When Secrets Kill
Page 21
She shook her head. “I didn’t know. There’s a lot I don’t know, apparently.”
“Tammy used to write me about her plans to donate the wool to groups and charities that aid people in need. That’s what I’m going to do.”
“The Tammy Gallagher alpaca farm,” she said, looking at Superman and Lois Lane.He pulled her to him, wrapping her in a hug and just holding her. “Thank you,” he finally said into her hair.
She pulled back a bit. There were tears in Trevor’s eyes.
“I love you, Lauren. I may not want to right now, but hell, I do, and that’s just the way it is. I’ve had to accept a lot of ‘that’s the way it is,’ and to be honest, I don’t know if I can handle the danger your job puts you in. I can’t love you and worry about losing you every day.”
He loved her too.
“Except you love me because of who I am, right?” Lauren said. “Because I care. Because I won’t back down. Because I fight for the underdog and for justice. Because I’m not afraid to demand what’s due.”
He reached a hand to her face. “I have to admit that’s true. But I was planning to turn my back on that.”
She smiled. “Was planning?”
“I love you, Lauren Riley. And it’s too big and bursting from me to try to ignore it.”
She was so stinking happy she couldn’t speak for a second. “I love you too.”
He took her hand in his. “Let’s bring Superman and Lois Lane home to their own field.”
They each led a furry alpaca out of the trailer and into the empty pasture to the right of the house.
“To new beginnings,” he said, removing the leads and smiling at her.
“To new beginnings,” she repeated.
He put his arm around her and they watched the adorable creatures explore their new home.
Today was theirs. Tomorrow she’d be back at her desk at the Townsend Report, widening her investigation of the possible accomplice and the other girls who’d gone missing, helping her sister Jennifer try to find out what happened to Abby Blake...and making it her mission to expose the dark—and deadly—secrets of Thornwood Heights.
* * * * *
To watch Lauren’s video blogs, learn more about the mystery of Abby Blake, and investigate the crime scenes in 360/Virtual Reality visit www.ThornwoodHeights.com.
There’s a dark secret that has plagued the idyllic lakeside paradise of Thornwood Heights for over 20 years, a secret inextricably linked to the Riley sisters, Lauren and Jennifer.
Jennifer is a decorated NYPD detective but can she solve the 20-year mystery of the disappearance of her best friend Abby Blake and restore her good name in the eyes of Thornwood Heights?
On June 2,
don’t miss Jennifer’s story in
DEADLY SECRETS BY THE LAKE
Available at
myLifetime.com/DeadlySecrets
Watch the thrilling feature film, DEADLY SECRETS BY THE LAKE, on LMN!
She thought she’d never go home again but she can’t run from her past forever... Jennifer Riley is the best detective on the force, but is she prepared when her sister is the prime suspect?
Investigate the Thornwood Mystery online at ThornwoodHeights.com!
Explore virtual locations from the film and the novel.
Discover new story lines that run through the mysterious town of Thornwood Heights.
Play the game and uncover clues to help solve the mysteries in Thornwood Heights.
If you enjoyed this story by
ZOE CARTER
be sure to check out her six-part psychological thriller
that will have you guessing till the very end!
“I KNOW YOUR SECRET. I’M GOING TO TELL.”
As Sarah-Taylor Cox stares at the anonymous letter, her body starts to shake with dread. She has everything to lose – a gorgeous husband, a beautiful baby, and a picture-perfect house in the Hamptons. And now, the lies she’s built her life on are starting to crumble, one by deadly one...
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE PART 1
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE PART 2
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE PART 3
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE PART 4
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE PART 5
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE PART 6
If you enjoyed this story, you won’t want to miss TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE, the new edge-of-your-seat 6-part psychological thriller from Zoe Carter available June 2017.
Read on for a sneak preview!
The clouds gather thick and furious, shutting out the sun.
The smell of ozone is strong, warning me more effectively than the grumbling thunder. A storm is coming—a big one, perhaps the worst we’ve had in years.
The thought of Elliot gets me moving. Where could they have taken him?
Elliot, with his soft skin and plump cheeks, the darling dimples at his elbows. Just thirty-six weeks old. No one would hurt him...would they?
An image of another baby, another time, creeps into my mind, but I push it away, stumbling on the damp sand. The nightgown my husband is enamored with twists and turns in the growing wind, tangling between my thighs. I long to tear off the slick fabric, but I don’t dare take the time. I have to find my child.
“Elliot!” I scream his name even though he is too young to answer.
The thunder makes a mockery of my cries, stealing my breath before I can try again.
It’s no use, anyway.
The beach is empty.
Waves throw themselves at the shore again and again, churning themselves into foam.
The ocean fizzes around my ankles and I climb farther up the shore to keep from getting dragged into the angry water. My foot comes down on a broken shell, but I ignore the pain as it cuts through the skin. The agony that swells in my chest at the thought of losing my son is far worse than the throb of my wounded heel.
I can’t lose him—he’s everything.
No one would hurt him. Not Elliot. He’s so innocent...
But all babies are innocent, aren’t they?
The rain, when it comes, is as enraged as the ocean, and I’m soaked through in an instant. I can’t bear the thought of my sweet little boy in this downpour. Whoever took him didn’t bring his jacket. The image of Elliot, shivering and turning blue in his little sleeper, drives me forward. My eyes strain to see in the dim light, every breath I take ending in a cry for my missing child.
I can’t leave him out here; I can’t.
Then I realize the beach isn’t empty.
There is someone standing by the rocks, watching my approach.
Waiting for me...
“Elliot!”
My scream travels farther this time, echoing through the storm. Strength I didn’t know I had floods my legs, and I run faster.
As I picture my missing son and how wonderful it will feel to wrap my arms around him again, I give no thought to my own safety.
I run toward the dark figure on the beach.
Don’t miss this gripping 6-part psychological thriller from Zoe Carter that will keep you guessing until the end.
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE (Part 1 of 6)
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE (Part 2 of 6)
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE (Part 3 of 6)
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE (Part 4 of 6)
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE (Part 5 of 6)
TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE (Part 6 of 6)
All available June 2017
Copyright © 2017 by Harlequin Books S.A.
ISBN-13: 9781488032837
When Secrets Kill
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Melissa Senate for her contribution to this work.
Copyright © 2017 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Photos courtesy of H Movie 1 Production Inc. and Reel World Man
agement Canada Inc.
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