Esperance literally came out less than a week ago and already, you guys WILL NOT LEAVE ME ALONE.
Although, to be fair, I don’t want you to. I get a sick kick out of hearing you whine that you already can’t wait for the next book. but I DO have some nerve endings left in my feelings. Just a couple.
So, I’m taking pity and giving you a #TeaserTuesday. Here’s a sneak peek at the opening to Imbalance (Heart Lines #4) coming May 29. (Pre-order now!)
SAM
My own blood boiled in my veins. I was furiously angry, breathless from the adrenaline of my own temper, and sweaty from the effort of holding it back until I could unleash it on those deserving. As I stomped away from our metered parking, my palms were hot; the furthest from clammy they’d been in months, and yet fur prickled my skin as it appeared and fell away in small clumps onto the sidewalk at my feet.
I glanced furtively at the people around me to see if anyone had noticed I was essentially molting. But no one looked over. I quickened my pace anyway just to be safe. The last thing I needed was to be stopped by a passer-by who thought I had a small, shedding dog wrapped in each fist or something.
Just before I could duck into the cool lobby, Brittany caught up and tugged my wrist until I came to an abrupt halt on the sidewalk outside the skyscrapers surrounding us. Pedestrians continued to stream around us, breaking left and right as if we were rocks in a river. Brittany’s expression was aptly hardened, the sun glinting off her yellow-blonde hair and white teeth. If cheerleaders could be serial killers…
“Whoa, tiger,” she said, not loosening her grip on me even though her tone of voice was an attempt at soothing. “Ease up on the death march. We are not going in guns blazing.”
“We’re not?” RJ asked, coming up beside us. He sighed in clear disappointment. “Damn. I love blazing my guns.”
Brittany shot him a look that could have withered steel, and I felt my mouth twitch and then reluctantly curve upward.
“That’s better,” Brittany said, brightening with a smile of her own when she spotted mine.
“Nuh-uh, don’t smile now, boss. It ruins the murderous vibe,” RJ said, but I knew he was just poking at me too.
“Guys, how can you not be furious? What they’re doing isn’t right.” When neither of them spoke up to agree with me, I sighed again and felt my temper returning. “Fine. You guys are pissed at Alex. I get that, but if you can’t find compassion for what they’re doing to him, what about Mason? Surely, you can agree that Mason doesn’t deserve this.”
“We’re not saying either one deserves it, but Sam, you don’t know the details,” RJ said. “He was probably just brought here to give his statement and then returned to the hospital. It’s not like they’re in there roughing him up or something.”
I cocked my head at him. “You really think that’s all it is?”
He shrugged. “They wouldn’t incarcerate him if he wasn’t cleared medically.”
“And Alex?” I pressed. “They’re clearly incarcerating him.”
RJ looked away, uncomfortable. “He broke the law, Sam.”
“He was under Indra’s influence. It wasn’t his choice,” I said.
They exchanged a look that made it clear where they stood and it wasn’t with me. In an instant, my tenuous hold on any sort of good mood vanished. My temper returned full force.
“Fine.” I yanked my wrist from Brittany’s hand. “I’ll see you inside.”
Behind me, I heard Brittany hiss a rebuke at RJ about taking this more seriously, and then I shoved through the door of the mammoth-sized office building and the air conditioning hit me, the walls around me muting the sounds from outside.
I didn’t wait for my friends.
If you liked this teaser, don’t forget to pre-order your copy of Imbalance now!