Midnight Echoes_Crimson Ops Read online

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Mandy M. Roth, Online

  Blurb

  Suggested Reading Order of Books Released to Date ...

  Praise for Mandy M. Roth’s Immortal Ops World

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Immortal Ops Series Helper

  Dear Reader

  Midnight Echoes: Part of the Immortal Ops Series World (Crimson Ops)

  by

  Mandy M. Roth

  Midnight Echoes: Part of the Immortal Ops Series World (Crimson Ops)© Copyright 2016, Mandy M. Roth

  First Electronic Printing Oct 2016

  Second Electronic Printing Dec 2016, Raven Happy Hour LLC

  Trade Paperback Printing Dec 2016

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  All books are copyrighted to the author and may not be resold or given away without written permission from the author, Mandy M. Roth.

  This novel is a work of fiction and intended for mature audiences only. Any and all characters, names, events, places and incidents are used under the umbrella of fiction and are of the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or events or places or locales is merely coincidence.

  Published by Raven Happy Hour LLC

  Oxford, MS USA

  Raven Happy Hour LLC and all affiliate sites and projects are © Copyrighted 2004-2016

  Mandy M. Roth, Online

  Mandy loves hearing from readers and can be found interacting on social media.

  (copy & paste links into your browser window)

  Website: http://www.MandyRoth.com

  Blog: http://www.MandyRoth.com/blog

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMandyRoth

  Twitter: @MandyMRoth

  Book Release Newsletter: mandyroth.com/newsletter.htm

  Midnight Echoes: Part of the Immortal Ops Series World (Crimson Ops)

  He’s a bad-boy vampire feared the world over…

  She’s off limits…

  Vampire and Crimson Operative Bhaltair hasn’t always played for the side of good. He’s walked a fine line throughout his immortally long life and has very few regrets. He’s always had everything he’s ever wanted—that is until Meena. As a human descendant to the master vampire he serves, Meena isn’t on the menu. That is until he learns he’s in danger of losing her to another supernatural male.

  Suggested Reading Order of Books Released to Date in the Immortal Ops Series World

  This list is NOT up to date. Please check MandyRoth.com for the most current release list.

  Immortal Ops

  Critical Intelligence

  Radar Deception

  Strategic Vulnerability

  Tactical Magik

  Act of Mercy

  Administrative Control

  Act of Surrender

  Broken Communication

  Separation Zone

  Act of Submission

  Damage Report

  Act of Command

  Wolf’s Surrender

  The Dragon Shifter’s Duty

  Midnight Echoes

  And more (see Mandy’s website & sign up for her newsletter for notification of releases)

  Books in each series within the Immortal Ops World.

  This list is NOT up to date. To see an updated list of the books within each series under the umbrella of the Immortal Ops World please visit MandyRoth.com. Mandy is always releasing new books within the series world. Sign up for her newsletter at MandyRoth.com to never miss a new release.

  You can read each individual series within the world, in whatever order you want…

  PSI-Ops

  Act of Mercy

  Act of Surrender

  Act of Submission

  Act of Command

  Act of Command

  And more (see Mandy’s website & sign up for her newsletter for notification of releases)

  Immortal Ops

  Immortal Ops

  Critical Intelligence

  Radar Deception

  Strategic Vulnerability

  Tactical Magik

  Administrative Control

  Separation Zone

  And more (see Mandy’s website & sign up for her newsletter for notification of releases)

  Immortal Outcasts

  Broken Communication

  Damage Report

  And more (see Mandy’s website & sign up for her newsletter for notification of releases)

  Shadow Agents

  Wolf’s Surrender

  The Dragon Shifter’s Duty

  And more (see Mandy’s website & sign up for her newsletter for notification of releases)

  Crimson Ops Series

  Midnight Echoes

  And more (see Mandy’s website & sign up for her newsletter for notification of releases)

  Paranormal Regulators Series and Clear Sight Division Operatives (Part of the Immortal Ops World) Coming Soon!

  Praise for Mandy M. Roth’s Immortal Ops World

  Silver Star Award—I feel Immortal Ops deserves a Silver Star Award as this book was so flawlessly written with elements of intrigue, suspense and some scorching hot scenes—Aggie Tsirikas—Just Erotic Romance Reviews

  5 Stars—Immortal Ops is a fascinating short story. The characters just seem to jump out at you. Ms. Roth wrote the main and secondary characters with such depth of emotions and heartfelt compassion I found myself really caring for them—Susan Holly—Just Erotic Romance Reviews

  Immortal Ops packs the action of a Hollywood thriller with the smoldering heat that readers can expect from Ms. Roth. Put it on your hot list…and keep it there! —The Road to Romance

  5 Stars—Her characters are so realistic, I find myself wondering about the fine line between fact and fiction…This was one captivating tale that I did not want to end. Just the right touch of humor endeared these characters to me even more—eCataRomance Reviews

