Blog Tour | Beyond Circumstances by Gloria Joynt-Lang
Beyond Circumstances
by Gloria Joynt-Lang
Series: Out of the Darkness
Contemporary Romance
Fiery Seas Everlasting
June 12, 2018
Dr. Lexie Draden didn’t want to
leave her successful career as a surgeon in Chicago, but she didn’t have a
choice. Her family needed to heal, and as long as she was around, it wasn’t
going to happen. While adapting to her new community, she meets ZakTifour, a
man as intriguing as he is handsome.
Most of the small-town
residents view Zak as a man who likes his privacy, but to a select few,
something doesn’t seem right. Long-time resident Cicily McQuay believes she has
the key to the man’s odd behavior – a link to terrorism. After all, he just
isn’t the type of man who belongs in her community. But to belong, you need to
be welcomed; something Cicily has never extended to Zak.
Zak knows plenty of terrorists
and has even lived amongst them, but not like Cicily suspects. Escaping from a
lifetime of bloodshed and regrets, he attempts to distance himself from the
quirky townsfolk; people unable to comprehend boundaries. It appears to be
working until he encounters the town’s new attractive doctor. Even though his
secrets run deep, she ends up trusting him with her heart. But trust is
fragile, and when Zak gets drawn back to his old life, Lexie must decide
whether he’s a dangerous man or a broken hero.
Excerpt from Chapter
Five
He knew what would
occur before it happened. Abby would be at his side. When she first trotted
over, she went unnoticed. Zak was too lost in the whirlwind of emotions to
react. Eventually, thanks to Abby’s persistent nudging, he had no choice but to
reach out. When a hundred-pound canine tries to become a lap dog, it’s
impossible to ignore.
He gently pushed her
front paws off his lap while he scratched her behind the ears, “Hey, I’ll be
fine, girl.”
He wasn’t convincing
Abby, he didn’t even believe the words himself. She refused to leave his side
and finally, he got up and did what he normally did in this situation. He got
changed, taking Abby with him for a long run.
Although it was a
winter day, and the temperatures were still quite frigid, both Zak and Abby
were accustomed to the frosty air. When he felt anxious, any sort of
distraction, even the bitter cold wind could help. He started running on the
pavement, turning onto a gravel road fifteen minutes later. The roads had
recently been plowed, making it easier for him and Abby to stay dry, unlike his
last run. A Komondor coat, when long, would easily mat and stay wet for hours.
To minimize the wet-mop look, he kept Abby’s coat trimmed. She would still get
soaked from the snow and slush, but at least she wouldn’t be a cluster of
mud.
He ran for half an
hour before the edginess dissipated. He continued for another ten minutes
before turning around and heading back. Returning to the treed property where
his house sat, Zak noticed a mid-size silver SUV parked in the gravel driveway.
The vehicle seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Besides, a
silver SUV was as common as an elm tree. When he reached the vehicle, he looked
inside. It was clean and empty. No used coffee cup, no loose change, not even a
layer of dust on the console. It was totally immaculate. Any urge to open the
driver’s door vanished. The vehicle might be rigged. Paranoia? Perhaps, but
paranoia had saved his life a few times. Knowing Abby’s instinct to bark and
call attention to the potential intruder, he signaled for the dog to be quiet.
With her quietly by his side, he crept toward the front porch. Reaching the
steps, he noticed the front door ajar. Whoever the intruder was, they had gone
into his house. A house he had locked. Zak reached for his Glock from the
shoulder holster he had under his running jacket. He carefully motioned for
Abby to stay by the front steps as he quietly pushed open the door. Slowly, and
softly as a man his size could manage, he walked forward, careful not to make
the floorboards creak. Rounding the corner of the hallway, he saw the
silhouette in the dimly lit kitchen. He steadily drew the pistol upward, aiming
it at the back of the intruder.
“Don’t move. I’ve got
no problem fracturing your skull with a bullet,” he said, his voice as steady
as steel.
Moving closer, he
noticed the intruder, who was now trembling, stood less than five feet tall.
The notion that it was some local teen, trying to steal his laptop for drug
money, jumped into his mind. Some stupid pubescent kid
who had no idea who Zak was, and what he was capable of.
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