From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti comes a new story in her Dark Protectors/Rebels series…

Vengeance and revenge are the only forces driving vampire soldier Noah Siosal since losing his brother to an enemy he’s been unable to find. He’s searched every corner of the globe, going through adversaries and piling up bodies until finally getting a lead. The last place he wants to be is in a ridiculous anger management group with people expressing feelings instead of taking action. Until one fragile human, a green-eyed sweetheart being stalked by danger, catches his eye. One touch, and he realizes vengeance can’t be anywhere near her.

Anger and self-preservation are the only motivations Abby Miller needs or wants right now. Falsely accused of attacking the man who’s terrorized her for years, she’s forced as a plea bargain to attend an anger management counseling group with people with some serious rage issues, while learning true self defense on the side. Yet a man, one more primal than any she’s ever met, draws her in a way and into a world deadlier than she’s ever imagined. He offers her protection, but she finds the fight is really for his heart, and she’s ready to battle.

Book Type:

Paranormal Romance

Excerpt: Vengeance

“Have a seat.” The doctor gestured toward the vacant chairs.

Maybe it would just be the two of them. That’d be all right. Abby strode for a worn chair and sat, crossing her legs. Bruises along her ribs instantly protested. She lived in a suburb away from the city, and it was fairly small, which had turned out to be a bad thing for her. But perhaps this was all right. “Dr. Lopez? If it’s just us, should we go grab a coffee?”

“Mariana,” the doctor said, moving for a briefcase next to a chair and taking out a stack of blue manila files. “I think we’ll have a few of us.”

As if on cue, two men strode inside. The atmosphere instantly changed, warming and somehow becoming heavy. Abby cleared her throat. Thank goodness she was already sitting.

They were huge. Like hugely huge. Like people out of an Avenger movie. The guy in the lead had dark blond hair, black eyes, and a ripped chest beneath a plain gray T-shirt. His face was such strong angles and curves that compelling was too tame of a word to describe him. “Hi,” he said to Mariana. “I’m Noah Siosal, and this is my pal, Ivar. We were in the service together.”

That voice. Low and gritty and male. Abby gulped.

Then his gaze swung to her. Deep and piercing. Somehow irritated. Whoa. Her body conducted an internal shiver, head to toe, and her heart increased in pace. Yep. Even her breath quickened. That made sense. Her taste in men was horrendous, obviously. And now she’d gone all girly and soft at a guy in an anger management class. That was true to form, unfortunately.

She tore her gaze away to study Ivar. He was muscled, with burn marks down the side of his neck and arm. They looked fresh. He was as tall as his friend, but it was obvious he’d recently lost weight by the way his clothes hung on his frame. His hair was a lighter blond with dark streaks strewn throughout that somehow looked natural and genuine. His eyes were a sizzling blue, and that was definitely anger and pain reflected there.

Her fight or flee instincts kicked in, but she stayed in the seat.

Ivar ignored the shrink and strode to take a chair across from Abby, his gaze wandering vacantly to the barred window up high.

Noah sighed. “He doesn’t talk much. Rough mission.” He prowled forward, all power and grace, to sit next to his friend. He settled his hands on his legs.

Abby swallowed. Those were really big hands. Wide and broad. A guy could do a lot of damage with hands like that. Her body chilled.

He cocked his head to the side and studied her, curiosity glimmering in those midnight black depths.

She focused on Mariana, who’d just sat with her files on her lap.

Heavy footsteps sounded, and another man strode into the room. Holy crap. Who were these people? Did anger make somebody huge and seriously handsome? Or were they that way first and then became angry for some unbelievable reason? This guy was about six-foot-five with black hair and piercing green eyes, and he was just as broad as Noah.

Ivar leaped to his feet and Noah sighed, stretching to his. “What the hell?”

The other guy looked around the room, his gaze landing on the files in Mariana’s lap. “You’re not Dr. Johnson.”

“No,” she whispered, looking as bewildered as Abby felt. “I’m Dr. Lopez. I’m taking over this group for the time being.”

“Huh.” The guy shot a smile at Noah and crossed the room to sit next to Abby. “I’m Raine Maxwell.” He even brought heat with him.

Noah’s chin dropped in an oddly threatening way. “Why are you here?”

“I have anger issues,” Raine said smoothly, sounding…amused?

Mariana cleared her throat. “Do you all know each other?”

“No,” Noah and Raine said in unison. Noah nudged Ivar, and they both sat back down, their gazes locked on Raine.

What in the world was going on?

Raine turned his attention to the shrink. “Different branches of the military—all of us former. It’s a natural reaction.”

Mariana’s dark brows arched. “Is it? I don’t think so. Perhaps that’s why you’re all here.” She flipped open the top file. “Noah and Ivar. Two bar fights in the last year, and you put several people in hospitals. We can work on that.”

The two men didn’t twitch. No reaction. That was odd.