Blood Rose
Page 1
Blood Rose
In the Shadows - Book 8
P. T. Michelle
Limitless Ink Press
Contents
Blood Rose
Copyright
Summary
1. Chapter One
2. Chapter Two
3. Chapter Three
4. Chapter Four
5. Chapter Five
6. Chapter Six
7. Chapter Seven
8. Chapter Eight
9. Chapter Nine
10. Chapter Ten
11. Chapter Eleven
12. Chapter Twelve
13. Chapter Thirteen
14. Chapter Fourteen
15. Chapter Fifteen
16. Chapter Sixteen
17. Chapter Seventeen
18. Chapter Eighteen
19. Chapter Nineteen
20. Chapter Twenty
21. Chapter Twenty-One
22. Chapter Twenty-Two
23. Chapter Twenty-Three
24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Other Books By P.T. Michelle
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Blood Rose
In the Shadows - Book 8
In the Shadows Series
Reading Order
* * *
Mister Black (Book 1 - Talia & Sebastian, Part 1)
Scarlett Red (Book 2 - Talia & Sebastian, Part 2)
Blackest Red (Book 3 - Talia & Sebastian, Part 3)
Gold Shimmer (Book 4 - Cass & Calder, Part 1)
Steel Rush (Book 5 - Cass & Calder, Part 2)
Black Platinum (Book 6 - Talia & Sebastian, Stand Alone Novel)
Reddest Black (Book 7 - Talia & Sebastian, Stand Alone Novel)
Blood Rose (Book 8 - Cass & Calder, Stand Alone Novel)
Noble Brit (Book 9 - Mina & Den, Stand Alone Novel - Coming March 2019)
* * *
Note: Mister Black is the only novella. All the other books are novel length.
DEAR READERS: The In the Shadows series must be read in the following order: MISTER BLACK, SCARLETT RED, and BLACKEST RED. Sebastian and Talia’s happy-ever-after is contained within books 1-3. Cass and Calder’s epic love story follows in books 4-5 with GOLD SHIMMER and STEEL RUSH. Be sure to read books 4-5, since you’ll also get to visit with Sebastian and Talia as they play key roles in Cass and Calder’s story. The rest of the books in the series: BLACK PLATINUM, REDDEST BLACK, BLOOD ROSE, and NOBLE BRIT are all stand alone novels.
When you find that person who gets you,
never let them go!
Copyright
Blood Rose - Copyright 2018 by P.T. Michelle
* * *
All rights reserved. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook cannot be re-sold or given away to others. No parts of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
To stay informed when the next P.T. Michelle book will be released, join P.T. Michelle’s free newsletter.
* * *
Cover credit: Cover designed by P.T. Michelle
V07122018
Summary
Calder Blake lost everything: his mother, his father, his very identity. Until Cass, he didn’t believe he deserved to be a Blake, where family and loyalty always come first.
* * *
But what if Cass can’t give Calder what he needs to move on from his broken past?
* * *
Or worse, what if someone’s determined that Cass will never get a chance to become a Blake?
* * *
Dear Readers: BLOOD ROSE is a stand alone story, but if you haven’t read how Cass and Calder’s love story first started, you can do so through GOLD SHIMMER and STEEL RUSH. Not only do you get to take the journey with Cass and Calder, but you’ll also get to visit with Sebastian and Talia, since they play key roles in Cass and Calder’s story. :)
* * *
IN THE SHADOWS SERIES:
* * *
Mister Black (Book 1 - Talia & Sebastian, Part 1)
Scarlett Red (Book 2 - Talia & Sebastian, Part 2)
Blackest Red (Book 3 - Talia & Sebastian, Part 3)
Gold Shimmer (Book 4 - Cass & Calder, Part 1)
Steel Rush (Book 5 - Cass & Calder, Part 2)
Black Platinum (Book 6 - Talia & Sebastian, Stand Alone Novel)
Reddest Black (Book 7 - Talia & Sebastian, Stand Alone Novel)
Blood Rose (Book 8 - Cass & Calder, Stand Alone Novel)
Noble Brit (Book 9 - Mina & Den, Stand Alone Novel - Coming March 2019)
Chapter One
Cass
Library.
I stare at the text message that pops up on my phone just as Beth Carver disappears inside the restaurant to say hello to a friend from college who’s the bistro’s chef. It’s the second time I received the same text from a blocked number. I assumed the first one was sent to me by mistake, but the timing—I check the timestamp, because I’ve had some issues with delayed messages—while I’m having lunch with Beth Carver, suddenly gives the repeated message a whole other meaning.
