Battling Sorrow (Penny Montague, Book 2)

By Christie Silvers

Immortality hasn’t been all it’s cracked up to be for Penelope Montague. She’s suffered a loss no mother should ever have to experience, and though she begged for death to take her, life turned in another direction, bringing happiness once more. Unfortunately, life can’t always be sunshine and flowers, even for an immortal.

Penny’s work to bring witches into the light of immortals seems to move along smoothly, though not as quickly as she’d like, until videos fly around the internet of a little girl with extra special powers. The humans aren’t supposed to know about them, at least not yet, so the Elders’ Court sends Penny and her team to retrieve the child and her mother to hide her away for their own safety.

The Faction is hot on their tails, and Penny has to protect this child at all costs. Even if that means risking the lives of those she loves. Immortality and witchcraft don’t always work well together, especially when there are people in the world whose only joy is to torment and experiment on someone with powers, and the ability to heal repeatedly. She won’t let that happen to this child. There’s something special about her, and it’s more than just her powers.

Life will never be the same for any of them after meeting little Abby Newman.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christie Silvers
• Release date: Feb 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215991794

Christie Silvers

Award-winning internationally published indie author of urban fantasy with a touch of naughtiness. Vampires, werewolves, and witches...oh my!

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Christie Silvers

Battling Sorrow

Penny Montague: Book 2

Copyright © 2023 by Christie Silvers

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Christie Silvers asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Christie Silvers has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

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First edition

ISBN: 979-8-215-99179-4

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This book is dedicated to anyone who has ever felt less than. Less than your worth. Less than your desires. Less than you think you’re meant to be. And certainly less than the world expects from you.

You are worth it! You are more than! Keep pushing forward, working toward your own happiness and desires. Only you can be the person you want to become.

Contents

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ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

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ONE

How do you suppose we go about capturing an immortal who has avoided even the simplest security camera for over fifty years?

Ryker Monroe had been my right-hand man, my strongest ally, my most beloved companion, and the man who gives me regular orgasms over the last couple of years. Today, with the help of him and our small committee of soldiers, we were brainstorming how to apprehend our current assignment for Midnight Manor.

All he has to do is stick his head out at the right time. In this day and time, there has to be a way. No one can hide forever.

He nodded slowly; the creases deepened between his eyes as he chewed on the edge of his bottom lip for a second before replying. And yet, somehow, he has managed to do just that.

I rolled my eyes with an accompanying smirk. Can’t you add anything productive without the snide remarks?

Everyone else in the room froze at the sound of my aggravation. Ryker knew I was only poking fun at him, yet the others only saw it as their commander growing more pissed off. They held their breath until he replied with, I thought you loved my snide remarks.

Ew, gross, Byron snapped. We’re in a meeting here, guys. Keep that lovey-dovey bullshit to the privacy of your bedroom. My brother thought he was being funny, but all he was really doing was annoying me.

How about you go wash a car or something? I replied with the quirk of an eyebrow. My brother had gotten himself into a bit of trouble with the wrong man’s wife a couple years back, sticking me back into a job I’d left long ago just to keep him out of the dungeons of Midnight Manor, and an existence of everlasting torment for immortals such as us.

He frowned and jutted out his bottom lip like a spoiled child. That’s harsh, sis. Real harsh.

I offered him a shrug. Then mind your manners and keep your mouth shut, and do more listening, bro.

A knock at the door brought everyone’s attentions toward the visitor. Come, I shouted, and the door creaked open slowly.

The face of a young recruit peered cautiously through the slowly widening crack in the door.

Oh, for good heavens, hurry up and come on in, Ryker grumbled. He pinched his lips together tightly and huffed out through his flared nostrils. I loved when he did that. It made him look more fierce. I immediately thought about things that were inappropriate for work.

Quiet chuckles came from my team, but the youngster managed to make it through the door without falling on his baby face.

Um, ma’am, he stammered. I have a message from the council, um… for you. His pale eyes darted nervously around the room before settling on me.

I stepped around the table to face the nervous boy. And that would be?

Oh, yes. Um, sorry. He cleared his throat and straightened his stance to prepare for what he’d surely practiced in his head during his walk over here and stared at an invisible spot over my shoulder. The council wishes to inform you that your current assignment has been apprehended. Your services on this matter are no longer necessary. He cleared his throat once more and lifted his chin a little higher. The council requests your appearance to discuss your next assignment.

Wait, Ryker said as he stepped to my side. Who caught the current target?

The boy bowed his head slightly and replied, Commander Galen’s team, sir.

Ugh! Galen! He was my unofficial arch nemesis. That man was a thorn in my side. He was always trying to one up me in everything. I truly felt like he found great joy in arguing with every order I gave him. Even after the last two years, he couldn’t graciously accept that they had awarded me the director’s position over him.

Fucking Galen, Marissa hissed behind me without taking her eyes off the papers on the table. She was one of my newest team members, but the one I liked the most, considering she could always sense my energy without me saying a word. She was more in tune to my moods than even the man who shared my bed every night.

I sighed and returned my focus to the young man at the door. Please inform the council I will be there momentarily. He gave me a swift jerk of his head before running back out the door without another word. He probably wanted to get as far away from here as he could in order to get his nerves under control. You could see him practically vibrating to escape the room.

I guess this is useless now, Gerald snapped as he closed a folder over the papers he’d been studying. As our oldest team member, born back when people weren’t accustomed to anyone except the rich knowing how to read, he taught himself many beneficial skills, as well as stoked the fires deep within for his love of art over the centuries. He’d become a marvelous addition to the team, and was quite the handyman when we were in a bind.

You can always use more of an education, old man, Dean teased.

Gerald slapped a hand on the table a little harder than necessary. That’s rich coming from such an inexperienced toddler.

