Mitchell saved her life when she was a child, now Christy’s a grown woman and prepared to save his.
Uncaged book 25 Black Hills Wolves, Decadent Publishing.
Blurb: Mitchell Waya was born to rage in a cage. Every time he competes in a mixed martial arts match, he brings two secret weapons to the ring—a raging heart and the blood of a wolf. When the beast within explodes, no man stands a chance. Scaling the heights of an international career, he’s not prepared for the tragedy and scandal that overtakes him.
At fourteen, Christy was abducted and abused by a brutal cult of survivalist. In a brave act of defiance, she attempts to escape but finds herself facing execution in a dark alley. When Mitchell appears from the shadows like an avenging angel to rescue her, she catches a glimpse of the protective wolf’s fury. They form a brief but intense bond but then Fate pushes them apart.
Four years pass. Fortunes change. Concerned about Mitchell’s welfare, Christy reaches out, but her kind deed puts her squarely in a killer’s sights, and only the courage of a wolf can save her.
Readers love Uncaged:
5 stars “OMG...what a gorgeous story!!”
5 Stars, “Wow great mix of action, drama and hotness that kept me at the edge of my seat.”
5 Stars, “Extremely interesting book, one that's gonna grab your interest and won't let you go until the end.”
5 Stars, “If you like your shifter stories with a interesting plot, engaging characters and some page-turning action, Uncaged is the one to read.”
Redz World Reviews gave Uncaged 5 Shooting Stars!
With his back turned to the bar, Gee fussed with the glassware. From this angle, he looked like a hunchback behemoth protecting a hoard of beer steins.
“Gee!” he shouted above Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride.”
Wearing a tense expression, Gee faced Mitchell and made a subtle slashing motion across his throat with his finger.
“Judging by your weird behavior, I take it things didn’t go well with Miss Kill-Garden, or whatever her name is? I feel sick about this. Tell Drew I’ll pack and be gone by morning.”
Gee shook his head.
Mitchell leaned over the bar. “What am I missing? Is something wrong?” He glanced toward the poolroom, seeing only the usual Saturday night pack chaos. “I’m starving. Tell you what, I’d kill for a steak, but I’ll settle for a burger.”
“I’ll buy you a steak.” A smoky female voice straight out of a luxury car commercial, floated over his shoulder.
If he’d been in wolf-form, his hackles would have raised—high. The lady on the phone! He’d returned to Gee’s Bar too soon and got busted. Glancing behind, he froze and stared in astonishment. The owner of the confident femme-fatal voice was a pretty, but down-to-earth- looking girl in her late teens. Her voice and petite body were a total mismatch. Judging by her demeanor on the phone, he’d pegged her as a worldly woman in her thirties, the type who wore heavy makeup and a jewel-toned power-suit. Instead, she dressed in casual denim and boots with so many rumpled layers of T-shirts and cardigans she looked like a hobo. Large hazel eyes beneath straight dark brows were her most outstanding features. The confidence of her direct gaze parried with a shy smile. For some inexplicable reason, he couldn’t breathe.
“Mitchell, meet Miss Killgaren.” Gee stood with his fists anchored to his hips. “She’s been here for hours, sitting in the corner. Waiting.”
“Hello, Mr. Waya. I won’t bother with the formality of a handshake.” Miss Killgaren glanced at the cane. “I definitely got the vibe I’m not welcome, so I’ll do everyone a favor and make this quick. I’d like to ask you a few questions, and then I’ll leave you in peace.”
He glanced at Gee.
Gee offered a faint nod.
“Okay, but let’s keep it brief.” He hoped he sounded more relaxed than he felt. His senses reeled and body tensed, the same way he felt before a match.
She pointed to the corner. “That’s the table I’m seated at.”
He allowed her to lead. “You have to have better things to do on a Saturday than sit in a place like this. Why are you here?”
Looking over her shoulder with wide, innocent eyes. “You’ve been of interest to me for years.”
“You don’t look like the usual media contact. What’s this about?”
