Dead Money (Jack of Spades #5)

By Lee Brazil

Barton Montoire's fragile hold on his emotions is worn thin by exorcisms and fear. Even though he's beginning to realize the full potential of his abilities as a ghost, he has no power to stop his lover's plot to end the darkness that has threatened their relationship for close to a year, not with all their friends in the line of fire.
In all of time, there have existed few men who transcend the bonds of life and death, who see the spirits as clearly as the living. These men possess the ability to summon others, creating doorways between realms, physical and metaphysical. A dusty tome written in cryptic language reveals terrifying secrets, but with a little help from his friends, Sabine Brusilov knows what must be done. For the good of humanity and supes alike, he must call forth the shadowy demon, leading it into a trap.
Unfortunately, talent is not skill, and the ability to summon cannot be mastered by taking a class or two and scouring the internet for information. With Bart at his side and his friends at his back, Sabine brings talent, skill, and strength of will to battle evil before it can join the gathering forces of darkness that menace New Orleans.
With dead money on the table, is love enough to take the hand?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lee Brazil
• Release date: Oct 14, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310675836

Lee Brazil

Somewhere in a small town in up-state New York are a librarian and a second grade teacher to whom I owe my life. That might be a touch dramatic, but it’s nevertheless one hundred percent true.Because they taught me the joy of reading, of escaping into worlds crafted of words.Have you ever been nine years old and sure of nothing so much as that you don’t belong? Looked at the world from behind glasses, and wondered why you don’t fit?Then turn the page and see... there you are, running from Injun Joe in a dark graveyard; there you are fencing with Athos; there you are...beneath the deep blue sea- marveling at exotic creatures with Captain Nemo.I found myself between the pages of books, and that is why I write now, it’s why I taught English and literature for so many years, and it’s why my house contains more pounds of books than furniture.If I’d had my way, I’d have been a fencer...or a starship captain, or a lawyer, or a detective solving crimes. But instead, I am a writer, and that’s the best thing in the world to be if you ask me, because as a writer, I can be all those things and more.If I hadn’t learned to value the stories between the pages, who knows what would have happened? Certainly not college...teaching...or writing.

Book preview

Barton Montoire's fragile hold on his emotions is worn thin by exorcisms and fear. Even though he's beginning to realize the full potential of his abilities as a ghost, he has no power to stop his lover's plot to end the darkness that has threatened their relationship for close to a year, not with all their friends in the line of fire.

In all of time, there have existed few men who transcend the bonds of life and death, who see the spirits as clearly as the living. These men possess the ability to summon others, creating doorways between realms, physical and metaphysical. A dusty tome written in cryptic language reveals terrifying secrets, but with a little help from his friends, Sabine Brusilov knows what must be done. For the good of humanity and supes alike, he must call forth the shadowy demon, leading it into a trap.

Unfortunately, talent is not skill, and the ability to summon cannot be mastered by taking a class or two and scouring the internet for information. With Bart at his side and his friends at his back, Sabine brings talent, skill, and strength of will to battle evil before it can join the gathering forces of darkness that menace New Orleans.

With dead money on the table, is love enough to take the hand?

Copyright

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, locations and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. As such, any resemblance to any persons, living or deceased, businesses, events, or locales is coincidental.

Copyright October 2015 © Lee Brazil

Editing by Jae Ashley

Cover Art By Laura Harner

Lime Time Press

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com

Trademark Acknowledgements:

Swiss Army: Victorinox A.G.

Marilyn Monroe: The Estate of Marilyn Monroe, LLC

Red Roof Inn: RRI Financial, Inc.

Styrofoam: The Dow Chemical Company

Pulp Friction 2015: The Altered States #16

Dead Money

Jack of Spades #5

By

Lee Brazil

Dead Money

Chapter One

Are we done here? Sabine demanded, glaring at the imposing figure of Danny Burkette across the grungy table.  

Not exactly, no. Though he leaned back in a casual attitude, the handsome young detective's smile lacked its usual joi de vivre, either that or Sabine Brusilov was seeing him through jaundiced eyes.

What can I do for you, Danny? He tried another tack. Sitting in this tiny grim cell of an interrogation room was wearing on his nerves, and his patience with delays was wearing thinner.

You disappoint me, Professor. I thought we were friends. A few pleasantries aren't too much to ask, are they?

Tell that to the uniform that pulled a stun gun on me, Sabine grumbled.

I apologize for my colleague's overzealous attitude. Burkette stared at his Styrofoam coffee cup for a second, then his keen gaze settled on Sabine's face.

Sabine forced himself not to fidget under the piercing stare.

What were you doing in an alley known for trafficking in illicit blood trade and sex for hire?

Looking for someone, Sabine retorted. And when he found that someone, Race deVere was in for the beating of his life.

"What a coincidence. So are we. We're looking for New Orleans' resident self-proclaimed paranormal expert. Turns out he's on leave from his job, not living in his apartment, not answering his calls, and