W.L. Knightly's Blog, page 12

Highest Ranking is LIVE!

Fiona Wilde’s past has a way of catching up to her, and when he stepbrother, and club owner, Jack, catches her with her father’s bodyguard, she does everything she can to remain daddy’s little girl. Including working for her brother’s escort service for his elite VIP Club.

Five years later, when her father is murdered, all deals are off, especially when he leaves her clues to who did it. With the help of the ex-bodyguard, who is now with the LAPD, will she get the right man and bring him to justice, or learn things are never as they seem? Who says dead men tell no tales?

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Chapter 1

“You’re so lucky, Fiona. I want your life.” Lucy turned up the music in the Wilde guesthouse. “I love this song. Wouldn’t it be great to hear it in your brother’s club?”

“I’ve already told you I’d ask, Lucy. You don’t have to keep reminding me.” Fiona and Lucy often stayed in the guesthouse when she slept over. Fiona preferred it there, away from the big house, away from her brother, and away from her father’s close eye.

“But you haven’t asked yet, and it’s just hours away. Are you going to torture me and wait until the last minute?” Lucy had been bugging her about it for weeks since Jack had proven he was going to make this latest idea a reality.

“Relax. It’s all about timing.” Fiona put down her book and gave her friend a sly smile. “I’m waiting until breakfast. Why do you think I wanted to get up so early?”

“Because you’re weirdly programmed that way?” Lucy liked to sleep until noon through the summer.

“My father is always in a much better place just after a nice meal, and I even had Helen prepare his favorite.”

“You’re good, Fiona Wilde. I wish I had a maid to help with my dirty work.” Lucy wasn’t from a wealthy family, but Fiona had taken her under her wing after meeting at the local library back when they were fourteen. They had been inseparable since. She couldn’t imagine life without her best friend, who was like a sister to her.

“I have many tools in my arsenal,” said Fiona as she steepled her fingers. She smiled as Lucy’s eyes lit up. “Just wait. You want to see my brother’s club, and you’ll get to. When have I ever let you down?”

“You? Never.” 

Her own family had let her down plenty, though, and Fiona knew it was why she spent so much time wishing she had the Wilde life. She had a heart so big, Fiona felt it her duty never to break it or let anyone else.

Lucy walked to the mirror and pulled up her long, auburn hair. She glanced back over her shoulder at Fiona and gave a pouty look. “What do you think? Should I wear my hair up or down tonight?”

“Up,” said Fiona as she looked out the front window across the pool to the main house, which was her family’s sprawling Hollywood mansion. The white-on-white, traditional-style home was nothing simple, with lush greenery and climbing vines that added a regal sophistication and privacy.

She had been waiting on her father to make an appearance, but he hadn’t come out for breakfast yet.

“I hope we meet some hot guys,” said Lucy, running her hand down her hips. “I need someone who stimulates my mind and my body.”

“I’m good,” said Fiona, thinking of her last sexual encounter. It brought a smile to her face and tingles everywhere else.

“Oh? Still drooling over Silas? I thought that didn’t work out?” Lucy might have been Fiona’s best friend, but that didn’t mean she told her everything. Growing up in the Wilde family, there were just some things you learned to keep to yourself.

“Silas is sweet, but just because our fathers have been trying to put us together since puberty, it doesn’t make us each other’s type.” She was pretty sure Silas’s type was the same as hers. Tall, strong, and male. But that had never been confirmed, and she wasn’t going to suggest it to Lucy and blow his cover. And then again, she could be wrong. Silas was very hard to read. “Despite our complicated fathers, we’re not getting together.”

“But Silas Cohen is so rich and handsome,” she said. “And he’s sweet. Besides that, you know your wedding ring would be the biggest, most expensive rare diamond, with that being their family business.”

“I don’t need a big ring. And Silas might be a bit too sweet. Besides, I’ve been talking to someone else.” Fiona smiled, knowing Lucy would be surprised to hear it.

Lucy spun around and pranced over to where Fiona sat by the window. “Oh my god, just when I think I know everything about you, Fiona Wilde, you hit me with a secret boyfriend. Who is he?”

Fiona glanced at the window to take another look. “If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?”

“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me. Tell me!” She urged Fiona on with a pleading look.

“His name is Alex, and we’re not into anything serious. Yet. But I’ll tell you the minute it’s official.” Discretion was everything.

“Do you think he’ll be there tonight?”

Fiona smiled, hoping that everything would go according to plan. “There’s a good chance of it,” she said with a sly grin.

“Well, now we have to go. You have to convince your dad to let us. Tell him we’ll be on our best behavior.”

Lucy walked back to the mirror, and Fiona glanced out the window. Her father had come out, and he sat at the table on the veranda as Helen placed food all around.

“I’m going out. You get dressed and join us.” She wanted to have her father alone. Getting his permission to do anything was never easy, and he had always been super protective of Fiona, his only daughter. She was also his only biological child and the apple of his eye.

She strolled along the flagstone path to the main house where her father now sat alone.

“You’re early,” he said. “Helen hasn’t even finished setting the table, and this dish is still hot.” Fiona hadn’t had a hot meal for breakfast in ages. Helen knew to set the meals around the man of the house, and if his children didn’t have sense enough to drag in and get it while it was hot, then she couldn’t help it.

“It’s a beautiful morning,” she said, walking up to give her father a kiss on the cheek. He was handsome for his age, even with the graying brown hair and glasses, which gave him a sophisticated look. “You smell good, Daddy. Is that the new aftershave I bought you?” 

She loved to spoil and pamper him with things now and then. He meant the world to her, and she only ever wanted to make him happy.

“Yes, it is. I’ve already received compliments. Maybe I’ll find wife number three after all.” He gave his winning smile, a smile that had helped make his fortune in real estate. 

“Don’t you dare,” said Fiona, taking the chair beside him. She hadn’t minded her father’s second wife. It was the baggage she brought with her that Fiona could do without. 

Thankfully, he was content to live alone and kept his affairs private these days. No longer was he bringing home a new girlfriend every other month, and Fiona didn’t have to worry about another woman coming in between them as the last one had.

Her father chuckled as Jack walked in, his suit pressed and fitted, his shirt unbuttoned to show more chest than necessary. But when you pay for waxing, you have to show it off sometime. Or at least, that was what he’d tell her. Instead, she had learned not to remark about her stepbrother, and that was the only way the two of them got along.

“Tonight’s the night, family,” said Jack, opening his arms big as if ready to hug the world or maybe grab it by the balls. “It’s going to be epic.”

Fiona hated him calling her family, but at least he had a club now. So that had earned him at least the right to breathe in her book. 

He walked over and pulled up a chair as Helen came out with the rest of the food and a pitcher of orange juice, freshly squeezed. 

“This looks amazing, Helen, thank you.” He smiled at the woman, who seemed surprised to see we had all gathered early.

The housekeeper, Helen, who was fifty-two with mousy brown hair and a scrawny figure, lived in the main house in the maid’s quarters. She had been hired recently after Margie, who Fiona grew up with, retired with her family in Paris.

Helen was trying hard to be accepted, even sucking up to Jack, who had been determined to win her over first. She smiled at him. “You’re most welcome, Jack. And congratulations on your opening night. I’m sure you’ll do great.”

“Thanks. You know, you should come down there sometime, Helen. You might find you a rich man to come and sweep you off your feet.” He wagged his dark brows, and Helen blushed as she placed the last dish.

As the maid hurried away with a little extra bounce in her step, Scott Wilde—Scottie to his closest—cleared his throat. “Both of my kids here with me? This is a special day indeed.” 

Her father’s comment lacked luster, and Fiona knew it was because Jack had been driving him crazy with the opening of the club.

“You’re still coming tonight, right?” Jack gave him a hopeful look as if his only mission in life was to make the old man proud of him.

“I’ll be there,” said her father. “I am a man of my word.” You didn’t get to be a successful man any other way, or at least, that was what he’d always told her. He was successful, too, living and working in the area his whole life, and he had built his empire making the right connections.

Before Fiona could make a suggestion about going, Lucy came out no longer wearing her sleep clothes, having changed into one of Fiona’s sundresses instead.

“Good morning, Lucy,” said Fiona’s father.

“Good morning,” she responded, pulling up her usual chair.

Jack looked Lucy up and down with a grin. “You’re eighteen now, aren’t you? You should come to the club tonight.”

Fiona turned to her father. “Actually, I was going to see if we could both go?” She had a hopeful look in her eyes as she made the suggestion, but her father didn’t seem convinced.

“I’m not sure. You’re only eighteen. It’s not like you can drink. What do you want to do down there?”

Fiona could think of plenty of reasons. “Dancing. Meeting people. And besides, Dad, I’m nineteen, not eighteen, remember?”

“I forget.” He still didn’t look like he was going to budge.

“You’ll be there too,” said Jack. “Come on. I want my family all together there. It’s the biggest night of my life.”

Fiona was shocked that Jack had spoken up for her. “Please, Daddy?” The talk hadn’t gone how she thought it would, but maybe this was better. With Jack on her side for once, maybe things would turn out okay. 

And she knew Alex would be there.

“Fine, but no drinking, and just to be sure you don’t get in any trouble, I’m going to have my bodyguard watching over the two of you.” He aimed his finger in their direction.

“You could give the man the night off,” said Jack. “I’ve got bouncers who can look after them.”

“I hired him for a reason,” said her father. “Besides, I don’t want your dirty bouncers keeping an eye on them. No telling what would happen. If I go, my bodyguard goes. Plain and simple, or I’ll stay at home.”

Fiona sank in her chair. Her father had been shot at when coming out of one of his meetings several months back, and he had hired his own personal detail. Fiona didn’t like to think about why he had taken the precaution. It worried her that her father might get himself into a dangerous situation or even killed.

She knew he dabbled with a few shady people, but she knew her father was a good man and that he’d always make the best decisions when it came to his family.

“No problem,” said Jack. “The more, the merrier. You girls will love it. And besides, I need a guarantee on some pretty faces. Oh, and the Cohens are coming, so there will be plenty of people you know.”

“Connor or Silas?” asked Fiona. She only liked Silas. Connor was an asshole at times, always picking on his younger brother.

“Both. And my buddy Tres will be there too. It’s going to be fun.”

Tres Ellington was one of Jack’s friends who had made it big in golf. All Fiona knew about him was that he was a trust-fund kid, always getting exactly what he wanted from his mommy and daddy, including a shiny red corvette.

“I’m so excited,” said Lucy. “We have to go shopping for something to wear.”

“Here,” said her father, reaching into his back pocket. “Take this and find something special. I’m sure you’ll want to look pretty for Silas.” Her father handed her six-hundred dollars. “Get something for Lucy too. Like your brother said, it’s a special night.”

Fiona noticed how Jack’s expression faded as her father handed her the cash, but he plastered on a smile and didn’t say a word. 

“Thanks, Daddy.” She got up and hugged his neck. “I love you.”

“Yeah, thank you, Mr. Wilde.”

