Page 66 of Threat of Danger
On impulse, Jess walked past them and stepped into the store. She grabbed a copy ofDark Woodsfrom the giant display in the middle, giving the woman behind the counter the evil eye on the off chance that she was Lorelei. Possible-Lorelei seemed confused by the surly attitude, her expression alternating between welcoming and concerned.Good. Let her wonder, shameless hussy.
Jess held the book to her chest on her way out. She wanted to know what the book would tell her about the author, this new Derek she was falling for all over again.
That night while she was at the hospital, sitting with Chuck as his “niece,” Jess began to read the story.
Her first impressions were: moody, dark, brilliant.
As Chuck slept, Jess read. The story began with a college romance. Boy in lust with the girl next door, a reckless love affair. Tryst in the woods. A stranger with a gun.
Suddenly sweat was rolling down Jess’s back. Her heart thundered.
She read as the masked man tied up the young lovers. When the naked girl in the book shivered, so did Jess. The boy tore at his ropes, half-mad.Save her! Save her! Save her!But he couldn’t.
Jess slammed the book shut. She rubbed her hands over her face, wiping away her stupid tears.
Around her, the hospital room was silent and peaceful. Chuck breathed evenly, his face smooth and relaxed in sleep.
Jess felt as if a tornado was swirling around her. She felt stricken. She felt as if she was going to throw up.Dark Woodswasherstory. Hers and Derek’s.
Derek—the man who’d just hours ago kissed her as if she meant everything to him—had taken the most private, most painful part of her life and put it out there for everyone to see. For his career.For freaking money!
Words could not express the depth of the betrayal that threatened to drown Jess. She felt as if Derek had not just sold her story, but soldher.
How could he?
At times in the past, she had blamed him for what had happened to her. But she’d always known that she wasn’t right to fault Derek. What had happened in that horrid camper wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t help it that the kidnapper had chosen Jess as the primary target and Derek as the audience.
Resenting Derek had been wrong. And now that they’d met again, and Jess saw the man he’d become, she had let go of that old resentment.
But the book!Her stomach clenched as if she’d missed her cue and didn’t block a punch right, and got hit full force during a stunt. She had trouble breathing.
Dark Woodswas a betrayal she couldneverforgive.
Had she ever thought she could fall in love with Derek all over again?
Never.
Chapter Fifteen
Friday
“IT’S TOO LATEto cancel,” Derek’s editor said over the phone. “Per your original request, we were only doing the abbreviated book tour to begin with, keeping you on the East Coast. Just a straight line down: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington. You’ll have to do at least that much.”
“Sorry. I can’t. I’ll keep the signings in Burlington and the indie store in Taylorville, but that’s it. I can’t travel.”
A couple of seconds of silence stretched on the line. Then Diane asked, “Do you know what the difference is between editors and Somali pirates?”
“No?”
“You can negotiate with Somali pirates.”
Derek could almost appreciate the humor.
“So ...” she said after a while. “Please tell me you’re not sick.”
“I’m not sick.”
“Can I help with anything?”
