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Blurb:
Victoria Mardullo had it all. The love of her life, Steven, was a cop just like her father, her brother, and most of her family. Family meant everything. When Steven was called to active duty in Iraq, Victoria knew he had to go. He was a marine first.
Life took a turn for the worse when her father, Danny, was murdered, and Steven went M.I.A. The two men she loved most in the world were gone, and she couldn't accept that. She used her job and her connections at Search & Seizure Magazine to find her father's killer. But she got more then she bargained for. Now, Victoria must lie to her family, and seduce a man believed to be her father's killer.
Will justice be served? Will she lose her true love, her family, and possibly her life? The only thing she knows for sure is that a cop's daughter never gives up.
Excerpt:
Victoria felt the softness underneath her body, then the sound of flowing water echoing in the distance.
Struggling to open her heavy eyelids, the weak and exhausted sensation overwhelmed her. Each muscle-sheltered bone sent waves of aches and pains with the slightest movement. Cautiously, blinking her eyes open, she made certain she was alone. As tired as she felt, she couldn't forget her captor.
The man was strong, enormous. His anger and determination was enough to destroy a whole army. The realization told her she didn't stand a chance.
The last couple of blows he inflicted upon her had knocked the wind out of her. In addition, the ones that followed sent her into a deep sleep, like the one she had just awoken from. How long have I been here? What does he plan on doing with me? Didn't anyone hear my screams?
Glancing around the room, noticing it was a dump, she wondered if anyone else were around. No one would ask questions; take notice of a man practically dragging a young woman along with him.
This location remained abandoned and known to harbor crack heads and other strays the town attempted to hide. That was until some keen, ambitious businessman decided to buy out the owner and improve the property to the town board's standards. Six months later and halfway through construction, the company fell into financial ruins. Claiming bankruptcy, the businessman left the site mid construction. There was no hope that even a stray could provide Victoria assistance.
Her captor had held the gun against her ribcage, threatening to kill her on the spot then go after her mother if she continued to fight him.
A chill ran through her body, up her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. Feeling the moisture reach her eyes, Victoria took him seriously. She knew he could easily get to her mother just as he was able to get to her.
No one suspected him of anything.
The pain in her head and stomach increased with the knowledge she now possessed. How could he be the one?
The police would be searching for a ghost, a suspect with no name, no face, and no apparent motive.
The odds were against her. No one was coming.
Sighing heavily, she tried to ignore the nervous sensation that consumed her.
If he were going to kill me, wouldn't he have done it by now? He's toying with you, Tory. It's all a game.
Raising her knees to her chest, sensing her desire to quit, give in to her captor's demands, she held on to the tiny bit of hope and determination to escape.
The battle between a desire to live, and the facts of the case, the crime scene photos, and her captor's abilities, left her breathless.
She would not accept defeat. She would attempt escape again. She had to give it a shot.
The need to close her eyes, to rest her weary mind and body, consumed her. Like waves crashing against a border of mountainous rocks, came the visions of what had occurred earlier.
Each sensation of wanting to survive, having to escape her captor then accepting defeat weighed a toll on her mind and soul. Yet, in this weak position, she promised herself that next time she wouldn't underestimate his abilities.
* * * *
She recalled the brightness of the sun and yearned to see it again and feel freedom. She could remember hearing the highway in the distance and instantly she planned on running in that direction if she had the chance. The scenes flashed through her mind. Her body shook in fear as she fought against herself, her emotional weakness, in the hopes she could get out of this situation.
She had been through the toughest of times, had battled against the evil of the criminal mind in her professional career.
This was different. This was personal.
* * * *
Eyes feeling heavy, she closed them tightly as her mind recollected the series of events.
She had watched her captor reach into his pocket to retrieve the car keys. In her mind, she saw each scene vividly as if it were all happening again.
The parking lot was empty. The motel looked abandoned. Being the end of June, schools were getting out, families planned vacations, and no decent, law-abiding citizen would be spending their time in a dive like this.
Looking around, the fear and anxiety of dying in such a place set in. There wasn't a soul in sight.
She watched him, and when his ring caught on the pocket of his jeans, she pulled away. A quick duck and turn, she was free of his grasp, sprinting in the direction of the highway.
She vaguely felt the hardness of the pavement under the soles of her shoes as she struggled to recall any other details, as if she would remember seeing another escape route that would benefit her in the future.
The highway was a short distance after the parking lot. If she headed that way, she'd attempt to stop a car, get someone to notice her, and yell for help.
She lost her shoe as she ran across the high, overgrown grass separating the parking lot and the fence that lined the highway.
Damning herself for wearing the slip-on, black wedges, she pumped her arms harder, faster, tossing the other shoe off her foot.
Cursing numerous times, after cutting her feet on broken liquor bottles and beer cans, she could hear him chasing her, laughing as he jogged, like it was some sort of game.
His voice and deep laughter echoed in her mind.
The buzzing sound of the cars zooming by ahead rang in her ears. Clearing the grass, she could taste freedom. Help was right ahead of her.
An instant later, her aching, bleeding feet, made contact with the pavement, so did her body. Hitting the ground with a thump, she felt the heavy weight of her captor as his body lay on top of her, pinning her to the ground.
Instantly, the cloth was around her mouth.
Groaning, crying from the excruciating pain that radiated through her whole body and feeling the cold, solid gun wedged against her cheekbone, she knew she had failed.
He pushed the metal harder and deeper into her flesh, and she practically felt the bruise penetrate from under her skin.
He left her no choice but to lay her arms by her side in defeat. Heart pounding, mind racing, she wondered if he would kill her right here.
* * * *
The tears filled her eyes as she clenched them tighter. The earlier sound of running water stopped and her back remained toward the sound of a door creaking open.
She didn't have to turn to know he was there. Nor did she have the strength to do so.
An overwhelming sense of evil permeated the space behind her, enveloped the small motel room to the point of which she felt suffocated.
The bed creaked as the weight of his knee indented into the mattress. Attempting not to shake, to pretend she was asleep, she willed her body to cooperate, then came his touch.
He trailed a finger from her ankle to the back of her knee. She silently begged every muscle, every bone, to remain dormant and to show no sign of a reaction.
Her body had a mind of its own when she sensed the shaking escalate from deep within.
The weight of his body caused the mattress to sag beneath her. She dared not move despite feeling him so close beside her as the palm of his hand lay flush against her hipbone. He leaned over her. She could feel each heavy breath as tiny droplets of water tickled against the skin on her neck.
Still, she willed herself to remain motionless while her captor emerged from the shower and now lay beside her on the bed.
She sensed his eyes upon her, his evil, perverse attempt to prove her unconsciousness an act.
She fought to continue the masquerade. It was her only hope to stop him from having her.
Autor Bio:
Laura Marie Henion is a freelance writer and fiction author specializing in the genre of romance and suspense. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and EPIC Authors. She has obtained many of her ideas and accurate information from family members, friends, and law enforcement personnel. She has always had an interest in the law enforcement field and enjoys creative writing.
As a young adult, she created short stories and poetry to share with her family and friends. Laura integrated her creative writing skills in her professional career as both a sales center manager and a social worker. Laura is also the office manager for her husband's business and a mom of three. She loves working with people and believes this stems from both her Bachelors Degree in Social Work as well as her strong, law enforcement family background.
These factors add to the authenticity of her stories and the true to life qualities of her characters. She continues to work on multiple manuscripts including the new series Cop's Daughter. Currently Laura is also working toward her Masters in Professional Writing. Laura Marie presently resides in Historic Hudson Valley New York with her husband and three small children.
