Sassy Ever After: Shards of Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Sanctuary of Bull Creek Book 1) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Credits

  Other Books

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Blades of Sass

  Come Halloween

  About the Author

  Robbie's Books

  Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by LATIN GODDESS PRESS INC.. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Sassy Ever After remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of LATIN GODDESS PRESS INC., or their affiliates or licensors.

  For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds

  Book Cover Graphics & Art: Kennedy Kelly K Creative Designs

  Book Cover Layout: Teri Edney

  Editing by CTS Editing &

  Weis Editing/Proofreading Services

  Formatting by Sarah Mick

  www.robbiecox.net

  Other Books by Robbie Cox

  Warrior of the Way

  Reaping the Harvest

  Lore Master

  The Rutherford Series

  Losing Faith

  Roll the Dice

  Fangirls

  Nikki

  Lily

  Cassie

  Olivia

  Willow

  The Collection

  The Harper Twins

  Sibling Rivalry

  Taming Karla

  Come Halloween

  Behind the Mask

  Green is the Grass

  Waiting Room

  Second Light

  A Confused Life

  Best of Both Worlds

  Ribbons & Bows

  The Witches of Savannah

  Enter the Witch

  Short Stories

  Circle of Justice

  Bull Creek

  Shards of Sass

  To all those who strive for a diverse world in which to live.

  Contents

  Credits

  Other Books

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Blades of Sass

  Come Halloween

  About the Author

  Robbie's Books

  One

  Adira Brennan could not believe she agreed to this move into hell. What in the world was she thinking? No seasons, one hundred degree weather, and palm trees. Who in their right mind liked palm trees? They didn’t even have real branches. They were basically long sticks with floppy leaves at the tip. They provided no real shade and no child ever built a tree fort in one. Squirrels didn’t even like them. They didn’t even deserve the classification of tree. Why was she doing this?

  She took the exit off the Turnpike and onto Highway 192, heading east, eager to reach the end of her journey and the beginning of her escape. She drove through Kissimmee and St. Cloud, hating every minute of it, as tourist traffic brought everything practically to a standstill. People either made their way to the house of the mouse or left it, clogging up the lanes. She just wanted through it. This place was nothing like home.

  Her cell phone rang, providing her with the distraction she needed to survive the bumper-to-bumper traffic of a tourist town. She didn’t check to see who was calling, not wanting to take her eyes off the road and the drivers who insisted on riding their damn brakes. Swiping the green button to answer the call, and then hitting the speaker button, she said, “Hello. This is Adira.”

  “Well, of course it is sweetie,” Barbara Wolfe chuckled into the phone. “That’s who I called, after all.”

  Adira shook her head. “Sorry, Barbara, I didn’t look to see who was calling. How are things in Blue Creek?”

  “A veritable morass of shifters in heat, but what else is new? It sounds as if you’re still in the car, so I take it you haven’t reached Bull Creek yet. How much longer until you get there?”

  “Depending on this asinine traffic, probably about forty-five minutes. These people are crazy behind the wheel. Did you send me out here to get me killed? I thought it was just to get me away from Jensen.”

  “Now, Adira, don’t be bitter,” Barbara said with that tone that told Adira the matriarch of Blue Creek thought she was being childish. “We both know you weren’t Jensen’s mate, and you being near him would only stir up trouble neither of us wanted. Bull Creek could use a witch of your talents. Dimitri Everest, a panther shifter, has turned it into a sanctuary for all creatures, but word reached me that he’s having trouble with a group of coyote shifters who don’t exactly care for what they call the human riff-raff. Rude buggers, who would rather see Dimitri’s land turned into something foul, as opposed to the safe haven he envisions. I think you could just be the help he needs.”

  Adira shook her head, knowing Barbara Wolfe always held an ulterior motive when she tried to get two people together, usually more of a mating motive. “Barbara, I’m not looking for a mate. I don’t even want a fling. Things are still too raw after that row with Jensen.”

  “Dear, who said anything about a mate?” Barbara’s tone, however, failed to be convincing. “Dimitri needs help, that’s all. Who you permit in your bed is totally up to you. I would never try to impose someone on you.”

  “Uh huh, right.” Adira took a deep breath. “I’ll see what I can do to help out, Barbara, but that’s it. Don’t get your hopes up.”

  “Whatever you say, dear. Have a safe trip.” As she hung up the phone, Adira knew the matriarch already had her hopes up. The woman would be sorely disappointed.

  As soon as she hit the outskirts of St. Cloud, she rolled her window down, turning off the car’s air conditioning to allow the Florida air to clean out her cluttered mind. That was a mistake. She kept the window down, but turned the air conditioning back on to battle the stifling heat that flooded through the window. As much as she hated it, she needed the new adventure, a break from the past and her old life, a new place away from Blue Creek and what she left behind. Or rather, who she left behind. Bull Creek would be that new start. She laughed, as she stuck her hand out the window, allowing it to ride on the wind, like a surfer on a wave. Okay, so the Creek part is redundant, but it’s still a new start.

