Ian was the good-time bad boy. It was Ian, she learned, who had ferreted out all the information about the Chameleons and had ultimately been the one to track her down. His wife, Lexi, was as kind and good-hearted as she was beautiful, and had welcomed Nicki into the family warmly. Their little boy, Patrick, was as much of a rascal as his father, and just as irresistible.
Michael was the medic of the family, easily the most logical and rational among them. He was particularly interested in Nicki’s knowledge of organic toxins, and the two often got into deep discussions on the topic. His wife Maggie, though only a couple of years older than her, was clearly the motherly influence, and Nicki was just as drawn to Maggie’s big, welcoming kitchen as her husband.
Jake was a little harder to figure out, but Nicki liked him instantly. Large and intense like Sean, but generally quieter, he was the day-to-day manager of their family, it seemed. Nicki was especially fond of Taryn. Like Nicki, Taryn had been forced to endure horrific acts at a young age, though under a completely different set of circumstances. In her, Nicki found someone who truly understood, as well as the hope that she, too, could learn to live a semi-normal life.
The only one she was a little afraid of was Kane. He was the oldest and largest among them. Surrounded by a darkness that let him become part of the shadows around him, Nicki often had the feeling that he was also the most dangerous. To have been accepted by him as she was, was probably the thing that amazed her the most.
And of course Jack Callaghan, the family patriarch, had welcomed her with open arms. It didn’t take long for her to think that maybe, someday, she could think of him as her father, too.
If all that wasn’t enough, she was married to a man that surpassed every fantasy she’d ever had. Sean Callaghan was, quite literally, the man of her dreams. He was big and strong; highly intelligent and superbly skilled. And he had become her entire world – her lover, her friend, her confidant, her protector. The list went on and on. She still wasn’t quite sold on the whole “one soul mate” concept, but she did know that she loved him more than she would have ever believed possible.
Whenever she spoke with him about this, he would simply smile, take her in his arms, and tell her that that was exactly how it was supposed to be.
Nicki sighed. Maybe wishes came true after all.
Special Note from Abbie
This book is fiction, but unfortunately, exploitation of children is all too real. It is not a problem only found in third-world nations or big cities; it is happening everywhere, and it is happening right now.
Child sex trafficking. Child pornography. Pedophilia. The internet is filled with horrifying statistics and heinous accounts, but it all boils down to this: no child should ever have to experience any of it.
Be aware. Pay attention. Know the people who are around your children. Talk about it. Educate them.
For more information, visit http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/vc_majorthefts/cac/crimes_against_children.
Thanks for reading Sean and Nicki’s story
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Abbie
About the Author
Abbie Zanders loves to read and write romance in all forms; she is quite obsessive, really. Her ultimate fantasy is to spend all of her free time doing both, preferably in a secluded mountain cabin overlooking a pristine lake, though a private beach on a lush tropical island works, too. Sharing her work with others of similar mind is a dream come true. She promises her readers two things: no cliffhangers, and there will always be a happy ending. Beyond that, you never know...