Psychological Thriller Boxed Set
Page 57
“I don’t know.” Those are, in fact, the worst words you can say to your wife. Where is our child? Allison shouted to me so long ago, all night like a chorus, and I had to tell her that very phrase. I don’t know. The very worst words right after our child is missing.
We head over to the door, our steps in tune to one another as if this were a choreographed move, and I swing it open, brave, as if a new frontier awaited us. We are so hopeful. We have waited, planned for this, prayed for it, and sure enough, there stands a pint-sized brunette with her dark soulless eyes laughing at us with the sound of a thousand deceased spirits roaming inside her. It’s about damn time.
Ota looks up at us with that mocking grin, all of her murderous intent. “Can I play with Reagan today?”
Allison and I share a quiet glance. We have done our homework, our due diligence. Originally, we had surmised that the best way to contain the enemy is to keep her within arm’s length, but something far better had come our way and we would not only keep her at an arm’s length, we would have the upper hand.
“Come in, Ota.” I glare at the menace as she strides on by. Yes, my father had it right. The wages of sin is death, but the sinners who killed the Chachnoaw tribe died off long ago. Enough blood has been spilt, enough to cover their ancestors up to their eyeballs. But with fire, a cleansing can happen. Just like Dolla Chetney was full of bullshit, we have discovered through veracious research that the underpinnings of this curse were just the same. It turns out there is very much an off button, a fiery, flame-filled goodbye to this hell forever.
Only fire could one day save Reagan from the menace amongst us, the seemingly innocent being hell-bent on taking her life. Once set to flames, the spirits cannot escape.
“Where is Reagan?” Her tiny nose lifts to the air.
“Out back, honey.” Allison manufactures a smile as we play along with this very dangerous game.
Ota skips off, her ponytail whips back and forth, so free, such a mockery of innocence. But the kindling is ready. Allison and I had purchased an enormous outdoor fireplace and had it installed out back. The salesman said you could roast a deer in it. Ota is a bit smaller than your average deer. I’ve rigged it with iron bars, ten different pad locks ready to go. All hell is about to break loose, and I’m glad the girls aren’t home to see it. Ally—our oldest, is supervising the girls while they’re at gymnastics. Allison and I won’t need to be there until six to pick them up. I think once the fire is stoked there might be time for a glass of wine. Allison and I have rehearsed every move, trained for this as if it were the Super Bowl.
Ota reaches the kitchen door and takes a wary look out the window while I snatch the rope off the counter. She turns to look at us with those black soulless pools she sees the world through.
Allison sheds a satisfied smile. “Now.”
Books by Addison Moore
For up to the minute pre-order and new release alerts
✦Follow Addison on Amazon for the latest updates!
✦Follow Addison on Bookbub!
✦Like on Facebook
*Want to chat about the books? Hop over to Addison’s Reader Corner on Facebook!
*Be sure to subscribe to Addison’s mailing list for sneak peeks and updates on all upcoming releases!
Or click over to the WEBSITE
Mystery
Little Girl Lost
A Sublime Casualty
The First Wife’s Secret
Cutie Pies and Deadly Lies (Murder in the Mix 1)
Bobbing for Bodies (Murder in the Mix 2)
Pumpkin Spice Sacrifice (Murder in the Mix 3)
Gingerbread & Deadly Dread (Murder in the Mix 4)
Seven-Layer Slayer (Murder in the Mix 5)
Red Velvet Vengeance (Murder in the Mix 6)
Bloodbaths and Banana Cake (Murder in the Mix 7)
New York Cheesecake Chaos (Murder in the Mix 8)
Lethal Lemon Bars (Murder in the Mix 9)
Macaron Massacre (Murder in the Mix 10)
Wedding Cake Carnage (Murder in the Mix 11)
Donut Disaster (Murder in the Mix 12)
Romance
Just Add Mistletoe
3:AM Kisses (3:AM Kisses 1)
Winter Kisses (3:AM Kisses 2)
Sugar Kisses (3:AM Kisses 3)
Whiskey Kisses (3:AM Kisses 4)
Rock Candy Kisses (3:AM Kisses 5)
Velvet Kisses (3:AM Kisses 6)
Wild Kisses (3:AM Kisses 7)
Country Kisses (3:AM Kisses 8)
Forbidden Kisses (3:AM Kisses 9)
Dirty Kisses (3:AM Kisses 10)
Stolen Kisses (3:AM Kisses 11)
Lucky Kisses (3:AM Kisses 12)
Tender Kisses (3:AM Kisses 13)
Revenge Kisses (3:AM Kisses 14)
Red Hot Kisses (3:AM Kisses 15)
Reckless Kisses (3:AM Kisses 16)
Hot Honey Kisses (3:AM Kisses 17)
Shameless Kisses (3:AM Kisses 18)
Value 3:AM Kisses Boxed Sets
3:AM Kisses Boxed Set 1-3
3:AM Kisses Boxed Set 4-6
