Shattered

By Melissa Seal

Passion and peril collide in this plot-twisting, page-turning sequel, an emotional thrill ride from the author of Unbreakable.
 
Detective Lexie Fleming and her lover Dani survived a serial killer in Unbreakable. Now they are ready to take their love to the next level, but before that can happen, Dani must deal with her past trauma. She spent seventy-two hours trapped in the mountains being tortured and beaten by the Last Call Killer. As Dani fights to get past the nightmares and get back to work, Lexie embarks on another deadly case. Meanwhile, Chris Fleming is biding his time in prison, waiting for the perfect time to make his move. His only focus is to get back to Dani and finish what he started.
 
While Lexie is busy working a new case that will ultimately lead her to confront a killer from her past, Dani is busy second-guessing her choices. After making a life-changing decision, the women struggle to keep their relationship on track. Will their love be strong enough to keep them together, or will the pain of the past destroy them once and for all?
 
As Dani begins a new career as a firefighter, she faces her worst fear. When she responds to a call, her heart stops as she realizes her love has been involved in a horrific car accident. Will the firefighters be able to work fast enough to save Lexie?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Oct 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781954779419

Book preview

PRAISE FOR UNBREAKABLE

BOOK ONE OF THE UNBREAKABLE SERIES

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Crimes, shock, and love triangle

Great first book from a debut author! The book has the twists and turns of a crime thriller with a touch of a love story that has you wondering what will win out. Will it be love or the judgement of society and the obstacles life puts in the way?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A Must Read

In Melissa’s first novel, a Detective finds herself fighting for her marriage, her life, and then her feelings for her new partner. This is an extremely powerful story about passion and equality and saving the lives of others.

Unbreakable takes the reader on a physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is epic and made me want more. One would not know that Unbreakable is Melissa’s first novel. The characters are real and I did not want the book to end. I am eager to see this author’s next piece of fiction!

Get UNBREAKABLE today:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YYDWRKN

This is a work of fiction. Any similarity between any person is just coincidental. This book is the sole copyright of the author and can’t be reproduced in any form without the sole permission of the author. To contact the author for these permissions or other engagements write to the publisher:

[e-mail]

BISAC Categories:

FIC027210 FICTION / Romance / LGBT / Lesbian

FIC031010 FICTION / Thrillers / Crime

Series: Unbreakable Book 2

Summary:

Police officer Lexie Fleming and her lover Dani survived a serial killer in Unbreakable. Now they are ready to take their love to the next level just as Lexie takes another deadly case.

Copyright © 2020 Melissa Seal

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9798697009550

A picture containing object, clock, drawing Description automatically generated

Contents

PRAISE FOR UNBREAKABLE

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

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER 37

CHAPTER 38

CHAPTER 39

CHAPTER 40

CHAPTER 41

CHAPTER 42

CHAPTER 43

CHAPTER 44

CHAPTER 45

CHAPTER 46

CHAPTER 47

CHAPTER 48

FOLLOW MELISSA

CHAPTER 1

The weight of the bat slammed into her ribs and Dani cringed as they broke. She gasped for air but couldn’t catch her breath. The bat came again and smashed across the side of her head. Her body failed her as she tried standing up. She wanted to stand and fight back, but she was dizzy, and everything was blurry. The battered woman couldn’t see through the blood flowing from her head. She wanted to scream, but she was frozen with terror until she felt the soft touch of her girlfriend’s hand and heard the whisper of her voice, Hey sweetie, you are safe. It’s just another bad dream. Lexie wrapped the trembling woman in her arms, and they lay together in complete stillness until Dani was ready to face the day.

Lying safely in Lexie’s arms, Dani recalled her abduction and torture. She felt safe and suffocated simultaneously. At times, her nose still burned with the musty, sweaty smell of her attacker as he pressed his body against hers. Memories of the filthy floor she was forced to lie on, the rusty chain around her ankles, the dank, gloomy cave flooded back at random times. I hate feeling helpless and scared all the time. Reliving what that monster did over and over is killing me. I don’t know how to get past it.

Sweetie, you should consider talking to someone. It’s been almost a year since the attack, and the nightmares are getting worse. I’m worried about you, babe.

Thank you for your concern, Lex, but I’m fine. I don’t need to talk to anyone. I have it under control claimed Dani

She paused briefly before continuing, Shouldn’t you be leaving for work now?

Eleven months earlier, Dani had been abducted by the Last Call Killer and nearly beaten to death in the West Virginia Mountains. She was held and tortured for three days. The only people who knew what she went through during that time was Dani and her captor. Lexie found her, but not before she had endured a thrashing so horrific that she spent the next six months in the hospital fighting for her life. Lexie could still see Dani chained to the floor and hear her screams as Chris dragged her out of the cabin.

