The judge's gavel sounded, reminding Flynn why he was there. He made eye contact with Lloyd. Flynn narrowed his eyes, reminding his brother not to tell anyone about him. Flynn had long ago warned his brother that if his antics got too close, Flynn wouldn't hesitate to take him down. And it had finally happened.
The day Alex Mercer had confronted him in the grocery store, Flynn knew it was time he put a stop to his brother's sadistic hobby. He let Lloyd know what was going to happen, and then he started messing with Alex Mercer. Planting the pot had been a little tricky, but not too difficult. Sending the texts had actually been fun.
First, he'd found a file he and a friend had created so he could spy on his wife, who he was certain had been cheating. Flynn sent the file to Alex as a text attachment from a dummy email address. Alex had stupidly opened it, and it had given him full access to all of Alex's emails and texts.
Taking the picture of Lloyd and Ariana by the boat had been a nice added touch. It helped them to catch Lloyd, and even better, one girl's life had been saved.
The one thing he hadn't anticipated, though, was the cops coming to his house, not once, but twice. Flynn had nearly gotten himself in trouble when they'd seen the upstairs—one of Lloyd's many replications of their old house. Flynn had been stupid to allow Lloyd to use his attic one year. He'd been even more stupid not to get rid of the evidence, but part of him liked wandering the attic, remembering better times.
In the end, though, leaving it there had worked in his favor. It was covered in Lloyd's prints. Flynn had been careful never to touch anything, ever. He just kicked up some dust now and then as he walked over the shag carpeting.
Flynn's phone buzzed in his pocket. It was his new boss. He'd lied and said he was on jury duty so he could get out of work. Flynn ignored the call and listened to the prosecuting attorney question Lloyd.
It was fun to watch his twin squirm. He almost felt bad for the guy. Almost. It didn't matter what Lloyd said, with all the evidence against him—thirty years' worth—there was no doubt in his mind that his twin would never again taste freedom. The whole world wanted to see him pay.
Flynn pulled out his new driver's license. Hopefully, this would be his last name change. It would certainly be the last time anyone would ever be able to find a connection between him and his psycho brother Lloyd—unless the police decided to look deeper into the unexplained airtight alibi.
If you enjoyed Girl in Trouble, you'll love the Gone saga, where it all began!
The Gone Trilogy
A USA Today bestselling title
One poor decision will haunt her forever.
Macy Mercer only wants a little independence. Eager to prove herself grown up, she goes to a dark, secluded park. She's supposed to meet the boy of her dreams who she met online. But the cute fifteen year old was a fantasy, his pictures fake. She finds herself face to face with Chester Woodran, a man capable of murder.
Distraught over his own missing daughter, Chester insists that Macy replace his lost girl. He locks Macy up, withholds food, and roughs her up, demanding that she call him dad. Under duress from his constant threats and mind games, her hold on reality starts to slip. Clinging to her memories is the only way of holding onto her true identity, not believing that she is Chester's daughter. Otherwise she may never see her family again.
Purchase the complete trilogy
Dean's List
A USA Today bestselling title
Every marriage has secrets. Some are deadly.
Lydia Harris knows her marriage to Dean has problems, but when she finds a box of news clippings he took great pains to conceal, the problems go from disappointing to dangerous. Nation-wide murders… in cities where he has traveled. She doesn't want to believe him capable of such violence, so she searches for clues to explain the hidden clippings.
As the evidence begins to mount, Lydia is torn. Dean seems to be trying to rekindle their lost spark, and she yearns for what they'd once had. But can she look past her own feelings to uncover the truth, or will she be next on his list?
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No Return
Family comes first. Until it kills you…
Rusty Caldwell is a lonely victim of tragedy. After losing his wife and kids to a drunk driver, he spends most nights towing drunks to keep them off the streets. His one-track existence takes a turn when he finds out his estranged sister Mandy has committed suicide.
After flying out to offer his support, Rusty learns there's much more to the story. It turns out his sister had been cheating on her husband Chris with Travis Calloway, the rich CEO of the biggest company in town. Before Mandy died, she claimed that Travis fathered one of her children and demanded that he pay up…
Rusty and Mandy's neighbor Laura look into Travis, only to receive death threats for their troubles. With Travis and Chris both looking guilty, Rusty better find out the truth before he's the next one to fall.
Purchase links
Other Story Worlds by Stacy Claflin
Stacy is a multi-genre author. If you enjoy romance—either paranormal or sweet contemporary—you're sure to find something you like! Visit StacyClaflin.com for more details.
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Author's Note
Thanks so much for reading Girl in Trouble. This story has been a long time in the making—I know many of you have been waiting! I appreciate your patience because I really wanted to make it as best as it could be. I've gotten advice from a police detective and this book has gone through more drafts than any other I've written to date!
As you may know, this book was born from my Gone Trilogy which takes place when Macy was kidnapped. Her kid brother Alex was always one of my favorite characters. He grew on me more and more with each passing book, and I always thought it would be fun to write a book with him front and center. Now he's getting his own series! That's right—keep your eyes open for more Alex Mercer books. Luke will be a prominent character in at least one—I've gotten a lot of requests for more of him.
Not all of the Alex Mercer books will involve kidnappings, but there will always be a perilous situation and some characters you've grown to love—along with some new ones. If you have any requests, feel free to drop me a note! Either reply to one of my newsletters or use the contact form on my website. I'd love to hear from you.
If you enjoyed Girl in Trouble, please consider leaving a review wherever you purchased it. Not only will your review help me to better understand what you like—so I can give you more of it!—but it will also help other readers find my work. Reviews can be short—just share your honest thoughts. That's it.
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I've spent many hours writing, re-writing, and editing this work. I even put together a team who helped with the editing process. As it is impossible to find every single error, if you find any, please contact me through my website and let me know. Then I can fix them for future editions.
Thank you for your support!
~Stacy
Girl in Trouble (An Alex Mercer Thriller Book 1) Page 29
