The TAKEN! Series - Books 13-16 (Taken! Box Set Book 4)

by Remington Kane

  “Why can’t I stop thinking about Jace?”

  Kelly stood and grabbed her robe.

  “C’mon, you need ice cream.”

  “That won’t help,”

  “I think I saw triple-fudge chocolate in the freezer,”

  “Now you’re talking,”

  CHAPTER 36

  ONE WEEK LATER

  Robert Weaver couldn’t believe his luck. Summer Gray was actually coming on to him.

  She had been friendly during the brief sessions they’d had in preparation towards writing the book, but today she was sending signals that a dead man couldn’t miss.

  They were in the same meeting room and Summer was wearing a dress so small that Weaver was amazed that it hadn’t rode up to waist level when she sat across from him. What it did do, was display her incredible legs, and whenever she leaned forward, his mouth went dry from the view down her blouse.

  Still, Weaver wasn’t a fool. Summer wouldn’t open up about her childhood, and Weaver realized that her flirting intensified whenever he brought up the subject, as if she were trying to distract him from asking such questions.

  There was real angst there in her childhood, real pain, and Weaver planned to mine it for the book, but that could always come later, in the meantime, he’d let her do her best to divert his attention from the subject.

  “What was your mother like, Summer? Was she as beautiful as you are?”

  Summer looked at him from under her lashes.

  “You think I’m beautiful, Robert?”

  “Absolutely, and you know it too, or don’t you own a mirror?”

  “You’re sweet, and oh, I have news.”

  “What would that be?”

  “I’m going to visit Todd, my ex-husband, would you like to come along and interview him?”

  Weaver blinked in surprise. Summer’s ex-husband was another area she had avoided whenever he’d brought it up.

  “Yes, I’d like to speak to him, very much so, when are you going?”

  “What’s a good time for you? Didn’t you say you had to fly to Chicago after our meeting?”

  “That’s right, but I should be back in a few days at most.”

  “I have to warn you though, Todd is depressed, suicidal actually, so he may not want to open up.”

  “I understand, and I’ll be gentle in my questioning, but tell me, is he getting help for his depression?”

  “No, unfortunately, he’s in denial.”

  “That’s sad, but I’d still like to speak with him.”

  “Okay, as soon as you return, we’ll leave.”

  “Where is your ex-husband located, here in San Diego?”

  Summer told Weaver Todd’s location and he nodded.

  “Right, that’s where you were living when you solved that string of arson fires, wasn’t it?”

  “Um, yes,”

  “All right, and here’s what we’ll do. Before I leave Chicago, I’ll call you and you can tell me where to meet you.”

  Summer stared at him without speaking.

  “What?” Weaver said.

  “You have little green specks in your blue eyes, don’t you?”

  “Ah, yes,”

  “It’s very sexy.”

  Summer stood, walked over, and lowered herself atop Weaver’s lap. Weaver gripped her around the waist as she lowered her head and kissed him. When the kiss ended, it left Weaver breathless.

  “Robert.”

  “Yes?” Weaver said in a hoarse voice.

  “Why don’t we move this meeting up to my room?”

  Summer kissed Weaver again, as the first part of her plan to kill Todd was set in motion.

  ***

  Jace left his garage apartment and headed to his car, an old Chevy Camaro that was in good condition. It was a midnight black, 1969 convertible, with a red & black interior.

  As he was about to open the door to get in, a car drove around to the rear of the garage and parked beside him.

  When Cassandra got out, he smiled at her.

  She was wearing a blue dress that fell to just above her knees and exposed a touch of cleavage, with it, she wore an expression that conveyed uncertainty.

  “Hey Cassandra, what’s up?”

  She gave a little shrug.

  “I just wanted to stay in touch... say hi.”

  Jace’s smile widened.

  “Hi.”

  Cassandra bit her fingernail, but stopped quickly, she had broken that habit years ago and wasn’t about to start again.

