Teaser Tuesday: The King’s Agent by Donna Russo Morin

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The setting for The King’s Agent is Florence, Italy, near the end of the Renaissance period.  It is full of the sights and sounds of the period and many of the main players of the time make an appearance, including Michaelangelo, while the two main characters, Battista (an art collector and thief), and the Lady Aurelia are involved in an unusual quest for works of art that take them through many supernatural dangers.  Here is my teaser:

Baldassare’s upper lip curled; his chin jutted out with hate and anger. His bloodshot gaze darted left; from the hall, the sounds of fists crashing against skin and bone beat like a battle drum. . . Drawing a dagger with one hand, he reached for the baby.

Would you keep reading?  Share a teaser from your current read.