  She drove through Celebration and Holopaw, on her way to Bull Creek, and the new cabin that waited for her. Deer lined the road, some squirrels darted across it, and a giant hawk flew overhead, almost as if it paced her car. She wondered if any of them were part of the local packs or tribes that inhabited the area. She continued to scan the woods as she passed them. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to meet the l
ocal shifters. Not after losing her heart to that wolf, Jensen. She sighed. If only her magic allowed her to take away her memories of him and his taut muscles as he pinned her to the bed. She needed the distance. At least, until she came across the spell that would take her pain away. She understood the mating ceremonies of the wolves, how it made the pack determine who were the right matches for mates or not, compatible in both human and animal form. She was a witch. She didn’t fit in that world. She glanced around at the passing oaks and pines. She would create a world where she did fit, and it was going to happen right here in Bull Creek.

  Two panthers darted across the road, forcing her to slam on her brakes, the car skidding to a stop, as she watched the tawny brown beasts dodge her vehicle, their pale gray underbellies stretched out as they leaped off the asphalt and back onto the soft grass and into the woods. She sat there, her breathing ragged, her hands trembling, as she followed them with her gaze until they vanished among the trees. What the hell? Unbelievable! She took a deep breath, doing her best to calm her nerves, as she released the brake and pushed gingerly on the gas, fighting the urge to send a bolt of power after the insensitive creatures. Instead, she continued toward her goal.

  And peace and quiet.

  None of the roads in Bull Creek were paved, making each one bumpy as hell, the rain having washed out parts of the road. She slowed to a snail’s pace, her car jerking, rocking with each hole and divet in the road. She rolled her window back up, the air conditioning cranked high, to keep the road dust out, because the Florida heat would melt you. Her cabin was in the middle of what would be classified as her yard, with just enough clear space for her to park her car and shove the door open against the high grass, and squeeze her way out. She could use her powers to clear the area, pull back the foliage that grew up around her new home, but she looked forward to working with her hands, sweating the nagging thoughts of what she left behind out of her head.

  She shut her car door and turned to the porch on the front of her cabin… And stopped. He was tall, his thick arms crossed over his stocky chest, as he stared at her with eyes that penetrated her. As she allowed her gaze to travel down the rest of him, soaking in his powerful legs, she found a bulge in his pants that she suddenly wished was penetrating her as his gaze did. If this was Bull Creek’s idea of a welcome reception, she was glad she chose to move here. Maybe she discovered a spell that would help her forget Jensen after all. She put a smile on her face, swung her purse over her shoulder, and started toward the porch. “Well, hello there,” she said. “Shouldn’t there be a fruit basket or pound cake or something as a welcome basket in your hands? I didn’t even know anyone knew I was arriving today.”

  His smile dazzled, as it pushed his cheeks up and made his eyes sparkle. “I actually saw you pull into the neighborhood,” he said, his baritone voice making her sex quiver. She glanced around the area, grass overgrown everywhere, trees with moss hanging from their limbs, shrubs growing up between the trees around her cabin, around every cabin. If this was his idea of a neighborhood, she’d hate to see what he thought of as a slum. “So, I thought I’d stop by and say hello. See if there was anything you needed.”

  She took a deep breath. There was something she needed all right, but she didn’t think now was the right time. “Thanks, but unless you’re willing to mow the lawn and pull weeds, I think I’m doing all right.”

  He chuckled as he looked around her yard. “Yeah, people don’t really take great care of empty cabins around here. Perhaps your law firm should have sent someone out ahead of you to clean it up.” He continued smiling, even though his words seemed cold, filled with a meaning she didn’t even understand.

  “I wish I had a law firm then, if that’s the type of things they do,” she said. “I work alone, so I guess that means I’ll be cleaning all this up by myself.” She stopped before she reached the porch, crossing her arms over her chest, her purse dangling from the middle of her arms. “Just why did you think I came from a law firm?”

  He didn’t answer her. “You work alone? An investigator?”

  She cocked her head to the side. “You really are curious about my line of work for someone I just met. Do you interrogate everyone who moves into the area like this?”

  He shrugged. “Just until I get to know them. I’m kind of protective of Bull Creek, you could say.”

  “Founding family? Mayor?” She glanced around at the woods surrounding her cabin. “Smokey the Bear?” She assumed the gorgeous specimen in front of her was Dimitri Everest, the man Barbara Wolfe sent her to help, but since he seemed standoffish, she wasn’t volunteering any information.

