Star City Crusaders (Print)

Star City Crusaders (Box Set)
Ashlynn Monroe
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2018 Ashlynn Monroe
Excerpt from My Heroes

Doctor Death raised his hand. She saw his power gathering in his palm. The deadly beauty of his biological weapon contrasted with the ugliness of what it could do. Her demise would be a glorious fire of blinding light. It gave her a twisted comfort. She closed her eyes, braced, ready for the end.

"Let the girl go, Doctor," said a deep, sensual male voice.

Kory peeked around her captor and her eyes opened widely. Her jaw dropped with surprise, and a shallow breath drifted out from between her parted lips. The sight before her stole her ability to think.

Hot.

Male.

Tights?

He wasn't perfect, but she didn't care. The man standing behind Doctor Death was as tall as the villain was. His face bore a confident strength she imagined only worked on gods... or him. This guy was incredible and she felt her pussy tighten with need just looking at him. His short black hair and soulful brown eyes made him Playgirl centerfold material. Even the green tights and darker green leotard couldn't detract from the masculine beauty of the crusader, and that was saying a great deal. He carried a crossbow. A green mask covered his eyes, but didn't hide his strong jaw and dimpled, clean-shaven chin.

The Hunter. Kory recognized him from the tabloids and Internet hero blogs. Reading them was her secret guilty pleasure.

A small sound escaped her. Both males looked at her. The newcomer's gray eyes gazed at her with open appreciation. As a bartender, she was used to men looking at her with open sexual interest, but never before had a man's gaze made her hot. She prided herself on being a modern woman, but something about this man kicked her hormones into overdrive. The primal female deep inside her purred with pride. The contrasts left her with emotional whiplash.

"This seems like an odd place to take a vacation," said another male voice.

Kory turned to face the newcomer and gasped. His yellow eyes were the first thing she noticed. Then she saw the wild mane of blond hair flowing around him. This man was feral and dangerous.

He wore nothing but blue jeans and a black mask. His muscular chest, sprinkled with a light coating of dark blond hair, was so perfectly ripped that a shudder of longing shook her.

Untamed. The Hunter's crime fighting partner. A flash of lust rattled her already frayed composure. His blond hair glinted like gold in the dim light. This man was just as hot as his companion.

Villains never posed for pictures, but heroes were another story. In the fifteen years since the radiation blast caused a small percentage of the population to develop amazing powers, sensationalized news had gotten much more interesting.

Doctor Death let her go. His frown twisted into a mask of rage. A snarl escaped his throat. Kory stumbled. Hands gripped her shoulders and pulled her back. She gasped and struggled for a second. Untamed had moved so quickly she hadn't been able to track the motion with her human eyes.

"Shh. You'll be fine if you stay out of the way," Untamed assured her. His voice was deep and accented. She couldn't place it, but he didn't sound like he was from the US. "We'll keep you safe."

She didn't know what to say. Thank you felt too empty. They'd postponed her death, maybe even saved her life. She'd be thankful when the Doctor was gone, but having these strong males between her and the maniac was an immense relief. Kory stepped back as the heroes circled the scary doctor.

Doctor Death's hands were blinding as brilliant blue lightning arced between his fingers. The sound of the crackling killing force made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The beautiful play of light danced gleefully along his knuckles. Watching the light she could almost forget it could kill.

Untamed and the Hunter gave their nemesis bored looks.

"So what is the game, Doctor? What does this small town have that you want?" the Hunter asked. "We've been watching you. The Coalition of Evil is making big plans and we know you're the key. We're here to stop you. So why here?"

Doctor Death gave the heroes a cold smile. The man remained so still it was beginning to make Kory nervous. She watched for any sign that Doctor Death was scared, but not so much as a bead of sweat gave away his mental state. He was either unconcerned by being outnumbered or damn good at hiding his turmoil.

Kory glanced at the rear door. Then she looked at the three males and then back at the exit. She could run, but if the heroes were distracted by her action, she might unwittingly be giving the villain an advantage.

She'd been told to stand back, not to run. Her fist clenched so tightly she felt her nails cutting into her palms. Her legs shook. Running made sense, but if something happened to one or both of the superheroes, Doctor Death would find her. She had a feeling he wouldn't just let her go.