Dead Famous

by Kate Allenton

  “You didn’t know your mentor was psycho. It’s not your fault.”

  “I’m impressed he was there for you this time,” Butler said, leaning against the wall. “Maybe I shouldn’t have given him such a hard time.” Butler paused. “Nah, someone needs to keep the Lord in check.”

  “I’m sorry about your house.”

  He waved it off. “You put me on the map. I can now say the psychic that took down Calinda’s killer stayed there. You’ll be famous.”

  The thought turned my stomach. “I don’t want notoriety. I want my simple life back. The kind where I send anonymous letters and helped solve cold cases without getting too involved.”

  “Sorry, sister. People are in the know. You should capitalize on it. Do readings for the rich and famous. Solve crimes the FBI can’t. Find out who Jack the Ripper was or where DB Cooper disappeared to,” Charlie announced.

  I shook my head. Leave it to Charlie to want to manage my career. “I think I’ve had enough of LA for a while. I’m in need of a vacation.”

  “Guys,” the cop said, moving to break Charlie’s hold on my hand. “Time’s up. If Detective Tinder comes up here, you’ll get me fired.”

  I rested my hand on the cop’s back and tuned into his energy. He had a newborn at home with three other small children. That man didn’t need to lose his job. He needed a raise. “Your baby is allergic to the formula. You should change it out as soon as possible.”

  The cop turned around to look at me. His brows dipped. “You’ll also pass your detective exam, so hang in there. You get a raise.”

  “I just took it yesterday. I don’t even have my scores.”

  “Congrats.” I smiled and glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll call you guys when they release me. I might need a place to stay until they let West out of here.”

  “Just call me,” Butler said.

  “Or me,” Charlie echoed. “I have a bigger house.”

  “And ego.” Butler chuckled and grabbed Charlie by the arm. “Come on. Let’s let her relax. She’s had a busy morning.”

  West Archer

  Chapter 21

  Two weeks later, Cree had given her statement, and charges were pressed against Durand for the attempted murder and kidnapping, along with Calinda’s murder. He was sitting exactly where he needed to be…in jail. Cree had gotten a call from Peggy Durand in tears apologizing for her husband and promising she didn’t know. Cree believed her, and that was good enough for West.

  West held the phone to his ear as he watched Cree standing at Calinda’s grave. He had no idea what she was saying or if Calinda was even around.

  “When are you coming home?” Prince Phillip said through the phone.

  “Not anytime soon,” West answered.

  “You got what we needed. There’s no reason for you to stay.”

  “I’m not like you, Phillip,” West said, watching Cree put her hand on the grave stone. “I can’t just turn off what I feel for her. I need to see this through.”

  “She doesn’t know you like we do. You belong here.”

  West shook his head. He was questioning where he belonged. Cree smiled as she walked his way, clearing any lingering doubts he had. “I’m right where I need to be.”

  “Is that Prince Underpants?” Cree asked, slipping the phone from his fingers.

  “He’s taking me on vacation,” she said into the phone. “Don’t call us, we’ll call you, and you’re welcome for finding your precious diamond. I hope you learned a lesson from all of this.”

  West couldn’t hear Phillip’s words; he didn’t need to. He was probably pretty peeved at West’s little psychic.

  “What lesson? Are you for real? Where should I start…how about stringing women along? Or lying to your fiancée? Or—”

  West took the phone out of her hands and put it up to his ear. “You heard the lady. We’ll call you.”

  “I don’t know what you and Katherine see in her. She’s horrendous.”

  West grinned. “She doesn’t like you either, but you’ll have to figure out how to be cordial because I don’t plan on letting her go. You owe her that much if not more.”

  West ended the call without waiting for his reply. He was probably complaining right that moment that he’d hung up, and for once West didn’t care. Who he cared about was smiling up at him. “Calinda calls you my prince.”

  “I did take a bullet for you.” West leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “Are you ready to go home, Lady Blue?”

  “Absolutely,” she said, glancing over her shoulder before meeting his gaze. “Calinda has finally found peace.”

