by Katy Kaylee
“I can’t do it.”
“Of course you can.” She handed the sleeping baby over to Beth, who shot me a slightly panicked look at suddenly being in charge of the tiny life. Robin dug in her oversized diaper bag and pulled out a handful of safety pins with a triumphant look. “I can fix this. Believe me, none of my clothes fit when I was pregnant with Leo. I had to get pretty creative with my uniform from the diner too.”
Robin stepped up behind me, getting to work with the safety pins to get my dress closed the rest of the way.
“You guys are lifesavers, I mean it,” I looked at Beth and then Robin, feeling tears start to glisten in my eyes, “I’m sorry. I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry, but these hormones,” I stopped to draw in a deep breath, “I don’t know what I would have done these past months without you.”
“I know, Zoe. I feel the same way.” Robin gave me a quick hug, and then Beth did before giving me a stern look, “No, no more tears. You’re going to mess up your make up and it took me an hour to get it perfect. No one wants to be the bride with racoon eyes.”
I let out a watery laugh, “You’re right. I certainly don’t.”
I took in another deep, calming breath, staring down at baby Leo while his mommy fixed my dress.
“God, he’s beautiful.”
“Isn’t he?” Robin beamed from behind me, lost in a pool of white fabric.
“Yeah, he is pretty sweet I guess,” Beth admitted, holding him and rocking him.
“The sweetest.” I said, thinking about my own baby. I didn’t know yet if it would be a boy or a girl. We’d decided to wait to find out. And honestly, I didn’t care. I just knew I wanted a healthy happy baby.
“Are you still sure about the name, Zoe?” Beth asked and I nodded.
“If it’s a boy, we’ll name him William. And if it’s a girl, Willow.”
She just looked away, staring down at the baby in her arms.
It was the least Wil deserved, for the way he had saved us that terribly night at the farm. Jake had told him we’d name our firstborn child after him, and I thought it was the best way I could think of to honor the man.
“Okay, you’re all set.” Robin said, taking a step back to examine her handiwork. “Are you ready?”
“Yes. No. Oh, I don’t know.”
“You love Jake, right?”
“More than anything in the world.”
“Then of course you’re ready.”
I drew in a deep breath and nodded as they lead me downstairs, hiding me from any prying eyes.
There were chairs set up on the pasture and a flower covered arbor stood beneath the giant old oak tree out front where I knew the pastor and Jake were waiting for me. Robin handed me a bouquet of riotous, colorful wildflowers. Just like the bouquet that Jake had given to me what felt like a lifetime ago.
I was about to marry the man that I loved, the father of my baby. The man of my dreams.
Everything wasn’t perfect. We were still fighting for the ranch, the Calhoun’s were still causing trouble though it was noticeably less. But I had never been happier.
The soft music began to play. It was Owen on the old piano that someone had rolled out by the chairs. It brought a tear to my eye and I dabbed it away before it could ruin my makeup.
My heart filled joy, I walked down the aisle towards the man I loved, and my future. Our future. Together.
***The End***
Saving Beth (Excerpt)
Description
She’s the one that got away… ten years ago.
I am the head of the Diorno famiglia,
Duty. Responsibility. And above all, Family.
These are the only things that matter to me.
Nothing else. Nothing and no one.
That is, until she walks back into my life.
Elizabeth…
Blue eyes, luscious lips, and devastating curves.
She tells me that I mean nothing to her.
Looks at me like I’m a mere stranger.
But her eyes tell me a different story.
They beg for me to claim her.
To save her.
She’s trying to track down a serial killer.
Her life is at risk.
And now, Beth is not just the love of my life.
She’s also carrying our baby.
I’d be damned if I let anyone lay a hand on either of them.
Prologue
The sound of the rain against the sodden concrete was a dull roar in Leah’s ears but she barely noticed. The entire city was soaked to the bone by the chilly March storm. It was early spring, but winter still held on with a tenacious grip, refusing to break for the warmer weathers that April and May would bring.
Tall steel and glass buildings jutted into the night sky, metal teeth piercing the cloudy indigo night sky. Their lights shining like eyes peering into the darkness, standing watch over the city that she loved.
It was more than just her home. It was her heart. Her pulse. She loved the people, the crowded sidewalks, the bars that were sure to be bustling with those city-dwellers that were brave enough to face the rain. That feeling of never being alone but still anonymous if she wanted to be.
Leah inhaled deeply, drawing in the clean scent of the storm, the loamy smell of the greenway that she stood on, the tang of ozone that filled the air. She expelled it all with a soft, muffled laugh.
She knew anyone standing alone in the middle of the night, in the middle of a rainstorm shouldn’t feel excited. But she wasn’t most people.
With another laugh of pure pleasure, Leah ducked under a nearby bridge just as a bolt of lightning split the sky. A second later, the crash of the thunder followed, booming so loud that she could feel the noise reverberate in her chest.
She gave a hasty shake of her black rain coat, trying to get off the excess moisture from the rain and it splattered down in a puddle around her tall leather boots.
