Mermaid Mayhem

MERMAID MAYHEM Misty Hollow #1 (Eerie Investigations) by H.P. MALLORY & J.R. RAIN Misty Hollow Series Mermaid Mayhem Big Girls Don’t Scry Gorgon Gone Wild Other Books by H.P. Mallory PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION: Haven Hollow Midlife Spirits Misty Hollow Trailer Park Vampire Midlife Mermaid PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Witch & Warlock Vampire Esquire Ever Dark Academy FANTASY ROMANCE: Dark Destinies Gates of the Underworld Lily Harper Dulcie O’Neil PARANORMAL REVERSE HAREM: My Five Kings Happily Never After SCI-FI ROMANCE: The Alaskan Detective TRILOGIES: Crown Of Lies Dark Circus Chasing Demons Dungeon Raider Here to There Arctic Wolves Wolves of Valhalla Lucy Westenra Other Books by J.R. Rain VAMPIRE FOR HIRE Moon Dance Vampire Moon American Vampire Moon Child Christmas Moon (novella) Vampire Dawn Vampire Games Moon Island Moon River Vampire Sun Moon Dragon Moon Shadow Vampire Fire Midnight Moon Moon Angel Vampire Sire Moon Master Dead Moon Lost Moon Vampire Destiny Infinite Moon Vampire Empress Moon Elder Wicked Moon Winter Moon Sasquatch Moon Moon Blade Wild Moon Moon Magic Moon World Vampire Deep (coming soon) SAMANTHA MOON ADVENTURES Banshee Moon Moon Monster Moon Ripper Witch Moon Moon Goddess Moon Blaze Golem Moon Moon Maidens SAMANTHA MOON CASE FILES Moon Bayou Blood Moon Parallel Moon SAMANTHA MOON ORIGINS New Moon Rising Moon Mourning Haunted Moon Mermaid Mayhem Published by Rain Press Copyright © 2023 by J.R. Rain & H.P. Mallory All rights reserved. Ebook Edition, License Notes This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. TABLE OF 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 Epilogue Reading Sample: Shotguns and Shifters About H.P. Mallory About J.R. Rain Mermaid Mayhem Chapter One I didn’t like missing person cases, and I liked being kept in the dark about the details even less. Unfortunately, when your client was cloistered in the sticks, these things couldn’t be helped. Mayor Beaumont had stressed that the case was too sensitive to be discussed over the phone, and even if I could have made out more than every third word he’d said, it would have taken hours to communicate the particulars. Forget confidential emails. Until the budding Hollow could lay down fiber optics, there’d be nary a computer in sight. That meant I’d have to do this the old-fashioned way—an in-person chat with the undead bastard himself. Which would be impossible for at least another hour. The sunset was still spilling through the cypress trees, tracing every leaf and blade of grass with pastel light. The trees were unusually thick here, keeping the worst of the sunlight off the Jeep. I’d had to pay extra to find the type of vehicle needed for this little outing, and fully expected the mayor to compensate me for my trouble. Actually, I’d expected more than that—a vampire of his age should have had old-world sensibilities and sent a town car after me. But nope. It was Uber or bust. Maybe he couldn’t find a vehicle suited to the terrain—I mean, he was building this hollow very near a bayou. Maybe the whole damned thing was just one wrong move from sinking into the muck. Brice, the driver of the Jeep, studied the terrain with a frown. We’d left the main road a half hour ago, following the slightly worn dirt path that led to this little clearing. He looked as puzzled and anxious as I felt. My directions ended here, and yet there was no clear path through the trees ahead, unless I wanted to make a brave foray into the woods on foot. In the backwoods of Louisiana? Hard pass. There was no telling what lurked in the wetlands. It didn’t even have to be supernatural to do me in, just hungry and determined enough to give chase. “You sure about this?” Brice asked, southern accent growing a little thicker as his worry increased. “I think someone’s yankin’ your tail, draggin’ you this far out. Ain’t nothin’ round here but bobcats an’ gators. They’d eat a sweet thing like you right up.” I laughed, though there wasn’t much feeling behind it. He had no idea just how accurate his description was. I had a feeling someone was yanking my tail, in a very literal sense, because yes, I had one to yank—though anyone stupid enough to try would regret it shortly afterward. But very human Brice didn’t need to know that. I’d worn long sleeves in the sweltering heat, just to conceal the scales which were already pressing slowly to the surface of my skin. They did that when I dried out. Any amount of moisture would help, including sweat, which was my preferred method of keeping my mermaid on the down-low in the baking heat of a southern summer. At least Louisiana was humid. Phoenix had been an arid hellscape, and the last place any mermaid should visit, let alone live. “I think I can handle it,” I said with more bravado than I felt. “Thanks for the ride. How much do I owe you?” Brice looked reluctant, but he eventually rattled off my total. I hid a wince and peeled off a handful of bills, offering them to him. He took them and just stared at the wad of cash for a little while, orangey brows scrunched over his hazel eyes. He’d shaved most of his red-gold hair into a short, military-style cut. He was a young man, probably no more than thirty years old. Which, to a human probably seemed a very mature age to be, but I wasn’t human and so wasn’t impressed. Anything under forty looked painfully young to me. But that was probably just my cynicism talking. “I really don’t feel right leavin’ you out here, miss,” he said after another moment. “I’m an expert camper,” I started, even though