Danse Macabre
Page 25
“No, thank you,” Piper said. “For not killing Dani.”
“I did it for her.”
“Right. She’s clearly the main beneficiary here.” Piper scratched her nose. “I just meant it was very decent of you.”
Lou pointed at the cake. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“Yeah, I did. And even with the sunrise party, you’ve still been more of a friend to me than I’ve been to you this week.”
Lou searched for purchase. “You got Cherry Coke.”
Piper waved a hand. “Doesn’t compare to having all your fingers attached, man.”
Lou smiled and opened the soda.
“I meant what I said. I’m going to be the best friend you’ve ever had. I don’t care if I have to bury bodies—”
“I have the bodies covered.”
“Oh good! I sort of have a bad back. Roller derby, you know? Anyhoo, I mean it. Whatever you need. I’m here.”
Lou saw the blush spring to Piper’s cheeks, and she smiled.
“Now that that’s settled. Eat this cake!” Piper begged. She hacked off another slice and dumped it onto Lou’s plate as if there wasn’t already half a slice there. “I spent two hours trying to figure out how to pipe these rosettes!”
“You could’ve bought the cake,” Lou replied.
Piper snorted, waving her attached fingers at Lou again. “The least I can do is pipe you some rosettes. Oh, and there’s this.”
Piper reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. Lou sat the cake plate down and accepted it. She pressed a thumbnail under the envelope flap, peeling it back to reveal the cardstock within.
“Read it aloud,” Piper said.
“Happy birthday to the girl who always has your back.”
Below the words was an image of a woman shooting a man in the back.
Lou’s heart careened off course. It wasn’t any one thing. The sign, the balloons, the Coke or the cake. It wasn’t Piper’s sweet earnestness or the way King leaned against the kitchen counter talking to Mel.
It was something about the card, which she closed slowly and slipped back into the envelope.
“You don’t like it?” Piper said, frowning. “Sometimes my jokes are no good.”
“I like it,” Lou said, unaware that she was smiling. “But I’m not worth the trouble.”
Piper grinned. “That’s where you’re wrong, Lou-blue. And I’m going to prove it.”
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I don’t have the same power as big New York publishers who can buy full spread ads in magazines and you won’t see my covers on the side of a bus anytime soon, but what I *do* have are wonderful readers like you.
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If you would be so kind, please find your preferred retailer here and leave a review for this book today.
Eternally grateful,
Kory
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Thank you so much for reading Danse Macabre. I hope you’re enjoying Louie’s story. If you’d like more, I have a free, exclusive Lou Thorne story for you. Meet Louie early in her hunting days, when she pursues Benito Martinelli, the son of her enemy. This was the man her father arrested—and the reason her parents were killed months later.
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Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the fans who continue to support my work. You tell your friends and family about my stories. You ask your libraries to add my books to their collections. You write kind words and encouragement. You do so much and I am very grateful for all the love you continue to show me.
Thanks to Kimberly Benedicto, wife and beta reader extraordinaire. Your charming quips and “affectionate” input are priceless. As well as the food. Keep the food coming.
Thank you to Monica La Porta for her help with the Italian (any remaining errors are my own!). To Angela Roquet for her endless encouragement and graphics aplenty. To Kathrine Pendleton—whose humor reminds me how ridiculous I am when I start panicking.
Thank you to Christian Bentulan for the gorgeous cover. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next.
Thanks to my assistants Alexandra Amor and Amber Morant who helped me tremendously as I made the transition from writing teacher to full-time writer. You two made it painless. I’m so grateful for your hard work. Particularly Alexandra, who formatted this book for your enjoyment.
And last but not least, thanks to my street team. You guys are amazing beyond words. You get the word out, you buy my books, you spot those typos—I love you guys. What would I do without you? I can only hope that I keep writing stories that excite you for years to come.
It’s only the beginning. Let’s do this.
About the Author
Kory M. Shrum is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and thrillers—and something else that’s a bit of each. She’s an active member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Horror Writers of America, and the Four Horsemen of the Bookocalypse, where she’s known as Conquest.
When not reading, writing, or battling her pug for the covers, she’s planning her next adventure. She lives in Michigan with her equally bookish wife, Kim, and their rescue pug, Charley.
She’d love to hear from you!
www.korymshrum.com
Also by Kory M. Shrum
Dying for a Living series (complete)
Dying for a Living
Dying by the Hour
Dying for Her: A Companion Novel
Dying Light
Worth Dying For
Dying Breath
Dying Day
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Shadows in the Water: Lou Thorne Thrillers (ongoing)
Shadows in the Water
Under the Bones
Danse Macabre
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Design Your Destiny Castle Cove series (ongoing)
Welcome to Castle Cove
Night Tide
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Short Fiction
Badass and the Beast: 10 “Tails” about Kickass Heroines and the Beasts That Love Them
Chaos Cocktail: 13 Fantasy Bar Brawls
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Learn more about Kory’s work at: www.korymshrum.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places have been used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, ev
ents, or locales is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book shall be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher.
Although every precaution has been taken in preparation of the book, the publisher and the author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained in this book or its misuse.
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Cover Design by Christian Bentulan
http://coversbychristian.com/
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All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2018 Kory M. Shrum