Dead By Morning

Epilogue

From time to time, Nic caught a glimpse, in her rearview mirror, of the black Hummer that had followed her from Griffin’s Rest. When she stopped at a gas station just outside Pigeon Forge, Cully Redmond pulled into the parking area and waited for her.

Now, for the past few miles on her drive up the mountain to the beautiful, secluded cabin Griff had given her as a Christmas gift, she hadn’t seen Cully’s Hummer. Apparently, he had dropped back out of sight to allow her time to arrive at the cabin and get settled in before he parked outside to keep watch over her. No doubt, Griff would send another agent to relieve him in the morning and the two would change shifts every eight hours.

She parked the Escalade in the circular drive, got out, grabbed her suitcase from the back, and walked up to the front door. She drew in a deep breath of crisp, fresh mountain air. She unlocked the door and walked into the foyer. The cabin was so quiet, so peaceful, unlike the daily chaotic noise that had plagued Griffin’s Rest recently.

After shoving her suitcase into the master bedroom closet, Nic walked through the living room and opened the door leading out onto the back deck. She went over to the edge of the wooden deck, clasped the top of the carved guardrail, and looked out at the breathtaking view below, the lush green hills and valleys.

Griff lied to me about his relationship with Yvette. He did have sex with her.

But they were never lovers. Griff said that what happened between them wasn’t really even sex.

Maybe it wasn’t, but I know one thing for sure—Griff loves Yvette.

He loves her because of the hell they shared, because of the torture they endured together.

He loves her because he may be the father of her child.

Nic laid her hand protectively over her belly.

She heard the sound of a car door slamming. Cully Redmond must have arrived. He probably needed to stretch his legs.

With her hand still resting over the tiny life just beginning to grow inside her, Nic jerked around when she heard a noise. Sound echoed in the empty stillness of her mountain retreat, so she wasn’t surprised that she could hear footsteps on the front porch.

Damn it, she had told Griff specifically that she wanted to be left alone.

Don’t bite Cully’s head off. Just tell him you’re fine and for him to report to Griff that you arrived here safely.

Nic went back into the cabin and made it halfway across the living room when the front door opened. Great! Cully would be sure to tell Griff that she’d left the door unlocked. How could she have been so careless?

With “get out and leave me alone” on the tip of her tongue, Nic stopped dead still when a man she didn’t know walked into her cabin. This was definitely not Cully Redmond. And he wasn’t another Powell agent.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

When he simply stared at her, Nic stood her ground.

Show no fear.

“I’m expecting someone any minute now,” she told him. “I didn’t travel alone.”

“If you’re expecting the man driving the black Hummer, then you’re going to be disappointed. I’m afraid he’s been delayed. Permanently delayed.”

Fear clutched Nic’s gut. Had this man killed Cully?

“I don’t know what you want, Mr.—?”

“Where are my manners,” the man said, a bonechilling smile curving his lips. “Let me introduce myself, Mrs. Powell. I’m Anthony Linden.”

“That’s not possible. Anthony Linden is dead.”

“Yes, I know. And so is Malcolm York. And yet here I am, in the flesh, come to take you to see another dead man. Mr. York is eager to meet you.”