(please see rafflecopter at the bottom of page)
Past horrors bleed into a present day nightmare
Fifteen years ago, a psychotic killer abducted seventeen year old Melissa Walker. For 83 days she was raped and tortured before being left for dead in a deserted church yard... But she was still alive.
Melissa begins a new life as homicide inspector, Sabrina Vaughn. With a new face and a new name, it's her job to hunt down murderers and it's a job she does very well.
When Michael O'Shea, a childhood acquaintance with a suspicious past, suddenly finds her, he brings to life the nightmare Sabrina has long since buried.
Believing that his sister was recently murdered by the same monster who attacked Sabrina, Michael is dead set on getting his revenge--using Sabrina as bait.
*I loved Carved in Darkness and you can read my review here*
Excerpt:
Michael looked at her for a few moments before he
pushed the gate open and crossed the lawn to retrieve her jacket. Bringing it
to her, he held it out but she refused to accept it. She preferred to keep both
hands wrapped around the gun dangling between her knees. Waiting another beat,
he tossed the jacket on the porch.
“You broke his
finger.” The thought seemed to amuse him.
“No,
I didn’t. I dislocated it.”
He laughed. “You can
put that away now,” he said, nodding toward the SIG.
“I like it just where
it is.” Her eyes locked on his face. “What are you doing here, O’Shea?”
He flashed her a
killer smile. She tightened her grip on her SIG and waited for him to start
spitting lies.
“Melissa—”
Her spine snapped
tight, encased in ice. “Don’t call me that.”
“Okay, Sabrina… I wanted to apologize for this
morning. Lucy knew I was going to be in the area and she asked me to look in on
you. I really didn’t think you’d recognize me.” The explanation sounded
completely reasonable and it would have been enough to placate her if it were
true.
“Liar.”
The
smile didn’t fade. It blinked out like a switch had been flipped. In its place
was a carefully guarded expression that gave away nothing.
“He killed my sister,”
he said quietly. The words carried the force of a wrecking ball. They hit her
square in the chest, nearly knocking her over.
“I
don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Liar.”
He threw her word back at her with vicious smile. It held for a moment before
his face gave way under the weight of his grief. He looked away from her for a
moment, seemed to be wavering, choosing his words, before he turned back to
look at her. “I need your help.”
She
stood and re-holstered her gun at her side.
“No.”
He
made a noise that sounded like a strangled laugh and nodded his head. “You
don’t even know what I want.”
“I’ve got a pretty
good idea but it really doesn’t matter. The answer stands.” She turned to
leave. What he wanted from her was obvious. It would be what she’d want from
him if she were in his place. He wanted her to go back to Jessup with him so he
could bait the hook.
Not
gonna happen.
“Let
me ask you something… do you feel even a tiny bit guilty you’re alive? I mean,
don’t you feel like all those dead girls are at least partially your fault?”
“What?”
she said. His words rooted her in place. She turned to stare at him while the
porch steps rolled beneath her feet like the deck of a ship. She turned around
to face him. “What girls?”
“Really?
You thought he stopped with you? Guys like that don’t do what he did to you and
then just stop.” His tone was hard.
Cold.
She shook her head,
still unwilling to believe. “No. I would’ve heard—”
“He likes waitresses.
Young ones with blue eyes. Spreads it around—Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana,
Arkansas. Sticks to small towns with podunk sheriffs that couldn’t find their
asses with both hands and a map. He’s disciplined. Careful. He only takes one a
year. Guess when?” he said, his words sucked the air out of her lungs. She
couldn’t breathe.
October
first.
Today. He was hunting today.
“He takes them and—poof—they’re gone, never seen again.
Frankie was number fourteen. My guess? He’s looking for number fifteen—if he
doesn’t have her already.”
Liar. He’s a liar. He’d say anything to
get her to do what he wanted.
“How
do you know? If the police can’t put it together, how did you figure it out?”
“I
have unlimited resources and I’m highly motivated.”
His
answer reminded her she had no idea who or what he was. Not anymore. She turned
her back on him, surprised she found her way up the last of the steps without
stumbling. She turned to give him another look. “Stay away from me. Stay away
from my family.”
“I’m
not going anywhere. You’re going to help me.” He bared his teeth in another
vicious smile. “One way or another.” He backed away from her until he was
standing in the glow of the streetlamp. The sullen young boy she remembered was
gone. In his place was a hardened man who would not take no for an answer.
“Oh, and a word of
advice… stop digging into my background. You’re going to get your boyfriend
killed. I’m staying at the Brewster place. You want to know something, just
ask.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No. I’m warning you.”
“Don’t come back
here.” She wanted to run. Instead, she crossed the porch slowly and
pushed through the door. She closed it with a quiet
click and engaged every lock in an impressive row of chains and deadbolts.
I’m
staying at the Brewster place. You want to know something, just ask…
The
Brewster place was a B&B, one street over—directly behind her house. She
looked out the foyer window. He was gone.
Available from Amazon
Available from Amazon
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Maegan Beaumont is the author of CARVED IN DARKNESS, the first book in the Sabrina Vaughn thriller series (Available through Midnight Ink, spring 2013). A native Phoenician, Maegan’s stories are meant to make you wonder what the guy standing in front of you in the Starbucks line has locked in his basement, and feel a strong desire to sleep with the light on. When she isn’t busy fulfilling her duties as Domestic Goddess for her high school sweetheart turned husband, Joe, and their four children, she is locked in her office with her computer, her coffee pot and her Rhodesian Ridgeback, and one true love, Jade.
And now for the giveaway!
Its super easy to enter and open internationally!
Thanks again Maegan for your generosity
Thanks again Maegan for your generosity
and GOOD LUCK everyone :)
I'm so excited! This is my very first giveaway. :) Thanks for having me, Cath!
ReplyDeleteMaegan
It's entirely my pleasure to have you here Maegan :)
ReplyDeleteChanning Tatum..... I could stare at him all day ...sigh.....
ReplyDeleteif it were soundproofed I'd lock my husband down there, that way he couldn't annoy me! haha. J/K. I'd have to say.... Alexander Skarsgård for SURE! that man is YUMMY, and I'd lock me down there with him. sigh....
ReplyDeleteJames Marsters for well...you know lol
ReplyDeleteWould definitely be Ian from vd
ReplyDeleteDavid Gandy
ReplyDeleteRoarke from J. D. Robb's In Death series. He's a Hunk!!!
ReplyDeleteI would have to say...my Husband! I could get away tying him up plus I think he's so sexy! hahahaha ;)
ReplyDelete