Goose bumps form on my arms despite the summer sun warming my skin. I tense my jaw and quickly glance around Bistro Café’s outdoor seating and across the busy street, using all the skills my investigator best friend Talia taught me about taking in a scene. As I walked to the restaurant from the train, I’d glanced over my shoulder a couple of times. I couldn’t shake the feeling I was being followed. I hadn’t tied it to that stupid first text, but now…I’m not so sure. My fingers flex to grab my camera sitting on the table, but that would be too obvious. I turn my head casually and scan for a woman around my age with similar height and body shape. She’ll be wearing a wig, or hat, and likely sunglasses to hide her identity. But I know Celeste Carver’s appearance better than anyone. As my doppelgänger twin, she might have my face and dark hair, but we don’t share an ounce of DNA. No, her familial tie belongs to the girl with light-brown hair who just went inside.
Beth thinks her big sister, Celeste, was murdered by her father’s psychopath business partner Phillip Hemming. And here I sit, forced to keep Celeste’s secret from the world and her family while trying to be a friend to Beth.
Guilt is a powerful motivator.
Phillip’s betrayal to the Carver family was absolutely jail-worthy, but thanks to Celeste duping me into pretending to be her for one evening, I’d unwittingly played a part in helping her frame the man for her murder. While Celeste disappeared with her unborn child Phillip had fathered to guarantee his piece of the Carver fortune, I was left to convince the police that I wasn’t actually Celeste and had nothing to do with her disappearance.
In my brief time in the Carver household, I grew to really like Beth. She deserves to know the truth, but Celeste’s tapestry of lies were too intricately woven, and if I tugged on even one thread to reveal the true color underneath, the whole picture could unravel, destroying many lives with it, including mine.
I’d hoped this lunch with Beth would distract me from my own worries about my future with Calder, but the possibility that Celeste might be back after over a year of silence is the last kind of distraction I need.
Annoyed that some random text is freaking me out, I quickly type a response.
Wrong number.
Just as I set my phone down, a movement in my periphery draws my attention to the woman sitting alone at a table near the corner. The
wind blowing around the building’s edge is flapping her wide-brimmed hat, forcing her to fold it toward her face to keep it in place. Her build is right. Manicured nails. Entitled air and perfect posture. As she looks at her phone, then lifts it toward her face, my heart races.
I zero on her jawline just beyond her hat’s brim. Turn so I can see you.
My phone’s sudden ring jacks my racing pulse.
I’m torn between keeping my line of sight on her or looking at my phone’s display.
Holding my breath, I blindly grab my phone just as the woman looks up.
It’s not her. Stop being paranoid, Cass. I exhale my relief and quickly look down to see Calder on my Caller ID.
“Where are you?” he says in a tense tone the moment I answer. “Talia said you were coming to the office. I wanted to take you to lunch.”
“Beth called at the last minute so we’re grabbing lunch. I’m popping by the office to drop off the photos for Talia, then I have a business meeting. I’m sorry, Calder.”
“What business meeting? Your other picture book isn’t due for six months.”
My fingers tighten around my phone. “I do have other things going on.”
“Has Talia given you more work? Why didn’t she tell me? Why the hell am I Sebastian’s business partner if I’m the last to know about half the shit going on around here?”
I frown at the tension in his voice. “Why are you so grumbly?”
“Hemming is here.”
“Whether you like it or not, Ben’s a part of BLACK Security. We talked about you trying with him.”
“I have a vague recollection of you mentioning it. I was too busy watching your gorgeous mouth and thinking about all the things I’ve yet to do with it.”
He always gets to me. Even over the phone that sexy voice makes me melt. Even when I’m trying to make a point. I ignore the flutters in my stomach. “What has he done today?”
“The arrogant little shit just assigned my medical appointment over my lunch hour.”
I can’t help but snicker. “Ah, I remember Talia saying she wanted to make sure everyone’s healthy. When was your last physical?”
“Last night. Three times.”
“And you’re calling Ben arrogant?”
“Stress test, endurance, pressure check. Yep, I’m all good.”
Shaking my head, I snicker, appreciating his levity. “Sorry, handsome. I won’t be your excuse to get out of it.”
“You’re never an excuse,” he says, his voice briefly lowering to a sexy, rough rumble. “I really did want to have lunch with you.” Grunting his annoyance, he turns serious once more. “I swear he tries to get under my skin. He’s like an annoying—”
“Little brother?” I interrupt.
Calder’s silent for a second. “Not funny.”
“I wasn’t trying to be. I want you to have your family. Since your parents are gone and you don’t have any siblings—yeah, I know you have Sebastian and the rest of the Blake family, but—”
“Ben’s not family. You are.”
The sudden coldness in his tone makes me feel even more desperate for my fiancé to accept his half brother into his life. “He’s blood, Calder. I’m not a Blake and—”
“Let’s fix that. We can go to the Justice of the Peace tomorrow. No big elaborate plans necessary. You’re all I want.”
But will I be enough forever? My heart twists as the worried thought flits through my brain for the thousandth time. “You’re crazy.” I laugh to smother my angst. “We’re not eloping.”
