Secrets and Lies (Hearts Of Braden Book 4)

by Susanne Matthews

  Mike grabbed for it before she could say hello. He slammed on the brakes and pulled the car to the side of the road.

  She was surprised to see how close the river was.

  What river? There shouldn’t be a river here, not if they were heading to Chicago.

  Before she could stop him, he tossed the cellphone out the window. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she screamed as anger gave way to fear.

  Mike turned off the engine and got out of the car.

  “Why are we stopping here, and why did you throw my cellphone away? Jackson has nothing to do with the Chef. He just told me someone broke into the school and stole lab equipment and chemicals—”

  “That’s right. Put it together, but it won’t help. You people at the DEA have been a thorn in my side for seven years now. I thought I’d gotten rid of all the so-called Chef experts and could get back to work, and then I heard they were on my tail. Thanks to you, I was able to let Carlos know we had a rat in the house. I believe he’s now chum for the tuna fishermen. When the dust settles, no one will know who I was or what I did. The cartel will believe I died in the lab along with that kid. If you’d minded your own business, those kids I poisoned would’ve died, but it doesn’t matter. They’ll tell the authorities the nonsense I told them. Imagine a killer so vicious she would kill her own husband and unborn child, and allow herself to be maimed rather than be caught. They’ll tell everyone who’ll listen that you were the Chef. Some people will have a hard time believing it at first, but then your determination to stay on the case, even when you were pregnant and then insisting you be put back on the case when it started up again…I’ve managed to leave enough evidence to convince them. The bullet they’ll take from Zeke’s skull came from your backup weapon, the one you left in the bottom drawer of your desk in the apartment. So good of you to leave it for me.”

  Emily sat in the seat utterly stunned as he ranted.

  He pulled up the sleeve on his shirt, revealing a long partially healed gash. “I was going to let you live, especially since I thought we might be able to have a relationship, but I saw you in the clearing, saw you collecting bits of dried blood, teeth, and bones, and I knew you had me. The blood was mostly his, but mine was mixed into it since I cut myself on the saw I used to cut off his hands.”

  “Who was he?” Emily asked trying to reach for her gun. It had been in the bottom of her purse.

  “Randolph Scott, an ex-FBI agent turned private eye and an old friend of your husband’s. He was following the lead Alex gave him—the man on the inside as you put it when you spilled your guts to me. He asked me to name the agents I’d worked with in El Paso. I asked him why. He told me…and he died.”

  “Why would you do this?” Emily was frantic. The gun wasn’t in her purse. Where was it?

  “Looking for this?” he asked pulling her Glock out of his pocket. “I relieved you of it while you were sleeping. Don’t look so crestfallen. You yourself said the Chef was smart. You just didn’t realize he was much smarter than you.” He smirked.

  “You bastard. You murdered my husband and son!”

  “While I don’t regret killing the supercilious ass that was your husband, I do regret hurting you and the child, but as it turns out, it was all for the best. In a few minutes, he would be an orphan. You asked me why I did it. The answer is simple. I did it for the same reason people have helped me for eight years. I started small with only a few select clients to cook for, among them, your brother, one of my best customers. But then he got religion or something. Jimmy was going to quit using, and if he quit, he might turn me in. I couldn’t take a chance on that.”

  “You’re insane.”

  He laughed. “Why is it everyone plays the crazy card when they’ve been outfoxed? As much as I’d love to continue this little tête-à-tête, I have places to go, people to see. I’m going to disappear now and start my retirement early. The cartel will be off my back, and I’ll have all that lovely money to spend. I’ll live like a king, while you my dear are about to become fish food.”

  “No, Mike you don’t have to do this.” Terror filled her. “You like me. We can go away together.”

  “I do, but it’s too late.” He got out of the car and opened the passenger door.

  Emily tried to fight him, but her muscles refused to obey.

  “That’s a little side effect from the drug I added to your coffee. I expected to get farther away before you awoke, but then I thought you would drink it all. Tossing you in unconscious would have been better, but I’m a fair man.” He tossed her into the river.

  The current immediately snagged her in its grasp, the cold, muddy water filling her mouth.

  “Go ahead and swim for it, Emily. You’re only bout ten feet from shore.”

  She heard his laughter as he started the car and drove away.

  Ten feet. It might as well be ten miles.

  Fighting to keep her head above water, she tried to swim, but with only one leg, she couldn’t kick properly. Tired to the point of exhaustion, she flipped onto her back to float, trying to steer herself toward shore, but the current was too strong. Whatever river she was in wasn’t the lazy Mississippi. Turning onto her side, she swam sidestroke, but dressed as she was, her clothes weighed her down. She was tired so tired, and her arms and leg burned. Flipping onto her back again, she tried to conserve her energy.

  Suddenly, she was pushed underwater by a large object. Panicking, she flailed in the water, unable to see in the river’s murky depth. Somehow, she managed to propel herself to the surface, coming up coughing and spitting. Looking to her right, she saw a log floating beside her.

  Thank you, God.

  Slowly reaching out, grateful the object wasn’t a hallucination, she held on as she drifted downriver. She wept, when her raft snagged itself on the brush, probably the same way Scott’s body had. Reaching for the branches, she clung to them—too beat to pull herself up.

  “I’ve got you, Emily,” Jackson said. “I’ve got you now. You’re safe.”

  She was hallucinating, probably about to die, but if she had to see one face before she went—she wanted it to be his. Emily let go of the brush, and let the blackness claim her.

  * * * *

  Emily’s head ached as it had never hurt before and her body felt as if she’d gone ten rounds in the ring with Ali in his prime. She groaned and opened her eyes, taking in the sterile room. Somehow, this wasn’t the way she’d pictured heaven. It looked more like a hospital.