  5 Steamy Cups of Coffee—Combining the world of secret government operations with mythical creatures as if they were an everyday thing, she (Ms. Roth) then has the audacity to make you actually believe it and wonder if there could be some truth to it. I know I did. Nora Roberts once told me that there are some people who are good writers and some who are good storytellers, but the best is a combination of both and I believe Ms. Roth is just that. Mandy Roth never fails to surpass herself—coffeetimeromance

  Mandy Roth kicks ass in this story—inthelibraryreview

  Chapter One

  Meena Emathia sat in the oversized gymnasium that had been built onto her grandparents’ home. It was a training facility. To her understanding, it had originally been used solely by her grandfather—a master vampire once feared the world over—and his men. She had a very hard time seeing her grandfather, Labrainn, as a killing machine or a man who struck fear into the hearts of other supernaturals. As far as she knew, he’d given up his wicked ways when he’d mated with her grandmother, a real-life fairy.

  And since Meena’s birth, even more had changed. Her grandfather had partnered with two organizations, Paranormal Security and Intelligence (PSI) and the Paranormal Regulators. Meena still wasn’t clear on the distinction between the two, but she’d been told that PSI was much like the human version of the CIA, and the Regulators were more like a version of the police—but she wasn’t totally sure she that was right. She’d once made the mistake of asking for clarification
and was still confused as to what went where and with who. Either way, her grandfather and his men all fought for the good guys now.

  Her father, Stamatis, was a Paranormal Regulator and had been for centuries. He also worked on and off with PSI directly under their Crimson Sentinel Ops Division (Crimson-Ops), or Fang Gang, as she’d heard his best friend, Whitney—a wolf shifter—joke more than once. Her grandfather’s right-hand man, Bhaltair, was also a member of the Fang Gang now, though no one joked with him about the name.

  Everyone was smarter than that.

  Vampires, werewolves and faerie were commonplace in her world, though she often felt like an outsider looking in. Where most humans had no idea supernaturals existed, and great pains were taken to keep them ignorant of such, Meena had been privy to them since birth. She wasn’t like them though.

  Not even close.

  She glanced around the training room. It was extremely large but relatively empty, as was often the case when her sister Rose was training. Rose had been born with many vampire traits and gifts, but without a demon or the need for blood. This made her special. All the perks with none of the negatives.

  Meena wasn’t so lucky. Despite both of their parents being supernaturals, Meena had been born human.

  A pang of jealousy reared its ugly head, and she was quick to push it down. She didn’t like being petty. She was healthy and loved by people who would never grow old and who would more than likely live hundreds of years more than her. They would go on long after she was gone, and that brought her joy. She’d seen a number of her human friends lose loved ones, and the effects on them had been devastating.

  She didn’t even want to think on it more. Glancing around the training room, Meena watched as Rose flipped, sparring with Bhaltair. At six-two, and second-in-command to her grandfather, Bhaltair was imposing. There didn’t seem to be an ounce of him that wasn’t muscle. He somehow managed to avoid looking too muscular, but only just barely. He moved with an impressive gracefulness, reminding her more of a dancer than the legendary, feared vampire she’d heard mention of him being more than once. She knew he was holding back.

  “Come on, Walt,” yelled Rose, annoyance coating her every word. “You’re going easy on me. I thought you special operatives were tougher than this.”

  Meena cringed at the sound of her sister using the English version of Bhaltair’s name. It did not suit the man in the least. That didn’t stop Rose from calling him Walt or Walter as much as possible. Probably to get a rise out of him.

  He didn’t take the bait. He did, however, twist and use his fighting staff to sweep Rose’s legs out from under her, depositing her on her backside. Meena couldn’t help but laugh softly at the look of indignation on her sister’s face. The girls often argued, as sisters often did, but in the end they loved each other greatly.

  “Jerk move,” said Rose, pushing to her feet.

  Bhaltair licked his lips, his gaze moving to Meena for the briefest of moments.

  She tensed, her heart rate increasing and her palms beginning to sweat. That response had been happening more and more around him of late. She wasn’t sure why, but his very glance could suddenly send her body into overdrive. She wanted to touch him—something she rarely did.

  “Have you had enough?” he asked, a Scottish brogue evident. There were times it was quite thick and other times it was barely noticeable.

  Rose grunted and went at him again. He deflected her attack with no real effort. That only served to piss Rose off more. Her sister, in addition to possessing the gifts of a supernatural, also had a heck of a temper.

  It was important to their parents that the girls be trained and be able to protect themselves should the need arise. Rose had come out of the womb headstrong and ready to kick butt. Meena hadn’t, leaving her feeling like a colossal letdown to her parents and the supernatural community in general. She didn’t have super strength or excessive speed. She was clumsy at best, and where Rose could take a hit and keep on going, Meena tended to end up battered, bruised or with broken limbs.

