Diabolical (Shaye Archer Series Book 3) Read Free Page A

idea, then give it a whirl.”
    He perked up a bit. “You think she’d go for it?”
    “Not a chance in hell.”
    He shook his head. “The two of you are going to be the death of me.”
    “Probably.”
    “Then what can I do? I can’t sit around doing nothing.”
    A tiny bit of empathy wormed its way into Corrine’s thoughts, and she decided to give her father a break. His intentions were always good even if his execution needed work. And besides, it wasn’t as if she didn’t have a firsthand understanding of all the worry that a single parent put into their only child. They had that in common.
    “I honestly don’t know what you can do,” Corrine said. “I don’t know what I can do. I’ve been struggling with it every minute of every day since all of this mess with Clancy happened. I swear, if I had an answer, I’d share it with you.”
    The impatient and slightly belligerent expression he’d worn before slipped away and was replaced with remorse. “I’m so sorry, honey. I know this can’t be easy for you, and since Shaye is as stubborn as you are, I know exactly how you feel.”
    He wanted her to smile, so she forced a tiny one. “I guess I deserve everything I’m getting, right?” she said.
    “Maybe a little.” He rose from the chair and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I have to get back to the office, but if you can think of anything, please let me know.”
    “I will, and thank you.”
    “Give Shaye my love. I’d like to take you both to dinner this week.”
    “I’ll let her know.”
    Pierce headed into the house, and Corrine looked across the swimming pool at the beautiful landscaping and lush grass that made up her backyard oasis. She was surrounded by beauty but spent so much time dwelling on the ugly side of life. Why couldn’t she have been some simpleton heiress, content with tea parties and charity events? And Shaye one of those girls who loved dresses and talked about weddings and babies?
    She frowned. Yuck.
    Those women were so far removed from the two of them that she didn’t even believe it possible for them to fill those roles for a day without whining. She had to face facts—both she and Shaye had a calling…a bigger purpose than being pretty faces for society paper photos. They wanted to make the world beautiful for everyone.
    Unfortunately, they hadn’t even put a dent in it.

    * * *
    H e watched her as she left the psychiatrist woman’s office building and headed down the sidewalk toward her SUV. She was careful, always checking the street before she walked. Always checking the back of her vehicle before she got in. Alarm system. Martial arts training. Nine-millimeter at her waist.
    He’d been watching her off and on ever since the night the cop found her. The night she’d escaped. At first, he figured he’d wait until social services put her in one of those group homes, then he’d get her back and go on as usual. But then that Archer bitch had shown up at the hospital and everything had gotten complicated. He decided the girl had to be killed before she could tell his secrets. Before she ruined all his careful work. But the Archer woman made everything impossible. Police guards. Private security. And the hospital played along with her every whim. No one could get to the girl. Not even him, and before now, he’d always been able to find a way.
    He followed the story on the news, waiting for the girl to tell everyone what had happened to her. But as the days ticked by and nothing was forthcoming, he started to wonder. Then the news leaked. The girl had no memory of the past. Not even her own name. He wanted to rejoice but was afraid to. What if the memory loss was only temporary? He’d always been careful when he’d taken her food and when he conducted the ceremonies. He’d always worn a mask, as had the other participants. But they hadn’t disguised their voices. He’d heard about a case where the victim had identified the man who attacked her by his voice