A Twist of Betrayal

by Allie Harrison

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Kudos for Allie Harrison

  A Twist of Betrayal

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  Dan didn’t look at her.

  He kept his gaze glued on the guy with the gun. He knew in his heart if he looked at his wife, if he saw the fear in her eyes, he might do something stupid that he would definitely regret later. As soon as they got through this, he would look at her. He would tell her how much he loved her and he’d kiss her.

  He moved to take another step closer, but he stopped when his walking nightmare shifted his hold on the gun and pointed it at Justine’s temple.

  “But you’re wrong.”

  As soon as Dan stopped advancing, the gun was moved from Justine and back on him.

  “I do want her.” Her abductor spoke in clear, concise words. “And I think you know I won’t hesitate to hurt you in order to keep her. Just as I won’t hesitate to hurt her to get to you. I could easily shoot both your knees and allow you to watch as I show you just how much I want her. Would you like that?”

  “No,” Dan said without hesitation.

  “Then don’t come any closer,” he warned.

  “Let her go and I’ll let you live.”

  “What happened to the oath you took, Officer Franklin, to protect and to serve?”

  “It doesn’t pertain to you.”

  “Well, then I don’t think I have a choice, do you?”

  Then quickly, the kidnapper moved and shifted the gun still pointing it in Dan’s direction. Dan couldn’t dive out of the line of fire quick enough.

  Everything happened at once. The gun went off, sending the crack of an explosion echoing through the campground. Dan was aware of Justine’s scream and the sounds of movement, the rustle of the trees.

  Kudos for Allie Harrison

  Ms. Harris won First Place

  in the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence

  and

  Third Place in the Beacon Awards

  for previously published works.

  A Twist of Betrayal

  by

  Allie Harrison

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  A Twist of Betrayal

  COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Allison Harris

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: info@thewildrosepress.com

  Cover Art by Debbie Taylor

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Crimson Rose Edition, 2016

  Print ISBN 978-1-5092-0678-0

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0679-7

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To Rachel, Ben, Stephanie, and Dexter

  Also to Donnie

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to all the dedicated staff of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.!

  Chapter 1

  Justine Franklin closed her eyes for two full seconds and mentally counted to ten. The deep breath she took seemed to do little more than fuel the fire of anger burning in her soul. She let the air out and worked her way to twenty. And still, she couldn’t ignore the heat that crept up her neck to her face.

  “We are not getting a sofa with stripes,” she said firmly, as she fought to keep what little control she had left.

  She had thought remodeling their home would bring out the house’s character and their decorating taste, but so far all it had brought out was Dan’s and her ability to disagree.

  Oh, wait a minute. They didn’t just disagree, they argued. There was a definite difference.

  “But I thought we agreed—” Dan, her husband, started.

  “We never agreed to stripes!” Again, she fought for control. “Stripes would never match the décor of this house.”

  “Don’t talk to me like I’m a potential juror, Miss Public Defender. We never agreed to flowers, either,” Dan reminded her, his eyes flashing. “And I don’t care about the décor of the house. Flowers are just a bit too girly for me.”

  Justine tried to push aside the fact that his eyes looked like that after he kissed her.

  “I guess we could get a couple of yellow and green bean bag chairs and a few big pillows, and everyone could just lounge on the floor,” Justine snapped. Then she immediately hated herself for it. How was it that Dan was able to get her to speak without thinking? Whatever it was, she hoped the district attorney never learned his secret.

  “I didn’t know you wanted college-dorm décor. In that case, maybe we should add a few lava lamps, a futon, and something that hangs from the ceiling like a hammock chair,” Dan said in a sweet tone of voice, causing her to cringe.

  She groaned out loud. “I hate when you talk like that.”

  “Like what?” he asked just as sweet and innocently.

  “Like when you take what I say to an extreme. And don’t expect me to go on another shopping trip with you to get lights, either.”

  “Good, I’ll just pick up those free standing lamps that I like all by myself.”

  Justine actually bit her tongue to keep from reminding him that the table lamps she’d seen would look better in the room. It was a whole new argument, and one she purposefully chose to put off for some other time.

  Why were they even arguing—again—like children? What the hell did it matter what the sofa looked like as long as they snuggled up together on it.

  She rubbed her back. “I’m tired and hungry and my knees hurt.”

  “You should have worn knee pads,” he reminded her. “But you didn’t believe that putting grout on the new tile would be this hard.”

  “Thanks for rubbing my nose in it, honey.” She tried to sound just as sickening sweet as his words had been a moment before. “Gosh, where would I be without you to constantly tell me how stupid I am?”