3:AM Kisses Boxed Set 7-9
3:AM Kisses Boxed Set 10-12
3:AM Kisses Boxed Set 13-15
3:AM Kisses Boxed Set 16-17 (+Bonus)
The Social Experiment (The Social Experiment 1)
Bitter Exes (The Social Experiment 2)
Chemical Attraction (The Social Experiment 3)
Low Down & Dirty (3:AM Kisses, Hollow Brook1)
Dirty Disaster (3:AM Kisses, Hollow Brook 2)
Dirty Deeds (3:AM Kisses, Hollow Brook 3)
Naughty By Nature
Heartless (Breakers Canyon Billionaires 1)
Wicked Heart (Breakers Canyon Billionaires 2)
Stone Cold Heart (Breakers Canyon Billionaires 3)
Beautiful Oblivion (Lake Loveless 1)
Beautiful Illusions (Lake Loveless 2)
Beautiful Elixir (Lake Loveless 3)
Beautiful Deception (Lake Loveless 4)
The Solitude of Passion
Someone to Love (Someone to Love 1)
Someone Like You (Someone to Love 2)
Someone For Me (Someone to Love 3)
BOXED SETS
Spitfire Kisses Boxed Set
Breakers Canyon Boxed Set (Books 1-3)
Lake Loveless Boxed Set (Books 1-3)
A Totally ‘80s Romance (Books 1-3)
3:AM Kisses, Hollow Brook (Books 1-3)
3:AM KISSES (Books 1-3)
Just Add Mistletoe (Christmas in Gingerbread, Colorado)
Young Adult Romance
Melt With You (A Totally ’80s Romance 1)
Tainted Love (A Totally ’80s Romance 2)
Hold Me Now (A Totally ’80s Romance 3)
Paranormal Romance
(Celestra Book World in Order)
Ethereal (Celestra Series Book 1)
Tremble (Celestra Series Book 2)
Burn (Celestra Series Book 3)
Wicked (Celestra Series Book 4)
Vex (Celestra Series Book 5)
Expel (Celestra Series Book 6)
Toxic Part One (Celestra Series Book 7)
Toxic Part Two (Celestra Series Book 8)
Elysian (Celestra Series Book 9)
Perfect Love (A Celestra Novella)
Ephemeral (The Countenance Trilogy 1)
Evanescent (The Countenance Trilogy 2)
Entropy (The Countenance Trilogy 3)
Ethereal Knights (Celestra Knights)
Season of the Witch (A Celestra Companion)
Celestra Forever After (Celestra Forever After 1)
The Dragon and the Rose (Celestra Forever After 2)
The Serpentine Butterfly (Celestra Forever After 3)
Crown of Ashes (Celestra Forever After 4)
Throne of Fire (Celestra Forever After 5)
Acknowledgments
Thank you so much for reading Little Girl Lost. I hope you enjoyed James and Allison’s story
as much as I did. My mind has been swimming in the deep end of Concordia for the better part of three years and it’s a relief and pleasure to finally get to share this adventure with you. There were many, many nights that I lost sleep because of this story. I poured my heart and soul into its many rewrites and spit-shines. I hope it gleamed just the way you needed it to.
A very special thank you to my early readers, Jodie Tarleton and Tabby Coots. Your unbridled enthusiasm gave me the courage I needed to see this through and I am forever grateful for that. You are both so special to me. And to Lisa Markson whose relentless support is always there when I need it. You are made of steel. I’m so glad you are in my life.
To Kaila Eileen Turingan-Ramos, my first reader who was kind enough to help me straighten the words and put them back where they belong. You are so very awesome. Thank you so much for that.
Thank you to Kathryn Jacoby for being superwoman at all times. Is there anything you can’t do? You’re a rock and an excellent pillar of support. Thank you for being mine.
And a huge thank you to Paige Maroney Smith, the woman who walks softly and carries a big editing stick. I love you like a sister. You are so wonderful and kind—and wildly patient with all of my schemes. Thank you for that!
And last, but never least, thank you to Him who sits on the throne. Worthy is the Lamb! Glory and honor and power are yours. I owe you everything.
About the Author
Addison Moore is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who writes contemporary and paranormal romance. Her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine. Previously she worked as a therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for nearly a decade. She resides on the West Coast with her husband, four wonderful children, and two dogs where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading. Addison’s Celestra Series has been optioned for film by 20th Century Fox.
Feel free to visit her on Instagram.
*Be sure to subscribe to Addison’s mailing list for sneak peeks and updates on all upcoming releases!
For up to the minute pre-order and new release alerts
✦Follow Addison here for the latest updates!
✦Follow Addison on Bookbub!
✦Like on Facebook
*Want to chat about the books? Hop over to Addison’s Reader Corner on Facebook!
*Be sure to subscribe to Addison’s mailing list for sneak peeks and updates on all upcoming releases!
Or click over to the WEBSITE