Following a tragic incident in L.A., detective Kacey Dean has returned to her hometown of Pleasant Hills, Washington, just in time to be swept up in a series of murders called the Chosen Killings-- citizens of Pleasant Hills are killing people seemingly at random, saying the words "I am chosen" before committing the murder. Kacey Dean has killed the man she thought was responsible, but she's about to find out that the Chosen Killings are far beyond her, or anyone's, understanding. Author: Micky Neilson Publisher: EasyReading
Click- click!
��Do you ever have nightmares about the Chosen killer? About that night?�� Doctor Faulkner clicked his pen again, looking over the top of his notepad at Kacey, who barely registered the question; her attention was directed at the small window nearby and the steady rainfall just outside.
��Detective Dean?��
��Yeah?�� she said, forcing her eyes back to the older man with the thin gray hair plastered to his pale skull; his glassy, bulging eyes gazing back expectantly.
Click-click!
I really, really want to shove that pen up his ass.
��I mean, ��no.�� No I do not have nightmares about Declan,�� she lied. ��Or about the night I shot him.��
Images flashed through her mind: of that night six weeks ago, of the old asylum, of Declan Crowe silhouetted against the window frame and the night sky, a gun in one hand and in the other��
What? What was it? What had she seen? Why couldn��t she remember?
��Did you attend the funeral?�� Faulkner asked, rousing her from her reverie.
��No, I thought that would be in poor taste.��
��You have an impressive record, detective. First in your class at the LAPD Police Academy, near-perfect scores on your exam and you made detective by age twenty five.��
Kacey raised her eyebrows. Where was the old coot going with this?
��And you left it all to come here,�� he continued. ��Do you want to talk about what happened in L.A.?��
��Actually I��d like to do that, but the opposite. I��d like to not talk about that. Ever.��
Click- click!
��Okay. Okay then���� Faulkner wrote something on the pad. Probably something like ��Patient continues to be a royal pain in my ass.�� Kacey��s eyes wandered the small office: certificates, diplomas, a bookshelf, lots of potted plants, soothing colors�� and between the two of them, a small glass-top coffee table. Everything situated just so; a carefully constructed scene to make patients feel comfortable�� which, for whatever reason, had the effect of making her feel particularly uncomfortable.
��So why transfer to Washington State?�� Faulkner asked.
Shifting in her oversized seat (whatever happened to shrinks using couches?) Kacey deadpanned: ��I came here for the sunshine.��
Faulkner smiled. ��Ha ha! Yes! The sunshine���� He let out an exaggerated ��ahhh���� then: ��Don��t you have family here?��
��Yeah, a brother. I grew up here.��
��I see. And how do you and your brother get along?��
��Famously.�� That was a lie. Her brother had avoided her ever since she arrived. The two of them had never gotten along very well, and after the death of their parents, after she had left��
��So you come here, to ��sunny�� Pleasant Hills, back to your roots�� and not six months later you have to deal with this�� Chosen situation.��
Yeah, and what a situation that was: Declan Crowe, a well-respected businessman�� a pillar of the community, some might say; and somehow it turns out he was able to convince seemingly random individuals to commit murder, each act beginning with the attacker speaking the words ��I am chosen.��
The press ate it up.
��I had the opportunity to speak to Amanda Bingham at Bellingham Hospital,�� Faulkner continued. ��It was a one-sided conversation, as she suffers from a complete and irreversible dissociative fugue following the incident����
��Incident,�� that��s cute. Amanda Bingham walked into the Freddie Jones real estate office on Pine Street with a pair of long-handled pruners, strode right past the receptionist to where Duncan Styles sat at his desk; she said ��I am chosen,�� opened the pruners, shoved them against Duncan��s throat, and sliced through his windpipe with one clean snip.
��The stupor which followed is the same in every case, I��m told,�� Faulkner continued. ��Fascinating.��
��If by ��fascinating�� you mean ��terrifying,�� then yeah.�� After each killing, the murderers became completely unresponsive. Basically vegetables.
Kacey checked the time on her phone. Almost free, thank God.
Faulkner turned over his notepad and leveled a somber glare on Kacey. ��I have to ask, Detective Dean: have you experienced any feelings of depression? Have you contemplated any acts of self-harm?��
Kacey smiled. ��Only in the last hour.��
Click- click!
��You��re quite skillful at deflecting. Please understand that I��m only doing my job. You fired your weapon in the line of duty; a man is dead. I��m here to help you, and to assess your mental fitness, so to speak. To gauge your readiness to go back on the job.��
Glancing once more at the phone, Kacey lit up. ��And we��re done! Passed with flying colors, I��m sure.��
Faulkner set his notepad on the coffee table. ��Not just yet. I should like to see you once more, at least. With any luck, I hope to earn a bit of your trust.�� Faulkner stood and grinned. Kacey allowed him a half smile as she headed for the door.
Click-click!
��Oh, one last thing,�� Faulkner spoke from behind her.
She looked over her shoulder. The old man��s features had gone slack. His bug eyes stared vacantly. Kacey��s heart leapt into her throat as she turned to face him. Something was very, very wrong about the old man; about his vapid stare and about the way he was holding that pen.
��I am chosen,�� Faulkner said.
Samantha Cain grew up in foster care after the death of her parents. Now she's focused on her job as a police officer... until her life is uprooted by a brutal murder and a clue that points to secrets in her past, and a killer that is something beyond human. Author: Micky Neilson Publisher: EasyReading
Eveline married Shane, an obstetrician, at the age of 24. Two years later, when she was five months pregnant, Shane aborted the baby himself and proceeded to divorce her. It was during these dark times that Eveline met Derek. He treated her tenderly and gave her warmth like she had never known before. He also caused her the greatest pain she ever had to endure. Eveline only grew stronger after everything she experienced, but would she be able to bear the truth when it was finally revealed? Who was Derek behind his charismatic facade? And what would Eveline do once she found out the answer?
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?
Sheila had her back against the wall when her family tried to force her to marry an awful old man. In a fit of rage, she hired a gigolo to act as her husband. She thought the gigolo needed money and did this for a living. Little did she know that he was nothing like that. One day, he pulled off his mask and revealed himself to be the world's top magnate. This marked the beginning of their love. He showered her with everything she could ever want. They were happy. However, unexpected circumstances soon posed a threat to their love. Would Sheila and her husband make it through the storm? Find out!
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.