  He cupped her cheek. “We need to make a detour before I take you home.”

  “I thought all your business was done. Where do we need to go?”

  “Vegas.” He grinned.

  “Really? What’s in Vegas?”

  “The little white wedding chapel.” He dropped to his knees. He slipped off his family emblem ring. “I love you, Cree Blue.”

  She chuckled. Actually laughed. “Sure you do.”

  “I’ve never been more serious. I love you like I’ve never loved before. You complete me in every way. Marry me and be my wife.”

  “Is this because you want a green card to stay in the States? You know, I do have connections in the FBI.”

  He rose from my knelt position. “You make me crazy. You make me laugh. You tell my friends to stuff it. You drive me wild in the best ways. When I thought Durand was going to kill you, I knew in that moment that if he’d succeeded, I would have been broken forever. I love you, Cree. Let me spend the rest of my life convincing you that you love me too.”

  The lighthearted teasing stopped, and her mouth parted. “You’re serious.”

  “Tell me you feel the same way.” His eyes searched hers for answers she wasn’t giving him.

  “I hardly know you.”

  “Okay, so a long engagement, and when you do, I’m going to ask again. Every day until you say yes.”

  “Or you’ll drive me to murder you in your sleep. I do have a gun.”

  “I have two,” he teased and took her hand, slipping the ring on her finger.

  “Maybe one day I might say yes.” She grinned and pulled his lips to hers.

  “That one day is going to be sooner than you think. You know how prepared I get before a mission.” He grinned. “Just wait until I put my full focus on you.”

  “Said like a true man who doesn’t like to lose.” She gave him a coy look as she pulled open his car door. “Game on.”

  Chapter 22

  Faraday was pacing when I walked in the door. West was carrying the evidence box the police had from years ago on his brother’s cold case and supposed death. Even though Faraday had already hit retirement, I wasn’t about to let him go on much longer without finding the answers and closures he needed.

  Freddie stood with his arm around Charlotte’s shoulder. Apparently, the two had started dating while I was gone. I wasn’t shocked, really. Freddie was looking for his version of normal, and he’d found it in my best friend. Although I’d never call Charlotte anything as mundane as normal. She was probably perfect for the ex-mobster.

  West placed the box down on a table in the ballroom. I was going to use Insight later to try and get a bead on where exactly his brother might be. Finding him was going to be my toughest case yet, even though the others disagreed. They didn’t want me anywhere near the cold-blooded killer. He was calculating and lethal. I guess they might, one day, eventually learn I didn’t take orders.

  I twisted the new engagement diamond on my finger. West had found the perfect ring when we returned. Just the right amount of antique with no attached ghosts still hovering. I was at a crossroads in my life. Some of the old needed to be replaced with the new. I just wasn’t ready to start hunting wedding venues, but I was coming more around to the idea of waking up every morning in West’s arms. He was growing on me, and not in a fungus kind of way. More like a flowerbed that needed
to be groomed. I wouldn’t be satisfied until I’d pulled all the weeds.

  I’d lifted the lid off the box when a knock sounded on the door. An ominous feeling swarmed my gut as Faraday headed to answer it. My gut swirled, and my knees went weak. I lifted my gaze into the backyard just beyond the ballroom doors. I knew the answers that were coming before the door was even opened. Faraday’s brother was dead. How did I know? His apparition was hovering on my veranda.

  The End.

  Thank you for spending time with Cree and her crew. There are several books coming soon in this series. If you enjoyed the book please consider leaving a review by clicking here.

  Next up is Deadly Ties with a release date of January 2018. To preorder or find out more, you can find it by clicking HERE.

  Please keep reading for a sneak peek into Cree’s chaos. (This is currently unedited and subject to change to changes)

  Chapter 1

  I couldn’t muster a single tear. I knew I should. It was only right. The casket being lowered into the ground was sad but not for the man who’d died. The one who’d survived.

