Bestselling author Molly Black is author of the MAYA GRAY FBI suspense thriller series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the RYLIE WOLF FBI suspense thriller series, comprising six books; of the TAYLOR SAGE FBI suspense thriller series, comprising eight books; of the KATIE WINTER FBI suspense thriller series, comprising eleven books (and counting); of the RUBY HUNTER FBI suspense thriller series, comprising five books (and counting); of the CAITLIN DARE FBI suspense thriller series, comprising six books (and counting); of the REESE LINK mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the CLAIRE KING FBI suspense thriller series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the PIPER WOODS mystery series, comprising five books (and counting).
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Molly loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.mollyblackauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.
BOOKS BY MOLLY BLACK
PIPER WOODS FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
SOMEWHERE SAFE (Book #1)
SOMEWHERE SANE (Book #2)
SOMEWHERE WHOLE (Book #3)
SOMEWHERE FAR (Book #4)
SOMEWHERE WRONG (Book #5

CHAPTER ONE

Just smile, no matter how much you want to run. Special Agent Taylor Sage put on her brave face as her husband closed the door to their new home.

"Well, honey, this is it," Ben let out a satisfied sigh.

Before meeting Ben, Taylor hadn't pictured herself 'settling down' in years. Not since she was a naïve junior agent fresh out of the FBI academy in Oregon. Sometimes, their peaceful life-their happiness-felt foreign to her, and the urge to run appeared again, beckoned her to disappear into the night. But she couldn't do that to Ben. Not again.

"Movers won't be here till tomorrow." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, encasing her in warmth. Ben was easily the most handsome, endearing man she'd ever known with his short brown hair and chocolate eyes, he never failed to make her heart melt. "What do you say we take a proper tour of our new home before it's filled with all our junk?"

"Our junk?" Taylor lifted a brow, and Ben laughed.

"Yes, Taylor. When you agreed to marry me, my junk became yours too." He winked as he slipped his hand into hers, dragging her into their open concept living room.

"Touché," Taylor mumbled.

Their last house in Portland had been Ben's first, and Taylor had moved in after their wedding. It had been a bit hard to separate what was his from hers; she'd never been one to carry much with her, but her husband was a borderline hoarder. Their old living room had bookshelves lined to the ceiling, filled with Ben's university textbooks on architecture that he'd never part with, no matter how long he'd been out of school. And globes. Ben always had a thing for globes.

Soon, their new house, with its smooth hardwood floors and many windows, would be filled with their belongings too. The place wasn't huge more of a colonial-style home with not much space-but it was charming. Something most thirtysomethings would be grateful to afford.

"I can live with your clutter," Taylor said, "but the basement is still mine."

"I know, I know." Ben's brown eyes crinkled as he smiled, short hair tousled in a way that made him look much younger than thirty-six. "Your workspace will be spotless. Don't worry!"

Good. Taylor required a clean space to think clearly. She would have a tidy desk, a chalkboard, and one shelf containing books on psychology and serial killers, which she would read time and again to keep her mind fresh.

Ever since she was a child, Taylor had been drawn to the macabre-it sounded dark, but it made her good at her job. It was in her genes, after all; her father was a clinical psychologist with an emphasis on psychopaths. Ben only knew the surface of how deep these thoughts went. When Taylor was on a case, she would lock herself in the basement for hours reading books. Thinking. Theorizing.

And allowing her mind to descend into what it felt like to be a killer.

"If this isn't a hell of a view," Ben said, breaking Taylor's thoughts before she could go down a darker path.

"It's gorgeous," she agreed.

They faced the bay window, which had a breathtaking view of the ocean in the distance. The afternoon sun glistened off the waves in golden sparks as they rolled into shore.

