The Demon Within
Authors: Stacey Brutger
Tags: #stacey brutger, #fallen angels, #demon, #dark paranormal romance, #peacekeeper series, #paranormal romance, #Series, #Adventure, #kickass heroine, #Paranormal, #angel
As a punishment for failing his duty as an angel, Ruman finds himself encased in stone in the form of a guardian statue. Every few decades he is given a chance to repent. And fails. Until the totally unsuitable Caly Sawyer accidentally brings him back to life. Nothing is going to prevent him from gaining his freedom, especially some willfully stubborn human determined to kill him.
Caly doesn’t trust the mysterious stranger who came out of nowhere and risked his life for hers. As a demon hunter, she knows there is something not quite human about the sexy bastard. Her ability to detect demons is infallible. She should know. She used to be one.
War is brewing between demons and humans. The demon infection that Caly had always considered a curse might just be the key to their survival...if Ruman can keep her alive long enough. Despite the volatile attraction between her and her sexy protector, Caly’s determined to do whatever it takes to keep everyone alive. The more Ruman learns about his beautiful charge, the more he questions his duty and loyalty...and dreads the call to return home. If they can’t learn to trust each other in time, one of them will die.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Copyright © 2012
Stacey Brutger
Published by Stacey Brutger at Smashwords
Cover artist: Amanda Kelsey of Razzle Dazzle Design (
www.razzdazzdesign.com
)
Photographer: Sanjin Pajo of Razzle Dazzle Design & Stock
Model:
Chloé Henry & Jason Vleminckx
Editor: Erin Wolfe
All rights reserved.
Table of contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to thank the talented people who have helped this book along in its various stages of production:
To Amanda Kelsey, whose awesome talent enabled my characters to step out of the pages and come alive on the beautiful cover.
To my editor, Erin Wolfe, who sweated with me through the many versions of my book in order to give my readers the best story possible. Any mistakes are my own.
To the generous people who’ve offered support along the way.
And to my husband and family for their unfailing support.
It means the world to me.
Lastly, I want to thank the readers.
I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I had writing it.
T
he mission reeked of a trap, yet Caly volunteered anyway when she learned her cousin had been taken. Not for any warm and fuzzy feelings. Her cousin manipulated others too well to allow anyone to pry her ass out of the city if she didn’t want to go.
The kidnapping was a hoax to lure Caly out in the open. The big question was why they wanted her in particular.
She must have slipped, moved too fast, hunted too well, and revealed too much about the infection ravaging her body that made her not quit human.
Now they were going to get rid of her.
She just wished she knew if it was the demons or her friends who’d strike the final blow. The antacids she’d devoured like popcorn on the plane had left a chalky aftertaste in her mouth that soured at the thought.
Unfortunately, the orders to deploy had been given before she could prove the truth. Though she might be Oscar’s little pet experiment, if she stepped out of line or dared question him, he’d have her eliminated.
So she and her team of self-appointed soldiers had departed, tasked with bringing back her cousin alive and keeping the existence of demons hidden from the rest of the world. She had to admit a certain genius for choosing such a god-forsaken place. If they failed in their mission, a few gringos lost in the jungles south of the equator were easily forgotten.
The hell spawn had miscalculated this time, though. With her special enhancements, she was the perfect candidate to keep her team alive. Part of her relished the coming battle, but the biggest reason she kept her mouth shut was the desperate need to find answers about her condition.
A cure.
Banishing the painful hope, Caly trudged behind the others on the narrow path, watching for the slightest hint of suspicions from her fellow soldiers.
But everyone appeared so damn normal.
That left the demons, then. Part of the anxiety twisting her gut about eased at knowing that her friends didn’t suspect the truth. She could bear it if they ever found out.
Fighting demons didn’t frighten her, not as much as the possibility of losing control of her unusual abilities in front of the others. She swallowed the sharp edge panic at the thought. She refused to allow that to happen.
A spark of nerves crawled across her skin. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck bristled, and the disquiet plaguing her increased with each breath. She jerked her chin up, and slowed her pace, watching for anything out of the normal.
Something was out there, waiting, watching like a spider would a fly, and it didn’t have anything pleasant in store for them.
Part of her wanted to urge everyone to turn back, but the dark, dangerous part that she tried to bury wanted to charge forward and do what she did best: seek and destroy.
Everyone else continued as if nothing was wrong. None of her senses registered an intruder. All she could smell was that damn clean air clogging up her nose. Caly gritted her teeth and kept quiet, rolling her shoulders to shake off the clamminess that enveloped her.
The commander didn’t have room for that woman’s intuition nonsense, and that’s what he would accuse her of if she went to him with her suspicions without proof. The dismissive attitude because of her dubious past infuriated her, but she knew better than to protest or risk being left behind.
That wasn’t an option. Not when she was so damn close to answers and a normal life.
Caly took a deep breath then mentally cursed the climate. The hot, moist air seeped into her lungs and fought her for each breath as though an invisible hand reached into her chest and squeezed her lungs through its meaty fingers. She refused to admit the premonition could be anything but her mind playing tricks.