by Wes Markin
Now, alone in his motel room, miserable without anyone else’s problems to distract him from his own, Jake sighed. Gabriel’s agreement was merely a stay of execution—a little more time with Piper, nothing more. Sooner or later, Gabriel would make that phone call to the people Jake had run from. Why wouldn’t he? Jake would always be the chief’s shadow while he remained in Blue Falls, second guessing his every move regarding matters of the law. Yes, his time here was very limited indeed.
He dialed his ex-wife’s number. “Hey, it’s me. Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Sheila said. “He’s not here.”
He looked down at the photograph of his boy. “Ah, okay. Where is he?”
“With Mum.”
“I see―”
“And, where are you?”
Jake sighed. “Will he be back later?”
“After bedtime, I’m afraid. She’ll bring him in asleep though.”
“Okay. I’ll try tomorrow.”
“Great, but I won’t be promising him. He waited all day yesterday for your call, Jake. He wanted to tell you about his football game.”
Jake rubbed his forehead. “Something came up.”
“Nothing changes, does it?”
Jake sighed again. “You’re probably right, Sheila.”
“Where’re you, Jake?”
“At least tell him I’m sorry and that I tried today.”
“You enjoying the self-pity?”
If only that was all it was. If only … “Goodbye,” Jake said, but Sheila had already gone.
FIRE IN BONE
AN EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT OF THE NEXT JAKE PETTMAN THRILLER
WES MARKIN
1
“THE SKWEDA,” PARKER said, wading into the black river, “it translates to fire in bone.”
“Fire in what?” Scarlett said, sliding down her knickers.
“Fire in bone. The Abenaki Indians named it.” He dived under the surface.
“Prick.” She tested the water with her toes, and snapped her foot back. Too cold for her, but then everything was too cold for her. Last year the doctor had written it off to anaemia, and given her some iron tablets. They’d made little difference, much to the displeasure of her father, who really couldn’t stand her costly interactions with the thermostat in winter.
She waited for Parker to break back through the surface.
Nothing.
Prick.
When he did eventually burst back out, dramatically gulping for air, she folded her arms.
Exhibitionist.
He stood in the water up to his chest, frowning.
“What’s wrong?” she said. “Was I supposed to start squealing?”
“Well, some form of compassion would be nice.”
“Why? If you’re stupid enough to drown yourself!”
“You’re heartless.”
“Or, I’m just not like the women in those eighties horror movies you watch with your dad. I’m not turned on by macho men, and I don’t need you alive to keep me safe.”
He smiled.
“Now, fire in bone?” She asked.
“What about it?”
“What does it mean?”
“Come in and I’ll tell you.”
“For fuck’s sake.” She waded in. She folded her arms tightly against her breasts. It did little to warm her, and she started to shiver as the water reached up around her thighs.
No way she would do this normally, but she’d only recently started to have sex. Parker had assured her that sex in the water was the best thing ever, and she didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to try it out.
“Is this the same spot you brought to Sandra to?”
It was dark, so Scarlett couldn’t be sure if he blushed, but she suspected he did. Sandra was his ex-girlfriend, and Scarlett’s ex-best friend.
“No,” Parker said, brushing his long hair out of his eyes. He pointed over at the bridge that connected Blue Falls to Sharon’s Edge. “There is a patch under that bridge that’s real quiet too.”
“You want to fuck there tomorrow night?” She wrapped her arms around him, and was unsurprised, and happy to feel his erection pressing into her thigh. He kissed her neck. “Now … fire in bone? What does it mean?”
He carried on kissing her. She pulled backwards, and he rolled his eyes. “I thought everybody knew this!”
She broke out of his embrace and started to edge away. She was shivering quite hard now but she still managed to get her words out. “Clearly not everyone, shithead. Now what the fuck does it mean?”
He waded towards her. She smiled. The erection she’d felt under the water had shown he was ready, but she saw it just as clearly on his face. New to sex, she was really enjoying the education. Lust was interesting. It weighed on you so heavily, but yet also made you feel so light and happy when addressed.
“The Abenaki believe that a fire burns deep down inside of us all.”
She stopped and allowed him to approach. She let her hand close around his erection. “It’s burning in you alright.”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “They believed that the waters of the Skweda would best show you how to use that fire.”
