Grasping at his knee, Tag screamed. But as she tugged harder, his face paled from the lack of blood flow, and nothing escaped his throat but grunts.
Meghan took in the person who’d tried to stop her. And then at least eight more men formed an arc around her.
“Get back!”
“Let my brother go,” the first man seethed.
Yes, she could see the resemblance. “Not in a million years. Tag killed Jonas, so he’s gonna die.”
“I don’t care if he killed the president. Let him go.”
“I do, and you have nothing to threaten me with, because I don’t care if I die.”
Crunching gravel and a few more thuds filled the rooftop.
“Let him go, Meghan,” the unmistakable voice of her father demanded. “I know you’re upset, sweetheart, but this isn’t the way we handle things. Tag will stand trial for his crimes.”
“He’s a murderer, Dad. He’s killed innocent people. He killed my husband. He admitted it,” she screamed. “He doesn’t deserve to live.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Jonas clawed at his eyes. It was the darkest room he’d ever been in. He couldn’t see in pitch blackness, but like cats, creatus eyes amplified even the faintest of light. Just the stars being out or the miniature lights of electronics would reflect light back, magnifying his vision.
“How ya feeling, Casanova. All the crying you’ve done about never finding someone to love, and now you have a woman willing to die for you.”
Jonas turned to the voice. “Mike? Where’s Meghan? Is she okay?”
“Yes, it’s me. And yes, she’s okay, but we need to talk.”
“Can you turn on the lights? I’m going crazy.” A warm hand touched his arm and he jumped, but then grabbed his side as pain radiated through his entire body. He felt the tight wrap around his side. “Turn on the damn lights, Mike. You’re scaring the hell out of me.” Every word he pushed out of his mouth hurt. It hurt to breathe.
“Jonas, the lights are on. It doesn’t look like there’s any damage to your eyes, so I hope it’s temporary flash blindness. And I broke three of your ribs when I knocked you out of the way.” Mike’s hand gripped his arm, pulling him up.
“Owww… Why are you hurting me?”
“I’m not trying to hurt you, buddy. But you need to come with me.”
“Where’s Meghan?”
“I’m taking you to her before she starts a war.”
“What do you mean? How did I get here?”
Mike sighed. “When will all of you learn that I know everything? I’ve been suspicious for a while. And when Meghan showed up with Vic and Reece, I put a tracker in her purse, since I knew the first chance she got, she’d bolt.”
Jonas tried to walk, but he was pretty sure Mike was dragging him. “What do you mean by everything?”
“I heard him tell Tag to set the explosion, so I tried to get there before you. I was almost too late. I saw you open the door and knew what was coming.”
Mike lowered him to a sitting position, and he gritted his teeth together to keep from screaming in pain.
The door slammed and a couple seconds later, another door opened and slammed. “Hang in there. We’re only a few minutes away.”
The sound of Mike slamming the pedal of his Dodge Charger to the floor and the forward momentum, knocked Jonas back in his seat.
“I’d say buckle up, but I’m guessing that would hurt too much.”
Jonas grunted in response, hugging his side. He blinked his eyes, hoping to somehow clear them. His sight…he couldn’t lose his sight.
His body pitched to the side as Mike took a corner, and then Mike must have thrown his arm in front of him when he slammed on the brakes and shifted the vehicle into park.
As soon as the vehicle stopped, Jonas pawed at the door, searching for the handle.
The door swung open, and Mike’s arms lifted him out.
“He killed my husband, Dad. He admitted it,” Meghan screamed.
“Ahh…perfect timing. You’re on, Loverboy.”
“Meghan,” Jonas screamed at the top of his lungs, even though it made his chest burn even speaking. He didn’t know what was going on, but she was in trouble. Or…someone else was in trouble, and she wasn’t far behind.
Shuffling of gravel, as more than one set of feet scurried across the rooftop, reached his ears.
“It’s him, Meghan!” Victoria’s voice. “It’s Jonas, honey. He’s alive.”
“Jonas?” Meghan screamed again. “Are you okay?”
Jonas tried to scream, but he just couldn’t get out the words.
“He’s hurt, but he’s fine, Meg. He wants you to come down here.” Mike touched his shoulder. “I need to go up there before someone gets hurt.”
Mike was gone, and for the first time in his life, Jonas was afraid. He’d never been afraid of anyone. But with no vision, barely able to stand or even breathe, a drunken bum on the street could take him out.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Meghan dropped Tag, then pulled her baton back to her shoulder, not trusting any of the people who surrounded her.
Tag gasped for a breath, but didn’t move. The guy who’d said he was Tag’s brother reached down and lifted just his shoulders, dragging him away from her.
