Joy and despair, light and dark, you can't have one without the other. Devlin Addams has recently returned home from Afghanistan. Haunted by memories that he survived the fighting while his buddies didn't, as well as chased by the knowledge his mom is crazy, he's having trouble acclimating himself to civilian life. Now, armed with a dog and a therapist, he constantly battles the urge to end it all.
Lia Farry - because her Fae name is a mouthful - has tumbled into the Mortal Realm through the Veil between worlds by mysterious circumstances. Thrust into a new and harsh human existence, finding anything to be happy about is hard. If she can't go home, she'll have to make it work.
Forced to interact, Dev's protective instincts kick in, but he's unprepared for the onslaught of lust Lia represents. He wants a normal life but not at the expense of getting involved. Lia knows she soothes his torment yet she's battling her own problems. Desiring Dev is a dangerous prospect. Add in a meddling Fae queen and suddenly life as they know it will change forever. Love is at stake. A leap of faith is all they have to depend on.
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EXCERPT:
Devlin Addams tugged at the red nylon leash with a bit more force than the last two times. “Damn it, Zeus, come on. Either do your business or hold it, but make a freaking decision.” He glanced at the black-and-white Jack Russell terrier and rolled his eyes. Yeah, Zeus was a real great moniker to give a stubby-legged canine like his. There was no way the dog could ever be mighty.
He snorted. According to his therapist, sharing his life with a pet companion would go a long way toward softening the images in his mind, as well as teach him how to open his heart to another living thing. Right. One little dog wasn’t going to purge the horrors of war he’d seen. One finicky canine couldn’t vanquish the remembrances of the lives he’d snuffed out while looking through the scope of his sniper rifle. They’d be with him forever and probably beyond.
Giving the dog a couple feet of leash, Dev allowed the old familiar depression to seep into his consciousness again. The black mood had been a constant friend in recent months, so much so that he’d begun to seriously consider ending his life. Why was he the one chosen to come back home in one piece when others—his friends—hadn’t been so fortunate? One guy in his unit lost an arm thanks to a sniper they’d never found. Another guy’s face was torn up due to a surprise hand-to-hand combat situation. And they were the lucky ones. Some came back in caskets.
One bullet. That’s all it would take to end all these thoughts, all these feelings.
At the far end of the cul-de-sac, he guided the dog around a speed limit sign, pausing as the canine sniffed around the sign’s base. Of course, if he did shoot himself, what would happen to Zeus? Who would take care of him? A half-smile lifted one corner of his mouth. Maybe he should revise his will and leave his house and all his assets to the dog. Wouldn’t that be a hoot? Or leave it all plus the dog to his therapist. That would balance out everything she’d made him relive over the months of sessions.
Of course, putting a bullet through his temple would be taking the easy way out. For whatever reason, he’d survived the horrors of Afghanistan. Now, every day he went to a very different life as a security guard for the local school district, defending the public against the bad guys, except they didn’t wield rifles; they used their cameras and computers to harm children.
Bastards.
So much evil in the world, there was always someone to eradicate.
Okay, so maybe committing suicide wasn’t the answer, but there had to be something that could tame the gaping maw of loneliness chewing up his insides. He needed to find a hobby that would make him feel human again. Beating the crap out of potential child molesters just didn’t cut it.
Tugging the leash when the dog didn’t seem interested in whizzing on the street sign, Dev headed up the sidewalk toward his ranch-style house. Already the humidity was at an all-time high. Sweat trickled down his back, causing his t-shirt to stick to his skin.
“It’s now or never, Zeus. I need the air conditioning.” A short bark of laughter followed. What a wuss he’d become since arriving stateside. They sure didn’t have the creature comforts holed up in those Goddamned wastelands in the desert.
Who the hell cared? Maybe he deserved to take it easy now.
The restraint all but snapped in Dev’s hand. Insistent barking soon followed. The dog pulled, dragging Dev with him, almost bouncing with excitement.
“Settle down, boy.” Dev wound a length of leash around his hand. “What the hell’s gotten into you tonight?” He glanced at the dark trees but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “It’s probably a squirrel. Leave it alone.”
Still, old habits die hard. He left the sidewalk, allowing Zeus to sniff around some tall weeds and thin plants. He’d bought the house a year ago and in that time, he’d never seen any homeless people or vagrants in the wooded area. When Zeus began to growl and the hackles on his back stood to attention, Dev wished he’d brought his gun. He didn’t survive four years in Afghanistan to be taken down in a residential cul-de-sac for drug or booze money.
His muscles tensed. The hair on his nape prickled. Something was out there and it was coming this way. No problem. He didn’t need a gun to kill an adversary. His hands were just as deadly.
Seconds later, the nameless threat burst through the hedgerow, a peach-colored blur. It tripped over Zeus, who continued to bark as well as jump up and down, dancing on his hind legs. The unknown object or person crashed into Dev’s chest with the force of a small rocket, sending him hurtling to the grass in a tangle of limbs and wiggling, muscled canine.
He landed hard on his back. The wind whooshed from his lungs. The faint jingle of his dog tags filled his ears. “What the hell?” The question sounded wheezy to his ears. He fought with the hysterical woman. Even a blind man would know that soft, perfumed skin under him contained certain body parts that identified her as a female. He gripped her shoulders, effortlessly flipping her onto her back. He needed the advantage in case she was dangerous, and damn. How could a woman with those curves not be? Zeus stood at her head, alternately barking and licking her cheek, his tail wagging in exuberant welcome.
Definitely not the best companion for a bitter, ex-military man, or so he kept telling his shrink. Of course, the pet shop clerk and his therapist listened about as well as his dog.
“Who are you?” He caught her wrists as she flailed about, pinning her hands to the grass on either side of her head, unmindful of the light brown hair that spread over the ground in a tangled mass. Information was needed, and in vast quantities. People just didn’t come out of the woods looking like the hounds of Hades were after them. “Why the hell are you naked?” Her body heat radiated through his black t-shirt and khaki cargo pants, so hot all he wanted to do was spend a few endless moments acquainting his lips with her perfect skin.
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