by Dee Davis
“Where is she?” Harrison asked, his voice sounding harsh against the forced hush within the room.
Tracy Braxton, the ME, blinked once, her chocolate eyes taking a moment to focus as she pulled herself from her train of thought. “She’s downstairs. In the basement. But you don’t want to go down there, Harrison.” Like Madison, she was trying to protect him. He knew that. Knew also that she was probably right. But he didn’t have a choice. Bree was a part of him. And he was supposed to have protected her.
Exactly two minutes older, he’d always been quick to remind people that he was the eldest sibling. But in truth, Bree had been the wise one, the calming influence that tamed his wilder instincts. He’d been the one who’d walked the razor’s edge. And she’d always been there, waiting until he’d needed her to rescue him—mostly from himself.
And now, the one time she’d truly needed him…
With an apologetic shrug to Tracy, he turned and made his way back down the hallway to the cellar door. In his haste he’d missed it the first time—the faint light from below barely visible at the top of the stairs.
Like the bedroom, the first thing that hit him was the smell. And he stopped for a moment, reaching inside for strength. Then with a slow exhale he made his way to the bottom of the stairs, nodding at a uniform and again flashing his badge, before making his way to the back of the brick-lined room.
It was cold. Colder than he’d have thought, considering it was spring. Like a grave. He pushed aside the thought and turned the corner, walking into the little alcove that marked the center of activity, his mind revolting at the sight before him. She was naked, strung up by the arms, her position reminiscent of ancient crucifixion. The disrespect was evident not just in the horrific way she’d been left to die, but in the carvings on her skin. Each cut, surgically precise, was accentuated with a trail of dried blood, the garish result making her look more like a battered doll than than a human being.
His sister. Bree.
White-hot rage ripped through him, the pain doubled by the feeling of impotence. Nothing he’d done had mattered. He hadn’t been fast enough. And now the bastard behind this—this carnage—was out there somewhere, waiting to do it all over again.
He reached up to touch her face, mindless of the tech trying to shoo him away, praying that somehow he’d wake up and find it all a dream. His fingers touched the cold flesh of her cheek and her eyes fluttered open, the condemnation there shattering his heart.
“Why didn’t you come?” she asked, her brownish green eyes the exact mirror of his, the anguish reflected there sucking the breath from his body.
He opened his mouth but there were no words, and still she held his gaze, imploring him, condemning him. “I believed in you,” she whispered, and then slowly the life began to fade. He screamed her name, trying to pull her back to him. To will her to life.
And then it hit him. As it had a thousand times before. This was a dream. Bree was dead and gone. He hadn’t saved her then, and he couldn’t save her now.
Drenched with sweat, he jerked awake, the first rays of sunlight slanting through the hotel-room window. He sat up, head in hands, still fighting the last remnants of the dream—the sensory memory as strong now as it had been all those years ago in Texas.
He frowned, trying to find logic where apparently there was none. At first the dream had been an almost nightly occurrence, the horror still so fresh that his mind had needed the outlet. But with time the edges had softened, the dream coming less frequently, less violently.
And now its appearance usually signaled something else wrong with his life, a ghoulish message from his subconscious. But things were good. A-Tac was the right fit. And he was happy. There was nothing in his life that should have called forth the horror from all those years ago.
He pushed back his hair, fighting a wave of uncertainty.
If everything was so fucking great, why the hell was he having the dream?
THE DISH
Where authors give you the inside scoop!
From the desk of Christie Craig
Dear Reader,
As an author of seven humorous suspense romance novels, I’m often asked how I come up with my characters. Since the truth isn’t all that fun to describe—that I find these people in the cobwebs of my mind—I usually just tell folks that I post a want ad on Craigslist.
One of those folks replied that she’d be checking out my ad and applying for the position of romance heroine. Right then I wondered if she’d ever read a Christie Craig book. Well, it’s not just my books—every good story is really a triumph over tragedy. (Of course, I have my own lighter spin of tragedy.) And by the ending of my books, my heroines have found a man who’s smoking hot and deserving of their affection, and they’ve experienced a triumph that’s sweeter than warm fudge. Friendships have been forged, and even the craziest of families have grown a whole lot closer. And I do love crazy families. Probably because I have one of my own. Hmm, maybe I get some of my characters from there, too.
Point is, my heroines had to earn their Happily Ever After. The job requires a lot of spunk.
