Bear it All (16 page)

Books by Gracie Meadows

The Hidden Pack

Dreamwalker's Duo

Awakened by a Dream

Panther Protection

Bear it All

Heels for Hire, Inc.

Covered by Bubbles

Eyes on the Target

Stand Alones

Till My Last Breath

Valentine's Day Anthology

Cowboys Candy

Roping Candy's Heart

Vampire Lords by Jana Leigh Gracie Meadows

Sinful's Desire

Would love to hear from you!

Website: http://graciemeadowsauthor.weebly.com/

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Email: [email protected]

Excerpt from Dreamwalker's Duo

The Hidden Pack Book One

by Gracie Meadows

It was odd to have a brother. All she had ever known of shifters were that for some odd reason only a single child could be born, and even that was hard to do. Mike had called her a little wonder because she just left people wondering how she came to be. Her mom would swear up and down the great Luna had sent her to them for a reason. Either way, here she was, getting ready to celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday this weekend with a giant BBQ—country style.

“Oh come on, squirt, you know I can’t resist chocolate. Especially when I know you made it. And if I am not mistaken there’s a hint of Kahlua in there. I swear it is a good thing you are moving out. It saves me from coming over here and eating the—whatever you are mad at—baked items. Anyway, I have to work tonight so I can’t stay to long. I just came over because mom said you needed to talk to me, and that something needed to be pulled out of the attic. She’s on one of those kicks again. She mentioned that she was turning your bedroom into a sewing room to allow more space for her office,” he said as he swiped his finger through the frosting of the cake one more time humming in appreciation.

“I’ll save you a piece. Anyway yes, I need your help putting my TV on my wall. It seems I need a stud finder, whatever that is, because I just keep putting holes in my damn wall, and I don’t want to inflict more damage than I have to,” she explained.

Mike nodded and soon the two of them chatted a couple more minutes while she put the lasagna in the oven for dinner. Lost in thought about what she wanted for her birthday, Mike brought up ideas for him to bring to the BBQ. He had threatened to get her a puppy, but even she laughed because she was more of a cat person. This was something they had argued about even as children. She wanted a cat, he wanted a puppy, but in the end, their mom had decided on a fish tank. After that, they learned if they had issues with something not to let mom know. It worked out for both of them in the long run.

“Sure I can come over in morning after my shift if that’s okay. It will save me from having to back track home. Do you want me to bring over coffee as well,” he chuckled. He knew her dark secret. Never disturb her until after she had a cup of coffee, well unless you wanted to have your balls shoved down your throat.

She nodded in agreement and soon she caught the smell of something. It wasn’t the food, she was about to tell Mike, when a small rumbling sound caught her attention. She turned to stare at a man still in police uniform. He wore dark blue pants, followed by a dark blue uniform shirt with short sleeves. He looked like his arms were going to tear out of them by his bulging biceps. She continued her gaze upward. He had a strong jawline with big full lips that were slightly parted. Finally she looked into his eyes. The gray eyes looked back at her holding her attention. Not only was she lost in the depth of them but she felt the air leave her lungs as if she couldn’t catch her breath along with the smell of burnt wood assaulting her senses. Mike's coughing brought her out of her trance.

The stranger smiled and looked at her brother as Mike spoke, “Um…sorry, dude, I meant to come back in. This is my baby sister, Becky. Beck, this is Dmitri Daciani, he and his brother just transferred from up north,” Mike stated as he made introduction.

Dmitri stuck out his hand to her and she hesitated for a minute. She felt a sudden pull from within.
Why was she drawn to him?
Not wanting to appear rude because let’s face it, her dad would ream her up one side and down the other if she was. She placed her hand in his and shook it. Suddenly a warmth spread through her body as a spike of adrenaline pulsed through her veins.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Becky. Mike failed to mention he had such a beautiful sister,” he stated with a smile as he took her hand, flipped it over and oh so gently brought it up to his lips and placed a small kiss on the inside of her wrist. The zap of electric currently pulsated through her arm all the way down to her now throbbing sex, causing her to gasp and for him to rumble deep in his chest.
What the hell just happened?
She pulled her hand back quickly.
Damn it, he is part of the real Neanderthal club! Shit…shit…shit.

Excerpt for Covered by Bubbles

Heels for Hire, Inc. Book One

By Gracie Meadows

“Don’t scream, if you do I will slit your fucking throat. We are going to have a little fun, you and I.” She wasn’t able to turn, but she could see the man through the reflection on her car window, and the knife sparkled from the light of the sun. Bubbles didn’t panic, but now she wished she hadn’t disconnected the mic to the girls. She stumbled back with the man as he started to pull her to a side alley that was blocked by the sun, creating a dark deserted area, perfect for assholes like this one to take unsuspecting women. There was one thing this asshole didn’t know—she was not some helpless woman. She was raised with all men after her mother died in a car accident. Her father was military and she had three older brothers, who right now were in various locations. Needless to say, she learned to shoot and fight better than most men. She just needed the perfect opportunity, and unfortunately next to her car was not one. Looking around, she saw the ground was uneven.
Thank you, Rainbow, for the heels, and I promise to buy you a new pair.
She found a small crack and dug her heel in, making him jerk when she couldn’t move. He let go of her to grab her boot and lift it out of the hole, and that is when she made her move.

Bubbles brought her other knee to the man’s nose, making him cry out as blood started to spray her shoes. Bringing her hands together, she struck him in the middle of his back, bringing him down to the ground with a thud. The guy dropped the knife, and she quickly kicked it away, then grabbed hold of his arms and twisted them behind his back. The man yelled in pain as Bubbles pushed her knee into his back trying to keep him in place. The man started yelling numerous curse words that she could almost guarantee he couldn’t spell. She reached over and tried to grab her purse to call the girls, and to call the police, but at the same time the man kicked back, bucking her off and she slipped off him.
Fucking dress.
She couldn’t move in the damn thing.

