Sunday Snippet: Broken Down and Maxed Out

Brrrr. It's cold outside. Thankfully, we only lost power once during the first gusty windstorm and didn't lose it all while the wind howled over the last three days. And I can live with a couple of inches of snow. Not a huge fan of temperatures in the teens but layers help when I have to take the dogs out.

Had a super-busy work week and I'm thrilled to have my calendar filling up with projects. I like to stay steady because it keeps me motivated and focused. When I have too much free time I get lost in a haze.

Not a bad week for viewing. I made a full circuit through my regular shows minus the rewatch of Battlestar Galactica. The power blip caused a delay there.

Started the week with My Life Is Murder and enjoyed the episode. The mystery ended up being pretty decent.

Caught the second half of Agatha Raisin and thoroughly enjoyed. The cast really hits on all cylinders and even though I miss James, I love the vibe of these characters.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness. I'm kind of happy to see Jack's familial issues. His brother is a piece of work and I'm interested to see where things go with him. Rather like the new colleague. Looking forward to seeing how she fits in.

Watched another episode of Death in Paradise. I didn't really remember this one so I enjoyed it. Fun to see the commissioner on the suspect board.

Caught another episode of Elementary and quite liked the way Sherlock ended up being on the outs with both Joan and the captain. Fun episode.

Enjoyed another episode of The Batman. I'm nearing the end of the first season and all the players are established for the most part. And the episodes are holding up fairly well.

Watched another episode of Classic Rugrats. I didn't remember either of the vignettes so really enjoyed watching both.

Finished out the first season of The Secret Life of Amy Benson. I'm intrigued and interested in how things are going to play out in the next season, which I'll probably start this week.

Also managed to finish the episode of VIP that I started last week. Looking forward to a new one this week if time permits.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Broken Down and Maxed Out, a novella that explores what happens when a couple hits their wall of limitation at the same time.

Here's the miniblurb:

When Dallas Kirk and Rafe Quinoza, two top agents in the Ministry of Magickal Defense, are broken down and maxed out they turn to each other to regroup and recharge. But when they reach their saturation point at the same time, they struggle to keep their connection strong, which is difficult when they blame themselves for a mission gone wrong.

And a preview snippet…

Rafe waited until Dallas healed completely then drifted off for a few hours. He woke up just before dawn and wondered what had happened the previous night.

His hand skimmed her torso, and his mind absorbed the details. "Shit, Marjam had backup." Did I miss a key piece of information?

Dallas could've handled Calla on her own. But the monstrous mercenary gave her a big hurdle to overcome before she could get to Marjam. The guy looked like he ate steroids for each meal … and he had a familiar face.

Rafe grunted when the name came to him. "Hank Willem. Nasty piece of work." And very expensive.

How the hell could Marjam Calla afford Willem's fee?

A question for another time. After Rafe got rid of the images scrolling through his brain. Willem worked Dallas over pretty hard. The asshole had his hands around her throat more than once and used hellfire to keep her busy while Calla tried to escape.

But Dallas prepped in advance and had the warehouse sealed off. Which meant she couldn't call in for help. She'd finally used a sage bomb to subdue Willem then went after Marjam. He didn't go down without a fight, flinging whatever he had close at hand in Dallas's path. He'd clocked her with a trailer awning and left a line of abrasions on her jaw. Then he finally got backed into a corner, giving Dallas a chance to get him cuffed and controlled.

She took Calla out to the SUV and returned for Willem only to find he'd managed to escape the sage containment field.

Dallas woke up and met his gaze. "You know what happened?" She rolled to her side and propped her head on her hand. "Should've used salt to trap the huge goon Calla had covering his ass." She frowned.

Rafe lifted his chin. "His name's Hank Willem. A nasty merc that's way above Marjam's ability to compensate." There had to be another player in the background.

Dallas grunted. "That's what I thought, too." She narrowed her eyes. "Why didn't we know about him?" She waited a moment. "Unless we have a breach in the ministry."

Rafe shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean anything's possible, but I'd guess Willem was a last-minute addition. My information said Calla would be alone." His gut twisted. "You think this is on me?"

Dallas rolled her shoulder. "No, I don't blame you. I'm pissed because I walked into a trap and set myself up to fail by warding the warehouse and cutting communication. Not my idea of fun to battle a huge hulking bruiser only to have him escape." She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. "Not to mention making me have to mess with my hair." Sliding to the edge of the bed, she stood and headed for the bathroom.

Rafe tracked her movement, getting a look at the uneven and ragged edges of her hairline. "I'll call Adam and let him know you'll be in later than expected." He reached for his phone and dialed their direct superior.

I love how this story is coming together. Rafe and Dallas are pulled right to the edge and it's fun to write that angle.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye