Killer Intentions (Liz Baker, Book 3)

Christie Silvers

Killer Intentions

Liz Baker Series, Book 3

First published by Christie Silvers 2021

Copyright © 2021 by Christie Silvers

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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Second edition

Cover art by Kelly Shorten

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Contents

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

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One

The sound of a ringing phone pulled me from my slumber just before the brain-searing sunshine coming through the open curtains obstructed my vision, leaving blurriness and a cloud of multicolored spots. Groaning loudly, I rolled away from the light, covering my head with the closest pillow I could find. The ringing stopped and Chad said something about breakfast. I ignored him, pretending to be asleep again.

Get up, get up. It’s a beautiful day!

Ugh. Remind me why I chose you over Rick, I grumbled, teasing only slightly, and throwing the sun-blocking pillow off my head and in Chad’s direction. He caught it one-handed and tossed it onto the nearby couch.

Don’t make me open the sliding glass door, young lady.

Normally I wouldn’t give a damn about a threat like that, but when you open the door here, the beach heat fills the cool hotel room, leaving anything glass covered in a fog thicker than a steamy shower could produce. The humidity covers your skin with a layer of clamminess you can’t get rid of until the door is closed and the air conditioner works its magic.

Grumbling even louder, I climbed off the bed and headed for the bathroom, slamming the heavy door in the process. I’m so not a morning person. Especially with hunting monsters.

Damn monsters. Ever since I met Marcus—my dead vampire ex-lover—I see monsters everywhere. From my experience up to now, most are harmless enough. Unfortunately, there are many more who prefer to use their powers in evil, world dominating ways. Sure, when haven’t we all wanted to change the world to suit our own desires?

But damn, we don’t run around eating people, controlling minds of the lesser to do our bidding, or, with Cole McIntosh, breaking my back and leaving me for dead. Thank goodness the spirit of an ancestor—Amelia, a long dead witch—possessed me and took care of Cole, leaving me healed and good as new. Well, maybe not good as new, but good enough. I suppose.

I’m going to take a shower, I shouted through the bathroom door.

Don’t take too long, Chad said from the other side. Your sister is expecting us in less than an hour. He paused. When I didn’t respond, he added, And you know it takes about twenty minutes to get to her house from here.

I turned the shower on and hopped in without responding. I knew damn well how long it took to get to her house. It’s not like I didn’t know where my own sister lives. I also knew damn well how much I didn’t want to see her, but I didn’t really have a choice.

Long story short: my sperm donor daddy is Gregory. He’s a vampire who knocked up my mother during a one-night stand. That makes me a Dhampiresa—half vampire, half human female. Gregory has designs on me for some unknown reason. I have powers, but don’t know how to use them, yet. Gregory sent Marcus—dead vampire ex-lover—to get in tight with me. I ended up killing Marcus, but he still haunts my dreams from time to time, and not in a bad way. I recently found out that Gregory was planning to come down to Savannah, where my fully human sister lives with her husband and my two handsome nephews.

So basically, I’m here, lounging twenty minutes from her on Tybee Island, hoping to discover what Gregory wants.

Confusing? Yeah, well, how do you think I feel? A few months ago I was a normal—albeit, my kind of normal—bar owner in Tremmel Crossing, a small north Georgia town framed by mountains. Picturesque to many, yet home to few. I didn’t have any mystical powers, didn’t know about the actual monsters in the world, and sure as hell didn’t know I was the daughter of a vampire. Yeah, life is a lot more interesting these days.

Jesika, on the other hand, moved away from Tremmell Crossing as soon as she graduated high school. She got into the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she met her husband David. Eight years later, they have successful advertising careers, two boys, and an apparent happy home that she doesn’t want me involved in. Sure, I was a wild child, and she’s older than me by four years, but I’ve always been a fairly good person. It really came down to one of her ex-boyfriends who decided he’d try his hand at me when she wouldn’t put out. Needless to say, I gave him a bloody nose, busted balls, and a decently bruised shin, and she never believed me when I said he’d come on to me. Not the other way around. Yeah well, at least I get to be the cool aunt to the boys and come bearing gifts whenever she allows me to see them.

Turning the water off, I heard the phone ringing again. I wrapped a towel around my hair, and smoothed the water off my body with another one. Walking out of the bathroom without a stitch of clothing on, I asked, Who was on the phone this time?

Chad’s eyes got as big as saucers, and his mouth dropped open just a bit. You’d think the sight of me naked would get old after all the times he’s seen it, and much more.

Um… I… Yeah…, he stammered, standing stock still next to the phone table.

With raised eyebrows, I asked, Well?

He blinked twice, took a deep breath, and gave a slight shake of his head before an actual coherent thought came out of his mouth. If you keep standing there like that, I’m going to be forced to do something we’re both going to enjoy. I shrugged. He chuckled. It was your sister. She said it’s not a good time to come by. The boys are napping, and then she’s bringing them here to play on the beach. She said she’ll call when she’s downstairs in the lobby and we’ll all go to the beach together.

I sighed. We’ve been here for three days now, with no sight of Gregory or my sister. Maybe day four would be the lucky day. I hate being in limbo; not knowing what to do next.

Chad came around the bed and slipped his firm hands around my waist. My skin went all prickly, and a shiver ran up my spine as he smoothed his hands over my bare behind. Grasping firmly, he pulled me tightly against his body. The hardness of his jeans pressed firmly against my thigh. Snaking my hands around his neck, I twirled my fingers in his short hair. He leaned in, kissing me gently. The beating of my heart sped up and a slight hum escaped my throat before his mouth released me.

I know you’re upset, but things will work out. We’ll figure it all out. Okay? I nodded, though rather hesitantly. You’re a strong woman, the strongest I’ve ever met. There are things you’ve dealt with in the last couple of months that I never imagined even possible, but here you are. He leaned back away from me and looked my body up and down. Even with all of it, you’re still as hot as ever. He leaned in close again, kissing my neck this time. I love you, Liz, and never forget it.

The heat of a blush crept up my neck to my cheeks, and I smiled. Chad is the only man I know that can make me blush. He’s also the only living man I know that tells me he loves me with sincerity and respect, and expecting nothing from me in return. Not even my own father could say the same.

Now, why don’t you put on that slinky yellow sundress you bought yesterday and we’ll go out for a late breakfast? How about that pancake place down the road? I love how we can walk to anything here. I don’t know why I never came here before, he mused as I returned to the bathroom to do my hair and put on the aforementioned slinky yellow sundress.

A few minutes later, we stepped off the elevator into the bright lobby below. Once outside, the brilliance of the Atlantic Ocean lapping at the sandy shore beneath a clear blue sky was enough to make me pause in appreciation of what nature had provided us. Taking a deep breath of warm August beach air, I tilted my head back and closed my eyes to worship the sun that beamed its warmth down upon me. Something swirled deep inside. A heat crept up from my core, warming every cell inside my body, and then seemed to settle in my brain. Something was trying to push a thought into my head, but I was feeling too relaxed to give in at that moment.

Are you okay?

Startled, I opened my eyes and saw Chad casting a shadow across my face. Um, yeah. I, uh… I’m fine, I stammered. I plastered on a bright smile to ease the worried look on his face. Just enjoying the sunshine. Changing the subject off of me, I asked, Is the restaurant this way?

It took a second, but Chad finally relaxed. No, it’s this way, he pointed straight ahead, clasping my hand. Then we take a left and go down one block. There’s a menu for this place in the room and the food sounds delicious. Lots of country breakfast foods. Just like home.

During our short walk, Chad rambled on about the food and what I thought he should order. Cars crept past on the road beside us. Kids dashed by with floats, boogey boards, sand pails and in full day-at-the-beach gear, with parents following close behind loaded down with beach towels, chairs, coolers and bags presumably filled with bottles of sunblock, hotel room keys, hats, and the cameras and cell phones they couldn’t live without…. even on vacation. Yet all I could think about was the weird feeling of warmth that washed over me moments before.

I didn’t know what it was, but for some reason, it made me think of the pendant Cole McIntosh had sent me when I was visiting Adele’s estate. Before I knew he was a monstrous Wendigo bent on world domination and controlling any magical creature that could aid in his quest. Yeah, he was a bastard.

Lost in my thoughts, I would have kept right on walking if the hand Chad was holding hadn’t come to an abrupt halt. Have you heard a thing I’ve said, Liz?

Ah, hell! What had he asked me?

I looked up at him, smiling brightly. Sure I have. Maybe you should just wait and see what your stomach thinks about the menu when we get in here and smell what’s cooking. That must have been a suitable answer because he smiled, showing those pearly whites instead of re-clenching his jaw.

