Monster In Me: Cryptid Assassin™ Book Eight
Page 25
She raised an eyebrow. "You do have a tendency to pick up strays."
"Said the kettle."
With a grin, she nudged him in the ribs. "Okay, so Rod simply apprised you of this opportunity for cheap real estate? Just like that? Out of the kindness of his heart?"
"That and the hundred thousand dollars he’ll take as a finder's fee off of the top, I assume. Be that as it may, it's still cheaper than almost anything else in the area, so I took it."
Niki turned on her side and slid her fingers down his chest to trace idle patterns across his skin. "I guess it would be nice to have a location like that to work from. Plus, if Vickie ever needs somewhere to stay, it's probably best that we have a situation set up for her if she has to hide from people."
"You never did tell me exactly who has it out for her."
"That's her secret to tell."
"Huh. Yeah, I guess. Also, we?"
She smiled and leaned closer to place a light kiss to his cheek. "Sure. I'll need a place to stay if I move to Vegas. I have a property of my own, but I've been renting it out forever and I guess it's time to let go—to liquidate my assets, I guess."
"Well then, I guess I'll expect you to front half the cash I'll pay for the house since it'll be the headquarters of our new business. What did you call it again? Since everyone hates McFadden's Mercs."
"You hate it too," she reminded him. "And it's a shitty name. No, the one I had in mind was McFadden and Banks Consultancy—no, McFadden and Banks, Consultants for Hire, Incorporated, has a better ring to it, I think."
"And I'm the one who comes up with the terrible names?"
"Alliteration is lazy. When you have two surnames at the beginning, people think you're a firm that's all professional and shit."
"Aren't we?'
"Well yes, but we need to give them that impression. McFadden's Mercs makes it sound like you're running it out of your dad's garage since you're not allowed to bring guns to your place after the neighborhood started a Homeowner's Association because of you."
"That’s an oddly specific mental image."
Niki nodded. "And one that comes to mind every time you say that name, so I suggest you drop it if you want any business to come in. Good business, that is."
He drew in a deep breath. "McFadden and Banks, Consultants for Hire. I like that. You're right, it has a ring to it."
"I know." She rested her head on his chest and paused for a moment, enjoying the closeness, the sound of him breathing, and his heartbeat against her ear. "I guess I should be in charge of all the naming situations while you can be in charge of setting up a training course at our new base of operations. It does have space for that, doesn't it? Forty acres is a large area."
"I suppose I could do away with all those lawns and shit. I'd have to do proper planning when I go out there again. We'll also have to think about the details like caretakers and gardeners and shit. I won’t spend my days taking care of that whole fucking property on my own."
"Holy shit, I already came up with the name and everything. You need to pull your weight a little, McFadden!"
She squealed and giggled good-naturedly when he grasped her by the hips and dragged her on top of him before he placed a long, tender kiss on her lips.
"How about I pull your weight instead?" he whispered.
"You know, I could live with that, yes. We can decide on the details later."
He grinned. "Sounds like a plan."
THE END
The BOHICA Chronicles Boxed Set
Have you read The BOHICA Chronicles from C.J. Fawcett and Jonathan Brazee? A complete series box set is available now from Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited.
Kicked out of the military for brawling, what can three friends from different countries do to make some needed money?
Grab your copy of the entire BOHICA Chronicles at a discount today!
Reprobates:
With nothing in their future, Former US Marine Charles, ex-SAS Booker, and ex-Australian Army Roo decide to give the Zoo a shot.
Without the contacts, without backing, without knowing what they are getting into, they scramble to get their foot in the door to even make rent in one of the most dangerous areas in the world.
With high rewards comes high risk. Can they learn on the job, where failure means death?
Relying on their training, they will scratch, claw, and take the most dangerous jobs to prove themselves, but will it be enough? Can they fight the establishment and the Zoo at the same time?
And what the heck’s up with that puppy they found?
Degenerates:
What happens when you come back from vacation to find out your dog ate the dog-sitter?
And your dog isn't a dog?
The BOHICA Warriors have had some success in the Zoo, but they need to expand and become more professional to make it into the big time.
Each member goes home to recruit more members to join the team.
Definitely bigger, hopefully badder, they return ready to kick some ZOO ass.
With a dead dog-sitter on their hands and more dangerous missions inside the Zoo, the six team members have to bond and learn to work together, even if they are sometimes at odds with each other.
Succeed, and riches will follow.
Fail, and the Zoo will extract its revenge in its own permanent fashion.
Redeemables:
NOTHING KEEPS A MAN AND HIS 'DOG' APART...
But what if the dog is a man-killing beast made up of alien genetics?
Thor is with his own kind as they range the Zoo, but something is missing for him. Charles is with his own kind as they work both inside and outside the walls of the ZOO.
Once connected, the two of them are now split apart by events that overcame each.
Or are they?
Follow the BOHICA Warriors as they continue to make a name for themselves as the most professional of the MERC Zoo teams. So much so that people on the outside have heard of them.