“You’re welcome, girls. Go have a good day. But eat you a good breakfast first. You’re both too skinny.” 

Fiona shook her head, and Lucy giggled. Neither was too skinny, but her father was always telling them that.

As they fixed their plates, her father got on his phone to make arrangements with the bodyguard.

Fiona listened and exchanged a sly smile with her friend. If things went as planned, she’d have the night of her life.

Hey t...

Hey there friends, so excited to share I have a brand new series coming soon, The VIP Club. Check out this cover and blurb...


 


Fiona Wilde’s past has a way of catching up to her, and when he stepbrother, and club owner, Jack, catches her with her father’s bodyguard, she does everything she can to remain daddy’s little girl. Including working for her brother’s escort service for his elite VIP Club.


 


Five years later, when her father is murdered, all deals are off, especially when he leaves her clues to who did it. With the help of the ex-bodyguard, who is now with the LAPD, will she get the right man and bring him to justice, or learn things are never as they seem? Who says dead men tell no tales?

Snared is Live!

I'm so excited to let you know that the final book in The Child Collector Series, SNARED, is live!

As Leah loses her mind, putting Gemma’s life in danger, she sets up her next victim. But when Gemma cries for help, it’s a race against the clock until Leah runs with her again. Will help arrive in time?

With Cam and Shae getting closer to catching their killer, another missing person and an old flame will lead them to the break they’ve been waiting for. But will it be too late?

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Chapter 1
Shae

Shae’s lips chapped against Cam’s stubble, but she didn’t want to stop kissing him. The windows had steamed up around them as they made good use of the Explorer’s roomy backseat after moving Cam’s dry cleaning.

Having sex with him at the roadside park, which thankfully didn’t get any traffic, wasn’t a plan to convince him to keep her on the case, but she wouldn’t be disappointed if it helped.

As if he could read her mind, Cam stopped kissing and thrusting long enough to look into her eyes. “You want this, don’t you? I mean, for us to be a thing. It’s not just for the case?”

“I should be insulted,” she said.

Cam cupped her face and met her eyes. “I’m sorry. I just need to know where you stand. What this is about.”

She had deprived her heart for a long time, and although she didn’t trust him not to stomp it, she wasn’t going to hold back any longer. “I do want it, but it’s hard to put myself out there, you know?”

He glanced down to where he entered her body, grinding slowly as she bucked her hips upward to accept him. “It doesn’t look like you’re having much trouble at the moment.”

“I just wonder how you’re going to handle our situation. I know you have a duty to arrest me.”

Cam brushed her hair from her face. “That doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is you want this as much as I do. We’ll figure the rest out.” 

“Then why did you stop?” She gave him a hungry look and pushed her hips upward. 

He pounded her hard, relieving the sweet anticipation, and it wasn’t long after that she orgasmed. A few strokes more, and he was right behind her.

Once they both stilled, he eased back against the seat and watched as Shae righted her clothes. It had been a spur of the moment, around-the-clothes quickie, but it still had her head spinning. Cam had always been a good lover, and she realized at that moment what she’d been missing for so long.

But she hadn’t let her heart chase him. She hadn’t let it chase anything. Or have anything.

“I can’t believe we just had sex in my car.” Cam wiped his forehead. “It’s been years since I’ve done anything like this.”

Shae couldn’t relate. “I’ve never done anything like this.” She hadn’t done too much of anything with anyone.

He gave her a look like he couldn’t believe it. “You mean to tell me you’ve never gone out parking?”

“No,” she said, laughing. “I haven’t been with many people. I guess that might surprise you.”

“It’s a nice surprise, not that I ever thought too much about who you were with other than me.” Cam got a smug look. “So I’m special, right?”

“Don’t let it go to your head.” She pushed him away as he went in for another kiss, and she crawled over the seats to the passenger side. “Well, aren’t you going to take me home, or are you going to sit there with your dick out?”

Cam pulled up his pants and got out of the car to get into the front. “Mack is probably worried.”

“No, she’s probably rolling her eyes at us.” She fastened her seatbelt and wiped the fog from the window beside her.

Cam started the car and put down the windows. “Do you mind if I shower at your place? I’d like to clean up a little before we head to work.”

“We? Are you going to let me go to the office with you? And not in handcuffs?”

“No—damn, I forgot I had handcuffs in here.” He looked at the console. “Maybe another time?”

“Don’t push your luck.” She hadn’t done that either but maybe she’d trust him enough.

“Fine. We best get back. We’ve got a lot to do.”

“Starting with?” asked Shae. She wondered what had come down the line in the way of leads.

He started the car and raked his hair back from his face. “I have no idea. But I know I’m not going to put you in cuffs unless it’s to get kinky, so you can relax about that. I should arrest you, but then again, if I were going to play this completely by the book, I should resign from the case and turn it over to the Feds.”

“I’m shocked. I really thought that was your way of getting in one last nut before you have to apply for conjugal visits.”

“That’s one way to get you to marry me,” he said with a grin. Shae’s heart fluttered at the comment, but he continued on as if the idea of marriage was no big deal. “But back to business. You never did answer me before. Do you have the evidence? The case files?”

“It was my personal case file. It had all my information. It didn’t have anything else really. I took copies of a few others, but the only one I needed to disappear was mine.”

“I can understand that,” he said. “You had to look out for yourself.”

