Joe felt himself being sucked backward into the darkness
He hurled his weight to the right until he felt the solid connection of the wall against his shoulder. Glass-covered pictures of women holding calla lilies rattled in their frames from the impact.
Just get out. Just donât remember. Donât ever remember.
And then the door swung open, and Emma stood before him, haloed by the golden light of a California Indian summer afternoon.
âWhat are youâ¦?â she began, taking two steps toward him with those impossibly long legs of hers. âAre you okay?â
Before he could stop himself, Joe let his forehead drop down to rest on her thin shoulder. A minute. He just needed a minute and then he could talk to her and pretend everything was normal. He breathed in the warm, peaceful scent of the shampoo she used and, just for a moment, he was himself again.
For Roselyn Rysavy
(the real Scrabble Champion of the World) and Jerry Rysavy, the greatest grandparents ever. Love you.
Harlequin Intrigue author Tracy Montoya is a magazine editor for a crunchy nonprofit in Washington, D.C., though at present sheâs telecommuting from her house in Seoul, Korea. She lives with a psychotic cat, a lovable yet daft Lhasa apso and a husband whoâs turned their home into the Island of Lost/Broken/Strange-Looking Antiques. A member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Society of Environmental Journalists, Tracy has written about everything from Booker Prizewinning poet MartÃn Espada to socially responsible mutual funds to soap opera summits. Her articles have appeared in a variety of publications, such as Hope, Utne Reader, Satya, YES!, Natural Home, and New York Naturally. Prior to launching her journalism career, she taught in an under-resourced school in Louisiana through the AmeriCorps Teach for America program.
Tracy holds a masterâs degree in English literature from Boston College and a B.A. in the same from St. Maryâs University. When sheâs not writing, she likes to scuba dive, forget to go to kickboxing class, wallow in bed with a good book or get out her new guitar with a group of friends and pretend sheâs Suzanne Vega.
She loves to hear from readersâe-mail
[email protected] or visit www.tracymontoya.com.
Joe LopezâAfter witnessing his motherâs murder at age ten, his mind coped by erasing all memory of early childhood. But now, the man without a past is seeking answersâor maybe theyâre seeking him.
Emma Jensen ReeseâAn English professor at St. Xavier University, Emma learns that the old Victorian home she so lovingly restored was the house where Joe spent his childhood.
Daniela and Ramon LopezâTwenty-five years ago, they were murdered, leaving behind four children who are still searching for answersâ¦and each other.
The Whistling ManâWith a penchant for whistling Sinatra, he shadows Joe with an obvious intent to inflict harm.
Detective Daniel RodriguezâA member of Homicide Special, the Los Angeles Police Departmentâs elite detective unit, Rodriguez manages to show up whenever trouble comes calling. Does he really want to help, or is the detective hiding something?
Senator Wade AllenâAn extramarital affair made him the victim of blackmail. Did he order the Lopezes killed to save his political career?
Amelia Rosemont AllenâMarried to Senator Allen, Amelia will do anything to support her husband.
Mavis RichardsâThe âother womanâ in Senator Allenâs past has put the past behind her. Or has she?
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
Twenty-five years ago
When the glass of her basement window shattered late one Sunday night, Daniela Lopezâs face barely registered surprise. Mainly because she didnât feel any.
Daniela sat in the dark on the unforgiving hardwood staircase inside her Victorian home, only her eyes moving as they scanned the front door. Then the foyer. Then the inky blackness of her front hallway.
Silence.
Her thumb clicked off the safety of her off-duty Smith & Wessonâthe only gun she had left after taking an extended leave of absence from work. At least she could be grateful they hadnât sent a real professional after her. The spectacular crash the intruder had made upon entering her house gave her a small bit of comfort. Maybe sheâd actually survive the night. Maybe buy herself enough time to put the last piece of the puzzle in place, to put the ones whoâd murdered her husband behind bars forever. To keep the rest of her family safe.
God, she missed them. She wanted to smell the sweet baby softness of Sabrinaâs hair. She wanted to scoop up both her twin boys, Patricio and Daniel, and read that ridiculous Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel book to them for the hundredth time. And, despite the fact that ten-year-old José Javier thought he was a man already, she would have held him close and sang him to sleep had he only been there beside her.