Kindle Edition
Amazon
Amazon
Category:
Romance
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, LLC
Type: Fiction
Pages: 837
Copyright: 11/15/2015
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
The epic love story of a pries and a witch who join forces to fight the evil in the Catholic Church
When the Vatican calls on Father Michael Wills to lead the charge against celibacy, the man of God finds the lives of his wife and children are endangered. A serial killer begins systematically eliminating members of the Catholic Church. As priests die, their darkest sins are revealed to the public, tarnishing the church and everything Father Michael believes. Immortals, Michael and his wife Regina, a powerful witch, come face-to-face with the evil of mankind. Our lovers struggle to maintain their loving relationship while battling the evil that stalks them.
Michael and his wife Regina fight to uncover the evil behind the murders before the Pope’s scheduled visit to America. The evil could change Christianity forever and tear apart the commitments Michael and Regina made to each other long ago.
The news media further incites the killer by dubbing his crimes The Catholic Murders.
Under pressure from the church and every level of bureaucracy, decorated New York Detective Carlie Carlyle frantically works to apprehend the killer and put an end to the Catholic Murders. When the assassin makes an attempt on Father Michael’s life, Detective Carlyle realizes she has two choices: let Father Michael die, or save the husband of the woman with whom she has fallen in love.
Passion, suspense and the dark side of human nature come into play to make this one of the best new murder mysteries of the season.
Excerpt
The light faded from the priest’s eyes as he watched the blood flow from his wrist and stained the white sheets. He wondered what people would think. Perhaps it was better this way.
##
The man leaned back and double-checked his handiwork. He marveled that changing one letter changed everything. He had lived on earth for many years. He had engaged in several vocations and had gone by many different names. His most recent name had been taken to get the attention of the woman who was now his wife. They had been married twenty-five years and had ten children. Ten children that filled their hearts and home with love and laughter. He had explained to his wife the necessity of changing their last name. They had both agreed on the new name, Wills. He had just changed everything they owned or were associated with, to Wills, even the last name of their children. As far as the world was concerned, their name had always been Wills.
##
The woman sat alone at the bar. Joe, the lounge’s owner, watched her from his vantage point at the end of the bar. How does a man get a woman like that? He thought for the thousandth time since his first encounter with her.
She wasn’t from the city. He could tell by the way she always stiffened and raised her chin when some man tried to engage her in conversation. She always politely informed them she was waiting for her husband. Although she did wear a wedding ring, Joe had never seen a husband.
She only frequented his establishment three or four times a year. More than likely, she was in town on business. He recalled the first time she had walked into his place.
She stepped through the door, stopped and surveyed the establishment, deciding if the club was suitable for her. Joe had found himself relieved when she decided it was and took a seat at the bar. His establishment was an upscale lounge in an elite part of town. He was accustomed to seeing rich, well-dressed customers, but she was a real eye catcher.
Her designer clothes, purse, and shoes told him she was wealthy and had impeccable taste. They didn’t tell him how she made her living.
She was devastatingly beautiful. Her long black hair rested lightly on her shoulders, framing the most perfect face he had ever seen. Her full lips seemed to be perpetually suspended in a fascinating look that could quickly turn into the most glorious smile he had ever witnessed or the darkest scowl one could imagine. He always found himself striving to elicit the smile. He was certain her smile rivaled the opening of the gates of heaven.
He would do anything to see that smile. A small scar started just above her upper lip and disappeared into the soft redness of it. It made her beauty even more unique. He kept her special brand of wine in his cellar. It was very expensive. He remembered the first time she had requested it. No one had ever asked for a wine that expensive. He told her he didn’t carry that particular label. The disappointment that flashed across her lovely face made him want to cry.
The next day when she came in, he slowly slid the glass containing her preferred wine across the counter to her. He watched her grimace; slightly crinkling her nose, as she graciously accepted the drink she knew was not what she wanted. He kept his eyes on her gorgeous face as she sipped the wine. The delighted, almost gleeful, expression that accompanied her glorious smile, made him stop breathing. Her dark brown eyes danced. Her smile revealed dazzling white teeth. She closed her mouth and slid her pink tongue across her red lips, savoring the taste of the wine. He had never enjoyed pleasing anyone so much in his life.