“Yeah, no one else was. Franks, who was on the verge of retiring, didn’t keep good records, and he was barely hanging onto the cases he had as it was. After him, they had Phillips come in to take over. And when I arrived, even the officer who helped Franks wasn’t around anymore. He died shortly after my case. Franks didn’t even remember me from the accident. And since Phillips didn’t know me either, I used that to my advantage and went in and took any record of me off the books when I had a chance. I knew if I wanted near the case, near Leah, I had to.”

“And the physical evidence?” Cam gave her a pointed look. “I know there was some. That’s why you had the red tape in the bottom of that box. You took it off of something.”

“There wasn’t much really. There were mostly photographs of the scene in the file. But there were a few things taken, a rubber glove with my blood—the syringe. Leah drugged me, and the doctors said it was what saved me. It slowed my bleeding. But there wasn’t much else. I think a tarp. That’s what they found me on. I guess she ditched her plans to wrap me up and dump me in a shallow grave. I bet now she wishes she did.” 

Shae’s mind drifted back to the night. “She left me there to die instead. She took my baby and ran. And since the department didn’t have any similar victims, they didn’t know what they were dealing with. They thought it could have been a black-market job, but a woman? I knew pretty quickly they weren’t going to be able to find her. My case would be forgotten with countless others, like I didn’t even matter. So I decided I had to make sure I didn’t let another girl feel like she didn’t matter. I got into the case and obsessed over the cold cases, collecting others that were similar until I realized that she was back at it again. And maybe she hadn’t ever stopped.”

“You never let Detective Phillips know about your case at all?” he asked.

“No, I took the files and evidence long before he even had a look at it. When Leah reared her ugly head again, I was already in place to make her pay. I worked tirelessly on it, through all of Phillips’s personal problems, his health, his divorces. And I was so close to catching her. Well, so close that she shot me.”

“They thought you were obsessed and had suspended you before that. And so you took it on yourself to continue. You’re pretty brave. Or crazy. I’m not sure which.”

“Thanks,” she said, giving him a sideward look. “They weren’t wrong about the obsession part, but Phillips’s beef wasn’t about that. He just didn’t want me to take any credit for anything. He wanted to keep a glowing record, and having someone like me steal the light wasn’t going to work for him. I was just another nuisance, a girl cop who wanted to be a detective. Someone who wanted his job. And he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. Not at the rate he was going. And that’s why they suspended me, not for getting too close to the case but to his job. It was all politics, and it all came at the worst time. But I couldn’t let that stop me. Even though I was shaken, I had to go after her. And when she shot me, I resigned and left altogether. I couldn’t let them know what happened. It took a lot of work to get things where they were. I wasn’t going to just quit. I was prepared to stop her at all costs. Even my freedom.”

“Well, I’m not letting that happen. But they do know there are files missing, so I assume you didn’t take them out of the log?”

“No, I couldn’t get to it, but it doesn’t state anything important about what it is, just that there are numbers missing. I should have known that would come back to bite me in the ass.” Shae caught her breath and closed her eyes. “So what are you going to do with all that? I’ve told you everything.”

“Well, I can’t just say, ‘Here you go, men, take this stolen evidence back,’ without you getting arrested.” He gave her a hard look that told her he resented the place she’d put him in.

She figured he’d still want to do the right thing, no matter what. “I won’t do well in jail.” Shae had done her best to stay out of the place all along, knowing that going to prison for Leah’s murder was a likely scenario. “Do your absolute best to get me a deal, okay?” She didn’t really think it was going to be as bad as all that, but it was a serious offence. 

“Yeah, and I really won’t do well with you in jail, either.” Cam slowed the car and turned in the driveway. When he came to a stop, he turned and cupped her face. “Don’t worry about it, okay? I’ve got a few cards up my sleeve, and once I figure out how to play them, I think it will be fine. But I need you to promise me.” He paused to give her a pointed look. “Promise me, Shaelyn, that you are going to follow my lead from here on out and that you won’t go off on a tear to do something else criminal, like kill this woman.”

“I said I wouldn’t kill her unless it’s absolutely necessary. Self-defense. Protecting you. I can’t make you any promises. So what if it’s serving two purposes?” Shae gave him a sweet smile and tried to lighten the mood.

Cam sighed and dropped his hand from her cheek. “Baby, this isn’t you. You’re not the bad guy. Don’t be the bad guy.”

She nodded. “I won’t. Relax.” She looked up at the house to see Mackenzie peeking out the front window. “Do you want to stay for lunch?”

“As long as you don’t mind me making a few phone calls at the dinner table, then sure. It sounds good, and I was serious about the shower. I need to get cleaned up. I have a change of clothes in the back—if we didn’t wrinkle my clothes before I remembered to move them.”

“We didn’t wrinkle them,”’ said Shae. “And don’t blame me if they are. It was your idea to get naked. You instigated the whole thing.”

“Well, it was a good idea, and I don’t think you’ll disagree with me. But if I am going to play those cards that I was telling you about, I should at least look good doing it.”

They got out and went inside the house, where Mack was quietly giving them looks of suspicion. “Where have you two been?”

“Down the road. We had to talk.”

“Talk?” she asked with a laugh. “Oh, I think not. For your information, I’ve been paying a lot closer attention to things lately. I figure if I’m going to be a detective, I should start training now.”

“Is that right?” asked Cam with a tone of amusement. “Maybe I’ll let you intern with me someday. I can show you how things are supposed to work.”

And how they’re not supposed to, thought Shae.

“I’d like that,” Mack said. She turned to Shae. “By the looks of your hair and his wrinkled pants, I’d say you were doing a whole lot more than talking, Ms. Sawyer.”

“She’s good,” said Cam, earning a hard look from Shae.

