Secret Need (The Harper Sisters Book 2)

by Satin Russell

  She nodded, her tongue suddenly tangled in her mouth. “Cynthia!” Alex’s sharp bark brought her back to her senses in an instant. “Yes. That’s what I was coming to tell you, Alex. Chief Hamilton came into the ladies’ bathroom to talk to Liz. I was,” she hesitated, her glance skirted back up towards Matt, “in a stall. The conversation wasn’t friendly. He mentioned something about going outside and escorted her out of the bathroom.”

  “Did they say where?”

  At this, the true enormity of the situation hit Cynthia. “T-the cliffs.” Realization had her turning towards Alex, her face full of fear, but he was already sprinting for the door. Matt Hagen and the other two agents were right behind him. The crowd’s conversation grew hushed before ratcheting to an even higher volume as the men’s movement’s and Cynthia’s fear-laden voice alerted them to something big happening. The room became charged with speculation.

  “What on earth is going on?”

  Cynthia wasn’t as familiar with the youngest Harper sister, but she did know her name. She grasped the other woman’s arm and headed towards the door. “Fiona, Liz is in trouble. Come with me.”

  They reached the door right as Mason and Olivia did. Behind them, a small crowd gathered as more and more people started to tune in to the developing drama. After giving Cynthia a cursory glance, Olivia asked Fiona, “Where’s Liz?”

  Tired of the interruptions, Cynthia cut to the chase. “She’s in trouble. Alex and Agent Hagen are going to find her. Somehow the police chief is involved.” With that, she strode through the door. Unsure of where to go, she was just about to head toward the bed and breakfast when a loud boom reverberated through the air.

  Fiona gasped. “Holy shit.”

  “Was that a…?”

  “Gunshot.” Mason confirmed Olivia’s unspoken question and began running towards the back of the restaurant. Even Cynthia could hardly catch her breath out of fear. She could only imagine what the two sisters were going through as they all ran down the dimly lit path.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Liz dove just as the Chief pulled the trigger, but the shot went aimlessly up into the sky. An acrid smell of burnt gun powder filled the air. “You little bitch!” Rage had replaced all semblance of civility.

  Recognizing that she was still in danger of being shot, Liz grabbed his wrist and wrestled for control of the gun. It barely budged, his forearm a solid branch of muscle.

  Grabbing her hand, it seemed like he barely moved before her arm was twisted painfully behind her. The slightest pull up had her bent forward and screaming in agony. Her knees buckled in pain as he shoved her towards the ground, slamming her face into the damp grass. Soil smeared across her cheekbone and up her nose. Desperate, Liz dipped her other shoulder and rolled, trying to leverage his weight up and over her. He was pulled off balance, and the gun went tumbling away.

  He recovered faster than she would have guessed, given his physique. He threw his body forward, and they rolled end over end until he loomed over her again.

  Breathless and staring up into the face of the police chief, a new level of fear sliced through her. An undeniable truth became clear.

  She was no match for him.

  The knowledge didn’t stop her from bucking and snarling like a wild beast, though. No way in hell was she going to die without a fight. Shouts began to filter down to them, echoing off the cliffs and over the water below.

  It was too late, she thought. She was going to die.

  “I wish I could say I’m sorry to have to do this. Ordinarily I would be, but you’ve been such a pain in my ass, frankly, it will be a relief.”

  Liz gritted her teeth. “Go to hell.”

  Chief Hamilton wrapped his hands around her neck. “You first.” His grip tightened.

  Oh, fuck. This was it. She dug her heels into the ground, desperately trying to dislodge him. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes as Alex’s face swam in the forefront of her mind.

  Her ears pounded as her heart thundered in her chest. Liz struggled for air. Reaching up, she scraped deep grooves along his jawline. A warm gush of blood slid down her fingers and arms, but his hands barely loosened.

  “Police! Freeze!” Three guns were aimed squarely at Mike’s head.

  Hagen’s voice called out. “Come on, Chief. Don’t make me do this.”

  “Liz!” Alex’s voice echoed across the grass. Black spots filled her vision, and she could feel the edge of her consciousness dim. Suddenly, the weight on her chest shifted, but the iron bands around her neck persisted. A commotion grew around her, and she heard the hard thud of a fist connecting with flesh.

