Finding Hope: Savage Cinderella Novella Series, #1

By PJ Sharon

A child is missing...and time is running out.

In FINDING HOPE, Book One of the Savage Cinderella Novella series, we pick up the SAVAGE CINDERELLA story a year after Brinn's return from the wild. As she and Justin struggle to work through her recovery, Brinn must come to terms with who she is and discover her place in this strange new world. When Cody asks for her help in solving a kidnapping case for the FBI, it brings her worst nightmares screaming to the surface. But will it be exactly what she needs to finally put it all behind her and move on? Or will it lead her down a path into a dangerous world?

Follow Brinn, Justin, Cody, and a cast of new characters through a series of novellas (30-40k word short novels). Each story will bring a new adventure, another crime to solve, and more danger for Brinn and company as they delve into the world of human trafficking.

• Language: English
• Publisher: PJ Sharon
• Release date: Jun 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533715555

PJ Sharon

In addition to her day job as a Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer, and Yoga Instructor, PJ Sharon is an award-winning author of young adult books, including PIECES of LOVE, HEAVEN is for HEROES, ON THIN ICE, and Holt Medallion winner SAVAGE CINDERELLA. Follow the Savage Cinderella Novella Series with FINDING HOPE, LOST BOYS, and SACRED GROUND. HEALING WATERS completes her YA dystopian trilogy, The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael, which RT Book Reviews calls “An action-packed read with a strong female lead.” Her debut non-fiction title Overcome Your Sedentary Lifestyle (A Practical Guide to Improving Health, Fitness, and Well-being for Desk Dwellers and Couch Potatoes) is a holistic living, self-help guide packed with easy to implement tips sure to motivate today’s sedentary masses toward a more balanced and active lifestyle. For more info on PJ’s books and updates on new releases, sign up for her newsletter or visit her website.

Book preview

Chapter 1

A cold wet nose nuzzled my neck. I squirmed at the intrusion and then huffed out a resigned breath. It would be pointless to pull away, so I slung my arm across Eliot’s warm body, his fur soft against my cheek.

Hey, boy. You ready to go out? His head popped up in anticipation.

I’d slept miserably, haunting dreams reminding me that the past would never be far enough behind me to escape it completely. I tugged the covers up around my shoulders and inhaled deeply to calm my racing heart. Eliot must have sensed my lingering anxiety. As if he knew I needed comfort more than I needed to jump out of bed and into the chilly air, he gave a warm sigh and curled into my side.

The sound of the shower dying off drew my thoughts to Justin. I peered at the clock. Six-thirty a.m. and the warmth of the sun was already cascading across the quilted comforter. Temps in Atlanta had been mid-June hot, and Justin had the air conditioner cranked down to sixty-eight degrees, attempting to beat the day’s anticipated heat. I rolled over when he stuck his head in the room.

Hey, sunshine.

I yawned and stretched, upsetting Eliot from his place. Are you off to work already? Eliot perked up but I patted his side, not quite ready to let him move far away.

Justin smiled from the bathroom doorway, clad in only a towel, his dark hair dripping water onto his shoulders and running down his bare chest. The sight of him—tall, lean, and muscular from cycling, hiking, and being a twenty-four-year-old male—made my heart race again. This time, not from fear. My face heated and a rush of mixed emotions coursed through me. He slicked back his hair with a brush and pulled both sides into a little V, like a duck’s tail, the natural waves already springing to life.

I’m on deadline this week. Charlene needs those photos for our piece on the power plant that’s spewing toxic crap into the air up in Raleigh.

A smile curved my lips. I loved his passion for the environment, his willingness to take risks to serve justice, and his desire to change the world for the better. This story could propel him from nature photographer to full-fledged investigative reporter. Not that my story hadn’t put his name on the fast track, but that was a year ago and people seemed to forget a story—and its teller—quickly.

What are you smiling at? he asked, the sharpness in his tone dropping away and his scowl softening.

I admire your commitment to your work. It’s nice to see you pursuing your dreams. Despite my happiness for him, a pang of sadness mixed with longing settled into my chest.

Justin laid down the brush and came toward me. He could read me like a neon sign. His approach always sent my heart into overdrive, and I was especially aware when he was unclothed. I gripped the edge of the covers and he slowed his steps, his features growing solemn. Then he lowered down beside me. His eyes found mine as his hand wrapped around my icy fingers. The contact eased my nerves and I relaxed under his touch.

You’ll figure out what you want to do. Give yourself a break. You’ve been through a lot. His warm brown eyes held a sincere empathy. I knew he was only trying to be kind, but the sadness behind the look dug at the place inside me that still festered with shame.

I couldn’t meet his gaze.

