volunteering anything.
“We all have secrets,” he said.
I still remained silent.
“I have secrets,” he said. “One of those secrets came out last weekend.”
“Max said that Lula’s not his only half-sibling. You were a busy man,” I said. “Building empires in every sense of the word.”
A forced grin spread across his face. “I love that you understand me.”
“I understand you better than you know,” I said.
“Maybe not, Caroline. Maybe I understand you perfectly.”
I gave him a blank look. “Sorry if you were hoping for more of a reaction, but I’d already figured out that you know who I am. The real question is why I’m here.”
He blinked in surprise.
“You could have turned me in, but you haven’t, which means you want something from me. What is it?”
Score one for Marco. He’d coached me to come on strong and put Bart on the defensive.
“How do you know I don’t plan to turn you in?”
“I’m sure you will when it’s advantageous to you, yet for now you’ll wait and try to get something from me. But I’ve heard of your famous favors. Perhaps you consider keeping my secret as my favor. The real question is what you’ll ask of me and when.”
“Whatever I deem appropriate,” he said.
“No,” I said. “You have something in mind, but you’re keeping it to yourself for now.”
He sat back and rested his forearm on the arm of the sofa, taking an easygoing pose. “You seem very certain of yourself, but you’d be foolish to underestimate me. I’ve destroyed more lives than you can count, and I’ll rip yours to shreds if and when I feel like it, so wipe that smirk off your face.”
I would never kowtow to him, but I’d let him figure that out later.
“If you were plannin’ to leave town,” he said. “I suggest you reconsider. If you try to leave, I’ll be forced to release information that will put Hank Chalmers in prison for the rest of his life.”
What did he have on Hank? Given Hank’s past, it could be anything. “And if you use it, I’ll be forced to tell the world you tried to drown an eight-year-old girl in a pathetic attempt to destroy evidence of your affair.”
“You’ve been talkin’ to Louise.”
“We had a lovely chat,” I said. “Very informative.”
“Louise can speculate all she wants,” Bart said. “But she has yet to prove that Lula is my daughter.”
“It’s not difficult to determine such things,” I said. “A simple DNA test will sort it out.”
“And I’ve already had one done,” he said. “Negative.”
“Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”
He shrugged. “Believe it or not, I still have it and plan to show it to anyone who asks for proof.”
And it would be just as easy to counter his claim—any home DNA kit would do—but that issue wasn’t pressing at the moment.
He stood. “I brought you here to let you know that you have been noticed, and at some point, I will require your willing and able service. The less fuss you make, the better for all, especially poor Hank. I wonder how they deal with one-legged inmates?”
He smiled, but his eyes were dark.
I got to my feet and looked him square in the eye. “This has been such an informative meeting. Thank you.”
“I’m happy we could reach this understanding,” he said.
Oh, we’d reached an understanding, just not the one he’d meant. I’d do everything in my power to protect Hank.
Bart Drummond had finally met his match.
One Foot in the Grave
Carly Moore #3
June 2, 2020
Available for preorder
The dead can’t speak
After months of living in the Smoky Mountains town of Drum, Tennessee, Carly knows firsthand the financial hardship the citizens face. Still, she can’t muster the same excitement as everyone else when town patriarch Bart Drummond breaks ground on his new resort that promises more jobs and money.
But the project comes to a screeching halt when the construction crew unearths a grisly discovery—multiple unmarked graves. Some are decades old, some are newer, but one, in particular, threatens Carly’s ex-boyfriend—the body of his old girlfriend who had supposedly left town…and Wyatt is suspect number one.
Carly’s sure Wyatt’s innocent, even if the rest of the town, and more importantly, the sheriff’s department, is ready to lock him up. Carly has moved on from Wyatt, but now he’s asking for her help to clear his name. In exchange, he’ll tell her everything he knows about his father. Information that will help her bring Bart down.
But danger lurks around every corner, and as Carly puts her heart on the line to help the man who betrayed her, she begins to question everything and everyone around her…especially Wyatt Drummond.
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Also by Denise Grover Swank
Rose And Neely Kate reading order:
Family Jewels
Trailer Trash
For the Birds
Hell in a Handbasket
In High Cotton
Up Shute Creek
Come Rain or Shine
Dirty Money
When the Bough Breaks
Rose Gardner Investigations
Family Jewels
For the Birds
Hell in a Handbasket
Up Shute Creek
Come Rain or Shine
When the Bough Breaks
Neely Kate Mystery
Trailer Trash
In High Cotton
Dirty Money
Carly Moore
A Cry in the Dark
Her Scream in the Silence
One Foot in the Grave (June 2020)
Magnolia Steele Mystery
Center Stage
Act Two
Call Back
Curtain Call
Darling Investigations
(Humorous mystery romance)
Deadly Summer
Blazing Summer
Rose Gardner Mysteries
Novellas are bonus material
TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES
TWENTY-NINE AND A HALF REASONS
THIRTY AND A HALF EXCUSES
FALLING TO PIECES (novella)
THIRTY-ONE AND A HALF REGRETS
THIRTY-TWO AND A HALF COMPLICATIONS
PICKING UP THE PIECES (novella)
THIRTY-THREE AND A HALF SHENANIGANS
ROSE AND HELENA SAVE CHRISTMAS (novella)
RIPPLE OF SECRETS (novella)
THIRTY-FOUR AND A HALF PREDICAMENTS
THIRTY-FIVE AND A HALF CONSPIRACIES
THIRTY-SIX AND A HALF MOTIVES
SINS OF THE FATHER (novella)
The Wedding Pact
(Humorous contemporary romance)
THE SUBSTITUTE
THE PLAYER
THE GAMBLER
THE VALENTINE (short story)
Bachelor Brotherhood
Spinoff of The Wedding Pact series
ONLY YOU
UNTIL YOU
ALWAYS YOU
From the Ashes
Paranormal Women’s Fiction
Let it All Burn
Bluebird Bay
Women’s fiction
Cowritten with Christine Gael
Finding Tomorrow
Finding Home
Finding Peace
Young adult contemporary romance
ONE PARIS SUMMER
Off the Subject Series
(New adult contemporary romance)
AFTER MATH
REDESIGNED
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Also by Denise Grover Swank writing as D.G. Swank
CURSE KEEPERS WORLD
(Urban fantasy)
Curse Keepers Trilogy
The Curse Keepers
The Curse Breakers
The Curse Defiers
Curse Keepers Collection (box set)
Piper Lancaster Series
Of Ash and Spirit
Of Fire and Storm
Of Blood and Monsters
The Chosen Series
(Adult urban fantasy)
Chosen
Hunted
Sacrifice
Redemption
Book of Sindal
Descended from Shadows
Reign of Mist
Crown of Blood
On the Otherside Series
(Young adult sci fi romance)
Here
There
About the Author
Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomad, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.
For urban fantasy: dgswank.com
For mystery and romance: denisegroverswank.com