Stormfront by K.R. Conway
(Undertow #2)
Publication date: August 15th 2014
Synopsis:
Not long ago Eila Walker’s choices were limited: death by a bullet to the head, or at the hands of her beloved bodyguard, Raef. Now, five weeks after Raef triggered her power and she nearly leveled a historic mansion, Eila is dealing with the fall-out of her decisions. While she doesn’t remember dying in the arms of the soul thief who loves her, she knows that Raef remembers everything about the night he nearly killed her.
Now on the mend and attempting to keep one step ahead of the FBI, Eila and her team of misfits are desperate for a bit of normal. Eila is trying to navigate high school, while her BFF Ana is cautiously hanging with past-boyfriend and soul thief, Kian. Shape-shifter, MJ, is trying not to piss off his mother, while Raef is coping with his fears that Eila will never be safe.
But just as “normal” seems within their grasp, a powerfully built newcomer arrives. Raef knows the scarred man as a Blacklist Dealer – a soul thief, who peddles the names of humans who deserve to die. Eila, however, knows him as the protective hunter from the woods, who she nicknames Thor. Before long, Raef and Eila realize they’ve met the same killer, and he has one hell of a story to tell the five friends . . . if Raef doesn’t murder him first.
STORMFRONT is the second book in the Bestselling UNDERTOW series.
Now on the mend and attempting to keep one step ahead of the FBI, Eila and her team of misfits are desperate for a bit of normal. Eila is trying to navigate high school, while her BFF Ana is cautiously hanging with past-boyfriend and soul thief, Kian. Shape-shifter, MJ, is trying not to piss off his mother, while Raef is coping with his fears that Eila will never be safe.
But just as “normal” seems within their grasp, a powerfully built newcomer arrives. Raef knows the scarred man as a Blacklist Dealer – a soul thief, who peddles the names of humans who deserve to die. Eila, however, knows him as the protective hunter from the woods, who she nicknames Thor. Before long, Raef and Eila realize they’ve met the same killer, and he has one hell of a story to tell the five friends . . . if Raef doesn’t murder him first.
STORMFRONT is the second book in the Bestselling UNDERTOW series.
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The smell of cinnamon and coffee lured me out of my warm
cocoon of sleep. I blinked into the early morning sunlight filling the parlor
and listened to the echoing quiet of the house. The soft drip of Mae’s coffee
maker confirmed that the power had returned and the brilliant blue outside the
window revealed a crystal clear sky. I realized I must have nodded off in front
of the fire last night, because I was still camped out on the floor, but
somehow I had acquired what felt like a pillow. It was a bit too firm though.
I moved slightly and realized the
pillow was attached to a perfectly sculpted forearm . . . and hand, which had
my long hair gently woven through its fingers. Something warm and solid
tightened around my waist and my eyes widened as I realized Raef was tucked
against my back, one of his arms supporting my head and the other clasped
around my waist.
Sweet baby dolphins everywhere, Raef
was SPOONING me, pressed firmly against my back.
Now acutely aware of my surroundings, I
could feel his warm breath on the back of my neck as he slept. I wanted to turn
to him, but I was terrified he would wake and realize he had jumped headfirst
into those revisions we had briefly mentioned last night.
Heck, he was WAY MORE than touching me.
He was holding me as if I would disappear - as if I would fade into the
molecules in the air. I swallowed and stayed still, taking inventory of his
hard body against mine, and how we seemed to fit so perfectly together.
A metal pan scraped against something
in the kitchen, breaking the silence of the house, and I felt Raef take a deep
breath and stretch ever so slightly.
Then he froze.
Crap.
I stayed still, hoping he would think I
was asleep. Hoping he wouldn’t suddenly shoot across the room, taking with him
the warmth and safety I felt in his arms.
He didn’t move for what felt like
forever, keeping his arm around my waist, but then I felt him softly spread his
fingers out over my stomach. It took everything I had not to spontaneously
combust.
I felt his forehead touch the back of
my neck and he drew a slow, deep breath against my shoulder blade. It sent
electricity fanning out from my skin and down my arm. All ability to control
myself fled my body and I dragged in a shaky breath.
He loosened his grip and I rolled onto
my back, his arm still behind my head and his hand just below my belly button.
His fingers grazed the area of my skin that was now exposed thanks to a
too-short tanktop.
God bless the discount rack at
Abercrombie.
“Uh . . . Good Morning,” I said, my
voice a little dry.
“Good Morning,” he replied, quietly. “I
didn’t mean to wrap myself around you like that. I don’t even remember doing
it.”
Pfft
. . . no worries!
“You just needed a snuggle-buddy,” I
replied, flashing him a knowing grin, but my face started to flush. Oh my god .
. . that was so lame.
Raef’s gave a soft smile and was about
to reply, but a paisley pillow shot up from behind him and wacked him in the
back of his head. “HEY!” he protested.