She could still hear Chris say, Take a good look at your precious girlfriend now, because the next time you see her, you won’t recognize her. The demented look in his eyes still haunted Lexie.

Frustrated, Lexie yelled, Dammit, you are not fine! You don’t eat, you barely sleep, and when you do, you wake up drenched in sweat and crying from the nightmares. It’s unsettling to see you this way sweetie, please talk to me or talk to someone!

Why won’t she talk to me about what happened? Is she afraid to because that sick bastard did more than just beat her? I just want her to talk to me.

Wow, Lexie, I’m so sorry. I had no idea that my trauma was so unsettling for you. You would think being married to the monster that killed eight women and damn near killed me would be traumatic for you. Maybe you are the one that needs to talk to someone!

Lexie felt as if she had been punched in the gut by her girlfriend’s tirade. When she closed her eyes, all she saw were the pictures of those eight women smiling, happy, and so full of life before they crossed paths with her ex-husband. Then she remembered the images of what they looked like after him. All the mangled bodies and faces beaten so horribly they were unrecognizable. She still heard the ear-splitting screams of mothers crying and felt the raging anger of fathers as they listened to their daughter’s last words. She saw it all the time, it played like a loop in her brain.

Does she blame me for what happened to her and to those other women? How can she not realize that I have to live with the fact that my own husband committed these horrific crimes while sleeping next to me every night?

All I know is you let the sick fuck live. You got the drop on him in Florida. Still, you hesitated, and he got away, leaving me with two dying women and one extremely traumatized girl. Do you remember that day, Lex? If the roles were reversed, Chris Fleming would have left the cabin in a body bag. We are done with this conversation; you need to get to work, and I need to get some air. I’m going for a run.

Tears threatened to fall from Lexie’s stormy blue eyes as Dani walked out and slammed the door. Fighting back the tears, she grabbed her black leather jacket. She left for the police station where her new partner, Detective Jordan Carr, waited eagerly for her.

Good morning Detective, we need to get going. Our assistance has been requested at a crime scene. We should have been there already; I’ve been waiting for you to finally show up for work. Not sure if you realize it or not, but you are almost thirty minutes late.

Not today, Jordan, I am not in the mood for your shit. She was fuming by the time they arrived at the crime scene.

Yes, I fucking realize I’m late. Do you realize my life is falling apart? Do you realize my girlfriend may have been raped, and I may never know because she blames me? It’s going to be an awfully long day, Lexie mused as she followed her partner to the car.

Why this idiot? Of all the detectives, why did they send Jordan fucking Carr? Jordan’s father was Captain Jeffery Carr who was the head of training at the police academy. Many officers, including Lexie, felt Jordan wasn’t ready to be a detective in the Violent Crimes Division. They all believed he was only there because of his father. Jordan was young and inexperienced, so he used humor to try and fit in. Lexie thought his playfulness was going to get someone killed.

Pulling up to the crime scene, she saw a familiar face and ran towards the detective in charge. Derrick, what’s going on?

Lexie and Derrick were thrust into a friendship when he saved her life and helped her find Dani after the Last Call Killer dragged her into the mountains. Derrick was promoted to the Chief of the Narcotics Division not long after Dani was released from the hospital.

Shay Moore was gunned down. She has been undercover for the past six months trying to find the source of the massive influx of uncut Fentanyl flooding our streets and killing our children. Seven high school students have overdosed in the past eight months. explained Derrick.

Narcotics has been working this case almost a year, and Detective Moore was close to finding out who was bringing in the drugs. I lost contact with her two nights ago. We searched everywhere, and this morning a neighbor found her body inside this house. It appears her cover was blown, and two men attempted to kill her. She was able to get off two good shots before bleeding out. Both suspects are dead.

Damn Derrick, I’m sorry, man. Is there anything I can do?

"I think you meant to say, is there anything we can do" corrected Jordan.

Jordan Carr was temporarily assigned as Lexie’s partner until Dani was medically cleared to return to work and he was driving her insane. Dani you need to come back soon before I lose my mind dealing with this man child thought Lexie as she walked back to the car.

CHAPTER 2

Lexie moved out of the house she shared with Chris and into Dani’s house when she was released from the hospital. They told everyone it was so Dani wouldn’t be alone while she was recovering, and Lexie couldn’t live in a house she had shared with a serial killer. Lexie divorced Chris after his trial and went back to using her maiden name, Williams. The truth was Lexie couldn’t bear to be away from her partner; she had fallen in love with Dani. However, her mother was concerned about the two women spending so much time together.

One night over the phone, she reminded Lexie, This is not appropriate. You shouldn’t be living with her. People may get the wrong idea.

What does she mean by the wrong idea? How could she possibly know how I feel about Dani?

