Hi everyone!
Just thought you would like a little taste of my new release, In the Shadow of Malice that will be released in 16 DAYS!!! I hope you enjoy the read.
Chapter One
Almost midnight, an empty parking lot, no prying eyes.
Adam Blake hit the key fob, locking his sedan as he
stepped out of the shadows. His senses picked up a hint of the wild honeysuckle
that grew along the chain-linked fence lining the west side of Pete’s Diner. As
a warm May breeze washed over him, he rolled the tension from his shoulders and
scanned the perimeter. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
Quite frankly, the reason he kept coming back
surprised the hell out of him. Even through the food was great, Adam craved the
company the small diner provided. The regulars were all so damn normal. Adam
needed normal.
His life had become a reflection of what he did for a
living and he needed a drastic change. Pete’s Diner had become a baby step in
that direction. The occasional hour spent with familiar strangers chased away
his lonely, harsh existence.
From his position, he could identify the two people
who remained in the deserted restaurant. The wizened old trucker was there on
his weekly run from Norfolk, Virginia, to New Haven, Connecticut. The young
woman sitting alone in one of the booths was the owner’s granddaughter. From
what Adam could surmise, Calista Martin had no life outside the diner other
than her music studies at the university a few miles down the road. The ever-present cello case propped on the
bench next to her kept her company.
The double doors behind the counter opened and a big
man in a navy blue double-breasted chef’s coat and sculled cap set a large
silverware caddy on the counter. Pete Bradshaw was built like a guerrilla on
steroids. Strands of blond-gray hair escaped the edges of his cap and gray
stubble covered his chin. But what stood out most was the enormous fried egg
skull tattoo on his left arm, the yellow yolk resting right in the center of
the left eye socket.
Calista approached Pete as he poured coffee into a
travel mug. The hard angles of his face softened when he glanced at her. He replaced the carafe back on the heating
unit and a grin spread across his face. A bellowed cheer loud enough to rattle
the windows followed as he lifted her into his arms and swung her around like
she was a little girl. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a
quick hug before turning to the trucker and hugging him as well.
The celebratory moment could only mean one thing:
Calista Martin posted her final assignment for her master’s degree in music
performance and secondary education. The bright smile on her face sent an
unusual feeling of warmth into the pit of Adam’s stomach. For reasons he was
too tired to define, a sense of pride for her accomplishments raced through
him. He recognized the strength and dedication it took for Calista to follow
her dream. Adam had no dreams other than to protect those he loved and to stay
alive one more day.
Her beaming smile pulled at Adam like a magnet,
forcing his feet to step closer to the entrance. Removing her arms from around
the older man’s shoulder, she paused and turned toward the window. Their eyes
held before she raised her hand and motioned for him to come inside. She moved
toward the door and held it open for him.
“Am I too late for a quick burger?” Adam asked,
closing the door behind him.
“The kitchen is still open. Pete will make you
something.”
Calista lowered her eyes and eased away from him. A
hint of pink came into her cheeks. She acted the same jitterish way every time
he got too close. Most people gave him a wide berth and that was usually fine
with him. But Calista was so open and
friendly to everyone who came through the door. For some reason, it pissed him
off that she treated him with the same wariness like everyone else did. He
wanted that normal symbol of kindness she gave to others too, at least here.
The trucker set his ticket and a twenty down by the
register. “Calista. Heading out.”
She stepped out of the path of the doorway. “Thanks, Nate. Be careful on the road
tonight.”
“Always. And you get out of this grease-hole.
Celebrate.” He placed a Nationals baseball cap on his head. “Yo, Pete. Where’s
my jitter juice?”
“Watch your mouth, or the owner of this grease-hole
may just spit in your next meatloaf.”
Pete’s voice was low, menacing, but his jovial
expression gave away his true nature. He took the travel cup, waited a second
for the last drip of fresh brewed coffee to drop into the carafe, and filled
the oversized mug.
The scent of fresh, hot coffee wafted across the room,
masking the overpowering odor of greasy fries. Adam inhaled, hoping the scent
of caffeine would revive him. Pete took a cup from beneath the counter, filled
it to the brim, and set it at Adam’s regular table.
“Same-old-same-old tonight, Adam?”
Adam took a deep sip of the hot brew. “That would be
great, but make it to go. If I sit here for too long, I’ll be out for the
night.”
“No problem. It will be right out,” he said before
facing his granddaughter. Calista busied herself with wrapping silverware into
napkins and then placing them in the caddy next to the menus. Pete took out
another cup, filled it half full, and set it next to her.
