Epiphany (Legacy of Payne) (35 page)

“She wanted to protect you. Hamilton Payne is a powerful man. I’m sure you’re aware of just how powerful. He’s got his fingers in every corner of law enforcement, even the FBI. She didn’t know who to trust.”

“So what does she have on him?”

“I can’t say.”

“This is bullshit! You expect me to trust you, but you won’t tell me what’s going on?”

McFayden’s gaze darted to me. “I can’t blame you for being hesitant to trust me, but I came here to warn you. Be careful. Keep Mackenzie and your child away from him.”

His words froze my heart. Aidan and I exchanged a worried glance.

“I don’t understand,” Aidan said as he pulled three mugs down from a cupboard. “I’ve never gotten along with him, but I can’t imagine him hurting any of us, not in the way you’re suggesting.”

McFayden seemed to chew over his words as Aidan poured coffee into two of the mugs and hot water into the third for me. He added a tea bag to mine before setting the mugs on the counter.

“Let me put it this way,” McFayden began. “At first, your mother suspected he was behind your wife’s murder.” He lowered his head, taking a moment to sip from his cup. “I sensed something was off about the whole thing, was sure it was a copycat even though law enforcement in Boise ruled it out. I never would have suspected Judd.” He paused, and a flash of pain entered his eyes—eyes that looked so much like Aidan’s now that I thought about it. “Just like you can’t see that Hamilton is capable of such things.”

“How can I help if you won’t tell me what’s going on?”

“I don’t want your help on this. I want you to steer clear of him—keep your family away from him.” His gaze landed on me. “Protect that baby of yours.”

“Well that’s a given,” Aidan said. “He won’t get near either one of them.”

McFayden took another sip and then glanced at his watch. “I need to get going.” He rose, and Aidan appeared uncertain. I understood what he was going through—I’d experienced the same uneasy feeling upon meeting Hamilton Payne for the first time after I’d learned the truth.

Except, according to McFayden, my father was evil incarnate. I should have listened to my mom—should have kept going, blissfully unaware.

The sheriff rounded the center island and pulled Aidan in for a hug. “I’m glad you know.”

Aidan’s eyes went wide, and slowly he lifted his arms and returned the gesture.

“There are no words . . . I can’t tell you how sorry I am for what Judd did to you. Both of you.” McFayden stepped away, never quite meeting Aidan’s eyes, and I glimpsed the broken man I’d seen in the hospital. Judd’s actions had affected us all.

The sheriff left, promising to keep in touch, and the silence in the house unnerved me. Though he was there with me physically, Aidan’s mind was elsewhere.

“Hungry?” he asked.

I finished off my tea before standing, and our eyes met and held as I neared him. I entwined our fingers before leading him downstairs. The hall was dark, and the shadows threatened to close around me. I squeezed his hand and told myself there was no reason to be scared. Judd was in jail, and whatever threat Hamilton posed, we’d deal with it later. Right now, in this moment, I wanted to chase away the bad with the good.

Neither of us spoke as I pulled him into the bedroom. We stopped in the middle of the room, and I undid the buttons on his shirt. The material slid over his shoulders before whispering to the floor. His wound was healing. I gently brushed my fingertips across the skin below it.

“Does it still hurt?”

“Not really,” Aidan said, his voice thick as he curled his fingers around the hem of my sweater. His knuckles grazed my sides as he lifted it up my body, and he tossed it somewhere in the vicinity of his discarded shirt before unbuttoning my jeans.

“You might have seen me coming,” he began, dropping to his knees and slowly dragging my zipper down, “but I can’t say the same. You knocked me on my ass.” His eyes were bright as he gazed up at me. “We haven’t known each other very long, but I have every intention of marrying you.”

A smile played on my lips as I weaved my fingers through his hair, and I thought about how wrong he was. I’d known him for years—he just hadn’t realized it.

