Title: Techno Crazed (Hacked Investigations)Author: Sarah Makela
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance (with SciFi flare)Sexual Content: Hot bordering on eroticPublish Date: July 11, 2013Publisher: Kissa Press LLC~Synopsis~
Private investigator Hannah Franklin's life is turned upside down after being contacted by a former employee of MAX Home Security, the leader in security services. But they're not just protecting people anymore. Hannah's informant claims to have proof that MAX has ordered the assassination of politicians who stood against the corporation.
When her informant is killed and an attempt is made on her life, Hannah has no choice but to contact a freelance hacker. Her only hope now lies in the hands of a man she never expected to welcome back into her life.
Ian Bradley has lost his girlfriend and his job, as well as having acquired a very annoying gnome. Now his ex, Hannah, is in danger, and she needs his help. Ian vows to protect Hannah with every resource available to him -- and as a technomage in a high-tech world, his resources are almost endless...
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Excerpt 1:
Hannah rested her forehead against the cool, metal desk. She anxiously awaited the moment when she could dive into bed and close her eyes. Cheating spouse cases currently flooded her office. Most of the ones she’d worked were fueled by insecurity and simple misunderstandings that could’ve been resolved through conversation or therapy. Just two more reports to file, then she’d be able to call it.
Memories of her soft blankets and the comfort of her pillow relaxed her bunched shoulders. Her eyelids drooped, and she exhaled, ready to give into her exhaustion.
Ringing jarred her from the edge of sleep. She jerked upright and rubbed her eyes. Clearing her throat, she reached for the office telephone. She used an old landline since they were more secure than the wireless communication devices on the market, which ranged from implants in the ear to high-tech cell phones.
“Franklin Investigations, how may I help you?” she asked, stifling a yawn.
“Is this Hannah Franklin? I need to speak with Hannah.” The male’s deep voice radiated urgency, with panic underlying his tone.
“This is she. Who’s calling?” Her spine stiffened, and tension tightly wound its way through her. She grabbed a stylus pen and poised it over her e-ink notepad. The electronic leaflet awoke within seconds filled with comments from her previous assignment. Tapping an icon in the top right corner, she brought up a clean page.
“Rich Granger. Listen, I can’t talk for long.” He paused. “Shit! Hold on.” Rummaging and his frantic breathing sounded over the phone. “Okay. This is the deal. I used to work for MAX Home Security. Everything was fine until a few months ago. A turnover happened with the corporate execs. You’ve heard the news, right?”
How could she not? Everyone was talking about the scandals involving the home security giant. Some of it was a bit too sci-fi weird, even for her. Yet, it also made her think of… Grrr… No, she wouldn’t do that to herself.
“Yes, I have. What’s this about?” She kept her voice professional and scribbled down notes about the new potential client.
“You know the senators who spoke against them are dead, yeah? Well, that’s not a coincidence. I have proof that MAX killed them. Meet me at the donut shop on the corner of Fifth and Main Street. You need to see this. Shit!” Sneakers smacked pavement and tires screeched over the phone line. “It’s too late,” Rich said. “They’re here. A freelance hacker I know can help you finish this. Malloc. Reach out to him. This needs to stop.”
The hackers she’d met weren’t the most trustworthy, but if he could help… And wait, she’d be finishing this? Alone? Reluctance rose within her. Her caseload was already full. Besides, after opening her own firm, she needed compensation for her time. Bills streamed in faster than paychecks. However, none of her current assignments held this level of excitement. This case could drive in more business.
“All right, I will.” She scribbled down the hacker’s name and notes about the donut shop.
Men yelling and the distant sound of thundering footsteps disrupted her thoughts.
“Mr. Granger? Rich? Hello?” She glanced at the caller ID to write down Rich’s number and turned to her computer, keying in the digits to a reverse lookup search engine. She needed to know who exactly this guy was.
A gunshot blast rang through her ear, and she jumped out of her chair, dropping the phone. Blowing out a calming breath, she grabbed the phone and listened again.
A pained whimper yanked at her heartstrings, and plastic clattered against a hard surface, presumably Rich’s cell phone hitting the sidewalk. Two more shots fired.
She slammed the handset onto the receiver, a wave of nausea and helplessness crashing into her. Bile rose in her throat, but she shoved it down. Now wasn’t the time. Slumping back into her chair, she stared at the name on her notepad. Malloc. Geez. Hackers could be impossible to track down. This wasn’t the first time she’d looked one up. The last hacker had taken several days to locate. Time wasn’t on her side now.
