Shadow of Sin by Parker Kincade
Book #2 in The Martin Family companion series
Release date: November 6th, 2013
A man determined to protect her…
Caleb Martin is no stranger to hazardous situations. He's seen enough bloodshed to last two lifetimes. When an innocent evening takes a dangerous turn, Caleb takes matters into his own hands. If she wants his help, it’s his rules, his way. Period.
A woman who won’t be controlled…
When it comes to relationships, Samantha keeps things casual, unassuming. Safe. Caleb Martin is far from safe. His ‘my way or the highway’ attitude pushes all the wrong buttons, and she’d sworn no man would have that kind of power over her again.
A hunger that won’t be denied…
Protecting Samantha from the man that stalks her shouldn't test his patience—or his control—but her smart mouth and hot Irish temper stoke the fuel of his desire. She is pure sin—a distraction he doesn’t need, a temptation he can’t resist.
Despite their animosity, Caleb has starred in her fantasies for years. His ruthless sensuality proves to be more potent than she ever imagined. As Caleb masters her body, Samantha must keep a tight grip her heart.
Excerpt:
Caleb
literally vibrated with anger. He’d never struck a woman in his life, but right
now he wanted nothing more than to turn her over his knee and tan her a**. He
shoved his cell phone in her hand. “Call your cab. You’ll sit in my truck while
you wait and I’ll follow until I’m sure you’re home safe.”
“Go home,
Caleb. I’ll find my own way. I don’t need you. There’s plenty of men here who
can get me home. In fact, Mark has made me a very interesting offer.”
“Mark?”
She raised a
delicate shoulder in a shrug, but Caleb knew better. The woman was hell on
wheels.
“He’s the guy
who brought me here. It’s only fair to let him take me home.”
He cocked a
brow. “Is that so? Then why did you call Alec?” Caleb released her, walking her
back into the wall. “Here’s what I think. I think you know damn good and well
how childish you’re acting. So, why don’t you stop fighting and let me take
your stubborn a** home. The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we can be away
from each other. Got it?”
“F**k you.”
“I’ll take
that as a yes.” Caleb laced his fingers with hers and started toward his truck.
“And before you get any ideas, I wouldn’t push me any further if I were you. I
won’t think twice about tossing you over my shoulder.” She stayed silent,
wisely taking his threat to heart. “Good girl. Do you have a bag or a purse or
something? If you do, I’ll go back —”
He stopped
abruptly, the skin at the back of his neck tingling. He glanced back at the
door of the bar, but no one had exited behind them. His gut tightened as he
scanned the lot, the feeling of unease growing with every step.
Placing his
hand against the small of Samantha’s back, Caleb maneuvered her against his
side, shielding her between his body and the line of vehicles as they walked
around.
“I didn’t
bring a purse.” She wiggled against him. “Stop doing that.”
He glanced
down at her. “Doing what?”
“Touching my
back like that.”
He curled his
hand around her waist. He wasn’t letting her go until they got to the safety of
his truck, so she’d just have to deal. “Better?”
“No.”
“Too bad.” His
gut was screaming by the time they reached his truck. He glanced around the lot
one more time as he clicked the remote to unlock the doors.
A loud noise
shot out, resonating through the air. Fire singed across Caleb’s arm a split
second before the passenger side window exploded. Caleb jerked, pulled Samantha
against him, and spun them to the ground. He covered her body with his,
protecting her head with his hands. He pressed her cheek against the dirt as
two more rounds were fired, slamming into the side of his truck.
Caleb put his
mouth to Samantha’s ear. “Listen to me. When I move, I want you to get your a** under the truck and stay there. Do you hear me, Samantha? Stay under the
truck.”
“W-what are
you going to do?”
“I’m gonna
find the f**ker who’s shooting at us, that’s what I’m going to do.” His hand
went to his belt and he cursed. His weapon was in the truck.
“No, Caleb.
Please. Let’s just go.”
The fear in
Samantha’s voice made his chest tighten. She was fearless. The kind of woman
who could tame a bar full of muscle-bound bikers in the blink of an eye, or
take out their b*lls even faster. She’d never been afraid of anything.
“Crawl under
the truck, Samantha. Now.” Caleb shifted, pushing at her as she dug her hands
into the dirt and pulled herself out of sight, her red cowgirl boots the last
thing he saw before she disappeared.
