Tortured Heroes are my catnip! I love everything about them from their moodiness to that amazing moment when they finally smile! And then the journey, seeing them grow and change, seeing hope and love crack through their emotional barriers just sweetens the deal! LOL
I’ve written MANY tortured heroes, but I thought I’d put together my top 5…so far! LOL
First up… Gareth from Blood Moon! He’s lost his parents, and then his twin 
brother was killed. He’s a real lone wolf now, and he’s itching to leave the pack behind and run from the pain. He’s determined to never care about anyone ever again to keep from ever having to deal with more loss and grief.
Then he accidentally meets his mate…Who is dying!!! (I’m so mean!) Here’s a teaser:
“Are you on your way out? I can come back later.” The breeze tugged at her dark hair and she tried to tame it behind her ear. “I shouldn’t have stopped by without calling or something. Sorry about that.” She glanced at her shoes. “I’ll just go.”
I groaned. No doubt this gorgeous empath sensed my annoyance the second the door opened. Running my gloved hand down my face, I wrestled with what came next. Her personal questions were the last thing I needed right now. I should’ve waited for her to turn around and walk herself back home.
But it was after ten at night. I couldn’t let her go alone. It didn’t matter that she was a werewolf now and probably very capable of protecting herself. Bottom line, sending her home alone late at night went against every lesson my father instilled in me as a boy.
I cleared my throat. “Is everything okay?”
She stopped and met my gaze. I’m no psychic, but I didn’t need to be to recognize the sadness and pain on her face. What happened? This was the girl who knew death had her number and smiled anyway. My gut twisted.
“I’m fine.” She shrugged, breaking eye contact. “Just couldn’t sleep and I didn’t want to worry everyone.”
Almost forgot I was her go-to, don’t-give-a-shit wolf. I took a slow breath and rolled my shoulders back. “I’m about to go for a ride. Want to come?”
Oh shit. What was happening here? I couldn’t reel the words back in now that I’d witnessed the smile on her face. That damned dimple in her cheek sent my better judgment out the window.
“I’d love to! I haven’t been on a motorcycle since I was a little girl riding behind my dad.” She came closer and stared at my Harley. “There’s nowhere to sit.”
“Can you ride on your own?”
Was I seriously going to let her anywhere near Gabe’s bike?
“I’ve never done it before, but I probably could.”
Probably could after some lessons. Shit.
I got off my bike and went back inside. Standing in front of Gabe’s Road King, I was grateful my leather gloves were already on, hiding the way my hands trembled. This shouldn’t bother me. My brother was gone. Immortalizing his bike like a museum artifact wouldn’t bring him back.
In fact, Gabe would probably be pissed that his bike hadn’t roared in almost a year.
I turned toward Nadya. “Some ground rules for tonight.”
Wariness shadowed her eyes. “All right.”
“No questions about my family. I’m riding to mellow out, not drudge up memories.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I waited for her answer. Maybe I wouldn’t have to touch Gabe’s bike after all.
“Deal.” She nodded.
“Fine.” I went into my shop and came back with a modular helmet. I hated the damned things, but it would cover her entire head, face, and chin. Safety first. I also brought her a pair of leather gloves and a leather jacket. “Put these on. It’ll be cold at the lake tonight.”
“We’re going up to Tahoe?” She pulled the jacket on and started on the gloves.
“No. Pyramid Lake.”
Tugging on her second glove, she reached for the helmet. “I’ve never heard of it. Is it far?”
“Not really.” Holy shit, she looked amazing in leather. Damn. I ground my teeth together to rein in the unwelcome surge of lust. Remembering she was dying turned out to be the cold shower I needed. “It’s on the Paiute Reservation about forty-five minutes away.”
I tipped the Road King up, knocking the kickstand back while I gauged the weight. I’d only ridden Gabe’s bike once, after I fixed the suspension and replaced the shocks. Never thought I’d be rolling it out again.
Never thought I’d be taking anyone to Pyramid Lake, either.
Nadya followed me out of the garage, putting on her helmet. I lowered the door and got on the black Road King. Sitting on the bike, I stared at the key in the ignition. Gabe’s key.
“Ready?”
Her voice broke my fixation on the keys. I was ready for plenty, but a ride to the lake with Nadya on my brother’s bike wasn’t high on that list. Probably should’ve thought about that before I invited her along.
“Yeah, climb on.” I offered my gloved hand to steady her while she swung her leg over the back. She slid into place, and even through the damned leather jacket I could feel her soft curves against my back. “All set?”
“Yep.” Her voice was clear and closer to my ear than I expected.
I grabbed my black no-nonsense half helmet and snapped it on. She slid her gloved hands around my waist, and my pulse throbbed below my belt. My body had missed the memo that this wasn’t a date.
Death had his eye on this girl, and I’d already had more than my share of loss.
I turned the key and fired up the engine. The Road King roared to life as if it hadn’t been sitting dormant for months. I glanced up toward the stars, toward my brother. The world lost a bright light when he was murdered.
And still no justice. No one in the Pack even mentioned Gabe anymore, let alone hunted his killer.
Not that I asked them to. What if killing Gabe’s murderer didn’t make the pain go away? For now, the thought of justice gave me a flicker of hope. I wasn’t willing to give that up. Moving to Colorado would be a new start. No more ghosts around every curve.
“Hang on.” I put the bike in gear and we roared into the darkness.
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Moon-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00Q1YU3NS
Apple – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/blood-moon/id944861408?mt=11&at=1001lce2
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-moon-lisa-kessler/1120818232?ean=9781633751439
KOBO – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/blood-moon-entangled-select-otherworld
Next up is Vance from Sedona Seduction which was so unexpected for me! 
Vance has always been my quick to smile jaguar assassin, but once I got into his skin, I realized his laughter and humor were actually an armor to hide the rage and disgust with the path his life had taken. Seeing his reflection through Kaya’s eyes saved him…
I stared through the glass, taking in Kaya’s every move, and even though I had no right to it, pride swelled in my chest. She was a force of nature.
“I’ll grab your drinks.” Brody hustled back inside while I patted the chair to my right. Abigail hopped up and sat like the lady she was, her ears up, ready for her close up.
I stroked her forehead until the glass door opened.
“Hey, stranger.” Kaya had a dimple in her right cheek that made me ache to keep her smiling.
“Hi. Didn’t mean to intrude. Brody told me you’re entertaining the press inside.” I tipped my head toward the main dining room. “How’s it going?”
She shrugged. “They seem to like the food so far, but you never know how they’ll edit the segment.” Her dark eyes met mine. “Is everything all right?”
Since the Sedona Pack had finally gotten behind Asher as their new Alpha, he had brought me into the fold, too. It was a bumpy beginning since everyone in the pack, including Kaya, knew I had spent most of my life working for Nero, which also meant killing for them. But I earned their trust, walked away from being a hired gun, and bought a gem and rock shop . I also stepped into my role as Asher’s right hand when it came to protecting the pack which meant every time I showed up, the others tended to think there was trouble on the horizon.
“Yeah, I have a rugby scrimmage with the Black Sheep tonight. Just wanted to get some food first.” All true, I had just left out the main reason for my visit: Kaya herself.
She knelt down beside my chair, massaging Abby’s ears and kissing the top of her head. Damn, I’d never been so jealous of a dog.
Abby ate up the attention, giving Kaya a wet kiss on the chin. Kaya laughed, and her eyes sparkled as she looked up at me. “Carnitas de Coyote and pollo for the puppy?”
“Sounds like heaven.” And I meant it. Kaya’s food meshed traditional Mexican cuisine with her Navajo roots in a perfect harmony of flavor. It was tough to go back to a flat tortilla after you had carnitas with her freshly made fry bread.
“I better get back to the team inside. Brody will bring your food right out.”
“Thanks, Kaya.” We stared at each other for a second longer than we should have. It was our usual awkward pause. I took responsibility for it. Although I yearned to touch her, to tell her how much of my day I spent imagining kissing her full lips, one secret held me back.
It was torture. But I couldn’t keep myself away, either.
She finally smiled and opened the door, leaving me and Abby behind. I turned to my date and sighed. “Abigail, what the fuck am I doing?”
Abby chuffed and resumed sniffing the table for any crumbs that had been left behind.
Everyone in the pack believed their previous Alpha hadn’t known that Kaya had been a skin walker before she was bitten. She became a rare hybrid of shifter species, able to shift into her lynx at will, and into a werewolf during the full moon.
They also had no idea that she was not the only one.
One of my final missions for Nero was to sniff out skin walkers—men and women born with the genetic ability to shift into animal form at will. Nero scientists wanted to perform experiments on them—just another step in their constant mission to create super soldiers who could shapeshift and heal quickly.
If we ever found proof of vampires, I had no doubt Nero would’ve been injecting us in the hopes we’d become immortal super soldiers.
Kaya had been my final assignment. Three years ago, I’d been the one to deliver Nero’s command for Caldwell to have her bitten during the full moon . But something had happened while I watched her from a distance, and when the time had come for her to be shipped to Nero for experiments, I wasn’t able to do it. Instead, I helped my friend Sebastian destroy Nero.
I was no hero, but she had reminded me of what it felt like to care about someone other than myself. But if she ever discovered my secret, my betrayal, she’d have every reason to hate me. The whole pack would disown me, and I was so fucking sick of being alone, of being on the run. For once, I’d found a home and a family, and I wanted to keep it.