A stubborn resolve sank into my bones. It had been a year and a month since I’d returned from living in the mountains of the North Georgia High Country. Yet, sometimes it felt as if it had only been yesterday. Horrific memories invaded my sleep and often seeped into my thoughts at the most inconvenient times and when I least expected them. Therapy had only brought them closer to the surface. A rush of anger flashed through me, intense and biting.

Roy Stockman had taken my childhood from me, and I’d killed him for it. There was no erasing the scars he’d left behind, but I would be damned if I let him take any more. As if reading my mind, Justin ran his finger along the thin white line around my wrist and then gently unclenched my fingers.

Brinn—you are the smartest, strongest person I know. You’ll figure this out.

Now that school is out for the summer, I guess I should try to get a job, I said, letting our hands twine together in their natural way and relaxing my palm against his.

Other than helping on weekends at the state park, there wasn’t much I could do. Life had been all about learning how real society worked since I’d been back. After much study and long hours of tutoring, I’d taken the high school equivalency test and entered college—a dream I never imagined could be possible when Justin first found me in the hills. But what could I really do to make a difference in this strange new world? It would be years of school to get a degree in Environmental Sciences, and I still felt like I was catching up on all the proper education I’d missed.

I’d read everything I could get my hands on in the years I’d spent in the cabin, isolated but for the world I could reach through books. All I’d wanted then, other than to survive each day, was to be normal, go to school, have friends, and be part of a family. Now that I had all those things, there was still something missing. It was as if I had no purpose for being—as if I were still invisible.

Justin leaned over me, capturing my attention once more.

I told you, there’s no need for you to work. I can take care of us for now until you finish your degree. Take all the time you need. He gently kissed my forehead, lingering long enough to flood my senses with his warmth and the wonderful clean smell of something earthy and spicy that made my nose twitch. I brought my hands up to his smooth chest, slid them over his shoulders and pulled him down on top of me.

And what do you expect me to do all day while you’re off saving the world? I asked, nipping at his lip. He followed, taking me into his arms, and responding with a playful kiss that sent my heart soaring and made my body tingle.

His mouth tasted minty and fresh, so I held him there for a long moment, his soft lips pressed to mine and his torso fitting the curves of my body through the covers. As tempted as I was to steal his towel and show him that I wasn’t the fragile girl he’d met the year before, it was also clear that I wasn’t in the same league as the vixens I watched on my daytime dramas—or his voluptuous and conniving boss, Charlene. I broke away from the kiss with a sharp inhale and Justin pulled back, his cheeks full of color. A wide grin spread across his face.

As much as I would love to crawl back into bed and spend the morning with you and Mr. Suck-Up here— he ruffled Eliot’s scruff and patted his head. We’d taken him on after he’d flunked out of the canine police academy. Then we named him after the poet T.S. Eliot, since clearly he was an old soul with a big heart and no attention span for the duties inherent in law enforcement. He wagged his big body in glee at the welcome scratches to his belly.

Justin kissed me one more time. I’ve got to get out of here. He crawled off the bed, straightened his towel, and arched a brow in my direction. You make it very difficult to focus on work. He backed toward the bathroom, his cheeks an adorable shade of pink and his hands covering his obvious interest. I’ll make it up to you this weekend, he added with a lopsided grin. Then he turned and ducked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

The touch of his hands lingered on my arms, my smile dimmed, and the heaviness in my heart returned.

His love and support meant everything to me. He’d been incredibly patient and nothing but encouraging, and yet, like a feather floating from a great height, being pushed and pulled by the wind—no direction or purpose—I felt set adrift. My heart overflowed with love and gratitude for Justin, but how could he ever truly understand? I rolled over with a sigh and stared into Eliot’s golden eyes.

It looks like it’s just you and me again, pal. Reluctantly, I threw back the covers, swung my feet over the edge of the bed, and raked my fingers through long strands of straight dark hair, massaging my scalp to ward off a headache. I shivered, slipped my sweats on and stuck my feet into a warm pair of slippers. But before I could reach for a robe to cover my camisole, my cell phone rang. My pulse spiked. It was too early for Mom to be calling—unless something was wrong with the baby. With only a month to go, anything could happen. I held my breath as I reached for the phone.

A sigh of relief escaped when I heard Cody’s voice. Then a knot formed in my stomach. Cody Hansen was Justin’s best friend. He kept in touch with me as well, but calls had been coming less and less frequently. Why was he calling at the crack of dawn?

What is it? What’s happened?

I wouldn’t have called so early, but... he paused and my heart skipped. There’s been a kidnapping. When I didn’t respond, he added, I need your help.

My voice caught and a thundering started in my ears. Cody had left the Marines and joined the FBI. After surviving months of captivity and torture at the hands of Afghani militants, and being rescued by Justin’s brother Steve and his