  With a pained expression, she asked Jace.

  “Is it too soon?”

  He shook his head.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “What?”

  “I’m starving, girl, and I was just about to go grab a burger.”

  Cassandra laughed.

  “I am hungry. I was so nervous about coming here that I haven’t eaten all day.”

  “You also forgot your phone when you left the house.”

  Cassandra said, “What?” checked her purse, and realized it was true.

  “How did you know I didn’t have my phone?”

  “Because when I called you a few minutes ago, Kelly answered it and told me you had forgotten it when you went out, but she didn’t tell me you were headed here.”

  Cassandra grinned.

  “You called me?”

  “Yeah, I wanted to see you too.”

  Jace got in his car, leaned over, and shoved the passenger door open.

  “Hop in.”

  Cassandra did so, and after gazing at each other for a moment, they came together in a kiss.

  ***

  At the house, Jessica and her husband had been back home for only a few days, but would be traveling again, as they planned to visit three men, one of whom might be his lost brother, Michael.

  They were in the living room with the TV on, watching the news. When a commercial started, Jessica muted the television and spoke to her husband.

  “The New York Police Department contacted me today, they want me to consult on a serial killer that’s been active there, someone they call The Times Square Stalker.”

  “New York? One of the men who might be Michael is living there?”

  “Yes, and I was thinking that we could kill two birds with one stone when we visit him.”

  “What’s our itinerary for this trip?”

  Jessica grabbed her iPad and brought up a file.

  “I meant to show you this earlier; Caliber Investigations set the meetings up for us, including pictures of the three men.”

  Three photos appeared. They were marked Candidate #1, Candidate #2, and Candidate #3. All three men had dark hair and dark eyes, and although the photos only showed faces, all three men were listed as being just over six-feet tall and of normal weight, but that was where the resemblance ended.

  Candidate #1 was a man named Michael Hobbs. Hobbs was good looking, but wore a smug expression, and of the three men, his were the only eyes that could be called intense. He also bore a slight resemblance to Jeffrey Mitchell.

  Under occupation, Hobbs had declared he was an entrepreneur, and he was married.

  Candidate #2 was Michael Wheeler. Wheeler was very good looking, and his face gave off a feeling of quiet confidence, while his eyes sparkled with intelligence.

  Wheeler was an investment banker, divorced, with one child, a girl.

  Unlike Wheeler, Candidate #3’s eyes did not sparkle with intelligence, and, to be blunt, while his photo did show a face that was kind, it also gave one the impression that they were looking at a man who was not very bright. His smile was the simple smile of a child.

  His name was Michael Storm, and when asked his occupation, he just answered that he, “Liked to make and fix things,”

  Michael Storm had never been married and had no children.

  He was staring at the three photos while wondering if he were looking at his brother, when he heard Jessica whisper, “Oh no,”

  He looked over at
her, saw that she was staring at the television with a face gone pale, and then saw why, as a reporter stood outside a modest home in Queens, New York, where police were leading a man away in handcuffs. A picture of the man, a mugshot, was in the upper right hand corner with his name beneath it.

  He grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.

  “The suspect’s name is Michael Hobbs, a man who the NYC Police say is a small-time hood, and while they’re not yet ready to say definitively that Hobbs is The Times Square Stalker, they are calling him a person of interest. And now back to you, Sara, at the studio.”

  He shut off the TV, tossed the remote onto the table, and turned to Jessica.

  “A possible serial killer, well, I guess now we know which one is my brother.”

  TAKEN! - MICHAEL

  By

  REMINGTON KANE

  CHAPTER 1

  Summer Gray slowed her car as she turned into the driveway of Jessica’s home.

  The house sat on a large acreage, although the home itself was modest. The house couldn’t be seen from the road, and Summer envied the size of the property and its seclusion.