Thank you for reading
Epiphany
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In the meantime, stay tuned for
Awakening
, book two in the
Legacy of Payne
series which tells the story of Logan Payne. Release date undetermined at this time, but if you’d like to stay up to date with new releases, promotions, and contests, please sign up for my
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Acknowledgements

Writing the acknowledgements is perhaps the hardest part of finalizing a novel, especially for a book such as
Epiphany
which is nearly five years in the making. I’ve met so many special people along this journey, and I can’t imagine getting to this point without them.

First and foremost, I want to thank God for the incredible gift He’s given me. Being able to tell stories and lose myself in the characters of my own creation is truly a blessing. Writing completes me, which brings me to my husband and four children. You deserve the most gigantic thank-you imaginable. Thank you for your patience and support, for your understanding, and for turning a blind eye to the many hours I spent on the computer while laundry and dishes piled up.

Thank you to my dearest friend Crystal Richter who brainstormed with me for hours on end. Working with you “back in the day” was the best of times, and I’m certain
Epiphany
wouldn’t be half the story it is today without your input and encouragement.

I can never express enough gratitude to the family I found whom I never knew. You welcomed me with open arms, read every word of the rough draft, and believed in me enough to encourage me every chance you got. I’ll never forget our trip to Forks—spending that weekend with you was one of the best times I’ve ever had. You guys gave me back a little piece of myself. Thanks so much Becki and Julie!

I owe a debt of gratitude to my editor Jessica Nollkamper. Thanks so much for your patience while I finished the manuscript. Working with you has been a pleasure and I’d love to do it again.

And that brings me to the group of people I met online. You guys are some of the most talented and helpful writers anyone could hope to work with. We shared stories and critiques, but essentially we shared friendship. I can’t thank you enough:

Phuong Mayer, whose talent for digging deep and seeing the whole picture is one I envy. You pushed me to take
Epiphany
to another level, chapter by chapter. I’m forever grateful.

Jennifer Nissley, whose incredible literary style I admire. I learned a lot from you, and I’m so thankful for your comments and suggestions that kept me toeing the line of realism. If there’s any melodrama in
Epiphany
, it’s entirely my fault because you did your best to set me straight!

Joss Landry, who so graciously took me under her wings and encouraged me to spread my own. We have so much in common, it amazes me.

Janet Taylor-Perry, a warrior of a woman whose prolific accomplishments are something we should all strive for. Thank you for teaching me the rules of grammar—a person can only go so far on writing “by ear.” I now understand what a double preposition is because of you!

And speaking of grammar, Amy Metz and Nancy DeMarco are two of the best “nitters” out there. I have a cleaner manuscript because of you guys. Your support and encouragement has meant so much.

John DeBoer, who took the time to answer my questions about gunshot wounds and surgery. Thanks for offering your expertise, and I’m so grateful for that eagle eye of yours.

Terri Weiss, who encouraged me to give Mac and Aidan sexier love scenes. Though our styles are different, I did listen.
Epiphany
is (hopefully) a steamier story as a result—I hope I didn’t disappoint.

To Jennifer Comeaux, Ann Everett, Cathy Jones, Cate Carpenter, Dagnee, Tina DC Hayes, Max Keanu, Wendy Raye, Rain Walker, and T Cat Taylor: Your reviews and encouragement kept me going, and kept me posting and working at it until I finally finished. A thousand thank-yous to this group of talented people.

Last but not least, thank you to Gabby Stroud for beta reading Epiphany. Witnessing your reactions was amusing, and I hope to one day read your work.

Most importantly, thank you to the readers! I hope you enjoy
Epiphany
, because I had a hell of a time writing it!

About the Author

Christina Jean Michaels was born in Paradise, California, but she’s found the true home of her heart in Eugene, Oregon where she finds plenty of inspiration for storytelling.

When she was young, her mother said she hated words. Now she can't imagine not writing. She became an avid reader when she was thirteen and discovered the world of
Sweet Valley High
. About a year later she realized she could play God and write about her own characters. She has been writing in some form ever since.

She lives with her husband and their four children—three rambunctious UFC/wrestling-loving boys, and one girl who steals everyone’s attention.