Jami Gray grew up on the Arizona-Mexico border, and was adopted at the age of 14 to suddenly become the fifth eldest of 37 children. She graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and three minors: History, English, and Theater. (Decision-making was not her forte at the time.) Shortly after marrying her techie-geek hubby (who moonlighted as her best friend in high school) she completed a Masters in Organizational Management from University of Phoenix Oregon.
Now, years later, she’s back in the Southwest where she’s outnumbered in her own home by two Star Wars-obsessed boys, one Star Wars-obsessed husband, and an overly-friendly, 105-pound male lab. Delving into the wild paranormal worlds where romance collides with suspense and Urban Fantasy is queen, manages to salvage her sanity. Or so we let her believe…
Hunted by the Past
Sometimes death is the only way to outrun the past…
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Tags: paranormal, military, suspense, romance, mystery, fantasy, urban fantasy, psychic abilities, psychic, romantic suspense, paranormal suspense, contemporary, supernatural
Back Cover
A reluctant psychic who can relive the past, a man well versed in keeping secrets, and a psychopathic killer enter a deadly game where the past determines the future.
Changing the past is an impossibility ex-Marine, Cynthia “Cyn” Arden, understands all too well. Struggling in the aftermath of a botched mission, which cost her two teammates, her military career, and a fledging relationship, she’s brought home by a panicked phone call. The psychic killer behind her nightmares has escaped military custody to hunt down the remaining teammates, one by one. Next on his murderous list—Cyn. Her only chance at survival is to master the psychic ability she’s spent years denying.
The killer’s game brings her face to face with the one person guaranteed to throw her off kilter—the unsettling and distracting man she left behind, Kayden Shaw. Once she believed he’d stand by her side, until he chose his job and his secrets over her. A choice that’s left the scars of the past etched deep on her mind and heart.
To survive this twisted game, Cyn must risk trusting her heart and accepting who and what she is, or lose not only her life, but the man she loves.
Excerpt
My spine itched, but no matter how many times I checked my back trail, it stayed empty.
We were only a couple of streets away from The Dragon, but here urban renewal was slow to encroach. Inky eyes of dark storefronts watched my game of cat and mouse, their entryways offered minor concealment. Sprinkled in between these were the occasional boarded-up, abandoned shops. Trailing someone on a quiet city street is far from easy. Headlights from passing traffic played havoc with both my eyesight and ability to hide. Watching my steps, I tried not to invade some poor soul’s cardboard home even as bass-pounding, tricked-out cars drew attention at the most inopportune moments.
By the time Ramirez ducked under a flimsy excuse for a fence, sweat coated my spine. Even after nine at night the temperature was still hovering in the nineties. I picked up my pace and crossed the street as he disappeared into the weed-choked lot. Standing on the cracked sidewalk, I took in the tall, looming shadow hovering in the narrow space between buildings.
Streetlights failed to hold the darkness back, but I could still make out the boards haphazardly covering what had once been windows. Large signs proclaiming the penalty for trespassing ringed the lower half of the two-story structure. Someone had even added a few lines of spiked wire and metal rods. As if that would deter anyone from entering. Didn’t prove much of a hindrance to me or to Ramirez, who had disappeared somewhere inside.
My soft curse as one of those barbs scratched along my shoulder had Kayden coming across the line. “Where are you?”
“Between First and Central on Monroe. Ramirez just disappeared inside an abandoned building.” I worked my way around the side accompanied by the clicks and hums of an overly loud chorus of insects.
“Hobbes just paid his check, I’ll meet up with you.”
“No,” I said, spotting a gaping hole in the far back corner. “Delacourt’s orders were to stay on him, so stay. I’m fine.”
“And if that changes?”
“It changes,” I shot back.
“Shaw,” Wolf broke in. “I’m twenty minutes out.”
“Fine,” Kayden growled. “Cyn, you keep your ass in one piece until I get there.”
“Don’t forget my camera,” I reminded him. His grumbled curse made me grin. Standing outside the ragged opening, I wished for a flashlight. Instead I pulled my Sig free and with a sigh, warned the team, “Going quiet.”
