Praise for the novels of
KAT MARTIN
âKat Martin is one of the best authors around!
She has an incredible gift for writing.â
âLiterary Times
â[Martin] produces irresistible novels with her own uniquely sensual and exciting style.â
âRT Book Reviews
âA tidal wave of emotion, bittersweet, poignant romance and a tantalizing primal sexualityâ¦the inimitable trademarks of multi-talented author Kat Martin.â
âWinterhaven News
âA real page-turnerâ¦The Summit is a superb story.â
âRomance Reviews Today
âMartin dishes up sizzling passion and true love, then serves it up with savoir faire.â
âLos Angeles Daily News
âWOW! Kat Martinâs talent knows no boundaries. [Scent of Roses] is to die forâ¦a tremendous story that will keep you up at night.â
âWriters Unlimited
âKat Martin is a consummate storyteller!â
âThe Romance Readers Connection
âMommy, why do we have to leave?â Sarah Allenâs six-year-old daughter, Holly, looked up at her with big blue, tear-filled eyes. âI like it here. I donât want to go.â
Anxious to be on her way, Sarah reached down and lifted the little blonde girl into her arms. âDonât cry, sweetie. I promise youâre going to love it. The mountains are beautiful and there are these rivers and big green forests, and you can have a puppy if you want.â At least Sarah hoped so.
Surely the owners of the cottage she had rented wouldnât mind. The house was, after all, on a very large ranch, at least twelve thousand acres.
Holly sniffed back tears and looked up with interest. âA puppy? Can I really?â
âAs soon as we get settled, weâll drive into town and you can adopt one from the pound.â Sarah glanced nervously toward the door. The car was packed, the rest of their personal possessions boxed and shipped. She was leaving Los Angeles and she prayed she was leaving her troubles, as well.
The sooner they left town, the safer she would feel.
She set Holly back on her feet, took a last glance around the expensive Santa Monica apartment she had occupied with her late husband, surveyed the plush white carpet and chic black lacquer furniture that was Andrewâs taste, not hers. There was nothing homey, nothing the least bit geared toward a family. The condo was just for showâno substance beyond the surface beauty. Just like Andrew.
Sarah started for the door, but the phone rang before she could reach it. She considered just letting it ring, a hollow echo now that her things were gone, but she was afraid it might be important.
She lifted the receiver and pressed it against her ear. âHello.â
âSarah, this is Martin Kozak.â His raspy smokerâs voice grated over the line. âWe need to talk.â
A shiver went down her spine. Marty Kozak was one of Andrewâs business associates. A few weeks ago, Marty had started calling, trying to set up a meeting. Sarah didnât want to talk to him or any of Andrewâs other shady business acquaintances.
âWhat do you want, Marty? I told you I donât know anything about Andrewâs affairs. He never talked to me about business. We never discussed it.â
He didnât think I was smart enough, or savvy enough about finances, or he just plain didnât want to.
And Andrew never did anything he didnât want to do.
âLike I told you before,â Marty said, âAndrew had something important I need. Did you find anything in his personal belongings? A list he might have been keeping? A computer disk, maybe, or a record book of some kind?â
âNo. Before he died, we were barely speaking.â That was an understatement. When they were together, Andrew did all the talking, mostly about himself. Sarah had been trying to leave him for years, but she had been afraid of what would happen if she did. âHe didnât tell me anything, and he didnât give me anything.â
âMaybe there was something in his personal effects.â
âNot that I know of.â
âIâd like to talk to you, Sarah.â
âIâm sorry, Marty. I was just walking out the door. Iâve really got to go.â By the time she hung up the phone, she was shaking. She had no idea what sort of trouble Andrew might have been in before he was killed, but she wasnât part of it and never had been.
Once you get out of town, she told herself, everything is going to be all right.
Things were bound to settle down. After her husbandâs murder, the police had questioned her extensively, but that had been months ago and they were certain his death was a result of his gambling debts or crooked business dealings. She figured Marty had waited for the police investigation to die down before he began to press her for whatever it was he wanted.