Copyright © 2014 Karice Bolton
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, and events either are the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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DEDICATION
Thank you for always being there for me, mom. I love our daily chats and appreciate all of the encouragement you’ve always given. And to my wonderful husband, I love you to the stars and back. I can’t wait to see where life will take us next.
BOOKS BY KARICE BOLTON
THE WITCH AVENUE SERIES
LONELY SOULS
ALTERED SOULS
RELEASED SOULS
SHATTERED SOULS
THE WATCHERS TRILOGY
AWAKENING
LEGIONS
CATACLYSM
TAKEN NOVELLA (A Watchers Prequel)
THE CAMP
BEYOND LOVE SERIES
BEYOND CONTROL
BEYOND DOUBT
BEYOND REASON
BEYOND INTENT – Coming Soon
BEYOND CHANCE – Coming Soon
BEYOND PROMISE – Coming Soon
AFTERWORLD SERIES
RecruitZ
AlibiZ-Coming Soon
LUKE FLETCHER SERIES
Hidden Sins
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Buried Sins Excerpt
Contact the Author
Acknowledgements
Beyond Control Excerpt
Lonely Souls Excerpt
Hannah
“Have you found her yet?” The male voice cut through my soul as I peered down from the hayloft. It was Miles, the father of the man I was supposed to marry. It was an arranged marriage. One that I couldn’t accept, but I never would’ve guessed that his father was involved in this. Then again, for the first twenty years of my life, living here had seemed like an amazing gift, not a horrific nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from. I steadied my breathing to ensure I wasn’t heard as I watched the two men below me. I needed to stay in control. I had planned too long to fail now.
“No. It looks like she took off. Maybe two days ago. She left most of her belongings behind, but I’d say enough was missing to indicate that she’s on the run. Her mother went through the house to confirm that there were items missing,” the younger man said. There was something about his voice that was familiar, and I tried to focus on his features, but I couldn’t place him, which was odd. The community I grew up in wasn’t huge, but it was large enough that people could blend in somewhat. I guess a face could be missed here or there.
“She knows too much, Eric,” Miles said, rubbing his temples.
Eric! I knew an Eric in high school, but we were told he’d left the community. Obviously not.
“Just like her sister,” Eric responded. I saw a trace of a smile touch his lips as he shook his head. “But we took care of that problem, and we’ll take care of this one.”
What about my sister? I’d been told she left the community, ran away. My stomach turned into itself as I thought about my family. Did they know what was going on here? Was my mom actually concerned about my safety or only helping to lead them to me?
Miles took a seat and propped his elbows on the desk, glaring at Eric. “We don’t actually know that you took care of Hannah’s sister. Now do we?”
“I watched her fall from the cliff,” Eric argued.
“No body was ever recovered.”
“The authorities said that with the currents, it might never be.” Eric stood his ground.
Miles shrugged as if to dismiss the argument that couldn’t be won. “You’re sure Hannah saw something? Two in a family calls too much attention…”
Eric paced across the floor. “We found her in the bushes close to where the other issue had been taken care of. If Hannah didn’t see what unfolded, the gunshots and screams surely would’ve alerted her. From her vantage point, she could’ve seen everything. And the wild look in her eyes…”
I know more than you bastards could ever imagine.
“Enough said. Add that to the fact that she’d already gone to the authorities about Tina,” Miles shook his head. “And we’ve got a big problem on our hands. A problem you were supposed to take care of. We’re just lucky that Mark was the officer on duty when she went to the police station. We don’t run our organization on luck, Eric.”
My heart was pounding as I listened intently. One of the nails in the wood beam poked my ankle something fierce, but I didn’t dare move.
“She couldn’t have gotten far. We’ll find her. My guess is she’s headed to Florida, and I’ve got people already headed that direction,” Eric said.
“What makes you think Florida?”
“I found some notes on different cities in Florida. They were tucked under her mattress.”
“If this woman is smart enough to vanish without a trace, do you really think she’s going to forget or leave behind a few key pieces of information? Come on. You’ve got to be kidding me. She’s just sending you on a wild goose chase.” Miles pounded his fist on the desk. “I’m taking this over. You’re done. And don’t tell my son any of this. You understand?”
Eric balled his fists together at the commandment. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Did that mean Brandon, my fiancé, wasn’t involved? I pushed the lump down in the back of my throat as I thought about my entire life being highly orchestrated for some cause I didn’t even understand.
