Golem in My Glovebox Read online

  Golem in My Glovebox

  By R.L. Naquin

  A Monster Haven Story, book four

  In her role as Aegis, Zoey Donovan has rescued and cared for hundreds of monsters and mythical creatures. Now humans are the ones in need of her help. Someone with a personal vendetta against the Board of Hidden Affairs has kidnapped all the other Aegises in the country—including Zoey’s mother.

  With the Hidden government in shambles and a string of deadly clues to follow, Zoey and her reaper boyfriend set out on a cross-country chase to stop the kidnapper from killing the captured Aegises. Along the way, they pick up a miniature golem who’s on a quest to find his humanity...and may be the key to solving the grisly clues.

  If Zoey succeeds in defeating this new evil, she’ll finally be reunited with the mother she lost over twenty years ago. But if she fails, she’ll become the final victim.

  Don’t Miss Monster in My Closet, Pooka in My Pantry, and Fairies in My Fireplace, available now!

  80,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  I’m jumping right into it this month because New York Times bestselling author Shannon Stacey’s next book in the Kowalski series is out in both digital and print at the end of April. Taken with You is the story of girlie-girl librarian, Hailey. She’s easy to get along with, is a small-town girl who loves where she lives, but she also loves nice clothes and fine dining and is looking for a guy who will be there when she comes home at night, and who will dress up and take her out to something a little more upscale than the local diner. It’s also the story of Matt, a hunky forest ranger who loves the outdoors, loves his dog, and is looking for a woman who doesn’t mind his erratic hours, will take a muddy ride on an ATV and won’t kick him out of the house when he walks in covered in dirt. Needless to say, these two opposites attract when Matt moves in next door to Hailey, and their story will take you on a wonderful romantic rollercoaster that will leave you with that happy-book sigh at the end.

  If you love the TV show Scandal, have I got a new series for you. In Emma Barry’s Washington, D.C.-set, politically charged Special Interests, a shy labor organizer and an arrogant congressional aide clash over the federal budget but find love the more difficult negotiation.

  April also brings a week of sports-related romance releases at Carina Press and we have six fantastic, very different contemporary sports romances being added to our already fantastic sports romance lineup. Allison Parr’s Imaginary Lines continues her new adult series. Tamar fell hopelessly in love with Abraham Krasner at age twelve, but knew he’d never see her as more than the girl next door—until years later, she gets a sports journalist position covering the NFL team Abe plays for...

  Author Michele Mannon follows up Knock Out with Tap Out. Underwear model and playboy extraordinaire Caden Kelly will let nothing stop his come-back as an MMA fighter, especially a red-headed busy-bodied reporter hell bent on ruining his shot at a title. Meanwhile, Kat Latham writes the London Legends series about the world’s hottest rugby team. Book two, Playing It Close, features the team captain and a scandalous woman with whom he spent one passionate night and never thought he’d see again—until she turns out to be his team’s newest sponsor.

  Kate Willoughby brings the on-the-ice action when a hunky hockey player falls helmet over skates for a nurse, but has to convince her he’s not the typical different-puck-bunny-every-day athlete in On the Surface. In a much warmer-weather sport, professional tennis player Regan Hunter’s temper is as notorious as her unstoppable serve, but love and ambition will go head-to-head when she meets former player-turned-coach Ben Percy. Check out Love in Straight Sets by Rebecca Crowley.

  And because we can’t leave out America’s favorite sport, Rhonda Shaw’s The Ace brings us a sexy baseball romance in a follow-up to her debut, The Changeup. “Love ’em and leave ’em” is real estate agent Karen Bently’s motto—that is until her longtime crush, ace pitcher Jerry Smutton, sets her in his sights and offers her a proposal she can’t resist.

  But it’s not all contemporary romance all the time in April. We have an eclectic selection of books from a lineup of talented authors (as always, right?). R.L. Naquin is back with her popular Monster Haven series. If you haven’t checked out this fun, sometimes zany, but always adorable series, look for book one, Monster in My Closet, at all of our retail digital partners. This month’s installment, Golem in My Glovebox, finds crazy shenanigans mixed with a gruesome, cross-country trail of clues, as Zoey and Riley attempt to save the rest of the country’s Aegises—and ultimately, Zoey’s lost mother.

  PJ Schnyder is wrapping up her London Undead trilogy with Survive to Dawn, in which werewolf and pack medic, Danny, must choose between his Alpha’s orders and the human witch who might have the cure to the zombie plague. And in the second installment of the Once Upon a Red World science fiction romance saga from Jael Wye, the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk unfolds on a devastated Earth 300 years in the future in Ladder to the Red Star.

  A.J. Larrieu debuts with her first full-length paranormal romance novel, Twisted Miracles. A reluctant telekinetic is drawn back to New Orleans’ supernatural underworld when her friend goes missing, but once she’s there, she finds her powers—and her attraction to the sexy ex-boyfriend who trained her—are stronger than ever. Talented fantasy author Angela Highland is back with Rebels of Adalonia book two in her epic fantasy Vengeance of the Hunter. As rebellion ignites across Adalonia, the healer Faanshi must save both the Hawk Kestar Vaarsen and the assassin Julian—the one from magical annihilation at the hands of his Church, and the other from a path of revenge.