  The rented house she had lived in with her ex-husband Todd was a short distance away, but it sat on a piece of land that was a fraction of Jessica’s lot and was in plain view of other homes.

  Summer vowed to herself that someday she would own an estate that would make Jessica’s property look tiny in comparison, but first, she had to deal with Todd.

  The orthopedic doctor who was treating Todd, Dr. Marsha Taylor, had phoned Summer and told her that she believed Todd might be suicidal.

  Dr. Taylor had made the call in hopes of getting her patient help, instead, she had given Summer an idea of how to free herself from Todd by murdering him.

  Todd Gray had lost both legs at the hands of a serial killer named Numerical. A young man who had always been virile and able to take care of himself, Todd didn’t know how to cope with the loss of his legs and the accompanying lack of vitality that came with the trauma.

  A schemer in his own right, Todd had assisted Summer in gaining national notoriety by helping her to “solve” crimes that they themselves had committed.

  When Summer became a Media darling and was offered a lucrative book deal, Todd became not only jealous, but had grown to hate Summer, who had abandoned him after he became crippled.

  In a bid to blackmail Summer, Todd had penned his own book, and in it, he listed all the criminal acts that the two of them had committed over the years.

  Summer had warned Todd that he would be destroying himself as well if he were to show his manuscript to anyone, but Todd had told her that he had nothing to lose by going to prison, because he believed his life was over in any event.

  Summer didn’t know if Todd was suicidal or just full of self-pity, but she had plans to murder him and make it look like a suicide.

  The ghostwriter who was assigned to help Summer write her book, Robert Weaver, would be joining Summer in town as soon as he came back from a business trip to Chicago. Summer had plans to use Weaver as an unwitting alibi, and had become the man’s lover to gain his trust.

  She was visiting Jessica for a similar purpose, as she laid the groundwork for murder.

  Summer parked near the front steps of the home and stepped out of her car.

  She was dressed in jeans and a simple pink cotton blouse. The outfit was more conservative than her normal attire, but she wanted to gain Jessica’s trust and appear serious about her concern for Todd’s well-being

  As Jessica and her husband came out onto the porch, Summer greeted them with a practiced smile. The smile faltered a moment later, when Summer noticed the fleet-footed shape closing in on her from the right.

  It was Jessica’s dog, Stitches, and the pit bull was headed straight for Summer.

  ***

  Jessica and her husband were about to call to the dog when Summer let out a shriek.

  The sound wasn’t one induced by fear, but by joy, and Jessica looked on in surprise as Summer dropped to her knees and hugged the dog while letting it lick her face.

  They went down the porch steps and walked over to Summer, who was talking to Stitches using baby talk.

  “Oh you are a sweet little puppy aren’t you? Yes you are.”

  Stitches stopped licking Summer and rolled onto his back, as he begged for a belly rub. Summer didn’t disappoint him, and the dog appeared to be in a state of bliss.

  “Hello Summer,” Jessica said. “I’ve never seen Stitches take to anyone as fast as he’s taken to you.”

  Summer smiled up at them, and for once, the smile was genuine.

  “His name is Stitches? Oh what a cute name, and yes, animals have always loved me, and I love them too, but I was never allowed any when I was a kid, and now I travel too often.”

  “Too bad, Mr. Stitches there impregnated the dog of a neighbor and the puppies are due to be born soon. We’ll need to find homes for them, as well as pay the vet bills.”

  Jessica’s husband looked down at Summer, who was still on her knees and rubbing Stitches belly.

  “Why are you here, Summer?”

  Summer gave Stitches a final pat and stood.

  “I came to see Jessica for advice.”

  Jessica looked askance at her.

  “You want my advice? Why?”

  Summer, a former actress, put a sad look upon her face.

  “It’s about Todd, but may we talk inside?”

  “Fine, but we won’t have much time; we have to catch a plane soon.”

  “This won’t take long.”

  Jessica sent her a nod, and they all headed inside.