“And since there are no grass stains on either of you, I think you stayed in the car. The backseat, perhaps?”

“You can’t ground her for talking, can you?” asked Cam.

“No.” Shae gave him an apologetic look. “I wish. She’s more of a roommate, and you know how it is with emancipated minors. She’s fifteen going on fifty.”

Mack cleared her throat. “I’m right here. And I’m not wrong. My first case is solved. And if I might say so, I think the two of you make a beautiful couple. You look better together than apart.”

“And on that note, I’ll go and have that shower.” Cam left the room to go back out to the car for his clothes.

Mackenzie looked up from Charlie. “We could go visit Mrs. Bell if you’re about to get into round two.”

Shae had heard enough. “Could you please take it easy? You’re making this incredibly weird.”

Mackenzie laughed. “Then my work here is done.” She glanced down at little Charlie, who cooed. “Yes, it is,” she repeated to him in a much sweeter voice.

Shae wasn’t sure what she was going to do with any of them.

Look what people are saying…

Man are you all loving Enticed.  I love all the comments on Amazon...

"W.L. Knightly’s Enticed takes a darker turn in this well done it mystery. I can’t wait to see how this all plays out and whether or not Shae will be forgiven."

"Hold on to your seat this is one rollercoaster ride with so much happening it's full of suspense, intrigue, deceipt, secrets, lies, betrayal, danger, murder, hot steamy scene, twists that blow you away."

"This is one exciting read where everything starts to unravel for Shae and they get a break in the case on Leah the shocking ending has you saying OMG!! NO it leads to the conclusion of this well written series I so can't wait to get the next book I definitely recommend to get the entire series."

"This installment was a lot more chilling, yet still gripping. I had a hard time putting it down, and finished it in a few hours. This series is a pretty good, y'all."

"Cannot wait to see where we go from here. Leah is going to completely lose her mind but will she hurt Gemma? Will Cam forgive Shae for not telling him the truth from the beginning? Bring on book 5..."

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Enticed is Live!

With Cam and Shae just steps behind the killer, Cam makes the decision to involve the media hoping to get information on Leah. But when leads come in, they bring him a little more information than he expected.

Now that Shae’s past is catching up with her, what will it take to keep Cam from throwing her off of the case.

As the body count rises, Leah becomes more desperate, and things grow strained with Gemma at home. Will desperate times call for desperate measures?

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Read Chapter 1 of Enticed

Chapter 1
Shae

The flashing lights from the squad cars reflected through the front windows as Shae stood at the bar listening to Tate’s mother. 

“I just can’t believe this,” the other woman said. “I knew my son was acting a bit strange, but I never expected him to get in trouble like this. I thought he would have to spend the night in jail. And those poor children? I knew that woman was a psychopath. I should have called social services on that bitch a long time ago. I just had no idea sick she really is.”

“Well, she likes to present herself in a certain way. It’s hard to read people like that, and it’s understandable not to want to get involved.” Shae could tell by the way Tate’s mother kept one protective arm around her son that the boy was the whole world to her.

The woman was frazzled but probably doing her best to take care of her son. Shae understood that feeling but couldn’t quite imagine herself in the position. She had to remind herself that if she still had her baby, she might act the same way.

That feeling of envy pinched a little deep within, squeezing her heart and reminding her that she’d never get to hold her own child. Another part of her, the part that helped her cope, was thankful she didn’t have to put up with the teenage drama, at least not from her own child. But that only made the guilt of not protecting her baby sting harder. It was a vicious cycle, a process that was never ending.

“Do you need my son for anything else?” asked Tate’s mother. “I’d like for him to get home. We have a big day tomorrow.”

“You mean you’re still taking me to get my license?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yeah, I don’t condone what you did, and don’t think for a minute I do, but I’m proud you’re the kind of kid who will look out for someone else. Just promise me you won’t go off and do something that stupid again.”

“I can’t promise you that. I’m only sixteen.” Tate’s big smile was honest, and his mother tousled his hair and hugged his neck.

“It’s okay,” Shae said. “He’s free to go. Detective Murphy is going to make sure the charges are dropped because of the circumstances, but Tate.” She glanced over to give him a stern look. “Do not come back to this house.”

“Did anyone ever reach her? You know, to tell her I was here?”

Shae shook her head. “No, the number wasn’t working. And if you happen to hear from the girl, you call me as soon as possible. I want to try and put a trace on any calls we get so we can find her.”

“I sure will. Will you please give me Mackenzie’s number? Or at least give her mine?”

“I’ll have her hit you up on social media,” Shae said. “How about that?”

He nodded. “That’s fine. I just want to know that Gemma is okay.”

Shae got a sinking feeling in her heart. “You and me both.”

Tate’s mother led him out of the house, and Shae followed, finding Cam on the lawn. The woman he was speaking with was in her long blue bathrobe, and her hair was tied up in a bun high atop her head. She wore a long mumu underneath, which nearly dragged the ground, and her words were spoken with so much body language that Shae thought she might start dancing.

“I told my husband that woman was a little off. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t think the young man had any right being in her house, but she was weird.”

“So you’re the one who called the police on Tate?” Cam asked.

“Yes. I figured if he was so bold to go sneaking into her house at night, what’s to stop a boy like that from sneaking into mine? Next thing you know, he’ll be peeping through windows.” She clutched her robe at her chest as if to keep her modesty.

“Don’t worry, Edna,” said a balding man who was standing just behind her. “That boy wouldn’t want to get a peek at you. Besides, you have the windows all foiled up.”

“You hush, Benny.” She waved her hand at him. “Boys like that should be in jail. He’s got no business being out on the streets.” She pointed across the lawn in Tate’s direction.

