gasps immediately and comes to life. Beside me, Jackson does the same with Lang’s help. “Oh, thank God,” I murmur, sagging over him in relief.
Lang is on the phone to 911. Tears burn my eyes and I cup Wade’s face. “Damn you, you do not get to die. Do you hear me?”
“I’m not going anywhere, baby,” he promises, and the name “baby” has never sounded so good.
“You should probably cut him loose,” Lang says. “Bondage games are fine and all, but you might want to keep them private.”
I laugh through my tears and cut him free. The EMS team overtakes the room a few seconds later, and I’m right there in the ambulance with Wade. I hold his hand and he kisses mine. “I’m fine. It’s over. That’s what matters.”
It’s over. Nolan is dead, but his impact will linger in many lives forever, including ours.
Chapter 109
A search of Nolan’s home and company offices do little to close the open murder cases we believe he committed. His technical skills and resources leave us with a maze of possible hiding places we may never fully uncover. The most painful part of it all is that we still haven’t found Roberts. Some part of me thinks we will one day, but that may be wishful thinking.
Not long after Nolan’s death, I meet with his wife, who is little help. She claims to have had no idea her husband was a killer. Ultimately, I decide that I believe her, but I’m not sure how I feel about her ignorance. I meet her children, too, who are adorable kids. I don’t want to believe they’re just like their father, in all the wrong ways, but I privately vow to keep them on my radar.
Not long after that meeting, I visit the river where the bully named Mark Meadows was murdered. With a chill down my spine, I discover a tree trunk there carved with the letter U.
When finally the case is officially closed, life begins to return to its routines, and I do my best to define my new normal. I move into my new house, not far from Wade’s place, and install a security system. I still struggle with commitment, but Wade and I are working through that. Perhaps that’s why I cling to my role as a consultant to the FBI rather than accepting a full-time job.
Lang and I never talk about my father, but we’re working through things as well. He still shows up when I don’t expect him and he’s still a pain in my ass, but one I’d miss if he were gone.
And I’m being a better daughter and granddaughter, especially today, on Thanksgiving. My grandfather is home today, and still agile in body despite his lagging mind. I manage to get him to the attic, where we now sit together, reading poetry and listening to jazz. And the moment he looks at me and says, “My Samantha,” wipes away all the bad in my life, and leaves me with the good. The kind I need after finding the evil that was Nolan Brooks. The kind of good that makes me ready to go fight evil all over again.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you Detective Ramiro De Jesus aka Chepin for allowing me to text and call you like crazy to ask a ridiculous number of questions. I am blessed by your knowledge and generosity. I’m proud to call you “cousin.” You were an invaluable resource when writing so many scenes in this book. Truly, you gave me the knowledge to color scenes with so much more depth than I might have otherwise.
And thank you, Detective Trey White, for the tips to writing an officer-involved investigation. Congrats on the ACP 40 under 40 award! What a incredible international achievement.
Thanks to Dr. Anne Bode for sharing your knowledge of the autopsy process and invaluable advice on cyanide.
To my husband, Diego, thank you for sharing your love for fiction and suspense with me. Your vast love for reading, watching, and talking about murder is contagious. Only you would tell a waiter we aren’t ready to order yet, because we’re still plotting murder.
Much love to Emily for years of friendship and support. From romance to murder. We do it all together!
Thank you to Louise Fury, my agent, for years of support and guidance.
Liz Pelletier, my editor and publisher, for the support that made this possible. You are an inspiration in so many ways. Thank you as well to Lydia and Jessica. I appreciate all that you both do.
—Lisa
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones writes dark, edgy fiction, including the LILAH LOVE thriller series and the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series, as well as many others successful titles. Prior to publishing, Lisa owned a multistate staffing agency that was recognized many times by theAustin Business Journal. In 1998, Lisa’s was listed as the #7 growing women-owned business in Entrepreneur magazine. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a cat that talks too much, and a golden retriever who is afraid of trash bags.. Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her on Twitter and Facebook daily.
LisaReneeJones.com
Don’t miss the next, chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones.
Coming to retailers everywhere in 2021
We built a wall to keep the dangers of the world out...but was it actually meant to keep us in?
by NJ Croft
Your every word is monitored. Your every movement watched.
If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.
And if you stay within the wall, the Loyalist Party will protect you.
Gideon Frome knows that safety is an illusion. Ten years ago, his perfect life was shattered, and he left Washington DC in disgrace, sentenced to serve on The Wall. He may be back, lauded as a hero, but he knows he’s only traded one prison for another, assigned a position to the infamous Secret Service.
Kate Buchanan uses her illegal predictive engine to monitor the “chatter,” flagging perceived threats to America. When the program suggests that nuclear war is imminent, and people around her start to die, Kate can no longer hide. She needs help, and it comes from the most unlikely place—Gideon Frome, a ghost from her past.
The American people thought they were safe, but it’s becoming shockingly clear that the price of safety is too high. And somehow, together, Kate and Gideon must tear down the walls that keep their country a prisoner.
“One of the most entertaining page-turners I’ve ever read.” ~ Margaret Brown, Publisher of Shelf Unbound
During the launch of Moncure Therapuetics’ new flu vaccine, Mia Moncure is rocked by news that the public relations director at her family’s company has been found dead in Switzerland. A cryptic video warns her that something is amiss with the vaccine, and convinces Mia that his death wasn’t accidental.
Determined to expose the killer, Mia heads to Lucerne, where her own life is threatened. Desperate for backup, she turns to Gio Lorenzo, communications director for a high-ranking senator, even though she’s still reeling from their one-night stand months before. Mia and Gio race to uncover a deadly scheme that threatens to ruin her family’s company. But time is running out. Millions of people are being vaccinated, and any of them could be the next to die.