"This is for you," Dani said, showing him a small round tie tack with a target painted on it. She pinned it onto his hospital gown. "It's from everyone at the station. They thought you deserved a special medal for getting shot twice in the same week."
His mouth twitched into a semblance of a grin. "How are you, Matt? That body slam to the floor must have hurt."
Matt gave an embarrassed shrug. "Just a little. It was better than getting shot."
"He told us how you two used signals to communicate," Dani said. "Sort of puts all our high-tech equipment to shame. Listen, Neil and I will be back a little later to go over all the details with you. We just wanted to say hi and show you our appreciation for your bravery."
"What about Tammy?"
Dani shook her head. "She didn't make it."
"I think she killed Russ. She almost admitted it to me in front of Matt."
Butler nodded. "That's the way the file's going to read."
"And she told me he was the one that shot me the other night. Same gun."
"Right. Ballistics will confirm that."
"You know she was working with Decker?"
Dani and Butler glanced at each other. "We guessed as much," Dani said. "But it doesn't matter now. Decker had a massive stroke in his hotel room after he called the station. He lost the use of most of his body."
Butler said aloud what the others were thinking. "Sometimes the punishment does fit the crime."
"Come on, Matt. Neil and I are going to check out the cafeteria. You've got to be hungry by now."
He took his mom's hand and squeezed.
She smiled and nodded. "Go ahead. I'll keep Kyle company for a while."
After they were out of the room, Kyle patted the bed and she carefully sat down next to him.
"Matt says you saved his life. You can't imagine what all was going through my head while I was trapped in my room and couldn't see what was going on." Leftover tears welled up in her eyes, and she wiped them away. "Sorry, I guess I'm not quite over the shock yet."
"I'm sure it'll take a while."
"I just don't know how to thank you enough for what you did. She was insane. Matt could have been killed. You could have been killed."
He held her eyes with his. "I'd do it again... if it was the only way I could get you to talk to me." She lowered her eyes, and he brushed her hip with the back of his hand. "I need another chance, Barbara. I know I don't deserve it, but if you'd let me start over with you, I'd... well, I'd... you name it, and I'd do it."
She sighed. "So much has happened..."
He was encouraged by her hesitation. "You're right. I'd go very, very slowly this time. No rushing you into... anything."
She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Unless you wanted me to," he amended with a hopeful look.
She bit her cheek to keep from smiling. "Okay, we can start over." She stood up and took his hand in hers. "How do you do? I'm Barbara Johnson, but my name used to be Mancuso."
He quit trying to keep a straight face. "Hello. I'm Hamilton Kyle Treadwell."
She wrinkled her nose up. "I don't like the name Hamilton. I think I'll call you Kyle."
His expression became serious again. "Will you ever be able to forgive me?"
She bent forward and pressed her mouth to his, instantly reigniting the passion that had burned between them from the start. "Any other questions?"
Epilogue
"How's she doing today?" Dani asked as she walked in the door of her parents' house.
Her mother smiled softly. "She's been having a lovely time with her Barbie dolls—dressing and undressing them, over and over, in all those beautiful outfits you bought her."
Dani gave her mom a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Good. I'll have to buy her some more."
Mom wagged a finger at her. "What did I tell you about spoiling that child?"
Dani went on to her sister's room and waited for her to notice that she was standing there before moving too close. Her mother had referred to Janine as a child for as long as she could remember, and mentally, her sister was a child—a ten-year-old, preadolescent girl... in a forty-year-old woman's body. The doctors all said there was no biological reason for it. Janine simply chose to go back to that age and stay there after her trauma.
"Hi, Dani. Do you have time to play with me today?"
"Sure," she said, sitting down on the floor and picking up one of the dolls. They were all Barbies, not a Ken in the bunch. "I'm off for the rest of the day."
"Why didn't you bring your new friend to play too? Do you think she'd let me call her Barbie instead of Barbara?"
"I'm sure she'd be flattered," Dani said with a chuckle. "And I promise to bring her by the next time. She's just had a lot of trouble in her life lately."
Janine frowned. "But you're a policewoman. Can't you make her trouble go away?"
The memory those words triggered caused a quick surge of powerful energy to race through Dani's petite frame. With a reassuring smile, she stroked her sister's hair. "Don't worry, sweetie. I already took care of it... just like I did for you."
The End
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Excerpt from
Twisted Hunger
Lust & Lies Series
Book 2
by
Marilyn Campbell
USA Today Bestselling Author
TWISTED HUNGER
Praise and Accolades
"A sordid, twisted tale of suspense."
~Romance Reviews Today
"A to-die-for plot, literally."
~The Romance Studio
For every evil under the sun
There is a remedy or there is none.
If there be one, seek till you find it;
If there be none, never mind it.