  She reached for her keys.

  “Where are you going?” Dan picked up the remaining rags they’d used to finish the ceramic tile floor in the kitchen and tossed them into a bucket.

  “To Mike’s Supermarket to get some supper. I’m starving.”

  “Dressed like that?” he asked.

  “What? You don’t find my ponytail attractive? Or how about my grout-smeared jeans and sweatshirt? Would you rather I put on a suit? That’s too bad becau
se if I stop to clean up, I doubt I’ll make it to the store.” She didn’t tell him, but she figured with how exhausted she was, she would probably move right from the shower into the bed they shared.

  “What are you going to get?” he asked.

  He sounded much more in control than Justine felt. Maybe he was just as tired of arguing as she was. Maybe it was because he figured he’d get his way when it came to the lamps with the striped couch. Justine knew the lamps and the striped couch were small things, but she couldn’t help but feel such a loss of control.

  “Probably just deli meat and rolls to make subs,” Justine replied. “It sounds easy, and right now, I’m too tired for anything else.”

  “Wouldn’t you rather have something like pizza or tacos?”

  “No, I’m too tired to cook, and I doubt you’re going to do any of it,” she replied, unable to keep the lingering anger out of her voice.

  “Oh, you know me so well, honey.” His voice dripped with sweet sarcasm.

  “That’s the truth,” she muttered.

  Dan ignored her comment.

  She headed for the garage door. Dan’s gaze touched her back with warm, familiar heat, and Justine fought to ignore it.

  “Aren’t you going to wear a jacket?” Dan asked.

  Justine knew what he was really asking. Aren’t you going to kiss me good-bye? Neither of them ever left mad. And neither of them ever left without a kiss. Those were the two unspoken rules of their marriage. And for the first time in her married life, she broke them as she let her lingering anger and frustration control her. “I’m hot enough.”

  “Are you going to be gone long?” The sarcasm was now gone from his voice. Maybe he was thinking about her breaking the rules, too.

  Yet his lack of sarcasm didn’t erase the anger that swirled within her.

  “Hopefully not long. Why? Do you plan to have the rest of the furniture replaced while I’m gone?”

  “I just might,” he said, his irritation back in full swing.

  “Go ahead!” she all but screamed at him. She’d held the dike of anger back with her finger stuck in the hole until there was no holding it back any longer. “Do whatever the hell you want. I don’t care anymore. And as soon as you do, I’m hiring someone to paint the spare bedroom.”

  Dan stopped and looked squarely at her, clearly puzzled at her sudden outburst. “We’ve already had this discussion. Why are you so set on painting that spare bedroom? It doesn’t need painting. We don’t even use that room. And we’re in the middle of something bigger here, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  “I’m pregnant, that’s why!”

  For a long moment, the entire room was utterly still. Dan stared at her.

  “Pregnant?”

  “Yes, pregnant,” she repeated, letting out the breath she’d been holding. Oh, she never wanted to tell him this way. She’d planned on candles and soft music, and breaking it to him gently.

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “You know my feelings about babies.”

  Hating the sound of the flat calm in his voice, Justine could only nod. Yes, he’d made them clear before they were married. But that was more than five years ago. Why couldn’t he understand babies were a gift?

  Dan looked around suddenly as if he had somehow forgotten there was a tile mess at his feet. “What are you going to do about it?” he asked slowly.

  His question could not have hurt more than if he had reached down her throat and pulled out her heart. She actually shivered. “I’m not going to do anything about it. I’m going to have it. I’m going to be a mother.”

  “And what about my feelings?”

  A fresh wave of anger washed over her. Her face was suddenly hot and she had trouble breathing. She thought she might throw up.

  Like that would be something new. She’d thrown up at least once every day for the past two weeks.

  It took more than a deep breath to calm her, but he would never know by the calm manner in which she spoke. If he could be calm about this, so could she. “Whatever you may feel is not going to change the fact that we are going to be parents, Dan. And if you think that ignoring it isn’t going to make you a father, well you’re wrong there, too,” she lashed out at him.

  “Then it looks as if we’ve both been wasting our time with the house, doesn’t it?” His voice was so cold, it sent another shiver through her.

  “If you’re saying you don’t want to share the house with me because of this, then that’s your decision. But right now, I’m hungry. One of us can pack when I’ve had something to eat. If I don’t eat, I get sick to my stomach.”

  With that, she turned and left, ignoring the stunned look on his face. She felt his burning gaze on her back all the way out the door. She went out to her car in the garage without looking back, and her lips tingled with the need for a kiss.

