FEATURED TITLE
Legacy
of Angels
Genie
Gabriel
Excerpt
Heat Level: 1
Book
Heat Level: 3
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at: www.roguephoenixpress.com
"I'm not safe anywhere." Terror beat in Claudia deGras' heart,
pulsed through her veins, shut down any rational thought. Get out of here!
She bolted toward the door, not daring to look back as the sound of
heavy footsteps followed her.
The old brown sedan sitting in the driveway always had the keys in the
ignition. Most of the time, it started without much protest.
Claudia flung open the door and cranked the key. The engine caught and
roared as she shoved the accelerator to the floor. Two doors banged shut as the
old Buick slid sideways on the gravel, then found traction on the pavement.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Patrick O'Shea on the wide bench
seat beside her, his hand braced against the dashboard for balance, but his
face reflected his normal serenity.
Could she trust him? Did she have a choice? And where was she going?
She eased her foot off the accelerator and settled the old sedan into a
speed that wouldn't get them stopped by the police, though patrols were rare on
this sparsely traveled road in Eastern Oregon.
While she drove the highway in silence, the childhood memories of curses
and shouting and fists landing heavy blows on her body receded, and her
panicked mind calmed down.
No one had harmed her today. In fact, over the last few weeks the O'Shea
siblings, including Patrick, had rearranged their lives to protect her from the
man-beast who stalked her.
She shivered.
The man-beast was the real danger.
"Take the next exit." Patrick's deep voice interrupted
Claudia's thoughts.
Patrick's wisdom and gentleness had provided a balm to Claudia's soul
many times during the time she had been recovering from her physical wounds at
his mother's rambling farmhouse. Today, she discovered the emotional fears were
deeper than she imagined. Facing the man-beast again--even in her
memory--pushed her into a panicked flight.
Now reason was returning and adrenaline ebbing, and Claudia floundered.
Once again, Patrick's reassuring voice provided an anchor, so she followed his
instructions. Down a paved road for several miles, flanked on either side by
acres of rangeland turning dusty gold in the early summer heat. Then another
turn onto a graveled road with no other traffic. Finally off any road entirely,
bumping over the rangeland to come to a stop under a sheltering copse of trees
near a lake.
After Claudia turned off the engine, Patrick opened the car door.
"Come with me."
He walked toward the lake, not looking back.
Claudia watched him for long minutes. Was he simply going to leave her?
The land sloped downward where Patrick now walked, making it seem like
he was disappearing. When only the top of his head was still in view, panic
seized Claudia once again. "Wait!"
She jumped out of the car and slammed the door behind her, running to
catch up with Patrick. She topped the knoll and stopped, her chest rising and
falling rapidly with exertion and fright.
Patrick stood looking up at her, the same serene expression on his face.
Then he turned and continued walking to the water's edge. Hidden in the tall
reeds was a raft that looked as if it would sink with the weight of the family
of ducks swimming nearby. However, when Patrick climbed on, the craft barely
dipped before stabilizing. He turned and reached out his hand in invitation.
Cautious but curious, Claudia climbed aboard.
Using a long pole, Patrick pushed them across the lake and under a rocky
outcropping. He secured the raft to a sawed-off tree stump that served as a
pier post for a make-shift dock and stepped off. "Be careful. It can be
slippery."
Intrigued, Claudia once again took Patrick's hand and climbed off the
raft. They walked toward a sheer rock cliff topped by ruins of what could have
been an ancient stone cathedral. However, as they reached the cliff, Patrick
slipped through a notch in one of the rocks. Once inside, he retrieved a
flashlight from a pocket in the rock wall and turned it on, revealing a narrow
corridor. Claudia followed him down a winding pathway for what seemed like
miles. Patrick walked without hesitation, turning down side tunnels until she
felt totally disoriented.
At last he stopped in front of a solid rock wall. Well, it appeared
solid. Until he slid aside what must have been a doorway, revealing into a
cavernous room.
"Where are we?" Claudia asked.
Patrick turned with a half-smile. "Safe.
That's what you wanted, right?"
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