Excerpt from the upcoming Divine Intervention…

“This is just too freakin’ easy,” Heather Prescott murmured to herself.
She smiled with wicked amusement from her hiding spot as she watched her newly assigned security team swing back and forth through the crowded mall like bloodhounds that had lost the scent. It was the third time this month Heather had lost the security guys assigned to her.
Who did Scott think he was dealing with? She’d been trained by the best security man in the business, Walker Moore. He was head of her father’s security team as well as his business partner in one of the world’s most elaborate and high tech security firms. She’d cut her teeth on outwitting that man.
Heather turned to leave the mall before they spotted their prey and her one chance at freedom would be shot to hell. She grabbed her keys from her purse and jogged across the parking lot as fast as her three-inch Jimmy Choos would allow. Okay, maybe the shoes had been a bad choice, but if she’d worn sneakers, her team would have been suspicious. She hardly ever wore sneakers. Matter of fact, the last pair she’d bought four months ago were still in the box unopened.
With a sigh of utter contentment, Heather climbed into her tiny BMW convertible and put the key in the ignition. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure no one had followed her or thought to check the parking lot. Knowing those halfwits, they were still searching the halls, not once thinking she might have actually left the building.
You’d think after three times this month, they would have figured it out by now. With a flip of a switch, the canvas top slid open with a soft roar and she smiled up at a beautiful, clear blue sky.
She adjusted her sunglasses before putting the car in gear and quickly speeding out of the crowded parking lot and onto the main highway. She turned up the radio so she could hear the music over the rush of the wind. Nickelback blared loudly through the speakers and she laughed, throwing her hands briefly to the sky with a squeal. She loved driving with the top down, but her security team usually forbid it. Too dangerous, they would argue.
She scrunched her nose. Sometimes … no scratch that … most of the time, she hated being Senator Prescott’s daughter. She loved her dad, she really did, but this public life was not for her. She hated it with a passion. She had no privacy, no freedom. Every move she made was scrutinized.
“Don’t do that, it makes you look trashy.”
“Don’t wear that, it makes you look inappropriate.”
“Don’t say that, you might ruin your father’s chances at reelection.”
Heather rolled her eyes. The only bright spot to going home anymore was Walker.
Glancing in her rearview mirror, she noticed the same Chevy Explorer she’d seen when she’d left the parking lot. She frowned, suddenly becoming a little nervous. Walker had taught her to watch her back, to always check behind her and she did it now religiously.
Wondering if the car was following her, she took a quick right onto another four-lane road. He turned right as well and her hands tightened around the steering wheel in alarm.
“It’s probably nothing,” she chided, keeping an eye on the vehicle.
He kept a good distance, never increasing his speed or slowing down. She moved to the left lane to circle around a large eighteen-wheeler. The SUV did the same and she scowled. Up ahead was an exit. She sped up, veered in front of the semi, took the exit, then made a left onto a two-lane highway heading south toward Richmond.
So did the SUV.
“Shoot,” she sighed as she adjusted her seat, sitting up straighter. “This isn’t good. Daddy’s going to kill me. That is if there’s anything left once Walker gets done with me.”
She glanced around, wondering where to go next, then realized her mistake. They’d left the city and the scenery was becoming much more rural, the houses much further apart. What the hell had she been thinking? She knew better than to do this.
“Okay, okay,” she said to herself. “Don’t panic. Think. What would Walker do?”
She needed to get back to the city, crowded roads and lots of public eyes … fast. The SUV increased its speed, coming up fast in her rearview mirror. There was no one else on the road. She was completely alone and the fear suddenly gripping her chest made her want to hurl.
She pressed on the gas, making her convertible BMW’s engine rev. The SUV behind her had a more powerful engine and overtook her quickly–a little too quickly. He tapped at the rear of her car with his chrome grill, forcing her car forward with a jerk. She gasped, moving her hands to the ten and two position on the wheel and holding tight.
What the hell should she do?
She glanced in her mirror again and an idea came to her. She braced herself, slamming hard on the brakes. She gasped as her car’s rear end fishtailed slightly but she held the wheel steady, as well as her breath, as the SUV zipped past her on the right-hand shoulder to avoid hitting her.
Turning the wheel hard, she swerved into a gravel drive, then back onto the road, doing a complete one-eighty just like she’d been taught. The back tires sent gravel and dust flying as she returned to the concrete highway. Behind her, the SUV was much slower to turn, giving her several precious minutes to hopefully outrun him.
Walker had always warned her this could happen. She knew her father was constantly investigating criminals, both blue collar and white. He had a reputation for going after the bad guys both in and out of Washington. Walker had been worried someone would try to get to him through her, hence the ever-present and overprotective security detail. Why the hell hadn’t she listened?
She reached forward and pressed the OnStar button. A voice broke through and said, “This is OnStar. How may I help you, Ms. Prescott?”
“Scott Wilmington’s cell, please.”
Scott was over her security detail. He’d be pissed as hell, but maybe he could help her out somehow. The SUV was quickly gaining ground, its silver grill coming up fast in her mirror.
“Damn son of a bitch,” she yelled. “What the hell do you want?”
Scott answered after the second ring, “Heather, this had better fucking be you.”
“Scott, I’m in trouble!” she yelled over the wind.
She squealed as the SUV bumped her car. Sweat made her palms slide along the wheel as she tried to get a better grip. Her heart raced wildly as she glanced at the speedometer in surprise. Eighty?
“What do you mean you’re in trouble? Where are you?”
“I don’t know; some two lane highway. I was headed home when… Oh, shit, shit.” She braced for another hard tap of the SUV’s grill.
“Heather!” he snapped.
“Some idiot in a black SUV is trying to run me off the road,” she snapped. “I can’t get away from him.”
“Outrun him.”
“Oh, yeah,” she snarled sarcastically. “Like my little six cylinder is going to outrun a SUV with a damn Hemi engine!”
The Explorer came around to her left and she swallowed hard against the desire to scream. She could try the brake thing again, get behind him.
“Scott,” she squealed, her fear showing in her shaky voice. “He’s gonna knock me off the road.”
“What road are you on?”
The front end of the Explorer smacked the side of her car, just behind the driver’s door. He pushed her to the right, but she swerved back, hitting his passenger door. The whole idea of fighting back in her tiny little car was ludicrous. It was like a Chihuahua trying to fight off a Doberman.
The trembling in her hands made it hard to keep the wheel straight, but she refused to give in to panic. She could do this.
“Heather,” Scott yelled.
She’d forgotten about him. “I’m still here,” she said as she braced for another hit from the SUV. “At least for now.”
Groaning, she held the wheel straight, fighting the car’s desire to go to the right. She shook her head, realizing she was going to lose this one. The SUV jerked to the right, clipping her hard at the front wheel. She swerved, losing control and skidding off the road and into the woods. A tree hurtled toward her, and locking her arms on the wheel, she braced for the impact.
Metal screamed, glass shattered, her head hit the wheel. The airbag exploded, burning the inside of her arms. Her car shuddered, then died. Smoke drifted around her nose and she coughed, squinting against her blurring vision and the blinding pain in her forehead.
Blood trickled down her face and into her eyes but she couldn’t seem to raise her arm to wipe it away. The SUV had turned around and sat just a few yards away idling on the side of the road. It just sat there, as though waiting. Her heart fluttered like a captured bird. If he wanted to finish her off, she didn’t have the strength to fight him.
“Heather!” she heard Scott yell.
“Ms. Prescott,” the OnStar voice came through the car speakers, effectively cutting off Scott. “I received a signal your airbags have deployed. Do you need assistance?”
“Yes,” she whispered, barely able to speak as darkness closed in.
“Ms. Prescott, if you can hear me, help is on the way to your GPS location.”
The SUV drove away and she breathed a small sigh of relief.
“Tell Walker I’m sorry,” she whispered, then everything went black.