Excerpt 2:
A loud, metallic click sounded from the other side of the room. Then footsteps raced around the couch.
"Hannah? Are you okay?" Ian's voice drew her gaze to his concerned face.
"What did you do? What are you?" She gulped, unsure if she wanted an answer to that.
He frowned, and a muscle clenched in his jaw. "I'm a technomage. I use and simulate magic through technology."
"What?" She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. Pain formed at her temples. "Whoa. How long have you...?"
"Since puberty. My mother was also a technomage." He shrugged a shoulder. "It's always been part of who I am. I'm just pretty good at hiding it."
She blinked. Wow, his mother had seemed so normal when she'd met his parents. Had she really known him? He seemed like a stranger. No, she wouldn't throw away their memories together because he'd hidden part of himself. She wouldn't do that to him. Or she'd try not to, at least. "Were you ever going to tell me? Like if things had progressed between us?"
He helped her up and grabbed the blanket, keeping her covered. "I would have, eventually. Wouldn't be nice of me to do otherwise, you know?"
She nodded and stared into his brown eyes. "I've missed you."
He released a breath and rested his forehead against hers. "I've missed you too. God, I really screwed things up, didn't I?"
Placing her hand against his chest, she angled her face to brush her lips against his. "We both did."
Ian ran his hand through her hair, cupping the back of her head before deepening the kiss. His mouth possessed hers like a thirsty man at a well. He always kissed hard and desperately, and she loved it.
Ian scooped her into his arms, making her feel desirable. He carried her into the bedroom and kicked the door shut. Crossing the room, he set her down and ran his hands over her neck, shoulders, and down to her hips.
"You're so beautiful, Hannah. I missed out on a lot when --"
"Hush. Don't think about that. We're together now." She drew his face down to hers, kissing him.
He held himself over her, obviously being careful of her wounded state. She appreciated that, but part of her didn't care about the injury, she just needed him.
He stiffened and glanced over his shoulder, looking at the door. She followed his gaze to see the gnome peeking inside.
"Sorry to disturb the party. As much as I'd like to listen to you two HAVE SEX, there's stuff to be done!" Bernard looked as happy as ever, and she so wanted to wipe that cheerfulness off his face.
Yet he was right. Damn it. She still needed to check out the donut shop. There was a possibility they might find evidence of a struggle that they could bring to the police. But hadn't she heard a couple weeks back about someone spreading rumors of police involvement with MAX Home Security? Ian rolled next to her and placed his hands over his face. He let out a ragged sigh. "Fine. We'll be out in a moment."
"No more SEX!" The gnome slammed the door behind him.
"Why do you put up with him?" she asked.
"I don't know. He tends to be okay. Most of the time, that is." He propped up on his elbow and ran a fingertip along her arm. "He's dangerous, though. Don't antagonize him. He causes suicide. That's what happened to his previous owner. I happened to be nearby, and Bernard started following me no matter what I did."
"How do you keep him from killing you?" Hannah frowned.
"I keep him happy enough. Besides, my power doesn't let him impact me much." He glanced back at the door. "Unfortunately, we need to get going before he bursts in here again."
She nodded and stared down at the quilt. "Would be easier if I had something to wear. I saw your living room floor; you cut my blouse off."
He sighed. "Right. Well, I can give you some sweatpants and a T-shirt. Guess we'll need to do some clothes shopping." Cocking an eyebrow at her, he smiled. "Not that I mind."
"Okay, what did you do to the Ian I know? You used to hate when I took you shopping." She grinned.
Ian shrugged. "I'm just glad to do stuff with you now. I'm not like I used to be." He glared at the door before glancing back at her. "Trust me."
"I do." She nodded. "With my life."
His lips thinned into a pink line. "I'm going to do everything I can to make you safe again. I swear." He caressed his thumb along her jaw line and brushed his lips against hers once more before getting out of bed.
About the Author
Sarah Mäkelä loves her fiction dark, magical, and passionate. She is a paranormal romance author, but she’s written all over the romance spectrum with cyberpunk, sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy…
even a sweet contemporary romance!
A life-long paranormal fan, she still sleeps with a night light. In her spare time, she reads sexy books, watches scary movies and Ghost Adventures, and plays computer games with her husband. When she gets the chance, she loves traveling the world too.
To read other free Changeling Press Encounters, visit A Cheeky Changeling.
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