“I can’t drink coffee this time of night,” she
murmured at her grandfather like he should know better than to tempt her.
“Half a cup isn’t going to kill you.” A smirky grin
appeared on his face. “Neither would a good roll … ”
“Pete! God, the things that come out of your mouth.”
Calista picked up the mug and brought it to her nose, taking in the scent of
the strong, rich brew. “And you can’t joke about spitting in people’s food.”
She took a sip, closed her eyes and swallowed. A groan of pure pleasure rumbled
in her throat.
Adam coughed out his coffee and almost swallowed his
tongue. Calista Martin was a walking, talking sensual magnet if ever there was
one. From her shoulder-length strawberry blond curls that bounced when she
moved to those warm cocoa, almond eyes that made a man feel noticed, Calista
was a natural beauty with a body that would give a blind man wet dreams. Her
groan sent blood rushing to dormant places better left alone.
To hide the growl that slipped through his lips, he
chortled. Calista gave him a hard glare but again quickly lowered her eyes.
Pete let out another window-rattling laugh, which sent Calista’s cheeks and
neck into a deep crimson glow. Before he returned through the swinging doors to
the kitchen, he nudged her and said, “Tell Adam your news.”
“What news,
Calista?”
“It’s nothing really. I just turned in my last
assignment for my master’s degree.”
Adam rose, and lifting his coffee mug, tapped her mug
lightly on the rim. “Congratulations. That’s fantastic.” He eased back into the
booth. “So, what’s next for you?”
“After six years and 166 college credits, the only
thing in my near future is uninterrupted sleep.”
Adam let out a chuckle. “Will you teach or perform?”
“Both. I have sent several audition tapes to
orchestras and applied to just as many teaching positions. Now I have to see
who bites. The best scenario is I’m hired to perform where I can also teach.”
When she lifted her eyes to meet his gaze, her mouth
opened to say something, but all she produced was a noisy breath. She darted
off her stool and pointed to the corner of his right eye. “You’re bleeding.”
Adam yanked a couple napkins from the dispenser and
blotted the area around the small Band-Aid. A couple drops of blood must have
pooled at the corner of the bandage and dripped down the side of his face. He
gave the area a quick wipe, crumbled the napkin, and placed it in his pocket.
“What
happened?”
“It’s nothing. Work accident. A protester didn’t like
the guy I was protecting. Threw a bottle at him but hit me instead. I should
have grabbed a larger Band-Aid.”
“I don’t think it’s nothing.” She lifted his hair away
from the area. “Have you seen it? The skin is turning a nasty shade of black
and blue.”
Calista moved behind the counter and pulled out a
first-aid kit. She approached the table, cupped his jaw in her hand, and gently
peeled off the Band-Aid. The feel of her hand on his face sent an unexpected
jolt through him. He shifted his face out of her reach. “It’s nothing.”
Ripping open the gauze package, she folded it in half,
and laid it on the wound, applying pressure. Something sharp slid over the cut,
making him cringe.
“Damn, that’s not helping, Calista.”
She removed the gauze.
A small, brownish piece of glass was mixed in with the blood. “Pete said
you run a security firm. Maybe you need to ask for combat pay.”
“Can’t ask for
more pay if it’s your own company. I practically work for free so I can give my
employees combat pay.” He then eased her hand away from his head, holding down
the bandage himself. “Don’t fuss. It’s no big deal.”
“You could have a concussion, Adam.”
“I don’t.” He grabbed another swatch of gauze from the
kit and ripped it open. He added a squeeze of antibiotic ointment, and attached
it with tape to his forehead. “See, all better.”
Calista gave him a hard stare before she closed the
first-aid kit and replaced it behind the counter. She picked up a spray bottle
of cleaner and began to spray down the counter. “It’s your noggin.”
Pete came back through the kitchen door and set a
to-go container down next to Adam before he addressed his granddaughter. “Put
that rag down, Calista. You’re not closing tonight. Pack up and get out of
here.”
“You let the other waitress go home. I’m all you’ve got. Besides, we shared a
ride.”
“Believe it or not, I can manage without you. And the
night my granddaughter earns her master’s degree, she doesn’t close down this
grease trap. Take the car. I’ll catch a bus or walk home.”
Calista placed her hands on her hips. “I’m not leaving
you to close by yourself and walk home. How are you going to go by and visit
Mimi if you don’t have a car? I’ll take the bus.”
