EXCERPT
I dropped
to one knee and stared at the little boy who looked like he might be sleeping
amongst the dust and debris. Brushing
off the bits of rock and rubble from his face, I picked him up and hugged him
close. Despite all my prayers, I knew
deep in my heart he was dead, like all the others in this God forsaken mess
that surrounded me.
“Declan. We’ve got to go.” Brannon’s voice seemed distant.
Something
red and blue caught my eye. It was a
little stuffed horse. Had it been the boy’s?
Goddammit, be careful, you’ll drop him.
Regaining my balance on the cement fragments, I bent down and picked up
the toy and put it on the child’s chest, cuddling both of them closer to my
heart.
The little
boy had lived in this house, one of three destroyed in one fell swoop, killing
innocent women and children. The damn
headdress obscured my vision for a moment, or was something else in my eyes? I saw something move towards me. Men with shovels, running and shouting. After a moment, I understood them. They were right. Maybe there were survivors. I could help look, or at least help dig out
the remaining bodies.
A warm
hand touched my shoulder. I turned, it was Brannon Dodge. “We’ve got to go.”
“I did
this.”
“No. No, you didn’t. Dec, we’ve got to go.” The body of the little boy was cooling in my
arms despite the heat surrounding us. He
would never grow up. Never go to
school. Never become a man.
“We’ve got
to leave the country,” Brannon insisted.
“I’m not
leaving.” There was no way I was going
back to the US. I’d help these men bury
their loved ones. If they realized I was
an American, so be it. I deserved
whatever happened. The intelligence
provided by one of my men had done this.
Death would be welcome.
Brannon
called out loudly in their native tongue, “Whose son is this?” A crowd of men swarmed and one sobbed.
“My
boy. My boy.” The man trembled as I carefully placed the
precious bundle into his arms, making sure the stuffed horse stayed with
him. He wailed loudly in his grief, as
people huddled around him, trying to offer sympathy. Brannon grabbed at my arm. I was just too tired to pull away.
Step after
step he dragged me. I couldn’t help
myself, I kept looking backwards at the devastation I’d wrought. Homes that an hour ago had held happiness,
joy, and dreams of a future.
“Let me
go, Brannon. I need to stay.” I jerked away.
“Not going
to happen, major.”
So fucking
tired. How many days had we been
there? We’d been weeding through leads
and chasing our tails for what seemed like forever. The team had been shot at, stabbed, and now
this. Laird was barely hanging on and
had been sent to Germany.. My thoughts
sent the bile rushing into my mouth and I doubled over losing the little bit of
food I’d eaten that morning. Brannon
stood there, then I made a run for it
“Declan,
they’ll figure out you’re an American.
You’ll be killed, or worse.”
I turned
to tell him to shut up, and met his fist.
It all went dark.
You want to know about me? I believe
in three things: loyalty to my friends, helping those in need and
the end justifies the means.
Declan (Shadow Alliance Book One) by
Caitlyn O’Leary releases October 26th!
Pre-order your copy at the following retailers:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2dWDWUO
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2dQqCnY
iBooks: http://apple.co/2dWFbU5
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2dQpiSh
Blurb
Some serious shit went down when I was in
the Army. I mean brutal. After my last tour, I created the Shadow Alliance. Me
and my team know how to get things done, and will take on all those jobs that
others won’t. My name is Declan McAllister and when it comes to keeping people
safe, I’m your man. Mess with me and I will rain hell-fire on you like you’ve
never experienced before.
Few things get my motor running like
beauty and brains. Okay, a nice ass doesn’t hurt either. Getting a chance to
work with FBI Agent Allison Davies, who is the whole package, normally would be
great, except when she followed my butt down to the flood ravaged country of
Paraguay to track down a traitor, and ends up putting her career on the line.
Now here we are attempting to keep things
professional, but the more I watch Allison pour her heart and soul into this
case, the more I want to see what that same passion would be like between the
sheets.
About the
Author:
Caitlyn
O'Leary is an avid reader, and considers herself a fan first and an author
second. She reads a wide variety of genres, but finds herself going back to
happily-ever-afters. Getting a chance to write, after years in corporate
America is a dream come true. She hopes that her stories provide the kind of
entertainment and escape that she has found from some of her favorite authors.
Her Series
Include:
THE FOUND:
It's a bit
Paranormal, a bit Sci-Fi and 100% Action/Adventure. The characters have special
abilities, that make them targets.
MIDNIGHT
DELTA
This is
focused on a group of Navy Seals. What makes them special is their bond to one
another, and the women they come to love.
FATE
HARBOR
This is
the series that started her career, it is a Menage Series that takes place in
Fate Harbor Washington. It focuses on a tight knit community who live and love
and care for one another.
THANK YOU!
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