As promised…an excerpt from the upcoming Dead Reckoning.

Excerpt: (note…unedited version)

Chapter One

Her eyes were wide with fear, her breathing erratic. He could almost smell her terror as he circled the young woman tied to the table and he inhaled deeper.

Naked, she shivered from head to toe beneath the tape holding her against the cold metal of the table. Tears streamed from the corner of her eyes to disappear into her hairline, dampening the blonde curls. Tape covered her full lips to stifle her screams, but he could still hear her muffled sobs. He closed his eyes, taking a moment to enjoy the sound. It was almost like music, growing soft in her fatigue or booming in a loud crescendo as her fear intensified.

He loved the power he had over her, the control. He could make her tense, scream in pain, cry almost hysterically.

Coming to a stop at the head of the table, he stared down at the young woman and brushed his hand over her hair. She flinched as much as she could beneath the binding, and he smiled. She looked so much like his mother. They all did.

“It’s okay, Mom,” he murmured.

The woman’s brow furled in confusion.

“Everything will be fine.”

He pulled the tape from her mouth, enjoying the sound of her whimper as the tape ripped at her sensitive flesh, leaving it red and raw. She licked her lips, her eyes widening slightly in growing fear. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak.

“Please,” she said, her voice shaking with barely controlled hysteria. “Please. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Of course you won’t. You’ll never get the chance.”

With a smile, he sank the blade of his knife into her soft flesh. Her scream filled his ears and he sighed as the sound surrounded him like a cold blanket. He kept his cuts shallow, careful not to hit a vital organ. He liked taking things slow. He liked drawing it out to the point they begged for death.

“It won’t be long now, Mom,” he whispered as he repositioned the trembling fingers of her left hand against the table.

He set the blade of the knife just above her knuckle at the base of her ring finger and pressed down hard. The blade cut through flesh and muscle easily, but at the bone, he had to push down just a little harder. It snapped and the blade hit against the table with a soft pop.

The woman cried out, sobbing almost uncontrollably now as he held the finger up and examined it against the light. Blood dripped from the digit to slide down his wrist and arm.

“A perfect cut,” he murmured. “But I think I need to sharpen the blade just a little.” He stared down at the wide, frightened eyes of the young woman and smiled. “Or maybe not. Dull blades hurt more, I think.”