  Cool, welcome air filled her lungs. It was all she could do just to breathe. Liz drew in a long gasp of air. Her throat throbbed in pain, but she was alive. Alex gathered her up and cradled her in his arms. His gentle hand framed her face. “Liz, baby. Talk to me.”

  She opened her mouth to respond, but couldn’t make her voice work. Swallowing, she tried again without success. Nearby, a male voice was reading the Chief his rights. All the fight seemed to have left him the moment he was caught. Deep, wracking sobs filled the air.

  “You came to the restaurant looking for him. How did you already know it was the Chief?” Mason asked.

  Matt holstered his gun. “I was going over the case files and kept getting the feeling that I was missing something.

  He crouched down, directing his explanation to Liz. “It always bothered me that we never found Josh’s cell phone at the warehouse, especially since you said you’d separated the components and hid them separately. I couldn’t figure it out. Then it dawned on me. That day you were in the interrogation room and I brought you coffee, there was already a cup sitting on the table for you. You mentioned that the chief had come in and spoken to you.”

  Liz nodded then raised her eyebrows in realization. Matt shared a look with her. “Did he ask you about the phone?”

  Again, she nodded then glanced up at Alex. Taking her cue, he verbalized what she couldn’t. “So, the only people who knew where to find that phone were Liz, me, and him – process of elimination.”

  “Exactly.” Matt stood up. A chorus of sirens echoed in the distance. “I’m going to escort Chief Hamilton up the hill and let the cavalry know what’s going on. The ambulance should be here soon.”

  “Thank you.” Alex reached up and shook the other man’s hand. “Really, I can’t thank you enough. You’re a hell of an agent.”

  “Well, usually I wouldn’t advise running from the cops, but considering the extent of the corruption, I think it’s what saved your lives. I’m just glad it’s all going to work out in the end. Here’s my card. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”

  Liz gave him a warm smile, wishing she could express her gratitude better. She doubted it would be possible even if her voice was working. Matt gave her a nod, showing that he understood. “You two take care.”

  Olivia dropped to the ground beside them and brushed a stray tendril of hair back from her face. Looking up, Liz was surprised to find a circle of people crouched around her. Mason turned away and began talking to one of the other agents. Even Cynthia, hovering on the outer edges of the circle, was a welcome sight.

  She smiled wearily at her sister, then burrowed further into Alex’s arms. Liz looked up into the face she loved. Caught by the intensity of his gaze, she lost her breath for an entirely different reason.

  A deep sense of contentment and joy overcame her, despite how bruised and battered her body felt. Fiona was crying as she took her hand. “It’s over, Liz. Everything is finally over.”

  Alex shifted her more comfortably in his lap, tightening his hold on her.

  Well, maybe not everything.

  Some things were just beginning.

  If you enjoyed Secret Need, please leave a review.

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  Other books by Satin Russell

  The Harper Sister Series

  Secret Hunger

  Secret Need

  Secret Dream – Coming soon!

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to Lynne Favreau for her friendship, strength and encouragement. Your insights and honesty have made this a better book. I couldn’t have done it without you.

  I’m lucky to have found a wonderful, active community of writers and authors. I want to give a big shout out to my WriNoShores writing group, especially Kelsey, Julia, Rochelle, and Paul, and to my Newburyport Writers group for all their knowledge and support. Thank you for all the inspiration, write-ins, commiseration, and writing advice. Thank you to my editor, Debbie, and to my beta readers for your invaluable input.

  Lastly, to all the people out there who read local, encourage new authors, and support indie writing.

  “Thank you!”

  About the Author

  Satin Russell was a financial advisor for many years up until she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a writer back in April 2013.

  It took her a full year of saving and planning before she was able to commit to her goal full-time. Secret Hunger is her debut novel and was published in April 2015.

  Satin lives in Massachusetts with her husband. Other than writing, she loves reading, supporting fellow authors (especially self-published ones,) traveling, and photography. She’s also partial to a good whiskey now and then.

  Satin loves to hear from her readers. You can visit her website at www.satinrussell.com or email her at satinrussell@hotmail.com.

  If you liked this book, please consider leaving a review and supporting Satin as a new author.

  Thank you!