“You’ve put me off for months on setting a wedding date, Cass. I understood that you wanted to help Talia with the wedding and the birth of Joey, and then the house repairs kind of exploded on us, but that’s almost done. I’ve been more than patient. Set a date, Raven-mine, or I swear to God one night the Pastor will just show up at our door. I’m ready to start our family.”
It’s like he just twisted a knife in my gut. I’m saved from having to respond by a deep voice in the background who Calder grumbles in response to. “I’ve made an executive decision. I’m exempting myself.”
The baritone moves closer, Sebastian’s voice coming through loud and clear. “No one’s exempt, Cald. Every exam will be done today so we can get back to work. Get your ass in there.”
“Fine. He’s not touching my balls.”
A snort of amusement escapes before I can stop it.
“And you just earned yourself a deadline, angel,” Calder’s voice shifts back to the phone. “I’ll expect a date by this weekend.”
My whole frame tenses. “It isn’t as easy as snapping your fingers, Calder.”
“Yes, actually it is. See you later.”
He hangs up before I can counter his statement.
“That sounded intense.” Beth draws my attention as she sits down at the table. “Sorry that took longer than I expected.” Picking up her glass of water, she nods toward the phone I just set back on the table. “Are you and Calder doing okay?”
“We’re fine.” My smile feels forced as I nod. “We just have a lot going on right now.”
Beth pushes her long hair over her shoulder while her gaze drops to my hand on the table. “I don’t see a band next to that fabulous black diamond. While I’m glad to know that you didn’t lose my invitation to your wedding, I’m surprised that you two haven’t already gotten married.”
I really don’t want to talk about my current worries with Beth, so instead I shift the subject back to her. “You mean like you’ve been too busy to have lunch with me the last five times you cancelled on me?”
“Touché.” Grimacing, she sets her glass down. “I deserve that.”
I pick up my own glass and smile. “It’s fine, Beth. I can’t imagine the new CEO of a multi-million dollar business like Carver Enterprises has time for many personal lunches. Congratulations on your promotion.”
Beth’s lips quirk slightly as I clink my glass to hers. “I never saw myself running the family business, but with Celeste’s death, then Mom passing…” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “Father took me under his wing. He’s determined to teach me everything he knows in record time.”
“I’m so sorry about your mom.” I hold her sad gaze while we lower our glasses. “I wish you had called me. I’m always up for a talk if you don’t have time for lunch.”
Beth’s appreciative smile doesn’t light up her face like it would’ve in the past. The young, carefree girl I knew before Celeste’s death and subsequent murder trial is gone. Beth’s green eyes are less brilliant, her demeanor subdued. Careful even. She looks reserved but confident. She doesn’t deserve to be lied to. I glance down at my phone. Since no other response has come through, I let myself relax. The text had to have been for someone else.
While I would love more than anything to tell Beth something that would put a happy smile on her face once more, learning the truth about Celeste wouldn’t change the fact her sister is gone forever. If anything, knowing Celeste was alive, but not being able to talk to her, might destroy that layer of confidence Beth has carefully constructed around herself. I hate that it’s there at all, but maybe right now…it’s what she needs.
“Thank you, Cass. You don’t know how much that means. And I know this might be presumptuous of me, but I…well…I really hope you think of me as a good friend. The kind who might get to help with your wedding plans?” She pauses, then quickly runs on. “After the trial and everything that happened, I don’t have many friends that I can trust. And you’ve always been straight with me. Well, once you owned up to not being Celeste,” she finishes with a quick laugh.
My stomach twists into a tighter, guilt-ridden knot.
“Thank you for offering to help, Beth. I appreciate it so much.”
“Well…when is it?” she asks as she glances down at her menu.
“What?”
Her gaze snaps back to me. “Your wedding date.”
“Um…well.” I squirm in my seat, then look do
wn and pretend to study my menu, hard. “We haven’t really set one yet.”
“Why not? The man adores you. What’s stopping you?”
I glance up to see her eyebrows fully lifted. “First there was Talia’s wedding, then baby Joey’s arrival. We’ve done a lot of renovation on the house. I’ve got work stuff I’m trying to get going.”
“Sounds like excuses to me.” Lowering her menu, she frowns. “What’s really going on?”
The way she’s looking at me, a bit judgy edged with genuine affection…reminds me so much of my sister, my heart trips a little. It’s times like this, when I’m really struggling with my own inner demons, that I miss Sophie even more than usual. Even though I had no intention of talking about it with Beth, I find myself answering. “I guess I’m waiting for the perfect time.”
“Trust me…” Beth leans a bit closer. “There’s never perfect timing. Something will always come up. If you love him, set a date…so then I can be a part of it.”
And just like something Sophie would’ve said, Beth gives a matter-of-fact, self-indulgent response. I laugh and squeeze her hand on the table. “I promise to let you know.”