| Ghost Hunter |
Trace was only a few miles from the address Robert
had given him for Cassidy when his cell phone
rang. At first he wasn’t going to answer it, but some
sixth sense made him change his mind. Now he
was glad he had.
He was about to disconnect the call when he heard
a muffled scream on the other end of the line. It
was quickly followed by a loud clatter, then
nothing.
“Cassidy!”
No answer.
Trace felt his chest tighten. Swearing under his breath, he shoved his cell phone in the
pocket of his jeans and floored the pedal on the Hummer, running a red light to get through
the intersection. The other drivers honked their horns as they squealed to a stop, but he
ignored them. There was no way he was going to let Cassidy die.
Five minutes later, he slid into the parking lot outside her apartment, running over an
ornamental fence and a flower bed to come to a screeching halt a few feet from the front
door. Jumping out of the Hummer, he ran around to the back and grabbed his duffel bag full
of gear. Throwing it over his shoulder, he raced up the steps and charged through the door
into the building, scaring the hell out of two women carrying laundry baskets.
“Where the hell are the stairs?” he demanded, not wanting to waste time with the elevator.
The women timidly pointed around the corner.
Trace didn’t thank them as he ran in that direction. He hit the steps hard, taking them three
at a time. Once on the fourth floor, he ran down the hall, checking the room numbers on the
doors. When he came to the right one, he didn’t even bother to slow down. Instead, he
kicked the door in as hard as he could, reaching into his bag for his shotgun as the frame
splintered and the door flew open.
He looked left and right as he entered the apartment, but there was no sign of Cassidy or Del
Vecchio. Trace’s blood ran cold at the scene that met his eyes. The living room looked as if a
cyclone hit it. The couch and throw pillows were sliced to shreds, stuffing still floating
through the air. The coffee table was lying on its side, as were the two end tables, and the
lamps that had been on them were smashed to pieces along with practically everything else
in the place. Even the walls had been slashed.
“Cassidy?” Trace called.
“In here.”
Trace followed the sound of her voice until he came to the kitchen. Cassidy was standing in
the center of the room inside a wobbly drawn circle of salt, ready to throw a handful of
something in his face. She sagged with relief at the sight of him, letting the stuff in her hand
trickle out onto the floor. That was when he realized she was holding a big container of
oregano.
“Is he gone?” she whispered.
Trace nodded. “Yeah, he’s gone. But I’m getting you the hell out of here anyway.”
He didn’t wait for an answer, but simply slung the shotgun over his shoulder by the strap,
then walked into the kitchen and swung Cassidy up in his arms.
She put one of her own around his neck. “Is it safe for me to leave the circle?”
“Yes. I’ll keep you safe. Trust me.”
Apparently she must have believed him because she didn’t resist. She cuddled the container
of oregano close to her body and leaned against his chest.
He frowned. “Cassidy, you did great with the salt circle. It saved your life without a doubt.
But what are you doing with the oregano?”
She looked up at him with big, blue eyes. “Isn’t it what you used to get rid of ghosts?”
His mouth twitched. “That’s sage and garlic. You can ditch the spaghetti spice.”
“Oh,” was all she said. Resting her head on his shoulder, she let the container of oregano
tumble to the floor, then put that arm around his neck, too.
Giving the place one more look to make sure Del Vecchio hadn’t come back, Trace carried
her out of the apartment and right passed the alarmed neighbors who had come out into the
hallway to see what the ruckus was all about. Trace imagined they got their money’s worth
seeing a big guy with a shotgun and a duffel bag slung over his shoulder carrying a
beautiful half-naked woman in his arms. He abruptly realized he probably should have
taken a few minutes to let Cassidy grab some clothes. But then the lights in the hallway
flickered and he decided he could get her clothes later. They were getting the hell out of
there.
“Is she being kidnapped?” one elderly woman asked another in a low voice as he and
Cassidy passed them.
“If she is,” said the other old woman, “then I want to want to be kidnapped next.”
Any other time, Trace would have laughed, but right now all he wanted to do was get
Cassidy someplace safe. Fortunately, he knew exactly where to take her.
pocket of his jeans and floored the pedal on the Hummer, running a red light to get through
the intersection. The other drivers honked their horns as they squealed to a stop, but he
ignored them. There was no way he was going to let Cassidy die.
Five minutes later, he slid into the parking lot outside her apartment, running over an
ornamental fence and a flower bed to come to a screeching halt a few feet from the front
door. Jumping out of the Hummer, he ran around to the back and grabbed his duffel bag full
of gear. Throwing it over his shoulder, he raced up the steps and charged through the door
into the building, scaring the hell out of two women carrying laundry baskets.
“Where the hell are the stairs?” he demanded, not wanting to waste time with the elevator.
The women timidly pointed around the corner.
Trace didn’t thank them as he ran in that direction. He hit the steps hard, taking them three
at a time. Once on the fourth floor, he ran down the hall, checking the room numbers on the
doors. When he came to the right one, he didn’t even bother to slow down. Instead, he
kicked the door in as hard as he could, reaching into his bag for his shotgun as the frame
splintered and the door flew open.
He looked left and right as he entered the apartment, but there was no sign of Cassidy or Del
Vecchio. Trace’s blood ran cold at the scene that met his eyes. The living room looked as if a
cyclone hit it. The couch and throw pillows were sliced to shreds, stuffing still floating
through the air. The coffee table was lying on its side, as were the two end tables, and the
lamps that had been on them were smashed to pieces along with practically everything else
in the place. Even the walls had been slashed.