Take poor Nikki Hunt in DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS, the first book in my Hotter in Texas series, for example. Her cheating ex ditches her at dinner and sticks her with the bill. She then finds his dead body stuffed in the trunk of her car, which makes her lose her two-hundred-dollar meal all over his three-thousand-dollar suit. Now, not only is Nikki nearly broke, she’s been poisoned, she’s barfing in public (now, that’s a tragedy), and, worse still, she’s a murder suspect. And that’s only the first chapter. Nikki’s fun is just beginning. You’ve hardly met Nikki’s grandma, who epitomizes those family members who drive you bonkers, even though you know your life would be empty without them.
As we say in the south, Nikki’s got a hard row to hoe. For certain, it takes a kick-ass woman to be a Christie Craig heroine. She’s gotta be able to laugh, because sometimes that’s all you can do. She’s gotta be able to fight, because life is about battles. (I don’t care if it’s with an ex-husband, a plumber, or a new puppy unwilling to house-train.) And she’s gotta be able to love, because honestly, love is really what my novels are about. Well, that and overcoming flaws, jumping over hurdles, and finding the occasional dead body.
So while in real life you may never want to undergo the misadventures of a Christie Craig heroine, I’m counting on the fact that you’ll laugh with her, root for her, and fall in love alongside her. And here’s hoping that when you close my book, you are happy you’ve met the characters who live in the cobwebs of my mind.
And remember my motto for life: Laugh, love, read.
www.christie-craig.com
From the desk of Isobel Carr
Dear Reader,
I’ve always loved the “Oh no, I’m in love with my best friend’s sister!” trope. It doesn’t matter what the genre or setting is, we all know sisters are forbidden fruit. This scenario is just so full of pitfalls and angst and opportunities for brothers to be protective and for men to have to really, really prove (and not just to the girl) that they love the girl. How can you not adore it?
Add in the complications of a younger son’s lot in life—lack of social standing, lack of fortune, lack of prospects—and you’ve got quite the series of hurdles to overcome before the couple can attain their Happily Ever After (especially if the girl he loves is the daughter of a duke).
If you read the first book in the League of Second Sons series, you’ve already met the sister in question, Lady Boudicea “Beau” Vaughn. She’s a bit of a tomboy and always seems to be on the verge of causing a scandal, but she means well, and she’s got a fierce heart.
You will have also met the best friend, Gareth Sandison. He’s a committed bachelor, unquestionably a rake, and he’s about to have everything he’s ever wanted—but knew he could never have—dangled in front of him… but he’s going to have to risk friendship and honor to get it. And even then, things may not work out quite as he expected.
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I hope you’ll enjoy letting Gareth show you what it means to be RIPE FOR SCANDAL.
www.isobelcarr.com
From the desk of Hope Ramsay
Dear Reader,
In late 2010, while I was writing HOME AT LAST CHANCE, something magical happened that changed the direction of the story.
A friend sent me an email with a missing pet poster attached. This particular poster had a banner headline that read “Missing Unicorn,” over a black-and-white photograph of the most beautiful unicorn I have ever seen. The flyer said that the lost unicorn had last been seen entering Central Park and provided a 1-800 number for tips that would lead to the lost unicorn’s safe return.
The unicorn poster made me smile.
A few days later, my friend sent me a news story about how hundreds of people in New York had seen this poster and had started calling in reports of unicorn sightings. Eventually, the unicorn sightings spread from Manhattan all the way to places in Australia and Europe.
At that point, the missing unicorn captured my imagination.
The worldwide unicorn sightings proved that if people take a moment to look hard, with an innocent heart, they can see unicorns and angels and a million miracles all around them. As we grow up, we forget how to look. We get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily living, and unicorns become myths. But for a small time, in New York City, a bunch of “Missing Unicorn” posters made people stop, smile, and see miracles.
The missing unicorn and his message wormed its way right into my story and substantially changed the way I wrote the character of Hettie Marshall, Last Chance’s Queen Bee. Sarah Murray, my heroine, tells Hettie to look at Golfing for God through the eyes of a child. When Hettie heeds this advice, she realizes that she’s lost something important in her life. Her sudden desire to recapture a simple faith becomes a powerful agent of change for her and, ultimately, for Last Chance itself. And of course, little Haley Rhodes helps to seal the deal. Haley is a master at seeing what the adult world misses altogether.
I hope you keep your ability to wonder at the world around you—to see it like a child does. You might find a missing unicorn—or maybe a Sorrowful Angel.
From the desk of Dee Davis
Dear Reader,
Settings are a critical part of every book. They help establish the tone, give insight into characters, and act as the backdrop for the narrative that drives the story forward. Who can forget the first line of Rebecca—“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” The brooding house in the middle of the English moors sets us up from the very beginning for the psychological drama that is the center of the book.
