Today’s Snippet Saturday theme is “The First Meeting Between a Character and a Villain.” I love this theme, because the possibilities are endless! So many options… I scanned through my books, and ultimately decided to share a scene from IN THE DARK, one of the stories that’s part of the NOTHING TO FEAR omnibus available at Loose Id.

This scene is unique, in that it comes very close to the end of the book. And yes, it is the first face-to-face encounter between the hero and the villain — the man who’s kept him from his wife for so long, he almost lost her. And at this point, he’s willing to do anything it takes to get his life back.
—

O’Grady slept in the last room at the end of the hall and, like his daughter, didn’t bother to lock the bedroom door. And why would he? Miguel’s job was to keep intruders away — and failing that, to sound the alarm before he died.

Evan didn’t hesitate this time. He cocked the gun, pressed it to O’Grady’s temple, and switched on the bedside lamp. A female shriek accompanied the flare of light. Evan cast the woman only a brief glance. One look at her glazed eyes and sallow skin, and he knew he didn’t have to worry.

O’Grady often brought drug addicts to his bed. Occupational hazard, he called it.

The woman darted a quick look at the gun, then sat up and pulled the bedsheet over her naked breasts, knowing better than to make another sound.

“Good girl.” Evan ground the barrel into O’Grady’s temple and had the satisfaction of seeing the older man’s ruddy complexion blanch. “Your daughter wasn’t nearly as smart.”

A flicker of terror shone in O’Grady’s blue eyes. He got it under control quickly, but not before Evan had a good glimpse of the man’s discomfort. “What do you want?”

“Two things. First, the name of your government contact. Second, you’re going to make a call. He’s going to come here. Now.”

O’Grady snorted, some of his bravado returning. “We have a meeting later tonight. You were invited, if I’m not mistaken. Your first one, too. Why not wait until then?”

Evan shrugged. “It doesn’t work that way. Not anymore.”

“I should have known better than to trust you.” O’Grady moved a fraction of an inch away from the gun, but Evan caught him by the back of the neck.

“You should have,” he agreed, his voice deadly calm. The finger pressed against the trigger remained still. It would only take a tiny muscle spasm to fire. “The name.”

“No.”

Evan grunted. “I’ll ask you one last time. The name. Please.” He drew out the last word in a sarcastic tone.

“Why should I?”

Evan released O’Grady’s pudgy neck and dug into the pocket of his jeans until he found what he was searching for. He pulled out a silver chain. An elaborate cross hung at the end of it.

O’Grady’s eyes widened when he recognized it. “Felicia.” His face paled further. “What have you done?”

Evan dangled the chain in front of O’Grady’s eyes, making sure the man could see the bright blood coating the clasp. “You think I came alone, Shamus? My friends have Felicia. They’re waiting on word from me to decide what they’re going to do to her.”

Sweat coated O’Grady’s forehead. He lifted a hand to wipe it away, then remembered the gun and dropped it into his lap. “W-who do you work for?”

Evan dropped the silver chain. It landed on the bedsheet, leaving a red smear on the white linen. He slipped his free hand into the other pocket and offered O’Grady his phone.

“Make the call.”

—

If you enjoyed that glimpse into Evan’s dangerous life, check out NOTHING TO FEAR, available now at Loose Id.

And don’t forget to visit the blogs of the other authors participating in Snippet Saturday this week:

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