Dawn would
break in a few hours, but that didn’t help him now. He couldn’t see sh*t beyond
the road, but at least he knew the direction the shots had come from. If he
could get around to the other side, he’d pull Samantha up and get her in the
truck and they could get the hell out of here. Once she was safe, he’d hunt the
shooter down and make whomever it was sorry they’d been born.
Making his way
to the driver’s side of his truck, Caleb kept his head low and his eyes peeled.
“Samantha? I want you to take my hand. I’m going to pull you up and I want you
to get into the truck as fast as you can. I want you to stay low, on the
floorboard. Keep your head down. You got it?”
Her voice was
quiet. “Yes.”
Her hand
closed around his. “Ready? Now!”
Caleb pulled
her out from under the truck and threw open the door.
“Go, go, go,”
he chanted, pushing her into the truck and climbing in behind her. Samantha
crawled across the seat and moved to curl up on the floor, her head against the
seat. Caleb didn’t waste any time. He threw the truck into gear and slammed on
the accelerator, turning the wheel hard to the left to avoid hitting the other
cars in the lot.
The back
window exploded in a shower of tiny chips of glass. “Godd*mmit!” Caleb ducked
and spun them onto the road leading to the highway.
Adrenaline
surged through his system, pumping in his ears as he fought to gain control. He
kept the lights off, randomly making turns and driving like a bat out of hell.
He knew this area like the back of his hand, so he didn’t worry about the
lights or getting lost.
Once he was
sure they weren’t being followed, Caleb turned his attention to his passenger.
The woman had been uncharacteristically quiet and he wondered if he should be
worried. He never knew what to expect from her, and it kept him off balance. On
edge.
“It’s okay for
you to sit up in the seat now, Samantha.” His voice shook with the anger that
still raged through him. He pushed a button on the steering wheel. “Alec,” he
barked.
His call
connected and Alec answered on the first ring.
“You get Sam
home okay?” Alec said in way of greeting.
Caleb glanced
at Samantha as she eased up into the seat. She moved slowly, carefully, as she
reached over her shoulder for the seatbelt. No doubt she’d bear bruises
tomorrow from the way he’d tossed her to the ground. He frowned, the thought of
her smooth skin being marred affecting him more than he’d like to admit.
“I want to
know where Vincent Matteo is, and I want to know right f**king now, Alec.”
“Did something
happen? I told you, Caleb, he’s laying low. Off the radar.”
“He may be
laying low, but the a**holes who work for him aren’t.”
“What are you
talking about?”
“Someone just
took shots at us!” he roared.
“What? Are you
okay? Jesus, Caleb. What the hell happened?”
“Where are we
going?” Samantha’s voice broke into the conversation.
Ignoring her
question, Caleb continued. “We were leaving the bar. First shot grazed my arm
before taking out the passenger’s side window. Two more rounds into the side of
the truck. Shooter went quiet for a minute, affording me the time to get
Samantha in the truck. Last shot took out the back window as we were pulling
out.”
“We’ll need
those rounds.”
“You can have
whatever the f**k you want. I want Vincent Matteo. Find him.”
Caleb disconnected
the call, the need to kick some serious a** overwhelming in its intensity.
“Caleb? Where
are we going?”
“Well, we sure
as hell can’t go back to your place,” he snapped. If she’d kept her a** at home
tonight, this would have never happened. No, it could have been worse. She
could have been alone at home or … hell, he was a ba***rd, wasn’t he? He was
sure she’d been scared and was probably now on her way to being in shock. He
needed to get his head out of his a**.
“Caleb?”
He looked her
way. Pure, unadulterated fury poured from her gaze.
“I don’t give a crap where we go.”
Samantha held her hands out in front of her. Blood covered her palms. “But,
wherever it is, we should probably get there quick.”
Parker Kincade is an award-winning erotic romance author of The Martin Family Series. Her first novel, One Night Stand, won the category of Best Erotic Romance in the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Golden Claddagh contest and was named finalist in the Romance Writers of America/Passionate Ink Stroke of Midnight contest.
Parker lives in the southern United States with her husband, children and beloved boxer sidekick. She loves reading, playing golf, spending time with her family and friends, ice cream from the ice cream truck, taking her dog to the park and watching old musicals.
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