It took some serious contortions to make it around the rough edges of the opening. Once inside, the heat was stifling and sweat popped out on my forehead. With both hands on the Sig, I used my shoulder to wipe it away before it stung my eyes. I held still, waiting for my vision to adjust to the shrouded interior.
I’d come in from the back of the building. Some diffused light made it in between the gaps of boards and a series of holes peppering the back wall. Unidentifiable piles were scattered across the floor. Walls divided the space into a maze where anything or anyone could hide. Underfoot, a thin layer of grit layered the concrete floors, making it hard to keep my steps silent. From the ceiling, large panels hung like drunken Legos just waiting to fall on the unwary.
Sound reached my ears. I held my breath, straining to listen. The indistinct murmur resolved into voices. Did Ramirez have company or was he talking to someone on the phone? Dust trickled from the ceiling as someone walked across the second-story floor. Stairs, somewhere there had to be stairs. Doing a slow scan of my surroundings, I found them crouched in the far corner.
Keeping my back to the wall, I drifted forward. Shifting shadows added a creepy vibe to the gaping doorways and piles dotting the open floor. The tang of smoke found its way up my nose. Using an outstretched hand, I brushed my fingers along the rough surface of the wall. Bringing it back, I could make out the smudge of black now staining my fingers. Great. I got to creep around in burned-out building.
Staying close to the wall, I lowered my gun and kept my finger on the side of the trigger. Trying to hold my gun upright for too long would result in muscle fatigue. More dust rained down as whoever was upstairs walked across the floor. Maybe Ramirez was pacing? Or were there two people up there?
Time to brave the unknown. Was there any other way to the second floor? One that wouldn’t dump me in front of Ramirez and his possible company? It took time and a nerve-wracking patience to work my way through the lower level, but it paid off in a small, second, narrow flight of stairs near the front of the building.
Sending a quick prayer that they would hold my weight, I began to creep upward. A handful of steps from the top, a board underfoot gave a loud protest. Dropping into a crouch, I kept my gun aimed at the dark opening and tried to calm my pulse. The murmur of voices stopped. A tense, waiting quiet crept in.
Touched by Fate
Trusting him with her secrets is dangerous. Trusting him with her heart could be fatal
Description
As a specialized consultant for the Department of Defense, Risia Lacoste understands the bargaining chip of a well-kept secret. When her current assignment threatens to unearth her deeply buried skeletons, she’s forced into a high-stakes game of lies and loyalty where even her ability to foresee the future can’t predict the winner.
Darkness lies under the skin of every man, and PSY-IV Team operative and touch empath, Tag Gunderson, has the demons to prove it. Scarred by betrayal and disillusionment, he’s not Risia’s top pick for a partner in the game, but he’s all she’s got.
As the game draws them deeper into a pit of intrigue and their list of enemies grows, will Risia trust Tag with more than her secrets or will his demons destroy them both?
Excerpt
Caught in the chaos of Tag’s unexpected behavior, it took me a bit to realize we weren’t heading back to the hotel. In fact, we passed the turn to the freeway a few minutes before. Maybe he got lost? Not that guys tended to do that, from my experience, but there was always a first time. “Um, where are you going?”
“We’ve got a tail.” He delivered the unwelcome news with a disconcerting calm.
Since my ribs wouldn’t let me twist around to check out his claim, I peered into the side mirror, which warned me objects were closer than they appeared. Which meant the bright, eye-searing headlights quickly taking up mirror real estate would be kissing our bumper pretty damn quick. My hands reached out and curled into the armrest and console. “Tag…”
“I see him.” It was my only warning as the SUV jerked forward. Tearing my stunned gaze away from the mirror, I caught the grim line of Tag’s jaw as the headlights behind us raced to close the distance. He flicked his gaze between the road ahead and the threat behind us. “Damn it.” He yanked the wheel, zipping past a taxi with inches to spare, into the middle lane. As soon as he was clear, he hit the gas and all I could do was dig my nails into the leather interior and hold one. The lights behind us fell back. Unable to bear the suspense, I finally managed to shift in my seat so I could look behind us.
The lights weren’t gone, but there was asphalt between the two of us. “He’s dropping behind.”
