Finishing The Job
Page 22
“She … she’s dead?”
But I don’t answer him. Instead I look back at the orange pill bottle, think back to the doctors in the PharmaChem labs.
We’ve still got work to do, I think. Patricia’s hand is growing cold in mine. Behind me I can hear Craig finally starting to bawl.
The room disappears. White mist swirls around.
Beep … beep … beep …
… Oh god, Patricia. I’m so sorry …
Beep … beep … beep …
My eyes start to open, and I feel moisture on the lids. They’re heavy. The lights above me are blinding. I blink against them.
“Unghh,” I moan. My stomach hurts. I keep blinking. My eyelids feel sore and crackly. I can feel Patricia’s cold hand in mine and I blink, making more tears come out. They roll down the sides of my face.
“I think he’s waking up.”
A woman’s voice. I recognize it. I blink some more and see a doctor standing over me. Some woman. She looks familiar. She was in the room when I killed Alison, I remember.
Footsteps, many of them, scuffle on the floor. I keep blinking and the room comes more into focus. We’re in a clean, sterile place. There’s bad artwork on the wall. Clear plastic tubes run from my arms to IV drips beside me. And my stomach hurts so much. Now I’m starting to remember.
Ugh …
I let out a sigh. I feel so tired. So heavy. God Patricia, I miss you so much …
People appear around the bed, all looking down at me. My mind is moving slowly. I recognize some of them. Flynn and Trista are here, standing side by side. I try to sneer at them but I’m too tired. My mouth hardly moves. There’s Jake Hawksley with Merryn. She’s still pregnant. Lance, and beside him is the new client Craig brought in. Why is she here? She’s crying, silent tears running down her face.
And someone else in the room. A woman. She hasn’t come over, so I can’t see her as clearly. It looks like she’s holding something.
“Will,” the doctor says. “Do you remember me?”
I swallow, my throat dry. My lips smack together. I try to talk, but it comes out more as a croak. Patricia …
“You were here … when I killed Alison.”
She nods, her face solemn.
“I’m Doctor Hartridge,” she tells me. “Alison was my sister.”
“Oh,” I croak. What’s the point of all this? I don’t say anything else.
“We thought we’d wait until you finally woke up,” the doctor goes on. “So you could say any final words before you go.”
She reaches into the breast pocket of her jacket, pulling out a hypodermic needle and a vial of clear liquid. The others all watch me as I watch the doctor take off the needle’s sheath, stick it into the vial, draw the liquid out. The needle comes out, the vial goes back into her pocket. And then she picks up my IV drip, sticking the thing into the port. Her thumb goes to the plunger, and she waits.
“Oh,” I say again. They all wait. They’re waiting for me. To say something, something profound, something confessional. Something that’ll mean a damn before this whole farce of my life finally comes to an end.
At least I’ll finally see Patricia again.
“Just do it,” I croak. Thinking of Patricia is making my eyes burn again. “Get it over with already.”
The woman beside Lance utters a sob, but nobody else moves. Doctor Hartridge’s jaw is set. She pressed down on the plunger, the clear liquid mixing with the stuff already going into my body. I wait one second, two, and then feel a cold chill start to move into my arm, up towards my chest.
I let out a choked sound. Tears fall from my eyes and I blink, blurring my vision. The doctor takes the needle from the IV drip. The cold is moving through my, filling my entire body.
And then the woman at the back starts to come forward. My head is getting heavier. I can hardly see her through the blurring of tears. I blink, and she immediately becomes clearer.
Oh my god. Patricia.
There she is. She’s holding Craig in her arms. Little Craig. He looks so beautiful. They both look beautiful.
“Patricia,” I croak, but I’m not sure she hears it. I swallow. My throat is tight. More tears in my eyes.
Patricia. And Craig. I’ll be with you soon, my loves.
Everything’s heavier now. My eyes start to drift closed. Patricia disappears from view. I take one last breath, and then let it out.
THE END
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The Santa Espera Series
A Day In The Life
Santa Espera Series Prologue
A city built on corruption. Who will save their souls?
Santa Espera is a dirty, sprawling metropolis. The streets crawl with crime, drugs, and forbidden love. At the heart of the city is a monolith; a vast building that stretches hundreds of feet, employing thousands of people.
PharmaChem.
The city's main source of economy and only provider of pharmaceuticals, both over and under the counter. The man who runs it, Will Silver, is the same man who brought this derelict city back to life. He's the man who controls 99% of its wealth. And he's got plans for the future.
Merryn. Jake. Katie. Lance. Trista. Flynn.
This is a glimpse into a day in their lives before our story takes place. Whether it's by trying to survive, working a tough job for an even worse boss, or searching for happiness between bedsheets, these six work hard to keep on living. Their fates will soon intertwine. But whether it's for the better or worse remains to be seen.
A Day In The Life is a prologue to the Santa Espera series. It is a standalone novella. It contains swearing, violence, sex, and gang-related activity.
~ ~ ~
Rough Rider
Santa Espera Series Book 1
He's the worst person I know. And the best thing that ever happened to me.
MERRYN
My life used to be empty. I was restless, bored, and stuck at a job I hate. Then my coworker took me to that new bar and my life turned upside down.
That's when I met him.
Big, strong, and cocky as hell ... if you know what I mean.
I didn't know he was in a gang. I didn't know he was dangerous. And I didn't know the next time we met he would be saving my life.
