Tangent (A Liminals prequel novella) by Maree Anderson

Tangent: Chapter One

Tangent (a Liminals prequel novella)

By Maree Anderson

Revealing his lethal power could save her... or doom them booth.

For two years, lone wolf Rix has protected Lily... and lied about his true feelings. Best to keep treating her like the younger sister he never had because how could she possibly love a hulking great lummox like him? Then Lily vanishes, and Rix discovers someone is snatching liminals to use in covert experiments. Rix will risk it all, move heaven and earth to find Lily. And once he tracks her down his plan is simple: phase in, grab her, get the hell out. But Lily's merely bait for the real target: Rix.

Vaughn Kincaid, the man behind the experiments on lims, is a driven, sadistic bastard—even his own sons are horrified by the things he's done. He won't hesitate to torture Lily and use her as a means to control Rix. Rix's only ally is Kade, one of Vaughn's long-term lab-rats. But despite Kade's willingness to share information, he has an agenda and Rix isn't convinced he can be trusted. To keep Lily alive, Rix may have to reveal the dangerous liminal ability he's kept secret his whole life, and risk becoming the one thing he's vowed never to be again: a killer.

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ISBN 978-0-9941160-7-9

Copyright 2016 by Maree Anderson

Author's Note: This novella was first published June 2016 in the Downunder YA Authors' Dangerous Boys anthology.

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License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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TANGENT

By Maree Anderson

Chapter One

Rixon hooked his fingers into the sagging chain mesh fence, pretending to watch a ragged bunch of kids shoot hoops. The bravado that had sustained him until now had abruptly gone AWOL and the doubts were crowding in. If he failed....

His gut tried to crawl up his throat and he mentally kicked himself in the ass. Failure was not an option.

As he'd done time and time again in the weeks since she'd disappeared, he tried to get a lock on Lily's energy signature. But her unique pattern was still blurred and nebulous—like viewing a night-lit city through a body of water.

Fear prickled his spine. Shit. They must be shooting her full of drugs—

Either that or she doesn't want to be found, an insidious little voice whispered in his head. She's blocking you. She's setting you free, man. This is your chance. All you need to do is walk away....

Rix told that voice to go to hell.

He had cast himself in the role of Lily's protector and mentor from the minute he'd first spotted the shivering, half-starved waif going through a trashcan out back of the strip the locals called Restaurant Alley. He'd taken her under his wing, shown her the ropes—the eateries with staff that would dole out leftovers without expecting anything in return. The soup kitchens that turned a blind eye to underage kids and didn't report them to CPS. The do-gooders who handed over used clothing and shoes and stuff without getting preachy. Lily had been an integral part of his life for two years and damned if he would abandon her now... even if she had upped and left him without so much as a goddamn note.