ON The Rocks (An Ozzie Novak Thriller, Book 3) (Redemption Thriller Series 15)
Page 20
“Come on, Dad. Be serious.”
She ended up asking about Nicole. I told her she was taking a trip and that we’d hopefully see her soon. Thankfully, Mackenzie kept me busy for the next hour, shifting the positions of her framed pieces of art on the wall.
“Let’s go get some Mexican food. What do you say?”
We were about to turn out the lights and lock up when Steve curled into the office again.
“A woman is here to see you.”
My heart skipped a beat. Could Nicole have changed her mind? I took a step toward the door and bumped right into a woman with frizzy blond hair.
I said, “Ivy?”
“That’s your name?” Steve asked her, scratching his scalp with his oil-covered hands. “Ivy, Ozzie. You guys have the strangest names.”
“Hey, Ozzie.” Ivy pushed her hair out of her face and tried to smile but never quite got there. We were friends—not the closest of friends—but she was one of the strongest women I knew. She ran a group in San Antonio that focused on helping troubled kids. I knew her life had been tumultuous after being bounced around countless foster homes. It was pretty cool to know she’d dedicated her life to helping make the world a better place.
“What are you doing in Austin? And how did you find me here?”
“Your mom pointed me here.”
I tried not to roll my eyes in front of Mackenzie. “What’s going on, Ivy?” I could see something was troubling her.
“I need your help.”
“Sure. How?”
“There’s a girl who’s gone missing. The trail leads to Austin. And her parents are worried she might have been killed.”
I knew at that moment that my time away from Nicole would be put to good use.
ALSO BY JOHN W. MEFFORD
Redemption Thriller Series
The Alex Troutt Thrillers
AT Bay (Book 1)
AT Large (Book 2)
AT Once (Book 3)
AT Dawn (Book 4)
AT Dusk (Book 5)
AT Last (Book 6)
The Ivy Nash Thrillers
IN Defiance (Book 7)
IN Pursuit (Book 8)
IN Doubt (Book 9)
Break IN (Book 10)
IN Control (Book 11)
IN The End (Book 12)
The Ozzie Novak Thrillers
ON Edge (Book 13)
Game ON (Book 14)
ON The Rocks (Book 15)
Shame ON You (Book 16)
ON Fire (Book 17)
ON The Run (Book 18)
Note from the author:
Thank you for reading the third Ozzie Novak thriller.
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Next In The Redemption Thriller Series – Shame ON You
Two shattered lives bound by one haunting secret.
Chantel hasn't been the same since her sister went missing ten years ago. Ravaged by drug addiction ever since that fateful moment, Chantel vanished a month ago. Could the same kidnapper be involved?
Pulled into the investigation by his friend, Ivy Nash, Ozzie quickly learns the art of the addicted: deceit is a way of life.
Meanwhile, a high school reunion reminds Ozzie of the good old days, but some annoying personalities just haven't changed. Kate delivers a heart-wrenching song, honoring those who've died, in particular her cousin, a boy from Ozzie's class who made everyone smile -- and now, ten years later -- shed a tear.
The hunt for Chantel takes Ozzie and Ivy to the most dangerous places in Austin. A girl is bludgeoned to death -- they believe they have a key witness, but he slips away.
When Ozzie and Ivy finally get a clue from Chantel's feisty grandmother, what at first seems unthinkable could be reality. But there's far more to unraveling this bizarre set of events. Could this all circle back to his high school class?
Two girls connected to one tragic event. Years have passed…people have died, and more could follow. But there is one demented soul who shames those he was meant to save.
Will Ozzie be able to solve this twisted mystery and save the ones who've suffered the most?
Shame ON You is the fourth Ozzie Novak Thriller (Redemption Thriller Series #16). An excerpt is just below.
Excerpt from Shame ON You
1
His eyes and temples pulsated as blood rocketed through his veins. Drops of perspiration trickled down his forehead, gathering at his bushy eyebrows.
Sitting taller in his chair, his lungs begged for more oxygen. He took in a shallow breath and slowly exhaled. It didn’t help. He tried again, deeper this time. It still wasn’t enough. The drumbeat of his heart thumped against his chest.
Anxiety had returned with vengeance.
He flapped his arms as his entire body broke out in a sweat. His mind began to swirl. The office literally spun around him as if he were standing in the center of a roundabout. He dropped a hand to his desk and squeezed his eyes shut. Then he popped them opened and scoured his desk again.
Where is that fucking presentation? He’d asked his longtime administrative assistant to print it off and set it on his desk. Did she do it? No. How many times had she screwed up a simple task? It was as though she’d been put on Earth to send him to the looney bin.
Considering where you work, that wouldn’t be far to go.
The perspiration coated his body with a slick film, and his heart continued to race. This anxiety attack was the worst he’d experienced in months, if not years. All the outside pressure had finally seized control of his nervous system. Its grip was relentless.
“Elena!” he yelled.
She appeared at the doorway, her head tilted and that smug look on her face. “What now, Doctor?”
She had the compassion of a gravedigger. “Where is my fucking presentation? You said it was on my desk, and it’s not here, goddammit. My meeting started five minutes ago, and they’re waiting on me.” He pounded the desk with his fist.
“Well, with that type of attitude, I don’t think I’ll even bother to help you out.” She did her head-shake thing and mumbled as she walked away.
“Fucking bitch,” he said under his labored breath.
“I heard that,” she called out.