Coastal Virginia had never been where Taylor thought she'd end up, especially a place like Pelican Beach, with its quaint boardwalk by the shore and family-owned gift shops. But maybe the change of scenery would provide a more stable life for their oneday family. Besides, Taylor's father was only a thirty-minute drive away in Baltimore. Maybe here, in this idyllic house facing the ocean, with new jobs and new friends, they would both find solace, and Taylor's urge to run would disappear forever. "Hey," Taylor squeezed Ben's hand, smiling at him, and their eyes met. "I really am happy to be here."

"Me too. This is gonna be great for us." He squeezed her back. "And hey, let's head down to the beach later. I have a surprise planned for us."

"A surprise?"

Ben winked mischievously.

Oh God. Ben's 'surprises' typically ranged from sweet reservations at bistros to completely out of the blue, unpredictable, random, and sometimes unfavorable events.

"As long as it's not another henna tattoo parlor," Taylor muttered, and Ben chuckled.

"No promises."

They went upstairs, where three empty bedrooms waited for them. They stopped outside of the smallest room at the end of the hall.

"Maybe we'll have some little ones in here someday," Ben said.

Taylor shut her eyes and pictured baby blue walls and a crib, until-

Blood splatter on toys. A baby's mobile still turning.

She sucked in a breath and forced herself back to the present. Her heart battled her ribcage.

Ben frowned in concern, keeping his hand on the small of her back. "You okay?"

Her chest constricted as the images bombarded her. That crime scene in Portland had been particularly grisly. Kids—why did it have to be kids?

Keep it together, Sage.

Bile rose to Taylor's throat. When she'd accepted the new job in Quantico and found out she'd be moving to Pelican Beach, she'd foolishly hoped the ghosts would stop following her.

But of course they won't. They're a part of me.

I need air.

"Honey-why don't we head to the beach now?" Taylor asked stiffly. "I'm, ah, excited for your surprise," she lied.

"So soon?" Ben inquired. "I mean, I'd love to, but "

But Taylor was already thumping down the stairs, car keys in hand. Ben's footsteps thundered behind her. "Hey, wait up!" he called.

Taylor stormed outside, onto their small and overgrown front lawn, desperate to breathe anything but tight, claustrophobic air. As soon as the salty ocean breeze filled her lungs, the images and the suffocating feelings that came with them-melted away.

"Taylor," Ben said in a stern tone. Clearly, she wasn't as good at hiding things as she thought.

"I'm fine." She didn't look at him, just headed straight for the driver's seat. "Let's go."

The smell of the water was as calming as the whoosh of the waves on the shore, settling Taylor's panic attack by the time they reached the beach. Now, she and Ben walked down the boardwalk, ice cream cones in hand, and passed by a beach shack that sold trinkets with people's names on them and floating devices.

Still, it unnerved her that she lost face in front of Ben. It wasn't the first time, but she wanted him to think she was strong. More than that, she didn't want him to press further, to ask questions to become burdened with the same things she was. Three children chased each other across the beach, their tiny feet leaving footprints in the sand. One of them crashed into a sandcastle, and their giggles erupted into the air. Taylor's heart warmed.

"You know, I've never been a beach girl," she told Ben, "but it's nice here. It's a good place to raise a family."

"Yeah. I'm glad you took the job." Ben bit into his cookie dough ice cream and squinted at the afternoon sun. "And hey, it's a win-win for me. I get to design a beautiful beachfront hotel and have a new home with my beautiful wife."

"Okay, that's enough," she joked. "When am I going to see this big surprise, anyway? Or was it just the ice cream?" "No." Ben laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Truth is, I'm a little nervous to take you there. I'm not sure you're gonna like it."

"Well, I don't like the sound of that."

"Just keep an open mind, okay?"

Taylor finished her cone and dropped it in a garbage can that was painted like a seagull. Ben got three scoops, so he was still biting through his waffle cone as they made their way up the downtown strip. Taylor peeked into the window of an antique shop as Ben tossed the rest of his cone in a can, making a disgusted face like he'd had way too much sugar.

Up ahead, a wooden sign stood out on the sidewalk that read TAROT READINGS in white letters.

This better not be where Ben is taking me.