“Cassidy?” Trace called.
“In here.”
Trace followed the sound of her voice until he came to the kitchen. Cassidy was standing in
the center of the room inside a wobbly drawn circle of salt, ready to throw a handful of
something in his face. She sagged with relief at the sight of him, letting the stuff in her hand
trickle out onto the floor. That was when he realized she was holding a big container of
oregano.
“Is he gone?” she whispered.
Trace nodded. “Yeah, he’s gone. But I’m getting you the hell out of here anyway.”
He didn’t wait for an answer, but simply slung the shotgun over his shoulder by the strap,
then walked into the kitchen and swung Cassidy up in his arms.
She put one of her own around his neck. “Is it safe for me to leave the circle?”
“Yes. I’ll keep you safe. Trust me.”
Apparently she must have believed him because she didn’t resist. She cuddled the container
of oregano close to her body and leaned against his chest.
He frowned. “Cassidy, you did great with the salt circle. It saved your life without a doubt.
But what are you doing with the oregano?”
She looked up at him with big, blue eyes. “Isn’t it what you used to get rid of ghosts?”
His mouth twitched. “That’s sage and garlic. You can ditch the spaghetti spice.”
“Oh,” was all she said. Resting her head on his shoulder, she let the container of oregano
tumble to the floor, then put that arm around his neck, too.
Giving the place one more look to make sure Del Vecchio hadn’t come back, Trace carried
her out of the apartment and right passed the alarmed neighbors who had come out into the
hallway to see what the ruckus was all about. Trace imagined they got their money’s worth
seeing a big guy with a shotgun and a duffel bag slung over his shoulder carrying a
beautiful half-naked woman in his arms. He abruptly realized he probably should have
taken a few minutes to let Cassidy grab some clothes. But then the lights in the hallway
flickered and he decided he could get her clothes later. They were getting the hell out of
there.
“Is she being kidnapped?” one elderly woman asked another in a low voice as he and
Cassidy passed them.
“If she is,” said the other old woman, “then I want to want to be kidnapped next.”
Any other time, Trace would have laughed, but right now all he wanted to do was get
Cassidy someplace safe. Fortunately, he knew exactly where to take her.
| Excerpt |
© Paige Tyler, 2011
| Available from Ellora's Cave! |
| Scroll down the page to see what reviewers are saying! |
| Reviews! |
| 4.5 Hearts from TRS! "This was a fantastic paranormal adventure with just the right amount of passion and romance. The story pulls the reader in right from the beginning and doesn't let go until the last sentence. Truthfully not even then as I cannot wait to see what the heck Wes has gotten himself into. This was such an enjoyable read with a great subject matter and interesting characters. Trace is so taciturn at first that I couldn't wait to read on and see just how he was going to soften up. Cassidy was for the most part a very sympathetic woman, it was hard not to admire her fortitude after everything she had been through. The secondary characters in this story are fascinating and I loved the little paranormal details scattered throughout. This one confirmed why Paige Tyler is on my must-read list!" - Theresa Read the Complete Review Here! |
| A Reviewer Top Pick at NOR! "I really enjoyed this bone chilling ghost story and found myself jumping at the littlest things during and after reading this well written story. The suspense was so high that my heart was slamming in my chest during the action scenes. Ms. Tyler knows how to keep her readers riveted to their seats while becoming so deeply engrossed in her story. This is one story that I highly recommend to any Paranormal Romance/Ghost loving fan looking for a great read to add to their library!" - Diana Read the Complete Review Here! |
| 5 Books from LASR & Voted Best Book of the Week! "Ghost Hunter has all the right ingredients for an amazing, fast-paced ghost story. The author creates a chilling world of spirits, murder, and suspense so intense it makes your heart race. It's the type of eerie thrill that will have you looking over your shoulder at the slightest noise or movement. The plot weaves the reader into a thrill ride. The characters are so realistic that you can't help but feel what they are feeling. Fear, love, panic, and so many other emotions are jam packed throughout the climax of Ghost Hunter. The twists of the story leaves the reader guessing and never expecting the truth when the answers are revealed. If you enjoy paranormal romance, suspense, a heroine who has gone through one life changing experience after another, and a hero who will stop at nothing to protect the woman he's grown to love, then Ghost Hunter is the book for you." - Sunflower Read the Complete Review Here! |
| 5 Hoots from Nocturne Romance Reads! "Ghost Hunter is a compelling, can't put-it-down story, written in a confident, clear style. From the first pages I was caught up in Cassidy's life, and could not stop reading until I reached the end. The main characters, Cassidy and Trace, are complex personalities. The plot is excellent and tightly woven, full of genuine chills and creeps, as they try to figure out how a ghost can keep on killing. The escalation of the romance between Cassidy and Trace, from knee-quaking kissing to intense sex, is very hot. The details really make the difference here, elevating this story from good to excellent. The supporting characters are fascinating, and have a depth of personality making many of them memorable. The scene in the paranormal creature club was fascinating. I wanted to know more about so many of Trace's contacts and past experiences, that I am really hoping this book is the start of a series. Paige Tyler is an author to seek out. This story has it all: action, humor, romance, hot sex, spooky stuff, and an ending that promises more adventures are coming!" - Sarah Read the Complete Review Here! |