Miles stood up, obviously agitated, and both men walked out of the office. It would take them several minutes to walk through the stables that the office was connected to, and I had no plans to come down from my perch until well into the midnight hour. I’d gotten what I came for; the last of the documents were securely tucked into my waistband. It was just an added bonus to catch Miles here, discussing my fate. At least my hunch was right. If t
hey caught me, they’d kill me.
I shifted slightly, moving my ankle away from the nail, as my mind drifted to my sister. Four years ago she had vanished without a trace. My mother was in hysterics, but my father and brother had been completely stoic, dismissing my sister’s disappearance as if the cat never came home for the night. Eventually, they had convinced both my mom and me that she had chosen to live a life outside the community. It wasn’t unheard of so I was willing to blindly believe that assumption, even though my sister never gave me any reason to believe that she wanted out. In hindsight, that was my tipping point.
With every passing minute that I was stuck in the rafters, I began to doubt my plan that I’d worked on for months. I was only buying time, trying to save enough to get me out of here without looking like I was doing anymore than usual to earn money. Everything was going according to plan until three nights ago. That’s when everything changed in my world. Instead of just wanting to escape, I wanted answers.
When I saw her eyes—my best friend’s eyes—filled with terror, I knew I couldn’t just walk away so I followed. She asked me not to, told me to stay away, but I followed her from a distance as she walked through the pasture toward the woods. I didn’t know if she knew I was following until it was too late. I watched her trembling hands as she covered her face, and she sank down into the dirt, crying. She had told me that she’d been having troubles with her husband—another arranged marriage, and another reason I had no intention of following through with mine. I halfway expected to see him meet her in the woods.
Instead, two men came from nowhere, wearing masks. She didn’t fight, and I didn’t know what to expect. I closed my eyes quickly and took a deep breath as I readied myself to run up on them. When I heard the first shot, my eyes flashed open as her gaze landed on mine. She knew I’d followed her. Another shot echoed into the air followed by laughter from the one I could now identify as Eric.
My body trembled as the images flooded through me, and I knew if I was going to survive long enough to expose everything, I needed to create a new life. I had to forget as much as I could about this old one, until the time was right.
Hannah
I let out a sigh as I sat in the dusty, blue truck that had miraculously managed to make it across the country. Between the funny interior smell, the engine knocking at speeds over fifty miles-per-hour, and the tricky method for locking the driver’s door, I hadn’t even been sure I’d actually make it out of my hometown. I found a ’99 GMC Sonoma for only eight hundred dollars, and I bought my way out of a life that wasn’t my own. Or at least, I hoped I had. Only time would tell. I turned off the radio and watched a family wander into the Starbucks. My chest tightened as I thought about who I’d left behind. But it had to be done. I couldn’t second-guess my decisions now. There was no turning back.
I grabbed my wallet and slid out of the truck, feeling the warm California air kiss my skin as I slowly walked across the parking lot toward the coffee shop. I wasn’t used to temperatures like this in March, but I was certain I’d quickly learn to love the weather. From what I’d read, Southern California skipped over the entire winter season, which sounded perfect to me. New England winters were brutal and long—really long.
My stomach growled as I pulled the door open and smelled the aroma of coffee and pastries waft through the air. I hadn’t eaten anything since the night before and desperately wanted a big cup of coffee. I’d tried not to spend much money on the long road trip in case I needed any extra cash for emergencies. Lucky for me, I’d made it to my destination without one hiccup and could splurge on a measly cup of coffee.
Yay me!
The family from outside was still in front of me, placing their order as I stood in line. The mom’s latte order had so many components I lost track. It was no longer just a drink with coffee and milk. I watched her movements carefully, noticing every blonde hair was in place and her suit flawless. She seemed so in her element, and for some reason that made me feel completely out of mine. Her husband was put together just as impeccably, and I found myself running my hands along my sweatshirt to press out the wrinkles that had formed from the countless hours of driving. I was in yesterday’s yoga pants, which were now technically today’s, and my blonde hair desperately needed to be washed so it was piled on top of my head in a clip. I glanced around Starbucks and noticed that the family in front of me wasn’t the anomaly. Everyone looked put together and ready to conquer the world. I was the odd one with tired brown eyes.
There was a brunette in the far corner who wore Hollywood shades, and her khaki capris showed off her model legs. The guy at the next table over looked like he’d just stepped out of the pages of a Men’s Fitness magazine as he intently stared at his iPad. This had to be the best-dressed coffeehouse in America.
“Miss, I can take your order,” the male barista said, as the family walked to the drink counter.
I snapped my head to see a friendly guy about my age, motioning for me to step forward to the counter.
“Oh, sorry,” I said, nearly tripping to the register.
“Take your time.”
