Sin of Hope

By Isabelle Arocho

The Top of Zoe’s priority list is finding her ex-love Gavin...

A dangerous demon is on the loose and it’s up to Zoe and Matthew to take him out before it takes them out. Gavin’s been missing for months and they fear this demon did something to him and they may be too late. As more clues take shape Zoe’s forced into a world she wants to stay out of; demon and angels.

Her bond with Lucas has found a peaceful coexistence but that doesn’t mean the immortal tempts her any less, it’s actually the opposite. Zoe’s finding it harder and harder to deny the vampire’s charm and he knows it. He wants her by his side for a week long trip to Paris and he isn’t above using any means to get her there, including information she seeks the most about Gavin.

Join Zoe down the long path she must travel; memories of her past, insecurities of her present, and what lays ahead for her future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Isabelle Arocho
• Release date: Dec 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301208364

Isabelle Arocho

Hello everyone, as a self-published author I like to talk to you in my own words so here we go, here's my story:I used to avoid everything pertaining to reading and writing in school because it was never my strong suit. But then something happened when I was fourteen years old, and I found I had a deep passion for telling stories. As far back as I can remember, I would always create stories in my head and call them my made up movies. These are the movies I make into books today.I shied away from telling anyone about my passion for telling stories and kept it to myself for a long time. I learned from reading book after book how to write a proper novel and found the confidence to share my work, first on online communities and now with the world.In 2012 I have decided to take the leap into self-publishing. I write and edit all my work myself, no excuses, but if you see any mistakes I apologize.A little bit more about me...My name is Isabelle Arocho, I’m of Hispanic descent. I grew up in Perth Amboy NJ and now live somewhere in the sticks of FL. I am a woman, sister, daughter. I have a passion for rock music, tons of TV shows, and of course reading when I’m not trying to create my own masterpiece.I write all types of genres including mystery, fantasy, suspense, romance, paranormal, and cop procedurals. I'm always striving to get better and I hope you enjoy my work enough to stick with me on this journey. I have hundreds of characters in my head always in a scene crawling to get free onto paper. I'm grateful for writing because without it I'd just be a crazy nut who talks to herself.I have a few books out now in both Ebook and paperback format. I’m working on several different of ideas to be released soon in all those genres I mentioned above. Visit my personal website, isabellearocho.com, for more information.PS: Don't forget to review and let me know what you thought about the book you read. I love hearing from you and it helps to know what you think.

Book preview

SIN OF HOPE

By

Isabelle Arocho

www.isabellearocho.com

Copyright © 2013 ISABELLE AROCHO

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s mind and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organization, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

License Notes. Smashwords Edition.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or edited in anyway. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter 1

I was sitting in a private jet next to Matthew and private jets had couches; I didn’t know that before I started working for him on the side. As if I didn’t have enough working with the SVU during the day and the SCF during the night, Matthew came to me about two months ago asking for my ‘help.’ At the end of it I didn’t have much of a choice. He tried to sweet talk me by saying my skills should used more than just in Celestin. After telling him no, he reminded me he had rank over Bess and if I wanted my sister to keep her job I’d do whatever he wanted.

He could be an ass like that.

It’s a two hour ride back to Celestin, brief me on tonight. He asked now.

I was bone dead tired and wanted to sleep some of those two hours. I killed the bad guy. I leaned my head back and shut my eyes. As much as I wanted to sleep I thought back to the case, the sixth I’ve worked for Matthew. The partnership was between the two of us, he was my boss and my ally. There was no backup and none of it was on the books. I didn’t like to think about it too long but I was his private assassin when we stripped away all the fancy titles.

Zoe. His voice was stern with a hint of a threat that usually worked on everyone and sometimes on me, but not right now.

We can talk later. It didn’t matter that I had killed a nasty pair of vampires and still had some blood on my clothes; I was out like a light.

Oddly enough when I woke up, my head was on Matthew’s thigh using it like a pillow. I guessed when I pulled my legs up I laid on him. I was far too old to be embarrassed and we knew each other enough that it didn’t weird me out to be that close to him. Over the months, while he could annoy the hell out of me, I also considered him a friend. Stranger things have happened.

I sat up using my hand and found he was asleep too. I was going to ask how much longer until we were home since we were obviously still flying, but I didn’t want to wake him. The grouchy guy actually looked at peace. I laid my head back down, you guessed it, right on his lap. There wasn’t much space and I was still pretty out of it.

It usually took a lot for me to sleep, like sheer exhaustion and even then I only got about four hours. It surprised me how easy it was to sleep now. Must be the plane ride.