She is the kind of woman for which a man would die or kill; he had thought.
He recalled when the blonde man, almost as beautiful as she first entered his lounge and took a seat in one of the booths hidden in the shadows. The man watched the woman. Never taking his eyes from her, even when he ordered his drink
Joe served the man then refilled her glass. Everything in him wanted to tell her it was on the house, but the price of one bottle of the wine would wipe out his profit for the week.
She rewarded him with another breathtaking smile. After half an hour—probably building his courage—the blonde man casually walked to the bar and sat down beside her. She didn’t even acknowledge his presence.
“Come here often,” the man, asked.
“First time,” she said indifferently.
“There is a first time for everything,” he smiled. In its way, his smile lit up the room as brightly as hers had.
The man leaned toward her, trying to strike up a conversation. “I can read minds, you know.”
“Hum,” she raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Tell me what that man over there is thinking.” She nodded toward an Ivy League banker type then looked at the man sitting next to her for the first time. Her eyes widened as she appraised her new companion. Obviously, she liked what she was seeing.
“He is thinking that, if I leave he will make a move on you.” The blonde man smiled. “He is thinking that he would give anything to have a woman like you.”
“I doubt that,” she smiled back, amused by his prediction.
“I can prove it,” he grinned, “but let’s make this interesting. A bet: if I am right, you will buy dinner.”
“And if you are wrong,” she tilted her head slightly, looking up at him.
“I buy you dinner,” he chuckled. “ I win either way.”
“Dinner is all you want from me,” she asked, hesitantly.
“For now,” the man nodded, as he moved from the bar stool to return to his table in the shadows.
As soon as he had vacated the seat next to her, Ivy League slid onto the stool.
“Hi,” Ivy League put out his hand. “My name is Randall Crawford. I have been admiring you all evening.”
“I am waiting for my husband.” She didn’t even glance at him, just stared straight ahead, sipping her wine. “Please be so kind as to leave before he arrives.”
Randall quickly returned to the table he shared with his friends. “Whoa, she shot you down before you even went for your gun,” his friends teased him.
Randal smiled good-naturedly and took his seat. The icy coldness of the woman’s voice had told him not to waste his time.
The blonde man returned to collect on his bet. Joe moved closer just in case he caused her any trouble. He had no desire to fight the man, who was a good three inches taller than he was, but he would, for her.
“I believe you owe me a dinner,” the blonde man smiled
Joe slowly slid her bar tab toward her.
“I am assuming you will take care of that.” She nodded toward the bar tab. She smiled as she began walking slowly toward the door. Joe had never seen a woman walk so sensuously.
The blonde man picked up the bar tab, raised an eyebrow, then counted eight, one-hundred dollar bills from his wallet and tossed them on the bar.
As an afterthought, he tossed one more hundred on the bar, “For you,” he smiled, then quickly caught up with the woman, placing his hand on the small of her back, as she walked out the door.
Joe hoped the man was wealthy. He would need it. The raven-haired beauty, he was courting, was obviously high maintenance.
Joe had been witnessing this weird mating ritual between the blonde man and brunette woman for ten years. He called it a mating ritual. He wasn’t sure they had ever hooked up, but five years ago, he would have bet money she was pregnant. She had shown, just the tiniest bit, and drank only water that week. He assumed they rendezvoused in New York three or four times a year. Joe always stocked her wine to be certain to have it, whenever she came in.
They always ordered wine and talked as if they were just meeting for the first time. Not talked exactly, it was more like flirting. Sometimes they danced to the Oldies but Goodies he had retained on the jukebox just for them. Anything ABBA and the Platters. Their favorite was Only You by the Platters. They were incredible dancers. The kind that made one stop and watch just for the pure joy of witnessing something so perfect.
The entry of the blonde man pulled Joe back to the present. Something was different about him. He immediately went to the woman. He exuded excitement and did something Joe had never seen him do before. He bent, made deep eye contact with her, and then kissed her soundly. “Sorry I am late, darling,” he smiled. “I thought they were going to rewrite the Bible. I finally just left and came directly here.”