  He grinned. “Protector of these lands,” he said. He looked off into the distance. “Several of us are having a bonfire later tonight to celebrate the weekend.” He turned back to her, his eyes still sparkling. “You’re welcome to join us, meet some of your other neighbors. Let them meet you.”

  “Inspection time, huh?” She nodded. “Thanks. I’ll think about it.” Like hell I will. Being put out for inspection is not my idea of a first night in town. “For now, I need to open up the house. You know, air it out and all. Unpack.”

  He nodded, uncrossing his arms, as he stepped off her porch. “Just be careful at night,” he said. “There are coyotes prowling around that we normally don’t see in these parts. Until we get them under control, you might want to carry a bat or stay indoors.”

  “I don’t even own a bat and staying indoors would kind of make it hard to attend the bonfire, don’t you think?” She smirked, as she moved to her own front porch, keeping her eyes on him, as he walked around her car and to the edge of her drive. “Did you really want me to go or not?”

  He turned, his hands in his back pockets, as he continued walking. “Well then, maybe I should pop back by and escort you. You know, sort of protect you and all. Would be the neighborly thing to do.”

  She grinned. “Oh, it would, especially me without my baseball bat and all.”

  “See you later then…” He waited to see if she would give him her name or not.

  She just smiled, giving a soft wave with her fingers. “Bye,” she said. “For now.” She turned, knowing he still watched her, and entered her dusty cabin. The moldy air assaulted her as soon as she crossed the threshold. It’s definitely time to use magic. She lifted her hand as power pulsed from her fingers, sending the damp air out the door. Glancing around the dust-covered furnishings in the cabin, she took a deep breath. Looks like it’s going to be a very magical day.

  Two

  “She wasn’t the lawyer we expected?” Josh Rayburn asked, as he piled fresh logs into the pit. “Then who is she?”

  Dimitri stood, his hands in his back pockets, as he stared back in the direction of the cabin he just left, as if he could see it through the woods. “The scent of Blue Creek still clung to her, so my guess is she’s been sent by Barbara Wolfe to help us somehow. Of course, it would be nice if Barbara told me she sent the woman and how she’s exactly supposed to help us.” He smiled, as he recalled how confident the newcomer seemed when she faced him from her car, sassy, even. She was a small woman in height, but her mouth more than made up for her size. Her long, dark hair framed her oval face, bringing out the deep blue of her eyes. Her curves had made him want to shift his cock in his pants, as he swallowed her with his gaze, knowing he already showed signs of arousal. His animal practically growled at the sight of her, as she shoved her way out of her car and toward him, undaunted and determined. He may not know her name, but he knew her: strong, focused, and cheeky. She was definitely going to be a fun addition to their little community. “And, to be honest, I’m not even sure a lawyer’s coming. Doing things the legal way just isn’t Bane’s style.”

  Josh stood, staring at Dimitri. “Blue Creek, huh? The Wolfes are helping panthers now?”

  Dimitri turned and smiled. “The Wolfes help friends and we’re friends. The coyotes are not. Mangy pack of…” He took a deep breath. “They won’t worm their way into
our territory, bringing their prejudice against humans with them. Bull Creek is a safe haven and will remain that way, a sanctuary for any who needs one. We’ve worked too hard to protect this area, opening it up to people who need a home. I’m not giving it over to some scavengers to come in and muck it all up.”

  Josh nodded. “I agree, but Bane Kastner is a sneaky son of a bitch. If he’s set his sights on this land, he’s not going to let go easily.”

  Dimitri nodded. “Still, easy or not, he’s not taking over this land without a major fight. People need Bull Creek. What they don’t need is the hatred of old school shifters.” More than that, however, Dimitri needed this safe haven. It gave him a purpose. These people gave him a purpose.

  “Are you going to help me build this fire or are you just going to stand there staring at the new woman’s cabin while making speeches I’ve already heard?” Josh laughed, as he reached for more firewood. He paused before tossing it onto the pile. “So, what’s she like?”

  Dimitri turned at the waist, his feet still facing the cabin, his brows bunched in confusion. “What’s who like?”

  “What’s who like?” Josh repeated as he rolled his eyes. “The new lady. The one who wouldn’t give you her name? You know, the one who almost ran our asses over on the main road, while we patrolled the area?”

  “Almost ran your slow ass over, you mean,” Dimitri said with a chuckle, as he turned and picked up a log. “And she’s cute, with curves in all the right places, and a mouth that can cut you with its snark.” He glanced back at the cabin. “Of course, she also had a scent of sadness about her as well. Like she was recently hurt or something.” He turned, as he heard wood thunking against wood.

  Josh just shook his head. “Here it goes. Dimitri the heart doctor.”

  “Aren’t we all heart doctors here? That’s kind of the purpose behind Bull Creek.” He tossed a log onto the pile. “If Barbara sent her, there must be a reason, something our new resident can offer.”