T's Stuff: TOUGH KARMA: A RACE AGAINST TIME by Laura Simmens

TOUGH KARMA: A RACE AGAINST TIME by Laura Simmons, Paranormal/Romance

Title: TOUGH KARMA: A RACE AGAINST TIME

Author: Laura Simmens

Publisher: Outskirts Press

Pages: 224

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Astral travel and a deadly secret make for a gripping paranormal romance from start to finish.

Amber Macklin’s world is cruelly shattered when she loses her baby
girl three months after her husband’s sudden death. Her cousin, Bryce,
comes to her rescue, moving her into his home for fear she will kill
herself from the grief. He provides solace and a shoulder to cry on, and
he has loved her as more than a cousin for a long time. Amber and Bryce
soon discover they are not blood relatives, which opens the door for
romance as he pulls her through her darkest hours. When Mike, a college
friend of Bryce’s, stops by to visit, Amber senses a deadly secret
behind his nice guy persona. She has a frightening dream that Mike is
trying to kill her and recurring sleepwalking episodes where she draws
detailed pictures of him torturing her. Deeply troubled, Bryce uses his
ability to astral travel to investigate Mike and uncover his terrifying
past. Mike has had his eye on Amber for some time, and when he learns
that Bryce and Amber have become lovers, he is furious. Mike abducts
Amber and takes her to his rural Georgia hideaway, and Bryce must rely
on his astral abilities to track her down. But will he be too late?

______________________

She was too devastated to cry. The
shock of losing Belle early that morning upset her beyond tears. Bryce, her
sister Jenny, and Amber’s other cousin Luke, rushed to her side for support.
Bryce encouraged her to stay at his home that night, and for however long it
took to get her through this. He didn’t want her to be alone, fearing she might
kill herself from the heartache. He would have preferred that she stay with
Jenny during her time of sorrow, but knew it wouldn’t be a good environment for
her or Jenny’s family. Jenny had two young children and a husband, and having a
terribly distraught relative residing at their house would be stressful for
everyone. He had loved Amber as more than a cousin for most of his life, and
her staying under the same roof with him was going to be a challenge. Although
he was an incredibly self-disciplined and confident man, he doubted his ability
to hide his true feelings having her so close for an undetermined length of
time. He couldn’t think of any viable alternatives. She could have stayed with
Luke; however, she was closer to Bryce, and it made more sense. Luke traveled
frequently, and wouldn’t have the time to spend with her.

She agreed to let them help because
the thought of staying in her apartment surrounded by Belle’s baby things and
an empty crib was more than she could bear. Jenny and Bryce packed her
suitcases, while Luke drove her car to Bryce’s house. She let them swarm around
her; she was too upset to do anything other than stand outside on the balcony
and stare at the vehicles in the parking lot. The evening air was comfortable,
so she pulled the screen door closed to let some air in and keep the bugs out.
She was replaying the events leading up to Belle’s death over and over in her
mind, trying desperately to remember if she saw something which may have
prevented it.

“Bryce, check her medicine cabinet.
She used to take sleep meds before she got pregnant. She’s going to need them
now, or she won’t sleep for days,” Jenny said with concern while packing her
sister’s underwear and lingerie. She was three years older and five inches
taller. Both of them were pretty, with long blond hair and blue eyes.

“That’s true. She’s always had
trouble sleeping. Won’t these drugs make her sleepwalk?” he asked seeing the
bottle of prescription sleeping pills in her medicine cabinet, and taking them
along with several other items.

“I’m not sure. She used to
sleepwalk a lot when we were growing up. I don’t know if she still does. You
need to be on the lookout for that. I think severe stress triggers it,” she
replied.

“I remember you telling funny
stories about her nighttime adventures. I’ve got to hide stuff from her. Car
keys, knives, pills, anything she can hang herself with. God forbid she decides
to take a joyride on one of her sleepwalking strolls. I better go check on
her,” he said, handing the sleeping pills and other items from the cabinet to
Jenny and walking into the living room.

Amber was still standing on the
balcony staring at the parking lot, trying to process the day’s tragic event.
Sliding the screen door to his right and walking up behind her, Bryce wrapped
his arms around her asking, “Are you hanging in there, sweetheart?” and kissed
her cheek. He was a little over a foot taller than her.

She leaned into him tilting her
head back into his chest, placing her arms over his and replied, “I feel numb.
I want to cry but I can’t. I’m frozen. I’m sorry I’m not helping.”

“You don’t have to do anything
right now. We’re going to take care of you,” he said hugging her closer. “We’ve
almost got your things packed.”

“Thank you,” she replied softly,
appreciating the comfort his arms provided and knowing she could always count
on him.

He walked back into the bedroom and
helped Jenny finish packing. Amber snuck into the kitchen and quietly opened up
the cutlery drawer. The butcher knife
will fit nicely into my huge purse . . . she thought discreetly slipping it
into her oversized handbag . . . I know
he’s going to be watching me like a hawk. He’s going to lock up all the knives
and pills. He’s an angel, but I don’t know if I can get through this. She
closed the door to the balcony, locked it and took a seat on the sofa. A few
minutes later they were ready to go.

They loaded her suitcases and other
items into his black H3. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jenny said sweetly to her
sister.

“Thank you so much,” Amber replied
hugging her.

“You know you can call me anytime
day or night,” she said. “Don’t worry about waking up Zac. You know my husband
sleeps like a log!”

“I know. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jenny got into her car and drove
away. Bryce opened the door for Amber, and she stepped inside. It was dark now,
and the sky was cloudy with no moon or stars in sight. He got in and started
the engine. Pulling onto the highway for the ride to his house in Vienna,
Virginia, he reached for her hand. She took
hold of it with a death grip and closed her eyes. They rode to his house in
silence except for the radio which was tuned to a classical music station. He
hoped that type of music would be soothing to her, and she didn’t complain. She
was so shattered and lost in thought that she didn’t even hear it.

______________________

Laura Simmons grew up in northern Virginia and spent most of her
career working for various Department of Defense contractors in the
Washington, DC area. She has a fascination with all things metaphysical.
She enjoys writing, jigsaw puzzles, adult coloring books, vacationing
at the beach with her husband, and studying tarot cards and other types
of divination systems.

Website: http://www.littlebitsofkarma.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LauraSimmons37

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekarmaseries