.99 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2015 ONLY!
BUY IT HERE:
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Deadly Dozen 2 is HERE for a limited time!
Exciting follow up to the New York Times and USA Today bestseller Deadly Dozen is this terrific LIMITED EDITION thriller boxed set featuring 14 individual books from The Twelve and two guest bestselling and award-winning authors.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Columbus Day Weekend .99 eBook Sale!
Columbus Day Weekend .99 eBook Sale!
Three Days Only!
Click HERE to purchase and save $15 on all five.
What do you get when a dozen bestselling, award-winning mystery/thriller authors write brand-new material centered on one heart-stopping event?
You get FLIGHT 12, the revolutionary followup by The Twelve to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling DEADLY DOZEN. The groundbreaking FLIGHT 12 series a new release from each member of The Twelve, plus very special guests, with a conclusion so thrilling it could only come from the minds of our readers.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Join My Street Team/Fan Club!
THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR JOINING! WE ARE NOW CLOSED AND WILL ADD NEW MEMBERS NEXT SPRING. TO THOSE WHO EMAILED, WE'LL BE IN TOUCH!
Thank you for your interest in joining Team Bradshaw, my street team/fan club for avid fans of my books. We are now open for new members, but will only take the FIRST 5-10 who sign up for this round. In other words...you better sign up posthaste!
WHAT IS A STREET TEAM?
The Team Bradshaw Street Team is basically a fan club where I offer some really sweet perks to my biggest fans in exchange for their help in spreading the word about my books. Sound like something you'd be interested in? Great! Now let's get to those perks...
WHAT ARE THEY?
For starters, just for joining Team Bradshaw, you'll receive a welcome kit in the mail. By mail, I mean, the snail kind, the one that involves the postman stopping by your house. The kit will include signed bookmarks for you to pass around to anyone you like. You will also receive some really fun author swag for YOU to keep to show my appreciation for becoming part of my team.
And that's not all...!
Exclusive for street team members only, you'll be invited to join a private Facebook team page (for team members ONLY). On the Team Bradshaw Facebook Page you can interact with me personally, ask questions, and be the first to find out about upcoming projects.
And that's not all...!
When new books are released, Team Bradshaw street team members will get the chance to read them FIRST, and most will be gifted to you FREE.
And that's not all...!
As a member of Team Bradshaw you'll want to check your snail mail throughout the year because you never know when you'll receive a little something extra just for being a member of the team. Over the last year team members received books, swag, mugs, calendars, etc. I really like giving back and interacting with my team!
HOW DO I JOIN?
For this round of sign-ups, I'm accepting the first five to ten fans who complete the three following tasks:
1. Read a digital copy of my most recent novel, Hush Now Baby, and leave a review. (You can go ahead and sign up now to get a spot on my street team, but just make sure you've reviewed it within the next ten days). My assistant will check and add you to the team once this is verified, or you can let us know--that's even faster!
You can find all the links on where to purchase by clicking HERE.
(The buttons under the books take you to the different retailers)
(And if you've already read/reviewed it, GREAT! This one is done.)
(The buttons under the books take you to the different retailers)
(And if you've already read/reviewed it, GREAT! This one is done.)
2. Leave at least one review for any of my other novels that you have read.
(If you have already done this one in the past, just let my assistant know when you sign up which book you reviewed and where).
Once you've completed the three tasks above EMAIL ME.
In the subject line write: JOIN TEAM BRADSHAW
In the body of your email, let my assistant, Lily, know what you have done to complete the tasks. Also include your full name and home address for our mailing list and your email address so we can invite you to join our secret team Facebook page.
Once we have filled the slots, I'll mention we are closed for new members at the top of this post and on my Facebook author page, so if you don't see that yet, go ahead and sign up. And if you didn't make it into the street team this month, we'll have sign-ups again in about six months.
Once we've received your email, you'll receive a reply so you know we received it.
READY...SET...GO!!!
Monday, July 21, 2014
Hush Now Baby: Sloane Monroe Series #6 is HERE!
I'm thrilled to announce the release of my latest in the Sloane Monroe series, Hush Now Baby.
Book Description:
On a crisp, fall night, Serena Westwood wakes to the faint stirs of her crying baby. Bottle in hand, she tiptoes to the other side of the house, sneaks up to the crib, looks in. A wave of panic grips her as her real nightmare begins. Inside the crib, there is no baby.
On a crisp, fall night, Serena Westwood wakes to the faint stirs of her crying baby. Bottle in hand, she tiptoes to the other side of the house, sneaks up to the crib, looks in. A wave of panic grips her as her real nightmare begins. Inside the crib, there is no baby.
Purchase it here...
Flight 12 Soars on with Diane Capri!
Book Three in the Flight 12 Series is HERE! If you've been following the Flight 12 series, which began in May, then you're on book three of twelve now. Next up, the talented Diane Capri!
When her Taboo Magazine assignment reveals a chilling killer from a modern Italian crime family, Jess Kimball speeds to New York City's JFK airport to catch Flight 12 to Rome where Luigi and Enzo will be forced to choose between death and Jess.
This Jess Kimball thriller is not to be missed!
What do you get when a dozen bestselling, award-winning mystery/thriller authors write brand-new material centered on one heart-stopping event?
You get FLIGHT 12, the revolutionary followup by The Twelve to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling DEADLY DOZEN. The groundbreaking FLIGHT 12 series a new release from each member of The Twelve, plus very special guests, with a conclusion so thrilling it could only come from the minds of our readers.
You get FLIGHT 12, the revolutionary followup by The Twelve to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling DEADLY DOZEN. The groundbreaking FLIGHT 12 series a new release from each member of The Twelve, plus very special guests, with a conclusion so thrilling it could only come from the minds of our readers.
BUY BOOK #3 NOW!
Join The Twelve in the ongoing FLIGHT 12 project. Don't just read about your favorite characters, participate in the story, win prizes, and see storytelling in a totally new way...
We will have events and giveaways during the trip, and in the end, YOU will help us write "the rest of the story". To find out what we're giving away this month, click HERE.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Flight 12 Continues with J. Carson Black
Book Two in the Flight 12 Series is HERE! If you've been following the Flight 12 series, which started last month, then you'll definitely want to keep reading with this next installment from J. Carson Black. I've read J's books in the past, and I can honestly say she's one of the most talented thriller writers today.
This Laura Cardinal thriller, is the second book to be released in the Flight 12 series. If you missed the chance to read the first book, you can get it HERE. We'll be releasing one book in this series each month for the next year.
What do you get when a dozen bestselling, award-winning mystery/thriller authors write brand-new material centered on one heart-stopping event?
You get FLIGHT 12, the revolutionary followup by The Twelve to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling DEADLY DOZEN. The groundbreaking FLIGHT 12 series a new release from each member of The Twelve, plus very special guests, with a conclusion so thrilling it could only come from the minds of our readers.
You get FLIGHT 12, the revolutionary followup by The Twelve to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling DEADLY DOZEN. The groundbreaking FLIGHT 12 series a new release from each member of The Twelve, plus very special guests, with a conclusion so thrilling it could only come from the minds of our readers.
Hailed by New York Times Bestselling Author T. Jefferson Parker as “a strong new voice in American Crime Fiction,” New York Times and U.S.A. Today Bestselling Author J. Carson Black is back—and so is her iconic detective, Arizona DPS Criminal Investigator Laura Cardinal.
Ten minutes to midnight:
A man waits in line at JFK International Airport to board Skyways Airlines Flight 12 to Rome. His face is impassive, his eyes bleak. His fists are clenched. The woman behind him has a bad feeling . . .
Months before:
A young woman approaches Arizona Department of Public Safety detective Laura at the fitness center they share, telling her that she is slated for death, and wants Laura to “investigate her murder” when it happens. Weeks later, the woman is found dead in her car—forcing Laura to revisit the most disturbing homicide case of her career. During the course of her investigation, Laura learns the truth about the killer she arrested long ago.
What Laura doesn’t know:
What will happen to the 388 souls on Flight 12?
Ten minutes to midnight:
A man waits in line at JFK International Airport to board Skyways Airlines Flight 12 to Rome. His face is impassive, his eyes bleak. His fists are clenched. The woman behind him has a bad feeling . . .
Months before:
A young woman approaches Arizona Department of Public Safety detective Laura at the fitness center they share, telling her that she is slated for death, and wants Laura to “investigate her murder” when it happens. Weeks later, the woman is found dead in her car—forcing Laura to revisit the most disturbing homicide case of her career. During the course of her investigation, Laura learns the truth about the killer she arrested long ago.
What Laura doesn’t know:
What will happen to the 388 souls on Flight 12?
BUY IT NOW!
BARNES&NOBLE
IBOOKS
Join The Twelve in the ongoing FLIGHT 12 project. Don't just read about your favorite characters, participate in the story, win prizes, and see storytelling in a totally new way...
We will have events and giveaways during the trip, and in the end, YOU will help us write "the rest of the story". To find out what we're giving away this month, click HERE.
We will have events and giveaways during the trip, and in the end, YOU will help us write "the rest of the story". To find out what we're giving away this month, click HERE.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Welcome to the 2014 Summer Splash Blog Hop!
Welcome hoppers!
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Thank you for stopping by.
Before we get to my contest, during the days of the hop only get my novel, Stranger in Town, for .99 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iBooks as a special blog hop promotion.
Stranger in Town has a 4.5 average/351 reviews on Amazon.
The price will return to $4.99 the day after the hop ends.
And now to my contest!
I am giving away two prizes. To enter, it's simple! Do these two things:
You'll be entered to win BOTH prizes.
If you already follow my page and my newsletter, just state that in your email.
My assistant will verify sign-ups once the winners are drawn :)
Here's what's up for grabs:
PRIZE #1
A "Keep Calm and Read a Good Book" shirt. Comes in any size, and several colors.
PRIZE #2
$25 Amazon gift card.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Flight 12 Begins with Allan Leverone!
The Flight 12 project is ready for takeoff starting with the amazingly talented Allan Leverone!
BUY IT NOW:
iBooks
What do you get when a dozen bestselling, award-winning mystery/thriller authors write brand-new material centered on one heart-stopping event?
You get FLIGHT 12, the revolutionary followup by The Twelve to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling DEADLY DOZEN. The groundbreaking FLIGHT 12 series a new release from each member of The Twelve, plus very special guests, with a conclusion so thrilling it could only come from the minds of our readers.
In FLIGHT 12, A KRISTIN CUNNINGHAM THRILLER, FBI Special Agent Kristin Cunningham is still recovering from injuries suffered preventing the assassination of U.S. President Robert Cartwright. Assigned to a desk, Kristin is thrilled to learn she's been recruited for an undercover sting designed to break up a brutal Russian Mafia human sex trafficking ring.
Kristin's job is simple: play a frightened teen kidnap victim in an attempt to identify and apprehend the high-level members of the human trafficking ring.
Almost immediately, the FBI sting begins to unravel, and Kristin Cunningham finds herself unarmed and bound, taken prisoner by a desperate, highly volatile man. Now Kristin must focus on staying alive, matching wits with a cunning criminal with nothing to lose.
Join The Twelve in the ongoing FLIGHT 12 project. Don't just read about your favorite characters, participate in the story, win prizes, and see storytelling in a totally new way...
We will have events and giveaways during the trip, and in the end, YOU will help us write "the rest of the story". To find out what we're giving away this month, click HERE.
What is Flight 12?
What do you get when a dozen bestselling, award-winning mystery/thriller authors write brand-new material centered on one heart-stopping event?
You get FLIGHT 12, the revolutionary followup by The Twelve to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling DEADLY DOZEN. The groundbreaking FLIGHT 12 series will feature a new release from each member of The Twelve, plus very special guests, with a conclusion so thrilling it could only come from the minds of our readers.
Join the Flight 12 Project:
Don’t just read about your favorite characters — participate in the story, win prizes, and see storytelling in a totally new way…
The Twelve is delighted to present an exciting and unique reading experience we hope you’re going to love as much as we’ve loved writing it for you. Never before have 12 of your favorite thriller authors created an experience like this especially for you.
Flight 12 brings your favorite characters from The Twelve to life in 12 connected books with a common ending and a terrific surprise epilogue. What is the epilogue you say? Come along for the ride and we’ll all discover that together! Sounds amazing, right? Not to mention exciting and fun as well!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Get I Have a Secret .99 THIS WEEKEND ONLY!
March 29-30, you can get I Have a Secret (Sloane Monroe Series #3) for .99!!!
After the sale, the price will go up $4.99, but this weekend only, you can save $4.00.
4.4 stars out of 5 on 138 Amazon Reviews
Use the following links to purchase on your eReader:
I Have a Secret Product Description
No one knows the value of keeping a secret more than former high school prom
king Doug Ward. But after washing the past twenty years down with a smooth glass
of whisky, Doug’s steely resolve has started to crack. And he doesn’t want to
keep quiet—not anymore.
For Private Investigator Sloane Monroe, her high school reunion cruise has been nothing more than a mundane reminder of why she hasn’t returned to her hometown after all these years. Not much has changed, until Doug Ward goes missing. When dried blood is found on the deck where Doug was last seen, Sloane finesses her way into the surveillance room. There, on a small screen in black and white, she sees an image she’ll never forget: Doug being stabbed repeatedly, then heaved over the railing of the cruise ship, his body plunging into the icy depths below.
The reunion cruise ends, but before Sloane can book a plane ride to her past, another former classmate is murdered. In a town where it seems everyone is harboring a secret, how many more will die before Sloane uncovers the biggest secret of all?
For Private Investigator Sloane Monroe, her high school reunion cruise has been nothing more than a mundane reminder of why she hasn’t returned to her hometown after all these years. Not much has changed, until Doug Ward goes missing. When dried blood is found on the deck where Doug was last seen, Sloane finesses her way into the surveillance room. There, on a small screen in black and white, she sees an image she’ll never forget: Doug being stabbed repeatedly, then heaved over the railing of the cruise ship, his body plunging into the icy depths below.
The reunion cruise ends, but before Sloane can book a plane ride to her past, another former classmate is murdered. In a town where it seems everyone is harboring a secret, how many more will die before Sloane uncovers the biggest secret of all?
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Join My Street Team/Fan Club -- ROUND TWO!!!
THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR JOINING UP! WE ARE NOW CLOSED AND WILL ADD NEW MEMBERS THIS SUMMER. TO THOSE WHO EMAILED, WE'LL BE IN TOUCH!
Thank you for your interest in joining Team Bradshaw, my street team/fan club for avid fans of my books. We are now open for new members, but will only take the FIRST 5-10 who sign up for this round. In other words...you better sign up posthaste!
WHAT IS A STREET TEAM?
The Team Bradshaw Street Team is basically a fan club where I offer some really sweet perks to my biggest fans in exchange for their help in spreading the word about my books. The team is made up of readers who have read and enjoyed my books and enjoy spreading the word about my books to friends, family, online, and basically anywhere and everywhere you like. :)
Sound like something you'd be interested in? Great! Now let's get back to those perks...
WHAT ARE THEY?
For starters, just for joining Team Bradshaw, you'll receive a welcome kit in the mail. By mail, I mean, the snail kind, the one that involves the postman stopping by your house. The kit will include signed bookmarks for you to pass around to anyone you like.
You will also receive a little author swag for you to keep as well to show my appreciation for becoming part of my team.
And that's not all...!
Exclusive for street team members only, you'll be invited to join a private Facebook team page (for team members ONLY). On the Team Bradshaw Facebook Page you can interact with me personally, ask questions, and be the first to find out about upcoming projects.
And that's not all...!
Several times a year I'll randomly select one team member from the group to receive signed copies of my paperback books or other fun author swag.
And that's not all...!
When new books are released, Team Bradshaw street team members will get the chance to read them FIRST, many times even for free.
And that's not all...!
As a member of Team Bradshaw you'll want to check your mail throughout the year because you never know when you'll receive a little something extra just for being a member of the team and spreading the word about my books. Last year team members received books, swag, Christmas presents, etc. I really like giving back and interacting with my team!
HOW DO I JOIN?
For this second round of sign-ups, I'm accepting the first five to ten fans who complete the three following tasks:
1. Read a digital copy of my most recent novel, Bed of Bones, and leave a review. (You can go ahead and sign up now to get a spot on my street team, but just make sure you've reviewed it within the next week). My assistant will check and add you to the team once this is verified, or you can let us know--that's even faster!
You can purchase it at any of these locations:
2. Leave at least one review for any of my other novels that you have read.
(If you have already done this one in the past, just let my assistant know when you sign up which book you reviewed and where).
3. Follow me on any social media you currently use (Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc.). If you don't use some of these, no worries. However, at a minimum, Facebook is necessary for you to get important/exclusive team updates and so you can be a part of my "secret" Street Team group.
You can find me here:
Once you've completed the three tasks above EMAIL ME.
In the subject line write: JOIN TEAM BRADSHAW
In the body of your email, let my assistant, Lily, know what you have done to complete the tasks. Also include your full name and home address for our mailing list and your email address so we can invite you to join our secret team Facebook page.
Once we have filled the slots, I'll mention we are closed for new members at the top of this post, so if you don't see that yet, go ahead and sign up. And if you didn't make it into the street team this month, we'll have sign-ups again in about four months.
Once we've received your email, you'll receive a reply so you know we received it.
READY...SET...GO!!!
Monday, March 17, 2014
It's Official! I'm a New York Times Bestselling Author!
Last week I learned that the boxed set I'm involved in, Deadly Dozen, made the New York Times bestseller list. It's an amazing achievement, one I feel humble to have made so early on in my writing career. In addition, the set has made the USA Today bestsellers list for the last two weeks in a row, and it looks like we'll make it again this week for a third time. If so, it will mark the fourth time I've made the list in the last year. My debut on the USA Today bestseller list was with my own boxed set, Sloane Monroe Series, which made the list in August 2013.
I'm especially grateful to the other eleven authors in our group who made up The Twelve, and who joined together to make this possible. Together we are a force, the kind of group any author would be proud to be a part of, and I look forward to what the future brings.
I'm especially grateful to the other eleven authors in our group who made up The Twelve, and who joined together to make this possible. Together we are a force, the kind of group any author would be proud to be a part of, and I look forward to what the future brings.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Get the Deadly Dozen Boxed Set .99 Limited Time!
I'm thrilled to announce that I was asked to be a member of the Deadly Dozen, a fantastic group of USA Today and New York Times bestselling authors. And...for a very limited time, we've boxed up twelve of our best selling novels for a mere .99!
10
full-length novels + 2 long novellas
Over 680 5-star reviews
across all 12 titles!
_________________
1 - DON'T KNOW JACK (The Hunt For Reacher Series) - Diane Capri
2 - CRY WOLF (A Laura
Cardinal Novella) - J Carson Black
3 - NIGHT WIDOW (The Night Series)
- Carol Davis Luce
4 - GUARANTEED JUSTICE (The Justice Series) - M A
Comley
5 - STRANGER IN TOWN - Cheryl Bradshaw
6 - BREAKING
STEELE (A Sarah Steele Thriller) - Aaron Patterson & Ellie Ann
7 -
MOONLIGHT SONATA (A Dick Moonlight Thriller) - Vincent Zandri
8 -
TERMINUS - Joshua Graham
9 - ONE DAY IN BUDAPEST - J F
Penn
10 - DEAD CELEB (The Dead Celeb Series) - Michele Scott
11 -
FINAL VECTOR - Allan Leverone
12 - THE GIFTS (A Jacody Ives
Mystery) - Linda S Prather
A $46.65 Value (if purchased separately) - Reg. Retail: $9.99
_________________
1 - DON'T KNOW JACK (The Hunt For Reacher Series) - Diane Capri
BUY IT NOW!!!
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Murder in Mind Weekend Sale .99 Two Days Only
February 2 and 3, Murder in Mind (Sloane Monroe series #2) will be on sale for .99.
Use the following links to purchase on your ereader:
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Hush Now Baby Chapter One Sneak Peek
Hush Now Baby
Sloane Monroe Series #6
Chapter One Sneak Peek
Serena Westwood peeled back the quilt atop
her four-poster bed and climbed in, reeling the covers over her shivering body until
she’d cocooned herself inside. It was early September, and already the frigid
fall air crept through the valley, misting it like a damp sheet struggling in
the wind.
After a long, noise-filled day, all was still. There was a time when Serena
loved the quiet, basked in the gentle, serene calm, but not now. Now she had
more than herself to consider. At thirty-nine years old, Serena had almost
convinced herself the role of “mother” was meant for everyone but her. She’d spent many restless
nights in the same bed she rested in now, trying to accept the reality that
she, and her husband, Jack, would remain childless forever. And yet, here she
was, the proud new mother of a sweet baby boy.
Before Finn was born, Jack and Serena had run the gamut, trying
everything from artificial insemination to in-vitro fertilization. Nothing
took. Her womb, desolate and barren, had rejected it all. When conceiving a
baby themselves was out of the question, they turned to surrogacy. Three
potential candidates were interviewed. All were rejected. Another round of
women were selected. None seemed like the right fit.
On the way home from the market one wintery afternoon, an SUV struck a
patch of ice on the road. The vehicle careened into the oncoming lane,
sideswiping Serena’s Subaru in the process. While waiting for police to arrive,
Serena had taken refuge inside the Precious Gift Adoption Agency. A firm believer in fate, Serena found herself explaining her unsuccessful
plight to Teresa, one of the case workers. Teresa was empathetic, her own
struggle mirroring much of what Serena herself had endured, but Teresa’s
attitude was different. In Teresa’s mind, infertility had led her to the greatest
gift of all—adoption—and she prevailed upon Serena to think of adoption the same
way.
One week and several conversations later, Jack and Serena filled out the
necessary paperwork. And although Teresa cautioned them at the onset, saying the
wait time for a newborn baby could be two years or more, a mere three months
passed before a birth mother selected Serena and Jack as her adoptive parents.
Four months later, Finn made his opening debut.
…
The faint hum of a stirring baby jolted Serena awake. She peered at the
clock on the nightstand. Four a.m. It seemed like only minutes had elapsed
since she rested her head on the pillow, and already, it was feeding time
again.
“Mommy’s coming, Finn.” Her melodic voice drifted down the hall.
Serena coiled a tattered robe around her body, cinching it in front of
her waist. She picked a few bobby pins out of the terry-cloth pocket and
twisted her long, blond locks into a bun. She squeezed the lids over her hazel eyes
open and shut a few times, forcing herself awake.
The frigid chill of the tiles beneath her feet as she made her way down
the hall were a stern reminder to leave her slippers by her bedroom door next
time. She entered the kitchen, her mind doing most of the work for her, having
memorized her every move. After performing the same routine night after night, intelligent
thought was no longer required. The bottles practically made themselves.
Cupping the bottle in her hand, Serena stirred the formula and water
together and popped it into the microwave. She watched the hardened plastic
revolve around and around on the circular glass tray like a carousel. For a
moment, her eyes closed and she found sleep again until Finn’s desperate cries
grew louder. She was used to the baby fussing, but he’d never been this
agitated before.
“Almost there,” she called. “Mommy’s coming.”
Mommy.
She still wasn’t used to the name.
The microwave dinged. She removed the bottle and dipped her pinkie
finger inside, ensuring the formula had heated just right. Perfect. She screwed
the lid on and paused. The crying had stopped.
Had he fallen back to sleep?
