"No, I made a little money, but that life is not for me. Without the need for revenge, my heart is just not into capturing bad guys."
The swing her father put in the old tree for her sister swung in the breeze, and she hurried toward it, drawn to the shade. What did she want in life besides Wesley?
Crossing the grass to the towering oak, she stood staring. The sounds of Sammie's laughter echoed in her ears. "Oh, how Sammie enjoyed this swing."
When she turned, Wesley was behind her. "What about your brother? What did he enjoy?"
"James was so good with animals. He loved and trained our horses and worked with the goats. Kind of shy, but such a sweet kid."
Sitting in the swing, she slowly rocked back and forth, letting the memories of the people she loved soothe her. While she would never have come out here today, she was suddenly glad Wesley brought her to put the ghosts behind her one last time. They would always reside in her heart, but the time had come to say goodbye.
"Thank you for bringing me here. It seems like the perfect ending to this journey. To tell them the outlaws are either in jail or dead and the man responsible will never harm anyone again. They can now rest in peace."
"What about you, Addie? Are you at peace?"
How could she ever be at peace? "Yes and no. I'll always miss them. I'll always love them, but I can't fight for them any longer. They'll always live on in my heart, but the time for me to find my place in this world without them is now."
Standing off to the side, Wesley stepped in front of the swing, and she came to a halt. "We've been together now for weeks and yet, I feel like I understand you better than anyone. At first, we fought one another, but I quickly learned you were a strong, determined woman who would do whatever it took to bring these men to justice."
Licking his lips nervously, he continued. "No, I didn't believe in women bounty hunters, but you proved me wrong. After Clara's betrayal, I didn't believe I would ever fall in love again. Once again, you proved me wrong. My plans were to never let a woman close to me, but now I can't imagine my life without you by my side."
Addie's heart stopped and then began to pump furiously, her blood pounding in her ears as love filled her. Was he saying what she longed to hear?
Wesley dropped to one knee in the grass. "Addie King, I love you more than I've ever loved any woman. You're a strong woman who would move mountains for the people you love. I want you for better or worse in sickness and health. Marry me, Addie, and let me spend the rest of my days making you happy."
Jumping off the swing, she ran to his side, toppling him to the ground as she kissed him, trying to be mindful of his hurt shoulder. "Oh, Wesley, yes. These last few days, I worried you didn't love me like I loved you."
His mouth claimed hers in a kiss that promised love and devotion and everything she could give him in return. They broke apart, and he pushed back her auburn hair. "I have a wedding present for you."
Startled, she sat up, letting him come to a sitting position, hoping his injured shoulder was all right. "What?"
"Yesterday I rode to the bank at Harper's Mill and spoke to the banker." Wesley pulled out the deed to the land. "I bought the property with the idea that, if you want, we would create our lives here. We could take over the farm and continue what your parents had built together. Our children would be raised here in the place you love."
Tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh, Wesley. Yes, yes, yes," she said. "But I have one request. My family's ashes are in that pile of rubble. Can we please bury it and place a memorial marker there for them? We can build our home in a different location on the property."
Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him as tightly as she dared, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Thank you. You couldn't have given me a better wedding present."
"I love you, Addie," he whispered against her throat.
"I love you, Wesley," she said.
The wind blew a strong breeze and her mother's voice glided through the trees.
My daughter, I told you, you would know when the right man came along. Live in peace and love.
Thank you so much for reading Devious and going on the Lipstick and Lead journey with me. This is the last of the historicals for now. There is a bonus scene available to my readers when you sign up for the newsletter.
But…the Lipstick and Lead fun continues four generations later. Here is a sample of Nailing the Hit Man
Jennifer McKenzie Delgado pushed back her long auburn hair and picked up her binoculars. She adjusted the lenses until she could see the crisp, sharp image of the interior of the house. Movement caught her attention. It was then she saw the man she had followed. She could plainly see him shoving keys, a billfold, and a money clip into his pockets.
Crawling up the large elm tree seemed like the perfect location to watch her perp until she felt a tree ant crawling on her arm. Now, not so much. Hopefully in the next five minutes, he would leave, and she’d nab him. After following him for over a week and gazing at his photo, she knew she needed to find a life outside of work.
For a criminal, the man's muscled body and ebony hair, with his big brown eyes, would catch the attention of any woman, including her. Working for the family business these last few years, she had forgotten what dating was all about. What a man's touch felt like and now was not the time to remember.
With a flick of her penlight, she let her partner know he was about to leave.
Wanted for theft, robbery, and money laundering for the Lopez crime cartel, the man hadn’t shown up for his court date. From all appearances, his life of corruption paid well. Living in the richest suburb near downtown Dallas, the family business seemed to fly under the radar until an audit and subsequent arrest.
A dog howled in the distance and she wished the man would leave. Security in this neighborhood was high and she didn't need or want to run into a trigger-happy rent a cop.