  For mystery fans, we welcome author Delynn Royer to Carina Press with her book, It Had to Be You. An ambitious tabloid reporter stumbles upon the story of her career when she joins up with a jaded homicide detective to solve the Central Park murder of a notorious bootlegger in 1920s Manhattan.

  Rounding out the April lineup is a book for all Regency historical romance fans. Wendy Soliman’s Forsters series wraps up with Romancing the Runaway. When Miranda and Gabe discover her childhood home has been stripped of all its valuables, Gabe uncovers more to the old house than either of them had imagined. And with Gabe’s safety hanging in the balance, Miranda is prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice...

  I’m confident you’ll find something to love among these books and I hope we provide you with many hours of reading enjoyment and escape from the neverending dishes!

  Coming next month: Fan favorite male/male author Josh Lanyon, an amazing science fiction lineup, more sexy cowboys and hot moments from Leah Braemel and so much more!

  Here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  Dedication

  For you. You know who you are. (Insert absurd wink and knowing look here. And maybe a pirouette, because sometimes I like to be fancy.)

  Acknowledgments

  High fives, mushy hugs, and slobbery kisses go out to so many people who helped with this book—and the whole series, thus far.

  The Lawrence Writers have my continued, undying thanks for all the feedback, coffee, whip snapping, shoulders to cry on, entertaining drunk tweets, and nights out when I didn’t think I wanted to see another human being. You guys are the best—and I expect great things out of all of you.

  Thanks and snorts to Kate and Murffy who continued to pull me through with advice, local research, and hilarious conversations about bodily functions. Also, pictures of places I was writing about but couldn’t see. And speaking of pictures, a bi
g thank you to Paul for sharing photos of San Francisco. Any mistakes I made aren’t for lack of my friends trying.

  This book had an editor switch from the previous three in the series. Thank you a million times to Alison for guiding Zoey and I this far down the road. I am truly blessed for having had you as an editor, but doubly so for getting to keep you as a friend. You deserve all good things, and I’m so happy for you. And thank you to Mallory for asking to inherit me and for willingly diving into the middle of the series as my new editor. Your faith and enthusiasm for my books are more appreciated than you’ll ever know.

  Always, my family has my gratitude for putting up with a cranky, unkempt writer. Without you guys, there wouldn’t be any point to anything.

  And finally, thank you to my readers who’ve been so amazing. Several of you have brought me to tears with your touching comments and emails. I wish I could hug you all.

  Stay with me a little while longer, folks. We’re only halfway there.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  In spite of its light and airy appearance, my ceremonial dress made of flower petals and spider silk itched like an STD through horsehair underwear. And scratching made a mess of the delicate design.

  I scratched anyway.

  Maurice, my closet monster roommate, slapped my hand away. “Dammit, Zoey,” he said, his yellow eyes pleading. He dropped his voice to a whisper. “You’re already flashing side-boob. This is a solemn ceremony. I don’t want to have to glue a leaf on you to hide a nipple slip. Quit fussing.”

  I found a spot on my hip where I’d already sprung a hole and rubbed my fingers over it. The motion wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped.

  I stood in a clearing in the woods behind my house, surrounded by a menagerie of odd creatures. A low-hanging branch held the tiny, month-old star of the ceremony, along with the rest of the party involved. Plus me. I was too big to stand with them, hence their position on a tree branch. Even if I squatted in the grass I’d be too large in comparison. The only other solution would have been for me to lie on my belly. I didn’t want to think what that would have to done to the dress.

  The chubby brownie vicar stood waving his arms at the surrounding mix of monsters, mythical creatures and urban legends. “May all who witness take to heart the joy and solemnity of this occasion. Today, we welcome this child as a citizen of the world, of the community and of her family. Today, we present her name, that she shall go forth in the knowledge of her place in the world, in the community and in her family.”

  Molly held her month-old daughter, and Molly’s husband, Walter, beamed with pride beside them. The brownies’ sons, Fred and Aaron, stood next to their father, stiff in their formal robes, and little sister Abbey, dressed in a ceremonial dress of her own, clutched her mother’s petal skirt.

  My skirt hit about mid-thigh, while theirs were floor length. My woods didn’t hold nearly enough spiders to complete the dress in my size. As much as I’d like to be fully covered, having another inch of my body coated in the sticky stuff would have been unbearable. I scratched at my arm and realized a welt had formed. Obviously, I was having an allergic reaction.

  Don’t scratch, don’t scratch, don’t scratch. If I sang it in my head as a mantra, maybe the itching would stop.

  One additional brownie stood on the branch with the rest of the family and the vicar—Molly’s brother, Jack. He was there for the same reason I was, but he had the good taste to be an appropriate size.