Zoe? he was shaking my shoulder and I wanted to punch him.

Leave me alone. I growled.

We’re here but if you would like to stay in the plane…

Don’t be an ass again so soon. I sat up and pushed all my hair away from my face. I get to go home, right? I was groggy and wanted to curl up in my bed. Deep down I knew that wouldn’t be happening.

You still haven’t briefed me. he stood from the couch and pulled me up. I’ll drive you home and we can talk on the way. I thought he’d just like to poof everywhere since he had the power but he explained to me he only used that if he had to, because it took a lot of his energy. Now was one of those times good ol’ fashion driving was called for.

I groaned and followed him. I didn’t like briefing; it wasn’t like we were going to make a case file. It’d been almost six months since vampires went public and so did my hunting job, still I wasn’t used to being open about it yet—if ever. I liked to kill in the shadows and forget about it right after.

Inside the car, as he pulled out of the airport parking lot he gave me the look that said start talking.

I was stubborn and that’s probably why I hated his control over me, I wasn’t a fan of having a boss. The mark was home just like you said he would be. I snuck in using the back entrance, there was one guard positioned there. I closed my eyes and I was suddenly there again in that house making my way quietly inside. I knocked him out and continued. He was in his room like he was supposed to be. He never saw me coming. It was nice to have a case and at the end of it I wasn’t black and blue from it. With Matthew’s intel, every detail was planned to the very last second. When it was bright outside and there were no shadows to hide in I hated what he was me making into, his personal little supernatural killing machine. But then other times…

I have another case for you.

So soon? at least a week would normally pass.

It’s here in town.

I opened my eyes and turned to face him. The SCF main office is located here, who would be stupid enough to get on your radar? when vampires were first exposed the Supernatural Crime Force was created. Slowly over the last few months there were SCF offices all over the nation with hunters stepping forward to lend a hand. It was a big step in handling the worldwide exposure.

It’s not a vampire, well not directly.

This peaked my interest. What is it then?

He pulled up to my apartment building. Do you want to go in and sleep or continue this conversation?

I frowned. That sounded a little suggestive, Matt. I liked teasing him. I’m going to go in and change, then go to the office. I got out of the car knowing he’d follow. After the elevator ride and unlocking my front door, I asked him again what the new case was about.

I think it’s a lead to where Gavin might be.

I stopped cold in my tracks halfway across the living room. What? Gavin, his brother and my ex-boyfriend/partner, had been missing for months without one single trace.

There’s a rogue demon taking up residence in town and I believe he knows something.

You believe? that was enough for me but I asked anyway. No hard evidence?

Not yet. His mouth was tight while he tried to hold back anger he wasn’t comfortable expressing.

Obviously by now it can be either serious or simple; you know I’m in.

Because of the threat I made on Bess or because you’re enjoying this partnership?

What difference does it make? I turned around and continued to my bedroom closet. What I had on was good enough if it wasn’t for all the blood stains. I didn’t want anyone asking questions where I’d have to make up lie after lie. Matt stepped into the room as I was changing my shirts. Part of our agreement was you’d show me how to control this stupid power and show me something new. I hated my annoying empathy curse, it made my days even longer. I could feel the victims’ pain as if it was my own and it brought up memories I’d never be comfortable with.

There hasn’t been much time.

Sure there is, if you’d stick around for more than an hour after I do your dirty work. I was angry and let it show. I huffed away to the bathroom and changed my pants before washing my hands just in case any blood lingered. About the case? I went back to my closet and grabbed a few weapons. No outfit was complete without them.

I’ll have better detail for you tomorrow. Are you going hunting?

I’m not big on sleep and we’re always short staffed, so yes. I walked past him and made one more stop into the kitchen to grab a soda. Forget diamonds, caffeine was a girl’s true best friend.

Can you stop for one second? he cornered me in the kitchen, when he was sure enough that I wasn’t moving he continued. You can’t bring Bess into this, she won’t approve.

You’ve told me this already and I haven’t said a word. I finished the last of my drink and put the can in the trash. There were blood suckers that needed hunting. We done now?

He moved away from the door. Go.

You can be so sour at times. Seriously, let loose a little. That was my goodbye to him as I locked up my apartment and we went our separate ways.

Chapter 2

By the time I drove to the police station it had started raining. No surprise since the rainy season was upon us. Evil didn’t stay home and hide from the rain, we still had to patrol the street and make arrests, wet or not. I didn’t hate the rain since it made the air cooler but I did hate how quickly you could slip in the grass because of it, falling square on your ass.

