Every Little Secret: We all have a story we will never tell－secrets that hurt like hell.

By Rick Martin

His monster resurfaces and is hunting her down...

A killer “lover” who has waited and planned, and who is determined to get her vengeance on Dr. Barry Westports. And she knows that the best way to get to him...is by hurting the woman that he’s starting to love.

But he is tempted to break his rules.

Barry wants Sheri McLean to get into his web so he can become the protection she needs because his stalker is hunting her down. As soon as his stalker grows bolder, Barry’s desire grows stronger and he is tempted to break his rules. Will Barry be able to hush her nightmares once he discovered her secrets? Will Sheri also be able to trust him once she discovered his most buried secrets from the past?

Author's Note: Does it get better when you have to trust your most hidden secret to a lover after burying it for too long? But for Dr. Barry Westports, this turn of events is probably the best thing that has ever happened to him. He will have to let his lover trust him if he has to save her from his monster. Every Little Secret is a stand-alone read, no cliff-hangers...and you’ve a guaranteed happy ending.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Iwuajoku Chibueze Richard
• Release date: May 24, 2022

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Her bones were practically quivering at his gaze.

Jones Crouch－the nightmare that Sheri McLean had had in the last couple of months－gazed at her as he drove the vehicle. Everything about her intrigued him. Her eyes, her rosebud lips, her curves－were all damn sexy.

Sheri slowly lifted her left arm and gently dropped to his shoulder. The vehicle was speeding up on the highway, and when he’d glanced at her again she said, would you mind to let me know where we’re heading toward? Her voice came low and easy.

He hesitated. But the words finally came, rushing like a rustling wind. You can trust me. Hell, he was hell. We’re going across the border. His voice, husky and dry, growled.

He was actually going to take her away－from her family?

From Peter－Peter Force?

Oh, hell, no...

This is insane. And dangerous. Look... Sheri stiffened, and then she let out a long sigh. Look, Jones, you can’t risk us. I am pregnant, and you know it.

Jones grinned. Just grinned. I love you and I can’t let anyone have you. Yes, because he can’t bet with her against Peter Force. For no reason, he thinks she belonged to him. He sure needed to make that clear. Sheri can’t even tell whether it was as a result of his addiction to hard drugs that his obsession grew. And he did wanted her to be his. All of her. I want you to be in my world. Like, he can’t survive without her?

She saw his fricking needs in his eyes.

Goddammit. The obsession was too much, and she couldn’t control them－his feelings. She could just allow the madness in him. She could－

The scream of sirens grew louder.

The cops－they were closing in on them.

He was freaking her out. He shouldn’t do this. He shouldn’t－

A bullet hit the rare windshield.

Glass crunched.

Jones has to do something. He has to show those cops they can’t get to him－and to Sheri. His Sheri. He has to let out the demon inside of him. He has to stop them from coming in his way...because Sheri belonged to him. Only to－him.

Jones had managed to dodge a bullet with just one drift in that fast turn. If he’d not looked well when he bent through that road curve－well, a truck would have slammed into them. Sheri had let out a shriek, "stop the car, Jones!"

His name was only a whisper.

He hesitated.

The siren from that patrol car became louder and－yeah, Jones knew that they were so close and he had to throttle his engine.

But another bullet hit the back of his car. A target that would have lodged into the back of Sheri’s head. But they have missed it.

Stop the car I beg you! Sheri squeaked when she tilted her head to the back of the car and looked through the rear windshield. She needed to distract him. Somehow. But she was helpless. If something did happen, she’ll lose her family’s trust. And Peter Force? Well, she knew he was long gone. She knew the damage her mistakes may have cost her－their engagement to start with. So she had to move on. Please, stop the car, she said once more.

His gaze－bright blue－came back to her. I want to protect you. I want you close to me. His voice was deep and hard. Even gazing at Sheri so terrified her. And with just one last drawling, he matched the brake. Happy? He told her.

She nodded.

I need to stop them.

Oh, fuck. You’ll get us killed. She knew surrendering was the best option for them. Jones has really trespassed his boundaries. Her life was at stake here.

Then he held to the butt of his gun and started to fire at the cops. Our only hope right now is survival...

The cops stopped hundreds of meters away. There were three patrol cars in that large grassy field. The cops threw the doors open as they cowered behind and fired at Jones.

Drop your weapon, asshole! A cop yelled at him.

It’s already a bad day. Fuck you, assholes! Jones hollered, grinning his jagger teeth...

Jones pulled another trigger, but this time he ignored the gunfire. Ignored, because the bullet had hit him in the chest. Jones staggered. The gun was still in his tight grip as he looked down at his chest. S-Sheri?

The gunfire ceased. Sheri had thrown open the car door and pushed forward to grab him. His knees sagged, and he fell to the ground.

No! It was the same desperate cry that Jones heard when Peter Force told her that it was over between them, and Jones had to drag her into his car and surged away from the ranch...

The cops approached. Sheri ignored them.

Jones had died protecting Sheri. No, no...he died because he was obsessed with the woman who watched him as he died.

Sheri... Jones managed. Still alive, but weak and helpless. This wasn’t the right time, he knew that. Too late. But today he’d learned that listening to her would have done him good. Well, there was no perfect moment in life. Never a perfect time. There was just here and now, and to be happy or sad, you had to seize that moment. Right then. Sheri, I meant what I said before. I love you.

He wanted her to know that. To understand－always.

I love you, too, Sheri whispered back. Because she just had to say it.

You will take care of our baby.

Yes, yes, I promise.

There was always an end.

There was always a reckoning.

He blinked. His lids were gradually sticking together.

But he was still alive－and dying.

You have a family... he managed, go back to them...

Well, he didn’t get to complete his words. His body had stilled and his lids flickered in his gaze.

