Knocking on Heaven's Door: The Death Chronicles, #3

By J.E. Taylor and William F. Houle

As a senior in high school, Nick Ramsay should be focusing on his college choices, but instead, he's dealing with a tear between his world and Purgatory. Leviathan and a dozen demons are running amok in central Florida and Nick must herd them back into the underworld before Heaven opens its gates and sends down a pack of angry angels to clean up the mess.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JET-Fueled Fiction
• Release date: Apr 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781501418723

J.E. Taylor

J.E. Taylor is a USA Today bestselling author, a publisher, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife, a business analyst, and a Supernatural fangirl, not necessarily in that order. She first sat down to seriously write in February of 2007 after her daughter asked: “Mom, if you could do anything, what would you do?” From that moment on, she hasn’t looked back. In addition to being co-owner of Novel Concept Publishing, Ms. Taylor also moonlights as a Senior Editor of Allegory E-zine, an online venue for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, and co-host of the popular YouTube talk show Spilling Ink. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and during the summer months enjoys her weekends on the shore in southern Maine. Visit her at www.jetaylor75.com to check out her other titles. Sign up for her newsletter at https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/y2z2x6 for early previews of her upcoming books, release announcements, and special opportunities for free swag!

Book preview

KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR

CHAPTER 1

SENIOR YEAR.

The thoughts swarmed in my head as I started the engine of my new Shelby GT Convertible. I grinned and glanced at Julia as the engine growled around us. Reaching over, I unlocked the top, pressing the button on the dashboard that lowered the roof. The bright morning sunshine crawled into the car with each inch the opening roof created until the top folded neatly behind the back seat. I didn’t bother with the boot cover. I wasn’t going to leave the car open in the school parking lot. Not with the unpredictable weather in Florida.

This car is so damn sweet, Julia said.

I revved the engine again. A-yup, I agreed, falling back into my Maine drawl for a moment before flashing a quick glance over my shoulder and backing out of the driveway. Noah’s going to shit, I added and turned toward my best friend’s house.

You didn’t tell him you got a Mustang?

I chuckled and shook my head. I told him I got an old junkyard car.

Julia’s laughter rang through the car and I resisted the urge to pull the car over and plant a lip-lock on her. After all, she was the reason I opted to not go north and finish high school back in York. I figured the summer would come soon enough and we could make the trip home together.

Until then, I was stuck in Florida, living with Julia and her crazy relatives. Ever since the tornado struck, they’d been overly protective of both of us. When I turned eighteen and approached them about buying a car with part of my inheritance, you would have thought the world was on the brink of collapse, but they eventually calmed down and agreed to take me to one of the auto dealers in the area.

Most of the time, their doting annoyed me, but every now and again, I take a step back and see things from their point of view. Julia was their only living relative, and because they never had kids of their own, they wanted to protect her in every way possible, even from me.

We only mentioned Maine once, and they dug their heels in, refusing to entertain the notion, even holding Julia’s inheritance hostage. They couldn’t do a thing about mine, but they certainly could make Julia think twice.

What are you thinking about? Julia asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I turned down Noah’s road and said, Maine.

I miss Maine, too, she said, and I squeezed her hand, exchanging a quick glance before I focused on Noah’s driveway.

I swear; Noah’s eyes got as wide as the bottom of a soda can and his mouth formed that awed ‘o’ that made me break out in laughter. Julia was giggling in the front seat, clamping her hand over her mouth so her guffaws wouldn’t carry over the rev of the engine. I pulled into the driveway and threw the stick in neutral, carefully setting the brake before I lifted myself up to fold my arms on the top of the windshield.

You like my piece of junkyard shit? I asked, and Julia swatted my leg.

Noah was nearly bobbing in place. Even at almost eighteen, he was still a bundle of energy, like he was forever thirteen.

Holy shit, Ramsay. Is that the new GT? he said, finally moving toward the car like an overly excited puppy.

Yep. I flashed a grin. I figured it was about time we rode in style.

You’re flippin’ brilliant. He nearly clapped his hands in glee and I chuckled, slipping back into the driver’s seat while he walked around to the passenger side.

Julia stepped out and pulled the seat down so Noah could slip into the back. For just a moment, I saw a flash of envy pass over his features, but it was gone just as quickly as he settled into the back seat.

You can ride in the front on the way home, Julia said to Noah, and he beamed. Leave it to her to read him just as easily as I could.

This is a sweet ride, he said, caressing the seats like he had never felt real leather before.

That it is. I backed out of the driveway. I stopped at the intersection of the main road, waiting for a break in traffic. The blue sports car that pulled onto the road caught my attention, especially when it flanked my position and stopped. The familiarity of the car tickled the back of my mind and when the mirrored window lowered, all my good humor died. I stared at my father and his expression nearly made me slam the gas pedal. Consequences be damned.

Instead, I dropped my car into neutral and sent a glare in his direction. A visit from Death only meant one thing... trouble.

Julia’s hand gripped my wrist, and I didn’t need to turn to see the fear in her eyes. I already felt it vibrating from her in waves. Noah was silent in the backseat, which was extremely unusual, and I chanced a quick look over my shoulder. He wasn’t focused on my father, but something in the distance ahead.

I followed his gaze, and my stomach dropped.

Leviathan.

I snapped my attention back to my father.

What the... I started and stopped myself before dropping the f-bomb.

"A handful of demons found a tear in the barrier between Purgatory