“Will you two SHUT UP!” moaned Ana who
was sprawled on the floor as well. “I think I might actually throw up in my
mouth. Will you be my
snuggly-swuggly pooh bear? UGH! Seriously – I’m gonna barf.”
I blushed hot and sat up as Raef’s hand
fell away from my tummy. He slowly got to his feet, tossing the pillow that
attacked him onto the couch. He stretched, looking really well rested for the
first time in weeks, and his black t-shirt rode up just enough to torment the
heck out of me.
He looked down to where I sat on the
floor, scrambled hair and silly PJs most likely making me quite the sight to
see. “I’m going to go bring in some more wood and see if Mae needs anything,”
he said, taking his fine self and walking into the kitchen. I heard him greet
Mae, though Mae returned a clipped Hello,
and then the side door closed.
I turned to Ana who was still sprawled
on the floor with pillows and blankets. “What the hell woman?”
“SNUGGLE BUDDY? That’s all you can come
up with after not having your hands on him for how long?” laughed Ana.
“Hey – at least I could speak. I was so
shocked that he was with me, I thought I was hallucinating. Did you fall asleep
down here too?”
“No. I went to my room, but was
freezing by one in the morning. Kian and Raef were down here talking while
keeping the fire going, and you were drooling on the floor, so I figured I’d
camp out too, minus the unsexy drooling of course.”
“I do not drool!” I laughed, horrified.
“Well, maybe not, but you do have a
line indented on the side of your face from however you were sleeping,” she
said smiling.
“I do not!” I protested, but then felt
my cheek. Sure enough I had a long groove running the length of my face.
Terrific.
Mae appeared in the parlor doorway, her
arms crossed over a stained plaid apron. “I need to talk to both you girls.
Now, please.”
That didn’t sound very promising. I
glanced at Ana, who gave me a curious look, but we followed Mae back into the
kitchen where feast preparations were in full swing.
“Sit,” Mae instructed as she poured
herself a fresh cup of coffee. She added some sugar and slowly turned to face
us as she stirred the caffeine. The soft clink of her spoon against the cup
seemed to echo ominously in the silent room. What was she up to?
“Um – did I forget to take the trash
out or something?” I asked, daring a nervous glance to Ana. Mae cleared her
throat, a sure sign of whatever she was about to say was not going to be
enjoyable.
“Raef and Kian are lovely young men.
They’ve helped me out enormously while the two of you have been laid-up, and I
am very grateful for all they have done. However, what I am about to say is
non-negotiable.”
Oh please – don’t say it. Don’t go
there.
“Sex should be between two people that
are in love and are mature enough to understand the ramifications of such an
activity.”
Yup. She went there. I bet the deed to
the house it was because Raef had been curled around me, too.
The color drained entirely from Ana’s
face.
“Mae – you really don’t . . .” I
started, but she raised a hand to silence me. It was very possible I would
never recover from this conversation. I was sure Ana’s ears were shriveling off
her head as Mae spoke.
“I am not so naïve that I do not see
how you four act around each other. It’s obvious that there are feelings that
go far beyond friendship between you two and the boys. All I ask is that you
girls are careful, use your head. Don’t do something you’re pressured into. And
for heaven’s sake, if you are determined to do it, DON’T do it under this roof
and always, always
be protected.”
Silence descended on the room, as if a
black hole had opened up on the table, sucking all gravity and sound from the
kitchen. Mae stood there, glancing at the two of us. I was so mortified. I slid
my eyes to the kitchen door that Raef had passed through minutes ago. If he was
still anywhere near the side of the house, his supernatural hearing would have
just offered him an earful. Kill. Me. Now.
Ana, no doubt ready to perform a
self-inflicted mental exorcism to erase the past few moments, hopped up from
her seat as if she had been scalded. “Right. Good talk. Will keep it under
advisement. Gotta get dressed,” she declared, bolting from the room. I think
her little feet actually left a smoke trail in their wake. Her leg was
definitely all healed.
I glanced at Mae and she eyed me over
her steaming cup of coffee as she took a sip.
Somebody save me.
AUTHOR BIO
K.R. Conway has been a professional writer for most of her adult life. She has been a journalist since 1999, an editor, graphic designer, critique partner for other writers, novelist, and book reviewer. She teaches the devious art of telling lies for money to various impressionable young people (i.e. she teaches fiction craft classes for teens and adults). She is also on the Board of Directors for the Cape Cod Writers Center, a PAL member of the SCBWI, and the driver of a 16-ton school bus. She tweets her random thoughts @sharkprose
K.R. Conway is the author of the UNDERTOW series, which includes last year’s Amazon bestseller, UNDERTOW, and this August’s release, STORMFRONT.She lives on Cape Cod with her two children and husband, two weird dogs, and a cage-defiant lovebird that sleeps in a miniature tent.
Author links:
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