That’s enough, I warned. A little innocent teasing was one thing, but I wouldn’t allow them to push it too far. Gerald was far more useful than Dean anyway, and he knew it. Ryker raised a questioning eyebrow at me. I shook my head and took a deep breath before adding, Why don’t you guys go take a break? Get something to eat. Go outside and get some fresh air. Something. Everyone stared at me like I’d grown a second head. What?

Well, Beatrix started, you rarely dismiss us for recess. She was the quietest of the group, so if she was speaking up now, then everyone had something to say about it.

Everyone out! I boomed. Is that better? I squeezed my forehead with one hand against the pounding in my brain. Papers rustled and feet shuffled as everyone in the room did their damnedest to get out of my sight. Everyone except Ryker.

They trailed out of the room and I fell into a chair as the door closed behind them. I dropped my forehead onto the table and groaned loudly. This is bullshit, I whined. Why does that man have to always find a way to fuck me over? We were so close.

I heard the chair beside me scrape across the floor just before Ryker pressed his warm lips to my cheek. I turned my head to the side and rested it on my arm so I could look at him. His stubble-covered jawline made my fingertips itch to scratch it.

Do you really care that Galen is up to his same old tricks again? he asked gently.

Yes, I pouted. He’s such a pain in my ass.

Really? His hand stroked my back in a calming circle.

I turned and hid my face in my arms. My breath created a warm condensation on the table below. Ugh. Why are you like this?

Like what, my love? he teased. He knew damn well like what.

So fucking supportive, that’s what! My voice echoed within the small alcove I’d created around my face.

He nuzzled my neck with his nose. The warmth of his breath tickled the tiny hairs and pushed a shiver down my back. You know you like it, he whispered in his seductive tone.

And he was right, I did like it. Actually, I loved it. I loved him. Everything he does for me, the support he always offers freely and without expectations, and of course, the amazing sex. What more could a woman ask for? Our rocky start had nothing on the life we’d created together.

I turned my head toward him, our lips only millimeters from one another, and smiled. His eyes twinkled in the light just before he licked his lips. Do you know I love you? I asked in a whisper.

A smile played at the corners of his mouth. Not nearly as much as I love you, he whispered back.

I reached a hand up and gently stroked his prickly jaw. I’m sorry that I’m a bit on the crazy side.

He leaned closer, his breath on my lips and his husky voice filled with longing as he said, Not even close to crazy, beautiful.

Our lips crashed together in an overload of passion. His hands cupped my face, pulling my lips tighter against his. I slithered my hands up around his neck, grazing the back of his head with gentle fingertips enough to elicit a small shudder throughout his body. That was all it took for his lust to overrun any other thoughts.

He rose to his feet, pulling me up out of my chair along with him. Our mouths were greedy for one another: tasting, touching, nibbling. He slipped his hands over the curve of my ass until they settled just low enough to give him enough leverage, and then he lifted me off my feet.

My legs wrapped around his waist as he turned us around and settled my ass on the table. His hands tugged where my shirt was tucked into my jeans. The first yank of fabric only awarded him a few inches of access to the flesh beneath, but that was enough for his hand to snake under and slip up to my bra. His mouth went to my neck, kissing and biting a trail to my collarbone.

I moaned and let my head fall back when he rolled a fabric-covered nipple between his thumb and finger. Leaning back, I braced myself on my hands behind me, giving him easier access to pull the rest of my shirt from the waistband of my jeans. His mouth quickly found the other nipple after a yank of the thin fabric covering it.

I tightened the hold my legs had around his waist and slid myself closer to the edge of the table while he continued his lavishing of my breasts. His erection was an ever-growing presence between us, only corralled by the constricting denim we wore.

I pulled at the button on his jeans, popping it with expert ease. He groaned against the nipple in his mouth and I arched my back enough to force his hold to tighten. He returned his attention to my mouth as I dipped a hand below the now loosened waistband of his pants. His cock was rock hard in my hand, growing thicker with each stroke against the velvety flesh.

The sound of the door bursting open, and Marissa chattering on about leaving her cup behind, threw us for a loop. I scrambled to pull my shirt back down before exposing everything to the poor girl and he swiftly adjusted and buttoned his pants.

Oh. Uh… she stammered while spinning around and putting her back to us. I’m so sorry! I should have knocked first. Oh, God! This is so embarrassing. You’d think I would have sensed this was a bad time.

It’s okay. Entirely our fault, I said. Ryker held his hand out to me and I hopped down off the table to stand beside him. We merely got carried away. There’s no reason to apologize or be embarrassed. We’d lived long enough to lose that sense of embarrassment, but Marissa was still young in years. She jumped when I laid a hand on her shoulder. You’ll lose that in time. When you’ve seen and done everything there is to see and do in this world, very little will embarrass you.

Her face was a shade of crimson I hadn’t seen on her porcelain skin before. It matched her curly hair.

God, Marissa! I told you to wait until they were more enthralled so we could catch them in the act, Dean shouted from out of sight in the hallway.

I pointed to her hot pink metal cup on the other end of the table. Is that what you’re looking for? She carries that cup everywhere she goes.

Gerald peeked around the edge of the door. Is it safe to tell you something? He quirked an eyebrow at me.

What is it? Ryker growled angrily. I placed a gentle hand on his arm as a reminder to hold his temper, and a promise of things to come. Besides, I was supposed to be the current pissed off one.

Go on, I added. What’s up?

Oh, you walked right into that one, Dean chuckled as he came into view beside Gerald.

I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling and shook my head at my choice of words, as well as Dean’s level of immaturity. Thank goodness he was good at his job.

Gerald narrowed his eyes at Dean before returning his gaze to me. The council says they can’t wait any longer. They want you in there like yesterday.

Ugh, I bellowed. "Those people will be the death of