At least I dressed appropriately, Leah thought to herself with a grin. It was more of a coincidence than anything else. She’d left her small uptown apartment in the oversized black coat and boots because they were the darkest, most obscure articles of clothing she owned.
She couldn’t exactly go to a secret meeting with a liaison dressed in her everyday sunflower yellow pea coat. She’d stick out like a…well…like a sunflower in the middle of the dingy warehouse district she was now huddled in.
The goal was not to draw any more attention to herself as possible.
Leah glanced down at herself, nodded in approval, and then up at the massive red steel bridge that rose over head, protecting her from the torrential rainfall.
It stretched across the winding river that bisected the city and she watched its waters flow faster and faster as it rose higher on either side, flooding with the storm. She lost track of time as she watched the river rush back towards the city. Her dark gray eyes looked like wet charcoal and her blond hair, so light it was almost white, was so sodden that it was nearly falling out of the messy bun she usually wore it in.
She was on the outskirts of River west, in the middle of the warehouse district that sat on the very edge of the city. She was far from her cozy one-bedroom Uptown apartment. For a minute, Leah let herself daydream about being warm and dry, curled up under a pile of blankets and watching her favorite old detective movies.
Only for a moment, though, before she banished the thoughts. She knew she was there for an important reason. Just letting her thoughts drift to why she was standing there in the rain had excitement and adrenaline flushing her system all over again.
Leah flicked her dark gray gaze up to the bridge. A part of her was glad it was keeping her mostly dry, but it was also helpful to stay hidden from unwanted eyes. Not that there were many to see her amongst the deserted looking factories and industrial buildings that sat in the shadows behind her.
Leah felt a chill sweep down her spine but refused the urge to look behind her, to scan the darkness to see if she really
was alone. Instead, she kept her gaze locked on the city skyline, marveling at the beauty of the place.
She loved living there. Feeling the pulse of the city. The hustle and the energy. She loved it all. She especially loved her job at the Chronicler, the city’s major newspaper.
As Leah waited, her mind wandered, thinking about how far she’d come from the college town that she had grown up in. The old stately brick buildings and hushed, venerated silence. Her sister had loved the university life, but Leah had gotten out of that town as soon as she could.
The day after she’d turned eighteen, Leah had packed up her things and headed for the city. Her parents had been aghast at the reckless move. What about college? What about her studies?
Leah felt a wry smile twist her mouth at the memory and then the pang of loss that always followed thoughts of her parents. That had been over eight years ago, that she’d left. And only two since the terrible accident that had taken both of their lives.
Ever since, it had just been her and her sister but they had always been polar opposites. Leah was the guts. Elizabeth was the brains. Her sister was the smartest person Leah had ever known, had graduated with her doctorate early and then went on to work in some high tech lab that studied…whatever it was that they studied. Leah knew it had something to do with astronomy and physics but beyond that it was…well, it was beyond her.
Leah’s wry smile twisted even further. The lab her sister worked at was only thirty miles outside of the city but they rarely saw each other more than once every few months or so. Usually when Leah needed to ask to borrow some money. Guilt ate at her. She knew her sister didn’t understand her, or the life that she’d chosen.
No more after tonight thought. This will change all that. This will change everything. Leah had always dreamed of living in the city. Had always dreamed of being a top journalist, her finger on the pulse of everything that was happening. Anticipation rattled inside her as she looked down at the tan envelope clutched in her hands. This was her chance. Her ticket to the life, and career, she’d always wanted.
No more scrounging for stories or borrowing pennies from her overbearing sister. No more scraping by. No more bottom of the barrel assignments. What she held in her hands was going to be her golden ticket straight to the top.
Leah held the envelope full of printed photographs even tighter, protecting the paper from the damaging rain. She fought back a tiny kernel of doubt. She knew what was on these photos would cause a lot of trouble for some very dangerous people.
You couldn’t live in the city for long without hear the name Diorno, or the mafia family behind it. They were in charge of a major operation running drugs and weapons, amongst other things. The photographs Leah had would implicate them in something far more nefarious.
Her stomach roiled with unease. She had heard of people going up against the Diorno’s. They were never heard from again. Those were all just stories, she was sure. She had the law and the public on her side. Besides, she wasn’t stupid enough to bring her only copies of the photos, and she’d even sent copies of them to others, for safe keeping and for insurance.
With an impatient click of her tongue, Leah dug her cell phone from her back pocket. She didn’t know how long she’d been waiting there but she knew her contact was running late. Not that it was something out of the ordinary. She was used to waiting on sources and informants. They were, by nature, a secretive and scurrying lot.
Leah glanced at the clock. They could have been there ten minutes ago. From experience she knew she might be standing there in the cold and damp for up to another hour. Tapping her foot impatiently, her thoughts still on her sister and how rarely they’ve talked lately, she quickly dialed the number before she could second guess herself.