She looked at Mike, who approached her, towering over all the other creatus men. Had he tricked her?
She darted her eyes back and forth at the fifteen or sixteen bodies around her. “Where is he? Where’s Jonas.”
Mike moved through everyone, even Tag’s family, glancing down at each of them as if taunting them to try something. He offered her his hand, and whether he was tricking her or not, it was clear that Mike was her only way out.
Mike led her away from everyone, back to the side of the building, then scooped her up and stepped off the side of the building.
A gasp escaped her throat, but in a second, they were on the ground with hardly a thud. He stood her up, and she scanned the area for Jonas.
Then, he was there, sitting against the wall, his arm holding his side.
“Jonas!”
“Meghan?”
She fell down in front of him. Her hand going to his red and blistered face. “Oh, my God, Jonas. Does it hurt?”
“Not anymore.”
Jonas reached for her, as if he didn’t know she was right in front of him. His dark eyes were empty, looking straight through her.
“You can’t see me?” Meghan wrapped her arms around him, and he cringed. She pulled back to look at him. “What did he do to you?”
Mike stepped up beside her. “I sort of broke three of his ribs as I tried to push him out of the way of the explosion.”
Jonas grunted as he tried to shift his body. “Where is he, Mike?”
“By now…I’m thinking my uncle has left town.”
Meghan looked up at him. “Your uncle? Matt Ashton?”
Mike nodded. “Behind everything. He covered his tracks well. But finding out the guy who’d killed Janelle Heskin worked for the hospital and he’d been the one to just get him to leave town had thrown all suspicion on him.”
Derrick, Reece, and Victoria landed next to Mike.
Derrick’s eyes were full. She’d never seen any of these men cry. “Why? Why would he—”
“My mom…” Jonas said. “He’d always loved my mom. I didn’t know, Derrick. I swear I didn’t know anything about Janelle until a few weeks ago. He had my brother make a deal with me. He said if I backed away from you and Kristina, and didn’t hurt anyone in the family, he’d help me. He knew my mother would never fall again, but he still loved her. I never meant for anyone to get hurt, Derrick”
The ground shook as Derrick rushed forward. Meghan jumped in between Jonas and Derrick.
“You kidnapped my wife, you drugged her, hung her over the side of a building—”
“He didn’t hurt her,” Meghan screamed. “He didn’t hurt anyone.”
Derrick shook his head. “The guide
. You snapped his neck. You beat Kristina’s friend half to death.”
Meghan had already heard this from Jonas, but she looked at him for his answer again. “I did smack the redhead around, but I swear I wasn’t that rough. She was just fair skinned. I know it was wrong. But I swear…I didn’t kill the guide. He rushed me. I sidestepped, and he went over the platform. I know it was my fault. But at most, I’m guilty of manslaughter, not homicide. It wasn’t premeditated.”
“Put him in my vehicle, Mike. Then, call a meeting. As always, the council will vote on his punishment.”
Meghan looked at Jonas, then her father and Vic. “He didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
Vic and her father stepped toward her. Vic squatted down in front of her. “It’ll be a fair trial, Meghan. Everyone who has something to say—good and bad—will have a chance to speak, and then we’ll all vote.” Vic cast her eyes at Jonas and shook her head. “I know Derrick’s upset, but everyone has a chance to defend themselves for their actions.”
Mike reached for Jonas, but Meghan pushed away his hands. “I got him.” She wrapped Jonas’ arm around her shoulder and helped him stand.
“I love you, Meghan,” he whispered in her ear. Of course, every one of them had heard.
“I love you too, Jonas. Forever.”
“Forever might end tonight, my love.”
Tears flooded her eyes. “No… I won’t allow that.”
“It’s okay, lovely. I’m okay. Everything’s okay now that I know you’re okay.” He leaned against her. “You really took down Tag?”
She moved her lips to his ear. “Had him cryin’ like a baby.”
“Good.” Jonas lifted his head as if he were looking for something, even though he couldn’t see. “Mike, what’s up with the Canadians? I heard Marcus.”
The large man stepped up beside Jonas. “I think they’re ticked, dude.”
“You think. A quarter of percentage creatus just kicked the prodigal son’s ass. ’Course they’re ticked.”
“Jonas… I mean… This isn’t over.”
“No, Mike. This isn’t even close to being over. Creatus want to be free, man. You have no idea how many families have contacted me. This has just begun.”
EPILOGUE
Casey O’Brian watched as one after another, each of the men he’d spoken to the other night, and some he hadn’t met yet, dropped off the roof of a seven-story building.
When he’d followed Reece Buckley from the police station, he’d known he’d been up to something and had thought about calling it in, but what would he call in.
