Bernie’s Legacy: #Romantic #Mystery

BERNIE’S LEGACY
romantic mysteries
“A series that keeps you on the edge,
wondering what will happen next…
jaw-dropping, heart-stopping…”

~ * ~

LEGACY OF ANGELS
Book 2 of the Halo Legacy Series

Review: Legacy of Angels

“…A great plot that catches
the reader’s attention…
I savored everything about this book.”

Two tarnished angels–
a former priest and a former prostitute–
risk their lives to save a baby
from a beast-man’s savage vengeance.

Patrick was killed by his father at age four…
and shortly thereafter came to live with Bernie O’Shea.
Angels guided his life from that moment,
so when they said he was to become a priest,
that’s what he did.
But something happened at seminary.
Something that nudged at the edges of his memory
and sometimes brought him to his knees.

He searched for answers. For purpose. For direction.
And found some peace in helping others find their own angels,
including a former prostitute named Claudia deGras,
the suspected mother of a stolen baby.

Forced into prostitution at age twelve by her mother,
Claudia expected men to use her body, then discard her.
She didn’t trust the kindness from a former priest
who had demons of his own to conquer.
Yet he offered her safety she had never known,
and turned out to be a warrior who helped her find her own courage
to stand up to the beast-man who sought revenge
in the cruelest way possible.

EXCERPT: Legacy of Angels

“I’m not safe anywhere.” Terror beat in Claudia deGras’ heart, pulsed
through her veins, shut down any rational thought. Get out of here!
She bolted toward the door, not daring to look back as the sound of
heavy footsteps followed her.
The old brown sedan sitting in the driveway always had the keys in the
ignition. Most of the time, it started without much protest.
Claudia flung open the door and cranked the key. The engine caught and
roared as she shoved the accelerator to the floor. Two doors banged shut
as the old Buick slid sideways on the gravel, then found traction on the
pavement.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Patrick O’Shea on the wide bench
seat beside her, his hand braced against the dashboard for balance, but
his face reflected his normal serenity.
Could she trust him? Did she have a choice? And where was she going?
She eased her foot off the accelerator and settled the old sedan into a
speed that wouldn’t get them stopped by the police, though patrols were
rare on this sparsely traveled road in Eastern Oregon.
While she drove the highway in silence, the childhood memories of curses
and shouting and fists landing heavy blows on her body receded, and her
panicked mind calmed down.
No one had harmed her today. In fact, over the last few weeks the O’Shea
siblings, including Patrick, had rearranged their lives to protect her
from the man-beast who stalked her.
She shivered.
The man-beast was the real danger.
“Take the next exit.” Patrick’s deep voice interrupted Claudia’s
thoughts.
Patrick’s wisdom and gentleness had provided a balm to Claudia’s soul
many times during the time she had been recovering from her physical
wounds at his mother’s rambling farmhouse. Today, she discovered the
emotional fears were deeper than she imagined. Facing the man-beast
again–even in her memory–pushed her into a panicked flight.
Now reason was returning and adrenaline ebbing, and Claudia floundered.
Once again, Patrick’s reassuring voice provided an anchor, so she
followed his instructions. Down a paved road for several miles, flanked
on either side by acres of rangeland turning dusty gold in the early
summer heat. Then another turn onto a graveled road with no other
traffic. Finally off any road entirely, bumping over the rangeland to
come to a stop under a sheltering copse of trees near a lake.
After Claudia turned off the engine, Patrick opened the car door. “Come
with me.”
He walked toward the lake, not looking back.
Claudia watched him for long minutes. Was he simply going to leave her?
The land sloped downward where Patrick now walked, making it seem like
he was disappearing. When only the top of his head was still in view,
panic seized Claudia once again. “Wait!”
She jumped out of the car and slammed the door behind her, running to
catch up with Patrick. She topped the knoll and stopped, her chest
rising and falling rapidly with exertion and fright.
Patrick stood looking up at her, the same serene expression on his face.
Then he turned and continued walking to the water’s edge. Hidden in the
tall reeds was a raft that looked as if it would sink with the weight of
the family of ducks swimming nearby. However, when Patrick climbed on,
the craft barely dipped before stabilizing. He turned and reached out
his hand in invitation. Cautious but curious, Claudia climbed aboard.
Using a long pole, Patrick pushed them across the lake and under a rocky
outcropping. He secured the raft to a sawed-off tree stump that served
as a pier post for a make-shift dock and stepped off. “Be careful. It
can be slippery.”
Intrigued, Claudia once again took Patrick’s hand and climbed off the
raft. They walked toward a sheer rock cliff topped by ruins of what
could have been an ancient stone cathedral. However, as they reached the
cliff, Patrick slipped through a notch in one of the rocks. Once inside,
he retrieved a flashlight from a pocket in the rock wall and turned it
on, revealing a narrow corridor. Claudia followed him down a winding
pathway for what seemed like miles. Patrick walked without hesitation,
turning down side tunnels until she felt totally disoriented.
At last he stopped in front of a solid rock wall. Well, it appeared
solid. Until he slid aside what must have been a doorway, revealing into
a cavernous room.
“Where are we?” Claudia asked.
Patrick turned with a half-smile. “Safe. That’s what you wanted, right?”