I turn to Ethan. “Thank you for doing this.”
He glances around, pleased with himself. “I did good, didn’t I?”
I give him a peck on the cheek.
“Most definitely,” I say.
He gives me a squeeze. “Why don’t you take a bath while I light the fire and fix us something to eat.”
We wake in the morning to an even worse storm. We linger in bed, pulling open the curtains of the large picture window to watch terrifyingly large waves crash wildly against the shore. As I lie there in Ethan’s arms, safe in our little paradise, I have never felt such gratitude. This good and kind man has been my rock this past year, my lover and friend. I don’t know what I would have done without him.
“Oh no, she’s thinking,” says Ethan. “I can hear the wheels turning.”
I give him a playful tap on the arm. “They’re happy wheels.”
“Good,” he says.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Mom called. She went for a check-up and her oncologist said her recovery is progressing nicely. He said he thinks Mom might be out of the woods."
Ethan gives me a squeeze. "That's great news."
By early afternoon, the sky brightens, clearing enough for us to venture out. Hand-in-hand, we amble through the quiet tree-lined streets, stop for a long lunch at the village, then head up Sconset Bluff Path. When we reach the lookout, we stop to admire the spectacular views. The vast Atlantic Ocean on one side, grand stately mansions on the other.
I notice Ethan shaking. At first, I think it’s from the cold, then he drops to one knee and pulls out the ring.
He looks up at me. “Amelia Kellaway, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
Suddenly I feel breathless. “Oh, Ethan.”
“Say yes.”
I nod and laugh. “Of course I will. Yes with all my heart.”
He whoops loudly and jumps to his feet.
“Thank you,” he says, slipping the ring on my finger and pulling me into an embrace. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive.”
And then, on this most special of days, as I weep tears of joy, I think of him. Rex Hawkins. A poisonous black cloud hanging over me. Still alive. In prison and awaiting trial. But still alive nonetheless. And I think to myself that 366 days ago I should have killed that bastard when I still had the chance.
*
We are not long home from Nantucket on Sunday night when my cell rings. It's John Liber. Unusual for him to call at this hour.
“John?”
“There’s been a development, kiddo.”
My scalp pricks. “Sounds serious.”
“Yeah.” He lets out a breath. “There won’t be a trial. Hawkins is going to plead guilty.”
I laugh.
“For real,” says John.
“I don’t believe it.”
“You’re telling me. That’s not all. He wants to talk about the other murders.” My heart beats fast. “And the missing women.”
“You’re joking.”
“Nope.”
He pauses.
“John, what is it?” I say.
“There’s a catch.”
“I bet there is.”
John clears his throat. “He’ll only talk to you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah.” A few beats of radio silence. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Am. No one would hold it against you, not after everything you’ve been through with this asshole.
I stand there, breathing.
“You want to think on it?” says John.
I look over at Ethan, my new husband-to-be, totally absorbed in peeling potatoes for our roast chicken dinner. He gives me a wink, then returns to his task. He’ll want to get the potatoes just right, make sure there’s not a trace of skin left anywhere, so they get a nice crunchy crust like Pop used to make them. My Ethan, such a particular, careful man. I look at the shiny new ring on my finger and think of the other women who aren’t here to enjoy life with their beloved partners and children. All because of Rex Hawkins.
“Count me in.”
THE END
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More books you’ll love from Deborah Rogers…
Speak for Me (#3 Amelia Kellaway)
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Manipulator. Killer. A time-bomb waiting to explode...
Just weeks away from giving birth, New York prosecutor Amelia Kellaway is about to interview Oregon serial killer, Rex Hawkins, a man who has tormented her for years. Amelia has no other option—Rex insists she be the one to hear his confession otherwise he’ll take the details of the string of rapes and murders he’s committed to his grave.
Truth be told, Amelia wants to do it. She wants to show Rex Hawkins she’s no longer the same person he victimized all those years ago. She’s stronger now, braver, smarter and she’s determined to get him to tell her everything he knows.
But is Amelia underestimating Rex? What underlies all his talk of redemption and seeking forgiveness? Could he be planning something? And if so, what? As Amelia’s due date gets closer and the pressure mounts, events spiral out of control, thrusting both her and Rex onto a devastating final trajectory in which only one of them survives.
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Into Thin Air
By Deborah Rogers
A brand-new standalone mystery
Out 31 October 2020! Pre-Order Today!
A web of lies. A sister's worst nightmare…
When Dr. Julia Norris’s estranged sister, Toni, goes missing in Turkey, Julia thinks it’s just another one of her sister’s irresponsible stunts. But when Toni’s backpack and passport wash up along the Istanbul seafront, Julia realizes the situation is far more serious than first thought.
Desperate for answers, Julia travels to Istanbul to find out what’s happened to Toni. As she delves deeper into her sister’s mysterious disappearance, everything points to Toni being abducted. But as a stranger in a strange land, who will believe Julia? And as she gets drawn into a web of lies and betrayal, could Julia be danger herself?
Set against the stunning backdrop of Istanbul, Into Thin Air is a gripping, fast-paced mystery with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.
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About the Author
Deborah Rogers is a psychological thriller and suspense author. Her gripping debut psycholog
ical thriller, The Devil's Wire, received rave reviews as a “dark and twisted page turner”. In addition to standalone novels like The Devil’s Wire and Into Thin Air, Deborah writes the popular Amelia Kellaway series, a gritty suspense series based on New York prosecutor, Amelia Kellaway.
Deborah has a Graduate Diploma in scriptwriting and graduated cum laude from the Hagley Writers’ Institute. When she’s not writing psychological thrillers and suspense books, she likes to take her chocolate Lab, Rocky, for walks on the beach and make decadent desserts.
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Epilogue
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Copyright Information
Copyright Information
ISBN 978-0-473-51346-7
TITLE: Coming for You
First worldwide publication 2020
Copyright © 2020 Deborah Rogers
All rights reserved in all media. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
The moral right of Deborah Rogers as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, places, or events is entirely coincidental.
Published by Lawson Publishing (NZ).
Coming for You Page 13