That is what is different, Joe thought. He is wearing the clothing of a priest. Jesus Christ, the man, is a priest. No wonder he just dances around her.
“I am going to run change for dinner,” the priest kissed her again. “Don’t go away. We’re supposed to meet here.” He left.
“I had no idea your friend was a priest,” Joe tried to engage her in conversation. He could count on one hand the number of times she had participated in short conversations with him over the past ten years.
“Is your name really Joe,” she asked casually, changing the subject.
“No,” he laughed, uneasily. “I just use the name. It is easy for people to remember. Names don’t matter anyway.”
Joe looked up as a handsome man in his late thirties, entered the club. He had an unruly shock of brown hair that insisted on teasing his forehead no matter how often he pushed it back. Spotting the woman, he walked toward her. The man put his arm around her and bent down to kiss her cheek. Her joy at seeing him was undeniable.
“Darling,” she stood from her seat and embraced the man in a full frontal hug.
Must be the husband, Joe thought. It should get interesting when the priest returns.
“Your father will be here soon,” she motioned the man to sit beside her at the bar. “His meeting ran very late tonight.”
“Mom, you look beautiful,” the man beamed at the woman. “You have that glow about you. The one you get when you are…”
“I am,” the woman laughed. “Here, please drink this,” she pushed her glass of wine toward him.
She turned to smile at Joe, “May I have a glass of water, please?”
The priest entered the club, his eyes dancing at the sight of the other man.
“Dad,” the man stood to hug the priest. “I am so glad you and Mom could have dinner with me tonight. Wow, I miss you and my brothers and sisters, so much. I can’t wait until school is out for the summer.”
Joe felt as if he had stumbled into the twilight zone. The three people in front of him had to be within five years of each other in age. No way, could the incredible brunette be the mother of the other man. For the first time, Joe noticed the wedding band on the priest’s hand. They just keep getting better and better. He thought.
“Where are we dining tonight,” the brown haired man grinned. “Mom just told me the good news.” He slapped the priest on the shoulder. “Congratulations.”
“Your mother has selected her favorite French restaurant tonight,” the priest blushed at his son’s felicitations. “You know I am getting tired of doing all the heavy lifting. It is about time you gave some thought to making us, grandparents.”
“I beg your pardon,” the woman laughed out loud. “You do all the heavy lifting?”
It was the first time Joe had ever heard genuine laughter from her. It was as if the heavens had opened and angels were singing. He could see her laughter affected the two men the same way.
“Well, maybe not all of it,” the priest bowed his head and peered up at her through long lashes. A shy smile played on his lips. He looked like a little bad boy trying to get forgiveness. The look on her face told Joe she would forgive her husband for anything.
“I do have those three awful months,” he mumbled softly.
“Every five years,” she teased. “Poor baby.”
All three laughed and continued talking.
“That is what I wanted to discuss with you,” the younger man smiled. “Come, we can talk over dinner.”
The priest placed more than enough money on the bar to cover their tab and all three bid Joe goodnight.
Joe would have given anything to be a part of their dinner party. He suddenly realized that he had learned more about the couple in the past hour than he had learned in the past ten years.
He found himself wondering about them. Obviously, their continuous charade in his club was role play. Where did they live? What did they do? They had children, how many? Why were they in New York?
He realized that he knew nothing about them. He had always held onto the hope that they would pay a drink tab with a credit card, but they always used cash. He didn’t even know their names.
He had considered following them one night but feared they would see him and stop frequenting his establishment. Although he only saw them for a week, three or four times a year, he knew they would leave a big hole in his life if they disappeared. So he was content to glean any information he could learn from them, whenever they were in the lounge.
Joe had expanded his lounge to double its size and planned to open an upscale restaurant within the next few months. Although it was crazy, she had been the impetus behind his decision to do so. He wanted to offer them a reason to stay longer in his establishment. He wanted them to come there to dine, not just for drinks and dancing. He wanted to know all there was to know about them. They were beautiful. They were delightful. They were so much in love. He had an insane fantasy that they were immortal. It made him happy just to watch them.
