Sunday Snippet: Along the Shore (a South of the Border novella)

Wow, March is being its typical mercurial self. Warm up and then plunge back into the teens and single digits. The back-and-forth weather is normal but not fun.

Crazy-busy week with work projects. I'm thrilled to have my calendar filling up and excited to start some new manuscripts. Also getting more details sorted out for Tip Jar Shorts. I need to find a full day I can dedicate to getting everything where it needs to be.

Very limited viewing this week. My brain decided it needed quiet to focus on the reading I needed to finish up for one of my work projects. I probably needed the break.

I did get more of the One Lane Bridge episode watched. I might take a brief vacation from this one. There's a lot going on in this show and focus is going to be important so I don't miss anything.

Finished up season three of London Kills with the behind-the-scenes bonus episode. I always enjoy getting a deeper look at how everything comes together in a series.

Started another episode of Death in Paradise. I'm about halfway through and I like the tension in this one. Also enjoyed Neville and Commissioner Patterson being on the same page for once.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Along the Shore, a South of the Border novella.

Here's the miniblurb:

Vail Ericsson, a freelance security expert and skilled tracker, can find anyone for a price. But when he trails Ellery Quantrell to Mexico, he discovers she's not an escapee but a target, and his role changes from pursuer to protector, whether Ellery wants him as a shield or not.

And a snippety peek…

Ellery could take the heat. She could handle bugs and plants with stinging leaves. But she could not, would not, should not have to deal with the man currently hauling her through the sand with little care to the fact it stuck to her skin, burned the bottoms of her feet, and made her scalp itch. She didn't know which she hated more. The big oaf or the tiny, granulated pebbles that made her almost wish for the frigid tundra she'd finally escaped from two months ago.

I was so damned close to getting out—all the way out—from under Puchenko's thumb. Until big, bad, and bothersome showed up to become a huge pain in my ass. She didn't voice her running commentary because, frankly, Mr. Mercenary wouldn't give a damn how hard she'd worked to flee from her brother's fucked-up bargain that landed her in Ivan's clutches.

She could ask Vail to slow down but decided not to give him the satisfaction of a nice query. Instead, she opted to blast him for making the soles of her feet become a shredded mess. Oh, and a bleeding one, as well.

She planted herself in the sand, flinching against the sharp, stabbing pain. "Hey, call me stupid, but blood leaves a trail, right?" She pulled back hard on the hand trying to drag her forward. "Something traceable your friendly goon squad could use to follow us?" She lifted her leg and turned her ankle to show the oozing, red streaks and broken skin.

Vail dropped his gaze to her feet and winced. "Looks painful." He shrugged. "But too bad, we're not stopping. Maybe you should've kept your shoes on."

She smirked. "If I had, I wouldn't have been able to wing them at your head."

Vail snorted. "Not my fault they got dragged out to sea by a wave." His hand went to his nape. "I am surprised you didn't give me a concussion when you tried to knock me out with that fallen limb."

Ellery flushed hotly but stood her ground. "You have a really hard head." And the driftwood didn't make a good weapon.

Vail sneered. "So I've been told." He grabbed her hand again. "Quit bitching. We're almost there."

He started forward and Ellery followed, each step a burning reminder of why she wouldn't get tangled up with anyone ever again.

Especially if they were hot to look at but had the personality of a big ape.

This couple is so much fun to write. They're very unhappy with their circumstances, which is a joy to explore.

 

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin