But he wouldn't dwell on that. And really, he had done Marcy a favor in getting rid of Phoebe. He didn't know if Marcy had ever realized what a real twisted bitch her sister had been, but she was better off without her.
And Phoebe had turned out not to be such a bad choice, anyway. She had begged for her life, pleaded. Offered him everything from money to illicit sex. Then he had killed her, slowly, the way he liked it. The way it had to be.
The Bloodsucker decided, in a moment of supreme generosity, that he would not pursue Marcy Edmond, his ugly duckling turned swan, his Sleeping Beauty. Not even when she returned to Albany Beach. She had outsmarted him fair and square. Besides, there were other beautiful women out there, just waiting for him. Other pretty blondes.
"That all I can get you before you get to work?" The new waitress at the diner smiled as she tore off the Bloodsucker's check and handed it across the table to him.
"That's it." He folded the newspaper and slid out of the booth. Her name was Kristen. She was a college student staying with her aunt and uncle and cousin for summer. The Addisons. He knew them. Nice family. "Thanks," the Bloodsucker said, leaving a generous tip.
"You're welcome." She flashed a smile, her blue eyes sparkling with youth.
The Bloodsucker knew she was strong. He had seen her carry piles of dirty dishes to the back. And not just strong physically, but mentally; she was studying nursing in college. A man found that kind of strength exciting. Invigorating. And fortunately, he knew just how to tap into it.
The End
Dear Reader,
Thank you for purchasing She'll Never Tell by Hunter Morgan. We hope you enjoyed the story and will leave a review at the eRetailer where you purchased the book.
If you enjoy getting free and discounted ebooks, we announce our book sales and freebies through eBook Discovery. You can get eBook Discovery's free Daily eZine and Special Offer alerts to limited-time free and discounted ebook deals by signing up here.
Happy Reading,
ePublishing Works!
Want more from Hunter Morgan?
Here's an excerpt from
SHE'LL NEVER KNOW
The Albany Beach Murders
Book Two
~
Jillian spotted a small green street sign that read Juniper. She turned onto it without signaling, a sense of excitement coursing through her blood. There was something about the street name…or maybe the street. The way the maple trees hung over. Checking to be sure no one was behind her, she slowed down to less than twenty miles an hour, gazing from one side of the street to the other. She was obviously in an older section of town. The multi-story condos had given way to small, square, cedar-sided and whitewashed cottages and she spotted a middle-aged couple sat on a porch snapping fresh beans. They both waved as she drove by as if they had known her her whole life.
Jillian's heart skipped a beat. Did they? That was silly, of course, to think that an amnesia victim could get in a car and drive home. But it was fun to fantasize about, if only for a moment.
Ahead, she saw beach dunes covered in sea grass and signs warning that cars would be towed for parking in unmarked spaces. It was a dead end. She pulled into the last parking spot on the end of the street, just in front of an old restored motorcycle—vintage fifties. She got out of the car, leaving her purse and locking the door. Jillian had no idea where she was going or why.
Gazing up at the brilliant blue sky, she heard the crash of ocean waves and smelled the tangy salt air. The wind whipped at her hair as she stepped off the cement sidewalk onto a wooden one that led around the cottage directly ahead of her. She followed the creaky path around to the front of the house that faced the ocean. It was small, with a painted white front porch, flowerless window boxes, and pale green shutters that looked like they still worked. An orange Vacancy sign hung in the window, framed by pale yellow gingham curtains.
Jillian gazed up at the house, at the single small window on the second story that faced the ocean. Something about the place was eerily familiar.
"Have I been here before?" she whispered, staring at the cottage.
The house gave no reply.
Jillian turned around to gaze east. A path led directly from the steps, through a break in sand dunes, onto the beach. It was a breathtaking sight, the mounds of fine white sand, the waving dune grass, the wide beach that fanned out in either direction as far as the eye could see, all leading directly to the Atlantic Ocean's edge.
She smiled and slid down to perch on the top step. The wind tangled her hair, but it was a hot, humid wind. On impulse, she slipped her feet out of her sneakers and peeled off her new white athletic socks.
She thought of the vacancy sign in the window behind her and wondered how much the cottage would cost to rent for a few days, maybe a week. She had money, but her resources, for now, were dependent on the Amnesia Society.
A long shadow fell over the sand in front of Jillian, and she glanced up to see a young man with sun-bleached blond hair, wraparound sunglasses, and a great tan walking over the crest of the dunes. He was shirtless, wearing fluorescent orange swim trunks and carrying a gym bag that had the Red Cross symbol on the side. A lifeguard.
As he approached the house, he gave a nod and offered a lopsided, boyish grin. He had a nice smile that made her want to smile back.
"Hey," he greeted.
She nodded.
He walked past the front steps, barefooted, swinging the bag. She watched him pass, admiring his muscular, tanned shoulders. The lifeguard got to the end in the walkway, about to disappear around the side of the house, when he turned around. "Can I help you with something?"
Before she could reply, he lifted a tanned shoulder in an easy-going half shrug. "You look kind of lost."
Jillian threw her head back and laughed, surprising not only the young man, but herself as well. He walked back toward her. He was still smiling, but obviously puzzled.
"I'm sorry," Jillian said, pressing her hand to her mouth, still chuckling. "I didn't mean to be rude. No, I'm fine. Thanks for asking."
But the lifeguard didn't go. He stood there, all six-foot-something of him, looking down on her sitting on the step, still smiling.
~
To purchase
She'll Never Know
from your favorite eBook Retailer,
visit Hunter Morgan eBook Discovery Author Page
http://www.ebookdiscovery.com/HunterMorgan
~
Discover more with
eBookDiscovery.com
Hunter Morgan has been writing and publishing books under various pseudonyms, in different genres for thirty years. With more than 130 books in print, she's written romance, mysteries, suspense and women's fiction and has been published world-wide and in multiple languages.
You can email Hunter through her publisher at
[email protected]
She'll Never Tell Page 26