He turned, pulling me toward the door. Wait a second, I pulled back against his grasp.

His handsome smile disappeared, almost as if controlled by a light switch that someone flicked into the off position. What’s wrong? Oh no, you’re not hungry, are you? You don’t want to eat here, do you? Damn, I should have asked first. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed heavily.

I chuckled lightly. No Chad, you silly man, that’s not it. Yes, I’m hungry and this place is fine. I just had a thought and wondered if you might know what happened to that pendant. You know, the one Cole sent before we knew what he was up to. The pendant that made us feel all crazed and wild. You remember?

How the hell could I ever forget? That thing was freaky as all get-out, Liz. I felt murderous in a way I never felt when I was on the force. It scared the hell out of me and gave me more peace than I’d ever felt. All at the same time. It was invigorating and frightening.

An elderly couple walked past us and slipped into the restaurant. We moved a step to the left of the door to not slow down the in-bound patrons. By the looks of the group coming down the sidewalk toward us, if we didn’t get in there soon, we wouldn’t get breakfast until dinnertime.

Why are you asking about the pendant?

Maybe this was a conversation better left for later. Oh, nothing really. It just popped into my head. We can talk about it later. It really was a beautiful piece.

That thing is dangerous, Liz. I just know it. I have a bad feeling that all hell would break loose if I ever touched it again. Where ever it is, it’s better left there and not with us.

I nodded in false agreement. I’d call and speak with my attorney, Jim Conrad, later. He’d probably know better than Chad, anyway. I had a feeling that pendant was more important than I knew, and I’d need it at some point in the future, but for what I didn’t know.

* * *

Breakfast was delicious. Chad had a meal called the Big Man’s Breakfast Special: two each of bacon, sausage, and country ham slices, four eggs cooked just the way you wanted them, two biscuits with sausage gravy, and two buttermilk pancakes. It was enough food for a person to survive on for a week or more, and Chad devoured it in less than twenty minutes. I, on the other hand, had two whole wheat pancakes with blueberry topping and a side of scrambled eggs and turkey bacon. It was all delicious.

Chad paid the check, and we were taking a casual stroll back toward the hotel when my cell phone rang. I quickly dug it from the bottom of the handbag I’d bought to match the dress I was wearing. Not my normal clothing choice, but I was at the beach, you know?

Retrieving the phone on the third ring, I found it was Jesika on the other end.

Hey, Lizabeth. The boys have decided they’re too excited to see you for them to take their naps. We’re loading up the van right now and heading your way. We’ll be there in about twenty minutes, if that’s okay with you. She sounded unsure of herself, almost scared.

Of course that’s fine, Jes. Are you okay? You sound weird.

She cleared her throat with a little cough and gave me one of those dry laughs that meant, Nothing is okay, but I don’t want to tell you about it.

Yes, of course. I’m fine. We’ll see you in a bit. I’d barely squeaked out a goodbye before she hung up.

That didn’t sound good, Chad remarked as I tossed the phone back into my bag. Is everything all right with Jesika and the boys?

I shrugged, shaking my head. I don’t know. She says she’s fine, but she sounded weird… almost scared. I massaged my temples and forehead with both hands. A dull headache was starting behind my eyes. Too much bright sunshine for the girl who prefers the dead of night. We might as well head back to the hotel and change. She and the boys will be here soon, and then maybe I can get some answers out of her.

Chad nodded. I can’t believe I’m finally going to see you in a swimsuit. It’s miracle enough that you’re wearing a dress! I smiled, and meant it this time, before smacking him on the arm. He gave me an Ow, and then wrapped his severely injured arm around my shoulders and led the way back to the hotel.

Twenty-five minutes later, with me sporting a blue one-piece skirted swimsuit, a wide-brimmed hat, and a white gauze cover-up, Jesika knocked on the hotel room door. Since I’d been expecting a phone call from the lobby, I looked through the peephole before opening the door.

We might be spending time on a vacation island, with the pretense of visiting family and enjoying some downtime, but we were really there in search of my vampire father, and he’s known to send his lackeys after me at any given moment. In the short time I’d known about Gregory, I’d already learned that it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to him. Even in full sunshine.

I opened the door with too much exuberance and banged the handle against the wall behind it. "Jes, I thought you were going to call when you got here. We would have just come on down