* * * * *

Sheriff Brian Scott closed down his computer, anxious for some sleep. He’d worked a double shift two days in a row due to budget cutbacks and he was exhausted.

He rubbed his hand down his face with a sigh.

To be honest, he would much prefer going to see Kathryn. He hadn’t seen her in a few days and he missed her. God, he was such a damn idiot. He needed to tell her how he felt — how much he wanted her, but he was terrified if he did, he would lose the best friend he had.

Pulling his phone from the belt clip, he glanced at the clock. It was still fairly early. She would be finishing up at the bookstore she owned, so maybe he could convince her to go to a late dinner. Kathryn was always up for Chinese.

Flipping his phone open, he started to dial her number when one of his officers stuck his head in the door.

“Just got a call from a woman out on Evans Road. She lives across the street from that new condo building that’s going up. She was out walking her dog and thinks she saw someone messing around over there. Figured since it was on your way home…”

Brian flipped his phone closed and grimaced. “Trying to run me out of here?”

“You’ve been here for over fourteen hours. Check it out on your way home, then get some sleep. It’s probably just kids. It‘ll take you ten minutes max to check the perimeter.”

Brian nodded. He was right. He did need to get some sleep. He wasn’t any good to anyone as a sheriff if he was exhausted.

* * * * *

Lifting the dead woman into his arms, he headed across the packed dirt toward a hole he’d seen earlier. It wasn’t deep, but it was deep enough to dump her body into. He wanted this one found sooner than the others. He wanted that son of a bitch sheriff to know he was back — that the nightmare was ongoing.

He shifted the stiff body as he came to a stop, standing over what would be the woman’s shallow grave. Rigor mortis had already begun to set in, making carrying her difficult. With a grunt, he tossed her body into the hole where she landed with a dull thump. No sound came from her bruised and tattered body, no movement from her bloody limbs.

Reaching down, he grasped her wrist and pulled her arm upward, making sure her hand was visible above the mound of dirt beside her.

The roar of a diesel engine caught his attention and he glanced quickly around the deserted parking lot. He could see the headlights as they slowed, preparing to turn into the Evans Road entrance to the complex.

Had someone seen him? He looked around, checking the shadows but seeing nothing. He glanced back toward the truck, squinting in the hopes of getting a better look.

The sheriff. Damn.

Moving quickly, he made his way back toward the woods and to his car parked about a mile away.

* * * * *

Brian pulled into the littered parking lot of the future upscale condo complex. He drove slowly through the lot, looking for vehicles that didn’t belong or anything out of place. So far, he’d seen nothing. What the woman had probably seen was an animal or a couple of teenagers poking around.

He would much rather be with Kathryn.

Putting his walkie-talkie to his lips, he spoke into the mic. “This is Scott. I’m at the construction site, but so far…”

He hit the brakes hard as his lights landed on a small mound of dirt just beyond the parking lot. He squinted, unsure what he really saw.

“You there, Sheriff?” dispatch asked and he blinked.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Hang on a sec. I need to check something out.”

“Not going anywhere,” dispatch replied with just a hint of sarcasm, but Brian ignored it.

He climbed from his truck, checking the area around him. He saw nothing and moved forward, his hand on the butt of his gun. As he got closer, his gut clenched at the outstretched hand. He swallowed, anger knotting his stomach.

The hand was female and missing the ring finger. He moved closer to get a better look, but was careful not to touch her and disturb any forensics evidence that might remain on the body. As though on cue to aid his study, the clouds moved, revealing a full moon that cast an eerie white glow and made the flesh under all the dried blood appear gray.

Dropping his hand from his gun, he squatted at the edge of the hole and stared down at the young woman who gazed blankly at the night sky. A warm wind blew, carrying with it the smell of blood and death, and making him cringe in distaste.

He stood and studied his surroundings. The feeling of being watched tickled the hairs on the back of his neck. Was he out there? Was he watching? There were numerous places in the surrounding woods and even in the half-finished buildings themselves someone could hide.

His gaze dropped to the dry, packed dirt covered in loose gravel. The ground was so hard from lack of rain there was no sign of footprints, drag marks, or anything to show anyone had been here. It was as though the woman’s body had been dropped off by a ghost.

A strong, almost overwhelming sense of foreboding settled over Brian as he lifted the walkie-talkie. “This is Scott. I need a forensics crew out here.”

“Dead body?” the voice asked over the speaker.

“Yeah. Female. Appears to be in her twenties. She’s so messed up though, I’m not sure. Get me the name of that woman that called in, too. I’m gonna want to talk to her.”

Brian rubbed his fingers across his lips and frowned as he realized his fingers were trembling. He’d seen dead bodies like this before. Numerous ones.

Finding his former girlfriend in this same bloody shape had been the worst. It had taken him a long time to get over it and ruined a friendship he’d had since he was six.

They’d never found the man who’d done it. He’d disappeared like a puff of smoke. Was he back? Was this only the beginning of yet another killing spree?

“Please,” he said as he glanced toward the night sky. “Please don’t let this be him again.”

* * * * *

Locking the front door of her combination bookstore and coffee shop, Kathryn Hayne stood inside and glanced out across the darkened parking lot, a sense of dread tightening her chest.