So as much as I ached for more, Kaya was off-limits. I could keep secrets, but I couldn’t lie to her.
Not to Kaya.
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Sedona-Seduction-Pack-Book-ebook/dp/B085G4BND3/
iBooks – https://books.apple.com/us/book/sedona-seduction/id1501895434?mt=11&app=itunes&at=1001lce2
B&N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130576743?ean=2940161315170
KOBO – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sedona-seduction
Next is Detective Nate Malone from Lure of Obsession. He survived an 
abusive father and became a protector of others, but he was careful never to let anyone into his heart. Deep down, there was a part of himself that still believed his father might’ve been right, he might be worthless… When he finds his Muse, all bets are off…
John pulled a chair over. “You going to follow up with Belkin or you want me to do it?”
“You can take lead over there. I’m going to cross-reference the partial plate and see if I can find a Lewis Gold on the title of a silver Honda Accord.”
“All right.” John grabbed his coat and paused. “I’d be a bad partner if I didn’t warn you off the Jacoby woman.”
“Her name is Melanie.” He lifted his gaze to his partner. “And it’s really none of your business.”
“You questioned her on a case. What’re you going to do when you’re finished with this one and she goes to the captain and tells him you took advantage of her?”
John’s advice was solid, but for some reason it rubbed Nate the wrong way. He stood up, knowing he had a couple of inches on his partner. “She’s not that kind of person.”
“Because you’ve known her so long, right?” He shook his head. “There are less dangerous ways to get some tail.”
He turned to go, but Nate grabbed his arm. “Don’t ever call her that.”
“You don’t seem okay to me.” John glanced at Nate’s hand and then back to his face, frowning. “Not by a long shot.”
Nate let go and stepped back. What the hell was wrong with him? He cleared his throat. “I appreciate your concern.”
John nodded. “Just be careful, okay?”
“I will.” He sat at his desk and rubbed his shoulder. His equilibrium was off. Why had John’s comment gotten under his skin like that? His partner knew him better than anyone, and Nate didn’t do relationships. Not really.
But something about hearing him refer to Mel as “some tail” pissed him off.
So what exactly was she?
His muse.
His.
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Lure-Obsession-Muse-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B07L9S37H4/
Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lure-of-obsession-1
B&N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1123884991?ean=2940161368428
GooglePlay – https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Vc06DAAAQBAJ
My very first hero is still a reader favorite! It’s Calisto from Night Walker… The tagline for the book really says it all: He gave up his soul for a second 
chance to love her. What he didn’t realize was he would have to wait almost 250 years to find her again and she would have no memory of ever loving him…
Calisto’s eyes fluttered, and he knew the sun had set. His chest rose and fell, breathing even though his body no longer needed the oxygen. His heart beat in a slow rhythm once more.
After a hot shower, he dressed in jeans and a black, button-down shirt, checking his reflection before heading upstairs to his office. Kate’s face haunted him, making it difficult to focus. Sitting behind his large oak desk, Calisto thumbed through the mail Betty left for him, paying more attention to the voices he heard in the night than the envelopes that bore his name.
The name he used in this lifetime.
He hadn’t used his real name in centuries. Every few decades, when it became apparent he was not aging, he would drop from sight, usually staging some sort of horrific death that made identifying his body impossible. No one suspected the charred remains weren’t his. But with the advancements in crime forensics, his next demise would probably be at sea without a body to recover.
After a few months away, he would re-establish himself with his new identity, purchase a new home, and begin again. But this time could be different.
He had remained in San Diego anticipating Tala’s eventual return. Now that he had found her again, they could move away together. He had been Calisto Terana for nearly twenty years now, and he would probably be able to keep this identity even longer if they moved to a new city. If things remained quiet.
But it was not always quiet. Over the centuries there were people who sought to prove he was not what he seemed. The Fraternidad Del Fuego Santo, the Brotherhood of Holy Fire, still confronted him from time to time. The monks were part of a rogue sect of the Roman Catholic Church, living in the same monastery where he had trained lifetimes ago.
For decades they attempted to end his immortal existence. Righteous fanatical fire burned in their eyes when they confronted him, seeking to kill what they considered an abomination before God. He still bore a scar from one of their encounters. His right forearm had an indentation where one of the monks sliced off a chunk of his flesh. As a Night Walker, he healed rapidly, but flesh torn from his body would not regenerate.
The scar was the closest the Fraternidad had ever come to wounding him. During the last century, their physical attacks were rare, but they still watched him. He sensed their presence at times, heard their thoughts and prayers. While most of the monks kept their distance, unsure how to kill him, every few years an especially righteous warrior would show himself and force an inevitable battle.
