SHADOW FALLING
Scorpius Syndrome Book 2
New York Times Bestselling Author
Rebecca Zanetti
Zebra
August 30, 2016
Blurb:
“Thrilling post-apocalyptic romance at its dark, sizzling best!”
—Lara Adrian
Before the Scorpius Syndrome tore through North America and nearly wiped out the population, Vivienne Wellington was the FBI’s best profiler. The bacteria got her anyway. But she survived. She recovered. And when she woke up from a drug-nightmare of captivity, her trust in her fellow man had gone from shaky at best to nonexistent. Her mysterious rescuer wants to convince her he’s the exception. But no matter how tempting he is, with his angel’s eyes and devil’s tongue, Vinnie knows she shouldn’t trust him.
If the FBI were still around they would rate Raze Shadow as one of the bad guys. His military training can’t wipe out his association with the Mercenaries, the most feared gang in a thousand miles. His loyalties are compromised. He won’t even tell Vinnie his real name. But there’s no FBI in the new America of fear and firepower, only instinct and risk. And the way his arms wrap around her tells its own story. Whatever else Raze is concealing, he can’t hide his desire . . .
“Sexy, tough, and deftly sprinkled with dark humor.”
—New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione
Excerpt:
Author Info:
Vinnie closed her eyes and tried to even out her breath and
fall asleep, but the hard body enfolding her held too much intrigue. And he was hard. Smooth muscle,
powerful lines, sinewed and strong.
While many bodies had grown streamlined and become more powerful after
surviving Scorpius, Raze was all man, perfectly uninfected.
She’d seen pictures in sports magazines of bodies like his,
but she’d never had one wrapped around her before.
For once, she managed to keep her mouth closed and didn’t
ask him all the questions roaring through her damaged brain. He breathed softly against her hair, relaxed
in sleep and yet still somehow on alert.
She could feel his concentration, lumbering beneath the
surface of slumber.
He hadn’t wanted to comfort her, and she had felt his
hesitation. But something good lived in
Raze Shadow, and he’d been unable to turn away from a woman in pain.
Oh, a conflicting force drove Raze, and he hid it well. But at some point, his true agenda would
become clear.
See if
you can read his mind.
Vinnie’s eyelids slid open to see Lucinda perching
cross-legged at the edge of the bed.
Shoot. She’d hoped somehow Raze’s
presence would keep the hallucinations at bay for the night. “No,” she mouthed.
Lucinda shook long blond hair, and her dark blue eyes seemed
to deepen. “You can read minds now,” she
said, voicing one of Vinnie’s unspoken fears.
“No, I can’t,” Vinnie mouthed back, careful not to make a
sound. If Raze awoke and saw her talking
to imaginary people, he’d tell Jax, and then she wouldn’t get to work in
headquarters and be around people. “Go
away.”
Lucinda pursed her lips.
“I read minds my whole life.”
“You were schizophrenic,” Vinnie mouthed back. “It wasn’t real.”
“Now who’s seeing people who aren’t real?” Lucinda returned, smoothing down her long
velvet skirt. “Your father’s people hail
from mystic gypsies, and you know it.”
Vinnie rolled her eyes.
“We’re from Sweden.”
Her step-mother shook her head again. “No.
Your Great Grandma Vinilula was a gypsy.
My ancestors were gypsies, too.
That’s why your dad and I were drawn together.”
“You imagined that gypsy connection. Now go away.”
Vinnie closed her eyes. Lucinda
had died ten years ago in a mental hospital, when Vinnie was in her early
twenties. “You can bother me after I get
some sleep.” She yawned, and her jaw
cracked.
“I’m not leaving until you try to read his mind. He’s sexy.
I bet he’s dreaming about—”
“Fine.” Vinnie
clenched her jaw. “I’ll try.” She deepened her breath and tried to focus on
Raze’s mind.
Nothing. No sights,
no sounds, no images.
Relief washed through her, and she opened her eyes. “His mind is a steel trap.” There was no way she could read minds. All the images and thoughts lately that
weren’t her own were a byproduct of the truth serum drugs and not a new
ability. Thank goodness.
Lucinda crossed her arms over a fluffy peasant blouse. “Try again.”
“No.” Vinnie closed
her eyes and wished the hallucination away.
She knew she should be worried about her tenuous mental state, but for
the moment, she just felt too warm and too good with the dangerous soldier
holding her close. Life sucked right
now, so why not take a pleasurable moment and enjoy it?
“If you’re going to sleep with that man, you should really
wax your legs,” Lucinda whispered.
“I’m not going to sleep with him,” Vinnie mumbled.
“You’re sleeping with him now. I was talking about sleeping, and you were
thinking about sex. Interesting,”
Lucinda stage whispered.
Vinnie cringed and then remembered Raze couldn’t hear
Lucinda. She couldn’t even hear her step-mom since the woman didn’t
exist. God, life had gotten
confusing. Besides, sex was off the
table. “He hasn’t been infected,” Vinnie
mumbled.
“He will be.”
Vinnie’s eyelids opened again, but the end of the bed was
now empty. Well, it had been empty the
entire time, but at least she’d stopped seeing dead people. For now.
I see
dead people. The
line from a famous movie whispered through her mind, and she chuckled just like
an insane person would.
Raze murmured and pulled her even closer into his warmth,
his long length bracketing her. She
wiggled a bit and then stopped as her rear end brushed across a definite
erection.
Whoa.
“Don’t worry about it,” Raze mumbled sleepily. “I’m too tired to do anything, so stop
talking to yourself and go to sleep.”
His breathing instantly leveled out.
She hadn’t exactly been talking to herself. Well, she had, but not really. Right?
“I’m crazy,” she whispered into the night.
For once, the night didn’t answer.
I'm currently reading this and I was planning to have a review up, and it's looking like it will be a little later in the day. Anyway, pretty good read so far, but I strongly suggest reading the first book and novella, before diving in. I decided to pick up the first book and at this moment it's on sale.
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Author Info:
New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and a hearing examiner—only to culminate it all in stories about Alpha males and the women who claim them. She is a member of RWA, has won awards for her works throughout the industry, and has a journalism degree with a poly sci emphasis from Pepperdine University as well as a Juris Doctorate from the University of Idaho.
Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides in the wild north with her husband, children, and extended family who inspire her every day—or at the very least give her plenty of characters to write about.
Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides in the wild north with her husband, children, and extended family who inspire her every day—or at the very least give her plenty of characters to write about.
Now here is your chance to win a copy of Shadow Falling. All you have to do is leave a comment if this sounds like an interesting read to you, your name and email. I will pick a winner (or my kids), and Kensington will send you a copy of Shadow Falling. Pretty darn cool.
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