But now I'm in danger, and I have to stay with him for two days.
Lucky me, right?
JAKE
I didn't know what I wanted until I met her. Cute, curvy, and the best f*** of my life. This woman is everything and more.
But it wasn't supposed to keep going. It was supposed to end at that bar. And we were definitely never supposed to see each other again.
Now she's in danger and I'm the one who made that happen. I'm going to keep her protected. I'm going to get her back alive.
And in the meantime, I'm going to make sure she's mine.
Rough Rider is the first full-length bad boy romance novel in the Santa Espera series. It is a standalone novel. It contains NO CHEATING, dark themes, and some incredibly hot sex!
~ ~ ~
Hit It & Run
Santa Espera Series Book 2
He turned my world upside-down, and gave me exactly what I needed.
KATIE
I’ve spent the last seven years working non-stop. Building my own therapy practice, carving out a name for myself. It isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Now that I’ve finally made it, I wonder where I’m going to go from here.
Life has a way of making decisions for you.
Part of me wishes I’d never met Lance. Just gotten in my car and driven away, instead of going behind the restaurant and getting f***ed three ways from Sunday.
Who knew being bad could feel so good?
It wasn’t till later that I found out how dangerous he is. And it wasn’t until after that that we started running for our lives. Now it’s just the two of us together. I wonder where we’re going to go from here?
LANCE
Being a hitman can be stressful.
The work is tough, even if you get into it for the best reasons. Sometimes you just need someone to talk to. So when my friend Willy told me about this shrink, I figured I’d give her a shot.
I didn’t expect to see her again.
I thought that night behind the restaurant wasn’t going to mean anything. I didn’t know it would take me over, make me want nothing else but her.
But we’re together again and I’ve got to have her. It doesn’t matter that someone’s trying to kill me. It doesn’t matter that we’re on the run. I’ll keep her safe. I’ll take care of her.
I’ll show her that even a bad boy is capable of love.
Hit It & Run is the second full-length bad boy romance novel in the Santa Espera series. It is a standalone novel. It contains NO CHEATING, dark themes, and some incredibly hot sex!
~ ~ ~
In Too Deep
Santa Espera Series Book 3
Why does sleeping with the enemy feel so good?
TRISTA
It's not easy being a cop. And when you've gone undercover, trying to infiltrate the deadliest gang in Santa Espera to take down the scum that killed your own gangster brother?
Well. Let's just say I've been busy.
All I wanted was to earn the Bullets' trust. I needed to prove I was one of them. So when I hooked up with Flynn in the bar bathroom, I thought it would be a one-time thing.
Boy, was I wrong.
I didn't expect it to be so good. I didn't expect to have feelings for him. And I sure as hell didn't expect him to be part of the very gang I'm out to destroy.
I just hope he'll forgive me for what I have to do.
FLYNN
When it comes to sex, I've got one rule: Once Is Enough. No feelings, no attachment. If you fall in love, it'll only lead to a broken heart.
I'll never make that mistake again.
I met Trista in the bar. Red hair, smoking body, and an attitude that made my c*** hard as a rock. I wanted her. I needed her. By the end of the night I had her. She turned out to be the best f*** of my life.
But there was something about her. I couldn't get her off my mind. Imagine my surprise when she showed up at the warehouse, wanting to be a part of the gang. Wanting to join the Bullets.
I've only been in love once. Losing her was the hardest thing I've ever done. I shut myself away. I never gave love a second chance.
I'll never make that mistake again.
In Too Deep is the third full-length bad boy romance novel in the Santa Espera series. It is NOT a standalone novel. It contains NO CHEATING, dark themes, and some incredibly hot sex!
~ ~ ~
Going Down
Santa Espera Series Book 4
Their only hope for survival is each other. If only it were that easy.
PharmaChem must fall. For that to happen our six heroes have to work together or die trying.
Jake's anger is taking control, threatening to make him do something he'll ultimately regret. Merryn has a secret plan that involves going behind the back of the very man she loves.
A chance encounter forces Lance to put his life on hold. Katie is questioning her morals after learning more about this city than she bargained for.
Trista is in over her head, on track for a fate she can't stop. Flynn meets with an unlikely partner to get back the only person he has left in his life.
One step forward and two steps back. Will Silver's own plans are moving ahead. Will our heroes be able to stop him? Or will they watch as everything they love comes crumbling down?
Going Down is the fourth full-length bad boy romance novel in the Santa Espera series. It is NOT a standalone novel. It contains NO CHEATING, dark themes, and some incredibly hot sex!
~ ~ ~
Finishing The Job
Santa Espera Series Book 5
You must first go through dark before you can see the light.
Everything is falling apart. Plans unravel, bonds are broken, and the very lives of our heroes are at stake.
Jake's emotions threaten to push his own future, and the ones he loves, away. Merryn faces the repercussions of her failed plan.
Lance tries tying up loose ends before it's too late. Katie embarks on a mission that'll put her own life at risk.
Trista struggles to find a balance between life and love. Flynn goes to any lengths to get back what he lost.
Six parts of a whole. In order to destroy the walls that hold this city, they must first destroy the walls within themselves.
Finishing The Job is the fifth and final full-length bad boy romance novel in the Santa Espera series. It is NOT a standalone novel. It contains NO CHEATING, dark themes, and some incredibly hot sex!
~ ~ ~