Adam stood. “I can give Calista a ride home.” He
reached into his coat pocket for his wallet. Placing a twenty down next to the
register like the last customer, he grabbed his to-go bag and leaned his
shoulder against the door. “Calista, “I’m ready whenever you are.”
Calista busied herself by stuffing her laptop into her
canvas bag, her fingers fidgeting with the zipper. As Adam waited for some sort
of acknowledgment, he pushed down the irritation forming in the pit of his
stomach. Even when he was trying to be a good guy, do a normal guy kind of
thing, he was still treated like an asshole.
“It’s just a ride home, Calista. I’m too scared of
your grandfather to try anything.”
“You don’t have to do that. The bus stop is right
there,” she said, pointing toward the parking lot.
“I know where the bus stop is.” Adam reached for her
large case and paused by the door.
She stood still, studying him until he almost
fidgeted. “I don’t accept rides from anyone unless I know their last name.”
“Blake. Adam Blake.”
Calista first glanced at her grandfather. He gave her
a nod. The room grew quiet while she
made up her mind. She finally shrugged and said, “I would love a ride home.
Lead the way.” She reached up and gave Pete a kiss on his cheek. “Give Mimi my love.”
“Your grandmother will be so proud of you. I can’t
wait to tell her …”
He stopped as if his words clogged his throat.
“It’s okay, Pete. Mimi’s heart knows, her soul knows,
and you’re right. She’s very proud of me.” Calista wiped away the tear that
threatened to spill down her grandfather’s cheek. With another quick hug, she
walked out to the parking lot.
Adam moved ahead of her, positioning his body so it
shielded her between him and the building. A soft crunch near the dumpster
sounded behind him. He froze. With his arms tight against his body, the
familiar rush of adrenaline filled his veins. He shifted his position toward
the dark shadows. A large calico cat bounced off the structure and disappeared
into the bushes.
“That’s Max. He and Pete have an understanding.”
“It’s a cat. How do you have an understanding with a
cat?”
“He brings Pete dead mice and Pete makes sure Max eats
like a king.”
Adam chuckled. Something he seemed to do a lot around
Calista. With one final visual sweep, he relaxed his stance and opened the
passenger door of his Acura. After Calista was settled in the deep leather
seat, he ambled around and unlocked the trunk, placing her cello in the bay. He
slammed the trunk and got behind the wheel.
Before he could stop himself, he asked the question
that had been bugging him. “I thought I heard your grandmother passed away a
while back. Did I misunderstand?”
“No, you heard right.”
“But you just told Pete to …”
“He drives to the cemetery every night after he closes
the diner, sits next to her gravestone, and tells her about his day. They were
married fifty years. That isn’t a loss you ever get over.”
“And your parents? They are gone too?”
“Yes, it’s just Pete and me. Mom and Dad died in a car
accident when I was eleven. Mimi and Pete raised me.” Calista twisted so she
would face him. “What about you?”
“The same. Both parents gone.”
Adam hadn’t a clue why he brought the subject up. He
had no business spending time with Calista outside the diner. That wasn’t a
baby step into a normal existence, but a giant leap off a high cliff. His life
made him hell on relationships.
But there was just something about Calista he couldn’t
ignore. Maybe it was time to see if there was anything between them. If not, he
could just walk away before he hurt her, too.
“I’m sorry
about your parents.” She placed a hand over his arm. Their gazes held before
she broke away and scanned the interior of his car. “I figured you would drive
some sporty number or one of those black, mysterious SUVs.”
“What’s a
black, mysterious SUV?”
“You know. One of those cool bulletproof numbers with
blacked out windows.”
“Calista, just what do you think I do?”
“You’re like Batman.” Her voice was barely above a
whisper and she squirmed in her seat, her gaze on a spot in her lap. “When you
leave the diner, you return to your bat cave unless you’re out fighting bad
guys.”
He grimaced. Now what, smartass? Lie to her, or
tell her who you really are and what you do?
“Who knew music teachers had such active imaginations?
I’m no superhero.”
He could never tell her what he did for a living. His
path may have been chosen for him, but he hadn’t walked away when he had the
chance.
“And I’m not a music teacher―yet.”
“You’re going to be hired so fast, your head will
spin.” He placed the key in the ignition and started the car. Backing out of
the space, he pulled onto the side street.
“Where are you going?” Her voice sounded normal.
Adam slowed and
stopped at the light. “I’m taking you home.”
“But I didn’t tell you where I live.”
