Code Redhead - A Serial Novel

by Sharon Kleve

  Behind Seth’s dead body, Coleman’s trembled with effort, but the gun in his hand was still raised.

  Garson appeared in the inner lab’s doorway with his gun drawn. His gaze snapped around the room. He grabbed the desk phone off the table, punched in numbers, and then yelled into the receiver, “An agent has been stabbed. We need immediate medical care. SunStrand Labs basement level.” When he hung up the phone, he approached Seth. He kicked the knife out of Seth’s dead fingers. “What the hell happened?” Garson cried.

  Aiven dropped to her knees next to Coleman. “Give me the towels off the workstation over there. I need to stop the bleeding or he’ll die.”

  Garson hurried to bring her the supplies she needed. Aiven bunched a towel and pressed it against the wound in Coleman’s stomach. “Here,” she ordered. “Take a second towel and hold it against the knife wound in his shoulder.”

  Garson dropped down and did as she instructed.

  “You are not going to die, do you hear me?” Aiven tried to remain calm as she spoke to Coleman, but her hands shook. There was so much blood. The copper smell filled her nostrils. “Dammit. We’re in this together.”

  “Matthew,” Coleman said in a weak voice, as his eyes slowly opened. “My first name’s Matthew. Since you have my blood all over your hands, I think that we should be on a first name basis.”

  Aiven let out a strained laugh. “Matthew…but, I think I will call you Coleman M. That’s what the phone contact says.”

  He groaned as pain etched his handsome features. Aiven cradled his head in her lap as he grimaced.

  “I’m so sorry, Coleman. I had no idea anyone was in danger.” Garson frowned.

  “Neither did I.” Coleman ran his tongue over his lips. “I wouldn’t have gotten myself stabbed if I had. I guess I’m losing my edge.”

  “Nope.” Garson’s smile was tight. “The only thing you’re losing right now is blood. Hang in there, help will be here any second.”

  Relief flooded Aiven when the paramedics appeared through the door. Instantly, they began to work on Coleman.

  “We’ll take over from here, ma’am,” one of the paramedics said. “As soon as we stabilize him, there’s a chopper on the roof to rush him to Harborview.”

  The other paramedic pointed to Seth on the floor and asked Garson, “What about him?”

  “You can pronounce him,” Garson said. “He’s dead.” He looked at Aiven’s arm. “Is that your blood or Coleman’s?”

  “It’s mine, but I’m fine. Put your energy into Coleman.” She stepped back, as two more paramedics entered the room. She held onto the stainless table. Her legs felt like they would give way.

  They loaded Coleman onto a stretcher and whisked him from the room. He disappeared at the end of the hall as the dark uniforms of the paramedics surrounded him. Aiven wanted to run after him, but Garson guided her by the arm to an empty room and waited until she took a seat. She didn’t have the strength to argue.

  Garson’s alpha exterior was shaken too. “Again, what the hell just happened in there? Who is the dead body on the floor?” Garson asked.

  Taking a deep breath, Aiven explained all that had happened the best that she could.

  Garson drove her to the safe house to get her cat and then home. He promised that he would call her with an update on Coleman, but never did. She tried to call the hospital, but since she wasn’t family, they wouldn’t give her any information. Aiven was twisted inside with worry.

  Seth. Aiven still couldn’t believe it was him. He was willing to kill three people over a love-sick crush on a co-worker. She’d worked with him for over six months.

  It proved to her once again that plants were always safer than people.

  CHAPTER NINE

  One week later

  Garson finally called her a few days afterward to tell her that Coleman was recouping in an area hospital. She went to see him, but they wouldn’t let her through. At least she knew he’d survived. She shuddered and shoved away the memories of all that happened. Last night was the first night she hadn’t awoken in a cold sweat.

  Back at her condo, Aiven wiggled a string and Ziggy dove after it. His butt wiggled as he planned his next pounce. Sunlight streamed through her apartment window and warmed the carpet. She rolled onto her side and let the warmth seep into her bones. There was a knock on the door, and she pulled herself to her feet.