Finally, the man walked out the door and hurried down the steps, his dark hair expertly combed, his clothes of the finest cloth. His appearance reeked of the million dollars she was on the hook for. And yet he missed his court date and skipped out on his bond.
Odd which criminals decided to make a run for it. And why would he be here at his home? Why did this seem too easy?
In practiced stealth mode, she dropped like a silent fighting machine from the tree and landed on top of him, knocking him to the ground.
“What the hell,” he mumbled underneath her.
“Christopher Lopez.” She wrestled him onto his stomach. Suddenly, he flipped and took her with him, pinning her beneath him. She could feel all those muscles in his legs sitting on top of her in just the right place.
“Son of a bitch,” she screamed. “Get off me.”
This wasn’t going well, at all.
“Who the hell are you?” he asked, his face contorted with anger.
Brittany, her cousin, grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back and slipped the handcuffs around his right wrist.
Jennifer grabbed his left arm and he landed on her chest. They were face to face. His brown eyes flashing with anger. Her breasts were crushed beneath his chest, her girls screaming the hallelujah chorus.
She could hardly breathe with the full weight of his body on top of hers. And yet, she managed to get the words out. “You’re under arrest for skipping bail.”
Adrenaline rushed through her. This feeling of excitement, this was what made her love her job. The pounding of her heart and the rush of blood through her veins was almost as good as sex. Only more dangerous.
And currently, they were experiencing a moment with their clothes on. A moment that seemed to drag on forever.
A sigh escaped him. “You’ve got the wrong man. I’m Carson Lopez.”
She laughed. “Yes, and I'm Meghan Markle. Now get off me.”
“Christopher is my twin brother,” he said.
Brittany McKenzie, her partner and cousin, tried to yank him off her. But he was too big. “Jeez, you’re a big one.
Get on your knees and slowly get up. If you make any sudden moves, I’ll be happy to tase the shit out of you.”
“All right,” he said. “But I’m not who you’re looking for.”
“They all say that,” Jennifer said as he slowly rose off her. At that moment, her lady bits were singing the blues.
Brittany pulled out her folder of paperwork that she always managed to stuff down the backside of her pants. Jennifer tried not to think about where that paperwork had been. She pulled out the picture. “That’s him.”
Standing before them, the man cursed. “Listen to me. Check your information again. I have a twin brother. Christopher is the evil twin. I’m just the wicked one.”
“What’s the difference?” she said. “Seems to me they’re both about the same.”
Shaking his head, he stared at her in the darkness. “Are you that naive? Evil is just mean. Wicked is a touch of adventure with a splash of naughty. I like naughty.”
Oh dear, how did she react to that especially after it felt like they had sex with their clothes on. “I arrest naughty.”
But oh, how she would like to participate in some naughty fun with this guy. Only problem— he was a criminal and she was a bounty hunter. He was off limits.
Taking a deep breath, Jennifer, grabbed his handcuffs and pushed him toward her car. “You’re coming with us to the precinct. We’re going to verify who you are.”
“Check my wallet. You’ll find my driver’s license there. I have a very important meeting and if I miss it, I could be out millions.”
“And if I let you go and you’re the evil twin, then I'm out a million dollars. Suck it up, twinkle toes. You’re going to jail.”
“You tell him, Jenn,” Brittany said. “He's the one.”
She glanced around. “Seems to me missing out on a million-dollar deal wouldn’t hurt you much. It would devastate my business.”
The man growled. "Let me go and I won't press charges."
“Oh, I'm scared. Besides, your designer pants have grass stains on them. Your date wouldn’t want to be seen with a man wearing stained pants.”
The man sighed. “This is the second time this has happened to me. I’m thinking of getting a tattoo that says I’m Carson and you’ve got the wrong twin.”
“Oh, that would definitely let us know we had the wrong brother. Now, let’s go. We’re headed downtown so you can make your dinner date, who I'm sure is a gorgeous blonde you planned on taking home tonight.”
The man turned and gazed at her. “No, it's the CEO of a major corporation. I'm an architect. I design buildings, not cook the books for a crime family. And you’re wrong. I prefer redheads like you.”
A trickle of awareness rippled through her and she knew it was time to end this.
“Too bad I don’t date criminals, but I do like naughty.”
Jennifer had a bad feeling about this, and it didn’t help that the man’s cocky attitude irritated the hell out of her. The only thing that could make this situation worse was if they really did have the wrong brother. If it that was true, then their company was still on the hook for a million. Frickin. Bucks.
The family business had been around for three generations. No way would Lipstick and Lead Bounty Hunters tank on her watch. If this guy’s story was true, then they had to find Christopher Lopez. And they had to find him quickly.
But first things first. “Come on, pretty boy, let’s go.”
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Dear Reader,
The girls are done in this century. I can’t say I will never ever write another historical Lipstick and Lead book, but it’s time to move onto something else.
