Silenced

by Alicia Renee Kline

  Five books in and I’m still thanking the same people.

  To Matthew, Olivia and Natalee: probably the last three people in the world who know when I have a new book coming out because they allow me my space to get it done. You realize how I am with people breathing down my neck and you just let me be. To you, I’m no author. I’m your wife, your best friend and your mother. And those are really the most important things to be in life anyway. At least until I get my big break and the movie deal. Hey, a girl can dream. Thank you for allowing me to make my dreams a reality. I love you.

  To JoEllen, who always gets the first copy of everything, right after it’s been through spell check and before I’ve read it through. Even when I cringe later on at what I’ve sent over, you still manage to rave about it. You’re officially my first fangirl and I love you for it. And really, what you’ve read isn’t that much different than what people end up buying. Because I’m like that.

  To DawnMarie, probably the best friend that I’ll ever have who I’ve never met in real life. We connected because of this series and I think you are almost as sad as I am to see these characters end. But I know that you’ll follow me wherever I go from here, and I’m thankful that you are along for the ride.

  To the bloggers that have dutifully taken a chance on me, a little old nobody from Indiana with zero name recognition. I have made some wonderful book relationships by growing a pair and asking you to join me on this fifteen hundred plus page journey. You make me feel like a rock star.

  To the readers that have come all this way with me. Thank you for appreciating something outside the box. As much as I loved this series, I’m very excited for what is coming next. I hope you are too.

  About the Author

  Alicia Renee Kline resides in Northeastern Indiana with her husband and two daughters. She swears that sea salt and vinegar potato chips and Vanilla Coke fuel her creativity. When she’s not sitting at her laptop dreaming up drama for the characters in her head, she works full time in the insurance industry. She’s also an avid reader, enjoying a little bit of everything but usually opting for something in the romance, chick lit or mystery genres.

  To learn more about Alicia and her characters, or to get your ebooks signed by the author, check out her website at aliciareneekline.com. If you’re feeling really adventurous, follow her on Twitter at @readaliciarenee, like her Facebook fan page, or hook up with her on Google Plus. She loves to connect with her readers and welcomes your comments and questions.

  If you enjoyed this book, please consider posting a review to help others find it, too. Word of mouth is the best compliment that you can give an author.

  Titles by Alicia Renee Kline

  The Intoxicated Books

  Intoxicated

  Shattered

  Designed

  Changed

  Silenced

  Non Series Reads

  Chasing Echo (coming soon)

  A Note to My Readers

  If you have ever stalked me online, you probably already know that I struggle with defining myself as a certain type of author. I absolutely despise having to classify my books in a specific genre. I feel that the stories that I tell are so much more than a keyword. Even though The Intoxicated Books was begrudgingly labeled as a Romance series, I never felt like that designation really fit. Sure, the relationships with the couples were front and center, but there were several moving parts that were integral to the story that didn’t involve people ending up in bed together. How about Blake and Matthew? Or Gracie and Chris? Omitting the importance of those relationships would have left the series a shell of what it became. Not to mention the topics that were covered: drunk driving, addiction, divorce, miscarriage, estrangement.

  Yes, I can write a sex scene. I had fun with Gracie and Will especially, but there was substance in between the handcuffs and the steam. While there’s nothing wrong with a breezy, smutty beach read, it was never my intention to be in the company of writers that specialize in those novels. And that bored some people to death, and ultimately led to some nightmares on the marketing front. Not everyone is looking for what I’ve ultimately called “Romance with Depth” and that’s cool.

  Very early on in the writing of Silenced, I decided that once the series was completed, I’d step away from the Romance genre. I was always a square peg in a round hole anyway, when my heart was really more into Women’s Fiction or Chick Lit. I’d argue that The Intoxicated Books could just as easily fit into either of those genres. Some installments better than others. But what difference does genre make if the book resonates with your readers? Absolutely none.

  And when I allowed myself to stop worrying about marketing and sales, the creative process really began. I dreamed up about eight standalones, complete with titles and very murky plotlines. All with romantic elements, but definitely coming closer to the Women’s Fiction or Chick Lit categories. While Silenced practically wrote itself because of my intimacy with the characters, I created a new world for my very first standalone, the one concept that I had fleshed out more completely than the others. I had the name, the cover image and the tagline set to go. I was ready to begin.

  Then July hit. And something that happened on my Facebook feed sparked a flame that wouldn’t die. The book that begged to be written. In the span of twenty-four hours, I had characters, a plotline, a title, teasers, the whole deal. This book is Chasing Echo.

  Chasing Echo is not Women’s Fiction. It’s not Chick Lit. It’s definitely not Romance. It’s a love story for sure, but it’s unlike anything I’ve written before. It’s dark and haunting, and it’s told entirely from a male point of view. I’ve decided it will more than likely be categorized as Literary Fiction.

  Yes, the book that I placed on hold to write Chasing Echo will still be written, and it will be closer to what you’ve come to expect from my earlier reads. But I hope you’ll trust me enough to make the departure with me and step outside your comfort zone.

  Read on for an excerpt of Chasing Echo, coming soon….

  Chasing Echo Sneak Peak

  Prologue

  It was almost time.

  Late afternoon sunlight shone through the apartment window, reminding Echo that the world around her continued to spin. The street below her would soon be filled with young professionals on their way home from mundane entry level jobs. She knew that drill all too well. A lifetime ago, she had risen above all that.

  It was almost quitting time.

  Dinner reservations were at seven.

  Which meant that she was nearly to that magical moment, the one she had been waiting for all day. She’d been going through the plans on a constant loop in her head, clearing her mind of anything other than the task she was about to complete. Like everything else in her life, this had to be perfect. And it would be.

  Echo rose from her position on the couch, smoothing down her skirt as she made her way to the bathroom. Satin whispered against her bare legs as she moved, the hem of her dress dancing about her knees.

  She bent down to grab her cosmetics bag from under the sink, snagging her lipstick and smoothing a fresh coat upon her lips. Without even checking her reflection, she put the makeup back in its rightful place and exited.

  She already knew her appearance was impeccable. Jase deserved as much, and she refused to disappoint, even now.

  Adrenaline pumped through her veins, even though her pulse was slow and steady. Rather than be afraid, Echo was at peace. This was how it had to be, and anyone who argued otherwise was severely incorrect. So she counted her final heartbeats, knowing that they were coming closer and closer to an end.

  With purposeful steps, she carried herself over to the end table that stood guard by the entryway. As always, her purse rested atop the glossy cherry finish. But what she was looking for was stashed away, out of sight. She slid open the shallow drawer and pulled out her gun.

  The weight of her Glock in her hand brought a smile to her face. To grip salvation in her fingers, to know that s
he held control of her own destiny was a feeling like no other. She closed her eyes from force of habit, an attempt to sear this memory into her brain.

  There was no need to remember.

  In mere seconds, nothing would matter any more.

  Chapter One

  I was running late. Never a surprise coming from me, but tonight of all nights, I wanted to be on time. The universe noting that, chaos had erupted at the salon in the form of an argument between a client and my stylist about the fine line between what constituted pumpkin spice as opposed to copper colored hair. It was all semantics, really. Nothing that I couldn’t handle by swooping in with my toothpaste model smile, a twenty percent discount - not coming from the stylist’s pocket, but my own - and an appointment with the man himself for the lady’s next visit. Order restored, I’d made a mad dash to my car.

  One quick shower and a stop by the grocery store for a last minute bouquet of roses later, I’d reached my destination with just seconds to spare. But here I was, ready to collect my girl and whisk her away for what I hoped would be the perfect dinner. Date night called for nothing less. And since those were few and far between, I took our monthly excursions seriously.

  “Hey, Jase,” Echo’s neighbor Marcus greeted from a few steps ahead.

  “Hey, man,” I returned.