But Ben planted his feet outside of the shop and apprehensively met her gaze.

"Before you say anything, I—"

"Ben, come on," Taylor said. He knew damn well she wasn't into psychic readings or astrology or anything like that.

"I said to keep an open mind!" Ben exclaimed. "Please? Just one little reading. I want to know how our new life will turn out." "No cards are going to know that, Ben."

"It's just for fun."

Damn it. Taylor wanted to make a snide comment, like: You know tarot is all theatrics, right? But if it meant a lot to Ben, maybe she could just be nice and play along. After all, it was her new job that had brought them both here in the first place.

But Taylor was not a fan of tarot readings for a reason. The truth was, she had been to one once before, years ago in a life she didn't care to think of much anymore. That reader, all the way back in Portland, had given her the 'Death' card, all before one of the worst events of her life. Taylor swallowed the memory, refusing to let it surface after all these years.

It was a coincidence by a scam artist. Nothing more.

So what are you afraid of?

Taylor ran her thumb along her locket necklace.

Maybe I should give it a try. Even just to prove it's all bullshit.

And besides, Ben was giving her those puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, fine," she muttered.

Ben let out an enthusiastic, "Yes!" before he grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. How had she ended up with such a happygo-lucky guy?

The bell on the door dinged, and the smell of incense burned in the air of the small, dimly lit shop. It looked as Taylor figured it would: covered in bogus astrology symbols and all-seeing eyes. Taylor expected an old crone to emerge through the purple drapes that were embossed with golden star symbols-but a slim, dainty hand appeared and moved the fabric aside. A tall, slender, and beautiful woman came out, no older than Taylor herself.

"Good afternoon," she said, her voice velvety smooth. A long brown braid cascaded down her loose-fitting clothes, which were also a dark purple and gold. Silver chain necklaces hung around her neck and she had inquisitive, yet wise eyes. Maybe it was the lack of proper lighting, but her irises appeared pitch black.

Both Ben and Taylor were at a loss for words they certainly hadn't expected someone like this. After an awkward moment, Ben cleared his throat. "Hello there. The sign outside said you do tarot readings?"

"I do." A curt smile crossed her red-painted lips. "My name is Miriam Belasco-most people call me Madam Belasco, but you may call me Mim, should it suit you more."

"Hi, Mim...," Taylor trailed off. As beautiful as this woman was, she was completely strange. She gave off an elusive, mysterious energy, like a Sage in the night.

Due to Taylor's work, she couldn't help but read people when she met them; it was second nature. But Madam Belasco was unreadable. Was she the type of person to hold doors for someone? Taylor had no idea. Was she glass half full or half empty? No clue. Surely, it was part of her act-scam, more like to present herself this way. Everyone knew fortune tellers and those alike were after one thing: people's money.

But if it made Ben happy, Taylor was willing to play along for now.

"Shall we get started?" Madam Belasco asked.

Taylor and Ben found themselves in the back of the shop, seated across from Madam Belasco at a small round table, candles lit all around them. A warm glow emanated from the flames, reflecting off the crystal ball off to the side. Even stranger, a Sage skull was placed deliberately to face them, and its black eyeholes kept distracting Taylor as Madam Belasco shuffled her cards. "Have either of you had a reading before?" she inquired.

Taylor's jaw tightened. Ben waited for her to reply, then went first. "Yes! I have, many times."

"That's great!" Belasco said. "And you, Mrs. Sage?"

"No," Taylor peeped. Discomfort radiated up her arms. This was a bad idea.

"Riveting!" Belasco exclaimed. "I'm always thrilled to introduce a newcomer to the world of tarot. Might I ask your names?" "Taylor Sage and Ben Chambers," Ben said. Taylor had kept her original last name when they married. It wasn't that she didn't like Ben's, but her father never had any sons, and she wanted the Sage name to continue with her. "But we're married," Ben added. Madam Belasco grinned at Ben before her eyes skated over Taylor. "I sense hesitancy from you, Mrs. Sage. Your husband's reading might help ease your mind."

