Lifted Curse (Curse Trilogy)

by C. M. Owens

  A convoy of vehicles distract me from my inner rant, and my eyes glance over to check out the new faces joining us in our dusty campsite.

  I hate camping.

  Ty winks at me as he goes over to make introductions, and I just roll my eyes.

  I have to break up with him. He’s on my last fucking nerve.

  “Commander Jude?” a man’s smooth, charismatic voice asks, but I don’t bother to look up.

  My disinterest in the newcomers is displayed by a yawn as I lean back against the log supporting me. I flick a piece of paper into the fire, and it crackles against the foreign object invading its space before slowly turning it to ash.

  “Lieutenant Banner I presume?” Clay murmurs as he walks over to greet the man asking for him.

  “Yes, Sir. I’m here to report for duty. They said you needed a tracker to locate the renegades at large.”

  “Indeed. I heard you’re the best.”

  “The best I know,” the cocky man adds, and I let a snide huff free upon hearing his egotistical remark.

  Such testosterone levels should shrink a man I would think. Imperious son of a bitch.

  I don’t know him, but I already hate him.

  “Good. We need the best.”

  I stifle my derisive snort, but my head still bobs with a breathy scoff.

  “I’m actually known for my interrogation skills as well,” the bragger boasts.

  Not as well known as I am I bet.

  “I’ve heard. I’ve been waiting for you to be promoted so you could come out of the undercover shield. We need interrogators, but we don’t need you for that today. I have my most trusted one here, our lead interrogator for the United.”

  “Araya Crush?” the man says with little emotion. “I’ve only heard stories about her. I was starting to think her feats were just a ruse to strike fear into hearts of the guilty.”

  Oh I strike fear, cocky boy, but I’m not a ruse.

  “No, she’s very real. I’ll introduce you,” Clay murmurs from afar.

  No. Damn you, Clay.

  I roll my eyes, staying propped against the log, and I start disassembling my gun for cleaning as their footsteps grow closer.

  “Araya, there’s someone I would like you to meet,” Clay says when his feet stop in front of me.

  I barely glance up enough to see the militant boots carrying the expectant men. I turn my eyes back to my mediocre task, offering the smug bastard looming over me my casual indifference.

  “Araya,” Clay sighs in obvious frustrated exasperation, acting as though he’s dealing with a surly teen.

  “What’s up?” I murmur in my immature tone to add to his irritation.

  “This is Lieutenant Banner. You’ll be working together on this case, so you might want to introduce yourself.”

  I roll my eyes, and I glance up to see the dark shades hiding the eyes I’m sure are just as smug as his tone earlier. His dark, short hair is long enough to swish in the wind, and it’s all I can do to keep from standing and running my fingers through it. His lean, sculpted body begs to press against mine, and I feel my heated core boiling instantly. I almost lose my breath, my heart fumbling to remember to beat, as his lips turn up in a smile too breathtaking to endure for very long.

  Breathe you stupid idiot. He’s just a damn guy with a pretty face.

  Determined to not give him the satisfaction of seeing my obvious stumble, I shrug with a forced unimpressed expression holding my face still - not allowing for a foolish girly grin to spread.

  His hand reaches down in front of my face as he bends, and I see his amusement shining through, as if he has already figured out my game. I hate men, and damn it, he smells so fucking good too.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Crush. Your reputation proceeds you.”

  I fight a gasp when I hear my name running through those soft, kiss-me-now lips with a tone I shouldn’t find so damn seductive. I warily place my hand in his while trying to remain cool, composed, and completely uninterested - when in truth, I’m a giggling girl with an instant crush.

  I clear my throat to keep the inner idiot from becoming the outer fool, and he pulls me to my feet. I stand, my head level with his chest, and he slowly pulls down those shades hiding the secret of his hybrid blue eyes. No doubt he intended to roll out a dramatic effect with that big, sexy-as-hell reveal.

  They’re perfect. There’s not a hint of anything but confidence in them, and it’s almost too fucking hot to keep staring into them. But I can’t look away. I’m frozen in my stare, lost in those damn hybrid blues for some reason. It’s almost as if gravity is playing a trick on me when my body tries to inch toward his involuntarily. I’m too drawn to him. What the hell is wrong with me?

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve never heard of you,” I say to dash the sizzle between us, pulling my hand away, trying to discreetly wipe away the burning after-touch which keeps seeping deeper.

