The Crimson Z
Robert Cloud
Lee Rush
Richard Savage
Abby Blythe
Kara Elsberry
ISBN 0-9774682-8-3

Collection Paranormal
Stories
688 paperback pages
Multi-format ebook $6.99
Paperback $29.99
Free Shipping

The Crimson Z has it all, contemporary, historical, sweet, sexy, erotic.

The Crimson Z Includes:

Love of a Pendant's Heart
A Short Novella
by Lee Rush

The Anniversary
A Short Novella
By Richard Savage

Incorrigible
A Novella
by Abby Blythe

On The Wings of a Dream
A Novelette
by Kara Elsberry

The Blood Ritual of the Crimson Z
A Novel
by Robert Cloud

The Awakening
A Long Novella
by Robert Cloud

Chapter Two

"How about if I order pizza for our demolition party," Deb
offered as Anne put their three coffee mugs in the dishwasher
a few minutes later.

"Demolition party?" Anne asked as she straightened.

"The brick wall in the basement," Deb responded. "Don't
you want to know what someone hid behind that wall?"

Anne suppressed a smile, suspecting her friend's interest
in the basement had a lot more to do with Sam than curiosity
about what might have been hidden downstairs.

"There could be a crack in the foundation," Sam added. "If
that's the case, it should be seen to right away."

A tingling slid over Anne's skin. She had an uneasy feeling
something important was behind that brick wall, but she
wasn't sure what. "Okay, let's get to it."

"I'll get a sledge hammer," Sam said. "Be right back." He
grinned then strode out the back door with a long legged
stride.

Anne watched him disappear, a slow flush creeping along
her cheeks. Less than an hour ago, she'd seen them in their
muscled glory, had felt the impact of each primitive thrust as
he buried himself deep inside her. He was Belgium chocolate
for the body, sweet, satisfying and highly addictive.

"Lord, girl, when I came in, you could smell the marvelous,
musky scent of sex in the cellar. Girl, I'm proud of you."

Anne looked at Deb, wishing she could suppress the heat
spreading across her cheeks. "I can't describe what
happened. It was like another woman woke up inside me.
One minute we were going downstairs to check the electrical
panel, then I tripped, he caught me, and the next thing I
knew we were naked and having the best sex I've ever had in
my entire life."

"Remind me to take a tumble when we're headed down the
stairs. He's such a hottie. I wouldn't mind taking him out for a
test ride." Deb winked. "That is if you don't have any plans
for him."

"You are incorrigible!" Anne laughed softly. "And no, I
don't mind."

Strange as the thought might seem, what they'd shared
had been gratuitous and glorious physical satisfaction—no
strings attached—at least for her. For the first time, she
understood the difference between having great sex and
making love, and she hadn't had either with Mark.

The sound of Sam's footsteps on the back porch brought
an end to their conversation. The door swung open, and he
strode in. "Ready?"

"For anything," Anne responded, and she realized that she
was. "Let's go and see what's behind that wall."

The trio trooped down the bare wood stairs and within
minutes, Sam's sledgehammer had made a small hole in the
red brick wall. Muscles bulged with each swing and impact.
Her eyes met Deb's, and her friend flashed a grin and
waggled her eyebrows. Meanwhile, chunks of the wall
crumbled under his assault. Anne and Deb made a pile in the
corner while Sam chipped away at the uneven edges of the
opening. Once it started to fall apart, it took only minutes
before he'd created a hole large enough to look through.

"Where's the flashlight we used this morning?" he asked,
placing his hand beside the hole, peering into the darkness.

Anne passed it to him, wondering what they would find.
For some reason, she didn't think it would be a crack in the
foundation, but where the thought had come from, she wasn't
sure.

"Holy shit!" At Sam's vehement exclamation, both women
looked at each other.

Anne moved closer. "What is it?"

"A body ... or rather ... what's left of a body."

Anne snatched the flashlight from him and peered through
the opening. The pale beam of light traveled down a skeleton
curled in a semi-fetal position on the concrete floor. She
sucked in a sharp breath, then moved the beam along the
length of the remains. Reeling from the sight, she didn't resist
when Deb pulled the flashlight from her hand.

"Shit is right!" Deb turned. "I've heard of skeletons in the
closet, but walled up in the basement ... that's twisted."

"Whoever it is, they've been here for quite some time
judging from the decomposition," Sam said. He placed his
palm on one side of the opening, his gaze fixed on the
remains.