Twenty-one Years Ago,
East Los Angeles, California
"Damn, Terrell, you look like you're gonna puke." Luke Madigan kept his voice hushed in hopes that the guys in the front seat of the old car wouldn't hear.
"I got a bad feelin' about this, man."
"What the fuck you two girls whisperin' 'bout back there?" Manny asked into the rearview mirror. "Little cuz said you were both cool, but if you gonna shit your pants, tell me now."
When Luke's classmate, Pablo, told him what he and his older cousin, Manny, were planning to do that night, Luke had jumped at the opportunity to be involved in something so wild. His best friend, Terrell Harris, wasn't as anxious, but he hadn't wanted to be left behind either.
They were planning to get drunk, which in itself wasn't unusual, but the booze was going to be stolen. Talk about the ultimate high! Pablo had assured him that Manny was an old hand at breaking and entering, and knew which store would be the easiest and safest to hit. Besides that, he had his own car.
"You sure no one's in there?" Pablo asked as Manny pulled up in front of the liquor store.
"I told you already, I been watchin' this place. The old man don't live here. It'll be clean and easy. We bust in, the alarm goes off. We got plenty of time to grab whatever shit we want before any cops show up. This is the fuckin' barrio. Nobody cares about an alarm going off in a liquor store."
Luke shot one more glance at Terrell before slipping out of the backseat and following Manny's lead.
It took Manny less than five seconds to smash the glass on the front door, reach in and unlock the deadbolt. Instantly the alarm blared at ear-splitting decibels. Manny shouted something unintelligible at the boys and headed for the cash register.
Luke only had a moment to realize that Manny intended to steal more than a bottle of rum before an explosion grabbed his total attention. To everyone's shock, the owner was standing in the doorway of the back room holding a smoking, double-barreled shotgun.
; Despite the screaming alarm and the owner's broken English, it was perfectly clear that the man was beyond pissed and was ordering them to stand still.
Luke's shock multiplied when Manny pulled a pistol out of his jacket and fired at the owner. Though the bullet struck the man's shoulder, it didn't prevent him from pulling the shotgun trigger a second time.
Luke knew he would never forget the look on Manny's face the instant before his chest was obliterated.
As the owner swiftly reloaded the shotgun, Luke, Terrell and Pablo took off in separate directions. For several blocks, Luke heard the man shouting behind him as he raced from certain death.
It had all happened so fast. Would the owner be able to identify him to the police? His light brown hair and fair skin made him stand out from the others—Terrell being the darkest of the three—but Luke didn't live nearby, had never been in that neighborhood before and definitely had no intention of ever going near there again.
As far as his parents knew, he was securely tucked in bed. They would vouch for his whereabouts, if he could just sneak back in without them discovering his absence. If he wasn't caught in the next few minutes, he just might get away with the most stupid thing he had ever done.
Unless the connection between Manny and Pablo was made, and Pablo was forced to squeal...
Luke swiped at the drop of sweat that stung his eye without slowing his frantic pace. His heart felt as though it would burst at any moment. There were still so many things he had hoped to do before he died—getting laid being at the top of the list. For chrissakes, he thought, I don't even have my driver's license yet. It occurred to him that God might be more helpful if he offered him some sort of deal.
The sound of a police siren spurred him to concentrate on his escape.
Something squished beneath his shoe. The stench of garbage and urine along the side street was nauseating, but he had to ignore that too. A scrawny cat with glowing yellow eyes screeched at him, causing another rush of fear-induced adrenaline.
Luke glanced fearfully behind him one more time, then made a left up the next street, hoping it was one that would lead him out of this maze of dark, stinking alleys and back into civilization as he knew it. He was too many miles from his Pasadena home to run the entire way, but he intended to get as far away from the scene of the crime as possible before catching a bus.
How could he have been such an idiot?
Tonight was supposed to be a test of manhood, unbeatable proof of how cool they were. No one was supposed to get hurt.
An overwhelming wave of nausea and dizziness warned Luke that he could not go much farther without resting for a moment. When he estimated that he'd gone about twenty blocks and could no longer hear any sirens or running footsteps behind him, he started looking for a place to catch his breath.
A flickering streetlight drew his attention to a narrow alley between two buildings, and his flight came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the dim halo on the street. Leaning against the concrete wall, he inhaled deeply once before realizing there were already two people taking advantage of the alcove—a hooker and her client. Luke took in the shadowed outline of the woman with her back to him, standing with her spiked heels wide apart and the man on his knees between them.
Pushing himself away from the wall, Luke was about to move on when his second gasping breath reached the woman's ears. As she turned toward the sound, a surge of electrical power allowed the faltering streetlight to momentarily illuminate her portion of the alleyway.
For several heartbeats they were both paralyzed by the surprise of being discovered. But what Luke saw caused sufficient panic to get him running again.
In the whore's right hand was a blood-drenched knife and, clutched in her left, was her client's nearly severed head.
