Alone (Bone Secrets, #4)(96)

Seth had finally dragged Victoria away from the site, pulling her down a path away from the bustle of the scene. For once, it wasn’t raining. The sky was a depressing gray, but was holding tight to its water for the moment. Victoria breathed in the ripe wet scent of the trees and damp undergrowth.

“How could Cesare hide his true colors from so many people? And present himself as a spiritual leader?” she asked.

Seth paced silently beside her for a long moment. “I think people saw what they wanted to see. At one time, his personality must have been pretty charismatic to convince people to not see through his fa?ade.”

“And those who did, didn’t report him. I hope Jason gets over his guilt about not going directly to the police with his suspicions about his father and grandfather.”

“He’s lucky no one else was killed by Leo. That level of guilt would have messed him up for life.” He didn’t add how close the both of them came to losing their lives.

“Do you think he’ll always wonder if he has an evil side, directing some of his actions or waiting to come out of his personality at the wrong time?” Victoria said slowly.

Seth stopped and turned her to face him. “You do not have rotten blood in your veins. You are living proof that a good heart can overpower anything that nature throws in your genes. You are not Abbadelli or Isabel. You’re Victoria Peres, forensic anthropologist extraordinaire, dragon-boat queen, high-school teen hero, and my Tori.” He pulled her into him, carefully avoiding crushing her hurt wrist. “I love you, and I never want to be in the position of wondering if some crazy nut has hurt you again. I plan on not letting you out of my sight for a very long time. Maybe never.”

She squirmed in his embrace. “Never? That has a bit of a compulsive implication about it. I don’t know if—”

He cut off her teasing words with a kiss, pressing his lips against hers. She opened to meet him, seeking his heat and reassurance. She moved closer, loving the strength and hardness of his body next to hers. Soft drops of rain hit her cheeks, bringing back memories of their first kiss. Their first kiss this time around. A rare second chance at being together. She wasn’t going to waste it. They’d been given a precious gift, and she would embrace it with everything she had.

“I love you, too,” she spoke against his lips.

If this was an example of how Seth needed to keep her in his sight, she was the luckiest woman in the world.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book wouldn’t have happened without the pestering of my developmental editor, Charlotte Herscher. During the edits of my previous novel, Buried, Charlotte told me she found Victoria Peres to be a fascinating character and suggested I write the next book about her. I immediately replied, “No. She intimidates the hell out of me. And the other characters are scared of her.” Charlotte didn’t accept that answer. She wanted to know why Victoria unsettled me, and what had made her into a cold person who pushed away the other characters.

Her questions stuck in my head. I wrote three chapters of Alone with Victoria in a secondary role, but in my head I heard Charlotte’s voice ask, “But why is Victoria like that?”

Victoria took over the book. And I loved discovering her past.

Montlake Romance is a wonderful team, and I’m extremely fortunate to have a home with them and to work with people who are enthusiastic about my books. Thank you to Lindsay Guzzardo and Kelli Martin, my editors extraordinaire. More thanks to Jessica Poore, author team angel, who always knows the right answer.

Thank you to my kids, who put up with a constantly distracted mom and are proud to pimp my books to their teachers. Thank goodness I married a man who is tied to his laptop as much as I am. He understands me.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photograph ? Yuen Lui, 2010

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kendra Elliot has always been a voracious reader, cutting her teeth on classic female sleuths and heroines like Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Laura Ingalls before proceeding to devour the works of Stephen King, Diana Gabaldon, and Nora Roberts. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. Now a Golden Heart, Daphne du Maurier, and Linda Howard Award of Excellence finalist, Elliot shares her love of suspense in her Bone Secrets series: Hidden, Chilled, Buried, and now Alone. She still lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters.