Nightshade

By Heather C. Myers

Now that Stephanie Guzman was out of the picture, investigative journalist Lara Tucker is ready to have a normal life. She joins a gym and starts taking self-defense, she starts dating a charming middle school PE teacher, and she's even doing pieces for the paper that are more reader-friendly.

And then Jon Hawkins comes back.

There's more information he needs on Sonya Crawford. Rumor has it, the shadow agency that created the serum that saved Jon's life and also forced him to be a werewolf weapon also created a cure.

Nightshade.

But no one knows anything about it except Sonya Crawford, a woman so elusive, Lara is starting to question whether she exists.

With a new mayoral race taking place in Perry and Jon not going anywhere until he finally finishes getting his revenge, Lara must decide whether to reject working with Jon in order to save the normalcy she desperately wants or helping him and accepting she'll never be normal again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heather C. Myers
• Release date: Oct 10, 2021

Heather C. Myers

Full disclosure: I am an acquired taste. I'm a typical blonde Orange County suburbanite who says 'like' more than necessary, laughs loud and probably obnoxiously, and loves to dance in the rain. I'm a 25 year old college graduate with more than a few tricks up my sleeve, and I also happen to be a pretty big Ducks fan. Oh, and I'm a writer. Like, for real.I recently signed with Anchor Group Publishing, which will see two of my series being published this year. I've self-published over 15 books, with more on the way, so I'm familiar with both a hybrid-traditional publishing method as well as self-publishing.I don't speak in third person (normally) nor do I wear glasses (except when I'm feeling particularly mischievous). I'm lucky to have found my soul mate at the ripe old age of 22, even though he frustrates me on purpose to get a reaction out of me. We live near Disneyland, have two rambunctious female puppies, and have a beautiful baby girl. He has two amazing boys, and has gotten me hooked on Smallville, watching soccer (okay, okay FOOTBALL - FC Barcelona, baby!), and Cancun Juice.

Book preview

Chapter 1

My knuckles screamed in protest as they landed on the sharp jaw of my opponent. I heard something snap and I wasn't sure if it was him or if it was me. I ignored the pain as best as I could, still bouncing on the balls of my feet and keeping my hands up to protect my face. I had to clench my teeth together to keep from whimpering, but a grunt still managed to get out. Still, I didn't take my eyes off of my opponent.

Good, Alec said, keeping his pale green eyes on me. It seemed like my punch didn't even affect him. I shouldn't have been surprised but I was frustrated. How was I supposed to be able to defend myself if my punches hurt me more than they did anyone else? You managed to land one, Tucker. Nicely done.

You barely even flinched, I said, keeping my body tense.

I learned the hard way that sparing with Alec Hoyle meant never letting your guard down until officially leaving the ring. He had tripped me up a few times because I had been distracted by a compliment or a conversation. He never went easy on me either, so I would come out of the ring with bruises and scratches - and a smile.

Ever since the night of Hugo and Stephanie Guzman's death, I promised myself I would get involved with self-defense classes. A lot of the time, I told myself I would do something but then never make an effort to actually do it. This time was different. This time, I was done being helpless.

Regardless, Alec said, you managed to land a legitimate punch on me. When has that happened before in the past three months?

I allowed myself a small smile. This was true. Ever since sign up, I had never managed to touch Alec except during the moments when he was correcting my form or showing me a technique.

Soon, the student will overcome the teacher, he said, giving me a small charm smile.

My stomach flipped. Alec Hoyle was gorgeous. Just because he taught self-defense did not make him a rough-around-the-edges type, either. I wouldn't describe him as pretty, per se, but he was definitely clean cut. Strong jaw. Gorgeous eyes. Mischievous grin. He was lean and toned, with broad shoulders, and he stood at six foot exactly.

At least, that was what his profile said when I was researching private trainers online. He had great reviews, and Michelle recommended the gym personally after she gave me my job back. The scathing article on the corrupt Guzman family had done its job. More than that, it gave credit to fallen Perry police detective, Isaac Estrada, who had collected the majority of evidence against the mayor and her uncle.

Ha! I said. Not yet. One punch does not equal mastery of the art.

No, he agreed. But it's a great first step.

Without warning, he stepped forward and grabbed my arm. Immediately, I reacted by trying to get out of the hold the way he taught me. I pushed him back with both hands. However, he tripped me, knocking me down and falling on top of me.

My breath escaped me. His eyes sculpted my face. He lingered just a moment too long. I knew this. I should be pushing him off of me, hopping up like nothing significant happened. But I didn't.

What are you doing?

I wasn't sure. It just felt nice to be close to somebody. After Jon left...

It took everything in me to keep myself from closing my eyes. Jon was the last person I wanted to think about right now. Not while I was pinned to the floor underneath Alec. Not while his pale green eyes seared into my skin.