Twisted Hunger
Lust & Lies Series
Book 2
by
Marilyn Campbell
~
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WICKED OBSESSIONS
Lust & Lies Series
Book 3
Excerpt from
Wicked Obsessions
Lust & Lies Series
Book 3
by
Marilyn Campbell
USA Today Bestselling Author
Praise for
WICKED OBSESSIONS
"A spine-tingling, chilling ride into the mind of a demented killer"
~Rave Reviews
"You'll get your money. The gallery just sold another one of the bitch's new paintings. Ya gotta give me more time," Rico Gambini pleaded into the telephone. "Wait. Just listen a minute." He paused as he was the one made to listen. "Okay, okay. Two weeks then. You'll see. I'll get the money out of her. One way or another."
The "bitch" halted abruptly outside the bedroom door as she heard her husband's voice. Teri Carmichael Gambini had been working in her studio over the garage when she spilled coffee on her blouse and decided to change. Closing her mind to the possibilities Rico's final words suggested, the petite brunette stealthily retreated. She knew from past experience that confronting him would only waste energy she couldn't afford to lose today. Their arguments, which had increased in number the past few months, always left her vibrating with anger and frustration, not exactly a state conducive to creativity.
Obviously, Rico was in trouble again—gambling trouble—and he expected to convince her to bail him out... again. At least now she understood what was behind his recent efforts to charm her. If she hadn't overheard him just now, it probably would have worked too. But it was all a lie... again.
The difference this time was that he'd used up his second and a third chance with her. She was done bailing him out. She was done walking on eggshells around his hot temper. She was finally done with him. All that was left was the paperwork.
She paused outside the detached garage of their White Plains home. Selena, the sole model for her current project, was already in the studio and Teri wanted to compose herself before going up there.
She felt a soft pressure against her calf and glanced down. "Well, hello there." Kneeling, she stroked the unfamiliar cat's gray and black fur and frowned when her fingers detected rib bones too close to the surface. "Poor baby. You've been wandering a long time, haven't you?" The stray looked directly into her eyes, cocked its head and let out a loud meow. "You're lucky summer came early this year. I suppose the others told you where you could find a free meal."
The response was a shy purr that made her smile. "Well, you seem polite enough, but we have rules here. No digging in the garden and stay away from the bird feeders in the backyard. If I find out you're bothering my birds, you won't be welcome back for breakfast. Got it?"
With a graceful arch of its back, the cat nuzzled Teri's palm once more, then took off around the side of the garage where cat food was always set out. Because of Rico's allergies, she couldn't have animals in the house, but there were plenty outside that had grown accustomed to her attention.
Substitute children. For the thousandth time she wondered if it would have made a difference if she and Rico had been able to have a baby. Her inability to conceive was only one of the thorns that had pricked his male ego, but it was a sizable one. Regardless of the fact that the doctors she went to gave her a clean bill of health, Rico blamed her. He refused to be tested since he had no doubts about his manhood. And he wouldn't consider adoption as an alternative. And now, at thirty-seven, her options were drifting away.
With an audible sigh, she turned her thoughts to the young woman waiting upstairs, another lonely stray. Teri had chosen her six months back based on an agency comp card and was thrill
ed when she met her in person. Five foot eleven, with a voluptuous body and straight, waist-length, platinum hair, Selena's skin was the most flawless and palest she'd ever seen. The only characteristic that kept her from looking like an albino were her catlike green-blue eyes, but even that touch of color was strangely translucent. Overall she had a haunted, mysterious look that Teri had taken advantage of in her last project.
She had used Selena as a ghostly apparition in the background of each of her ten Women in History paintings currently being exhibited by the Forsythe Gallery in Manhattan. Her new project was even more daring as she intended to use pieces of Selena disguised in various everyday settings. Her plan was to combine photography and oils but so far she hadn't managed to get the idea out of her head and properly onto canvas in a satisfactory way.
Between the History series and the new idea, she and Selena had been spending a lot of time together. She was sweet and easy to work with, and they developed a comfortable, personal relationship, even though Teri was sixteen years older. Or perhaps the relationship blossomed because of that age difference.
As Teri expected, Selena's exotic features bore a worried look when she reentered the studio. She didn't care for being left alone.
"I thought you were changing. What happened?"
Teri grimaced at the dried beige stain on her white shirt, then fussed with the short ponytail at the base of her neck. "Oh, yes. I, uh, got distracted and forgot all about it."
"That's not like you. Rico's home today, isn't he? What did he do, pick another fight?"
Selena's breathy voice was gentle, but the way she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin made her look as though she was prepared to knock a few teeth out of the man if asked. Teri shook her head and changed the subject. "It wasn't important. Anyway, I wanted to tell you about something I'm going to try. I have a photographer coming to take some pictures of you."
Unnatural Relations (Lust and Lies Series, Book 1) Page 28