He clenched his jaw so hard he thought he might crack his teeth. Sweat poured off his body as his thoughts snowballed into a storm of angst and tension. He fidgeted with his collar until he was able to unfasten his top button, loosen his tie. Still no relief.
He dropped his elbows on his knees, lowered his head. His glasses slid down his nose, which was slick with sweat. He nudged them up, but they fell right back down again. His gaze landed upon his Cole Haan wingtips, now speckled with drips of perspiration. Normally, he’d move quickly to clean off his shoes, to ensure that his attire, like the rest of his life, was clean, structured.
But it was far from structured right now. So very far.
Where was that presentation?
His breath clicked in his throat. His mind had been so scrambled, he’d forgotten about his backup pills. The magical backup pills! He fished his keys out of his pocket and tried to unlock the bottom drawer of his desk. His hands trembled so much, he was tempted to get Elena into the office to work the key until the desk unlocked.
But he’d rather die than ask her for a favor. And this was one drawer to which she would never have access.
Finally, the key slipped in; he turned it and pulled the drawer open. He quickly cast aside old notepads and folders and two glass awards that weren’t worth their weight. He spotted the small plastic container in the far corner. He snatched it from the drawer, used a fingernail to peel open the top, and found two yellow pills. He downed one without water and waited. He stared at the wall, focusing on nothing more than the framed degrees, including his final one for his doctorate in psychiatric medicine.
&n
bsp; A moment passed, and his pulse finally slowed. He found tissues and began to clean off his face. He needed a shower, but that was not an option right now. He’d have to get it together.
He leaned over and began to put his things back in the drawer. The small journal with his initials on it—CP—caught his eye. He ran his fingers across the leather and the engraved letters; images flashed through his mind. And, unlike so many other times when he’d been able to let them flicker away, this time they stuck.
“Elena,” he called out, “I need you to tell the team that I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”
“Yeah, sure,” she said. “I’ll go do that while you sit in there and throw your temper tantrum.”
He puffed out a breath, willing himself to not react emotionally to her attitude. She was connected to people in high places, so—although she worked for him—she held all the power.
Is that the root cause to your…issues? A lack of power?
He shook off the thought and lost himself in rubbing his hands over the front and back of the journal. The tactile feeling only brought more thoughts to mind, and even a few urges.
He glanced at his door to ensure Elena hadn’t snuck up. No one was there. She was probably in the adjoining reception area, painting her nails.
He couldn’t resist. With his heart fluttering like a boy getting up the nerve to ask the pretty girl to dance, he opened the journal. He flipped through a few pages until he found a certain date. He read the phrase that was written on the top line. And the line after that. And the line after that. On and on it went. The same phrase. The same three words.
He quaked and quickly shut the journal, rested his arm on the desk. He pondered his life from a decade earlier. He couldn’t undo what had been done, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. There was something fulfilling about reminiscing.
“You’re now fifteen minutes late to your own damn meeting,” Elena yelled from the other room.
Screw her.
Even she couldn’t disturb his mood at the moment. An exhilaration consumed his body. A far cry from the gripping anxiety that had crippled him minutes ago. The pill had helped; that couldn’t be disputed. But now his entire mindset had changed. He sat against the back of his chair and let the flow of his most closely held secrets invade his thoughts.
He smiled. And he knew exactly why.
He couldn’t wait until he got home so he could play with his new pet. He was always a happier person when he had something to look forward to, and this time was no different.
Shame ON You Now Available for Pre-Order
Shame ON You, the fourth Ozzie Novak Thriller (Redemption Thriller Series #16), is now available for pre-order on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/ShameONYou
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John W. Mefford Bibliography
Redemption Thriller Series
The Alex Troutt Thrillers
AT Bay (Book 1)
AT Large (Book 2)
AT Once (Book 3)
AT Dawn (Book 4)
AT Dusk (Book 5)
AT Last (Book 6)
The Ivy Nash Thrillers
IN Defiance (Book 7)
IN Pursuit (Book 8)
IN Doubt (Book 9)
Break IN (Book 10)
IN Control (Book 11)
IN The End (Book 12)
The Ozzie Novak Thrillers
ON Edge (Book 13)
Game ON (Book 14)
ON The Rocks (Book 15)
Shame ON You (Book 16)
ON Fire (Book 17)
ON The Run (Book 18)
Other Thriller Series
The Booker Series
BOOKER – Streets of Mayhem (Volume 1)
BOOKER – Tap That (Volume 2)
BOILERMAKER – A Lt. Jack Daniels / Booker Mystery (Volume 2.5)
BOOKER – Hate City (Volume 3)
BOOKER – Blood Ring (Volume 4)
BOOKER – No Más (Volume 5)
BOOKER – Dead Heat (Volume 6)
The Greed Series
FATAL GREED (Greed Series #1)
LETHAL GREED (Greed Series #2)
WICKED GREED (Greed Series #3)
GREED MANIFESTO (Greed Series #4)
ON The Rocks
Copyright © 2017 by John W. Mefford
All rights reserved.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book (not just the sample) and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Formatting by Bob Houston eBook Formatting
Table of Contents
ALSO BY JOHN W. MEFFORD
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Note from the author
Next in The Redemption Thriller Series
Excerpt from Shame ON You
Shame ON You Now Available for Pre-Order
Get International Bestseller AT Bay for FREE
John W. Mefford Bibliography
Copyright
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