Through the reflection in the glass, she noticed the numerous spirits fading in and out of sight. They always followed her. She’d seen them for as long as she could remember. Most of the time, she could block them out, but tonight they seemed particularly restless. Like even they felt the danger hanging in the air.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, mentally blocking the spirit images and turned from the door to finish up the nightly paper work.

“Well, how do I look?”

Kathryn stared at her friend and business partner, Janie. She wore a red mini dress. Her long tanned legs glistened with the lotion she’d just applied, and her feet were adorned in her usual three-inch heels. She’d refreshed her dark blonde curls and makeup for a night out on the town. She looked great; unfortunately, Kathryn couldn’t shake the feeling of dread to muster up more than a faint smile. Although for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why.

“You look fabulous as always, Janie, but are you sure it’s a good idea to be going out? I heard on the news earlier they found a murdered girl.”

“Oh good grief, Katie,” Janie scoffed as she wrapped her shawl around her shoulders. “You worry too much.”

“I lost one friend to a serial killer. I’d prefer to not lose another,” Kathryn grumbled as she moved behind the counter and closed out the register.

Janie leaned against the counter. “It was one murder. He’s gone, Katie.”

“Yeah, so they keep telling me,” Kathryn said, then shrugged. “But they never found him, Janie.”

“Have you talked to Brian?”

“Not in the last couple of days.”

“You should give him a call. Ask him about the woman. Maybe it will make you feel better.”

Kathryn shook her head. “I’m sure he’s busy. If he wants to talk, he knows where I am.”

“Lord, girl. You’re too passive.” Janie pushed away from the counter and grabbed the purse she’d left lying on the display table behind her.

Kathryn bristled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re attracted to him. He’s attracted to you. Yet neither of you do anything about it.”

“We’re friends, Janie,” Kathryn said, then sighed. “Nothing more.”

“But you want there to be more,” Janie said, watching her.

A grin played about her friend’s lips and Kathryn frowned. “Why do you always do that?”

“Do what? Speak the truth? Come on, Katie. The two of you have been sniffing around each other for two years now. What’s holding you back?”

Kathryn rolled her eyes, often wondering the same thing. Instead of being honest, she offered up the same old tired excuse she’d used over and over. “He was Lisa’s boyfriend. It would just be too weird.”

“Why?” Janie cried, spreading her arms out.

Why? Why indeed.

“Are you afraid he’s not over her?” Janie asked.

“No. I know he’s over her.”

“Okay. Then what’s the deal? Are you afraid of being compared to her?”

Kathryn shook her head. “No.”

“Then what?” Janie asked, this time more softly.

With a sigh, Kathryn gave in. “We’ve been friends for a long time, Janie. Since high school. He dated my best friend. We comforted each other after her funeral. I don’t want to screw up that friendship.”

“Uh, huh,” Janie replied, not the least bit convinced.

Kathryn grinned. “You know you could stay here and try to help me sort through my feelings, help me muster up the courage to seduce him.”

Janie snorted. “Please. I know you. If you wanted to seduce him, you would. You don’t need my help. You’re just trying to keep me here.”

“Guilty.”

“Relax, worry wart,” Janie said, smiling. “I’ll be back later.”

Kathryn watched her friend go and swallowed back the desire to stop her as she followed her to the front door. Janie was a grown woman. If she wanted to go out dancing, she should. Maybe she was being too much of a worrier.

Janie threw her a smile and a wave over her shoulder as she made her way across the parking lot to her car. Kathryn watched until she entered the four-lane road fronting the store and disappeared from sight.

With a sigh, she locked the front door, once again ignoring the spirits reflecting in the glass.

* * * * *

Crime scene photos littered the table in Brian’s office. He paced around it in agitation, sipping lukewarm coffee. At the moment, he wished it was whiskey. He needed a drink after coming to the conclusion he had.

They thought the bastard was gone, that he’d stopped, died, or been caught for something else and now rotted in jail. Unfortunately, the photos told another story, one that made Brian’s stomach churn.

Their elusive serial killer was back.

With a growl, he threw the half-empty coffee cup against the wall. The Styrofoam fell silently to the floor and he sighed in disappointment. He’d have felt a hell of a lot better if the cup had been glass.

“That’s a waste of good coffee.”

Brian turned and stared in surprise at his former best friend, Nick Banion. He lounged against the doorjamb, his arms crossed over his chest, his tie loose from its knot, his normally perfect dark black hair slightly mussed. He looked tired.

Brian snorted. “Obviously you haven’t had our coffee.”

Nick had left town two years ago, one year after the murder of their girlfriend, Lisa. They’d both been detectives at the time, both trying to hide from society that they shared a girlfriend.

After Lisa’s death, Nick left to take a position with the FBI. Brian hadn’t been surprised. Nick had taken Lisa’s death pretty hard and wanted to get away, make a new start. Brian had chosen to remain behind and continue the search for the monster who had killed her. Unfortunately, he’d disappeared.

Until recently that is.

Nick’s lips spread into an easy smile, but Brian didn’t miss the worry in his gaze and knew instantly why his friend was here.