  “I’ve been an undercover operative for a while,” he says far too seductively.

  “What made you decide to come out of hiding?” I ask while trying to keep my knees from buckling.

  “I don’t know really. I just felt something pulling me to this mission, and I decided to go with it. I’ve been due a promotion for a while, and this seemed as good a place as any to start. I’ll be stationed at Selma once we finish here.”

  No. Not Selma. Oh you beautiful son of a bitch. Go somewhere else. Please go somewhere else.

  “That’s where Araya and I are moving to as well once we finish here,” Clay chirps happily.

  He smiles, and then those dangerously alluring eyes cut back to me.

  “Really?” he says smoothly, though it’s not a question needing an answer.

  It sounds more like a challenge, though I don’t know what challenge that would be. My damn mind is thinking of all the crazy, wild, and fuck-tastic things I could do to him in the bedroom to try and rise to a challenge though.

  “I suppose we’ll be getting to know each other better than I thought,” Mr. Sexy As Fuck continues.

  I know he has to be doing that on purpose. No one is that damn sexy on accident. What’s he doing to me? Look away, Araya. Look. The fuck. Away.

  “Lieutenant,” I murmur shakily, pausing to keep my voice from cracking, “it was nice to meet you. I’ll see you around.”

  I start walking away, but he pulls my hand in his to halt my hasty retreat.

  “The pleasure was all mine, Ms. Crush, but call me Hale.”

  I start to say something when suddenly a grenade rolls between us. I hear the screams bursting free to warn everyone of the live grenade, and Hale jerks me to his body to shield me from the blast within a blink.

  I rip free, dive between his legs, and cover the round death ball with my body just as it explodes. My eyes are almost blinded by the brilliantly bright explosion, and a white hazy cover cloaks everything. My ears ring, my clothes tear, and I’m momentarily deaf as I roll off the dead device. I try to pop my ears to invite sound back in, but it’s not working very well.

  An echo of screams rattle out, and I feel strong arms pulling my disoriented body from the ground while gaping eyes shine their disbelief.

  “How the fuck did you do that?” Hale screams, or at least I think he screams.

  I still can’t hear too properly.

  “I’m so sorry,” a stumbling fool gushes out while rushing over to me. “I was going to throw it into the field to trash our tracks. It just slipped out of my hands when I drew back to launch it.”

  Idiot.

  “Shit happens. Just let someone else throw grenades from now on,” I gripe, and then I cringe when I see Clay stalking toward me with anger seething from his scolding eyes.

  “Damn it, Araya. You don’t have enough control to do shit like that. What if it hadn’t come up? What if you hadn’t gone invincible?” he barks.

  “Then a lot of people would be drinking blood instead of being instead of simply walking away,” I say with a nonchalant shrug, hi
ding my true trembling.

  I felt compelled to save this stupid man I don’t even know. I felt the power like I never have before. I had control. In that second, in that reflexive moment, I had control. Who the fuck is he?

  “I’ve never seen anything like that,” Hale gushes, his eyes pouring out admiration.

  He was going to risk his life to save mine within seconds of knowing me, and I gladly went head first to that grenade to save him. This is so fucking crazy.

  “Araya, shit. Damn it,” Ty screeches while climbing out from behind an armored vehicle.

  He always has been the first to duck.

  “I’m fine, Ty,” I grumble.

  He rushes over to inspect me, and I push him off me when Hale’s eyes narrow, as if he’s assessing what Ty means to me. I hate knowing I’m tied to anyone right now. This perfect creature staring at me is forcing my mind to stray, fantasize, and dangerously salacious thoughts spring to mind - one of which includes handcuffs, blood bringers, and a hellacious amount of time locked in a bedroom.

  “Araya?” Ty’s voice interjects, as though I was so lost in thought I piqued his concern.

  I realize my lower lip has been clutched between my teeth, and I release it. Hale’s eyes daringly stare into mine, his mouth slightly edged up just enough to know he has read my inner thoughts, and I blush instantly.

  “Yeah,” I huff out while ripping my eyes away from the man driving me crazy to the man… well both of them are driving me crazy, just in different ways.

  “You sure you’re okay? I should probably examine you,” Ty continues.

  “I’m fine, Ty. Really.”

