Live Free or Die Complete Series Boxed Set: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series by Hayley Lawson (pdf e book reader .TXT) 📗

woman could tell everyone ‘There is a giant asteroid about to hit Earth, don’t panic, everything is going to be ok’ and most people wouldn’t panic. They would continue on in their demise as a few people (those who can ignore the accent) screaming ‘DIDN’T YOU HEAR HER? THERE IS AN ASTEROID ABOUT TO DESTROY EARTH!”

It’s kinda concerning.

I’m just happy she uses her accent for good, not evil. At least, I don’t know that she has ever used it for evil.

I think someone needs to ask her seriously important questions but it can’t be me. She could look at me, tell me she was the one that did something dangerous that could have hurt me and then told me it’s ok and I would believe her.

“It’s ok Mike. We will just do this and that and don’t worry about the due date of the series, it will be fine.”

“Ok Hayley, whatever you say…” Then I would hang up from our conference call and think. “Wait, is that right?”

“NO!” I’d scream but realize I’d been Hayley’d again. I’d have to raise my fist at my laptop and scream ‘Damn you Lawson! And your awesome accent, too!’

She could be the originator of the Sith, and I’d be ok with that, apparently.

Wait, ARE you the originator of the Sith, Hayley? Inquiring minds want to know.

I just can’t be the one to ask you, as I’d believe you when you say no.

Ad Aeternitatem,

Michael

Escaping Madness

Live Free Or Die™ Book Three

Chapter One

Ryder didn’t know if she could kill Afana and rescue everyone held hostage in the bunker, especially since it looked like Leandro was going to be Fluffy from now on. What she did know was that she and her friends were going to try.

Ryder watched Fluffy as he ran ahead toward Massimo’s home. His white tail was wagging, and he looked happy. She hoped he was. Ryder recalled the conversation she’d had with him about being a wolf while he was still Leandro. Leandro had said that he loved the feeling of being free when he ran. Perhaps that was why he was running now?

That thought warmed Ryder’s heart. Maybe the reason Fluffy couldn’t turn back to Leandro was that he was now in his true form, as a wild thing. She had mixed feelings about that. She missed Leandro but was also glad that Fluffy was back. Either would be good when they got to the bunker, but Ryder had a feeling Fluffy would be more ruthless than Leandro, and that was what they needed. Fluffy would rip Afana in two.

At least she hoped he would.

Ryder was flagging by the time they approached Massimo’s. The fight with Sergei and Yegor had sapped every last bit of her energy. She trailed behind the others, every step a monumental effort since all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball right where she was and take the longest nap in history.

Well, at least I’m not taking a dirt nap like those two assholes. She smiled and winced at the sharp pain in her cheek. She knew there’d be a nasty bruise there tomorrow.

Carter slowed down to walk beside Ryder. “Penny for your thoughts.” He was still wearing the sweater Tightwad had given him. There were little flecks of glitter in it that caught the fading sunlight; he looked like a fairy had sprayed the glitter on him. She smiled, then winced a little when the movement caused the already-tight skin under her eye to stretch.

Ryder grinned at Carter. “I’m thinking you look like a colorful muppet.”

Carter laughed. “You’re a fine one to talk. Have you looked at yourself?” He sniffed and waved a hand in front of his nose. “Or smelled yourself, even?”

“I was in a fight!” Ryder protested. She took a whiff of her armpit and cringed a little.

Carter wasn’t going to go easy on Ryder just because she’d been in an epic battle. “What, with a horse?”

Ryder looked down at her clothes and noticed they were, in fact, covered in a thick layer of stinking muck. That had escaped her. “Those fuckers. They must have dragged me through manure. If they weren’t already dead, I would rip their heads off and stick them up each other’s asses.”

Carter laughed in response. “Who smells now?”

Payback is a bitch! He’s loving this after I got him to wipe shit on his face when he was at the mountain settlement cleaning the toilet areas. Difference is, I’m not scared of a bit of shit.

Ryder gave him a snarky look and quickly brushed two globs of muck off her clothing. Time for a bit of fun “Come here, Carter. Let me share...” Ryder moved toward him with her dirty hands raised.

Carter ran like a Mad was after him. Ryder laughed despite her aching bones and chased him, waving her hands at him. He looked over his shoulder. “Fuck off, Ryder. I’m going to be sick!” he gagged for effect, then almost for real.

Ryder was used to the smell from having grown up with horses. Funny how shit smelled familiar to her and reminded her of happier times.

She stopped chasing Carter when he disappeared into Massimo's house. Chasing him inside with shitty hands would have been more than a little disrespectful to the vampire who had opened up his home to her.

Ryder ran a finger over the scarred arm of the wooden chair on the porch, the one she’d carved her knife into the armrest of on the night she found out the truth about Leandro and Massimo. Well, they hadn’t really been lying. It had been more an omission, and mostly on Leandro’s part since he’d been too afraid to tell her the truth in the first place.

She’d have to see if she could fix it if there were time. Her first priority was rescuing Terrier and the others from the bunker, then she’d fix the chair. She turned to follow the others into the house and crashed nose-first into Carter’s back. Carter