PAINTED WALLSDeadly daddy-issues.
The Blood-Red Killer, America’s most notorious serial killer, tucked Supervisory Special Agent Ava Shepherd into bed every night with a bedtime story and a kiss on the cheek. Thirty years after his apprehension, Ava—still running from his memory—becomes the prime suspect for a murder eerily similar to the ones her father committed all those years ago. Shattered by the accusation, Ava reluctantly accepts former flame Special Agent Kenneth Hunt's assistance in clearing her name. Kenneth is on the mend, and though their fling is ancient history, the bruises Ava left on his heart throb in her presence. He’ll help her, but she’ll have to play by his rules. When the body count and undeniable heat rise, Ava must face the demons of her past and present—or be consumed by them. Buy Painted Walls now to find out if Ava will become more than a serial killer's daughter. |
ISBN ebook: 978-1-941899-15-1
ISBN print: 978-1-941899-16-8
Released: October 2015
Length: 314 pages
ISBN print: 978-1-941899-16-8
Released: October 2015
Length: 314 pages
Excerpt
A hand wrapped around Ava’s right bicep.
In an instant, she balled her fist, pivoted, and thrust the backside of her knuckles at her assailant’s nose.
The cabbie? Why would he attack her? Before her sailing fist made contact with the stunned man’s already crooked nose it hit something more substantial, jarring her arm.
“Whoa there, slugger.” Keen caught her punishing blow in his palm.
Just beyond his hand the cabbie’s mouth gaped. His gaze jumped from her fist, inches from his face, to her gaze.
“You never put your hands on someone.” Keen’s sharp blue eyes aimed at the driver. “Especially when you sneak up on them. And especially if it’s a woman.”
The pot-bellied man thrust his chin at Keen. “She owes me eight bucks. I’ll grab anyone who tries to gyp me.”
“I gave you a twenty,” Ava objected. She also folded the newspaper in half, bloody side down, and stuffed it under her arm.
“You gave me a ten.” The cab driver shoved a ten in her face and waved it around.
Keen’s head shook. “I should have let her bust your nose.”
His thumb rubbed the peaks and valleys of her knuckles before lowering her hand to her side. The path he’d traced tingled long after his touch ceased. Ava longed to rub the sensation away, but didn’t dare give any hint that he affected her so blatantly.
He plucked a small leather wallet from his back pocket, and then smacked a ten from it onto the cabbie’s chest. “Keep the change.”
“Screw you, asshole.” The driver crumpled the bill in a plump fist. He snarled at Keen while simultaneously back-pedaling.
“You have a great night.” Keen grinned. His gaze slid to Ava’s. Her breath caught.
“Ah, everything okay over there?” The smack of Ava’s fist and raised voices must have snagged the night watchman’s attention. He strode around the corner, using his arms to increase his pace.
“We’re fine,” Keen said without taking his gaze off her.
“Miss Shepherd?” The watchman peered around Keen’s shoulder.
Ava swallowed her fright and the bite of lust that swelled in her throat. “We’re fine, thank you.” She didn’t know his name. She should. He’d been working in the building for the last six months, but she’d never stopped to say hello.
After she gave a reassuring nod the man retreated with extra measured steps.
“Still taking the stairs, I see.” Keen said.
“I…yes, if I have a choice.” She shrugged. “I see you’re still making friends everywhere you go.”
“It is a gift.” His gaze slipped from hers and traveled to the newspaper wedged under her arm.
“What are you doing here?” She tried to railroad questions about the yellowed and bloody paper. Though, he couldn’t see the crimson. Thank goodness for tiny favors.
“I know you’ve taken care of yourself for a long time. I also know you’ve had plenty of shitty nights, but you’ve never had a night quite like this. I wanted to make sure you got home all right.”
He knew more than most about her shitty nights, but he didn’t know that—up until now—he was responsible for one of the worst nights of her life. Well, in all honestly, she was responsible, but he’d been the reason behind it.
“How’d you know where I live?”
“Your mom.”
Of course her over protective mother had blabbed. “Well, thank you. I’m okay and I’m home.” She turned and grabbed the knob to the stairwell.
His arm shot out over her head. The spread of his palm curled around the slightly open door, but he didn’t pull it wide. He held it, pinning her between the unyielding metal and his unforgiving torso.
“Ava, I’m not your enemy. I’m the farthest thing from it. I’m trying to respect your request here—”
“Is that why I haven’t seen you in more than ten years?” The words had no place in this predicament, and yet they tumbled out her lips with ease.
Keen’s head bent and his long low exhale heated the back of her neck. “You said it would be easier if we didn’t see each other at Shepherd or Brewer family functions.” Though she remained perfectly still her hair shifted under his touch. Ava closed her eyes to hold back tears.
“You were right,” he whispered. The barest hint of his hot lips hit the shell of her ear, sending a rush of long dormant need through her. “It was easier not seeing you, smelling you, touching you, but you need someone in your corner. So until your family shows, you’re stuck with me.”
He stepped back and opened the door. It took her several seconds to remember how to move her feet. So long that his hand cupped the small of her back and ushered her forward. It took a year to climb those few flights of stairs. When they finally reached her floor she stopped in the doorway.
What if another newspaper awaited her? If Keen saw it, if he knew someone threatened her, he wouldn’t leave no matter how hard she pushed. She couldn’t deal with him, maybe ever, but certainly not right now when she needed all her wits about her to figure out who framed her for murder.
“I’ve got it from here.” Ava turned toward his broad chest and stayed him with a hand. The moment her fingers touched the worn shirt and the tautness of the muscles underneath she knew she’d made a fatal mistake. She jerked her hand away as though he were fire.