I knew I could kiss him and he would kiss me back. I knew I could take this too far and not regret it in the morning. I knew I would continue on as though nothing had happened. Just to have a bit of connection with someone in this city who didn't mean much to me. Just to make sure I could still feel again.

That was what tonight was for, wasn't it? To connect. To date. To be normal.

But was having a normal life something that I could even work towards?

Just because Guzman and Hugo were dead didn't mean anything. I was still trying to prove they were responsible for Richard's death, but I couldn't. No matter what small lead I managed to squeeze out of the photos I took back at Detective Isaac Estrada's place after he died, I had nothing definitive. Just mounds and mounds of speculation that wasn't going to get me anywhere.

I was still looking into Sonya Crawford, though not as thoroughly as I could have been. I didn't want to bother Robbie with it. Not when he had a somewhat normal life.

Well, as normal as Robbie could get.

Computer hacking wasn't really normal to begin with, but Robbie was the best. He hid under a tech company he started, but all of his money came from clients who needed something done. Robbie only selected particular clients to work with, after personally vetting them himself. He was a hermit, a sarcastic but attractive smartass who was smarter than anyone he had ever met in his life.

He was also my last boyfriend, and somehow, we'd managed to stay friends.

Now, Robbie had a girlfriend. Which was great because there had been something strange hanging between us three months ago. It wasn't on my end, like Robbie still had feelings for me or was overly concerned and didn't trust I could take care of myself. Like I needed protecting. Looking back, I could understand why he felt that way. My actions were rash and not thought out very well.

But feelings? I didn't have those. At least, not for Robbie.

You okay, Tuck?

Alec's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I forced a smile.

You looked, I don't know, far away or something.

Yeah, I said, nodding my head. Yeah, just thinking.

Here. Alec reached out and I took his offered hand. Let me help you up and we'll try again.

So we tried again. I wasn't an expert at defending myself, but since I started coming to Alec, I had learned a lot. I was slowly starting to get in shape. I wasn't running or doing weights. The only thing I did at this gym besides these private lessons was box. It helped release tension when I pummeled a bag with everything I had. At the very least, it made me feel a whole hell of a lot better.

How's work? Alec asked as we started to circle each other once again. Anything interesting happen?

I wasn't quite sure what he meant by interesting. Alec had the body of a jock but the mind of a scholar. He could be charming when he wanted to be, and I knew just from talking to him that he was single but he did date. A lot.

Alec would have been the perfect guy for me. But he wasn't. I wasn't even nervous around him, and when I looked at him, I didn't get those butterflies. Objectively, he was one of the better looking people I had met. If he had asked me out before I agreed to a date with some other guy from this gym, I probably would have forced myself to say yes because I was trying to have a normal life - as normal as I could make it without giving up the essence of who I was.

But he hadn't asked me out. Somebody else did. I was actually supposed to meet them for dinner later tonight.

Anything you want to talk about? he asked.

I pursed my lips and shook my head. Not really, I admitted. It's nothing important.

Lie.

Jon was probably the most important person in my life.

Or, he would have been, if he hadn't disappeared.

But he was gone now. I wasn't even sure if he was still alive. I wasn't sure what was going on with him, if he was even in Perry anymore. I knew he had unfinished business. If there was anything I knew about Jon, it was he didn't leave business unfinished, especially when it came to the people who were responsible for turning him into what he was.

Murder. Revenge. Some form of twisted retribution.

Jon was an angry man. He was all popped jaws and narrowed eyes, furrowed brows and tight voices.

And yet, he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. Even when he was chasing my lead when we first met, there was something graceful about his utter ruthlessness.

God, I was so scared, running from him. But it was like a small part of me knew he would never hurt me. That I was safe. Which was so fucking crazy when I look back at it. I shook my head.

You thinking about work again? he guessed.

I forgot Alec was waiting for an answer. I tried to think quickly, to give him a believable lie.

Just the election, I said, hoping my voice didn't catch.

Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. He positioned his body in front of me. I didn't hesitate. I took a swing at his nose. One of the first things Alec taught me was to go for an assailant's nose or eyes. Not the cheek. Not the jaw. If I did that, there was a good chance I would break my fingers and not do as much damage. But if I gauged eyes or popped his nose, I would still get hurt, but I might inflict pain as well. Good. More force.

I reached for Alec's neck, managed to get it in my hands. How can you possibly forget about the election? I asked. I moved quickly, forcing Alec's head down and bringing my knee up to hit his face. He blocked it with relative ease. It's the most important thing that happened in Perry in a while.

Alec got out of my grip and gave me a face. I'm not sure about that, he said. Guzman dying was a pretty big deal, especially since she was killed by her uncle.

