The Liberator

She glances at Kraven for support.

“Well, what is it?” I growl.

Valery looks at Annabelle and then at Charlie and finally at me. “He has declared war on hell,” she says. “We’re going to war.”

…

Later that night, when everyone is asleep and Charlie is in my arms, I think about what Valery said, that Big Guy has declared war on hell. The liberators will fight. And I’ll get my chance to settle the score with Rector once and for all. But what of Lucille? Will he fight, too? And if so, how will we ever defeat him?

I stroke a finger across Charlie’s cheek and watch her chest rise and fall gently. She’s safe beside me. I take one of her hands and inspect it. Such power radiated from these hands, power she never knew existed. I place her arm next to her side and smile to myself. The savior is dreaming and working her bottom lip as if she’s talking.

My angel, the savior. How many times did she tell me she loved me as we lay here, buried in these blankets? Too many to count, and way too few to satisfy either of us.

I brush my lips against her ear and whisper, “Forever.” I hope she hears my words in her dream world. With my head back on the pillow, I push myself closer to her small sleeping body and kiss the back of her neck.

Charlie and Aspen are destined to do great things—a savior and a soldier.

And me?

I’m only what Charlie—and Aspen—need me to be now. Fire rages through my veins as I think about protecting these two girls. About what I’ll do if either are hurt.

I no longer belong to hell. And I do not belong to heaven.

I am not a collector.

And I am not a liberator.

I am a warrior.

Acknowledgments

Thank you first to Laurie McLean for loving Dante Walker as much as any agent could (or should?). I’ll be forever grateful to you for launching my career as a writer.

Thank you to Liz Pelletier, Heather Riccio, Jessica Estep, Stacy Abrams, and the entire team at Entangled Teen for loving Dante’s bad boy ways. You guys rock.

Hugs to Wendy Higgins, Brigid Kemmerer, and Trisha Wolfe for reading early versions of The Liberator and for laughing at Dante’s antics.

Thank you to my entire family—the one I was born with, and the one I married into—for the endless love and support. A big shout out to Peggy, Hassan, Kristi, Nancy, and Tommy for pushing Dante Walker books into people’s hands.

Love, love to my grandma, Jo Ford, who is part of my family but deserves special attention for believing her granddaughter can do no wrong. Sometimes it feels like no one understands me the way you do. Thank you for teaching me that it’s every girl’s perfect right to be pampered shamelessly.

To Angee, Gianina, Laryssa, and Jaga—fabulous friends who ask about my books every time I see them.

Huge thanks to Felger & Friends Hair Salon— especially Teresa Gomez, for the fabulous airbrush makeup, and Tyse Kimball, for working wonders with my hair—for making me feel like a rock star for The Liberator release party.

To the V Mafia, and to all of Dante’s fans, thank you for everything. Without you and your continued enthusiasm, my job wouldn’t be half as fun. I adore you guys.

And finally, always, to my husband, Ryan. You totally came up with Dante Walker (no, you didn’t), and I love you for that (I love you for other things, but not that). I can’t imagine my life without you, boo. You’re the only husband who’d watch his wife put on a play with stuffed animals and question the character’s intentions with a serious face. I love you…forever.