Inseparable
Living under Reese Madaris's roof makes LaKenna James the envy of every woman in town. But Reese's offer of a place to stay is strictly platonic–just until Kenna's new condo is completed. He has no idea that his best friend has been attracted to him since college, and Kenna plans to keep it that way.Ever since his cousin Blade got married, Reese has become Houston's most eligible bachelor–and a magnet for gold diggers. Reese turns to his temporary roommate for dating advice, and suddenly sees Kenna for the beautiful, voluptuous woman she is. Though Kenna's afraid to give her heart to the man who could so easily break it, when her life is in jeopardy, she'll discover just how far a Madaris man will go when love is at stake…
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To the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr.
My one and only. Always.
To everyone who enjoys reading about
those Madarises, this one is especially for you.
To the 1971 Class of William M. Raines High School,
Jacksonville, Florida, on our 40th year class reunion. And to all Raines Vikings everywhere. Ichiban!
Dear Reader,
I never imagined when penning my first Madaris book that I would still be going strong sixteen years later.
The Madaris family is special, not just because it was my first family series, but because over the years youâve made them your family. The Madaris men have become your heroes because they represent those qualities you desire in a manâsomeone whose looks take your breath away, and who has the ability to make you appreciate the fact that you are a woman.
In Inseparable, Lukeâs brother Reese takes center stage as a man who believes he has a best friend for life in LaKenna James. But things begin to heat up when she temporarily moves in with him while her condo is being completed. But Reese is a Madaris man through-and-through. And like all Madaris men, once he finds a woman he truly desires, he canât seem to walk away. But is Kenna the one woman who can claim his heart and soul? And for Kenna, an even bigger question loomsâ¦can a hot and heavy attraction ruin a great friendship?
I hope you enjoy reading Inseparable, the seventeenth book in the Madaris Family and Friends series.
All the best,
Brenda Jackson
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:
but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
âProverbs 17:22
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Epilogue
Prologue
His eyes quickly moved from his plate of food to the flat screen as he followed the closed-captioning scrolling across the bottom of the television. He used the remote to raise the volume to hear the details of the breaking news story. As the anxious reporter stood in front of an abandoned warehouse, he listened with great interest.
âThis is the sixth woman in a yearâs time who has been murdered in the Twin Cities area in what police believe may be the work of a serial killer. The latest victim was raped and then brutally tortured before being killed in the same manner as the other women. Each body has been found with one shoe missing.â The reporterâs face looked grim, shrouded in disgust and shock. âThe killer, who has been dubbed the âShoe Killerâ by police, is still at large and has been linked to similar murders in other states,â the reporter continued. âSo far there have been no leads. And police admit they arenât any closer to arresting a suspect, but they vow to bring whoever is responsible to justice. Personally, I hope soâand soon. Just knowing heâs out there somewhere means that no woman in the MinneapolisâSt. Paul area is safe.â
He shook his head at the newscaster and chuckled softly, amused by the reporterâs last line, about no woman being safe. The observation was certainly an understatement.
The Minneapolis police were smart, but he was smarter, which was why he had eluded them for over a year. But then he hated taking chances. And he knew it was just a matter of time before he made a mistake, played a bad handâ¦like heâd almost done last night.
His tongue flicked across his lower lip as he remembered what had happened. Hell, she hadnât fought hard enough. Eyes that should have shown fear revealed nothing. When heâd finished, he had stared into her dark eyes and for a second had thought of sparing her life. But then the mere idea of such a thing brought out the beast in him. In the end, her death had been more brutal than the others because she had almost made him break his one steadfast rule: no survivors.
He drew in a deep breath as he pushed away from the table and stood up. He glanced around the house heâd called home for the past two years. It was as neat as a pin, which suited him perfectly. At times it provided emotional warmth, something that he hadnât been able to understand. It was only during those times when the house seemed dreary and cold that heâd known it was time to kill. But now it was time to move on. Another city. Another state. Another woman.
He smiled at the thought. He would be patient, blend in and gain the trust of those he met. Then when they least expected it, he would become who he really was.
Shaking his head, he turned off the television and walked across the room to a cardboard box and lifted the lid. Shoesâmore than a dozen of them in all shapes, styles and sizes. Each one was a souvenirânot from a sexual conquest but rather from a kill. In his mind, one complemented the other. And both were just as important.