##
“Welcome,” Joe smiled his most engaging smile as the sandy-haired man slid onto the barstool. “What may I get you?”
The man looked around the club then looked at Joe. “They haven’t come in yet,” Joe informed him.
“Wine,” the young man smiled. “The kind mom drinks.”
Joe nodded then opened a new bottle. With all of them drinking this, I will need to stock more, he thought. He sent the waitress to the wine cellar for two more bottles of the fine wine.
He held out his hand to the man, “Joe Mize,” he introduced himself, hoping the man would do the same.
The man smiled, shaking his hand. He said nothing.
“Your parents are running a little late tonight,” Joe continued as he poured the wine.
The man laughed, “That is not at all unusual for them.”
A beautiful young brunette hesitantly walked into the lounge. The man immediately went to her. “Rebecca,” he smiled, taking her hand and leading her back to sit beside him.
Joe noticed that she looked very much like the woman he had admired for the past ten years. She had the same dark hair and eyes and was the same height. She was pretty, whereas the woman was earth shattering gorgeous.
“Mom and Dad are running a little late, but will be here soon,” he smiled. “May I order a glass of wine for you?”
Rebecca nodded and slipped onto the barstool next to him. He signaled for two glasses of wine.
“My parents are so excited to meet you,” the man grinned. “They were afraid I was a confirmed bachelor.”
The girl laughed softly. “I hope not,” she said.
“There you are, you, rascal,” an incredibly handsome man entered the club and went directly to the couple. He clasped the man in a bear hug and patted him on the back. “You must be Rebecca.” He hugged her, too.
“Where are Mom and Dad,” he asked, hugging his brother’s shoulders again.
“Oh, you know,” the man shrugged and laughed.
“Oh, yes,” the newcomer nodded and grinned mischievously.
“Rebecca, this is my brother, Adam,” the man made the introductions. “Adam, this is Rebecca.”
“Wow,” Hank, “She looks almost like Mom.”
The man blushed and nodded his head. “She is just as wonderful, too,”
The three visited amicably. The brothers obviously adored each other. Laughing and telling Rebecca stories of their childhood. Another glass of wine was procured for Adam. He raised his glass in a toast. Rebecca thought she had never tasted anything as delicious as the wine. Did one even use wine and delicious in the same sentence? She thought. Exquisite maybe, no, definitely deliciously.
“And now my big brother is about to graduate with honors from Harvard. A doctorate: an M.D. and a research scientist. So do we call you Doctor, Doctor?” Adam laughed proudly.
“What are you doing here,” his brother asked. “I thought you were somewhere in Africa digging up relics and bones.”
“Mom and Dad called me last night and told me your news,” Adam grinned. “I had to be here for the first meeting of the parents. You know, keep them from embarrassing you.”
“Mom pulled strings and got you here?” His brother laughed.
“Of course,” Adam answered.
The door to the club slowly opened as the priest ushered his wife into the room. All eyes turned to the door, and a silence fell as observers watched the woman move gracefully across the room to her sons. Joe was positive her smile filled the room with sunlight.
“Queen Mommy,” Adam rushed to his mother and hugged her, lifting her off the ground. He kissed her on each cheek before sitting her down and hugging her again.
“Let me look at you.” A dazzling smile graced her lovely face as she surveyed her son from head to toe. “So much like your father,” she shook her head as if she couldn’t believe two such beautiful men existed.
“Dad,” the young man hugged his father. “I see you have the theological world in an uproar. At least they can’t say you are not a good, practicing Catholic: eleven on the ground and two more on the way. Congratulations.”
“Adam,” his mother slapped his arm playfully.
“Thank you,” the priest smiled almost embarrassed. “But enough about us. We are here to meet Hank’s fiancé.”
“Mom, Dad,” Hank and Rebecca stood, “I would like you to meet Rebecca Cortez. Rebecca, this is my Mother and Father, Regina and Michael Wills.”
