Novels by Smith Adams

Claire lunged with lethal accuracy, her shining sword pointing directly at my chest. As instincts I was unaware I had taken over, time appeared to slow down. I swerved to the side, just missing the blow.Claire foresaw the move, but Damien reacted more quickly than I could comprehend, his rifle already lifted. With a flawless turn, she used the momentum to knock his weapon out of his hands and send it skittering over the steel floor.Damien's voice was harsh with rage as he hissed, "You should've stayed dead."Claire's mouth twisted into a poisonous grin. "And pass up this reunion? Never!She cut once more, pushing him back, each blow driven by unadulterated, uncompromising fury. With frantic breath, I battled through the adrenaline blur and scurried for the fallen pistol.Before I could get to it, two of Claire's surviving guards rushed into the hallway brandishing their rifles. I snatched up the rifle without thinking and shot. My shot was accurate despite my shaking hands; one guar

As we flew over the impossibly vast sky, speeding toward an unknown future, the sound of the private jet's engines became quieter. Sitting opposite me, Damien's jaw was clinched and his eyes were fixed on the far horizon as if he could control the future.Claire's supposed stronghold was a distant island fortress, which is where we were going. Even though my gut told me that this was a trap, there was nothing we could do about it. She would discover us if we fled. She would ruin everyone we loved if we remained.The only means of escape was via.Safe and hidden under government protection were Vanessa and Kyle. However, safety seemed illusory—a fleeting escape in a world where Claire had all the power.Only the steady cadence of Damien's fingers tapping on his thigh revealed the fury brewing behind his composed appearance. Years of battle from which he was unable to flee had worn his measured calm to the brink.I grabbed his hand across the little cabin and stopped its agitated motion

Amidst the silence left by the devastation, the distant shriek of sirens became more intense. Thin trails of steam rose into the cold air as the broken pieces of the boathouse hissed and smoldered, and smoke floated languidly over the lake.Even though our garments were soaked in icy water, Damien's arms grew tighter around me and his breath felt warm on my neck. As if I were going to vanish if he let go, he clutched me."We must move," Vanessa said, her tone calm yet strained. Her eyes were awake and piercing, and she and Kyle stood nearby, their faces bloodied and pallid. "The police will arrive soon."Slowly, with a stone-carved visage, Damien withdrew. "We won't be leaving."“What?” Kyle resisted. "We cannot rely on them!""They will pose questions that we cannot respond to," Vanessa growled.Damien's eyes became steely. "Claire remains out there." We will be pursued for all time if we flee now. This concludes with the truth.I tightened my chest. He was correct, but approaching t

Like thunder, the boathouse door exploded, shattering the delicate silence. Wood fragments splintered in the air and landed on the groaning flooring. Men with guns and tactical gear rushed in, moving with deadly accuracy and aiming their weapons.Damien's face was as hard as stone as he charged forward like a natural force. Silently and deadly, Damien attacked before the first invader could react. Before firing a single, silent shot into the shoulder of the next guard, his elbow struck the man's chin, sending him reeling.“Go down!” Damien's voice broke through the confusion as he yelled.Retaliating with grim resolve, Vanessa and Kyle crouched behind a pile of fallen boxes. The air was heavy with gunpowder and desperation, and every shot was loud due to the boathouse's tight quarters.My fingers were shaking around the cold steel of the revolver Damien had put into my hands before we ran, and I flattened myself against the wall with my pulse racing. Continue to live. I couldn't get t

Sharp shadows were formed over Damien's face by the icy light of his phone, which illuminated the pitch-black cabin. His face was etched in stone, but as he gazed at the message on the computer, his eyes blazed with deadly intent:Did Damien believe he could hide from me?Breathing became difficult for me. Each little moment of tranquility we had discovered was shattered like glass. We were located by her.Still half sleeping, Vanessa and Kyle staggered into the living room, but they were immediately awakened by Damien's weapon, which was gripped securely in his palm."What is happening?" Kyle, who was already looking out the windows, demanded.Damien replied icily, his voice devoid of feeling, "She's back." "Claire knows our location."“How?” Vanessa growled. "Nothing was tracked; we left everything behind."Damien's jaw became tense. "She's always ahead of the game."The cabin's dread-filled air seemed oppressive. Now the calm lake outside seemed like a trap, a wide open area with n

The smoking remains were illuminated by an unsettling glow as the chilly morning descended over Damien's broken estate. Faint flames burned amid the rubble, and smoke curled toward the pale sky. The once-impenetrable walls of the house were now broken, a menacing reminder of the lengths Claire had gone to. I was reminded that the nightmare was not yet finished by the distant sirens. Even after Claire was carried away, vanquished for the time being, I was still tormented by the poison in her last grin. I knew in my heart that it wasn't over, but she wanted us to think it was. We stood, damaged but alive, in the shattered courtyard. Kyle and Vanessa hovered close by, their features determined but pallid. Despite the odds against us, they had fought as hard as Damien and I had. Beside me, Damien remained quiet, his look unwavering as he gazed at the abandoned mansion. His clothing were charred and ripped, and his hands were smeared with blood. However, I was more concerned about the s