The Taken
Donnette Smith
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication date: November 6th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
All Jenna Langley wanted was a chance to finally marry the man of her dreams. But when the spirit of a dead girl shows up at her wedding that only she can see, it becomes clear Jenna’s latest brush with death has caused the heightening of her psychic abilities to reach an unfamiliar and frightening level. Her new husband, Detective Cole Rainwater, vows to do whatever it takes to get to the root of Jenna’s disturbing sightings. But before he can investigate this mystery, his bride is taken right under his nose.
What started as a romantic honeymoon has turned into a fight for Jenna’s life. And the only path to freedom is through the help and guidance of a dead girl who was once the victim of the sex traffickers that have stolen away with Jenna.
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Excerpt:
When the back door came
into view, Jenna approached, heart fluttering and adrenaline pumping like fire
through her veins. Blessed freedom was through that door. All she had to do was
open it and slip out. Her hand wrapped around the knob. For a moment she froze,
thinking this was too easy.
“What are you doing?”
Luisa hissed. “Open the door. Hurry.”
Putting her fears aside,
she swung open the door and stepped out.
Straight ahead, four
figures approached the house from the back yard. They were close enough to
identify.
The shady detective Cole
had complained about was positioned in front. The other three were directly
behind him. A chubby uniformed officer she’d spotted behind the front desk at
the precinct, the Spanish cowboy who’d given her the creeps, and Simon.
The men advanced. The
overweight cop and Simon had their hands clasped around the cowboy’s arms.
She froze.
One of the men caught
sight of her and signaled the others to stop.
The Spanish cowboy’s
scream sliced through the night. “Run, Jenna, run!”
Her body reacted to the
demand, even though her brain was caught up in a fog. She practically flew over
the two steps and scurried across the patio, sharp rocks cutting into her bare
feet. She didn’t care. She hit the lawn, forcing her legs to sprint so quickly
her muscles burned.
Shouting fanned out among
the group of men, and one voice overshadowed the others, “Get her, you idiot!”
The grunts of exertion
were so close the sounds prickled the hairs on the nape of her neck. Whoever
was back there was gaining speed. She drove her muscles to the brink, but she
somehow sensed it wouldn’t be enough.
She was snatched in
mid-air and thrown to the ground. The feel of the earth against her cheek was a
cold reminder these monsters weren’t ever letting her go. The recollection of
Luisa’s words the day they’d taken her here hit her like a freight train. These
guys are very good at what they do. No one will ever catch them.
It was true. She did
everything she could to escape. But in the end, she was still their captive.
Meredith was right. The traffickers owned her.
She was plucked from the
grass by the hair of her head. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Although she couldn’t
twist her neck far enough back to see the face of the person herding her toward
the back door, she managed to direct her attention downward recognizing the
color of his shoes and the bottom of his pants legs. It was the detective her
husband believed had acted suspicious. Jesus, it was impossible to stop these
animals when the police were so deeply imbedded in it.
Author Bio:
Although not a native Texan, Donnette Smith has spent more than half her life living in the Lone Star State. She is an entrepreneur and former business owner of Tailor Maid Services LLC. After spending a few years working as a journalist for the Blue Ridge Tribune, she realized her love for writing romantic detective novels. Her stories cover a wide range of genres, from horror, time travel, mystery, fantasy, paranormal, and thriller. But one theme stays the same, there is always a detective solving a crime, and a gorgeous victim he would lay down his life to protect. Donnette’s biggest fascination is with forensic science and crime scene investigations. Her novels include, Cunja, a horror/mystery/suspense that debuted in 2012. Book 1 of The Spirit Walker Series, Killing Dreams, a fantasy/romance story with a paranormal element became available in September of 2021. Book 2 of The Spirit Walker Series, Buried Alive, was published on March 14, 2022. And her latest, book 3 of The Spirit Walkers Series, The Taken.
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