Alexa
Bourne
HEAR
MY CRY
Book
1 in The Protector Cell series
Blurb:
Harper Monroe has simple goals- work her day job, pay
her debts and finish college. But life rarely goes as planned. When two
lunatics spouting off weird phrases attempt to kidnap her, Harper’s world turns
upside down and she loses her hearing.
All bartender Scott Jackson wants after work is his
couch, a Longhorn game and a cold beer. Instead, he reluctantly becomes
Harper’s protector. As the two of them work to find
out why she’d wanted, Harper’s hearing returns. Only now she can hear everything.
With more research, they discover Harper is a member
of The Protector Cell, a secret society of men and women with superpowers.
Harper refuses to accept her fate until The Collectors, the people hunting the
Protectors, make her their number one target. Suddenly, Harper will have to
choose: deny her frightening future or use her new skill to save the man she
loves.
Excerpt:
Harper squeezed her eyes shut and
pinched the bridge of her nose. What if she never heard another sound again?
A gentle hand brushed along her
arm. Warmth seeped through the palm. Heat wasn’t what she needed, though. Did
the person have any courage to share?
She opened her eyes. Gone was the
stern looking doctor. Only her hero stood before her, with a soft glance of
concern covering his features. Of course he hadn’t grown since she met him, but
somehow he seemed taller, wider, more of a force to be reckoned with. Yet, he
still held onto a boy-next-door look. His dirty-blond hair held streaks from
where he’d run his fingers through it. The strands fell below the standard male
cut, but still didn’t reach his broad shoulders. Across his chest stretched a
black t-shirt decorated with the words The
Stone Shelter Pub. From her few visits to the bar, she knew it was the
shirt the staff wore.
He pointed to her. Once he gave her
the hand signal for okay, he held his hand out as though waiting for an answer.
Her all right? She had a couple who
wanted to grab her, to use her as a test subject. Defending herself completely
healthy was hard enough. With no hearing, she might as well put a sign on her
back that read take me, I’m at a tactical
disadvantage.
But she couldn’t tell that to an
innocent stranger.
A slim smile was all she could give
him. “I will be.” She had to be, right?
He reached behind him to the table
to grab the notepad and pen. Don’t be
scared, okay? Since there’s nothing physically wrong with you then it stands to
reason you’ll be able to hear again soon.
He’d written the message, but
Harper could see the doubt rumbling through his eyes.
When she pulled her gaze away, it
fell on the bandage covering part of his forearm. An injury he wouldn’t have
gotten if he had walked away. A knot clutched in her stomach. “What’s your
name?”
Scott
Jackson.
“Thank you for
saving my life.” The admission brought a whole new wave of worry.
You
were doing pretty good on your own.
With a light touch of her pinkie,
she traced the tape around his bandage. “I’m sorry you got hurt because of me.”
He shook his head. You didn’t burn my arm. There’s no reason
for you to apologize.
“But if I hadn’t
stopped you…”
He held up one finger, close to her
mouth but not touching. She pressed her lips together, and then he continued
writing. My choice.
Rich green eyes stared back at her
with strength and pride. Moisture gathered in the corners of Harper’s eyes.
When she’d called out to him for help she hadn’t wanted him hurt. For her. “I’m
so sorry.”
He brushed away the tears before
they fell down her cheeks.
She knew it wasn’t fair, wasn’t
right, but she didn’t want him to leave her alone. With his soft touch, his
straightforward words, and his ability to hear, Scott Jackson was the only
person who made her feel safe at the moment.
Bio:
Alexa Bourne is a teacher
by day and a romance writer by nights, weekends, and all school holidays. She
also teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She writes mostly romantic
suspense (some with paranormal elements!) and is thrilled to have the chance to
share her stories with readers everywhere.
When she’s not concocting
sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring new cultures,
Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV, and thinking about
exercising. Okay, she also spends way too much time interacting with readers
and writers on social media sites. But don’t tell her editors! Find out more
about her and her books on her website, www.alexabourne.com.
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