I found Chase first when I walked up the stairs to the conference area Bess still worked out of. Soon a few blocks down the SCF would get its very own headquarters. Hey, I haven’t seen you around much. Chase greeted.

Work is keeping me busy. I couldn’t tell him, my best friend, about my work with Matthew. I was sworn to secrecy, no one could know I was responsible when those creatures were found. Is the Boss available?

You know she hates that name. Chase reminded me. He and Bess were close, I knew she was in love with him and he liked her but had a girlfriend so that reduced them to friends with hidden feelings. She didn’t want the job she had; to be in charge of the SCF while still part of Matt’s FBI team. She never wanted to be boss or even a fed really, it was something our father forced on her and she came to like. I learned over these last few months that their jobs in law enforcement weren’t a coincidence; part of the seraphs job was to protect the innocent on earth and having a badge made it easier.

As newly found sisters it’s my duty to annoy her, you know to make up for lost time? I joked. Speaking of annoying siblings, where’s Jake? his younger brother and I had a weird relationship. For so long we teased and hated each other, then he left town and returned a werewolf making his cute-ish looks down right sinful. While working together one night we gave into our attraction and slept together, not knowing we formed a bond under the moon. The effects of that bond had us humping each other like rabbits for a few months until he found a witch to break it. Ever since it was like old times, we teased and worked together while sometimes getting along and other times not so much.

You weren’t around and a case came in. He’s working it.

Alone? he was my SCF partner and the only supernatural races made public were the vampires and all our cases dealt with vamps. As a wolf it wasn’t smart for him to be around vamps alone, he might kill them without cause.

He’s a big boy and it was just a questioning so far. So really, where’ve you been?

As my best friend, since I was twelve and he was fifteen, he knew me better than I knew myself at times. Why do you ask? I asked, trying to come up with a better plausible excuse in the meantime.

I’ve always been able to reach you and all day I haven’t been able to. I was with Matt from six that morning until now at ten in the evening. Bess couldn’t get a hold of Matthew either.

I made an ugly face scrunching up all my features. Why would you think I’m with him? Have you found one person that can stand him? I’ve been working and that’s the truth. It was if you took out the fact that—yes it involved Matt.

Fine, have it your way. Will you be around tomorrow afternoon?

I hoped so. Yes, why?

I’m inviting you to dinner, Lily misses you. he said of his daughter.

I’ll be there. I attempted a wave goodbye while I also finished going up the stairs. We weren’t high-tech enough to have elevators in our station house. I secretly thought they made us use the stairs to keep in shape since a few cops liked a good dessert.

I finished my mini-hike and found my sister typing away at a laptop. It looked like she’d be doing paperwork until she was old and grey. I asked her once if she wanted to be out in the field kicking ass and she said no, she actually preferred the paperwork. Before I found out we were sisters, twins actually, we had been friends, she was easy to talk to but we’ve never had anything in common.

Howdy malady. I sank into one of the many chairs surrounding the large table.

Where’ve you been? she asked without stopping what she was doing. I was used to this.

Work, some research for one of my open cases. I just saw Chase. I didn’t mean to use her sour subject to change the topic, it just came out that way, and I quickly tried to fix it. He told me Jake is working on a case alone?

A couple called complaining about a vampire neighbor. I had him go check it out and explain to the couple even if there is a vampire we can’t do anything until they commit a crime. She had paused from typing a second when I mentioned Chase and started right back up after.

Vamps do have rights. That felt strange to say but it was the fact. With groups and spokespersons like Lucas coming to their defense it didn’t take long for some equal rights to take shape. As long as I’ve been hunting I’ve been fair, I’ve never killed a vampire just for being undead, I always made sure they had or were harming someone. I had morals deep down in spite of my crappy upbringing. That sounds simple enough and he wouldn’t need my help. I was worried for a moment there. Anything I can do here? It’s raining like son of a bitch.

Have you seen Matthew?

No, isn’t he back in Washington? the lie was starting to roll off rather easily from my tongue. It didn’t bother me to have to lie, I wasn’t hurting anyone, if anything I was helping save lives.

He should be but Johnny said he was back in Celestin.

I froze at the mention of that name then quickly shrugged it off. I haven’t seen him since the last time he was here. Who’s Johnny? I used to know someone with that name a very long time ago.

One of Matthew’s agents in Washington, he’s like his left hand.

Oh. I stood and shrugged off the memory. I’ll be going unless you have something besides paperwork for me to do?