Edge of Danger

By Wild Rose Press

This is a collection of sample chapters from the following novels.

Torn Away by Vincent Morrone
Camelot Games by Oliver F. Chase
The Echo Holders by Lance Hawvermale
Just What I Kneaded by Karen C. Whalen
Disguise for Death by Sylvia Nickels
The Suicide Gene by CJ Zahner
Blood on the Chesapeake by Randy Overbeck
Lily White in Detroit by Cynthia Harrison
Before We Fade Away by June Summers
A Season for Killing Blondes by Joanne Guidoccio

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Jun 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9781509227860

Book preview

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Sample Chapters of…

Torn Away by Vincent Morrone

Camelot Games by Oliver F. Chase

The Echo Holders by Lance Hawvermale

Just What I Kneaded by Karen C. Whalen

Disguise for Death by Sylvia Nickels

The Suicide Gene by CJ Zahner

Blood on the Chesapeake by Randy Overbeck

Lily White in Detroit by Cynthia Harrison

Before We Fade Away by June Summers

A Season for Killing Blondes by Joanne Guidoccio

Torn Away

by

Vincent Morrone

The Torn Series, Book 1

Chapter 1

A Free Woman

Say it. I am a free woman, in charge of my own future and destiny.

Kelli Duncan took a deep breath and used a tissue to dry her tears. I am a free woman in charge of my own future and destiny.

Diana sat back and appraised her patient. Now, try saying it like you believe it.

Kelli smiled, but there was no joy in it. She fought against the tears threatening to spill over again. I don’t believe it. I don’t feel like I’m in control. If Edward gets out, I’m afraid he’ll come for me and Cole.

You have a restraining order, Diana said. If he comes into Ember Falls, he’ll be arrested again. You’ve got two friends on the police force.

Kelli knew a restraining order was just a piece of paper.

You can’t control his actions, Diana said. You can only control your own. What kind of person you choose to be. What kind of mother you want to be.

Kelli’s breath hitched as the waterworks kicked back in. I’ve failed as a mother. I should have left that bastard years ago, the moment he first raised his fist to me. But I stayed. I was terrified of him. I’m still terrified of him.

Diana nodded. You had every reason to be, but it was more than just terror. It’s the pattern of your life. Your father was an abusive drunk, to you and your siblings.

He was always so angry, Kelli explained. More so after Mom died.

Then your first boyfriend used and abused you. Left you when you were pregnant with his son.

Kelli shrugged. Rodger didn’t hit me much. He mostly stole from me. And he cheated. But he gave me Cole.

And then there was Edward Hunter, Diana said. He isolated you from your family and friends. Beat you in front of your son. You’ve been conditioned to take it. But you broke away. You left.

Kelli cringed. He came after me. He was going to kill me and take Cole.

He has no claim over your son, Diana said. He never adopted him or even accepted him as his own. Cole doesn’t call him ‘Dad,’ does he?

Ripping the tissue into tiny pieces, Kelli shook her head. No. Edward never wanted him as a son.

How is Cole adjusting to life in Ember Falls?

Kelli sighed heavily. I’m not sure. He’s quiet. Sullen. He hasn’t made any friends. I know he’s worried about Edward returning.

Kelli threw away the remains of the tissue, reaching forward and pulled out another one. He likes living in Lily’s house. And the bookstore. Cole always liked books.

How is he dealing with your friend and sister?

Kelli smiled. He likes his crazy Aunt Ashley and she adores him. Lily is so patient. It was so good of her to take us in. If Edward comes here…

Kelli closed her eyes, imagining her ex hurting her friend or sister. If it happened, it would be her fault.

If he does, call the police. Your sister is friends with a cop.

Kelli rubbed her arms, even though it was warm. Ollie’s a good man. He’s been trying to spend time with Cole. I think Cole likes him, but he won’t say it. He’s frightened of men, but Ollie’s got a way about him. Cole needs that. He needs to be around good men. Kelli dabbed her eyes with the tissue. I contacted my brother.