She shoved against him.

He was cold. Then she reached for the gun. Help! Her scream filled his ears. Someone, we need help!

And help was coming.

Help was getting ever closer.

The bullet had torn through his chest. It has killed him. And his last whisper...it was only a murmur and she didn’t hear them. His head had turned and his lips feathered over her cheek.

Help us! Her scream searched the sky. Finding nothing. Stay with me! Sheri grabbed the hand of the man who’d died protecting her－the lover with the dark hair and glinting blue eyes. His linebacker had stretched the t-shirt that he wore. A t-shirt that had been torn open by two bullets...

The lover who was still and cold on the ground.

She yelled at him one last time, don’t leave me.

The cops advanced to close the gap between them.

Freeze.

The cops took the weapon from Sheri. She put her hands up.

She didn’t want to let him go. She wanted him to open his eyes. To see her. To hold her again. To...kiss her?

One last time.

Tears slid down her cheeks, gently filling her eyes as it washed away her mascara and leaving behind a slightly rainbow color.

You’re safe now. Not in their hands, because Sheri knows the consequences. It will flag everywhere in media.

And soon, she’ll have to face the charges for violation.

She held her hands down with the handcuffs around her wrists.

***

The EMT were rushing toward Jones. She’d seen where they had severely opened up a wound to take off a bullet from a victim. And even as an undergraduate medical student, Sheri had so much discomfort at exposure to blood.

I need you. That voice whispered to her. I didn’t think it would end just yet.

One of the EMTs had just finished examining Sheri’s body. She wasn’t hit by any bullet. How so lucky she was. Wasn’t some damn romantic getaway. Somehow, her angels may have covered her. But...

Sheri had bled. She hadn’t noticed that she’d had a lot of blood loss.

Miss... one of the Emergency Medical Technicians began. That’s a lot of blood loss. Oh, yeah, because a piece of glass from that crunched windshield had sliced into her flesh, her forearm particularly. The pain had been white-hot, burning. Exactly as she’d remembered Jones trying to slice her with a knife when she’d tried to escape from his hell of apartment.

Sheri hesitated.

You have to get the wound treated. You already have lost a lot of blood. Another EMT said as she introduced a local anesthetic.

Sheri saw the EMT climbed into the back of the ambulance. The EMT started cutting away Jones’s shirt. That bullet had hit him deep. He’d lost a lot of blood, too. The paramedics had a special skill. So they know how and when to use instruments, but there was absolutely nothing to be done to save Jones. They have taken too long as the bullet killed him, shattering his heart.

As he was lowered onto the stretcher inside, Jones’s head turned. Her gaze was on him. I don’t have to be afraid anymore.

Once the EMT was done treating Sheri’s wound, the siren screamed on, taking her away as she saw the ambulance’s door which Jones was laid, closed and then rushed forward.

CHAPTER ONE

Six years later.

Everyone loved a good birthday party. Or at least, people were supposed to love a birthday party. And the birthday party that she’d watched and cheered had certainly been incredible. The celebrant, Peter Force, had been glowing as he took the hand of his spouse, Shirley Parker.

The guests erupted into cheers when the celebrant was formally announced. Shouts and whistles had filled the air when Peter uncorked the champagne.

Yes, everyone was supposed to love a birthday party, just as everyone had deserved to live a good life.

Many years had gone. She was back in that ranch again and wishing she could slip into Peter’s hands...

But Sheri McLean had spent the past hour wishing she could slip away from the crowd. Wishing she could pretty much be anywhere else. Sure, she liked both Peter and Shirley. They were great people. It was just...the past. The crowd. All the noise. The voices. The people and the poorly illuminated room. Sheri had grown fear for darkness over the years she’d spent in prison.

She was jerked out of her moment of reverie. There it was again. Her body stiffened, and the loving glow that had filtered through her consciousness just moments earlier was shoved aside. Her anxiety level shot up. Her heart lodged in her throat.

Did she dare to leave?

Sheri glanced back at the celebrant, then set her jaw in a hardline of determination. Drawing in a steadying breath, Sheri managed to step forward into the hallway and headed for the front door.

A shadowy figure crossed the foyer and headed off through the entrance door. The figure moved lightly through the illumination in much the same way as a cat stalks its prey, or as one of her Native American ancestors would have stealthily picked his way through a rocky canyon.

A sound broke the quiet, yanking her out of her thoughts. An adrenaline surge put her senses on full alert.

Someone had stepped in her way.

Her instincts would certainly tell her what a danger is like, or what it’s not like.

An intense fear gripped her. But when Sheri had let out a faint shriek, she heard the sound of a stealthy departure outside the apartment. I will come back for you.

Only a hurried rush would have uncovered this danger that called in on them but, dammit, today was a lucky day for all of them at the ranch.

The jerk on the ski mask accelerated some miles away. The stalker, or maybe the burglar hadn’t felt even an ounce of regret for her actions.

Just one good day for you.

Sheri stood as she gazed at that motorcycle. A chill slid over her spine. Trying to figure out what the situation could be, she just tucked a stubble of hair. Her hair fell into a bob.

Time to go.

Sheri slowly walked over to the car lot. It was winter, so a part of her sides windshield had been covered by snow making it look foggy. Sheri ran her hand over the glass and skated those snows off...

Sheri leaned forward and lodged into her SUV. Her gaze slid toward the building one more time. I miss you.

The car rushed forward.

***

Sheri shut the door behind her.

Because she’d not learned to stay alone in that cold cabin, Sheri had resorted to a hotel which was only a ten minutes drive away from the hospital where she worked in.

The happy moments had vanished away as thoughts of despair wandered around her mind. Very well, she remembered, Shirley took my Peter away from me. She’d seen when Peter hugged her. Kissed her. The crowd had cheered him up. If she had been