  Aiven looked through the peephole and then whipped open the door. Relief and concern overtook her. “Coleman!” She threw her arms around him in a giant hug. When she heard him grunt, she stepped back. “Oh, God, sorry. I hurt you. But, it’s so good to see you. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you still be in the hospital?” Questions rolled off her tongue.

  “I was discharged this morning.”

  “And you came here?”

  “Yeah, I came here. I told the doctors they needed to get me out, or I was walking. I’m not a good patient.” His arm was in a sling over his black leather jacket.

  “Come in.” She stepped to the side. He moved slowly, still in obvious pain, as he followed her and sat on the couch.

  “I took a chance.” He rubbed a hand over the knee of his jeans. “I wasn’t sure you wanted to see me again.”

  “Of course I did. I called and then stopped by the hospital. I wasn’t family, and they wouldn’t let me see you.”

  “I was afraid of that.” He shook his head. “Because of this mess and then the case I was on, DEA wasn’t taking any chances. They had my room locked down. But, I got the flowers you brought. You thought to send a big, hard ass guy like me flowers?”

  “I thought you might like them. I know, it was stupid.”

  Coleman met her gaze. “It wasn’t stupid, it was really nice. The fragrance filled the room, and it didn’t smell…well, like a hospital.”

  “The flowers were gardenias and freesias. I left the bouquet with the information desk, and I was hoping they might get through. Garson finally called me after a few days.”

  “I gave him hell for that. I told him to contact you when I got out of surgery, but obviously, he didn’t.”

  “When he did call, he said what hospital they moved you to. I was sick with worry.”

  “You were?” Coleman’s eyes softened. “It meant that you were thinking about me even after all I put you through.”

  “You put me through? It was my crazy co-worker that was the killer, and nothing to do with you. I had no clue…no warning.” Guilt spread through her, and she dropped her gaze. “Geesh, I sat next to the guy and ate lunch with him.”

  “They went to Seth Markleʼs apartment after the incident. His computer was filled with photos of your friend, Sara. Hundreds, secretly taken with his cell phone over the past six months. Markles was a straight up stalker. They found the drink glasses with the poison that he’d taken from your apartment and the bar. They also located the gun he used to shoot through your window.”

  “I can’t feel remorse over the fact that you killed him.” Aiven shook her head still in disbelief. “What a creep.”

  “I guess we’re even,” Coleman said as he scooted closer.

  “Even for what? You saved my life. Seth was going to stab me, too.”

  “I talked to the surgeons. I was lucky that the knife slid off my ribs and didn’t hit any major organs. I’d already lost a lot of blood and might not have made it. You stopped the bleeding and saved my life.”

  “I did what I had to do.” She took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

  “So did I.” His warm fingers wrapped around hers. “When I fired that gun, luck had a lot to do with my aim. With the loss of blood, I was out of it.”

  “As I said, we were in it together. Luck helped us survive.”

  “By the way, what did you throw in Markle’s face? That definitely slowed him up so I could get a shot off and not hit you.”

  “Euphorbia Tirucalli. I had been doing testing on it and remembered that a vial of almost pure strength was at my workstation. When
applied, it burns the eyes and skin. That was probably his last thought. Seth was trying to figure out what I’d thrown on him. Served him right.”

  “He deserved both hits.”

  Aiven nodded, remembering her friend. “Sara didn’t deserve to die.”

  “I was completely off on a wild goose chase in the wrong direction. No one suspected Markle and the fact that he’d meant to poison Sara all along. Crazy is crazy. Often, it’s much more difficult to track when they have no past record. My bad guys are easier to find.”

  “What about the case you were on?” She laid a hand on his knee. “To add gas to the fire, are you still in danger?”

  “I don’t think I ever was. It’s finished. The main cartel leader is dead, and his cousin has been arrested for his murder. My cover was never compromised. The gang will reorganize in a few months, but as of now, they’re disbanded.”