“Not for long. He’s going to try to get alongside us.”
And sure enough, as if waiting for Tag’s prediction, the headlights switched over to the left lane, dodging traffic. “He’s coming,” I pointed out, on the off chance Tag missed the crazy driver racing up on his left.
“Turn around,” he snapped, just as he jerked to the right and slipped past the brake lights of the van trundling along in front of us.
Since his abrupt movements yanked me around and set off a constant chorus of complaints from my ribs, I did as I was told, stifling the string of profanities trembling on my tongue. As my heart began to keep pace with the SUV, some inane part of my brain decided to chime in that perhaps it wasn’t necessary to break a sweat to do my cardio. A car chase seemed to work well. I wanted to ask Tag where he thought he was going, who the hell was behind us, and, more importantly, what the hell? Since he was busy playing a very lethal game of frogger at the time, I snuck a glance at the speedometer, seventy miles per hour and climbing, I kept my mouth shut, unwilling to distract him. My grip shifted from the armrest and seat to the chicken handle above the door, as Tag took a corner on two wheels. My breath stopped as the SUV tipped precariously before rocking back to level. Closing my eyes might have helped, but then I wouldn’t see the end coming. And some morbid fascination didn’t like that idea. So open they stayed, bouncing from Tag, to the road in front of us, then to the headlights coming up quick behind us.
“Can you get any details on the bastard?” Tag growled, his focus solely on maneuvering the SUV down an access road running parallel to the freeway.
“Dark blue or black, four-door sedan.” As we raced under streetlights, I picked up what I could as we passed from one pool of light to the next.
“License plate?”
“Can’t see one.” My answer came out short since I was struggling not to snap at him about unreasonable requests, like trying to see a damn license plate at night while racing down a half-deserted street.
“Can you see how many are in there?” he pushed.
Sucking in a breath and bracing one hand against his backrest, I tried to see as we bumped along. One breath, two, then, “Just one, I think.”
His hand came up and grabbed my wrist, pulling me back forward, then went back to the wheel. “Hang on.”
It was the only warning I got. Tag jerked hard on the wheel. The SUV did a sickening spin, and the rear wheels scrambled for traction. I braced against the dashboard, while my stomach twisted with the spin. Tag straightened the wheel and the SUV plowed over rough ground, bouncing violently. The jostling hurt, making me suck in a hard breath and close my eyes as a wave of pain echoed through me. Then the wheels found pavement, grabbed, and the SUV surged forward once more. Prying my eyes open, I realized Tag now had us on a freeway on-ramp.
He cut across three lanes until he hit the carpool lane, then gunned it. Here’s hoping the police were busy elsewhere because I didn’t think Tag would pull over for anyone. Using my trusty mirror, I tried to scan the road behind us. “Where is he?”
“Four cars back on the right.”
A semi switched lanes and disturbingly familiar headlights glared into focus. My stomach clenched. Our tail was determined, really determined, and that could not mean anything good.
Marked by Obsession
Asking for his help will expose more than her heart…
But some risks are worth taking…
Description
Some betrayals hide behind love, others obsession…
Asking for his help will expose more than heart…
Meli Dwyer’s ordered life followed a clear-cut path, just the way she preferred it until the death of her beloved brother. Rocked by her loss and grappling with the emotional fallout, a series of unexplained events marked by an escalating violence send her world into chaos. Alone and floundering in her harsh new reality, she reaches out for help from the sexy and mysterious warrior who managed to sneak under her guard, Wolf.
But some risks are worth taking…
When Wolf receives an unexpected call from the illusively alluring Meli, the PSY-IV Team’s skilled and lethal telepath doesn’t waste time racing to her side. Months earlier she ignited his protective instincts and her call gives him the perfect opportunity to set siege to her wary heart. Before he can breech the scars of her past, he’s engaged in a dangerous game beside the one woman he can’t read, facing an enemy whose motives and obsessions blur his lines between justice and revenge.
As the stakes rise, Meli must decide if the answers to her personal nightmare are worth uncovering if it costs her the man who captured her battered heart.
Excerpt
He started up the hill. “I think we just found the entrance to one of the mines.”
