Breakaway - A Mary O'Reilly Lost Files Book

Before I share the sneak peek of Breakaway - there is something that I'll put in the author's notes that you should know before you read it. Breakaway happens at the very end of Book 5 - when Mary is in a coma after being drugged by Gary Copper. (Did you ever wonder where Mary went while she was in that coma? Me too!) I hope you enjoy the sneak peek:
“Hello?” Mary called out, hoping she didn’t miss everyone.
“Hey,” Mike called back from the bottom of the stairs. “How did things go?”
“It was rough,” she admitted, slowly drifting down to her friend. “My parents are beside themselves with worry and Sean is blaming himself.”
“Why is everyone so uptight about what happened to you?” Victoria asked impatiently.
Mary looked past Mike to see the ghost of a young woman dressed in an expensive negligee and robe standing next to Mike. She turned back to Mike and grinned. “Am I interrupting something here?” she teased.
“Ewww,” Victoria responded, then she turned to Mike. “I mean, you’re totally hot and everything, but I’m not into keggers and bowling leagues. Which seems like would totally be your scene. No offense.”
“Oh, none taken,” Mike replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He turned to Mary and his look warned her not to tease him. “You are obviously not interrupting anything.”
Mary coughed to hide her laughter and then nodded diplomatically. “Well, then, great,” she said with enthusiasm and then turned to Victoria. “Hi, I’m Mary O’Reilly.”
“I’m Victoria Halsey. The Victoria Halsey,” Victoria replied.
“Oh, the Victoria Halsey,” Mary replied, acting impressed. “Wow.”
Mike stepped up next to Mary. “Do you know who she is?” he whispered.
“No idea,” Mary whispered back, a gleam in her eyes. Then she raised her voice to a normal level. “So, where’s Ian?”
“The hot guy with the Scottish accent?” Victoria asked. “He just left. We couldn’t go because we had to wait for you.”
“Oh,” Mary replied. “Well, I’m here. So, we can go.” Then she turned to Mike. “Where are we going?”
“Your choice,” he said. “Victoria is your newest client.”
“Oh, so she’s the job Faye mentioned?” Mary asked.
“I am not a job,” Victoria protested. “I am Victoria Halsey, and someone made a mistake.”
“Okay. Well, I guess we should go back to my house and figure out this mistake,” Mary decided.
“Great. Ian’s going to meet us there,” Mike said.
“Yeah, after he goes to the hospital,” Victoria added.
Mike glared at Victoria, not wanting to remind Mary of her body’s current state.
“Why is he going to the hospital?” Mary asked.
“To check on you, to see how you’re doing,” Mike replied.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot I’m in a coma,” Mary replied. “This is so weird.”
“And Ian wanted to apologize to some guy named Bradley for totally screwing up,” Victoria inserted.
“Will you just please be quiet?” Mike growled, glancing over his shoulder at Victoria.
“Why does Ian feel like he needs to apologize?” Mary asked. “Is Bradley blaming him for my kidnapping?”
Mike sighed and shook his head. “You know Bradley would never do that,” Mike replied. “Ian is feeling guilty because he was responsible for watching over you.”
Mary closed her eyes in frustration, then looked at Mike. “First Sean. Now Ian. Probably Bradley,” she met Mike’s eyes and sighed. “You too?”
He shrugged. “Well, if I had…”
She shook her head and shouted, “No! No, you are not at fault!”
She floated across the room, shaking her hands in frustration. Finally, she turned back to Mike. “When will the men in my life realize that no one is responsible for watching over me?” she asked sadly. “I am a grown woman. I am a former police officer. I am not some hot-house flower that can’t handle my own life and my own safety.”
Victoria sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. “And you did such a good job of it. You were kidnapped and are now in a coma. Yeah, great handling of your life.”
Mary turned her head quickly and stared at Victoria. “You were murdered, right?” she asked.
Taken aback for a moment, Victoria nodded slowly. “Yes, why?”
“No reason,” Mary shot back. “It just not a big surprise, that’s all.”Breakaway - A Mary O'Reilly Lost Files Book