“Who called you?” Brian asked.

“Nobody. I was just coming in to take care of a few things with the sale of that property I had and heard about the murder on the radio.”

“Yeah, I think I heard something about that. The sale of the property,” Brian said as he rearranged the files on the table. “Did you get a good price?”

“Brian,” Nick began, ignoring Brian‘s attempt to change the subject. “I heard the woman was in her twenties and brutally murdered.”

Sighing, Brian turned back around to face his former friend.

Nick pushed away from the jamb. “I had a bad feeling, something in my gut that told me this one was different…or the same?” He stared at Brian, his expression serious and devoid of any of his usual humor and mischief. “Is it him?”

Brian nodded. “I think so. Everything is pretty much the same as all the others. I even pulled the old files to double check.”

“Damn,” Nick snarled. “I’d hoped the son of a bitch was dead.”

“So did I. Apparently, he was just taking a break.”

“That’s not funny,” Nick growled.

“It wasn’t intended to be funny,” Brian countered as he moved around the table studying the photos.

“Are you positive it’s not a copycat?”

Brian nodded. “Everything’s the same, right down to the missing ring finger on her left hand and the marks on her flesh where he pinned her down with tape. This nightmare is starting all over again Nick, and we’re no closer to figuring him out than we were before.”

“We’ll get him, Brian. This time, we’ll get him.”

“We?” Brian studied his friend.

“I can work with you on this through the Bureau.”

Brian scowled angrily. “What the hell makes you think I want you to work with me on this one?”

“Come on, Brian. You need me on this and you know it.”

Brian grumbled under his breath. What fucking timing! He was still pissed at Nick. The last thing he wanted was him under foot. He didn’t trust him anymore. He’d let him down.

Nick tapped a photo with his finger. “They look like Katie, Brian. Have you noticed that?”

Brian stared at his friend and frowned. “They’re blonde like Kathryn. They’ve all been blonde, Nick. Even Lisa.”

“We got close and he retaliated by taking Lisa, then disappeared. If we’re going after him again, I don’t want the past to repeat itself.”

Brian frowned. “Why would he even go after Kathryn, Nick?”

“You’re still close with her, right? I’m still close with her. The killer knew about Lisa. He could know about Katie.”

“What do you mean you’re close with her?” Brian snarled, staring in anger at Nick as jealousy ate at his insides. “You’ve kept in touch with Kathryn?”

Nick stared at him in surprise. “Ever since I left. You didn’t know that?”

Brian shook his head, his chest tightening slightly. “Kathryn never said anything.”

“Why don’t you call her Katie like everyone else?”

“I don’t know,” Brian said, turning his gaze back to the photos. “Just never did.”

Brian liked calling her Kathryn. It was something that was just theirs. She was his Kathryn. Unfortunately, she wasn’t his. He’d never dated her. Kissed her only once, but he’d been drunk and she’d brushed it off as nothing.

She’d been a great friend to him. She’d been there after Lisa’s death and after Nick had left. She’d been his rock and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin that friendship. A fuck just wasn’t worth that. Despite how much he wanted it.

“Well, name aside, I don’t want to make any mistakes this time. I’d feel better if we made sure she wasn’t ever alone,” Nick said.

“I still haven’t said I want you in on this.”

“Oh fuck you, Brian. Are you seriously going to turn this down? Really? All because you’re still pissed at me?”

Brian picked up a file and tapped the edge of it against the table before tossing it to the other side and away from Nick. “Hell yeah, I’m still pissed at you.”

“You need to get over it,” Nick growled.

Brian sighed and inside, despite how much he didn’t want to, he conceded to Nick on this one thing. He did need his help and he could certainly use the Bureau’s resources on this.

“I haven’t told Kathryn yet.”

“I’ll tell her,” Nick said. “I wanted to go by the store and see her anyway.”

Brian’s stomach knotted painfully.

“I also want to talk with her about never going anywhere alone. At least for now.”

Brian snickered. “She’s not going to like that, Nick.”

Nick shrugged. “She’ll get over it. I don’t want her alone. During the day, she’ll be at the store. We just make sure one of us is always there when she closes up. I need a place to stay too. I’ll convince her to let me bunk in her guest room.”

“She has a roommate,” Brian replied, hoping to discourage Nick‘s plan. If anyone was going to stay at Kathryn’s it would be him, not Nick.

Nick tilted his head. “She also has four bedrooms. Surely one of them is empty.”

Brian studied his friend. Just how close were he and Kathryn? And why hadn’t Kathryn told him her and Nick had kept in touch?

Nick’s eyebrow rose. “Is there a problem?”

“No,” Brian replied. He shook his head and began putting the files on the recent murder back together. With a tired sigh, he squared his shoulders and glared at Nick. “You know what. Yeah, there is.”

Nick’s brow rose in surprise. “Is there something going on between you and Katie I should be aware of?”

Brian rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, deciding not to push this after all. Hell, he hadn’t even told Kathryn how he felt. No way did he want her to hear it from Nick. “No. There’s nothing going on. We’re friends.”