  “Will you go back undercover? I hardly know you, and I worry. I don’t know if I could be with someone who was gone and in danger all the time.”

  “My mom said the same thing a few hundred times when I was at the hospital. I needed to get out. And then I started thinking, what if I did? It’s my choice.” He grinned. “The knife wound messed me up for a while. Staring down death gave me the reason to make a change. I’m getting out.”

  “Out of the DEA?” she asked.

  “No, but I’m no longer going undercover. A permanent break. I like where I work, but believe me, there are safe positions at the agency. I’m over thirty. Let the wild twenty-year-old agents take on the high-level undercover cases. I don’t mind paperwork, meetings, and desks. In fact, I’d welcome it. I’ve already talked to my boss. I have another few weeks off before I can return to light duty.” Coleman stretched back and ran a hand over the back of her couch. “Then they can get the job figured out.”

  Aiven sighed and pulled up her knees. “SunStrand gave me three weeks off too, with pay. They didn’t want the bad press of a murderer working at their company. Especially one who killed one person and attempted, on-premise, to kill two more. It was easier for me to be gone for a while and let it all blow over.”

  “I guess that means we are both off work for the next few weeks.” He tucked a loose strand of hair over her ear.

  “What could we ever do with all that free time?” She tried to flirt but wasn’t very good at it. The sunlit copper strands of his dark hair made him impossibly handsome. She swallowed.

  “I could think of a few things…”Coleman gave a sexy chuckle. “But, it also looks like the landlords didn’t get around to fixing the window in your spare room?”

  “I don’t have a landlord. This is a condo, so it’s up to me for repairs.”

  “Then that gives me an even better reason to come and help.”

  “You can’t be up for this yet. You were just were stabbed—twice.”

  Coleman shrugged. “I may not be, but Garson is still feeling prettttyyy guilty about all that went down. If I buy the building supplies, I know he’ll help us. Tomorrow night?”

  “Only if I pay for the things you need, and I’ll fix dinner. I know my way around a microscope but not a window frame. Do you like spaghetti?” she asked.

  “I love spaghetti, but if you’re asking me to dinner, this is going to be a date for two not three. Garson can leave when we’re done with the window.”

  “A date?” Aiven hoped to hear the answer she wanted to hear.

  “Yeah...a date. If you feel like I do, I think we are in this together for more than a few days. Why don’t we seal the deal with a kiss?” Coleman leaned forward. His eyes were a deep, unearthly blue. Her heartbeat sped up. Then came that smile she’d grown to love, satin over steel.

  He gave Aiven a second before his mouth covered hers. The touch of his lips erased all the black memories and the fears she’d held for him. Coleman’s kiss was sensuous, soft, and warm. A simple brush back and forth made the sexual tension between them ignite.

  “Will I see more kisses like that in my future?” she asked.

  “Most definitely.” He was close, and his breath touched her face. He kissed her again.

  Aiven smiled when the kiss ended. “Can I hope for a date with no dead bodies, gunshots, or poison? If so, I’m in.”

  “I’m through with that life. I need simpler. I was thinking of starting with a scientist.” He kissed the tip of her nose.

  “You never know what kind of action and adventure you’re going to end up with. Look at my track record. We’re a wild, unpredictable bunch, Coleman M.”

  He laughed. “That’s all I can hope for, Bradmore A.”

  The fear and tension Aiven had felt, faded into the past.

  Now she saw the future. A future with Matthew.

  ABOUT JENNIFER CONNER

  Cancer is something which has touched my family too many times. Both my mom and my sister have passed from cancer along with friends.

  I have been involved in the Relay for Life walks locally and it is always heartfelt to make a luminary bag with their names. Research has come so far and will continue so families are not broken by this terrible disease.

  Jennifer Conner is a best-selling Northwest author who has over sixty short stories and books in eBook, print, and audiobooks. She writes in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, and Erotica.

