“Yes, can you take me to the hospital?”
The detective held out his hand to where his car sat idle. “After you.”
Annabeth walked over to the car and slid inside. It felt so good to finally sit. Her feet ached from walking around the parking lot for hours in three inch heels. Slipping off her shoes and wiggling her toes she let out a deep sigh. The detective got into the driver's seat and laughed a little at her. “You ladies and your shoes. Why you put yourself through that is beyond me.”
Annabeth let out a little laugh through her nose. As she settled into the seat she felt the rush of adrenaline start to die down, replaced with exhaustion. The effort to keep her eyes open had become a losing battle and before she knew it, the detective was shaking her awake.
“We’re here.”
Annabeth stretched and wiped the sleep from her eyes. “I guess the day finally caught up with me.”
“Take some advice from an old man who's been doing this since before you were even born. Go home, get some rest, and leave the crime scene at work.”
Annabeth smiled. “Thank you, officer. I will.”
The man smiled, a slow one that didn’t reach his eyes. She could tell he didn’t believe her. They were all the same at the core. The work was their life, and, despite any good effort on their parts, there was no leaving it behind.
Annabeth lifted her sleep-laden arm and opened the car door, letting the rush of heat wake her. She watched as the cop drove away.
As she stood in the ambulance bay of the hospital where Marcus and now Vi lay, she couldn’t help but think about how epically she had screwed up.
Her phone beeped with an incoming message. Annabeth fumbled for her phone and pulled up the new text message. Fernando!
The voyage of discovery has just begun. Now with new eyes you will see what you failed to see before. This is just the beginning, Anna Blackwell, P.I. <3 Fin
Annabeth recognized the bastardized wording from Proust. A well-educated nemesis who taunted her with archaic lines from literature. Great. Taking this job had been a mistake, but now there was no turning back. Things had gotten personal. She had almost lost Marcus, a victim was taken, one almost taken, and poor Vi had been shot. They deserved to pay for their crimes.
Fin’s words chilled her. He knew her name and would blame her for his brother’s death. She had never been in more danger in all her life, but now she had no choice but to see it through.
With the blanket Jesse had given her slung over her arm, she walked through the hospital’s automatic doors and went straight to the third floor to Marcus’s room. He was asleep. Dropping her things on the chair beside his bed and laying her shoes down underneath the chair, she sat on the edge of the bed. His eyelids fluttered open and a look of surprise crossed his sleepy features.
“Anna?”
Annabeth reached for his hand and squeezed it. Marcus lifted his free hand and touched her cheek with a reverence that broke her. Tears slid down her cheeks and he pulled her down into the crook of his arm. With her head nestled against his warm chest, she let the sound of his heartbeat calm her frayed nerves. He didn’t ask her anything and for that she was grateful. The words and explanations would come later. For now, she would let the tears fall and find a small bit of comfort in the arms of the one person who loved her.
Tomorrow would come soon enough, carrying with it the problems of yesterday.
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Also by the Authors
By Melissa Storm & K.M. Hodge
The Book Cellar Mysteries
Walker Texas Wife
Texas & Tiaras
Remember the Stilettos
Ladies, We Have a Problem
By Melissa Storm
The Cupid’s Bow Series
When I Fall in Love
My Heart Belongs Only to You
I’ll Never Stop Loving You
You Make Me Feel So Young
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Tainted Love
I Want to Dance with Somebody
You Belong with Me
She Will Be Loved
Somebody Like You
All I Want for Christmas is You
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Angels in Our Lives
Diving for Pearls
Love Forever, Theo
Shackle My Soul
Angel of Mine
Stand-Alone Novels & Novellas
A Texas Kind of Love
A Cowboy Kind of Love
A Wedding Miracle
Finding Mr. Happily Ever After
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My Love Will Find You
The Legend of My Love
By K.M. Hodge
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Stand-Alone Novels & Novellas
Summer of ’78
About Melissa Storm
Melissa Storm is a mother first, and everything else second. She used to write under a pseudonym, but finally had the confidence to come out as herself to the world. Her fiction is highly personal and often based on true stories. Writing is Melissa's way of showing her daughter just how beautiful life can be, when you pay attention to the everyday wonders that surround us.
Melissa loves books so much, she married fellow author Falcon Storm. Between the two of them, there are always plenty of imaginative, awe-inspiring stories to share. Melissa and Falcon also run the business Novel Publicity together, where she works as publisher, marketer, editor, and all-around business mogul. When she's not reading, writing, or child-rearing, Melissa spends time relaxing at home in the company of her three dogs and five parrots. She never misses an episode of The Bachelor or her nightly lavender-infused soak in the tub. Ahh, the simple luxuries that make life worth living.
Melissa loves hearing from readers.
Please feel free to reach out!
@melstormauthor
MeetTheStorms
www.MelStorm.com
[email protected]
About K.M. Hodge
K.M. Hodge grew up in Detroit, where she spent most of her free time weaving wild tales to spook her friends and family. These days, she lives in Texas with her husband and two energetic boys and once again enjoys writing tales of suspense and intrigue that keep her readers up all night. Her stories, which focus on women’s issues, friendship, addiction, regrets and second chances, will stay with you long after you finish them. When she isn’t writing or being an agent of social change, she reads independent graphic novels, watches old X-files episodes, streams Detroit Tigers games and binges on Netflix with her husband. She enjoys hearing from her readers, so don’t be shy about dropping her a line.
Connect with K.M.
@KMHodgeAuthor
KMHodgeAuthor
www.kmhodge.com
[email protected]
Walker Texas Wife (The Book Cellar Mysteries 1) Page 23