Show Me The Wicked: Magic and Mayhem Universe: Wicked Hearts, #2

By Cherie Marks

Show Me The Wicked: Magic and Mayhem Universe is book 2 in the Wicked Hearts series. 

Carrasandra Reed knows life has dealt her a raw deal. Now, she's in Assjacket, West Virginia to make things right. She's got to find a way to get her hands on an impossible-to-find stone, and the best plan she's got is to fake amnesia until it surfaces. Just one little kink in the con. The gorgeous panther-shifter, Finn Bryant, isn't buying her act one bit. He's on to her, but she'd rather he get on top of her and make all her troubles fade away.

With a little bit of lu...no...strike that...no need to go there. With all her skill and con-artistry, she might just be able to pull off the greatest con of her life, free herself from her misery, and give herself a chance at happiness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cherie Marks
• Release date: Aug 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386473787

Cherie Marks

It all started with an old-fashioned typewriter. When the family brought it home, all those stories and characters rolling around in her head could finally get out. The press and click of the keys satisfied in their own right, but when she pulled out a finished page, she knew this was for her. Since then, she's graduated to a laptop, but the stories still find a way out. She's a breast cancer survivor, a teacher, a wife, a mother, and from the very beginning—a storyteller. Always a hint humorous and honest to a fault, she loves to make people laugh and smile. Her goal in life is to achieve tact and stop procrastinating. The battle wages on.

Book preview

Acknowledgements

Edited by the incomparable Teresa M. You literally make it all better.

I could not do this without my family’s support! Thank you for giving me the time to rock another one out. You make it all worth the late nights and early mornings. It’s always for you.

Once again, thank you, Robyn, for giving me this opportunity. It’s been a blast, and I can’t wait to do it again!

Dedication

To those dreamers out there who didn’t get the best start in life but never let that stop you. Always keep striving. This one’s for you.

Foreword

BLAST OFF WITH US INTO the Magic and Mayhem Universe!

I’m Robyn Peterman, the creator of the Magic and Mayhem Series and I’d like to invite you to my Magic and Mayhem Universe.

What is the Magic and Mayhem Universe, you may ask?

Well, let me explain...

It’s basically authorized fan fiction written by some amazing authors that I stalked and blackmailed! KIDDING! I was lucky and blessed to have some brilliant authors say yes! They have written brand new stories using my world and some of my characters. And let me tell you...the results are hilarious!

So here it is! Blast off with us into the hilarious Magic and Mayhem Universe. Side splitting books by fantabulous authors! Check out each and every one. You will laugh your way to a magical HEA!

For all the stories, go to https://magicandmayhemuniverse.com/. Grab your copy today!

Chapter 1

It was the only way .

He was making the right decision.

Wasn’t he?

He looked down at the baby in his arms, sleeping peacefully as he walked briskly through the rain-soaked streets. She was blissfully unaware of his torment, and his heart ached with the thought of what he had to do. Not even hours old, and her short life was over before it had begun.

But it was how it had to be.

Again, it was the only way.

He couldn’t break the curse any other way, and if he wanted a life, he couldn’t exist with the curse any longer. It left him with no choice. He’d done everything he could to find another way, but everywhere he’d searched had come back as a dead end.

The only way.

She stirred in his arms, letting out an airy sigh, causing a tightening in his already constricted chest. She was everything perfect and beautiful with her short, blonde curls and smooth skin, and he had trouble looking away from her button nose and pouting lips. If her eyes opened in that moment, he might find handing her over flat-out impossible.

It already was, but he was at the end of his rope. Most of his life, he’d done everything he could to dodge the whole family thing. It just wasn’t for him. Then, he’d met Bibby, and the inevitable happened. He’d fallen in love. Still, he’d expressed to her the importance of no children. She’d seemed disappointed, but he’d thought she’d understood. They’d been happy together, despite the curse. It had been more tolerable with someone in his life. Yet, it was always in the back of his mind how it had to end. He’d tried everything else he could imagine to avoid this very night, but from the moment Bibby had told him she was pregnant, he’d known the countdown had begun. He’d known the consequences.

Either he gave his first-born to Mr. Gambrol or the curse would play out, and he’d lose someone he loved anyway. He glanced up to a blurry landscape in front of him. With a swipe of his hand, he cleared away the otherwise unacknowledged tears. No other way.

He knew the truth about the situation though. By handing over his newborn daughter, he was proving what a grade-A, excellent bastard he really was. Warlocks were naturally self-absorbed, but this was pushing the limits of even the worst characteristics of all the magical beings. How selfish of a warlock could he be?

Yet, in reality, no matter which way he went, he was in a no-win situation. According to the curse, he either gave up his daughter or he gave up the one he loved most in his life. That could only be Bibby. Neither one would ever be an easy choice. The loss of either would be devastating.

