Luring Levi (Tarnished Saints Series Book 2)
Read Luring Levi (Tarnished Saints Series Book 2) Online
Authors: Elizabeth Rose
Luring Levi
Tarnished Saints Series
Book 2
By
Elizabeth Rose
This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual organizations or persons living or deceased is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without the author’s written permission.
Cover by Elizabeth Rose Krejcik
Cover Image provi
ded by Shutterstock
E-books by Elizabeth Rose:
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Ruby
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(Madman MacKeefe Series)
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Onyx
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Ian
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(Elemental Series)
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The Dragon and the Dreamwalker
✛
(Tarnished Saints Series)
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Saving Simon
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Author’s Note:
Tarnished Saints Series
is a twelve book series about the twelve sons of a preacher, the Taylor brothers. Each book can stand alone, but so not to ruin any surprises it is best to read them in order if possible. Because of the amount of characters this will entail, I have listed the names of the brothers according to their age as well as kept characters to a minimum in each book so as not to overwhelm you. The names and descriptions of the main characters for each story can be accessed by clicking the cast of characters’ link that is linked to the end of the book. You can expect a new book in the series to be released every few months.
Saving Simon
– Book 5
has just been released, and watch for
Wrangling James – Book 6
this fall. Stop by my website at
http://elizabethrosenovels.com
for sneak peeks of upcoming covers and excerpts.
Enjoy,
Elizabeth Rose
(Watch
book trailer
video)
The Taylor Brothers
(Oldest to youngest. Book title and number.)
Thomas
–
Doubting Thomas
– (1)
Matthew
Levi
–
Luring Levi
(2)
Judas
–
Judging Judas
– (3)
James
Zeb
edee (Twin) –
Seducing Zeb
–
(4)
James
Alphaeus (Twin) –
Wrangling James
– (6)(coming soon)
Simon
–
Saving Simon
– (5)
(NEW)
Peter
-
Praising Pete
– (7)
John
–
Loving John
– (9)
Philip
–
Teaching Philip
– (8)
Andrew
–
Igniting Andrew
– (11)
Nathanael
–
Playing Nate
– (10)
Thaddaeus
–
Taming Thad
–(12)
Cast of Characters for Luring Levi
Table of Contents
Old Widow Durnsby’s kerosene pickles first thing in the morning wasn’t exactly the ideal way to start the day. Especially when one had a hangover the size of the entire state of Michigan.
Matthew Levi Taylor
, or Levi, as he’d been called for the last thirty-seven years of his life, tried to smile as he bit into the pickle from hell. He faked a sound of approval that only reminded him of the moan of a sick cow.
“So what do you think?” The old woman had such a look of hope on her face that Levi didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. “Is it worthy of a blue ribbon at the Sweet Water fair? Should I enter it in the
pickled pleasures
category? Do you think I can win best of show?”
All these questions so early in the morning were just too much for Levi.
And if he had known he’d have to basically drink kerosene and still act like he’d just sampled a fine bourbon, he would have never gotten out of bed this morning. He was already regretting his offer to bring Angel, his brother Thomas’s wife, to the council meeting in the first place. But Thomas refused to come with her, as he still felt as if the town didn’t really accept him even though he’d been cleared of charges of his late wife’s murder. So he opted to stay home with his seven children and make breakfast instead.
Levi loved cooking and
had at one time not only been an executive chef at a fine dining establishment, but also owned his own prosperous restaurant that he’d named
The Big Apple
. But he’d lost it when he went to prison for tax evasion, turned in by his own traitorous brother, Judas.
The only cooking he’d done for t
he last seven years was in a prison’s kitchen, cooking for a thousand inmates at a time, or over a hotpot in his cell warming up dried noodle soup or vending machine breakfast buns.
S
ince he’d been staying with Thomas and his family for the last few weeks after his release from prison, he’d often been asked to cook meals for the family. But he had no desire or passion left in him any more for food, so he’d turned down his brother cold every time. And today was no different.
He just didn’t want to cook because it reminded him of everything he’d lost. Nor did he want the responsibility
, and this made him feel like pond scum that he hadn’t even offered.
Actually, it was his idea to come with Angel to get out of the house. With seven young children
living there, the place could get pretty noisy. After staying out late at Burley’s Bar and strip joint last night, he knew silence was the best remedy for his aching head.
“Sure,” he said, not even remembering what the old woman had just asked. He nodded in approval, “yep, best of sh
ow,” he repeated her last words just so she’d leave him alone and hopefully not make him taste any more of her vile concoction.
“Good!” She tapped her stirring spoon
on the table that she’d been using to scoop out the pickles. Each bang against the metal folding table echoed like a cannon in his head.
“May I have your attention please?” she called to the other members of the council meeting. She went to rap it again, and Levi’s hand shot out and he stilled the weapon of war and destruction now rattling against his brain. The woman looked down at him in question and he just smiled. Everyone kept on talking, ignoring her altogether.
“Allow me, Mrs. Durnsby,” he said in a low voice, while getting to his feet. Then putting his fingers into his mouth he whistled loudly, getting everyone’s attention immediately. The room went silent instantly.
“That was
unbelievable,” said the old woman. “I’ve been trying to do that for the last eight years and no one has ever listened to me like that. It usually takes me a good half hour to get everyone to quiet down. You are truly amazing, Mr. Taylor,” she said in admiration.
“It’s just one of my many talents,” he told her, turning on the charm, liking the way it felt to be admired, as he hadn’t had an ounce of respect from anyone for the last seven years being locked
away behind bars. “And please, just call me Levi.”
He sat back down, putting his booted feet atop the table and leaning back on two legs of the
metal folding chair. This meeting was going to take longer than he thought, so he decided to get a little shut-eye while they conducted their business.
He rea
lly wasn’t listening, and had just dozed off when something foreign to his ears got his undivided attention, dragging him from his peaceful slumber. He heard his name springing from the woman’s lips with the words ‘I nominate’ attached to them. He opened one eye, and then the other to see the dozen occupants of the room and his sister-in-law as well, all staring at him.
“I second the motion,” said Angel, and before he knew it, someone else agreed and everyone started talking at once.
“Then it’s settled,” said Mrs. Durnsby banging that damned spoon atop the table again trying to gain control of the room, and failing miserably. “Congratulations, Mr. Taylor,” she said, holding out her hand to shake his.
Arms crossed over his chest, his feet atop the table and
his head still in a semi-conscious state, he looked over to Angel and shrugged his shoulders, hoping she would fill him in on what the congratulations was all about.
“You are the new food-tasting judge for this year’s fair,” Angel called out.
“What?” he asked, still confused, wondering when he had applied for this position. “No, no, I just couldn’t,” he said with a wave of his hand. Angel walked over to his side and bent down to whisper in his ear.
“You’d better not turn them down,” she warned him. “After all, you said you were looking for a new start, and this would be a perfect opportunity. Besides, it would help Thomas to be accepted back in the community if you were
on Sweet Water’s town council.”
Levi had no idea what this position
was, nor did he care. He didn’t like the idea of having to taste another dozen jars of propane cucumbers, but if it would help out Thomas, then he’d do it. After all, he was close to his older brother and Thomas had been through so much lately with the loss of two wives and almost losing his kids as well. His brother was a good man and would give Levi the shirt off his back if need be. He’d already been letting him freeload off of him since his return to Sweet Water. And Levi knew that one thing Thomas didn’t need was another mouth to feed.