  ***

  Summer told them about Todd’s depression and his doctor’s fear that he might be thinking of harming himself, when she asked Jessica what she thought she should do, Jessica answered her with a question of her own.

  “Why are you really here?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. Everything you’ve said about Todd’s mental state may be true, but I still don’t understand why you would come here and tell me about it. Do you want me to see him as a patient?”

  “No, I know you ended your private practice. I wanted advice, and I thought that perhaps you knew someone in the area that I could refer Todd to.”

  Jessica stared at Summer and shook her head slightly.

  “No, there’s something else.”

  Summer’s eyes flashed anger as she threw a hand in the air.

  “You’re the great Dr. Jessica White, right? Aren’t you supposed to have all the answers?”

  Jessica smiled.

  “Ah, now there’s the Summer Gray I know, the woman who never passes up a chance to belittle me or make a snide comment. But tell me something, Summer, what have I ever done to you that has made you dislike me so much? I really want to know.”

  Summer chastised herself for being sarcastic, and decided that it was time to leave before Jessica became more suspicious than she already was.

  “I guess this was a mistake; I’ll be leaving now.”

  Summer stood just as the sound of a car easing to a stop came from the driveway. When the three of them reached the door, Jessica’s husband opened it, and they saw that Jessica’s father had come to call.

  Dr. James White smiled at them and Jessica met him at the top of the steps, where she greeted him with a hug and a kiss.

  Jessica then gestured towards Summer, as she introduced her to her father.

  “Daddy, this is Dr. Summer Gray. Summer, this is my father, Dr. James White.”

  Dr. White said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor,” and then he sent Summer a warm smile, but the grin was wiped away when Summer slapped him hard across the face.

  “We’ve already met!” Summer said, and then she ran down the porch steps with tears in her eyes, jumped into her car, and sped away.

  CHAPTER 2

  Inside the kitchen of Jessica’s home, Amanda handed Dr. James White a c
old pack she’d taken from a first-aid kit.

  Dr. White held the pack to his reddened cheek and sighed.

  “I have no idea why that woman slapped me, and as far as I can recall, I’ve never met her before, and believe me, I would have remembered.”

  Amanda crossed her arms over her chest as she scowled.

  “And just why would you have remembered her, hmm? Is it because of her looks?”

  Dr. White nodded.

  “You’re a beautiful woman in your own right, Amanda, but yes, Summer Gray is stunning, and thus memorable.”

  Amanda pecked the doctor on the lips.

  “I was teasing you, James, but are you certain you’ve never seen her before, possibly even years ago?”

  Dr. White pulled out a chair and took a seat at the kitchen table.

  “I’ve had a busy life and have met many people in many places, so yes, it’s possible, but I don’t know what I might have done to her to elicit that sort of a vitriolic response.”

  “It may be nothing you’ve done, Daddy,” Jessica said. “Summer Gray is not what I would call a reasonable human being, and she’s always been belligerent towards me as well, although she’s never hit me. That response was extreme.”

  Standing beside her, Jessica’s husband rubbed a hand over his chin, as he wondered just what was behind Summer’s violent reaction.

  ***

  After fleeing Jessica’s home, Summer drove around the back roads as she tried to calm down.

  She hadn’t seen Dr. James White since she was a child, but she still hated the man for what he’d done to her, and she held him responsible for separating her from the only real friend she had ever known.

  She thought about the boy who had been her friend and often wondered what would happen if she were to track him down.

  Summer released a soft moan.

  Things wouldn’t be the same between them after the passage of so many years, and they couldn’t be. She was still an innocent child when she knew him, and although the boy was older, he had been innocent as well, and they had shared a rapport that she had longed for ever since.

  If they were to reunite, he would be a man, not a boy, and in Summer’s experience, all men wanted only one thing from her, sex; although, lately, there had been those men who looked upon her as a stepping-stone as well. She had become famous to some extent, and most people associated fame with money.