The slight crooked line of her mouth lent the impression she smiled and frowned at the same moment, and left him intrigued. He couldn’t figure out her intentions. Traveling the fight circuit, he’d grown accustomed to, even expected, women to offer themselves. With detached coolness, he accepted the boon or sent them away, knowing they weren’t really interested in him. They wanted the thrill of seducing a modern-day gladiator and sharing a taste of danger.
But not her. He sensed that wasn’t her objective. The encounter felt odd. As he moved closer, he noticed Miss Killgaren’s clean, natural scent did a number on him. Human women usually didn’t provoke such an immediate visceral reaction. She set him on fire, and she wasn’t even trying to flirt. On top of that, she didn’t appear to be offering him anything but a vague sense of confrontation.
A soft expression lit her face. “I’m a fan.”
His chest tightened. Dizzy and nervous, he didn’t feel right and wondered if shifting and running around all day in the cold might be the culprit for the odd sensations. “We can talk, but I have to eat first.”
“Me, too. I drank about a dozen cups of coffee instead of a real lunch today.” She extended a trembling hand as proof of the jitters. “I’m ready to order some food.”
She pointed at Gee. “Is he always so sarcastic?”
Mitchell nodded. “Always.”
“And you put up with it?”
He couldn’t stop staring at the delicate lines of her face. “I’ve got nowhere else to go.”
A crooked grin crossed her lips. “Well, you just answered my first question, which was, why would a man who’s lived the fast-track international lifestyle hide in Los Lobos? Seriously, there’s not much here.”
“The only answer I can give you is it’s quiet, but I’m leaving here.”
“For where?”
“Someplace quieter.” Inspired to be a gentleman, he pulled out a chair and waited for her to sit. “By the way, Gee’s Bar isn’t a steak type of place. I hope you won’t be disappointed with a burger and fries.”
“A burger would be fine.”
“Gee!” he shouted over his shoulder. “Two cheeseburgers and fries.”
“No cheese on mine,” she added. “I’ll pay. I appreciate you taking the time to sit down with me.”
He shook his head. “Gee will put cheese on it anyway. In his mind, a hamburger comes with cheese. I’ve tried asking him to leave the cheese off mine, but he won’t do it. He’s an eccentric. I used to peel it away, now I just eat it.”
“Okay.”
“The burgers are on me. I’ve got a tab here, and I rent a room upstairs.”
“Here?” She appeared scandalized. “You live above a bar? I figured you owned a trophy home somewhere nearby.”
Settling into his chair. “Nope.”
“This place looks rowdy. It must be hard to sleep.”
How could he explain the clack of pool cues and blaring music filtering through the floorboards were pleasant alternatives to the angry voice in his head telling him he was a worthless jerk. “I don’t mind.”
Drumming her fingertips on the table, she glanced around. “So, the Tex Wilkins story is true? You really are broke?”
“Disappointed? You sure don’t look like a gold digger.”
She didn’t skip a beat. A spark of compassion shone in her eyes. “You deserve better.”
Her words sounded convincing as if she did care. He took a long look at her. Even a half- dozen layers of frumpy clothes didn’t obliterate a graceful frame and hint of soft curves. Tons of wild auburn hair tumbled in waves around her face. Her lush lips sent conflicting messages. A new terror entered his thoughts. He half feared she might be one of the women he’d hooked up with on the circuit and long forgotten, or didn’t recognize minus the heavy glamor makeup. He hoped to God he’d never messed with anyone this young. “Have we met?”
She seemed anxious, almost breathless. Her lips parted. “Once.”
Panic set in. “I am so sorry if I did or said anything to hurt your feelings or mislead you. During a chunk of my life, everything moved so fast it became a blur. I’m not proud of my promiscuous behavior, but I can’t say I regret it either. If I—”
Her jaw dropped. “What are you talking about?”
He gulped. “Have we...the two of us...you know?”
Her cheeks flushed. “No! Absolutely not.”
“That’s a relief. I’d hate to forget someone like you.”
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