  A block away, she still fought the guilt—for leaving without a kiss, for letting her last words to him come out at the top of her voice, and for a few other things that burned holes in her marriage. But most of all, for telling him about the baby as she had. She hadn’t planned that at all, but she could make everything up to him. She could be a good wife. They could be a family.

  “Hell,” she muttered under her breath. “Stubborn man is probably already packing his bags. Maybe I won’t go home. I don’t need to pack any bags.” After all, her brother had a guesthouse where she could stay.

  Then Dan wouldn’t have to deal with any of this.

  In the parking lot, she paused and blinked away the tears that threatened in her eyes. Why should she feel guilty about this baby, about wanting to keep it, to have it, and to love it? “I don’t have to feel guilty about it. It isn’t like I got this way all by myself…” She hastily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

  “I can take care of this baby by myself. I don’t need him.” She patted her belly. “We don’t need him,” she corrected angrily. “But we do need to eat.”

  A man wearing a red baseball cap climbed out of a van two spaces over and followed her through the automatic door. With her frustration still swirling around her like the wind blowing leaves, she hardly gave him a second look. Once inside Mike’s Supermarket, Justine tried to push aside the lingering aggravation of her situation, but found it impossible. She was torn between the need to get back to Dan and try to work past this, and to not face him at all.

  No, she had to face him. It was what made her a great lawyer—not being afraid to face a fight, even one she thought she might not be able to win. It was also what made their marriage strong—the ability to talk and face their problems together. They just hadn’t had to face this big of a problem before. Yet, right now neither facing Dan nor not facing him sounded promising.

  Justine got what she needed. The thought of eating made her suddenly queasy stomach roll in protest. That was how upset her argument with Dan left her. But she knew from experience the past week with morning sickness if she didn’t keep something in her stomach, she would be worse off. She paused only in the liquor aisle where she contemplated a bottle of wine. Maybe a few candles and some wine would help ease things over. Then she walked away and realized she had to settle for the candles alone. Alcohol wouldn’t be good for the baby. Besides, she still wasn’t certain she’d be heading back home. She paused instead at the snack aisle and grabbed a box of crackers.

  She could take her sandwich and snacks to the Regency Hotel, get a room, eat while watching cable and spend the night in a whirlpool. Or she could go straight to her brother’s guesthouse and enjoy some quiet time. She should probably opt for the hotel since going to her brother’s would require explanations that would spread to the rest of the family quicker than wildfire.

  Yes, the hotel idea sounded much better than facing Dan right now. It would give them both some time to digest the situation. She actually liked that idea and smiled at the thought.

  At the checkout, she got behind the man wearing the baseball c
ap. He bought a six-pack of beer. Justine put her goods on the conveyor belt counter and thoughtlessly watched as Dorie, one of the check-out girls, sent the beer across the laser scanner. Dorie put the beer on the bag turntable and muttered the price, but her startled cry instantly pulled Justine out of her distraction.

  Dorie stared at the man in front of Justine, and Justine followed her gaze.

  The man held a gun—a real gun.

  She would have screamed, but she couldn’t seem to make a sound. Her heart instantly raced and her chest grew tight with sudden fear.

  Instinctively, she took a step away. And the man whirled toward her, pointing the gun at her.

  “Don’t move,” he ordered.

  He’s going to shoot me, she thought.

  She expected to see the muzzle flash and a bright light, or at least her life passing before her eyes. But all she saw was the harsh frustration in his eyes and the way his hand shook. All she felt was ice-cold terror clawing at her back.

  She shivered.

  Instinctively, she held her hands in the air where he could see them.

  Dan came to mind. What would Dan do? Maybe pull out his own gun and shoot the bastard. Just where the hell was a cop when you needed one?

  She knew what Dan expected.

  Stay calm.

  Do whatever is necessary to survive.

  She now had more than just herself to protect. Justine forced herself to breathe, nice and easy. It hurt her chest and didn’t calm her much, but at least her knees stopped shaking.

  She stared at the man with the gun and tried to memorize his features. Later, she would be able to give Dan or any of his six colleagues a detailed description. He had dark hair, sticking out from beneath a baseball cap. His eyes were dark and uneasy as he tossed his gaze from her to Dorie and back. The beard he was wearing was fake, Justine could plainly see that, but it was impossible to see the shape of his face.

  The man swung his gun back to Dorie, his hand still shaking. “I want all the money in the cash drawer. Put it in a plastic bag!”

  Dorie moved to do his bidding, and he reached across the counter to jab her with the barrel of his gun. “And don’t you be touching any silent alarms or anything, or it will be the last thing you do, little girl.”