A Killer Past: A Quinn Winters Novel, #1

By Ivy Love

Agent Quinn Winters has worked hard to get where she is today. She is an elite FBI profiler, as well as a submissive. She tries to balance the two, but through the years, she's always put her career first. Except, when it comes to her best friend Agent Willow Mavros. They have been best friends since college and know each other better than anyone else.

A new case has come across Agent Winters and her team's desk. A case that threatens to break them all. As she and her team get deeper into the case, every decision she makes will not only affect her career but her submissive lifestyle as well.

If she can't figure out who the killer is in time, she could lose one of her teammates forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ivy Love
• Release date: Jul 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9798201922290

Book preview

Dedication

To Brian for being patient and supportive as I put this book out.

To everyone who has waited patiently for this book and all my books.

Finally, this is dedicated to the daydreamers and dream chasers.  Never stop.

Acknowledgments

I tend to forget to acknowledge people in these things and for that I am sorry in advance.  It’s not on purpose, it’s just that I suck. Please know that if I forgot you, it was not intentional.

MJ Fields, you are always the first person I thank.  Without you pushing and prodding, I would have never taken the leap out of my comfort zone to publish my writing.  Thank you for always encouraging and supporting me. You are a wonderful friend; bad ass author and I am so happy to have you in my life.

Thank you to Bobbie, Jamie, Laurie, Lucy and Paige for being such wonderful friends. I love our conversations and you ladies are truly kick-ass!

Thank you to Marisa-rose Wesley of Cover Me Darling LLC for creating a beautiful cover for this book.  It is the perfect cover and I have loved working with you.

Thank you to Laura Trujillo for not only being an amazing PA, but for being a wonderful friend as well.  You listen to me worry and listen to my ideas, help keep me on track, create beautiful teasers, constantly share my work and so much more. I truly appreciate you and all that you do.

Thank you to my Imps!  I am so grateful for all of you and happy that I have you, to throw around ideas and just chat about random fun stuff.  Thank you for being here with me on this journey.  Thank you for all you do.

Thank you to my betas for being there and giving me input, even though I hid from you this time around, haha! I promise I’ll overuse you next time.

Thank you to every blog who has shared, liked, reviewed and tweeted about my books.  I appreciate all that you do for me and for authors in general.  You are all awesome!

Thank you to my husband for blindly supporting this passion I have.  For sharing my books, when I’m too shy to and buying me supplies when I need them.  I truly appreciate it

Last-but-not-least, thank you to you, the reader for picking up this book.  I know this isn’t my usual type of book, but I think by now you know I don’t have a type. I hope you enjoy the journey.

Love, Ivy

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Character List

Killer

Chapter 1

Quinn

Chapter 2

Killer

Chapter 3

Foster

Chapter 4

Willow

Chapter 5

Quinn

Chapter 6

Foster

Chapter 7

Willow

Chapter 8

Quinn

Chapter 9

Foster

Chapter 10

Preston

Chapter 11

Willow

Chapter 12

Killer

Chapter 13

Quinn

Chapter 14

Killer

Chapter 15

Preston

Chapter 16

Foster

Chapter 17

Willow

Chapter 18

Quinn

Chapter 19

Killer

Chapter 20

Foster

Chapter 21

Preston

Chapter 22

Quinn

Chapter 23

Killer

Chapter 24

Willow

Chapter 25

Killer

Chapter 26

Quinn

Epilogue - Quinn

About the Author

Also by Ivy Love

Character List

Agent Quinn Winters – Lead FBI Profiler

Agent Willow Mavros – FBI Profiler and Quinn’s best friend

Agent Foster Abernathy – FBI Profiler and Dominant

Agent Preston Hawkins – FBI Profiler and Dominant

Coach and Simba – Preston’s dogs

Agent Nick Barrudo – FBI Profiler and Dominant

Puzzle

Killer

An unconscious girl sits tied to a lone chair in the middle of an empty room, her dark hair matted to her face as she awaits a fate not even she realizes she has been chosen for.

I stare at her from the corner, watching, waiting for her to regain consciousness.  I’ve done this enough now to know just the right amount of drug to use so I don’t get bored waiting for my new friend to wake up.  I’m not sure which is more of a thrill at this point.  The actual kill or the calling card I leave for my new friend, Agent Winters.  I had the pleasure of watching the police run around like idiots trying to connect the dots and failing miserably.  Then they had to call her. Now, I get to watch her struggle to connect the dots.  I don’t take pleasure in seeing her struggle, but it’s an important piece of the puzzle. She isn’t dumb, she just can’t see the big picture, yet.  But she will… and when she does.  It will be something she’ll never forget.  I can’t wait.