When I first conceptualize a novel, I often start with the settings. Where exactly will my characters feel most at home? What places evoke the rhythm and pacing of the book? Because my books tend to involve a lot of adventure, the settings often change with the flow of the story. And when it came time to find the settings for DEEP DISCLOSURE, I knew without a doubt that Alexis would be living in New Orleans.
One of my favorite cities, I love the quirky eccentricities of the Big Easy, and I wanted to share some of my favorites with readers, including the Garden District and the French Quarter. Of course, Alexis and Tucker don’t stay in New Orleans long, and it isn’t surprising that they wind up in Colorado.
We moved a lot when I was a kid, and one of the few stable things in my life was spending summers in Creede. But because I’ve used Creede already in so many books, I decided this time to use the neighboring town of South Fork as the place where George has his summer retreat. And Walsenburg—one of the places we often stopped for groceries on the way to Creede—as the scene of Alexis’s family’s disaster.
I confess that Redlands, Tucker and Drake’s home, is a place I’ve never actually visited. But a dear friend lived there for several years and tells such wonderful stories about it that it seemed the perfect place for my boys to have grown up and developed their love of baseball.
And of course Sunderland College, while fictional, is indeed based on a real place: Hendrix College, my alma mater. I spent a wonderful four years there, and I hope you enjoy your time at Sunderland with A-Tac as much!
For insight into both Alexis and Tucker, here are some songs I listened to while writing DEEP DISCLOSURE:
The Kill, by Thirty Seconds to Mars
Breathe (2 am), by Anna Nalick
Need You Now, by Lady Antebellum
And as always, check out deedavis.com for more inside info about my writing and my books.
Happy Reading!
CONTENTS
FRONT COVER IMAGE
WELCOME
DEDICATION
A PREVIEW OF DEADLY DANCE
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
EPILOGUE
THE DISH
RAVES FOR DEE DAVIS’S A-TAC SERIES
COPYRIGHT
Raves for Dee Davis’s A-Tac Series
DESPERATE DEEDS
“Delightful… The perfect weekend or vacation read. The fast-paced story takes you through an intriguing game of cat and mouse as protagonists solve the crime, save the world, and, of course, fall in love.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Five Stars, Top Pick! This series is fast-paced and action-packed. This book is a keeper. I, for one, cannot wait to see what Ms. Davis will bring us next.”
—NightOwlReviews.com
“Her books… hold my attention like a vise. I highly recommend this book.”
—FreshFiction.com
“It is obvious that Ms. Davis has done her research to bring readers characters with knowledge and expertise… [A]n outstanding series.”
—RomanceJunkiesReviews.com
“The characters were charming, the action fast-paced, and the romance hot. This is an author who knows how to pace a book and add conflict.”
—Bookpleasures.com
DANGEROUS DESIRES
“Rich in dialogue [with] a strong heroine and intricate plot. Full of twists, turns, and near-death encounters, readers will consume this quickly and want more.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Danger, deception, and desire are the main literary ingredients in Davis’s high-adrenaline, highly addictive novel of romantic suspense.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Dee Davis never fails to write exciting, sensuous stories featuring a diversity of strong flawed characters you empathize with. Dangerous Desires’ pace is perfect, the dialogue clever, and the plotlines are surprising, captivating, and brilliant.”
—ReadertoReader.com
“Five Stars, Top Pick! Exciting… It will grab your attention and keep a hold of it until the last page. I have put Ms. Davis on my auto buy list.”
—NightOwlReviews.com
“Dee Davis is the reason I started reading romantic suspense… A definite page-turner that will have you clinging to the edge of your seat.”
—Renees-Reads.blogspot.com
DARK DECEPTIONS
“High-stakes action and high-impact romance… Dee Davis leaves me breathless.”
—Roxanne St. Claire, New York Times bestselling author
“Dee Davis always keeps me on edge from start to finish! I read this book in one sitting… a keeper!”
—Fre
shFiction.com
“Dee Davis sure knows how to nail a romantic suspense. Packed full of tension, action, and romance, this book is a page-turner from beginning to end.”
—BookPleasures.com
“5 Stars! Sparks fly between Annie and Nash… If you like a good romantic suspense story, you’ll really enjoy this book.”
—JustShortofCrazy.com
“An exciting, fast-paced romantic suspense packed with action, adventure, and hot romantic chemistry.”
—FictionVixen.com
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 by Dee Davis Oberwetter
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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