Diana’s eyebrows went up in surprise. Oh? Do you think that’s a good idea? Are you sure that’s not you falling into that same pattern again?

Kelli made direct eye contact with Diana for the first time all night. "I don’t care what everyone says. My brother didn’t hurt anyone. He always tried to protect me and Ashley. Dad was always the hardest on him. I think when Dad looked at me or Ashley, he saw a bit of Mom. So we got knocked around a little, but he’d go to town on Drew, mostly because Drew put himself between us and Dad.

I haven’t seen him since I snuck into the hospital. They wouldn’t let me into his room, had a police officer stationed at the door. I saw him as a nurse went in. They had him cuffed to the bed.

Diana tapped the pen on her pad of paper. What does your sister think?

Kelli folded her arms. Ashley refuses to even talk about him. He wrote to us. She looked up. For some time, he wrote letters and e-mails. Ashley refused to read them and sent them back, but she saved the ones that came for me. I believe in him. I’ve been poking around a little. I owe it to him.

You don’t owe him anything, Diana said. You owe it to your son to be safe. Is your brother coming back to Ember Falls?

Kelli sighed. I didn’t actually ask him, but I want him to. I know he hates this town, but I want my brother back. I think he’d be good for Cole. If I ask him, he’ll come.

You’re sure that’s a good idea?

Kelli smiled. There’s a lot of things I’m not sure about, but my brother being a part of my son’s life? That’s not one of them.

Diana instructed Kelli to repeat that phrase in her head, each day, until it started to sink in. ‘I am a free woman, in charge of my own future and destiny.’ It sounded good.

Kelli stepped outside, the cool night air refreshing her entire body. She was a free woman, and she intended to stay that way. Kelli failed Cole as a mother, because she allowed fear to dominate her. She had to do better for him. Cole would heal. He had to. He was all that mattered to her.

Yes, life was going to get better. Kelli would make sure of it. She was through being a victim.

She smiled to herself as she reached for the door handle. The promise was still ringing in her mind when his reflection in the car window caught her attention. She had no time to panic before he grabbed her from behind, whispered, Bitch, in her ear and used a sharp blade to slit her throat.

Her scream drowned in a bloody gurgle as he dragged her to a nearby car, used a key fob to remotely open the trunk, and threw her inside like a bag of garbage. She barely registered the fact the trunk was lined with plastic as he glared down at her with scorn and stabbed the knife into her chest. She prayed her sister, brother and best friend would deliver the promise of a better life for her son. Kelli Duncan died before he slammed the trunk closed, but she died a free woman.

****

Concentrate, the General snapped, or you’re going to be sorry.

Drew Duncan didn’t look up right away. His eyes remained on his cell phone. The picture of a little boy with sad eyes who refused to look into the camera had him captivated.

What the hell are you staring at anyway? Aren’t you a little old to be looking at pictures of girls with their boobs out?

Paul McAlister, a.k.a. the General, was a tall and sturdy man with gray hair and a square jaw. His old and stern face was offset by sharp blue eyes. He stood with his arms crossed as he waited for an answer, and the General wasn’t one to wait.

"If I ever get too old to look at boobs, Drew said. Shoot me."

Count on it. The General scowled. So tell me what has your undivided attention.

Drew handed the phone to the General. I have a nephew.

The General took the phone. I thought you said you haven’t spoken to either of your sisters since that business from your home town.

I haven’t. Drew did his best to ignore the urge to reach for his pack of cigarettes and light up. I tried to write and e-mail both of them for a while. Never heard back. Ashley returned my letters, ripped up into little pieces. Kelli never responded to hers. Now I know why. She married some asshole. She doesn’t go into detail, but it sounds like he was no better than my father. She’s left him. Fucker better steer clear of her.

The General arched an eyebrow. You plan on going to see her?

Drew’s mouth went dry at the thought of returning to Ember Falls. His home town was filled with old nightmares and bad memories. She didn’t ask me, but she wants me to. I can read between the lines.

God, going back to Ember Falls was the last thing he wanted to do, but he wanted his sisters back. Both of them, including the pain in the ass known as