Shattered Trust (Shattered #2) (23 page)

Chapter 39

Trenton

Unable to believe she’s been betrayed by someone she trusts, Madrigal cried herself to sleep. But the sad truth is she doesn’t suspect the cruelest betrayer of all. It’s two in the morning, and everyone’s asleep. I roll out of bed and silently make my way through the house to the room she first assigned to me, the room to which I have the only key.

I nod to the guard on duty and, without saying a word, slip into the bedchamber. He won’t think anything of it. He knows I use the space as my home office. In truth, it’s so much more than that.

The safe her grandfather owned sits in one corner. A second one he hid behind one of the bookcases. Every once in a while, the knowledge I learned in my miserable youth comes in handy. So with very little effort, I’d figured out its combination. Holden’s secrets lie within, secrets he never wanted to see light. Now it guards mine as well.

Her mother’s journals, the ones that supposedly got burned.

I retrieve the diaries, the ones that cover the last four months of Marlena Berkeley’s life. They’re the keepers of her sins, the things she did, the lies she told. In truth, I should have burned them, but something kept me from obliterating those last few months of her existence. I substituted her mother’s journals. The ones that perched in the sitting room, unread, unloved. No one noticed they’ve gone missing. Those are the ones I set on fire that day.

The diaries provide ample witness of the scheme Marlena and Mitch dreamed up. A scheme that went sadly awry the night of April 8, 2002, the night she died. The journals point the way to her killer. But they also plunge a lethal injection into Mitch’s arm.

I have a choice. Reveal them and damn him to eternity or hide them and risk losing the love of my life.

My choice is made. But really, it is no choice at all.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, thanks to the superb Montlake Romance team, especially Maria Gomez, editor extraordinaire; Melody Guy, for her outstanding editorial skills; and Jessica Poore, main fire-putter-outer for her unflagging energy and great cheer. Their commitment to excellence embodies everything that is great about Amazon Publishing.

A heartfelt thanks to the Crit Divas—Loni Lynne, Andy Palmer, and Teresa Quill—for your wonderful critiques. Your insightful comments pushed me to make
Shattered Trust
the best it could be.

Thanks to my fans. I love your e-mails, posts, and answers to my silly questions. I love having you in my life.

Last but not least, to my wonderful son, Juan, his beautiful wife, Melinda, and the kids, Derek, Alicia, and Skylar. Your love and support mean the world to me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo © Renee Hollingshead 2014

Magda Alexander loves piña coladas and walking in the rain. Okay, enough of that. Rewind.

Magda loves reading steamy romances, which she’s been doing since she was ten. So when it came time to write a book, guess what she wrote. A no-brainer, right?

Magda, a lifelong learner, graduated from the University of Maryland, where she majored in business administration (because her family had to eat) and minored in English (because she needed to dream). She’s lived in Maryland most of her life and now resides close to the Catoctin Mountains in a city whose history dates back to colonial times.

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Magda loves to hear from her fans. You may reach her at magda
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