by Tara Thomas
She was waiting for him to get in his van and leave so she could open the door, when her kitchen timer went off, alerting her the lasagna was ready.
After taking it from the oven to cool and putting a peach pie in to cook, she looked around. Everything was in place. The table was set. Food was ready. Brent was bringing the wine.
She stopped by her bathroom to check her hair and makeup. On a whim, she redid her lipstick and grinned at herself in the mirror to make sure there wasn’t any on her teeth.
The doorbell rang again and a quick glance at the clock told her it was probably Brent and Bea.
“Be right there,” she called.
After verifying it was them, she opened the door. Brent looked as good as ever. Today he was dressed casually in jeans and a tee. He gave her a quick kiss before turning to the stunning woman at his side. “Janie, this is my little sister, Beatrice.”
His sister rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to kill you for calling me that since this is the first time I’m meeting your girlfriend and I’m not sure how good she is at getting blood off of things.” She held out her hand. “I’m Bea.”
Bea didn’t share her brother’s golden looks. While he reminded her of sunshine and summer, Bea was a fiery fall, with long red hair, pale skin, and deep brown eyes.
“Janie.” She shook her hand. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Likewise.”
“Looks like you got some flowers.” Bea punched Brent on the arm.
“The deliveryman brought them about fifteen minutes ago. You didn’t have to send me flowers, but it was awful sweet of you,” she said with a smile. “And you didn’t have to have them delivered. I’m sure the guy who brought them by thinks I’m crazy.”
Brent picked the box up. “They aren’t from me, and there’s no florist listed on the box.”
She forced herself to remain upright instead of crumpling to the floor like she wanted to. “Oh, god. It’s not over, is it?”
“We should open it.” Brent ran a finger along the edge.
“Inside,” Janie said. “If it’s him, he’s watching.”
Brent didn’t say anything, but nodded in agreement and carried the box inside. He sat the box on her coffee table. Janie let herself collapse onto the couch.
“Want me to open it?” Brent asked.
Yes! she wanted to scream, but shook her head. “No. I’ll do it.”
She wasn’t sure what she expected to be the box, but she was actually a little relieved as she took a deep breath and lifted the top off, revealing a dozen perfect red roses.
“Wow,” Bea said. “Those are gorgeous. Is there a card?”
Brent reached into the box and pulled out a plain white card. He sat down on the couch beside her so she could read along with him.
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
These flowers will die.
Just like you.
Read on for an excerpt from the next novella in the Sons of Broad series
HIDDEN FATE
Though the manager motioned to two chairs in the office, Brent remained standing. He crossed his arms as he waited for an explanation of why the perfect day he’d planned had taken a turn for the worst.
“I apologize for any inconvenience,” the manager said. “But we wanted to keep this as quiet as possible.”
And he’d reached the end of his patience. “Pardon me, but exactly what are you wanting to keep quiet?”
She reached into the desk and pull out a sheet of paper. “Our staff went into your room to prepare it for the evening and they found this had been slipped under the door.”
Brent took the paper, his eyes recognizing the image in front of him at the exact moment he heard a cry of despair come from Janie. He flipped the picture over, but it was too late. The image of Janie, naked and above him in bed, with the words ‘Time is up, police bitch’ written in red would stay with him forever.
How he managed to keep his temper under control, he wasn’t sure, but his voice sounded eerily calm to his own ears when he replied, “Yes, I can see why you wouldn’t want other guests to know that the possibility of someone taking pictures of them exists.”
The manger flushed. “We haven’t contacted the authorities. We thought it best to talk to you first.”
Brent stood, picture in one hand and reaching for a pale and shell shocked Janie. “Thank you. I have a feeling we know who this is, or at least what it pertains to. Be sure to keep us informed going forward.”
Janie stood and took his hand, but her movements were robotic. He led them quickly to the elevators and he was surprised that she made it into their room before breaking down.
“Oh, God.” She crumpled to the couch, covering her face and sobbing. “He knows I’m here. I’m not safe anywhere.”
He held her close, not saying anything, but rubbing her back and plotting in his mind different ways he could kill the bastard behind this.
“He knows we’re here,” she continued after a few minutes. “Which means he’s somehow followed us, scoped out a place where he could watch us, and then took those pictures.”
Listening to her talk had brought up a new question. “How the hell did he know what room we’re in? We haven’t told anyone.”
“It’s not like we were exactly careful, you know,” she said in a deadpan voice. “The room has those huge windows near the bed. Chances are he just got lucky.”
“I’d like to get my hands on him.”
“Stand in line.” She looked up at him with a grim expression. “He’s probably still here.”
He looked up and cursed under his breath. The curtains weren’t drawn. Whoever it was, might be watching them now.
“I’ll be right back,” he promised Janie, shifting her so she sat on the couch.
He walked to the large widow, his eyes searching for anything out of place. Not seeing anything, he moved so he could observe the tall office building across the street. Most of the rooms were dark, so it didn’t take long for him to spot what he was looking for, high in the building. A man stood, staring out his own window and though they were too far to tell with any certainty, Brent was almost positive he was looking his way.
Brent cursed under his breath.
“Do you see something?” Janie asked, coming up beside him and slipping her hand him his.
“Three o’clock. Almost eye level.”
He knew as soon she saw him. Her body tensed and she squeezed his hand. “It’s him, isn’t it?”
“More than likely.”
They stood for several long minutes, watching the man partially obscured by shadow. As they did, Brent started to feel uneasy. He couldn’t put his finger on exactly why, until Janie nailed it on the head.
She reached out as if touching the window would somehow sweep the shadows away. “Something about the way he stands looks familiar.”
“Yes,” he said, realizing she was right.
“It’s somebody we know.” She shivered and he wrapped his arm around her.
He wanted to protest and tell her she was wrong, but deep inside, he knew she wasn’t.
Don’t miss out on these novellas in Janie and Brent’s story from Tara Thomas!
All available 2/20/18
About the Author
Tara Thomas’s love of books and writing started as a child and though she wanted to be an author, she decided a degree in science was more practical. After fifteen years in the pharmaceutical industry, she returned to her first love and hasn’t looked back since.
She writes erotic romance as Tara Sue Me. The novels in her Submissive series appeared on both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists.
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Excerpt: Hidden Fate
About the Author
Copyright Page
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
“Shattered Fear” Copyright © 2018 by Tara Thomas.
Excerpt from Hidden Fate Copyright © 2018 by Tara Thomas.
All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Jacket photographs: woman © Stephen Mulcahey/Arcangel; face © iStock.com/PeopleImages
Author photo © Glen McCurtayne Coleman-Rayner
eISBN 978-1-250-13802-6
First eBook Edition: February 2018
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, ext. 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].