  When she’d come out the other side of a training session with two broken bones from one well-placed hit by Bhaltair, he’d refused to train her again. She strongly suspected he’d been avoiding her since then as well. The few times he’d allowed himself to be in the same room with her, he’d treated her as if she were a delicate porcelain doll who might break if looked at too long or hard.

  For a while, she’d refused to allow it to bother her. She’d stayed busy and done her best to be scarce whenever Rose was training. But lately, Meena was drawn to the training sessions.

  More specifically, drawn to Bhaltair. The urge to touch him ate at her, nearly forcing her from her seated position.

  She closed the book she’d been reading and watched as Rose swung high at Bhaltair’s head with her fighting staff. Meena’s breath caught and she waited, fearing he would be hurt. He merely leaned back, the staff gliding past his head as if it had never been a threat at all.

  He glanced in her direction and winked.

  She was surprised. He wasn’t known for winking at her.

  Or at all that she knew.

  While he was nowhere near as set in the old ways as her grandfather, he was certainly a man out of his time. As an immortal vampire, he’d been alive centuries, and at times, it was glaringly obvious. Not that he looked old or worn, just that his mannerisms and often his lack of pop culture knowledge or modern slang made it painfully clear he was older than he appeared.

  Rose lowered her fighting staff and put her hand up. “I’ve got to go. Hot date tonight.”

  Bhaltair snorted. “Yer twenty. Too young to date.”

  Rose undid the tie holding her long, flaming-red hair back. “Dad says the same thing. He wishes I was more like Meena. You know, a bookworm who never gets in to any trouble. Otherwise known as boring.”

  Meena pursed her lips and pretended the dig wasn’t hurtful. Rose had a long history of speaking before thinking. Meena knew her sister would apologize later, once she’d thought more on what she’d said.

  She smoothed her skirt down and avoided looking up for a moment, fearful the moisture pooling in her eyes would be seen. No one liked being called boring. She certainly didn’t relish the label cast upon her at an early age. In comparison to Rose, Meena was downright boring.

  Rose shook her head, raking her gaze over Meena slowly and then wrinkling her nose as if smelling something bad. “Big sister, we have got to get you to wear some sexier clothes. You look like you’re ready to attend a funeral at any moment.”

  Meena surveyed her apparel. It wasn’t that bad, was it? The skirt she wore was dark brown, vintage lace with long flowing layers of material beneath it. She had on a matching cami with a black long-sleeved shirt tied loosely over it. The shirt matched her knee-high leather boots.

  “Embrace jeans and tight shirts, Meena. You’re always in dresses, and not even sexy, slinky ones. Boring.”

  Meena pushed her long, unruly dark brown hair behind her ears. Streaks of red danced through it. She envied her sister for having the same color hair as their mother and grandfather. Meena was more of a mix of her mother and father, rather than taking after only one.

  Rose approached and tossed her towel at Meena. “Whatcha reading? Poetry again?”

  “I don’t read poetry…much.” She was reading a wonderful book written long ago. When she’d come across it in the archives, she’d had to read it. She couldn’t stop herself.

  “You live your life in books. College is such a waste of our time. We’re on break and you’re still studying. I don’t get it. Why?”

  “You wouldn’t understand,” Meena said, standing and clutching her book to her chest. Her sister didn’t care about learning or soaking up knowledge. Rose only cared about how hard she could hit something. A trait Meena did not share.

  “Try me,” Rose returned.

  Shrugging, Meena made a move to step down from the bleachers but tripped and nearly bit it face first
. Bhaltair was suddenly there, catching her, steadying her. Heat flared throughout her body, and she pulled back from him. “Th-thanks.”

  Rose burst into laughter. “Mom and Dad should have named you Two Left Feet. You are clumsy, hon.”

  Meena stifled a laugh as well. Rose was correct. She was clumsy.

  “Rose, you promised your grandmother you’d visit with her before leaving tonight,” Bhaltair said, something off in his voice. He kept Meena close.

  That was different and odd, but Meena made no move to pull away.

  “Sure thing, Walt,” Rose replied as she headed for the doors.

  Meena righted herself, her attention on Bhaltair. “How do you not strangle her?”

  “I have amazing self-control,” he said, making her laugh. He tipped his head, his shoulder-length raven hair falling into his strikingly handsome face. His dark gaze always looked as if he were hiding some big secret, one she wished he’d let her in on. Mostly, she just had to fight to keep from trying to touch the guy, he was that alluring. “You were quiet tonight. Is the book yer reading good?”

  “Oh, it’s really good. It’s about the Scottish rebellion in the late 1700s.” She stopped, realizing he most likely didn’t care.

  He lifted a brow. “Really? Those were interesting times, to say the least, lass.”

  “I forget that you lived it.” She snorted. His brogue was there, but not as thick as her grandfather’s. Bhaltair had been alive during the very time she was reading about. He didn’t need her recounting it all.