“I’d like a large coffee,” I said, smiling.
The guy’s blond hair was shaggy and his blue eyes playful as he grabbed the white cup. “Pike Place or French Roast?” he asked.
“Pike I guess,” I muttered, unzipping my wallet.
“A Venti Pike Place, and can I get your name?”
“Hannah,” I said, feeling a breeze from behind as the door swung open.
A wave of shivers ran across my skin, and I started to laugh at how quickly I became acclimated to the warm weather. The barista wrote my name on the cup and called out my drink as he rang it up.
“Two-eighty,” he said, as I felt someone come up behind me in line.
“Can I add a blueberry scone too?” I handed him my debit card as he nodded.
Taking my card, he quickly added the scone to the order and swiped the debit.
“So how’s your day been?” the barista asked, waiting for the transaction to complete.
“Really good. Yours?” Another wave of goose bumps ran along my body, and I glanced around, unsure of the source this time. There was no breeze.
“Been great.” His eyes landed on the screen, and I saw his jaw tense as he swiped the card again. “Do you by any chance have another form of payment?”
My heart sank and my body felt like it was on fire. I had no other cards, and there should be plenty of money to cover a scone and coffee.
“Can you try it again?” I barely squeaked out. “Third time’s a charm.”
The barista gave me a sympathetic grin and swiped the card once more.
“Sorry. Same result.” The barista handed the card back as my entire body turned into a hot mess. I was absolutely mortified. It wasn’t like I was trying to buy a television. I just wanted a lousy cup of coffee. And what was worse was that the money in the account needed to get me by until I could find a job in town. So where was the money?
“Umm. I’m sorry. Can you cancel my order,” I whispered. All I wanted to do was run out of the coffee shop and hide in my truck. I wasn’t supposed to meet my roommates for another hour, but maybe they wouldn’t mind if I showed up early.
Just as the barista was about to key in the cancellation, a male voice interrupted my mini-hell of humiliation.
“I’ve got it covered. Technology can be such a pain.” The guy from behind me took a step forward, and a surge of warmth flooded through me. His voice was gravelly, sexy, and didn’t relay a bit of sympathy for my predicament. His immediate dismissal of the crisis at hand actually made me feel immensely better, like this sort of thing happened all the time. And then I felt him, his energy, wrap around me.
He was intense.
“You don’t have to do that,” I said, turning to see the guy take a step next to me, handing the barista his card.
My heart nearly stopped when I saw how good-looking he was. All six-foot-something of him towered n
ext to me and I felt abuzz with delight. He was dressed like everyone else in this mystical coffee house. But on him, the black suit stretched across his shoulders in such a way that I could almost imagine what lay under his jacket. After all, I was in the land of mirages. Men like this didn’t exist in my world. His wavy, dark brown hair framed his chiseled features, and his green eyes were beyond striking as he smiled at me briefly.
“Add a Venti Iced Coffee and an oatmeal cookie to the order,” the man said, ignoring my statement as he placed a hand on my shoulder, sending an impossible charge through me.
His eyes connected with mine, and my entire body responded to him in a way that I’d never experienced before. I dropped my gaze and felt a warmth swell deep inside me as he continued to watch me.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Anytime.” His hand slipped off my shoulder.
“I’m not sure what happened. I should…”
“No need to explain. Banks screw up all the time.” He smiled at me and I nodded, thankful for his ability to put me at ease.
“Well, thanks again,” I said, turning to walk toward the counter where the drinks were called.
I felt his gaze on me and didn’t know what to do. I felt extremely self-conscious as I thought about my day-old wardrobe and messy blond hair. I really didn’t fit in here, but I better start learning how to do so.
“Scone and Venti Pike Place for Hannah,” a female barista with red, spikey hair called out.
“Thank you,” I said, quickly grabbing my food and drink, hoping for a quick escape.
Reaching the door, I glanced behind me and saw the guy grabbing his own drink before looking over at me. My heart stopped as his eyes locked on mine, and I knew I needed to get out of here.
“Hannah,” his throaty voice stopped me in my tracks. “It was nice meeting you.”
He looked so damn charming, and it was really nice of him to cover my order, but I didn’t want to start calling attention to myself. Yet, I was doing that every moment I stood in the coffee house with a dopey smile on my face. I was counting on California to provide the anonymity I needed, and I was also counting on my bank account to be fuller than it was, which had me extremely concerned. I most certainly had enough funds in there to buy a cup of coffee. I couldn’t do what my heart wanted me to do so I waved with the hand holding my scone bag and left the coffee house in a dash.
Hidden Sins Page 1