  West rubbed his palm against the fabric of my black dress as I fiddled with the heirloom pearls around my neck. My grandmother’s pearls always provided comfort and a sense of strength. Maybe I should have let John Faraday wear them. God knew he needed them more than me.

  “You know he’s going to ask,” West whispered in my ear, and I lifted my gaze to the apparition standing next to Faraday. His brother, Thomas. The con, the killer, the jerk. I didn’t care who’d killed the man for what he’d put his brother through, all those years believing Thomas was dead when, in reality, it had been a farce. I slowly shook my head.

  “I’m not doing it,” I whispered back. “I told him I’d help him find Thomas’s killer, but that was before we knew he’d pulled a scam and the jerk wasn’t even dead.”

  “Shh.” An older woman wearing a black hat and veil turned around. I’m sure, hidden somewhere under the veil, she was giving me an evil glare.

  I shushed her back just for good measure and smacked West in the arm. “There’s no talking at a funeral, West. Jeesh.” I glanced back at the woman. “Sorry, he’s a foreigner. Where they come from, they send their dead out onto a boat and shoot flaming arrows at them.”

  The woman huffed.

  “Be careful. They sacrifice virgins too,” I whispered.

  She turned back around, and I grinned. At least I was entertaining.

  The casket was lowered into the ground. The priest said a final few words. I rested my hand on Faraday’s shoulder, and he patted it with his own.

  I leaned down and kissed his head and whispered in his ear, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Me too, kiddo. Me too,” he said. His voice, so normally full of fire and conviction, was simply void of emotion. Shock? Maybe. Anger? Probably.

  The priest closed out his words, and Faraday rose from his seat. Without another word, he walked to the waiting limo.

  “Um…” West said and gestured with his thumb. “Is that normal behavior?”

  I shrugged. I didn’t remember much of my father’s funeral, but I did remember Faraday being there for me and even shedding a tear or two. He had them for my father, but none for his brother. “No.” I gave West a sad smile. “Let’s go.”

  I slid into the back of the limo, and West followed. Faraday had loosened his tie and had a decanter in his hand filled with bourbon. He poured himself a drink.

  “That was a nice service,” I said, exchanging a worried look with West.

  “Thomas didn’t deserve it,” Faraday said.

  “Well, at least we agree on that.” I poured both West and I a similar glass of bourbon. “There should be a double indemnity for funerals. If you buried the guy once already, they should give you a buy one, get one discount. When I die, I want you to shoot my ashes out of a cannon. That way everyone gets a piece of me.”

  Faraday’s lip twisted at the corner for a brief second before the smile disappeared. “Thomas was there at the funeral, wasn’t he?”

  That was the hard part about being able to see the dead. Answering the questions when I wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear. “Yes. He’s been around since the police chief showed up to break the news.”

  West took my hand and slid his fingers between mine. He was getting good at figuring out when I needed the extra support. I glanced up at him and smiled. He immediately lifted my hand and pressed a tender kiss on my palm.

  Faraday gave a slow nod. “Whatever my brother tries to tell you, I don’t want to know. I don’t care.”

  “Okay…” Not that I’d planned to pass the messages from the killer to Faraday. Thomas didn’t deserve any satisfaction, no last goodbye. Nothing, as far as I was concerned.

  “I just want to go home.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready to leave? Because we’ll do whatever you need.”

  Faraday met my gaze. His tired eyes told me enough.

  “Home it is,” I said, pouring him another drink.

  ****

  My house was filled with shiny black boots and pressed lines in a sea of polyester blue. Police officers and Faraday’s friends crowded the ballroom. Charlotte had the entire thing set up by the time we’d arrived. A nice spread of finger food was laid out and waiting for the guests to chow down. It was weird but in a good way. These people weren’t here to mourn the man they’d never met. They were here to support the man they genuinely cared about. For once, my little town had shown up when it mattered most.

  “He’s going to be just fine,” the police chief said coming to stand beside me. He was the tallest out of the bunch. Six foot something with a hard stone-faced stare.

  “I know.” I nodded. “He’s already grieved once. No one should have to do it again.”

  Men in uniform stood together in groups talking and carrying on; some of the other locals did the same. The atmosphere was nothing how I’d pictured a wake to be, nothing like my parents’ and Grammy’s when the tears flowed free and the food went untouched. This was more like a community social gathering with better food.

  The front door opened, and all talking slowly died away. The newcomer knew how to command a room. Cops and bad guys in the same room were unheard of unless silver bracelets adorned someone’s wrists. Standing in my foyer, dressed in a suit that cost more than these guys’ yearly salaries, was the only man who managed to get the whole town talking…about me. The mob boss himself; Mickey Moreno.

  To find out why the mob boss showed up and to read the rest of the book, you can find Deadly Ties available for preorder and purchase on Amazon.

  Other Books by Kate Allenton

  Suggested Reading Order

  BENNETT SISTERS BOX SET (Books 1-4 in one bundle, 1218 pages)

  BENNETT SISTERS BOX SET VOLUME 2 (Books 5-7 in one bundle, 517 pages}

  INTUITION (Book 1)

  TOUCH OF FATE (Book 2)

  MIND PLAY (Book 3)

  THE RECKONING (Book 4)

  REDEMPTION (Book 5)

  CHANCE ENCOUNTERS (Book 6)

  DESTINED HEARTS (Book 7)

  PHANTOM PROTECTORS BOX SET (Books 1-4 in one bundle, 964 pages)

  RECKLESS ABANDON (Book 1)

  BETRAYAL (Book 2)

  UNTAMED (Book 3)

  GUIDED LOYALTY (Book 4)

  CARRINGTON-HILL INVESTIGATIONS

  DECEPTION (Book 1)

  DEADLY DESIRE (Book 2)

  SHIFTER PARADISE BOX SET

  NOT MY SHIFTER/ SINFULLY CURSED

  KARMA

  SOPHIE MASTERSON SERIES/ DIXON SECURITY

  LIFTING THE VEIL (Book 1)

  BEYOND THE VEIL (Book 2)

  VEILED INTENTIONS (Book 3)

  VEILED THREATS (Book 4)

  THE LOVE FAMILY SERIES

  SKYLAR (BOOK1)

  DECLAN (BOOK 2)

  FLYNN (BOOK 3)

  REED (BOOK 4)

  LANDON (BOOK 5)

  ALEXIS (BOOK 6)

&
nbsp; GABE (BOOK 7)

  JACKSON (BOOK 8)

  LINKED INC.

  DEADLY INTENT (BOOK 1)

  PSYCHIC LINK (BOOK 2)

  PSYCHIC CHARM (BOOK 3)

  PSYCHIC GAMES (BOOK 4)

  DEADLY DREAMS (BOOK 5)

  CREE BLUE PSYCHIC EYE

  DEAD WRONG (BOOK 1)

  DEADLY VOWS (BOOK 2)

  DEAD FAMOUS (BOOK 3)

  DEADLY TIES (BOOK 4)

  DEAD END (BOOK 5 COMING MARCH 2018)

  HELL BOUND

  MYSTIC TIDES BOX SET

  MYSTIC LUCK BOX SET

  MAID OF HONOR

  HARD SHIFT

  About the Author

  Kate has lived in Florida for most of her entire life. She enjoys a quiet life with her husband, Michael and two kids.

  Kate has pulled all-nighters finishing her favorite books and also writing them. She says she'll sleep when she's dead or when her muse stops singing off key.

  She loves creating worlds full of suspense, secrets, hunky men, kick ass heroines, steamy sex and oh yeah the love of a lifetime. Not to mention an occasional ghost and other supernatural talents thrown into the mix.

  Sign up for her newsletters HERE

  She loves to hear from her readers by email at KateAllenton@hotmail.com, on Twitter@KateAllenton, and on Facebook at facebook.com/kateallenton.1

  Visit her website at www.kateallenton.com

  Visit Coastal Escape Publishing’s website at www.coastalescapepublishing.com