Hey…I just saw one of our agents drop off a building with his girlfriend and her family…
Yeah, that’d go over well. And what would he charge him with? Not taking the stairs or the elevator? He wasn’t sure what to think. He couldn’t believe that Reece Buckley had anything to do with the vigilante slayings, but clearly, he wasn’t normal. What man—or woman—was capable of jumping off a building…of any height? Hell, he’d twisted his ankle stepping off a six-inch curb. He thought back to what he’d seen, what he’d researched.
The eldest, Lyn Ashton was ninety, and he barely looked fifty. They were tall, strong, and they could jump off buildings. The red ‘C’. What had it meant? The man in the alley with his throat ripped open. The limbs that had been torn from the bodies? Had his uncle been right? Was there something supernatural roaming Boston. Was there such a thing as an immortal being? The ‘C’…as in Count Dracula, maybe? Was there really such a thing as vampires?
It’s never the end, as there’s always one more story to share. To stay up-to-date with the next release in the series and contests and giveaways, please visit my website www.CarmenDeSousa.com and add your email address at the top right, or simply click like and add your email address on my Amazon author page.
BOOK EXTRAS
People often ask…where is that place located that you wrote about? Well, sometimes I make up a restaurant or a building, but other times it is a place I’ve visited…or a combination of places. Sometimes, I’ll use the outside of one place, and the inside of another place, no different from what they do in the movies.
But…if it’s somewhere you can visit, I’ve started putting together a Pinterest Page. I’ve actually had avid-reading friends build their vacations around the places I’ve mentioned, so if you go…please send a picture of you holding one of my books or the Kindle cover page to [email protected]. I’ll start posting them after I get a few. http://www.pinterest.com/Carmen_DeSousa.
BEFORE YOU GO…
I hope you enjoyed the first four installments in the Creatus Series. If all goes well, I plan to release the next book in the Creatus Series spring of 2015.
If you haven’t already, please stop by my website, CarmenDeSousa.com, and add your email at the top right-hand corner to receive notifications of new releases, promotions, and giveaways.
If you enjoyed the Creatus Series, please check out my other books while you wait for the next installment. Although all of my stories have a common thread—romance, mystery, and suspense—not all my stories have supernatural elements. If you haven’t read any of the books in my Southern Romantic-Suspense collection, most of them have slight connections, and then in book seven—there are five right now—all the connections will come full circle.
All of the novels are stand-alone stories—NO CLIFFHANGERS—but a couple of them should be read before the follow-up novels, so as not to run into spoilers. You can read them in any order, as long as you read Charlotte 1 before Charlotte 2 and Nantahala 1 before Nantahala 2.
In order by release date:
She Belongs to Me (Charlotte 1)
Land of the Noonday Sun (Nantahala 1)
Entangled Dreams (Florida)
When Noonday Ends (Nantahala 2)
Split Decisions (Charlotte 2)
If you’d like some more supernatural, this time with a ghostly edge, please check out my two short story mysteries, which are free through most retailers, and then the follow-up novel.
The Pit Stop (This Stop Could be Life or Death)
The Depot (Where Life and Death Cross Tracks)
The Library (Where Life Checks Out)
You can find all my books on my Amazon Author Page.
If you enjoyed the Creatus Series, please leave a review. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just a few words to let other readers know if they should download it too. It means so much to an author to hear what readers loved—even didn’t love—about a book. It’s how we grow and learn what you want to read next time…and in the case of a series, which characters you want to see more of in the next books or which ones we should knock off. :)
Thank you again!
Carmen
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My journey as a writer has been a long one. Though my first book only took two years to write and publish, the story took twenty-five years to compile, as life tends to get in the way of dreams. But since then I’ve met an amazing group of readers and authors I now call friends. Without their support and encouragement, the last eighteen months wouldn’t have been possible. There is no way to name them all, but there are three women who have been my constant cheer squad from the beginning: Jaime Rush, Bernadette Marie, and MJ Kane. These three women have suffered through my first drafts and listened to my whining and crying over technological issues and just plain life. Thank you, ladies. Not only are you all amazing authors, you are wonderful friends.
Of course if it wasn’t for my wonderful, supportive husband of twenty-five years, my writing would not be possible. He truly made me believe in a happily-ever-after. Without my husband and two wonderful sons, there would be no reason to write.
And lastly a thank you to my biggest fan—my youngest son—he has stood by me longer than any other person, championing me constantly through every rough turn in the road. He is also the creator of the Creatus seal and title, which I hope will someday be recognized across the book community.
I love you
all.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Creatus Series Boxed Set Page 66