  Thankfully, he held the elevator for me and I breezed in just before the metal doors slid shut. Not being anything more than acquaintances, and at the furthest spectrum of that word possible, we shuffled to opposite sides of the car. With Marcus living just down the hall from Echo, he’d already pushed the button for the appropriate floor, so there was nothing left for me to do other than stare straight ahead. My companion did the same.

  “Must be a special occasion,” he piped up suddenly, making me jump a country mile.

  “What?” I asked, reluctantly turning towards him.

  “I’m pretty sure Echo called off work today. Seems like she wanted to plan a night you’d never forget.”

  I arched my eyebrow, not impressed with the direction in which Marcus was steering this conversation. Or with the fact that he paid special attention to my girlfriend’s comings and goings, like he was some creepy stalker dude. Fellow apartment dweller aside, it wasn’t his place to make predictions on whether or not I was about to get lucky. Yet his observation did bode well for me.

  Instead of cluing him in to my eagerness to see if he was right, I harrumphed in response, effectively cutting off any further comment. He got the message and remained quiet for the rest of the short ride. When the steel doors parted, we both spilled out into the hallway with nothing more said. Not being a total ass, I nodded in his general direction. He returned the gesture before disappearing into his own place.

  Anticipation buoyed me along my way, spurred by Marcus’s off color remarks. Two doors down from where he’d peeled off, I found myself collecting my composure before I knocked to announce to Echo that I’d arrived. No need for her to know that I’d driven like a bat out of hell to get here on time. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and lifted my fist. It connected with the whitewashed six panel oak, sounding with well practiced confidence.

  Then I waited. A smirk played across my lips as I jammed my hand into my pocket and pulled out the watch settled inside, suspended on its chain. A present from Echo, one of those random treasures she’d gifted me with for no good reason at all. We didn’t need birthdays or anniversaries to give us an excuse to bestow things upon one another. While some would think it was pretentious to carry, she proclaimed it added to my swagger. And if she thought it made me hot, well then, who was I to argue?

  I pried open the clasp on the pocket watch with my thumbnail, confirming that according to the reading on the dial, I was exactly on time. Which meant that she was not, even if she’d had all day to get ready like Marcus suggested. I snapped the timepiece closed and shoved it away before knocking again.

  More waiting. This time, I leaned up against the doorframe, trying for the cool and casual approach. The jury was still out on how successful I was, and would be until Echo answered the door. Of course, she was biased and tended to eye-fuck me no matter what I looked like. I was certain this time would be no different.

  Sick of the delay, and not hearing anything on the other side of the door, I fished in my other pocket and pulled out my keys. Yes, she had given me one quite some time ago. No, I preferred not to use it. I rather enjoyed the anticipation that came from standing outside, the feeling in my stomach as the deadbolt turned under her volition, the resulting feeling that came when she eventually emerged. It was always like seeing her for the very first time, every time. Blown away by her beauty, shocked that someone of her stature wanted anything to do with someone like me.

  “Echo, babe,” I called, twisting the key in the lock, “I’m coming in.”

  My voice was light, teasing, imagining her locked in combat with her curling iron trying to get her hair just right. Preparing to whip in behind her and save the day, to which she’d roll her eyes and feign hostility that I was more handy with her beauty tools than she was.

  I pushed the door open, but I didn’t fulfill my promise. I never went inside. The lightheartedness of the moment that I’d created in my own mind vanished immediately, replacing the blood in my veins with ice water.

  Echo sat slumped against the wall directly across from where I stood. Her legs were demurely folded underneath herself, lest her skirt ride up and flash any visitors with an unwanted view. Her head lolled to one side, gravity threatening to tip her over completely. Her right hand was outstretched, fingertips brushing the barrel of her gun, where it had slipped from her grip to the floor in front of her.

  With the amount of brain matter sprayed behind her, as well as the dark redness that streaked her hair, there was no need to investigate further. There wouldn’t be a positive outcome to this situation, not one that I would ever understand anyway.

  Echo’s life was over.

  And mine would never be the same.