“I know that look, Brian. You said the same thing about Lisa in the beginning…remember?”

Brian sighed tiredly. “What are you getting at, Nick?”

“I’m not getting at anything,” Nick replied as he pulled his tie free of his collar. “I don’t want to fight with you, Brian. That’s not why I’m here.”

“Are you looking at starting something with Kathryn, Nick? Is that why you’re so curious?”

Nick sighed and shook his head. “Does it matter?”

Brian scowled at his friend. “It matters if you’re just looking for a temporary fuck while you’re here on assignment.”

“I wouldn’t do that to Katie,” Nick snapped. “Why the hell are we fighting? What happened to us, Brian?”

That was a good question. One Brian wasn’t sure he had an answer to right now. “Two years of separation and limited contact. You ran out on us, Nick. When Kathryn and I needed you the most. You left me with unsolved murders and Kathryn was a wreck for months. Lisa was all the family she had, her best friend.”

“I know that, Brian. Katie understood. Why can’t you?”

“I loved her too, Nick. I didn’t run.”

“Neither did I, damn it!”

Brian slammed the files down on the table. “What do you call it then?”

Nick spread his arms in aggravation. “I don’t know. I just know I needed to get out. I needed to get away from this case before it completely consumed me, and get my head together and get over Lisa. I knew I never would if I stayed here.”

“So you just leave and let her killer walk?”

“We didn’t let him walk, Brian! We couldn’t find him! It was screwing up our lives. Our friendship.”

Putting one hand on his hip, Brian pointed a finger at Nick. “No. Your leaving screwed up our friendship.”

“I give,” Nick said. He raised his hands in agitated surrender. “I’ll be at Katie’s.”

Nick turned to leave and Brian watched him go with a heavy heart. Why the hell was he still so damned angry? Maybe Nick was right. It didn’t change the fact their killer was back and they were no closer to finding him this time than they were before.

Available this month, Entwined Fates: Slaves…:)

Keep your eyes out for it…:) Until then, below is an excerpt. Hope you enjoy..:)

Lin began to pant, seriously close to freaking out at the idea of him spanking her. My God. Was he serious? Would he really spank her?

Her flesh warmed at the thought. His gaze traveled down her chest, settling at her breasts as he palmed one, gently cupping it beneath the bells, making them ring. Lin gasped, still held captive by the hand in her hair.

“Very nice,” he murmured as he pulled the clamp free of her nipple.

He rubbed his hand over it gently as though massaging it, before moving to do the same to the other.

She scowled up at him, and his lips twitched with amusement, but his eyes burned with a passion she’d never seen directed at her. The idea he wanted her that much made her stomach tighten.

He let go of her hair and spread her robe even wider, exposing the entire length of her flushed body to his sultry stare. He slowly walked around her, letting his fingers graze over her extended nipples as he moved to stand behind her. Her knees felt weak and shaky as he bent down to whisper in her ear.

“If we’re going to have to do this, you might as well enjoy it. Don’t you think?”

“Do you think I won’t?” she asked, almost breathlessly.

“I have no doubt that you will,” he murmured as he brushed her hair back from her ear with the tips of his fingers.

“Will you help me?” she asked again.

“I’ll help you get off,” he growled softly, sending a delighted shiver up her spine.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know what you meant,” he growled again. “Forget it for now.” He pushed her robe off her shoulders, letting it pool on the floor around her feet. “Right now we have a show to do, a couple of men to convince.”

“And how will you convince them?” she asked.

“By making you scream,” he whispered, cupping her breasts from behind.

Lin drew in a sharp breath and fell back against his hard chest for support as her knees finally gave way.

* * * * *

With his hands at her shoulders, Tony pushed Lin back up, and she moaned softly in protest. Her legs shook so badly, she wasn’t sure she could remain upright much longer.

A dark, sexy look lightened his eyes as he took her hand and led her to the restraining bar. Her heart leaped in her chest as he stood her before the long metal pipe with leather straps hanging from the center. A long metal cord attached the bar to ceiling, allowing the restrainer to raise and lower it as he saw fit.

“Don’t be frightened,” he said in her ear, his voice barely above a whisper.

Amazingly, she wasn’t. Not much anyway. For whatever reason, despite everything she’d heard about him, she felt safe here — with him.

Staring into her eyes, he took her wrists in his hands and lifted them above her head. She watched in growing fascination as he placed her hands through the restraints and wrapped the leather around her wrists, securing them snugly in place. With a small tug against the cord, the bar lifted, pulling her to her toes.

His eyes dropped to her breasts, and she glanced down as well. They were perky and firm, her nipples pink pebbles jutting outward. Her gaze moved back to meet his, where his held hers captive. She couldn’t look away from the hunger burning in his eyes if she’d wanted to.

She never imagined anyone would look at her like that — that anyone would want her like that. She’d always been confident, always knew she was pretty, but never imagined herself the sexy siren she always wanted to be. But when he looked at her like that, she felt sexy, felt as though she could be as wild and wanton as she wanted to be. That there wasn’t anything she could do or ask of him that would offend him, shock him, or repulse him.

“What are you waiting for?” she panted.