Cam gave Shae a look like he was about to lose his mind. “Actually, the boy was very helpful in a very important case we’ve been working on. He’s a good kid and was just trying to help.”

“Well, he’s a snoop if you ask me.”

“Takes one to know one,” said Benny, stepping forward to shake Cam’s hand. “Thank you, Detective.”

The woman’s mouth popped open, and as they walked away, she smacked the old man in the arm.

“Just think,” said Cam. “In another thirty years, that could be us.” He wagged his brows at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. “You should set your standards a lot higher. Dream big. Like that receptionist. What was her name?” 

He hadn’t so much as mentioned the other woman, and while part of her was glad, another part of her thought the other woman was just what he needed.

“Stop it,” he said. “Did you find out anything about Leah?”

“Tate’s mom didn’t know her that well. It seems like no one did. But I expected that.” When she had lived with Leah, they had lived a very private life.

“Neither did they. I have a feeling no one really knows her.” Cam let out a long breath. “And here I had hoped that this was all about to be over. I thought we’d come down here and arrest that woman on the spot. Instead, she’s gone again.”

“That’s Leah. Just when you think you have the jump on her, she disappears.”

“And I know that’s why you didn’t want to take things public, but it’s not working this way. And frankly, I can’t waste any more time. With Charlie’s situation and everything happening with Mack, it’s putting us farther away from Leah.”

“That’s what she wants, and I get it. I didn’t expect her to make this kind of move. It’s not how she operates. I think the boy and what happened with Olive put her on the run.”

“Well, I’m beginning to think that expecting her to stick to one pattern is our biggest mistake. She’s not organized, and she’s not succeeding. Everything she’s doing is going wrong. When things go wrong, she’s not getting the sense of control, and people like her? They scramble. That mess with Olive was a desperate move. We should have seen this coming.”

“Did any of the neighbors see what moving company she used? Were there any cameras?” She thought there might be a chance.

“In this neighborhood? No.” Cam looked back to the house and across the lawn. There was an officer in his car, writing something on a clipboard. “Come on. Let’s see if he found out anything about the cameras in the house.”

He took off across the lawn toward the car, and she followed. When they got to the car, the officer stood up and tossed the clipboard into the passenger seat. “Detective, I was just about to come and see you.”

“Did you find out about the cameras?” Cam asked. “What company installed them?”

“I talked to the tech specialist from that company. It hasn’t been in business for a long time and was never installed in this area, which means the homeowner probably had them put in on her own or through a private company using second-hand equipment. They only worked within the house on a closed circuit. There was evidence of a monitoring system in the one bedroom.”

Shae knew what Leah had been doing with the cameras. She always had to know what was going on. She had been especially nosy when it came to Shae’s contact with family and her day-to-day whereabouts. Leah had eventually encouraged her to be homebound, and it was widely known that others had been kept almost like prisoners. 

“So, she was keeping an eye on the girls she brought home,” Shae said. “If there was any problem, if they tried to step out of line with the girls, she would know.”

“Yeah, mother of the year,” mumbled Cam. “Thanks, Tim.” He patted the officer on the back and stepped away.

“Now what?” she asked, catching up to his side. “It’s hard to believe no one saw anything.”

“If they did, they aren’t saying anything. But we can still ask around. We’ll have to get a list of all of them and reach out. Someone knows something, and it’s about time that we start asking for their help.”

“I agree,” she said. “Did you talk to the people over there?” She pointed to the house on the other side of Leah’s. “Did they see anything? What about the neighbors behind her?”

A car pulled slowly from the street and into the driveway. 

Cam shrugged. “Well, I was going to say they aren’t home, but it looks like they are now.”

“Let’s go see what they know.” Shae walked across the lawn to the neighbors and met the man who stepped out of the car.

“Is everything okay?” the man asked.

“Do you live at this residence?”

The man wiped his brow. “I own the house. Rent it from time to time. Something happening with that bitch next door?”

“I see you’ve met Leah.” Cam gave Shae an exhausted look. He seemed as if he was beginning to believe everything that she’d told him about the woman.

“Is that her name? I never knew it. But I can tell you that she’s a piece of work. I went over to the house one day and knocked on the door to tell her that the house would be empty for a few months. Thought maybe she could keep an eye on it for me. Figured it was best to be neighborly. She informed me that I shouldn’t be lurking around her house and that she wasn’t interested in playing house sitter. I apologized, but she bit my head off for coming to her door and even warned me that she had a gun. She made damned sure I didn’t want to be her friend. I thought about calling you guys out then, seeing if she was as unstable as she seemed, but I thought better of it.”

“Did you ever see anyone else there?” Shae asked.

“Nah, but I thought she had kids. At least that’s what Edna and Benny had said. They keep an eye on the house for me. Good people.”

“Yeah, they are.” Cam smiled and cleared his throat. “We’ve been looking for the woman in connection with a case we’re working, and we have reason to believe that she’s dangerous. She’s moved away from here in the past few days, and we were hoping that you might have seen something.”

“I came by yesterday. There was a big white moving truck out here.”

“Did you see the company name by chance?” Shae thought it was worth a shot to ask.

The man shook his head. “I can’t tell you what company it was because they didn’t have anything on the truck, not even a phone number. I think it was probably a private company. Most don’t take the time to splurge for a fancy setup. All I know is if she’s moved away, good riddance. I hope she never comes back.”

Shae sighed. “I can understand that, but it doesn’t really help us get her off of the streets.”