  The vicar touched the baby’s forehead with his fingertips. “Whose tongue holds the familiar name of this child?”

  Jack bowed at the waist and stepped forward. “My tongue holds her familiar name.”

  “Give this child her familiar name, that all who meet her may know her.”

  Jack’s voice, as he’d been taught in rehearsal, was pitched loud enough for those in the first few circles of onlookers to hear. “Susannah.”

  Baby Susannah cooed, and the air around us shimmered, as if heat were bouncing off asphalt.

  The vicar touched her forehead again. “Whose tongue holds the private name of this child?”

  That was my cue. “My tongue holds her private name.”

  “Give this child her private name, that she may know herself better than all others.”

  I bowed at the waist, feeling the sides of the wispy dress shred with the movement. At this rate, I’d be wearing nothing but hives and a few modestly placed daisy petals by the time the ceremony was over.

  I stepped forward and bent over the tiny baby in Molly’s arms. I bit my tongue to hold back tears that threatened to gather, and reminded myself this was a happy moment, not a time for sadness.

  As we’d rehearsed, I whispered so only the brownie family could hear. “Iris.”

  Petals fell from the tree above, and a scented breeze blew over us. My heart clenched. Iris had been my friend. He’d died a hero. Giving his name to Molly’s child filled me with both pride and sorrow.

  Molly and I exchanged a sad smile, and I returned to my place, silently cursing my inability to keep my eyes from puddling up. You’d think, after a whole month, I’d have my shit together.

  I’d done so well the night before in rehearsal.

  The vicar touched Susannah Iris’s forehead a third time. “Whose tongue holds this child’s family name?”

  The entire brownie family, mother, father and three older children answered in unison, in voices loud enough to carry through the forest. “Our tongues hold her family name.”

  “Give this child her family name, that she may always have a place in this world.”

  They bowed, though Molly’s bow wasn’t as deep, since she held the baby in her arms.

  “Wheatstalk!” Their voices echoed into the sky, and the sky answered with a clap of thunder.

  All around us dryads, a pigmy dragon, a closet monster, two visiting chupacabra, a yeti, a satyr, a large tribe of fairies, a host of other creatures lurking in the forest and a few special humans cheered as the vicar took Susannah Iris Wheatstalk and held her in the air for all to see.

  Baby Suzie, startled by the noise, burst into frightened tears. The vicar smiled and handed her back to Molly, then stood waiting for silence to resettle over the congregation.

  When all was quiet again, he cleared his throat. “Will the godmother and godfather lay their hands upon this child?”

  Jack placed his hand over Suzie’s chest, and I touched her peach-fuzzed head with the tip of one finger.

  “Do you, Jack Brambletuft, swear to be a source of wisdom, safety and love to this child for all her days upon this earth?”

  “I so swear.”

  “Do you, Zoey Donovan, swear to be a source of wisdom, safety and love to this child for all her days upon this earth?”

  I swallowed. “I so swear.”

  “And do you both swear to care for her as your own, should her natural parents become unable to do so?”
r />   Jack and I waited two beats, then responded together. “We so swear.”

  “Then by the power of the great oak and the humble dandelion, I declare this child joined forever with this brownie and this human Aegis as a part of her family tree.”

  After the clap of thunder earlier, I’d expected something big, like fireworks or a choir of howling wolverines. Instead, the effect was internal. Something clicked inside me, like when you place a puzzle piece into the right space. I saw in his eyes that Jack had felt it, too. The tiny girl in Molly’s arms was now a part of us, and we were a part of her.

  No pressure.

  With the formal ceremony complete, guests moved through the clearing to congratulate the family and to mingle with each other. I shifted my feet and scratched a new welt on my ribcage.

  Sara, my best friend and business partner, closed in on me, her lips pursed in fake disapproval. “We can’t take you anywhere.” She poked me in the ribs in a spot where the dress had already been thoroughly destroyed. “Even when you’re given an outfit to wear, you’re a fashion disaster.”

  I scratched the spot where she’d poked me. It felt so good I expanded the scratching zone, which widened the hole.

  Molly shifted the baby in her arms and moved closer on the tree branch. “Go change, Zoey,” she said. “There is no reason for you to be uncomfortable.” She smiled at me and made a shooing motion with one hand. “Go.”

  I displayed a tremendous amount of willpower to keep myself from running to the house. I made my way through the guests, a fierce grin plastered across my face. My friend, Andrew, and his boyfriend, Daniel, stood talking to Maurice a few yards away. They followed my progress with raised eyebrows. The holes in my dress were now large enough to be seen all the way across the clearing. I didn’t see my reaper boyfriend, Riley, but I’d be back in a few minutes. If he missed me, someone would tell him where I’d gone.

  I skirted a toadstool the size of a dinner plate so I wouldn’t disturb the fairies spread across its surface. At the edge of the clearing, I prepared to make a dash for it, but someone grabbed my elbow and spun me around.