One eyebrow lifted, intrigue. Turning, he picked up a paddle lying on the small table behind him. Her heart began massive palpitations as he slowly circled around her, the whacking of the paddle against his palm echoing around the room like an ominous threat.

She smiled slightly in utter shock at how the anticipation only heightened her growing desire. Who would’ve imagined? Not she.

The paddle landed across her hip without warning with a stinging slap. She gasped as the sharp tingle morphed into a slow burn. Another landed across the opposite hip with a loud pop. Her body swung forward, her toes dragging across the cold floor.

She cried out, letting her head drop back momentarily as the sting raced through her body, making every muscle tremble in alarming pleasure. With the third slap, her anal muscles contracted around the dildo, and she shivered uncontrollably.

“This is insane,” she panted, close to tears.

The reaction she had to the pain of the paddle both shocked and terrified her. How could she find this pleasurable? How could she come from this? But she was so close — closer than she would have ever imagined.

“This is just the beginning,” he murmured.

I’m going to be out of touch for a few days, so until I get back, I’ve posted an excerpt from the upcoming, Entwined Fates: Slaves.

I hope you enjoy and I’ll see everyone when I get back…:)

{{hugs}}

Lin made her way slowly down the hall toward Anthony’s room, trying to still the tremble in her fingers as Lia led her to what felt like her doom. Could she convince him to help her? Did she dare try? She hardly knew him.

Glancing toward the room next to his, she frowned as two men entered, shutting the door behind them. Lin knew what that meant. They would be watching.

Voyeurism was something they often practiced here, especially if there was suspicion. Her stomach flipped. Were they suspicious of Anthony? Or was it her?

She swallowed at the realization they would have to have sex. If they were being watched, they had no choice.

She closed her eyes, shivering as the cool air drifting through the halls cut through her thin robe to caress the naked flesh underneath. She struggled with her footing and the two dildos shoved deep inside her. The bells on her nipples made tinkling noises as she walked or took a deep breath, which she did now in an attempt to calm her rattled nerves.

Lia knocked on Anthony’s door.

“Enter,” he called from the other side.

His voice was deep and sultry, sending a shiver of unwanted awareness over every inch of her sensitive flesh.

Lia opened the door and pushed Lin inside. She blinked, trying to accustom her eyes to the darkened interior. Candles lit the corners, casting soft light across the room. Her gaze landed on Anthony, and she almost choked on a sudden intake of air.

He looked amazing standing next to the restraining bar. His shirt was open, exposing a wide, strong chest, baby smooth tan skin and a washboard stomach she was sure she could bounce a quarter off of. Long, silky black hair hung around his shoulders, doing little to soften the hard planes of his face. She’d never seen him with his hair down, but found she liked the look.

Way too much.

He walked toward her, his ice blue eyes narrowed, his lips set in a firm, punishing line, and she swallowed.

“What the hell are you –”

She stood on her tiptoes, quickly slanting her mouth over his. Tony stiffened, obviously surprised at her move. She backed away just enough to whisper and stare into his shocked, slightly confused eyes.

“They’re watching,” she whispered softly against his lips.

His eyes narrowed into tiny, blue slits. She traced his lip with the tip of her finger, her heart racing at the stubble as it scratched at her skin.

“They’re in the next room.”

Tony’s hands lifted to rest at her waist. His thumbs gently brushed over the material of her robe, rubbing her flesh underneath and sending shivers of delight up her spine.

“How do you know?” he murmured, then moved his lips to her ear, gently nibbling on the lobe.

Lin again swallowed, shocked at the growing desire deep in her belly. “I saw them just before I came in.”

“How do you know they’re watching?” he whispered in her ear.

“That’s what they do when you first come here. They don’t know you and want to see how you are with the slaves. If you really have sex with them. Sometimes they insist on being present. They like to watch the men whip the girls.”

Lin could feel the tension in Tony’s body as his fingers tightened against her waist.

“Has anyone whipped you?”

“Until you, no one had even noticed me.”

He pulled away and stared down into her face. She gazed up at him, temporarily speechless from the possessiveness shining in his eyes.

“Why are you here?” she asked, barely moving her lips.

Tony leaned down, this time moving to the other ear. “I’m here for you,” he whispered. “At the request of your father.”

“He came to you for help?” she asked.

His lips brushed the sensitive spot just under her ear and she trembled, grasping his strong upper arms to hold herself upright.

“In a roundabout way,” Tony replied. “If they’re watching, you realize we’ll have to have sex.”

She nodded, swallowing the growing lump of lust in her throat. Her muscles clenched and unclenched at the rods buried within her throbbing walls.

Sex with Tony was something she’d thought of on more than one occasion. She just never imagined their first time would be a show.

“Then we’ll figure out how to get you the hell out of here.”

Lin tensed and shook her head. She attempted to pull away, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close.

“I’m not leaving without Keeran.”

“You don’t even know if she’s here.”

“Yes, I do,” Lin replied, close to his ear. She struggled against the growing desire to suck on his ear lobe, to taste his skin on her tongue. “I know she’s here, I just haven’t been able to find where he’s holding her. This place is massive.”