At his deep voiced observation, a shudder bumped down
Anne's spine as if a cool finger had traced a line down her
spine. "I guess we'd better call the police."

Though she couldn't explain why, a part of her hadn't been
surprised at the first sight of the skeleton. Instead, an eerie
sense of confirmation had claimed her. Inexplicably, a part of
her had been expecting to see a body with scraps of fabric
and long strands of hair still clinging to the bones, but she
wasn't sure where the thought had come from.

She climbed the stairs then gulped in several deep breaths
when she reached the top. She moved into the kitchen,
picked up the phone, but didn't dial. She sagged against the
wall and closed her eyes, the weight of today's events
pounding her like a storm-driven tide. She'd thought having
sex with Sam would have been hard to top, but it seemed
fate was out to prove her wrong.

While they waited for the police to arrive, the trio
continued to chip away at the wall. As soon as the hole was
large enough, Anne stepped over the small ridge of bricks and
into what must have been a storage room. Rough wooden
shelves lined three walls, canned goods coated in dust still
stood in rows like squat sentinels. There was just enough
space for her to walk around the skeletal remains. The white
beam of light from the flashlight traveled the length of the
body, then snagged on a gold chain on the floor. The gilt,
serpentine trail led to a circular gold disc resting on a boney
palm. Nausea rose in her stomach at the thought that this
person might have been buried alive and endured a lingering
and gruesome death. Who could have been so cold and sick?

"I'm no forensics expert," Anne answered as she bent
down. "But judging from what is left, this person must have
been buried decades ago. Probably as long as the place has
been vacant."

Almost of its own accord, the flashlight pointed toward the
delicately interwoven triangles, a triquetra, engraved on the
gold medallion. Anne strained against the impulse to snatch it
off the bed of bones but failed. It was as if her hand belonged
to someone else. She could only watch as her fingers lifted it
from the skeletal hand, then slid it into her pocket. Beads of
perspiration formed across her forehead. Removing evidence
was wrong, yet the irresistible urge to possess it hadn't given
her a choice. She knew that she couldn't let the police take it
away, but she didn't know why.

Disturbed by what had happened and the strange
compulsion that had gripped her, Anne stood quickly and
moved out of the room.

"Are you okay?" Sam curled his hand over her shoulder.

"Not really." She shook her head, the necklace in her
pocket prodding her conscience. "It isn't everyday a person
literally finds a skeleton in the closet."

The doorbell rang, and together they went up the stairs.
Anne slid her hand in her pocket and pushed the necklace
further in, a wave of protectiveness washing over her.

After taking a deep, steadying breath, she opened the
front door and welcomed a uniformed officer and his partner.
This was going to be a long day.

Toy's Story:
Aquisition of a Sex Toy
By Robert Cloud

Bound By Fate
By Lee Rush

Fool Me Once
By Jessica Joy
(Jessica also writes as Abby Blythe)

1 Fan -- Books given this rating include very minimal sexual activity between hero and heroine. Sexual activity that does occur is described without the use of graphic terms. These titles will be found in our Tender Destinations line and in our Amorous Adventures line.

2 Fan -- Books given this rating include a moderate amount of sexual activity between hero and heroine, however it is described in romantic as opposed to graphic terms. These books will be found in our Tender Destinations and Amorous Adventures lines.

3 Fans -- Books given this rating include a lot of sexuality between hero and heroine. The activity may be described graphically but will not include fetish elements. Books with this rating will be found in our Sensuous Journeys line and in our Amorous Adventures line.

4 Fans -- Book given this rating include a lot of sexuality between hero and heroine and will typically include fetish elements. Sexuality in these books is described graphically but with a softer touch than our 5 Fan titles. Books with the 4 fan rating will be found in our Forbidden Experiences line as well as our Amorous Adventures line.

5 Fans -- Books with this rating include a very high degree of sexuality between hero and heroine. These books include fetish elements which are described graphically. Books with this rating will be found in our Forbidden Experiences and Amorous Adventures lines.

Tender Destinations
Are poignant stories of meeting and falling in love. They contain a minimal level of sexuality.

Sensuous Journeys
Are emotional and poignant but include explicit descriptions of the lovemaking between hero and heroine. There is no explicit fetish component in these books.

Forbidden Experiences
Are powerful and emotional love stories with explicit sexuality which includes fetish content.

Amorous Adventures
Are love stories with an element of suspense or danger.