"Sure," Taylor muttered.

"Now," Madam Belasco turned to Ben with a warm smile that Taylor did not trust. "Would you like to ask the cards a question, or shall this be a general reading?"

"Hmm. Well, I don't want to give away too much, but I just made a big life decision. I want to know: what will this decision bring?"

Of course, Taylor knew he was referring to the move, but there was no way Belasco could. Madam Belasco shut her eyes as she shuffled the cards again before she handed them to Ben and asked him to shuffle. Then, she asked him to place the deck on the table, where she separated them into three piles. She revealed the bottom card of the first deck and flipped it up.

"How enthralling," Belasco said. "You got The Star, facing upright, for your past card. This means hope and rejuvenation. That is a great sign for your big decision, Mr. Chambers: I'm sure it means you were excited to make it. Next, we see The Hanged Man, upright, for your present. This typically means sacrifice, or martyrdom. I take it you had to sacrifice something for this new decision?"

Ben nodded. "In a way, yes... but it was a happy sacrifice."

Taylor gave him a tight-lipped smile. She knew how much he loved their old house.

"And finally...," Belasco trailed off, her warm demeanor shifting to a slightly colder one. "We have The Lovers, reversed, for your future. This means a loss of balance. Or perhaps one-sidedness."

Taylor couldn't help but feel annoyed at Ben's silence. Surely he couldn't be thinking this meant anything to do with her? Of course, there was also a tinge of guilt, because there were things she hid from her husband.

"What does this mean overall?" Ben asked.

Belasco's eyes crinkled as she smiled. "My interpretation is that there is much hope for your future, and you have sacrificed much to get where you are already. Unfortunately, the cards seem to believe there may be a readjustment period that may not be the easiest of times. That said, this is by no means a negative reading, Mr. Chambers. You have a bright future, but you may have more fighting and sacrificing to get there."

Ben laughed bashfully. "Well, that's good news then! I'm a fighter-whatever it is, I'll get through it!"

Taylor resisted a biting comment: You don't really believe this, do you?

Then, the moment Taylor was dreading: her turn.

"I don't need a specific question," she said. "General is fine."

"Very well," said Belasco.

They repeated the same process of shuffling the cards and dividing them into three decks.

"First," Madam Belasco said, "for your past, we have The Six of Cups, reversed. This means independence, moving forward, or leaving home. Something tells me your field of work requires this."

"You can say that again," Ben mumbled, only to receive a glare from Taylor. He shrugged innocently, and the reading continued.

"Next, we have The Four of Pentacles, upright, for your present. This means conservation, security. Could this have anything to do with your current situation?"

Taylor didn't reply. These cards could be attached to anything and just 'make sense.'

"And finally, for your future, we have...," Madam Belasco's eyes shone in the flames, and she looked up at Taylor with the utmost seriousness. "Oh, my. I'm very sorry to say this, Mrs. Sage, but your future card reads..."

She flipped up a card featuring a grim reaper.

Taylor's stomach twisted as Madam Belasco read out the name: "Death."

CHAPTER TWO

A scoff escaped Taylor's lips. This woman couldn't be serious.

But Madam Belasco stared up at her through her thick, dark lashes, like even she believed her own bullshit. "The cards aren't saying death is coming directly for you, Mrs. Sage. But it is in your future. Your near future, in fact."

Ben let out a slight gasp. "Honey, maybe we should listen."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Taylor muttered, annoyance flushing through her. She didn't need Belasco freaking Ben out for no reason. "Look, Mim? No offense, but please don't scare my husband with these games. We just moved here, we're starting a new life together, and frankly this isn't funny."

"I understand your hesitancy," Belasco intertwined her heavily ringed fingers on the table. "But this is not a mere dramatic reading, and I assure you this is no game. I am getting a dark aura from these cards. You may be summoned sooner than you think."

"Summoned?" Taylor cocked an eyebrow.

Copyright: Molly Black