“Then how’re you going to use your fire?” She stroked the end of his erection over her thigh, and moved it gently towards her crotch. She then started to lift her leg up his side.
He moaned over the promise of was coming. He leaned in to kiss her again, but she yanked away, laughed, spun onto her front and swam out further into the river.
“What are you doing to me?” He called after her.
She turned, treading water. “Stoking the fire!”
“Very funny.”
“I want you burning hot.”
“I am. And your attempts at stand-up comedy are failing miserably.”
“Come and get me then!”
She held her hands up in the air and let herself sink under the surface. Unsurprisingly, it was pitch black under there, but it didn’t bother her. Cold had always been the issue for her, not darkness. The swim had helped though, and she almost had the shivering under control. She swam around in the silent darkness, holding her breath, enjoying the sudden deprivation of senses. Eventually, when she broke the surface, she whooped.
“Keep it down,” Parker said, who had swum out to join her.
“Why? There’s no one here!” She whooped again. “You were under the bridge with Sandra! We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“Still—"
“Still nothing.” She dived under again.
This time, she swam down a couple of feet. She still couldn’t see anything, but could sense Parker’s body close as he swam with her now. She reached out and stroked part of him, then turned and then kicked hard with her hands out to see if she could touch the bottom, although she had no idea how far away that was.
Her hand brushed against Parker again.
She reached out in the darkness, searching for his hand. When she found it, she clutched it and—
Reeling backwards, she screamed in the dark. Terrified that the sudden impact of adrenaline would send her spiralling down into the emptiness, she bolted for the surface, and shouted Parker’s name when she broke through.
“What?” Parker said. He was only several feet away.
“A hand. I touched someone’s - something’s - hand. It was small and cold, and hard. I think it was bone.”
“Nice try—”
“I’m fucking serious—”
“Jesus!” Parker’s eyes widened and he pointed off to her right. “What’s that?”
Shivering again, and not from the cold this time, Scarlett turned in the water.
The smooth surface of a skull bumped against the top of her breast.
She shoved the skeleton away and screamed.
CLICK HERE to buy Fire in Bone today on AMAZON!
Also by Wes Markin
A Lesson in Crime
Your student years should be the most carefree years of your life.
Not for Michael Yorke.
When a student party ends in violent murder, Michael Yorke begins to realise he harbours a fascination with crime which goes way beyond the norm.
Driven to discover the truth behind a series of murders which shocks the university community, Yorke turns his back on those closest to him: his girlfriend, Charlotte, and his best friend, Brandon.
With bloody and disastrous consequences.
A super-fast one-hour thrill ride, which will define the relentless and compassionate police officer who stars in One Last Prayer for the Rays
Sign-up here to receive the book for FREE!
https://mailchi.mp/0666fd5c1323/wesmarkin
Plus, get lots more exclusive content for a deeper look into Yorke’s world.
Also by Wes Markin
One Last Prayer for the Rays
"An explosive and visceral debut with the most terrifying of killers. Wes Markin is a new name to watch out for in crime fiction, and I can't wait to see more of Detective Yorke." – Bestselling Crime Author Stephen Booth
The disappearance of a young boy. An investigation paved with depravity and death. Can DCI Michael Yorke survive with his body and soul intact?
With Yorke's small town in the grip of a destructive snowstorm, the relentless detective uncovers a missing boy’s connection to a deranged family whose history is steeped in violence. But when all seems lost, Yorke refuses to give in, and journeys deep into the heart of this sinister family for the truth.
And what he discovers there will tear his world apart.
The Rays are here. It's time to start praying.
The shocking and exhilarating new crime thriller will have you turning the pages late into the night.
“A pool of blood, an abduction, swirling blizzards, a haunting mystery, yes, Wes Markin’s One Last Prayer for the Rays has all the makings of an absorbing thriller. I recommend that you give it a go.” – Alan Gibbons, Bestselling Author
Click HERE to get your FREE copy now
https://mailchi.mp/0666fd5c1323/wesmarkin
Also by Wes Markin
The Repenting Serpent
A vicious serial killer slithers from the darkness, determined to resurrect the ways of a long-dead civilisation.
When the ex-wife of one of DCI Michael Yorke’s closest allies is left mutilated and murdered, Yorke and his team embark on their greatest test yet. A deeply personal case that will push them to their very limits.
And as Yorke’s team are pulled further into the dark, the killer circles, preparing to strike again.
The Repenting Serpent is a true edge-of-the-seat, nail-biting page turner. Buy it now HERE
Also by Wes Markin
The Silence of Severance
Your wedding day should be the most unforgettable day of your life.
And this is one wedding that will never be forgotten.
When a police officer’s wedding day ends in brutality and chaos, DCI Michael Yorke is pulled away from his own wedding into the bloodiest chain of events Wiltshire has ever seen.
As a heatwave tightens its grip on Salisbury, Yorke and his team face a race against time to find the most sinister and intelligent adversary they have ever faced. Christian Severance.
But as the team chase Severance into the shadows of a dark past, Yorke’s own history starts to drag itself into the present …
Can they stop Christian Severance before he achieves the unthinkable? And will Yorke survive the revelations that claw at him from the darkness?
The Silence of Severance is a shocking and compulsive crime novel. Buy it now HERE
Also by Wes Markin
Rise of the Rays
They say that lightning doesn't strike the same place twice. How the people of Wiltshire wished that were true.
When Paul Ray decides to burn down his evil family's legacy, he falls into the clutches of those he thought gone.
And now Detective Yorke and his team face a race against time to find Paul before Wiltshire again falls under the dark spell of a ruthless family.
Unfortunately for Yorke, the answers lie in the most sinister of places. The beating heart of a long-dead killer.
Can Yorke find the truth before it's too late? Or will the curse of the Ray family prove too strong?
Rise of the Rays is heart-pounding crime novel. Buy it now HERE
Also by Wes Markin
Dance with the Reaper
How do you stop a perfect killer?
After the terrible events of the past year, DCI Yorke's team are on the verge of finding peace. But after a terrifying act of violence shatters their equilibrium, they are forced to dance with a skilled assassin who knows no equal.
After it becomes clear that this hitman is connected to the most shadowy of criminal organisations, Yorke is forced to dive into his own past, and face a future in which he is either alone, or dead.
Can Yorke and those he holds dearest survive the Reaper? Or will this be one dance too many?
Yorke’s worlds collide in devastating fashion. Buy it now HERE
Also by Wes Markin
Christmas with the Conduit
If you fail to stop a killer, then they will only grow stronger.
DCI Michael Yorke and Emma Gardner are still plagued by guilt over their failure to catch the murderous psychiatrist known as the Conduit, and the loss of their former colleague to insanity.
On Christmas Day, following a brutal massacre in Leeds, Yorke and Gardner find themselves once again chasing the ruthless puppeteer, believing that they have the initiative.
But as the two investigators draw closer to the Conduit, they quickly discover that they were never truly in control, and completely vulnerable to what comes next.
A rising tide of psychological warfare.
And the horrendous truth behind the fate of their former colleague.
A deadly game of cat and mouse with an old foe in Christmas with the Conduit. Buy it now HERE
Acknowledgments
I have to admit to being quite nervous about starting a new series even though I cheated a little and used an existing character! However, Jake was good to me, and The Killing Pit seemed to occur naturally despite the radical change of scenery. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it, and it is important to thank the many people who made this possible. It certainly wasn’t a solo affair.
Firstly, my family, Jo, Janet, Peter, Douglas, Ian and Eileen for being solid rocks of support during those long hours I have to spend behind my computer. And my two children, Hugo and Beatrice, who are becoming more colourful by the day – how is that even possible?
Thanks, as always, to Jake, who helped me start this adventure. Huge appreciation to Cherie Foxley who nailed the pit perfectly!
Thank you to Jo Fletcher, Kath Middleton, Karen Ashman and Jenny Cook for getting their teeth into those earlier drafts. Thank you to all my Beta Readers who took the time to help shape my new episode in this journey – Keith, Dee. Carly, Cathy, Donna, Yvonne, Holly and Alex. Thank you to the bloggers who remain behind me – Shell, Susan, Caroline and Jason.
I hope you all join me in June for the sequel when something unexpected washes up on the banks of the River Skweda …
Stay in touch
To keep up-to-date with new publications, tours and promotions, or if you are interested in being a beta reader for future novels, or having the opportunity to enjoy pre-release copies please follow me:
Website: https://wesmarkinbooks.weebly.com/
Twitter: @MarkinWes
Facebook: @WesMarkinAuthor
Review
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