Tumbling back, she scrambled to the ground trying once again to reach her purse, which had her phone and gun. She never left home without both of them. The man jumped and reached for his knife, coming at her just as she reached for her gun. He froze when he saw her shiny Glock pointed right at his dick.
Yeah, asshole, move and I will blow your pencil dick into a million pieces, it would only make this day a whole lot better.
Keeping her eyes on his, he moved and she kept pace with him with her gun as she twisted and turned on her ass to try to stay with him. She could feel her ass getting scrapped up from the cement, but it was nothing compared to knowing the asshole would have no issues putting a knife in her. Keeping her eyes right on him, she steadied herself.

“Looks like we are at an impasse, asshole. I say put down the knife before you hurt yourself or I put a bullet in your dick.” She thought maybe rationalizing with him would help, but nope, he seemed a little desperate at that point. Blood still poured out of his nose, which was obviously broken.

“I don’t think so, bitch. You fucking broke my nose, and now I’m gonna fuckin' gut you.” Just then he lunged and she fired. She was comfortable with her gun, but even the blowback pushed her a little on the ground and the asshat fell to the ground screaming as he dropped the knife and held on to his now blown off dick.

Scrambling to her feet, she pulled her phone out while she kept the gun pointed at the asshole, but before she could punch the number, another gun pointed at her.

“Freeze, police, drop the gun.”
Fuck, this is all she needed.
Putting her hands up, she turned to see two cops with their guns drawn on her.
Do they really think I am the bad guy?

“My name is Brandie Anderson, I’m a private detective for Heels for Hire, Inc.

Excerpt from Till My Last Breath

By Gracie Meadows

Time was going too quickly for Charlie as October had soon turned into November with December right around the corner. Watching the men finish their game, she thought about the days that had passed and couldn’t helping wondering how many more would she get with her dad. She mentally shook herself from where her thoughts had taken her and focused back in on the men in front of her.

“How the hell did you win again?” Oliver asked as her dad smiled drinking his coffee.

“I’m just that good, ain’t that right, Snoopy?” her dad said, smiling at her. She loved the small bantering she had been doing with him lately. Oliver had even been playing along with her and the three of them seemed to be getting along a lot better than she originally thought they would have.

“Really, Dad. You are so full of yourself today, well pretty much every day," she joked right back. The three of them laughed as they cleaned up the game to get ready for dinner.

She had been spending more time with her dad, and the last couple of nights her dad had built a fire while she made cocoa with a little Kahlua in it, and Oliver sat on the sofa with his beer as her dad took the joy of reading them a chapter from the children’s story, the
Jungle Book
. This was a nightly tradition for them. Her mother used to do it, but then her dad took up the interest and so it became an every night thing.

The thought as to why he was reading to her was sobering. Her dad had only a sixth grade education, which was one reason he had pushed her so hard. He had dropped out as his father grew ill and needed help on the ranch, which was only a third in size at the time. Her dad could barely read when she was little, but he learned quickly along with what feed helped with growth in the cattle, and his math skills came from doing the books. He was an amazing man, he was the smartest man she knew, and she had the years of school behind her, where he had not. She admired him so much. He met her mother one day at a local barbeque. Her mom, Marie, had her dad caught the first time he laid eyes on her, but she didn't give him the time of day. She was attracted to him, but she had heard he was a bit of a ladies man.

However, he never gave up and did everything he could to try to get her to go out with him. In the end, they both had won. Her parents were so much in love, and it was a love that many dreamed about, even herself. She found herself wondering if Oliver wanted something like that for himself in the future, but Charlie herself didn't know if she could to do something like that. If she could have what her parents had, then maybe so, but how often did that all-consuming love come to someone. Peeking at Oliver from the corner of her eye, she wondered what her parents had done to build the love they showed each other or was it only something that occurred when the right two people came together.
Will I ever know
, was her last thought as she laid her head back on the couch, letting her dad's voice lull her until she slept.

*****

Oliver looked down at the sleeping beauty in his arms. Charlie had fallen asleep once again on his lap. She originally was sitting next to him while Patrick read the story, she'd closed her eyes and leaned her head back only to have it fall on his shoulder. Not soon after she stretched out on his lap sleeping deeply. He loved every minute. He had yet to tell her what she had done almost every time her dad read to them.

Patrick looked up and smiled before closing the book he was reading, not long after he began talking.

“Hey, Oliver, can I ask you to do me a favor?” Patrick asked.

“Sure, Patrick, anything,” he replied, and he meant anything.

“Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I would like a tree. I don’t know if I have the strength to go out and cut one. It had been a family tradition to put the tree up on Thanksgiving and decorate it. I haven’t done it since Charlie hadn't been home. You and I have never celebrated before so I think it is about time. I know this is my last year, but I would like to see the tree all lit up before I go. Do you think you could do that?”

Oliver could hear the desperation in his voice. He knew this would be his last Christmas on this earth, and he would do anything to make it special for him, and Charlie. Oliver thought about that as Patrick got up and poked at the fire. Oliver noticed that more wood needed to be brought in as well.

“Sure, Patrick, we can do that. It is going to be amazing." Patrick smiled at him before patting his shoulder as he went up to bed. Oliver sat a moment longer watching the flames dance around the fireplace while Charlie slept. Not sure if he should wake her, he eased out from under her, then lifted her head and placed the small throw pillow under her before he pulled a blanket over her. He looked down at the small woman sleeping peacefully and he wondered how well she too had been sleeping. He found nights were restless for him, not knowing when he woke if Patrick would be there. With one last look he headed to his room to try to get some sleep because come tomorrow, he would be cutting his very first real Christmas tree.