Caridad Pineiro

Undead Uprising Chapter 15

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This week’s Wicked Wednesday brings you another installment of my urban fantasy involving a twist to the werewolf mythology, battles with vampires and a struggle for control in a werewolf pack. The tentative title is UNDEAD UPRISING and I hope you like this next free chapter that I’m offering you.

This chapter is after Helena and Catalina have met with their father, their half-sister Selena as well as one of their clients and tempers have flared during their meeting. Now Catalina and her father will discuss what needs to be done for both their company and the wolf pack.

For those of you who may have missed the first chapters, you can read them here:

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14

Also, don’t forget this week’s b’day bash. Just visit any of the blogs listed below this week and leave a comment and you’ll be eligible to win a prize from me! At Barbara Vey’s blog, there are tons of other prizes as well!

I’ll be visiting all of these blogs and if you’ve left a comment at any of them, you’ll also be eligible to win a $25 Godiva gift card! The more times I see your name at the different blogs, the more your chances improve to win the gift card. So take a moment and stop by one or all to improve your chances of winning a prize.

The contest ends on Friday, March 13th at midnight EST, so be sure to get your comments in there on time!

Barbara Vey’s Beyond Her Book Blog for lots of fun and giveaways!
http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/880000288/post/1240041524.html

Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=1602

Harlequin Paranormal Romance blog: http://paranormalromanceblog.wordpress.com/

Liberty States Fiction Writers (leave a comment on any of the blog posts): http://www.libertystatesfictionwriters.com/blog-read-around-the-world/

Long and Short Reviews: http://longandshortarchives.blogspot.com/search/label/Caridad%20Pineiro

Chapter 15

Catalina’s father examined the recommendations they had made about reassigning Frank Black’s detail. He rubbed his forefinger back and forth across his lips as he considered them. He tossed the papers onto the desk before him. “You’re sure about this?”

“Do you have some doubt about all our decisions or just one in particular?” Catalina asked, arching an eyebrow to emphasize her point.

“You have Hemmerich assigned internally. To the research section?” Her father grabbed the papers, looked at them once more and shook his head. “Seems like a waste of prime wolf.”

“So you do feel us desk jockeys are lesser warriors?” Her reiteration of his earlier words had a teasing tone since she’d had enough fighting for the day.

He grinned then, a devilish grin that lit up his eyes with amusement. “Hemmerich will feel that way. I love it.”

She chuckled and shook her head. “Papi, you never cease to amaze me.”

“Nor do you. I wasn’t sure you’d do the right thing — ”

“And you think putting Hemmerich at a desk is the right thing?” she questioned, interested in hearing her father’s rationale.

“Keep your friends close — ”

“But your enemies closer. It’s exactly what I thought,” she admitted out loud and crossed her legs, adopting a casual stance, but her father saw right through it.

“You’re worried about him?”

She shrugged. “I had an interesting visitor this morning.”

When he didn’t ask who, she continued. “Helena came to warn me about Selena and Hemmerich.”

“Selena isn’t someone you need to worry about. But I don’t like that she’s being used.”

“You knew?” She leaned forward onto the edge of her seat, confused by her father’s inaction.

He brought two fingers to his mouth, rubbed his lips thoughtfully before replying. “Selena is a great deal like her mother. Needy of affection. Honorable, but gullible because of that need.”

“Helena — ”

“Helena,” he said forcefully and pointed at her. “Helena is one you need to watch. There’s something . . . off about her. I don’t know what it is, but you need to keep an eye on her.”

She suspected what was off — that Helena was in love with her half-sister. Her father could never understand and if Helena’s offer of allegiance was true, she would keep her Helena’s secrets for now.

A first — she had never intentionally kept something from her father.

It was odd to have so many people warning her about so many other people. But she had no doubt which people she could trust. Helena and Selena were possibly not on that list. “Is there anything else I should know, papi?”

“Hemmerich won’t take kindly to this move. His pride — ”

“Is a dangerous thing. I’ve known that for some time.” Standing, she grabbed the papers off his desk. “Will you support me on these decisions? Hemmerich is sure to come to you to complain.”

He laughed and his teeth were a bright white against the blackness of his beard. “Mi’ja. Hemmerich has done nothing but complain for years.” After a chuckle, he added, “I will support you in all things. Except one.”

She had no doubt about what he referred to, but she wouldn’t be his daughter if she gave up so easily. “On that, I guess we will just have to agree to disagree.”

He inclined his head, the gesture one of affection and admiration. “For the moment. I will leave it up to you and your sisters to communicate the assignments.”

“And I will leave it up to you to deal with Hemmerich.” She left his study to head to the public wings of the building where their corporation conducted its daily business.