“Thank you,” she choked.
“You’ve been away from home for a few days. I’m not leaving until I check the inside.”
“I’m not a helpless little woman.”
“That’s right. You have help right here.” He hiked a thumb at his sternum.
“Lord, save me from ego inflated men.”
“You know, you’re really cute when you roll your eyes.”
“Just hush. I don’t need a knight in shining armor to storm my castle. Okay?”
His brows wrinkled and a smile curved one corner of his mouth. “I thought storming the castle was a euphemism for something else.”
In an instant, she balled her fist, pivoted, and thrust the backside of her knuckles at her assailant’s nose.
The cabbie? Why would he attack her? Before her sailing fist made contact with the stunned man’s already crooked nose it hit something more substantial, jarring her arm.
“Whoa there, slugger.” Keen caught her punishing blow in his palm.
Just beyond his hand the cabbie’s mouth gaped. His gaze jumped from her fist, inches from his face, to her gaze.
“You never put your hands on someone.” Keen’s sharp blue eyes aimed at the driver. “Especially when you sneak up on them. And especially if it’s a woman.”
The pot-bellied man thrust his chin at Keen. “She owes me eight bucks. I’ll grab anyone who tries to gyp me.”
“I gave you a twenty,” Ava objected. She also folded the newspaper in half, bloody side down, and stuffed it under her arm.
“You gave me a ten.” The cab driver shoved a ten in her face and waved it around.
Keen’s head shook. “I should have let her bust your nose.”
His thumb rubbed the peaks and valleys of her knuckles before lowering her hand to her side. The path he’d traced tingled long after his touch ceased. Ava longed to rub the sensation away, but didn’t dare give any hint that he affected her so blatantly.
He plucked a small leather wallet from his back pocket, and then smacked a ten from it onto the cabbie’s chest. “Keep the change.”
“Screw you, asshole.” The driver crumpled the bill in a plump fist. He snarled at Keen while simultaneously back-pedaling.
“You have a great night.” Keen grinned. His gaze slid to Ava’s. Her breath caught.
“Ah, everything okay over there?” The smack of Ava’s fist and raised voices must have snagged the night watchman’s attention. He strode around the corner, using his arms to increase his pace.
“We’re fine,” Keen said without taking his gaze off her.
“Miss Shepherd?” The watchman peered around Keen’s shoulder.
Ava swallowed her fright and the bite of lust that swelled in her throat. “We’re fine, thank you.” She didn’t know his name. She should. He’d been working in the building for the last six months, but she’d never stopped to say hello.
After she gave a reassuring nod the man retreated with extra measured steps.
“Still taking the stairs, I see.” Keen said.
“I…yes, if I have a choice.” She shrugged. “I see you’re still making friends everywhere you go.”
“It is a gift.” His gaze slipped from hers and traveled to the newspaper wedged under her arm.
“What are you doing here?” She tried to railroad questions about the yellowed and bloody paper. Though, he couldn’t see the crimson. Thank goodness for tiny favors.
“I know you’ve taken care of yourself for a long time. I also know you’ve had plenty of shitty nights, but you’ve never had a night quite like this. I wanted to make sure you got home all right.”
He knew more than most about her shitty nights, but he didn’t know that—up until now—he was responsible for one of the worst nights of her life. Well, in all honestly, she was responsible, but he’d been the reason behind it.
“How’d you know where I live?”
“Your mom.”
Of course her over protective mother had blabbed. “Well, thank you. I’m okay and I’m home.” She turned and grabbed the knob to the stairwell.
His arm shot out over her head. The spread of his palm curled around the slightly open door, but he didn’t pull it wide. He held it, pinning her between the unyielding metal and his unforgiving torso.
“Ava, I’m not your enemy. I’m the farthest thing from it. I’m trying to respect your request here—”
“Is that why I haven’t seen you in more than ten years?” The words had no place in this predicament, and yet they tumbled out her lips with ease.
Keen’s head bent and his long low exhale heated the back of her neck. “You said it would be easier if we didn’t see each other at Shepherd or Brewer family functions.” Though she remained perfectly still her hair shifted under his touch. Ava closed her eyes to hold back tears.
“You were right,” he whispered. The barest hint of his hot lips hit the shell of her ear, sending a rush of long dormant need through her. “It was easier not seeing you, smelling you, touching you, but you need someone in your corner. So until your family shows, you’re stuck with me.”
He stepped back and opened the door. It took her several seconds to remember how to move her feet. So long that his hand cupped the small of her back and ushered her forward. It took a year to climb those few flights of stairs. When they finally reached her floor she stopped in the doorway.
What if another newspaper awaited her? If Keen saw it, if he knew someone threatened her, he wouldn’t leave no matter how hard she pushed. She couldn’t deal with him, maybe ever, but certainly not right now when she needed all her wits about her to figure out who framed her for murder.
“I’ve got it from here.” Ava turned toward his broad chest and stayed him with a hand. The moment her fingers touched the worn shirt and the tautness of the muscles underneath she knew she’d made a fatal mistake. She jerked her hand away as though he were fire.
“Thank you,” she choked.
“You’ve been away from home for a few days. I’m not leaving until I check the inside.”
“I’m not a helpless little woman.”
“That’s right. You have help right here.” He hiked a thumb at his sternum.
“Lord, save me from ego inflated men.”
“You know, you’re really cute when you roll your eyes.”
“Just hush. I don’t need a knight in shining armor to storm my castle. Okay?”
His brows wrinkled and a smile curved one corner of his mouth. “I thought storming the castle was a euphemism for something else.”