Autopsy of a Fairytale (Autopsy of a Fairytale, #1)

by Nicole Scarano

He was named Cerberus after the three-headed hellhound of Hades, and that name felt prophetic. The Cerberus of myth guarded the Underworld, and the black pitbull guarded her darkness. Her furry beast with a beautiful soul.

At six foot one with curly brown hair and hazelnut eyes, thirty-five-year-old Garrett was storybook handsome, strong and soft and sweet around the edges,

For built into the light fixture to serve as its skeleton was Brett Lumen.

“The killer knew how tall, how heavy and wide Lumen was. They also encased him in some of the most beautiful furniture I have ever seen, a piece Brett Lumen himself would strive to produce. A furniture designer entombed in the works he loved most.”

“The statue is a rosebush, and that’s not his heart. Those are rose petals.”

Death was a cruel and intoxicating master, enslaving not only its victims but also the living caught in its wake.

She was all darkness, and he was her light. She dwelled among the demons, but his smile was a gift from the angels.

Vera ignored her as she raced for her cabin, waving her wrinkled hand behind her as she escaped, but the moment she disappeared, Cerberus calmed. Gone was the demon-possessed animal, and Bel stared at him in disbelief.

Trust the dog, clearly the vibes are off

“I’m an excellent chef.” He puffed out his chest with exaggerated pride and stepped closer, grabbing her other hand. “Both of my parents worked, so I spent a lot of time with my grandmother, who believed life wasn’t worth living without good food. She taught me so that one day I could trick some girl into putting up with me.” He raised his eyebrows in a teasing expression.

Brett Lumen had been carved into a chandelier, turned into the furniture he cherished. Emily had been shaped into a spoon to stir the life-sized mug of coffee, becoming one with the liquid she claimed flowed through her veins instead of blood.

“What a lovely necklace, Detective Emerson.” He said her name like a threat. He said it like a moan of pleasure. “Whoever gave that to you must care about you a lot.” The murderous hunger slipped back into his irises as he studied her throat, and Bel had to fight her every muscle to keep from clutching the pendant protectively in her fist. The truth was, she didn’t know who had gifted this to her. It had appeared beside her hospital bed when she woke from her attack without a note or a box.

interesting....

“Detective Emerson?” She should ignore him. She shouldn’t respond, but his orbit was impossible to escape, to resist, and Bel turned to face his hell black eyes. “Be careful.” He smirked, showing off those beautifully sharp teeth. “You never know what kind of predators are out here.”

“But I can assure you, Detective, I may be evil, but I am not the evil you’re hunting.”

“Because,” he spoke slowly so she would understand his every word. “The piano he’s kneeling before is mine.”

Shook

What if something darker than Eamon had infiltrated her town, wanting her so focused on the handsome millionaire that she never saw the true villain before he came for her? Before he came for them all?

I’m beginning to think Vera and Garrett are working together… shit maybe Violet too. Everyone is a damn suspect

“I’ll find this killer and nail them to the wall for this. I need it not to be you. I’m praying the evidence confirms your innocence, but understand this, Garrett. If you are guilty, not even God can save you from me.”

“You shouldn’t be here, Detective.” Bel froze as Eamon’s powerful voice echoed through the house, booming off the walls and slicing into her nerves. “You can’t hide from me, Detective. I can smell you.”

“You’re a part of me now, and I will always be able to sense you. I can no more leave you than I could stop the sun from rising. No matter how far you flee, I will feel you. I cannot abandon you to suffer this life’s dangers. You are mine to protect.”