There were times Calisto welcomed the challenge. Anything to break the monotony of an unchanging existence.
He straightened in his chair, holding a single parchment envelope. His name and address were written in a scratched script only achieved through use of a quill, and a single red wax signet sealed the contents inside.
A signet he had not seen in over 200 years.
He ran his fingers over the entwined flames of the ancient seal, his brow furrowed. He hesitated to open it and sat back in his black leather chair, quietly spinning his own signet ring around his finger with his thumb. He fought to make sense of the envelope he now held in his hands.
The envelope had no postmark. It must have been hand-delivered. But seeing the signet told him enough about the sender. Fraternidad del Fuego Santo.
He knew where the letter came from even if he wasn’t sure from whom.
With a sigh of frustration, he broke the seal and carefully removed the letter inside. It read simply:
We know where you sleep.
Calisto crumbled the letter with a scowl. He slammed his fist on his desk, and then shot from his chair.
They had no right to judge him. In fact, he still held them responsible for helping to create him. And they dared come to his home and threaten him. Did they have any idea of his power? It didn’t matter. He would put a stop to this.
The monk came to his home while he slept. This messenger had gone too far. It would end now.
Calisto raked his fingers back through his thick hair, snagged his black leather jacket free from the coat hook, and stormed into the night.
Tala lived again, and he would not let the church come between them. Not this time.
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Night-Walker-Immortal-Vampire-Romance-ebook/dp/B08BY3697V/
B&N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/night-walker-lisa-kessler/1104527195?ean=2940162598718
KOBO – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/night-walker-11
iBooks –
GooglePlay – https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lisa_Kessler_Night_Walker?id=o_MlEAAAQBAJ
And finally, one of my all-time favorite couple I’ve ever written Gabe and 
Tegan from Beg Me to Slay! Gabe had been slaying demons for most of his life, but he can’t seem to overcome his own personal demons. When Tegan hires him to protect her, he’s unprepared for the feelings she inspires inside him…
Gabe went down to the pool area and headed straight for the table of filled champagne glasses. He knocked one back without hesitation. The deejay had “The Electric Slide” blaring beside him. He picked up another glass, emptying it while watching some of the partygoers attempting to master the dance.
He shouldn’t have kissed her. Even on the cheek. He’d fucked up the second his lips brushed her skin. Royally. He’d misjudged his own control over his attraction for his client. Not Tegan, his client. His client who was being hunted by a Hingo demon. But he’d seen her face afterward, her eyes, and he’d have sworn she’d enjoyed it, too.
Damn it. Now he felt like a complete asshole. And worse yet, he still wanted her. He had no business wondering what her mouth would taste like or how her hands would feel sliding up his chest. This was his fault. When had he forgotten this was not actually a date? Rookie mistake.
“There you are.” He turned to find Nancy reaching for him. “We lost our honored guest.”
He gestured to the stairs, watching Tegan. “She’s on her way.”
With every step, her gaze stayed locked on his. He should break the connection and save what was left of his pride, but seeing her with the moonlight on her hair, her dress revealing bare shoulders that begged to be kissed, he couldn’t look away. He was so screwed.
The crowd parted as Tegan came through, walking directly toward him. His pulse quickened in anticipation. Of what, God only knew. Maybe that was part of what made this woman so irresistible.
Now standing toe-to-toe with him, her hands slid across his abdomen and around his waist. She rose up on the balls of her feet, her eyes on his. Her lips parted, drawing him closer, and her whisper brushed over his mouth. “Kiss me.”
He brought his hands up, not letting himself do anything but obey, and buried his fingers in her silky hair, his lips claiming hers. Her tongue slid past his lips. Deep in the back of his throat he growled with desire. She tasted like honey and raindrops. Heaven right there in his arms.
Applause broke the kiss. He glanced at the crowd and smiled. Tegan turned around slowly. He could see the blush creeping up her cheeks. Taking her hand he addressed the other guests. “Sorry about that, but her birthday kiss couldn’t wait any longer.”
Her mother laughed along with the rest of the crowd, easing the tension. Tegan’s fingers stayed laced with his, leaving him to wonder what the hell had just happened. Trying to second-guess Tegan was like trying to track a tornado.
A tornado he had no business chasing.
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Beg-Me-Slay-Entangled-Covet-ebook/dp/B00H0UT5UO/
Apple – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/beg-me-to-slay/id769936085?mt=11&at=1001lce2
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beg-me-to-slay-lisa-kessler/1117539134?ean=9781622664115
KOBO – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/beg-me-to-slay-entangled-covet
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18593150-beg-me-to-slay
Thanks for checking out my favorite tortured heroes! I hope some of them will make your Top 5 lists too!
Lisa