My new friend is stirring now.  The fun is about to begin. I love watching them wake up, looking around, trying to figure out where they are.  The confusion evident on their faces.  Watching them as their confusion turns to terror when they realize they’re bound and unable to move.  It brings me an indescribable thrill. I watch as her eyes dart around the room widening as she realizes her situation.  I always wonder what is going through their minds in this moment.  I’ve asked, but they never answer me.  They just beg and plead for their worthless lives. 

I can feel the excitement beginning to bubble inside me.  It’s almost time to reveal myself.  Not yet though, she’s not ready.  She’s not afraid enough.  There’s a moment when I can feel their fear in the room.  When that moment happens, that’s when I show myself.  It’s when I feel ready, because their fear is inside me, it’s as if I can feel it running through my veins. 

I can hear her breaths quickening, her muffled cries getting louder and the chair scraping against the concrete floor. 

It’s time.

I close my eyes, steady my breath and step from the shadows. I stare her down and watch her eyes adjust and take me in.  She looks at me in confusion, as a savior, then when she sees the knife in my hand, it turns to fear.

I grin and shudder.  She’s playing into everything I want so far.  Now, it’s play time. I must leave a little a gift for my precious Agent.  I circle my new friend slowly careful not to touch her skin with my double gloved hands. One can never be too careful. 

I crack my neck, I’m going to have some fun now.  Unfortunately for you, it’s going to be more fun for me than you.

I stop in front of her, kneel and grin.  I look at the knife and then into her eyes.  I listen to her garbled voice as she tries to speak.

Do you have something to say?  I ask, removing the gag.

Please let me go! she begs.

Always the same thing, I sigh.

Please! Please! I’ll do anything, she cries.  I stuff the gag back in her mouth.

It’s time for you to have this back and while nobody will hear you.  I’ll grow tired of listening to you scream.

I close my eyes letting her fear flow through me. I open them slowly, grin and begin.

Chapter 1

Quinn

Quinn, my best friend whines. 

Yes? I grin.  Are you actually whining?

Yes! she pouts.  We’ve been working non-stop on this stupid ‘Puzzle Killer’ case and we deserve a night out to unwind.

I give her a little death stare.

Okay, it’s not stupid, I take that back and you know I don’t mean that.  I know how important it is. I would never take away how important this case is and you know that, but we’ve been killing ourselves day in and out since this started and we deserve a night out.

I give her another look and she rolls her eyes, Okay, you’ve been working non-stop, but the sentiment stands.  We deserve a night out, Quinn.  Seriously.  When was the last night you went out and had a little fun? Plus, when was the last time you saw Agent Abernathy in a non-work environment?

"Really, Agent Abernathy, not just Foster?  You’re such an ass," I grin.

What?  You know it’s true and let’s be honest, you’re so easy to tease, she smiles.

Yeah, yeah, whatever.

I hate when Willow is right, but a serial killer isn’t taunting her.  He’s taunting me and it’s pissing me off.  So, yes, I’m working around the clock to try and figure out where and when he’s going to strike next, so I can hopefully save an unknown girls life.  So far, I’ve been failing and it’s eating away at me.

Hey, Quinn, she says softly.  "Look, I know this isn’t easy.  I’m there with you every day and I see what you’re facing.  But, I also know you. You need to reboot.  You deserve an opportunity to just shut down and not think for a little bit.  Who knows it might help and I know you, right now, you’re blaming yourself and this will give you a chance to just stop."

I sigh, You know, sometimes it sucks having someone know you as well as you know me.

She grins and sticks her tongue out at me.

"I will come, but I have to bring my phone with me.  Even though I’m off the clock, you know with this case I really don’t have a night off."

She holds up her hands, I’ll take it!  Get dressed and I’ll figure out where we’re going tonight.

Fine, fine, I’m getting ready.  Willow, I just want to point out that you really didn’t have to work very hard to convince me to do this.  So, either you’re getting better or I really wanted to relax tonight, I laugh. 

She grins as she leaves my room, I know.  I wasn’t going to point that out, I just think you need to get laid.

Oh my god, get out of my room, you child!

She laughs as she runs the rest of the way out of my room and down toward her own.  I shut my door and head to my closet.  Willow and I were roommates in college.  We both knew from the beginning that we wanted to make a difference in the world.  We had what my late great-grandmother called an idealistic vision of the world.  We truly believed we could make a difference back then and we still do.  Back then, we believed the little things we did mattered.  Now, we no longer see things through rose colored glasses.  We know life isn’t as simple as we once believed it to be.  But, we’re still trying to make a difference.  We both wanted to go into Criminal Justice and as we progressed through college and focused on what we wanted to do, we realized we wanted to work in the FBI.  Most people called us foolish, but we were determined and focused.  We knew we could do it if we put our minds to it.  Willow and I got along so well, we decided to stay roommates and push each other through college and then the FBI Academy. 

The Academy was a difficult four months.  It was intense and information filled, but we survived.  We both passed and made