This was true.

I tried to stomp his foot with my heel. I almost had him.

Yeah, I agreed. But still. Guzman was one of the most corrupt mayors in our history. Replacing her is important. We don't want another Guzman.

You think we'll have a chance of getting that? Alec pressed his lips together and easily dodged my next blow. I don't think so. I think the people of Perry are smart enough to know better this time around. Don't you?

I couldn't answer that question. The people of Perry could barely connect the dots without someone spelling it out for them. As a journalist, the most frustrating part of my job was when I had all of the evidence in the world laid out on the page, and the reader still didn't believe me. Guzman died a victim, unfortunately. She would be lauded as a hero even with evidence coming out against her regarding just how corrupt she was, which would blind people to her actions. If they were blinded by her actions, then there was nothing I could write - or anyone, for that matter - to help make them see.

I hope so, I finally said.

Go hit the showers, Alec instructed. You're getting better, but your form is still tense.

He stepped behind me and placed a hand on my back. Because I had no warning, I flinched under his touch but moved the way he wanted me to. I was acutely aware of just how close he was to me. It caused my mouth to go dry, but not because I was nervous around him. I didn't like people being close to me in general. My uncle Richard loved me more than anything, but that didn't make him physically affectionate, so I never grew up with it. When people did engage in physical contact with me, it was hard for me not to tense up.

You gotta be fluid, like water, he said, his hands on my shoulders as he moved them back and forth. Right now, you're all angles, like trying to bend wood.

I nodded my head, letting my body move under his direction. My skin prickled at the contact, my defense mechanisms kicking in and keeping me safe. I still felt uncomfortable under his touch.

Other than that - when he stepped away, I could finally breathe again -I'd say this is your best session yet. I think if we keep working on improving your strength, it's only going to help you. You're already so much better than you were three months ago. How do you feel? Safer?

Safer? I nearly choked with laughter. Safer was not a word I could find in my vocabulary. It didn't exist. Even though the threat of Hugo and Guzman were gone, I could not help but look over my shoulder every now and then, just to make sure some family member wasn't coming to get me as retribution for what happened to them. I had no idea Jon was going to be there. I had no idea Hugo was going to shoot his niece and Jon was going to maul Ramiro into ribbons.

But if someone asked me if I was glad they were dead, I would say yes.

I feel capable, I told him. Like I can handle myself. Not that I'm perfect. Not yet. But I'm getting there.

Alec grinned. That boyish smile was contagious and it was no wonder why the women who frequented this gym always gave him lingering looks and bit their bottom lips whenever he walked by.

That's what we're looking for, he said. My job is to make you feel like no matter what the situation, you know how to make sure you're okay. You don't need a guy to save you.

My smile faltered slightly. Alec couldn't know everything I had gotten myself into three months ago. He couldn't know that there were decisions I regretted because it put people I cared about in dangerous situations. At one point, my decision to give Detective Isaac Estrada evidence got him killed. Maybe Mayor Guzman had been watching him for a while and my unexpected visit to him at the police station was enough to inspire action. I didn't know.

However, I felt this sense of acute awareness of every action I took from that point on. Robbie and even Jon, to a degree, thought I acted based on my emotion and not any sort of rationality. To me, that wasn't a fair assessment, but I could understand why they thought that way. Why the assumed I acted without thinking. To them, I didn't have to worry about the consequences because I knew they would come to my rescue. And maybe they were right. I didn't want to think they were. I refused to believe I would act like a damsel on purpose. But maybe, maybe it was some kind of subconscious thing. Like walking a tightrope with wires wrapped around my body, so misstepping and falling wasn't as much of a danger as it would typically be.

That was one of the reasons I was here. So if I chose to act irrationally - and I probably would - I could take care of myself.

Hit the showers, Tucker, he said again, placing one hand on my shoulder. You've earned it.

I smiled and I grabbed one of the towels waiting for me, dabbing the back of my neck. I made my way to the locker room and stepped under the hot water. I let myself just be there. No one else was in the room. I preferred the solitude. It gave me a moment to collect my thoughts.

After, I dressed in a white dress and a denim jacket. I had a date for the evening. I wasn't sure what was going to come of it, but it was a step in the direction of normalcy.

I just wasn't quite sure if there was such thing as normal for me.

Chapter 2

Istepped out onto the streets of Perry, the bitter cold wind pinching my face and mussing up my hair. The street seemed prepared for fall. As I glanced ahead, I detected a couple of colored leaves but I had no idea where they had come from. There was no greenery in Perry except a large park - Mile Square Park - where each side of the square that made up the park was a mile long. One would have to travel outside the city to the suburbs to get grass, playgrounds, and fields.

