Nope. He still didn’t like this guy.
“Name’s Pope. Jameson Pope,” he said, pulling his hand back as soon as he caught sight of Kade’s glare. He lifted it high, running it through the styled length of his pretty, pretty hair. “We’ll be working together on this.”
So that’s how Mathers wanted to play it, huh?
“Sorry, but no. I don’t work with anyone. If that’s how your boss is running this job, I think I’m gonna have to decline.”
“No need for that. You’ll be heading into that hicktown on your own, trust me. And I’m not about to interfere. It’s your op. I got it. But Mr. Mathers wants to make sure you know that, if you need anything, I’m to give you my full cooperation.”
Kade’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve been to that small town before.”
But didn’t Henry Mathers say that Kade would be the first?
“Hamlet? Thomas Mathers sent me there, yes.” Then Pope added, “Before he died,” and Kade had his answer.
The first after his son’s untimely accident. All right. That made sense.
And maybe this Pope guy might be more helpful than he initially thought.
“You knew him? Mathers Senior’s son?”
“I worked for him directly,” Pope confirmed. “When he… when Tommy didn’t come back, I applied to work for the old man. So I can help you if you need it.”
Kade noticed that Pope didn’t mention what kind of work he did for either of the Mathers men. He figured that was on purpose, and the almost unnoticeable bulge where his gun lay in wait was the biggest clue why. Guys like Pope—enforcers like Pope—didn’t like to announce what exactly they were.
Then there were those built like Kade. Who guessed, who knew, and who recognized the danger because they were too much alike. Maybe it wasn’t the hair or the pretty face that put Kade’s back up at the sight of Pope. Maybe it was the undeniable truth that, if his life was different, if he hadn’t first taken up the badge before tossing it away to be a for-hire PI, he might be standing there in an even more expensive suit with an unregistered gun tucked at his side.
He grinned. One predator recognizing another, Kade grinned a shark’s grin, all teeth and no friendliness in the crooked curve of his lips. Patting the folder he had secured under his arm, he said, “I’m sure I have all the intel I need right here.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
Kade quirked a brow. He held onto that grin, even as Pope’s faded. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You ever heard of Hamlet?”
“There’s a lot of things I haven’t heard of. By the end of tonight, I’ll know all I need to know.”
“Good luck.” Pope snorted. “Trust me. If it were that easy, Mr. Mathers wouldn’t have been forced to hire you.”
“But he did, didn’t he?”
“For now,” allowed Pope. He found his smile again. It was strained, but it was there. “My old partner took off when Boone did. You need help, my number’s in that folder you got there.”
“Thanks. Like I said, though. I work alone.”
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Wherever You Go (Hamlet, #5)
No outsiders allowed.
It's Hamlet's newest rule. As much as Deputy Natalie Newton disagrees, the sheriff's word is law and Sheriff Collins has insisted: no outsiders allowed. After what happened the last time one moved into their village, it makes sense. Everyone knows that the only time there's trouble in Hamlet is when there is an outsider or two involved. Better safe than sorry.
Of course, that's when Kade McAllister shows up.
He's lost and disheveled and, holy crap, the most handsome man she's ever seen before. Natalie knows that she doesn't have a lot to compare him to—especially since the last time she went after a guy, it didn't go so well—but she's instantly attracted to him. She feels bad for him, too. No matter what the sign out front says, Natalie is prepared to live by the old motto: Hamlet Helps.
So, despite orders from her boss, Natalie stubbornly offers to help the outsider. To her surprise, he accepts. And, despite being born and raised in Hamlet, Natalie finally discovers what it feels like to be considered an outsider.
Kade, on the other hand, thought this would be a simple job. His employer has questions about the small town tucked away in the middle of nowhere and it's up to Kade to get answers for him. He's a PI. Playing a part, digging deep, using any and every resource... it's what he does. He figures he'll be in and out, two weeks tops.
Then he's met by a roadblock and a warning sign. It doesn't stop him, though, as much as it intrigues him. Hamlet has its secrets. It's up to Kade to find out what they are. And if he has to take up with the only local in town willing to help him in order to discover the truth about what happened last December? He'll do it. Because a job's a job—until the moment it isn't.
As Natalie and Kade grow closer while trying to find out the truth of what went down between Grace Delaney and Thomas Mathers, Kade begins to wonder who has his loyalty: the man who pays his checks or the sweet yet strong deputy who makes him smile?
Because it isn't long before he realizes that, when it comes to Natalie, he'd follow her anywhere.
Wherever You Go is a short novel set in Hamlet. It is a direct follow-up to I’ll Never Stop and features another one of the Hamlet deputies and the outsider she just can’t ignore!
Coming June 7, 2019
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Here Comes the Bride (Hamlet, #6)
To wed or not to wed… that is the question.
In Hamlet, even a small wedding can be a crazy affair. The townsfolk all want to be involved, the proprietor of the local bed and breakfast is moonlighting as the wedding planner, and the bride is beginning to wish that she had just eloped.
Especially when it becomes clear that someone doesn’t want Grace Delaney to get married.
The trouble began with little things. Her shoes went missing. Her veil was destroyed. Then someone canceled the order she made with an outsider florist. By the time a fire is started at the church, Grace realizes that someone has been sabotaging her upcoming wedding to Hamlet’s own, Rick Hart.
There’s only one problem: all signs point to it being a dead man.
Rick knows that Mathers is gone. Grace’s former stalker shouldn’t be a threat. Not anymore. But there’s no denying the fact that someone is interfering every way they can in order to stop this marriage from happening.
And he can’t help but wonder if it’s really his bride who’s the one getting cold feet…
Here Comes the Bride is another Hamlet novella. Set four months after the events of Wherever You Go, it’s time for Grace Delaney and Rick Hart to tie the knot… if they can survive making it to the altar first!
Coming August 16, 2019
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Welcome to Hamlet… Get the book that started it all!
Don’t Trust Me
Who killed Jack Sullivan?
Welcome to Hamlet. Population: 192.
You can't find it on any map, GPS, or directions site. A small village tucked between a mountain and a valley, Hamlet is the sort of place where everyone knows everyone—and their business, too. There's no television. No internet. No phones. Only one way in and, for the locals, barely any way out. The sheriff is the law, the only doctor moonlights as the coroner, and outsiders hardly ever come to town.
Murders are even rarer.
A treacherous storm, a flat tire, and a touch of serendipity causes Tessa Sullivan and her husband Jack to stumble upon the narrow strait that leads into Hamlet. It was supposed to be a one night stop until the rain let up and Jack could figure out how to fix the tire—until Tess lands herself in the local jail cell overnight and Jack is found dead in their hotel room the next morning.
There's no doubt it was murder, but with Sullivan’s gentle wife having an airtight alibi, the sheriff has to wonder: who had any cause to kill the outsider? And is he the only victim?
; Dr. De Angelis doesn’t think so. Neither does Deputy Walsh. With Tess looking more and more like the killer’s next target, both men take the time to comfort and protect the young widow. But only one of them is sincere. The other just wants her to himself now that her husband is out of the way.
Alone and afraid, who can she trust?
Find out today!
*Available for purchase/borrow through Amazon. The first three books—plus a bonus scene—are also available as a box set titled: Welcome to Hamlet.
About the Author
Jessica lives in New Jersey with her family, including enough kitties to cement her status as the neighborhood’s future Cat Lady. She spends her days working in retail, and her nights lost in whatever world the current novel she is reading or working on is set in. After writing for fun for more than a decade, she has finally decided to take some of the stories out of her head and put them out there for others who might also enjoy them!
Also by Jessica Lynch
Welcome to Hamlet
Obsession*
Devotion*
Don’t Trust Me
Ophelia
Let Nothing You Dismay
I’ll Never Stop
Wherever You Go
Here Comes the Bride
Welcome to Hamlet: I-III
(incl. the first three books, plus Execution)
Mirrorside
Tame the Spark*
Stalk the Moon
Hunt the Stars
The Witch in the Woods
Hide from the Heart
Chase the Beauty
The Claws Clause
Mates*
Hungry Like a Wolf
* prequel story
I'll Never Stop (Hamlet Book 4) Page 29