  She has hit Amazon’s top fifty authors ranking and her books have been #1 in sales.

  Her novel Shot in the Dark was a finalist in the Emerald City Opener, Cleveland, and Toronto RWA contests.

  Jennifer is an Associate Publisher for the indie e-book publisher, Books to Go Now who resides in the Seattle area. They pride themselves in helping new authors get their foot in the door with well-edited manuscripts, professional covers, and platforms uploads.

  She lives in a hundred year old house that she grew up in. Her semi-small town holds an interesting mix of resident hillbillies, yuppies and Navy Seals. And of course Seattle, only a few miles away, is the birthplace of Starbucks so coffee is always on the check list. She blows glass beads with a blow torch, (which relieves a lot of stress and people don’t bother you) and is a huge fan of musicals.

  Website: http://jenniferconnerbooks.com/

  Blog: http://jenniferconnerwriter.blogspot.com/

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.conner2

  Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jennilynnjac/

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenniferconnner1

  Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-conner/e/B0042850FG/

  Moonlight Serenade by Chris Karlsen

  Historical Romance

  CHAPTER ONE

  Los Angeles, California

  Current Time

  Ronald Day’s great grandson slipped a hand under his arm. “Let me help you, grandpa.”

  Ron pulled from Mark’s light grasp. “No, thank you anyway. As long as I have my cane, I can walk on my own. I’m just slow.”

  He’d been strong as a lion once as were his Marine buddies. He missed being healthy and strong but not as much as he missed the laughter of his friends long gone now. “I’m not ready to let Old Lady Time steal all my independence yet.”

  Ronald didn’t turn down Mark’s help stepping up into the SUV’s passenger side. The floorboard was a few inches too high for the ninety-three year old veteran. “Where are we going? You said you had someplace special to show me.”

  “Burbank Studios. Remember I told you we were doing a series for PBS on war music, starting with the Civil War and working up to the current conflicts. I’m the head cameraman for the entire series.”

  “Head cameraman, very impressive.”

  “My girlfriend, Vivianne, is the sound editor for the World War Two phase. I thought you’d like to see the set and I know how you love the music. It’s a fun bit of nostalgia for you before I take you to lunch.”

  “I’ll be interested to see how the studio has recreated it all. I really look forward to hearing wha
t magic your Vivianne has done with the big band tunes. Best music ever. You know that don’t you?”

  Mark looked over and smiled. “Of course, it was.”

  “You don’t happen to have a CD of Glenn Miller or Artie Shaw in the car do you?”

  “Sorry, no. I don’t have any CDs. All my music is on my phone. I can play what I have through my car’s sound system. I have Lady Ga Ga, some Coldplay, and Seth MacFarlane.”

  Ron grunted. “Never heard of them.”

  A short time later they pulled up to the studio gate. Mark flashed his identification at the security officer.

  “Hi Mark. Don’t usually see you here on a Saturday,” the guard said.

  “Came to show my great grandfather our World War Two set.”

  Ron leaned forward. “Young man, what’s your name?”

  The guard bent so he could see Ron through the driver’s window. “Art, sir.”

  “Is that a pack of cigarettes in your pocket, Art?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Would you do an old man a great kindness and let me bum one?”

  “Grandpa, no. Cigarettes are the worst thing for you,” Mark interjected.

  Ron waved away his objection. “Please, you think a cigarette is going to make a difference to my health at this point?” He gave Art a broad smile. “What do you say, Art?”

  The guard looked to Mark for permission.

  “Might as well. I’ll never hear the end of it otherwise.”

  The guard shook out a filtered cigarette and leaned into the car to hand it to Ron. “It’s a menthol.”

  “I was a Chesterfield man in my day but beggars can’t be choosers. Would you mind giving me two? One for the road.”

  Art shook out a second and handed it to Ron who ran the unlit cigarette under his nose, inhaling the delicious scent. Lord how he missed smoking. “Thank you, Art.”