The sun was blotted behind an overcast sky, which wasn't atypical for here. It wasn't as bad as Seattle but Perry was not Southern California. If it wasn't raining, it was grey the majority of the year. It was a good thing I liked the color, or I would be depressed all the time.

I caught a cab and had him drive me three blocks over - to La Rose, a fancy French restaurant where I was meeting my date.

Me.

A date.

I still couldn't seem to wrap my head around the concept. Was this what a normal life felt like? I still wasn't convinced that this was what I wanted.

However, once I saw Robbie with Gwen, I knew I had to try. It was strange - I always thought Robbie and I were great. We got each other's humor. We respected each other's job. He was an amazing sexual partner, and the way he looked at me made me feel like I was the only person in the world who mattered to him. I thought when I broke up with him, I wouldn't find anyone who complemented me the way Robbie did. And a small part of me didn't think he would, either.

Then, the events of three months ago occurred. I almost died three times. Each time, I survived. That should have been a wakeup call, but it wasn't. Even now, while I didn't obsess over a case the way I used to, it wasn't until the moment after the world went to hell where I decided that maybe, just maybe, I was going to make an effort at trying to find out what having a normal life meant. It meant leaving my past behind me and focusing on what was going on right now, and figuring out what sort of future I wanted for myself.

Hence the self-defense and the date.

My bare legs tensed in the cold. I had just shaved them - which was more effort than I tended to put - but I wanted to try and look nice. I didn't think jeans was in the dress code for a fancy restaurant.

Jeff had wanted to pick me up, but I politely declined. I knew he was just being chivalrous, but I didn't feel comfortable with anyone going to my apartment.

Not yet.

He insisted he walk me to my door afterwards, which I was okay with.

Jeff was someone I met at the gym. Working out was such a foreign concept to me. I didn't understand running in place. I didn't understand biking in place. I didn't understand lifting weights. But punching something? That was a great way to unleash the day's stress and tension. It was how I met Alec and got suckered into buying a package deal for private self-defense classes.

Not that I minded. I did feel stronger now. More capable. More able to survive - whether Jon was in my life or not.

No.

The word fell out of my mouth the minute Jon's name crossed my lips. I would not let myself think about him. Not when I was trying to get ready for a date with another man.

I made my way out of the building.

Do you need a cab, ma'am? my doorman, (name), asked politely.

I offered him a warm smile. That would be lovely, thanks, I said.

He nodded and headed out to the street. In a manner of minutes, he managed to wave down a cab and help me inside.

Stay warm now, he told me as I adjusted my skirt. I hear there's a storm coming. He shut the door.

I gave the address to the cabby and sat back, looking out the window. The sky was an angry grey color. Night was trying to fight for dominance, but it would seem the rain clouds were insistent at letting everyone know they were here and ready to spill. The strange color caused the city lights to seem dimmer than what was otherwise typical. Bleak reds, dull greens, bleeding oranges, pale golds. Colors that weren't quite lighting correctly. Almost as though they were cowering under the glare of the clouds.

The streets weren't as busy. It wasn't exactly tourist season, but Perry attracted tourists throughout the year. It would seem even the bravest and most stubborn didn't want to get rained on. I couldn't say I blamed them. I nearly canceled with Jeff simply because I loved the rain, but not enough to wear a dress and hang out in the downpour for with a man I still wasn't sure I liked.

Jeff was good looking, and the little I did know about him was promising. He was a physical education teacher for Perry Middle School and started his own company on the side, teaching disadvantaged youth how to play hockey through videos on Youtube. It was more philanthropic than anything, but he seemed to be making steady money from it. He liked my articles, especially on the Big Bad Wolf. He called them compelling, if I remembered correctly.

Not that I cared one way or the other, but it was interesting to get his perspective on the Big Bad Wolf. Actually, it was interesting to get anyone's take on the Big Bad Wolf. Maybe I was being biased. Maybe I fed off any excuse to talk about Jon because I couldn't just talk about Jon.

I needed a girlfriend.

You made it, Jeff said as I emerged from the cab. He was waiting on the curb in front of the restaurant.

If I had been any other woman, I would have noticed just how good he looked. His jet black hair was slicked back in that 1920's way I liked, and he wore his patented worn leather jacket that I couldn't take my eyes off of. Unlike Alec, Jeff filled out more like Jon, though Jeff was a couple of inches taller and had the same amount of muscle. The only difference I could really see was the fact that Jeff didn't turn into a werewolf. He smiled much more than Jon, and he wasn't afraid to touch me.

Jeff looked for any reason to touch me. Right now, for example, he wrapped me up in a warm hug that lingered for a long moment. Like he didn't like that we had been apart for this long. It might have been a few days since we saw each other at