“That bad, huh? Well, good luck. I always thought she seemed like the type of angry person who would go postal or shoot up her place of work. Something in her eyes was pure evil. Like she was dead and had no soul.”

Shae nodded. She couldn’t disagree. That was why she needed to track Leah down and stop her from tearing apart more innocent lives.

Baited is Live!

As new evidence on the Baby Thief emerges with the abandonment of a little girl, Shaelyn Sawyer gets closer to finding the woman who stole her baby and her life.

While the recovery of Baby Charlie becomes a distraction, will it allow time for the killer to find her next victim, or will help come in the nick of time?

AMAZON












APPLE












NOOK












GOOGLE












KOBO

Read Chapter 1 of Baited

Chapter 1
Shae

As the excitement of the evening continued, Shae put her arm around Mackenzie. “We should get you home,” she said to the girl, who was still emotional from seeing her friend Olive come out of surgery.

The girl had been tossed aside to live or die from her ailment in a dirty bus stop by the woman who had taken her all of those years ago. The woman Shae was ready to find. “The sooner we get you home and get to the station, the sooner we can get Charlie back.” 

They had just gotten a call that the man who knew her baby’s whereabouts had been arrested. With any luck, he would lead them right to the baby without any problems.

“Can I go with you to the station?” asked Mack, still clutching the little girl’s one-armed teddy bear. “I want to go and see the man who is helping those idiots steal my baby.” Mack’s frustration was appropriate for what she’d been through. While her baby had been stolen shortly after its birth, being stolen twice was almost more than she could take.

Cam cleared his throat. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said. “You going down there to confront him might make him mad. And besides, you don’t want your emotions to get you in trouble. We’ll take you back to the house, and you can get some rest.”

Mackenzie put her hand on her hip. “Are you fucking kidding me?” she said to the detective. “You expect me to just go and sit at the house, look at the walls, and wonder what’s going on with my baby?”

“Watch your mouth,” said Cam. “I know you’re frustrated and hurt, and your emotions are in overdrive, but that’s also the reason you don’t need to go down there. You can go wait at Shae’s. Now come on. We’re going.”

Mackenzie looked at Shae and Cam. “No way. I’m staying here for when Olive wakes up. She’s going to be all alone in a strange place, and I know what that was like for me. I can’t imagine being a little girl and waking up to a roomful of strangers.”

Shae sympathized, but unfortunately, that wasn’t how it worked. “You are not her family, Mack. I’m not sure if they’ll let you stay.” The family was going to want their privacy with the little girl, and social services would be involved as well.

But Mackenzie wasn’t taking no for an answer. “I’ll ask someone. It seems to me that it would be better for her to feel safe, to see a familiar face.” She walked down to the nurses’ station, and Shae followed with Cam lagging behind them.

Shae walked up to her. “Hey, Mack. What are you going to do? She’s in recovery.”

The nurse walked over from where she had been standing in the back. “May I help you?”

“Yes, you may,” said Mack with determination in her tone. “I would like to sit and wait for my friend to wake up. I’m the only person in the world she knows aside from two other people, so unless you want her to wake up and start screaming, I should be there for her.” Mackenzie’s smug and matter-of-fact attitude embarrassed Shae. 

“I’m sorry,” said Shae. “She’s a bit upset, is all.”

The nurse shook her head. “It’s fine and not a bad idea actually. I mean, I should talk to the doctor, but I’m sure he’d agree that when the child wakes, having a familiar face to keep her calm will help, although you should understand that she is going to be out for a while. The doctor wanted to keep her calm through the rest of the night.”

Mackenzie didn’t blink. “I have all night. Besides, one wall is as good as another when it comes to staring.”

“You’re right about that,” said the nurse. “Just one minute.” She turned and walked to the back.

Once she was out of sight, Shae turned to the girl. “Mackenzie, are you going to be okay here?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine. You’ll know right where I am, and I slept in a stairwell for three weeks. I think I can handle this place.”

“Well, her next of kin has called, and they are going to be here soon, along with social services, so keep that in mind.” Shae knew that Olive wouldn’t even know them, but they would have more rights when it came to handling this situation. “If they ask you to leave, wait out here and call me.”

“I’m not leaving until I give Bobo back to her. She loves this bear. It’s not like I can be useful anywhere else. I can’t even help my own son. I just have to sit and wait, so it may as well be here.” Mackenzie had made up her mind, and Shae knew that there was no changing it now. She was staying, and that was final. 

The nurse came back. “She’s being moved to her room now. If you would like to come with me, I can show you.”

Mackenzie gave Shae a pleading look. “Call me if you have any news about Charlie?”

“Of course, I will. And I’ll be back to pick you up in the morning. Unless you need me sooner.”

“I’m good, thanks.” She went with the nurse, and Shae was hesitant to leave without her.

“Come on,” said Cam. “Let’s get to the car. We need to get down and see if they got Talbot booked.”

“Is he in Morrow County, or is he in Columbus?” she asked as they walked down the hall and to the elevator.

Cam pushed the button, and the door opened. “He’s here. I didn’t want to have to make that drive to Morrow County again. Besides, they can accommodate me for a change.” He had been really angry about the other county’s attitude. He couldn’t help it if his investigation had crossed county lines and he expected their full cooperation.

They went into the elevator. 

“I can’t believe this happened,” said Shae. “Why would those men think they could get away with this? Desperate people do desperate things, but still.”

“That’s the reason,” said Cam. “Because they thought they could get away with it. I’m going to show them they can’t.” 

He got in the car, and Shae followed.