“I am so pleased to meet you,” Rebecca extended her hand to the couple. “I feel that I already know you. You are all he talks about.”
Regina, Joe thought, of course, she would have a regal name like Regina.
“Cortez,” the priest tilted his head, “any relation to Fernando, the explorer?”
“I hope not,” Rebecca smiled. “He wasn’t a very nice man.”
“That is the understatement of the year,” Adam joined in.
“I hope you like Greek food,” Michael addressed Rebecca, “Queen Mommy has selected an awesome Greek restaurant for us tonight, complete with dancing fire eaters. The food is superb, and the show is even better.” He looked at his wife as if he would carry her around on a pillow if she would let him. Joe had never seen so much love in one look.
“Priest,” she laughed, “don’t call me that in public. People will think we are pretentious.”
“Sorry, darling, it just slipped out.” The priest grinned. “That is what our children call her,” he told Rebecca.
“I think it is adorable,” Rebecca smiled, winning the hearts of the entire family.
As the family left his club, Joe was very pleased with himself. After ten years, he had names to go with everyone, especially Regina.
##
The next night Adam entered the club alone. Joe watched the young man from his vantage point behind the bar. Adam sipped his mother’s favorite wine, waiting for his parents.
“How was the Greek restaurant last night,” Joe asked, trying to draw the young man into a conversation.
“Good,” Adam nodded.
He may look like his father, but he acts like his mother, Joe thought.
“Your parents must be very proud of your brother,” Joe tried again. “Do you go to Harvard, too?”
“Boston U,” Adam answered.
“Great university,” Joe said.
Adam nodded and took another sip of his wine.
“What is your field of study,” Joe refilled his wine glass.
“Archeology,” Adam said. “This is my first year of graduate school, but I was fortunate enough to be selected this year to participate in a dig in Africa.”
Joe smiled. Two glasses of wine did tend to loosen the tongue. “Then I suppose you will get your doctorate,” Joe raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Of course,” Adam grinned as if he had been asked that same question numerous times. “Right now I am just looking forward to us all being home for the summer.”
Joe wanted to confirm what he thought he had heard. “Pretty big crowd when you are all home, I bet.”
“Yes,” Adam laughed, recalling his siblings. “Thirteen of us, counting Hank and Mom and Dad. Of course, by summer, we will have two more. So fifteen in all.”
“I don’t mean to be nosey and certainly not rude,” Joe continued cautiously, “but your mother has given birth to eleven children?”
Adam laughed aloud. “That is everyone’s reaction,” he noted. “Hank—you met last night—is adopted, and there are five sets of twins. Sara and I are the oldest twins.”
“Here is my gorgeous sister, now,” Adam jumped from the bar stool and rushed to his sister’s side as she entered the bar. “My God, you are beautiful,” he laughed as he bent to kiss her cheek and embrace her.
“You just say that because it is like looking into a mirror, my handsome brother,” she smiled warmly at her brother and slid her arm around his waist as they walked back to the bar.
Joe thought they looked like a Greek God and Goddess. Both were, tall and blonde with incredible blue eyes and dimples. There was no denying they were the priest’s children.
“A glass of wine, please, for my lovely sister,” Adam raised his empty glass for a refill.
“I am so sorry I didn’t make it last night,” Sara smiled at Joe as he placed her glass on the bar. “I had my last final today before spring break, and I had to ace it. You how Mom feels about anything less than an A.”
“Do I ever,” laughed Adam. “Remember that time Auntie gave me a B in calculus? I thought Mom was going to turn both of us into toads.”
“She made Auntie tutor you for the rest of the year,” Sara laughed.
“She was right to do so,” Adam grinned. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much I use that knowledge every day.”
“Speaking of knowledge,” Sara became serious, “Have you found anything that will help Dad in his argument with the church?”
“Not yet,” Adam frowned, “but I am confident I will. Dad is right.”
“Tell me about our brother’s girl,” Sara giggled.
“She is wonderful,” Adam smiled. “She fits right in with us. She looks a lot like Mom, only not quite as stunning and regal.”
