Heart of Fire

Book 2: Alice Worth

by Lisa Edmonds

Genres: Paranormal; Urban Fantasy; Occult & Supernatural; Paranormal Romance; Crime & Mystery; Supernatural suspense; urban fantasy; paranormal romance; magic; female sleuth; paranormal mystery; werewolf romance; vampires; kickass female protagonist

Synopsis

It has been a rough month for mage private investigator Alice Worth.

Alice hasn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks, her relationship with werewolf Sean Maclin is on the rocks, a federal agent hounds her every step, and a powerful vampire whose ulterior motives have ulterior motives watches her every move. It's enough to drive any woman to drink.

Just when Alice's ghost sidekick Malcolm is about to stage an intervention, her former employer, Mark Dunlap, enlists her help to find out who's been kidnapping women off the streets. As the list of the missing grows, the city's anger turns against the vampires, and the Vampire Court hires Mark and Alice to find those responsible. After the case reunites her with Sean, Alice is forced to confront painful demons from her past, as well as the very real demon who wants her dead and the vampire determined to control her power.

When tragedy strikes close to home and a friend's life hangs in the balance, Alice goes up against the most powerful adversary she's ever faced in an explosive showdown that will leave Alice and her city forever changed.

Contains mature themes.

Release date: May 29, 2018

Publisher: Storybook House, LLC

Print pages: 364

Content advisory: Language, violence, sexual content

Sample

(Content Warning: Violence, language, attempted sexual assault)

When the half-drunk graveyard shift cook with singed eyebrows and Johnnie Walker breath says you’re looking rough, you know you’ve got problems.

“Thanks for the coffee,” I said wearily, tucking cash under my plate and heading for the door.

“Your food!” the cook hollered, gesturing with his spatula at the counter, where I’d left behind an empty coffee pot and untouched club sandwich.

“Guess I wasn’t hungry after all.” I pushed the door open and headed out to the parking lot.

When I’d arrived, despite it being after midnight, the only available spot in the tiny lot next to Nancy’s Diner was at the back near the dumpster. I unlocked my car, tossed my bag onto the passenger seat, and started to get in.

            Someone screamed.

            My head whipped around. The sound cut off abruptly, but not before I was already running toward the alley on the other side of the dumpster.

            When I rounded the corner, I saw what looked like three or four people fighting about twenty feet away. As I got closer and my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I realized with horror that three young men had cornered a blonde girl by a large trash bin. She kicked wildly as one of them tried to pin her against the wall and another covered her mouth while the third yanked her bag away and dumped it on the ground.

            “Hey!” I yelled.

            They looked up. The one who’d taken her bag dropped it and headed toward me, while the other two continued to struggle with the girl. She looked at me, her eyes huge and panicked.

            “Bitch, you better get out of here,” he told me. A blade glinted in his hand. It was shaking.

            “I don’t think so,” I said, advancing. “Put your little knife away before you hurt yourself.”

            Twitchy raised his knife and spun it between his fingers with surprising dexterity. I was close enough now to see he wasn’t trembling because he was afraid. His pupils were dilated, and despite the cool night, he was sweating. Realization dawned. He wasn’t scared; he was high.

            The girl suddenly screamed again. One of the other thugs swore. “She bit me!” He punched her in the jaw. She hit the pavement hard and didn’t move.

            I took a deep breath and said a little prayer to whoever might be listening. I was about to do something really stupid.