If you read all eight books, thank you! So what’s next? A modern day version of Lipstick and Lead. The family business is still operating. Look for Lipstick and Lead 2.0, where once again the female bounty hunters are going after outlaws.
Thanks for coming along for the ride!
Yours in Drama, Divas, Bad Boys and Romance!
Sincerely,
Sylvia McDaniel
www.SylviaMcDaniel.com
Evil touched Quinlan once. Will it do so again?
The best thing that ever happened to Quinlan Clark was the day the law took her to an orphanage. Now, the time has come for Quinlan and the other young teachers to go out on their own as mail-order brides. But childhood nightmares still haunt Quinlan, keeping her terror of men firmly set.
After ten years of hunting the men who killed his brother, Will Adams has finally come home. His mother, determined to spoil grandbabies, finds him a mail-order bride he has no interest in. But from the moment Will lays eyes on his skittish bride, he's smitten.
With secrets between them, the two try to start a life together, but one of their pasts isn’t through with them yet. Can Will kill to protect someone he loves? And is Quinlan’s new husband just like her bloodthirsty father?
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 Sylvia McDaniel
Published by Virtual Bookseller, LLC
All Rights Reserved
Cover Design: Erin Dameron Hill
Edited by Tina Winograd
Release date: January 2019
ebook ISBN
This book and parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the author and publisher, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Created with Vellum
Alphabet Bride Series
For decades, The Wigg School and Foundling Home of New York City has been the home and education of many of the city's orphans. In fact, the current teachers are Madam Wigg's first "crop" of students, all grown into accomplished young ladies. But she is bothered by the idea of them spending the rest of their lives tied to the Home, without ever finding love. Madam Wigg knows each one of them dreams of being in charge of her own school, so she makes them all an offer...
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Chapter 1
Gossip spread through the orphanage faster than fire in a hay barn. One by one, all the girls, now educated young ladies, were leaving and in typical Madam Wigg fashion: orderly alphabetical sequence by first name. Unfortunately, she'd reached the Ns and Quinlan's dormitory room could only be next.
"Can you hear her? Is Madam Wigg coming this way or not?"
Quinlan Clark had lived in fear for the last few months dreading this day, doubting there was any way to avoid the change heading at her like a steam engine. Madam Wigg was slowly dismantling her school, sending the orphans she had raised to teach into the world to spread education to children in need.
Rumors swirled about the school that Madam Wigg was dying, but Quinlan wasn't so certain. The woman was strong and healthy though a little doddering in her old age. Quinlan leaned closer to the door, a hand cupped around her ear, hoping the bell tolled for someone other than the girls she shared a room with.
"Shh. It's hard to hear." Phebe stood in front of Quinlan with one side of her face pressed against the closed entrance. "I'm sure it's her, and she's definitely coming this way."
Madam Wigg had a thing for order and she placed them in rooms A to Z and some of the orphans she'd even named in alphabet order. It was an easy way to know where each girl was located. When Quinlan arrived at the age of seven, she was already named, but she would never forget when Madam Wigg smiled and said, I was needing a girl with a Q name. And so began a nice, stable, quiet life minus screaming. And she didn't want the pleasant experience to change.
"Do you think it's our turn to be told about her illness and this whole mail-order bride thing?" Olivia's slender frame was crowded next to Quinlan. A worried look had crept into her brown eyes.
Nellie clasped her hands together as her lips began to tremble. "I hope not. I don't like the idea at al
l. It's... well, it's..."
The four had shared this room since they were children, growing up together, becoming more like sisters than roommates in the orphanage. Now at twenty-five, Quinlan hoped they were too old to marry. Marriage meant...she shuddered as the memories from her childhood flooded her.
Years ago, she'd come to the realization that she was fortunate to have been taken to the Wigg School and Foundling Home. And the thought of picking someone from a newspaper ad for a husband sent fear slithering along her spine like a snake, causing her to shake.
What if this unknown man was like her father?
Footsteps halted at their door.
Phebe stepped back, grabbed Olivia's hand and gave Quinlan a gentle shove, shooing the other three friends. "We need to sit on our beds. I think Madam Wigg is right outside."
A sharp, double rap against wood confirmed Phebe's words as the friends ran to their beds. Everyone but Phebe sat just as the door swung open and their mentor swept into the room like a queen, her hands holding a bundle of papers behind her back. What was in her fingers?
Terror seized Quinlan's chest. The rumors were true. They were being sent into the world she had avoided since she was a child. This was her safe haven, her place of peace, and Madam Wigg would soon force her to leave.
Phebe stood alone in the middle of the room, facing their mentor.
"I'm surprised to catch you eavesdropping, Phebe. It doesn't suit you at all."
Phebe tensed, her cheeks blushing as she gazed at Madam Wigg like she was confronting a student.
Lipstick and Lead Series: The Complete Box Set With a Bonus Book Page 129