The other end of the line rang several times before switching to voicemail. Her sister hadn’t even bothered to leave an away message. After the robotic voice told her to leave her message after the tone, Leah opened her mouth. Just as she did, she saw her informant scurry out of the dark, his form still obscured by the surrounding shadows.
Her sister’s call forgotten, she let the phone slowly drop as she fought back another surge of excitement. This was going to be the biggest story of her life. Hell, it might even be the biggest story of the year.
It was going to make her career. She was going to be a legend.
But as the man crept closer, careful to stick to the deepest shadows she realized too late that it wasn’t her informant at all. It was someone else. And he had a gun pointed straight at her chest.
“No! What are you– who are you?” The stunned words fell from Leah’s suddenly numb lips and she took an instinctive step back but there was no escaping the man and his gun. He was right on top of her now. There was nowhere to run.
She cried out, trembling, pleading for her life but the man just stood there, staring at her with blank eyes.
“Please. Don’t hurt me. Don’t kill me. Whatever you want. Just tell me! I’ll give you whatever you want!” Leah pleaded desperately for her life but the man barely registered the words. She railed at him, screaming and shouting before trying to run. She only made it a step before a loud pop sounded in her ears and a terrible agony blossomed in her back.
She didn’t feel the concrete as she fell, her blood mixing with the rain, washed away towards the river. The open phone was still clutched in her motionless hand as the whole world spun away into nothing.
I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I’m so sorry. I should have called more. I love you, sis. I’m so–
Her dark gray eyes stared unseeing as the man crouched and grabbed the cell phone with gloved hands, tossing it into the raging river before taking the blood-stained envelope and tucking it beneath his dark trench coat. The man disappeared back into the dark shadows he’d emerged from, leaving the girl’s body laying crumpled on the ground behind him.
Download the book here to continue reading (Free in Kindle Unlimited or 99cents to buy)
Best Friend’s Li’l Sis (Excerpt)
Description
Amber
How would I describe myself?
Single mom.
Strong as steel.
Stupid – because I listen to my heart and not my head.
Logan
This job interview was supposed to get Amber in front of me so I could apologize for hurting her. So I could figure out how to get a second chance to make her mine.
I don’t care if she’s had kids since us – I’ve always wanted to be a dad.
She’s my best friend’s li’l sis – we’ll figure that out.
I’ve got money – but I can’t buy her.
I was her first – she was mine.
I want her to be my last.
Wait…is that even possible?
Logan
Logan ran his hand through his medium length brown hair, staring down at the fourth shot he had taken that night. It was good being home from the dorms, at least as home as he was ever going to get, what with him living with the Stark family since he was in high school. He looked up as Jordan, his best friend, walked up and sat down on the stool next to him, shaking his head.
Logan leaned back, looking over at the gaggle of girls Jordan had just been talking to. “No dice?”
Jordan took his shot and put up two fingers, signaling the bartender for another round. His dark hair and blue eyes made him a magnet to girls, but his laissez faire attitude put up red flags for most of them. “They are all celebrating graduating from college. They have that ‘we can tackle the world’ kind of attitude right now. I’m sure they’ll come off of it eventually. I didn’t really want to spend my night listening to a girl talk about her future aspirations, anyway.”
Logan lifted an eyebrow. “You sure are a lady’s man.”
Jordan snorted. “My wallet is a lady’s man. I just have nice hair and good eyes, or so I’ve been told.”
Logan took a sip of his drink, chuckling. “Your mom tell you that?”
Jor
dan nudged him. “Very funny. I like how you are a junior in college, yet you have the mindset of a high school kid.”
Logan tilted his head back and forth with a smile. “You know me, gotta stay young at heart.”
Jordan took his other shot. “You know how you keep yourself young? You fucking get laid every once in a while. Seriously, girls fall all over themselves for you, and you brush it off like it’s nothing. I’ve never seen you take a girl home.”
Logan shrugged. “That’s because I’ve never taken a girl home. I mean, I don’t know why you would have thought that would have changed at this point. It’s not like I’ve never had a blow job or messed around, just not the full length of the field yet. By choice, obviously.”
Jordan shook his head as if he were disappointed. “Hey, it’s your life, bro. You’re the one missing out.”
“Oh yeah, between your stories of clingy ass chicks and the hell you go through to get away from them, I really feel I’m losing out,” Logan replied.
Jordan slapped him on the back. “All worth it in the moment. So, how did last semester go? You come up with any genius ideas for your company?”
Logan rolled his eyes. “I know I want a tech company, hands down. It’s so hard to get into that shit, though. There is an internship across the country I have my eye on. I don’t want to leave L.A., but if it gets me rolling, I’ll do it. I don’t want to be a slave to the man for the rest of my days. How about you?”
Jordan scoffed. “You know that college shit was for show. I’ve got the production company to inherit in a few years. Until then, I’ll try to get through the bullshit with my father, and just enjoy myself. I plan on doing a little work this summer, since they’re producing a Helena Alvarez flick, and she is smoking hot.”
Logan lifted an eyebrow. “Yeah, because you have a chance at that.”