  “Ty, I need you to run the lines. Make sure all of our explosives are intact. I don’t want to risk instability when we go mobile,” Clay interjects, and I catch a hint of mischievousness twinkling in his eyes.

  I’m starting to wonder if he’s intentionally getting rid of Ty so I can be in the company of this… magnificent piece of art.

  Ty wanders off to do as he was told, and I look down to see my shirt shredded, my bra shining for all to see and my abdomen exposed as well.

  “Great,” I huff while walking toward one of the tents.

  “Need help?” Hale smolders while strolling up beside me.

  “No.”

  “I’m excellent at helping girls get their shirts off,” he continues, ignoring my rebuff.

  Oh damn. Stop being so sexy.

  “I’m sure you are, however, I need a shirt on, not off. As you can see, this one is already off.”

  “Not all the way,” he whispers when he’s suddenly pressed against me, his lips on my ear, his hips pressing against my back.

  I shiver, and my breath leaves me again as his touch sparks something else inside me. I tell myself that’s his gun jabbing me in the back because if I learn otherwise, I won’t be able to stop myself from doing the things my twisted mind is fantasizing about. Why do I want him so badly?

  “I’m not that easy,” I scoff, my cognitive functions finally returning.

  I wish someone would come to slap the sanity back into me.

  “Never said you were. How about dinner first?” he teasingly offers.

  I let a laugh free while shaking my head, and I turn to meet his eyes again against my better judgment. Drat. Those eyes are just so easy to fall into.

  “Dinner?” I muse.

  He smirks, and then his eyes move to the perimeter line where Ty is doing inspections.

  “That is, if you’re boyfriend doesn’t mind.”

  Ty. Damn cock blocker.

  “Don’t worry about him, he’s harmless,” I scoff dismissively.

  Definitely breaking up with him now.

  “I’m not the least bit worried about him. There’re a few things you don’t know about me yet,” he murmurs enticingly, forcing my body to gravitate toward his again. “So?” he prompts.

  “Oh, um… so… dinner?” I stammer out like some fool girl.

  “Dinner, breakfast, and then lunch… in that order,” he provocatively dares while stepping closer to me as his breath rests over my face.

  I shiver out, and then I find the confidence which is trying to escape my grasp as I bring forth my sexiest gaze.

  “Dinner it is,” I seductively return.

  Oh damn. I’m screwed.

  The End.

  So Araya and Hale had a baby. Curious to find out how Aralia’s story goes?

  The Gifts trilogy will give the story of Aralia’s journey. The first book, Secret Gifts, is set to release January, 2014.

  Until then, watch for my next release, the Daughter Trilogy.

  The first book, Daughter of Aphrodite, will release late October of 2013.

  A contemporary twist on Greek mythology, the Daughter Trilogy gives the seductive draw of immortality and the sexy men we all love. Find out the electrifying results formed when Aphrodisia Titan falls for Devin Cole only to learn he has a secret she never thought possible - as well as learning a secret she has hiding beneath the eyes she only thought to be blue.

  Thank you all for reading the Curse Trlogy. I love you all for joining me in this exciting release.

  Follow C.M. Owens on Facebook or check out my author page on Amazon for more updates on things to come. You can also follow me on twitter @cursetrilogyM.

  Tonya and Julie, I can’t say enough about how incredible the two of you have been during this whole thing. You’re the reasons I published… finally. Thank you so much for giving me confidence. I couldn’t have done this without your support and words of encouragement. I love you both so much. I only wish everyone could have people like you in their lives.

  Thank you to my wonderful circle of friends for all of your support. You ladies have been an incredible support team, all of you - Myra, Heather, Marnie, Lisa, Danielle, Beth, and Laura.

  Thank you, Daddy. You may not love the genre of the book, but you love me, and you’ve never once told me I couldn’t do anything I wanted to. You’ve been there for me throughout all of this, and your belief in me helped me to find the courage to finally put myself out there. I love you so much.

  Thank you, Mom. You’re one who believes in me no matter what, and it means more to me than you know. I love you.

  And thank you, Neal. You’re the one who put me on the right path to publishing when it seemed impossible. You’re an incredible author, and I can’t thank you enough for the help and guidance you’ve offered me.

  Lastly, thank you to everyone who has read my books. You guys are incredible, and I hope you fell in love. I also hope you find that same love for the rest of my books. I love you and thank you all!