Around a corner, he turned and glanced down the tree-lined street. He slowed. The large brownstone where he was supposed to hand the baby over stood at the very end. An ominous, black door loomed at the top of a set of stone steps.

He dropped his gaze to the cherubic face almost hidden by the folds of the blanket. Something important had just occurred to him. His feet dragging now, he continued forward slowly. The unhappy truth sank in. By giving up his firstborn, he was giving up Bibby’s too. He certainly hadn’t asked for her agreement. As far as he knew, she didn’t know anything about the curse, and he’d hoped to keep it that way, but now that he was approaching the stairs, he understood the damage he would cause with this one choice.

His gaze lifted to his destination. Would she ever be able to forgive him?

He was sure he knew the answer. No. This was unforgivable, and he knew it. If he didn’t hand over their daughter, he’d lose Bibby forever. Yet, if he did, he’d still lose her. Nothing about it was fair.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and focused on the closed door. He was so close to the end of his personal misery, but it seemed to be worthless if by doing this, he lost the two things in this world that meant anything to him.

What could he do though? Assuming he’d never find love and happiness in his life, this was not a situation for which he had ever prepared. He didn’t know which action to take.

Then, suddenly, he did.

He was the cursed one. He was the problem. Without him, maybe Bibby and the baby could live and be fine. It would kill him to walk away, but in the end, the other options were worse.

His eyes slid closed as he pulled air in through his nose and released it slowly. Decision made, he took one last look at the door and, with a clench of his jaw, turned and began running back down the street. He’d take the baby back, and he’d leave them both behind.

It would work. It had to. The alternative was unbearable...even for a self-centered, asshole of a warlock like himself.

They’d be safer without him. He’d walk away and never look back, for all their sakes.

It was for the best. He didn’t want anyone else to suffer for his double-damned curse.

It was now the only way.

Chapter 2

Twenty-Seven Years Later

Stupid luck !

Trapped. This should’ve been the greatest con of my career. Instead, in the middle of cracking a safe, a ceiling tile had fallen on my head, I’d gotten knocked out, and, consequently, I’d gotten caught. Now I was waiting to find out my fate. The question was whether these creeps would hand me over to the authorities, or if they’d just torture me for the rest of my unlucky life.

Dammit! I hated sitting here scared. I’d been here for hours, looking at the dingy, gray concrete-block walls with randomly placed black marks, as if something...or someone...had been scraped hard across those blocks. It only served to remind me how screwed I really was.

Turned out, there were worse things than death. Way worse things—like being cursed for all eternity for a crime I didn’t commit. Like they’d care about that. Like the vampire would even listen to me.

I blew out a strained breath and yanked on the restraints around my wrists, locked onto the metal table in front of me. They rattled tauntingly, but as before, there was no give. I tried a quick jinx under my breath, but, again, got no results. These restraints were obviously made specially to withstand magic. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t see a single way out.

The door opened with a loud whoosh behind me, and I stiffened automatically. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but things were about to begin, and I plastered my usual smile to get ready for whatever came.

Carissandra Reed, otherwise known as Carissa or, maybe, it’s Cara? You’re a woman of many names, aren’t you? I just have one question for you. What do you want for dinner?

As I swiveled my head slowly to meet his gaze, hidden by a pair of darkened sunglasses, I knew my confusion was evident. The closed-mouth smile dropped from my lips. Dinner? I stared at his orange-tinged face, feeling every bit of my shock. Vincent Gambrol, infamous crime boss, had just asked what I wanted for dinner. What could he possibly mean by that? Clearly, I wasn’t being turned over to the authorities, which meant they’d handle my consequences themselves. Why feed me if they were just going to kill me? Unless, they weren’t.

Maybe it was the beginning of my torture. Feed me a final meal, laced with some toxin that made me writhe for hours. Well, I’d flat-out refuse to eat. They would have to force it down my throat because in no way would I aid him in his plan to hurt me.

He walked over to the table and sat down on the other side, a dangerous, closed-mouth smile on his lips. If he’d opened his mouth just a tad, I’d see the frightening fangs that were a sure sign of the vampire he was. He worked so hard to hide it otherwise, but I knew the truth. Despite his orange-hued complexion, created with self-tanner, no doubt, he was a centuries-old vampire who was now the head honcho of a vast criminal network. As usual, my luck had run out. Of course, if I were honest, since birth, luck had always been my enemy.

Well? What will you eat? I’d prefer a juicy, rare slab of beef, but I happen to love the taste of blood. You, on the other hand, probably don’t.

Nothing. I’m not hungry. If he were trying to scare me, it was working. I watched him warily, my breeziness fading fast as I braced for the blow that was sure to come.

Oh, well, that’s too bad. The guys were sending out for Asian food. Just wondered if you had a preference. Guess they’ll just go for the Thai place down the street.

How had he known Asian was my favorite? Specifically, Thai food.

Sure you don’t want something?

I shook my head and dropped my gaze to the restraints