“No one could be as wonderful as Mom,” Sara laughed. “We are very lucky, Adam, to have them for parents.”
“Yes,” the young man nodded.
Sara lowered her voice to a whisper. “Has he told Rebecca about our parents?”
“I don’t think so,” Adam said secretively. “How do we tell someone our mother is a witch, and our father is an angel?”
“Can you even imagine the padded cell they would put us in?” Sara grimaced.
Adam shrugged. “So, we will all be home for the summer. Then you go back to med school; Hank joins his research lab, and I go off to graduate school. I love being out in the field, doing actual digs and research. I have received a scholarship from Cambridge,” he added humbly. “I think Mom and Dad will be pleased.”
“I know I am,” Sara hugged him. “Wow, Cambridge. Wow!”
“I don’t want to bring it up right now,” he said tactfully. “I don’t want to steal Hank’s thunder. Okay?”
Sara nodded, totally agreeing with her brother.
“Leah and Matt get their cars this summer,” Sara smiled. “I am glad we will be home for that. I am certain they are tired of sharing a vehicle.”
“That was a fun time in our lives,” Adam grinned. “Although sharing a car with you had its downside.”
“Remember the time Mom caught you drag racing across the toll bridge?” Sara laughed.
“I wish I didn’t,” Adam recalled how his mother had sent his car airborne, looped it over three times, and suspended it upside down, before gently lowering it upright on the other side of the bridge. “I thought I was going to die,” he said, recalling how he had vomited for hours afterward. “I have never exceeded the speed limit again, even now.”
“The best part was that Mom grounded you from driving the car for three months.” Sara laughed mischievously at her brother. “So it was virtually my car for three months.”
“Yes, but you were always my best wingman,” he grinned. “You were great to drive me on dates.”
“Hey,” she laughed, “What are sisters for, if not to have your back. You always had my back our senior year, when all the girls at my slumber party decided to steal and drink all the wine from the church.”
“Fortunately for you, Dad caught you puking up your insides in the back yard.” Adam hugged his sister’s shoulders.
“You and Dad carried wine from our wine cellar to the church that night so there would be wine for Mass the next morning.” Sara sipped her wine. “Remember Mom’s face when she tasted the wine in communion?”
They both howled with laughter. “She hated communion wine and always pursed her lips as if something awful were about to touch them. When she tasted the wine from our wine cellar, the look she gave Dad was priceless,” Adam grinned. “I think he took a bullet for us on that one.”
“Oh, yeah,” Sara continued laughing, “As if she would ever do anything to him, but love him.”
“You know, their twenty-eighth anniversary is coming up,” Adam became serious. “We should plan something special for them. Like a cruise with the entire family. You know how much they love us all being together.”
“You know we can’t interfere with their anniversary cruise on their sailboat in June,” Sara added. “But maybe a cruise in August for the entire family, before we all have to return to our studies.”
“The Greek Isles,” Adam said, “Dad loves the Greek Isles and Mom doesn’t care, just as long as she is with Dad.”
“When are the babies due,” Sara smiled.
“End of April,” Adam answered. “August would be perfect. Hannah and Mark will be eight, so they can go too.”
“Let’s see what Hank thinks.” Both nodded, pleased with their plan.
Their brother and Rebecca soon joined the twins, and everyone began to plan the anniversary surprise.
When their parents joined them, they moved to the largest booth in Joe’s establishment. He served them all a fresh glass of wine and called his cousin who owned the Greek bakery and ordered a rush on enough baklava to serve the entire family.
By the time he refilled their wine glasses, he had the Greek pastry beautifully displayed on a desert tray. As his waitress placed dessert plates on the table, he presented the desert tray, with a flourish, “On the house,” he smiled as he placed the gift in front of Regina.
She tilted her head and looked at him, then smiled that heart- stopping smile he loved so much.
As he had hoped, the dessert was welcomed by the entire family. “This is very thoughtful of you, Joe.” His name on Regina’s lips sounded like a soft breeze. He wished he had told her his real name. Vincent would have lingered on her lips longer than Joe did. Names don’t matter anyway, he thought.
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