  “Take it easy. You’ve been through a lot,” Jackson spoke, coming to stand beside her.

  “I’m not dead?”

  “No sweetheart, you’re not and I’m mighty grateful for that.” He reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips.

  Warmth filled her at his touch. “How did you find me?”

  “The GPS on your phone. When Reynolds tossed it out of the car, he didn’t turn it off. We triangulated its location. When I heard you scream, I knew he’d thrown you in, so calculating the speed of the current and knowing just how stubborn you were, I ran along the bank until I found you. Did I ever tell you how incredible you are?”

  “I was so scared. I don’t think I could’ve held on much longer. Thank you for saving me.”

  “My pleasure.”

  What happened to Mike?”

  He’s dead. Tried to shoot it out about five miles up the road where they caught him. He’ll never hurt you again.”

  She sighed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I guess with the Chef gone, my job is done. I’ll have to go back to Chicago.”

  “Not unless you want to. I still have a Healthy Living Initiative to implement. If you’re still interested in doing that, the FDA is going ahead with the program.” He squeezed her hand. “I want you to stay, Emily. When I thought you were dead, part of me died, too. I finally understood how Uncle Jack felt about Amy. I know I’m not Alex and I can’t give you back the child you lost, but I think we could have
a good life together. What do you say? Will you give Braden and me another chance?”

  Emily let the tears slip down her cheeks. “Yes, I’d like that very much.”

  He bent his head and kissed her.

  Sometimes you did get everything you wanted. You just have to wait for it.

  The End

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

  Susanne Matthews lives in Eastern Ontario, Canada with her husband. She has three grown children and five grandchildren. Of French-Canadian descent, Susanne is an avid reader of all types of books, but with a penchant for happily ever after romances regardless of what it takes to get there. A retired educator, she spends her time writing and creating adventures for her readers, whether in a contemporary, historical, sci-fi, paranormal, or suspense setting. She loves the ins and outs of complex romances, and the journey it takes to get from the first word to the last period of a novel. As she writes, her characters take on a life of their own, and she shares their fears and agonies on the road to self-discovery and love.

  The Hearts of Braden Series

  EIGHT BOOKS~EIGHT AUTHORS~ONE SMALL TOWN

  Triple B. Baking Co.-Book One by Michel Prince Released October 6, 2015

  Merryn Sota and Austin Larsen have known loss. Merryn ran until she couldn’t any more, Austin retreated into himself. But sweets aren’t the only thing cooking at Braden’s new bakery. Can two people who run to avoid the hurt that comes with love slow down enough to see that not all treats come out of an oven?

  The Heartbreaker - Book Two by Tricia Andersen Releasing October 30, 2015

  Every day in Braden is the same for town librarian Lily Dixon. That is until MMA fighter Reese Cooper walks back into her life, forced home to rehabilitate from a devastating injury in the octagon. His kisses, his touch are far better than any fantasy she’s ever had. Is she willing to risk everything when her preacher father finds out about her love affair with the town bad boy? And what will happen when Reese returns to Vegas and leaves her alone in Braden?

  Book Three by Kim Dahl Releasing November 10th, 2015

  Sam’s last clue to his sister’s disappearance is Braden Iowa. But its three years old. Lola McBride finds him after an attack in the woods. Someone has make it clear they don’t want him asking questions. What happened to his sister and who is trying to hide the answers he seeks? Can he find the truth?

  Secrets and Lies - Book Four by Susanne Matthews, Releasing November 17th, 2015

  DEA agent Emily Shepherd is after the Chef, a faceless crystal meth cook responsible for the deaths of her husband and unborn child. Braden, Iowa, a town in turmoil thanks to a killer tornado, is the perfect place for the Chef to set up shop. But identifying her quarry won’t be easy. The town is full of strangers and the school’s attractive principal, Jackson Harris, could be at the center of it all.

  Heart Nectar - Book Five by Davee Jones, Releasing December 1, 2015

  Best friends, Nixie Bieber and Mindie Larsen, opened a small winery with the hopes to become a leading producer of Midwestern wine. Acquiring the funds to expand their promising operation hinges on the cooperation of brothers, George and Charles Stansfield. Sexy and powerful, these twin brothers bring more than the girls bargained for from a simple business deal.

  No Love Lost - Book Six by Troy Storm, Release Date December 15, 2015.

  Recovering from horrendous deployments in the Mid-east, local boy Ches has hooked up with dark-skinned Josey, who has become a respected businessman in Braden and is the rock on which Ches is building his life. A well-meaning but clueless social worker storms into the picture, but Maddy clues in quickly when she realizes she has awakened a whole new set of possibilities that is anything but black and white in the incredibly sexy trio.

  Heart Song-Book Seven by Molly Daniels, Release Date December 29, 2015

  Broadway pianist Shana Worthington rushes home to help run her family’s hotel while her father recuperates from a stroke. When she reunites with her high school sweetheart, will the sparks of desire burst into something more? Current rock star Aiden Kross sees Shana’s potential as a songwriter. Will Shana’s career again overrule her heart?

  Love versus fame. Which will she choose?

  Ring of Truth - Book Eight by Sherry Gloag, Release date January 2016

  How can one ring become embroiled in a catalogue of lies, theft, broken promises, unrealistic demands and--love? Noelle McBride vows to walk away from her inheritance when she learns the ring her mother promised would be hers now comes with strings...no, more like ropes, attached. Reed Tanner is within a whisker of recovering the ring, stolen from his Grandma until he learns about the conditions that will guarantee its return to his family.