“Yeah, I guess I need that, don’t I? This is the way the
Metro bus always turns.”
Calista grinned. “It’s not far. Take the second left.
My neighborhood is a couple miles on the other side of the beltway. Once you
pass over I-495, I’ll direct you.”
Following her directions, Adam headed north on the
deserted street. The faded streetlights casted a fluorescent gloom over homes
on either side of the street, but the lack of lighting didn’t distract from the
well-cared neighborhood. People took pride in their homes much like the suburbs
of Los Angeles, where he grew up. There was a time when someone like Calista
was exactly the type of woman he dreamed of settling down with and raising a
bunch of little Blakes. She had a kindness in her that he sorely missed. But
with the twelve jaded, nightmarish years he had on her that he could never
erase, that dream was gone. It couldn’t exist in his reality now.
“What’s wrong? You’re so tense.”
“Sorry, my mind was on something else.”
“If you get on the Beltway here, you can get off at
the next exit, avoiding all the lights.”
Adam turned on
his blinker and eased over a lane. Just as he entered the entrance ramp, a
stabbing pain exploded in the back of his eyes, ricocheting across his frontal
lobe. An involuntary, animalistic moan escaped through his clenched teeth and
he squeezed his eyes shut against the searing pain. His hands shot up to cover
his head as his foot slammed down on the accelerator. The car shot across the
road, jumping the curb, and hurled up a slope. Adam hit the brake inches before
the front bumper smashed into the trunk of an old oak tree. His forehead
smashed into the horn, the blaring sound deafening.
“Adam?”
Calista slammed the gearshift in park and shut off the
ignition. She pulled his head away from the steering wheel. “Adam, what’s
wrong?” She tried to remove his hands from his head, but he held on tight.
He couldn’t think, couldn’t reason. He swallowed the
acidic bile in his throat. The blinding pain increased until he thought his
head would burst. Then the sound of a child’s desperate cry filled his head. They’re
hurting Mommy! Help her!
What the fuck was that? Every word of the child’s plea
seemed to cut through his frontal lobe to the back of his head. A gripping
panic slammed into him as he fumbled in his jacket pockets. “My cell. Find my
cell.”
Calista searched his pockets. “Here, Adam. I’ll call
911.”
“No. No.”
He dropped his head back against the seat. Everything
around him faded in and out of focus—except Calista. The pain pounded between his
ears as dark, red spotted dots swam over his vision, allowing only minimal
light in. Sweat beaded around his eyes and screamed down his spine. He shook
his head to clear his vision and grabbed the phone. It took a couple tries, but
a line on the other end began to ring.
Calista gasped, her hands covering her mouth. “God,
you’re bleeding again, but not from the wound on your head. It’s coming from
your eyes.” She swiped a finger at the corner of his eye and her fingers came
away dripping with his blood. “I need to get you to a hospital.”
He began to shake his head, but the pain was so bad,
he froze. The phone continued to ring in his ear. Eighth ring, ninth. On the
tenth ring, it was picked up.
“Rina.” His best friend’s name came out in a raspy
whisper. “Rina.”
“Katrina is a little busy right now, Blake. Why don’t
you join the party?”
The man’s voice came out in a thick, rough, eastern
European accent. Adam recognized it and a chill spiked through him.
The agony in the scream he heard next pierced Adam’s heart.
He shoved down the sharp pain in his head and allowed the years of training to resurfaced.
“You’re dead,
Ludis. You hear me. Your fucking life is over,” he ground out.
“Big words. I’m going to carve her open then hunt down
the kid. Your kid, you motherfucker. And when I’m done with her, I’m coming for
you.”
The line went dead.
((HUGS TO ALL))
Nancy C. Weeks
IN THE
SHADOW OF EVIL:
IN THE
SHADOW OF GREED
((HUGS TO ALL))
Nancy C. Weeks
Buy links for In the Shadow of
Evil and In the Shadow of Greed
IN THE
SHADOW OF EVIL:
AMAZON: http://amzn.to/1fgBXl7
BARNES AND NOBLE: http://bit.ly/17hjfco
iTUNES: http://bit.ly/1f05ToH
CRIMSON ROMANCE: http://www.crimsonromance.com/
IN THE
SHADOW OF GREED
AMAZON: http://amzn.to/16ZTUl3
BARNES AND NOBLE: http://bit.ly/16GHb6I
iTUNES: http://bit.ly/17JKTvi
CRIMSON ROMANCE: http://www.crimsonromance.com/
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