Tiptoeing to the other side of the house, she snuck up to the crib and peered
inside. A wave of panic gripped her. There was no baby.
A low chirp prompted Serena to whip around. She saw nothing at first,
but then she fixed her eyes on the wall. A dark shadow in the shape of a person
blackened its surface. Her eyes trailed the shadow to its source—the bedroom
door.
“Who’s there?” Her voice trembled.
No response.
Her eyes tore across the lamp-lit room. Armed with nothing but the
baby’s bottle, she saw no way to defend herself from the assumed attacker. Her
mind raced back to a self-defense class she’d taken years earlier, remembering
something the instructor had said about fingers being a person’s most viable
weapon. “Jab them in the eyes,” he’d said, lecturing the room full of women on
how to handle an intruder. “Fast and hard. Don’t think about it. Just do it.”
A knot wrenched her gut. “I asked who’s there. Show yourself.” She
thought about adding the word “please,” but didn’t want to sound weak.
There was no movement, but a second faint squeak emitted from Finn’s
mouth.
“Who are you?” she cried. “Why do you have my baby? Come out. I know
you’re there.”
A man spoke, but not to her. “Hush now.” His voice was rugged, and yet
soothing enough to quiet the child.
The man remained behind the door, toying with Serena. But why? She shaped
her fingers into a stiff V and surged forward. The man stepped out. He had the
height of a basketball player and the largest hands she’d ever seen. In one hand
he held Finn. In the other, a Sig Sauer .45, aimed right at her.
“Back…up,” he demanded. “Now.”
Staring down the barrel of a gun, Serena shied away, seeing no alternative
than to comply with his demand.
“Why do you have my baby?” she whispered.
He bounced Finn up and down, his eyes never breaking contact with Serena’s
terrified face. “My baby.”
“What do you mean your baby?”
A nervous laugh escaped from the man’s lips.
Finn started to cry.
“He’s frightened,” Serena said. “Let me hold him. Please. You’re scaring
him!”
She attempted to place the bottle on the nightstand.
“Don’t!”
“I was just going to—”
“Your hands,” he grunted. “Keep them where I can see them.”
She wasn’t sure whether to hoist them in the air, palms forward, like
she was a hostage in a robbery or to let them fall to the side. He picked up on
her uncertainty.
“Just … cross your arms or something.”
In his eyes she detected inner conflict, like he was wrestling with the
decision of whether to keep Finn or give him back. Or maybe she had it all
wrong. Maybe he was trying to decide whether she lived or died. His hands were steady, not pulsating like hers. Why
was he there? What was his motivation? She tried appealing to his sensitive
side, if he had one.
“My son’s name is Finn. We adopted him a few weeks ago. He’s our only—”
“Shut your mouth, lady. I don’t care.”
Finn squirmed, growing restless in the man’s hand.
Without stepping forward, Serena reached her hands out in front of her.
“Don’t … move,” the man said through gritted teeth.
He crossed in front of Serena, eased Finn back into the crib.
“Thank you.”
No response.
“We have a safe,” she added. “I’ll show you where it is. Okay?”
With the slowest of movements, she put one foot in front of the other,
easing her way toward the door.
“You think I’m here to rob you?”
“Aren’t you?” she asked, without looking back.
“Lady, if I wanted to rip you off, I would have done it already.”
“If you don’t want money, what do you want?”
Thoughts swirled around in her mind, each more sinister than the one
before. She breathed in, but it made no difference. It felt like all the air to
the room had been sucked out. Another thought occurred: Is he here to rape me?
She reminisced on how grateful she’d been when her husband switched from
days to swing shift at work. The bump in pay allowed them to come up with the
adoption money they needed. Now she wished Jack was here.
Serena wrapped her arms around herself and bowed her head, pointing the
way to the master bedroom at the other end of the hall. “Just get it over with
… and then I want you to leave.”
“I’m sorry about this. Really, I am. Why couldn’t you have stayed
asleep?”
“Why couldn’t I…?” But it was too late.
He aimed the gun at the back of Serena’s head and fired.
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