My muscles protested as I plodded along behind him. Great, an abandoned mine. Just how I wanted to spend my Thanksgiving, crawling around in the dark, praying the walls would hold so I wouldn’t end up buried alive. Not to mention what would happen if it decided to rain. Flash flood, anyone? I shivered. “Please, do not tell me, that’s where the coordinates led to.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
I didn’t have enough breath to growl at him, so I focused on keeping up. As we got closer, it was easy to tell this wasn’t a frequently visited spot. The wire fence was no more than chicken wire, rusted in some places, broken and lying in the dirt in others. There were posts missing and a couple leaned precariously to the side. One stiff wind and they would be on the ground with the others. Wolf stopped, and pocketed his phone. Standing next to him I took in what lay beyond the fence.
Weather-beaten wood framed a rough-hewn doorway, and the sunlight barely made a dent inside the narrow opening, the darkness within patiently lying in wait for whoever was stupid enough to come inside. Which would be us.
Next to me, Wolf asked, “Got any phobias I need to worry about, princess?”
Plenty, but none that currently applied. Well, besides the whole being buried thing. “Don’t worry, stud muffin, I’ll keep up.”
My attempt to match his name game was met with a grin and an unexpected head dip as he brushed my mouth with a quick kiss that still managed to make my exhausted body perk up. Darn it. His eyes were dancing when he finished. “Stud muffin, uh?”
A stupid, silly blush rose before I could figure out how to stop it. “Whatever.” I moved forward and managed to step over the fence in one of the disassembled spots. Wolf followed.
At the entrance, we both stopped. A draft kicked up dust and sent air tainted with dust and a strange metallic odor drifting out. Sucking in a deep, bracing breath, I inched a little closer to his reassuring frame. “Don’t suppose you have a flashlight in that bag?”
“Yep, plus a first-aid kit, and a few other necessities.”
I could only imagine what those ‘necessities’ were, but it made me feel better. I waited while he swung his pack around, dug out a flashlight. Its casing looked a bit battered, but solid. He flicked it on, and directed the strong beam into the yawning hole before us. He flicked it off, then handed it to me. “Hold this a second, would you?”
I took it and watched as he pulled his phone back out, hit the screen, squinted down at it, slowly twisting his torso one way then the other, his gaze never leaving the electronic compass. A minute ticked by, and he finally seemed satisfied with whatever he figured out. The phone went back in his pocket, and when he held out a hand for the flashlight, I handed it over. He shoved up his sunglasses, and gave me a searching look. “Ready?”
Nodding, I followed him in as he ducked his head to avoid the low hanging ledge of the door. Stepping just inside the opening, the temperature drop was noticeable. The surrounding walls were lined with mismatched wood beams. A couple were toppled on the hard-packed ground. That didn’t bode well in my quest for remaining unburied by collapsing walls. With enough room to straighten, Wolf took his time, running the light over the walls. The walls went from wood covered to hewn stone, and the opening trailed deeper back. Since there were rusted out rail tracks lining the floor, I kept one hand on Wolf’s pack and my gaze on the ground so I wouldn’t trip. We shuffled in about fifty feet before the first branch off opening appeared to our right. He stopped, shining his light down that tunnel.
Peering around his back, I stared in the inky abyss. “Are we going down that way?”
He shifted the light to his other hand, his shoulders bunching as he pulled out the phone. When the screen lit, it illuminated the tunnel’s ceiling with a harsh light. At the far edge of shadow something skittered across the rock, causing me to swallow an awkward squeak. Wolf aimed the light in the direction of still rattling pebbles and it bounced off the dark eyes of a rather large rat, before it scurried back down the long, dark tunnel. I stepped right into Wolf, fingers digging under his jacket and tucking under the waistband of his pants, my knuckles brushing warm skin as I plastered my front to his back, face buried in the backpack, fighting back the creepy crawlies dancing over my skin. “That thing is huge.”
“And unfortunately going in the same direction as us.”
That made me lift my head. “Seriously?”
“If I promise to keep you safe from the rodents will you stop shaking?”
My answer was immediate. “Nope.”