Dante has a shiny new cuff wrapped around his ankle, and he doesn't like that mess one bit. His new accessory comes straight from Big Guy himself and marks the former demon as a liberator. Despite his gritty past and bad boy ways, Dante Walker has been granted a second chance. When Dante is given his first mission as a liberator to save the soul of seventeen-year-old Aspen, he knows he's got this. But Aspen reminds him of the rebellious life he used to live and is making it difficult to resist sinful temptations. Though Dante is committed to living clean for his girlfriend Charlie, this dude's been a playboy for far too long…and old demons die hard. With Charlie becoming the girl she was never able to be pre-makeover and Aspen showing him how delicious it feels to embrace his inner beast, Dante will have to go somewhere he never thought he'd return to in order to accomplish the impossible: save the girl he's been assigned to, and keep the girl he loves. The Dante Walker series is best enjoyed in order. Reading Order: Book #1 The Collector Book #2 The Liberator Book #3 The Warrior "Dante is the kind of guy I wish I'd met when I was seventeen. And the kind of guy I'd kill if my daughter brought him home." -Mary Lindsey, author of SHATTERED SOULS Victoria Scott is the author of the DANTE WALKER trilogy (Entangled Teen), and the FIRE & FLOOD series (Scholastic). Victoria has a master's degree in marketing, and lives in Dallas with her husband. She hearts cotton candy and loves chatting with readers on her site: victoriascottya.com The Liberator A Dante Walker Novel By Victoria Scott, Liz Pelletier Entangled Publishing, LLC Copyright © 2013 Victoria Scott All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-62266-016-2 CHAPTER 1 I Ain't No Angel Real men don't cross their legs. In an emergency situation, like if you need to adjust your junk, a dude can place ankle to knee. But that's it. There shouldn't be any danglage. I shouldn't see one leg lying limply over the other, and I definitely — definitely — shouldn't see you bounce your dangling foot. The guy in front of me is breaking this Man Rule. And about a dozen others. He's wearing black-framed glasses I'm sure he doesn't need and a Burberry scarf that's as phony as he is. Even worse, he's sipping champagne from a friggin' crystal flute. And he's talking to my girl, Charlie. And making her laugh. Music from the party throbs and echoes off the basement walls. I'm not sure how I got here, and I'm certain I don't know how Charlie ended up on the other side of the room with Guy In Touch With His Emotions. Raising a bottle to my lips, I watch as the guy uncrosses his long legs and recrosses them. His tampon must be killing him. I know perfectly well why this dude is moving in on Charlie. She's completely beautiful. But I can't complain. I'm the one who did this to her. A month ago, I was given an assignment from Boss Man, aka, Lord of the Underworld, to collect Charlie's soul. Like the champ I am, I pulled out all the stops to complete the job. Why wouldn't I? I was a collector from hell, after all, and there was a huge promotion on the line. So I offered Charlie something she couldn't refuse, something in exchange for her soul — beauty. My past is working out real well for me right about now. A girl struts by slowly, drinking in my appearance. I know, fancy face. I'm effin' hot. But you're blocking my view. I raise a hand and flick my wrist, dismissing Ogling Girl. She rolls her eyes and clicks away in Payless heels. When my eyes return to Charlie, they nearly pop from my head. Feminine Man has his arm around the back of her chair and is leaning in way too close. I take a moment to see how Charlie reacts. She isn't leaning into him, but she's not leaning away, either. Time to break this crap up. I try to stand but immediately stumble back into my chair. Oh, man, I think, I'm plowed. Steadying myself, I try again to stand. This time I'm successful. A guy near me holds his hand out, and I slap him a high five. Then I cross the distance between Charlie and me. She looks up, and her mouth curves up in a cautious smile. "Hey," D-bag says. He looks at me like I'm the one interrupting. "Oh, hey," I say. "Did you want me to come back when you're done with my girlfriend?" "Dante," Charlie says, sensing I'm about to blow. I place my hand on her shoulder and give her a gentle squeeze, but my eyes never leave his face. The dude looks at Charlie, then up at me. "Relax. We weren't doing anything." His words are innocent, but there's an arrogant tilt to his chin that I want to crush. "Of course you weren't," I say. "Why don't you get yourself something to drink?" I nod toward the other side of the room. "Over there." The guy stands up and steps in close, the smell of his cologne burning my nose. He nudges those black-rimmed glasses, and I consider jacking them, since I'm having a hard time seeing straight. D-bag looks down at Charlie and smiles wide. "Hope I ru