It wasn’t until they were on the road that Shae could tell there was something on Cam’s mind. She hesitated to ask, but when he kept on with the silence, she had to ask. “What’s wrong with you? You look like something’s bothering you.” More than that, he looked like he had something to say.

“It’s nothing,” he said, waving his hand. “Just was thinking, is all.”

“Thinking about what? Those guys?”

“No, I was thinking about Mackenzie.”

“She’ll be fine.”

“I’m sure she will be. But you, you’re going to have your hands full with her if you’re not careful.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for example, her attitude back there. Like she could do what she wanted, and no one could stop her. I personally think we should have brought her home. She needs to know she can’t just have her way all the time. The little girl is going to have her family there. Even though they don’t know her, it’s their business and their life to rebuild.”

Shae didn’t understand why he was so upset about it. “I’m sure she was right about the girl, though. She’ll wake up and be all alone, without anyone she knows. I don’t see the problem.”

“Look, all I’m saying is, the girl lacks discipline.”

“She’s had a rough life, and she’s already been emancipated. Her mother is in prison, and she doesn’t have any parents. Besides, she had a baby. She’s a mother, a young woman.”

“What does that matter? She’s not an adult. She’s a kid. And unless you start to give her some guidance, she’s going to remain the same and find trouble again. I’ve seen it happen time and time again.” He shrugged. “Girls sometimes fall into a pattern, especially if they have suffered a trauma like Mack.”

She couldn’t believe her ears. “Wow, you know all about it, don’t you?” 

“I just think you should lay down some rules. It will make things easier.” Cam spoke as if he had children of his own and they were all perfect.

“Thanks, but I don’t need your parenting advice. I’m not the girl’s mother, and she’s a mother herself. So far, she seems pretty responsible and level-headed, considering her entire world is upside down at the moment.”

“Well, I guess all I’m saying is that maybe she wouldn’t have gotten into this mess if she had some better disciplinarians in her life.”

“Or maybe she got into it because the adults in her life were too strict. You can’t know. But I do know that we’re both doing fine, thank you.” The more she thought about it, the more it pissed her off. “So you think all young girls who end up pregnant should have had more discipline to not end up that way?” She gave him a hard look.

“Well, I guess I do. Yeah.”

“And what about the man in the picture? I guess they don’t have to be responsible and disciplined. They can sleep around with young girls and knock them up and dump them, and they don’t have to be responsible or accountable? What about her father?”

Cam glanced her way. “Easy, okay? I didn’t mean to start a fight. All I’m saying is to watch out and not let the girl walk all over you.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” She leaned in closer, giving him a pointed look.

“I didn’t know there was one,” he said.

“Whatever. You know I’m right. But I’m not letting you blame Mack for her position. Yes, she ended up pregnant, but she didn’t get that way alone, and I don’t think she asked for any of this to happen. She shouldn’t take all the blame. The piece of shit that got her pregnant and left her isn’t around to share it.”

Cam sighed. “Okay, okay. I didn’t mean to put it all on her, but I—” He stopped and slowed the car to turn into the parking lot. “You know what? Never mind. I don’t want us to have any problems.”

“Us? We’re good.” Shae rolled her eyes and hoped that things got better when they went to talk to Talbot. “Do you think they’re here with him?”

“They should be. I know we gave them a hell of a head start.” He was just about to say something else when the phone rang in Shae’s lap.

She answered. “Shae Sawyer speaking.”

“Ms. Sawyer,” said a deep but feminine voice. “This is Christine Kirkpatrick. I was just going to let you know that I’ll be arriving in Columbus tomorrow morning.” 

Shae was surprised to hear the voice she hadn’t heard for several years now. The mother of Karissa Kirkpatrick had met Shae years back when her daughter was murdered. Shae had called the woman shortly after learning that Olive was okay to let her know that she’d be around.

“I got the call about my daughter’s baby and your message,” the woman said. “I’m so glad you’re still on the case.”

“Well, don’t give me credit. I mean, I wish I could take it, but we didn’t find her. She found us. Her kidnapper left her at the hospital bus stop so that she could get help. She has a bowel obstruction, and they had to do surgery. She’s in a room now.”

“Yes, they told me. I can’t believe it. Is it really her?”

“According to the letter, I’m sure of it. She’s a lot like your daughter. The hair, the eyes. Spitting image really.” She had a feeling it would be like seeing her daughter again. “I’m sure they’ll still want to do a DNA test before turning her over to your custody, just as a precaution.”

“I just can’t believe this all happening. I’ve waited so long that I nearly gave up on ever getting her back.” The woman’s voice was strangled with tears, and Shae couldn’t help but tear up with her.

“I can’t believe it either.” She also couldn’t help feeling a little jealous. Christine, although unaware, was in the same situation Shae had been in. Like Shae, her daughter had been cut open and left for dead, her baby stolen right out of the womb.

“I’m on my way back to the station at the moment, but I’ll be back up there first thing in the morning.”

“That sounds perfect. Well, I’m about to stop and gas up. I’ll see you soon. And thanks again, Shae. I’m so grateful for the work you’ve done.”

“Well, if it were better circumstances, I’d say it was my pleasure. I wish you and your girl all the best.” She was about to tell the woman about Mack when she quickly ended the call. But she had a feeling that Mack would be waiting and could explain everything.

“Who was that?”

“Karissa Kirkpatrick’s mother. She’s coming to town. We’ll have to see her in the morning.”

“Well, first things first,” said Cam. “I just got a text that says Talbot’s booked and waiting.”

Shae breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that this part of the case was almost over. The sooner they focused on Leah, the better.