Kill.
A fist smashed into Luca’s face. Once. Twice. He tasted blood.
The pain forced the anger to recede. For a blessed second, he felt a moment of peace.
A boot slammed into his side and Luca reared up. He grabbed one man and using his enhanced strength, he tossed the man aside. The attacker crashed into a wall and slid to the ground.
Another man swung at Luca. Luca ducked, then jumped at the man. He slammed the attacker to the ground and straddled him, slamming merciless hits into his face. Frenzied whispers carried by the wind echoed in Luca’s ears. Embrace your anger. Destroy him. Kill.
Suddenly, two of the other men yanked him off his victim. As they held him, the third man stepped into view, an evil grin on his face. He raised his hand and Luca saw the glint of brass on his knuckles.
The man thrust a fist into Luca’s stomach. Luca groaned, pain exploding through him. More blows landed. His side. His ribs.
Pain roared through him, dousing his anger and dulling the frenzied whispers in his head.
The other two men stumbled to their feet. “We want a turn with the bastard.”
More brutal hits slammed into Luca. The arms holding him fell away and he dropped to the ground. His attackers started kicking.
Luca welcomed the pain. He welcomed a chance to feel something other than rage.
The lamp nearby blinked off.
“What the fuck?” one man muttered.
The darkness left Luca blind for a second, then his enhanced night vision kicked in. There was a movement to the left, and suddenly one man flew through the air with a shout.
The others turned. One attacker charged into the darkness, fists raised. Then the sounds of fighting echoed through the square—grunts, thuds, and shouts.
Ignoring the pain burning through his stomach and ribs, Luca pushed to his feet. He saw a lean, dark silhouette fighting the men. He gritted his teeth. He didn’t need a damn rescue. He wanted the pain.
With a scowl, Luca punched the closest man. When he went down, Luca spun and dealt with the next one.
The last man backed away, then spun and ran.
Luca’s breath sawed in and out of his lungs. The pain in his side was sharp and fierce, but he knew his body was already healing itself.
He turned to face the shadows and the silhouette of his savior standing there. “I guess you’re expecting a thank you.”
The lamp flickered back on and his rescuer stepped forward.
Dark trousers slicked up long legs. A black leather vest showed off toned arms and dipped low enough to show a hint of high, firm breasts.
But when he looked at her face and the wine-red hair framing it, all the churning emotion in him morphed into a deadly rage. “Rayne.”
The look in Luca Venti’s eyes chilled Rayne’s blood.
The brawling men had been dangerous, but she was well aware that Luca Venti was far deadlier. She felt the raw power swirling off him and it made her feel like she was standing in the eye of a vicious storm.
Still, she wasn’t going to let an enraged Warrior of the Wind intimidate her. She’d vowed a long time ago to never let violent men rule her life.
She strode forward. “What was your plan? Let them beat you to death?”
Luc
a moved so fast she could barely track him. His hand gripped her arm, yanking her close. She slammed her hands against his chest and their noses brushed. She tried to pull back, but he held her tight. Her hand flexed on his white business shirt and she felt the hard muscle beneath.
“Who the hell are you?” he ground out.
“Rayne Santini. Your new assistant, remember?”
“Right. Because mixed martial arts skills are standard training for executive assistants.” He pushed her backward until her back hit the brick wall. Then his big body pressed in close. “I want to know who you are. Did they send you to kill me?”
Heat poured off him and Rayne swallowed. She smelled him. Expensive, sexy cologne and warm flesh.
An icy wind swept over them, sending goose bumps over her skin. She stared into his eyes. Usually they were a beautiful, pale blue, but now they were turning white, like they were frosting over.
She wasn’t stupid enough to think he was cooling down.
Rayne gripped his wrist and used all her strength to pry his hand off her arm. She called on her own power. It may not be what he wielded, but she knew how to use it.
