Title: Perfection
Author: Kitty Thomas
Genre: Adult, Contemporary,
Dark Romance, Romance
Release Date: 8th April 2020
***THIS IS A STANDALONE contemporary dark romance.***
BLURB supplied by Xpresso Book Tours
Everyone thought I was married to the perfect
man. But if Conall Walsh were perfect, I wouldn’t have killed him.
I thought I got away with it until I received an anonymous note at the ballet company I dance for:
You were a very bad girl. If you don’t want me to report what I know about last night, meet me at the old opera house after rehearsal. I will tell you the price of my silence when you arrive. If you speak of this or bring anyone with you… no deal.
But his price isn’t money. It’s me.
I thought I got away with it until I received an anonymous note at the ballet company I dance for:
You were a very bad girl. If you don’t want me to report what I know about last night, meet me at the old opera house after rehearsal. I will tell you the price of my silence when you arrive. If you speak of this or bring anyone with you… no deal.
But his price isn’t money. It’s me.
PURCHASE LINKS
EXCERPT
SCENE ONE
There’s a
crackling sound and then a booming male voice magnified over a speaker.
“I neither need nor want your money, Ms. Lane”
It's a smooth, rich baritone. But I can't tell if the voice belongs to someone
old or young. And I don't recognize it.
“Do you know he beat me? He threatened to kill me.
What was I supposed to do? He practically owned this city. Do you know how much
power he had? What other choice did I have?” I shout into the mostly empty
theater.
“Do you know how much power I have?”
he counters.
Obviously
a lot if he can get into this building and have electricity running in it. “I
don't deserve prison,” I say.
“Murder is a serious crime.” His tone is similar to
the one you'd hear in the principal's office after being caught vandalizing a
dumpster behind the school.
“Please...” I feel the hysteria bubbling over as
my gaze continues to dart around the cavernous theater, trying to find where
he's hiding, what perch he observes me from. “Please...” I say again... “You
said you'd tell me your price. How much? Please. I'll pay you anything.”
“No, Ms. Lane. Not money. I have plenty of that.
The price of my silence is your obedience.”
The
stillness that follows this announcement is so complete you could hear a pin
drop on the black dance tarp. What the hell does that mean?
“Empty out your dance bag in the center of the
stage and spread out all the contents,” he says.
I freeze
at that. There's a gun in my dance bag. I'm not that stupid, that I'd
just go meet some mysterious blackmailer without going home to get a weapon
first. I mean, come on.
“I want to remind you that we aren't in a 1940's
noir film. I have a phone on me at all times, and I will use it to report you
if you hesitate again.”
I take a
deep breath. My hands are visibly shaking as I empty out the dance bag,
arranging the contents, carefully concealing the gun in a dance sweater.
“What are you hiding from me?” the voice asks
again.
I look
around the otherwise empty theater, trying desperately to find the source of
that voice.
“N-nothing!”
“Do you want to go to prison, Cassia?”
His use
of my first name startles me. It feels too familiar in spite of everything.
The
voice continues. “No. Lies. I want to see what you're hiding.”
I don't
know how I thought I would get away with this. Did I think he'd just show up
and confront me in some straight forward face-to-face way? Did I think he'd let
me see him? Did I think I'd have a clear shot, and he'd just stand politely
still while I put a bullet in him?
What the
hell was I thinking?
“Last chance to save yourself,” he says, his
patience running out.
I feel
like I'll hyperventilate as I unwrap the gun from the sweater and lay it out on
the brightly lit stage. I flinch and look around me as if he'll somehow swoop
down, materialize on top of me, and rip me apart for daring to try to defend
myself.
He
chuckles. “Were you planning to build a body count? Gotten a taste for it, have
you?”
“N-no,” I stammer.
“No, Sir,” he corrects. “I expect a basic level of
formality and etiquette when we're in this space together.”
Everything
inside me freezes at this. When we're in this space together.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KITTY THOMAS writes dark stories that play with power and have unconventional HEAs. She began publishing in early 2010 with her bestselling COMFORT FOOD and is considered one of the original authors of the dark romance subgenre.
To find out FIRST when a new book comes out, subscribe to Kitty's New Release List: KITTYTHOMAS.COM
To find out FIRST when a new book comes out, subscribe to Kitty's New Release List: KITTYTHOMAS.COM
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