As she spoke, her lips moved against his skin.

“Lin,” he growled.

“Please, Anthony. I can’t leave her. You have to help me.”

Tony grasped a handful of her hair and tugged her head back, making her gasp in surprise. He glared at her almost angrily and her heart skipped a beat, then another and another.

“You’re out of your fucking mind,” he growled through tight lips.

“I can’t leave her,” she pleaded softly. “She would do no less for me.”

Tony remained silent, studying her closely. Lin could hardly breathe as she stared back, getting lost in the depths of his cold, icy eyes.

The latest installment of the Entwined Fates series is in the hands of my greedy little editor, being bled all over…lol. It will be out before you know it, but until then, I”m posting a blurb and excerpt below. Just a little teaser…:)

Hope you enjoy.

BLURB

Lin Morlin, daughter to Galactic Senator Nicah Morlin, is headstrong and determined – anything but a submissive, but she goes undercover as a submissive in order to rescue her friend from slave traders. Her actions begin a chain reaction of ripples that flip the lives of everyone from traders all the way up to the Galactic Senate itself.

Captain Anthongy Carrigton is sent in by the Marcones to rescue Lin. Undercover as a Dom, he finds he wants to keep Lin as his slave forever and the independent woman enjoys submission much more than she expected.

Unfortunately, her rescue becomes much more complicated than either of them ever imagined, for the traders know exactly who both of them are and why they’re there. Lin’s father will become the key to everything and Lin will find herself not only questioning who she is, but who she will become.

EXCERPT

“How can you live with this?”

Lin stared at her father in disbelief, her heart sinking further with every passing second. The Senate had just refused her plea for help to find her missing friend, Keeran. All the while, her senator father sat in silence, not once coming to her aid.

“I told you, lIN,” Senator Morlin said. “The Senate will not intervene in this matter–”

“But you didn’t even try. You just sat there. Is that what you would do if it were me?”

Her father stiffened, his brow creasing in anger. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You know what these slave barons are doing and yet you do nothing. Why?” she demanded.

Her father’s age was becoming increasingly apparent these days as he slowly shuffled behind his desk and sank tiredly into the thick, leather chair. Behind him was the massive picture window overlooking Rhinari. She had to squint as the bright Rhinari sun sank below the massive Senate Building, casting a shadow over the smaller, attached office buildings and apartments reserved for the senatorial elite. The room darkened, mimicking her mood as she stood her ground, glaring at her father.

Her father sighed, but wouldn’t meet her gaze head on. “There are some men, Lin, even the Senate won’t touch.”

“Stefan Marcone would not have allowed this when he was a Senator,” she growled.

“The former Senator Marcone has the resources and the balls to go after the man himself, without the aid of the Senate. I’m afraid I do not.”

“Even if it were me?” she asked quietly.

“Let’s not forget, daughter. It’s not you. I know she was your best friend. I understand you’re upset, but I do not have the connections to go after him.”

“What does he have over your head, Father?” Lin strolled to the desk and leaned her palms against the gleaming black granite. Her father wouldn’t meet her stare and she tensed, doubts about her father and his honesty entering her mind.

“Nothing, Lin. He’s very powerful and I am very old.”

Lin pushed upright in anger. “I’m not asking you to go after him yourself. Just put someone on the inside, find out who they sold her to.”

“It’s not that simple!” he snapped.

“The hell it’s not!”

His eyes narrowed in anger. “I’ve heard enough, Lin. She’s gone. Accept it. This man is way too powerful, has too many connections. Going after him would be a death sentence for both of us.”

“Fine,” she snarled. “If you won’t do it…then I will.”

She turned to leave the apartment, her heart breaking at the cold callousness of her father. How could he do this? How could he allow a man who sold young girls off as sex slaves to get away with it? Slave trading was supposed to be illegal, but apparently not for Laird Ballack.

He’d made a fortune over the years selling off young girls, most of which didn’t live past a year. There were rumors he even supplied slaves to Senators. She wondered vaguely if her father had been one and swallowed down a sudden onslaught of tears.

If he did participate, it would kill her.

“Lin, don’t do this,” her father pleaded as he followed her across the room.

Lin ignored him, determined to handle this herself.

With her hand on the doorknob, she turned to face her father and lifted her chin in steadfast resolve. “I may put myself in danger, but one thing I will never do is turn my back on her. I will find her…with or without your help. Which is it?”

Her father shook his head. “I’m sorry, Lin. Without.”

“Fine.”

Tears gathered in her eyes as she left her father’s apartment and slammed the door closed behind her, effectively shutting out her father for good. It was the final straw.

She’d never been able to depend on him, not like she should. He’d disapproved of her career, her friends. It seemed no matter what she did, he found fault. It apparently didn’t matter how well she’d done or how much respect she’d earned as a bio-chemist.

Whenever he’d needed her at some senatorial function, she’d been there. Would it be so hard for him to be there for her? He did it time and again. And time and again, she kept hoping that next time…

“Oh, hell,” she grumbled and swiped at a tear as it fell down her cheek.

No point crying over it now. It was done. Now she needed to focus on finding her friend and she knew just where to start.