What are you talking about, Mom? There is nothing inappropriate going on here. I’m simply helping a friend who was tortured by my ex-husband. Dani has been through so much, and the doctors don’t think she should be alone during her recovery.

Besides, maybe I don’t want her to be alone, or I don’t want to be alone myself.

Why can’t she stay with her parents or her sister? inquired her mother.

Mrs. Williams knew how hard it was to fight the kind of feelings she knew Lexie had for Dani. She saw the way the two women looked at each other, and it scared her. Mrs. Williams had a friend whose daughter was a lesbian, and it was all anyone could talk about at their Saturday bridge games. One Saturday, the friend told a story about how her daughter was being discriminated against at work. They couldn’t fire the young woman for her lifestyle choices, but they sure could make her life a living hell while she was there. Mrs. Williams didn’t want that for her daughter.

Lexie listened to her mother carefully. Her mother was worried, and Lexie wanted to ease her mind, Mom, I love you very much, but you don’t need to worry about me. Dani wants to recover at her own house and helping her do that is the least I can do. After all, it was because of me that she got caught in Chris’s crosshairs. I’ve got to go now, Mom, give Dad a kiss for me. I love you both.

I want to tell her how I feel about Dani, but how can I explain it to her when I don’t even understand it myself?

The first few weeks after the trial, things were great. Dani was slowly healing, and Lexie was happy to be there with her. Dani was hopped up on pain medicine, so Lexie helped her move from the bed to her favorite recliner. She fixed all her meals and made sure she ate enough. Lexie made certain her patient took all her required medications at the right times. She had never felt more useful. For the first time in her life, she felt truly at home.

I never imagined I could be this happy with anyone. Taking care of her and coming home to her every night is the most fantastic feeling. I never felt this way with Chris, but that could be because he was a psycho serial killer.

Lexie took some time off after the capture of The Last Call Killer. Captain Harris wanted her to be cleared by the department shrink before coming back to full duty. She spent the required amount of time with the psychologist talking about Chris and the murders. It was painful but necessary for her to get cleared for active duty, so she did the work. She put in the hours, cried the tears, and now it was finally time for her to get back to work.

Dani took sleeping pills her doctor had prescribed when she was released from the hospital. She finished the last of them a few nights ago and had her first nightmare the day before Lexie was scheduled to go back to work. Lexie tried unsuccessfully to coax the younger woman into telling her what happened in those mountains. She was terrified that Chris had raped Dani in addition to all the other awful things he did to her while she was held captive. She wanted to ask but was afraid of the answer. She hoped her girlfriend would tell her everything when she was ready.

Dani woke up later in a cold sweat, still feeling Chris’s breath on her cheek. She opened her eyes and realized it was just a dream. Placing her head in her hands, she cried softly until she heard the phone ringing.

Hey, sweetie, how are you doing asked a chipper Lexie.

I’m good, I think. I just woke up and haven’t had my coffee yet,

Lexie inquired, Would you like to meet me for lunch this afternoon?

Dani knew she was eventually going to have to leave her house, but she wasn’t quite ready to face the world. Can I take a rain check on lunch, babe? I have some things here I need to get done. I’ll see you tonight, though.

She hung up the phone and sat down on the couch and cried. The once robust and confident detective was a shell of the woman she was a year before, and she hated herself for it.

I know the monster that haunts my dreams is in prison and will never get out. I know I need to get up and get my life back, but what if I can’t? What if I can’t ever go back to work or get back to the person Lexie fell in love with? What if I really did die in those mountains? My body came home, but my mind is still trapped there. No, this is ridiculous. I think I just need to make a change. I cannot live in fear forever.

Dani’s phone beeped, indicating that she received a new email. She opened it to read that she had been accepted into the Fire Academy.

Wow, I never thought they would accept me. This is fantastic, and just what I need to make me get out of this house and get my life back. All I’ve got to do is walk out the door. Oh, and tell Lexie she said out loud while staring at her cell phone.

Dani called her best friend Ellie, Can you come over? I need to talk to you about something important.

Absolutely, have you had lunch yet? I can pick up a pizza on the way.

That sounds great Ellie, I’m starving. Drive safe, but hurry before I change my mind.

Almost an hour later, the curious woman showed up with a large Hawaiian pizza and a bottle of wine. I realize it’s kind of early for wine, but you sounded like you could use a glass or two.

Dani beamed, You know me so well my friend. Okay, I need to say this quickly, and then we can discuss it while we eat. I want to leave the police force and join the fire department. I honestly don’t think I can go back to the police department, and this will allow me to still serve my community and help people.

Ellie was shocked, What does Lexie think about this idea?

Dani shyly looked up at her friend, "I haven’t told her yet. You are the first person I’ve told. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and I applied to the fire academy last month. I didn’t think I would get accepted. I just needed