Follow Thor as he asserts himself in his pack.
Around the Zoo, nothing remains static, and some things might converge yet again if death doesn't get in the way.
Thor:
The ZOO wants to kill THOR. Humans would want that as well, but they don't know what he is.
What is Charles going to do?
Charles brings Thor to Benin, where he can safely hide out until things calm down. Unfortunately for both of them, that takes them out of the frying pan and into the fire.
The Pendjari National Park isn’t the Zoo, but lions, elephants, and rhinos are not pushovers.
When human militias invade the park, Thor and park ranger Achille Amadou are trapped between the proverbial rock and a hard place. How do you protect the park and THOR Achille has to hide justwhat Thor is...
Can he hide what Thor is when Thor makes that hard to accomplish?
Will the militias figure out what that creature is that attacks them?
Available now from Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited.
Author Notes
July 29, 2020
THANK YOU so much for supporting this series about Taylor McFadden and the family which is pulled into his gravity.
Let’s talk a little about ‘why’ I did a series with Taylor. As you know, a lot is going on in society, and much of it shows up on the Internet. Some of these things are a little upsetting to me. (Remember that this started last year (2019) – the COVID wasn’t even on the radar at that time.)
Why do the series, Mike?
(I’m glad you asked! Or rather, I’m glad my mind assumed you asked.)
Because life isn’t nice and all packaged up. People don’t HAVE to act a certain way all of the time and THAT IS OK.
People are messy, problematic, strangely honorable in their odd behavior’s and there are reasons adults can consent and consent ethically (even if one questions the morals of the lifestyle if you are morals focused.)
Like Taylor McFadden.
When we meet Tayl
or in Book 01… He is messed up. Like most, he seeks and wants a relationship, but realizes he is damaged goods. Not physically (ok, mostly not physically) but mentally he questions his own reality.
And why shouldn’t he? He has lasted 83 trips into that damned ZOO full of alien monsters which want to eat him and everyone around him.
The arms of a willing woman for a night of passion is what the Dr. ordered. I should know, I made his first liaison with a doctor. Funny how that worked out, isn’t it?
Happenstance, I swear.
Really though, what I wanted to point out is that society creates what is permissible and not permissible all of the time. And just because the largest (or loudest) group screams what they want to set into law doesn’t make it right.
At least not right for everyone. Humanity has too many outliers to even consider one rule to rule us all. Right now, everyone who has time, a keyboard, an internet connection and fancies they know the truth has a podium.
But where would they have thrown Taylor if they had done that? Had they known a woman, arguably as damaged in her own way as Taylor, needing someone who understood what made her tick would they have realized they needed each other?
I doubt it.
I have a pretty good imagination and I can’t remotely touch the number and variety of people who are broken, and just want the ability to get through life and heal.
Not everyone is a monster to others, even if they have a monster inside of them.
Taylor McFadden, when unleashed, is a monster. But for those of us who are human, we can thank God he is our monster fighting those who would try to consume us.
Now, Taylor and Niki have found each other and are setting off on another set of adventures. New jobs, new responsibilities.
Monsters out there in society who believe they are the wolves among sheep.
Be careful wolves… There are monsters who will consume you like the tasty little snacks you are.
McFadden and Banks, Mercenaries for Hire.
Book 01, coming to you… Soon.
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
P.S. – McFadden and Banks is for people who realize that life is full of gray and we won’t all agree on how dark or light that gray happens to be. But in the end, those that do unto others will absolutely have horrible endings done unto them.
Like I said… They are snacks…
Connect with The Authors
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Other Zoo Books
BIRTH OF HEAVY METAL
He Was Not Prepared (1)
She Is His Witness (2)
Backstabbing Little Assets (3)
Blood Of My Enemies (4)
Get Out Of Our Way (5)
It All Falls Down (6)
Justice Comes Due (7)
All’s fair In War (8)
APOCALYPSE PAUSED
Fight for Life and Death (1)
Get Rich or Die Trying (2)
Big Assed Global Kegger (3)
Ambassadors and Scorpions (4)
Nightmares From Hell (5)
Calm Before The Storm (6)
One Crazy Pilot (7)
One Crazy Rescue (8)
One Crazy Machine (9)
One Crazy Life (10)
One Crazy Set Of Friends (11)
One Crazy Set Of Stories (12)
SOLDIERS OF FAME AND FORTUNE
Nobody’s Fool (1)
Nobody Lives Forever (2)
Nobody Drinks That Much (3)
Nobody Remembers But Us (4)
Ghost Walking (5)
Ghost Talking (6)
Ghost Brawling (7)
Ghost Stalking (8)
Ghost Resurrection (9)
Ghost Adaptation (10)
Ghost Redemption (11)
Ghost Revolution (12)
THE BOHICA CHRONICLES
Reprobates (1)
Degenerates (2)
Redeemables (3)
Thor (4)
Books By Michael Anderle
For a complete list of books by Michael Anderle, please visit:
www.lmbpn.com/ma-books/