Eyes of Betrayal by Patricia A. Rasey

From the Publisher

The long-awaited and riveting sequel to the best-selling Kiss of Deceit. Two long years have passed since Marcus "Snake" Gallego left behind Henry County and Detective LeAnne McVeigh, leaving her to mourn the fact he had ridden into the sunset without her. But when he finally returns to her Ohio town, he isn't alone. Snake has brought along a friend, Egan Tate, who looks the epitome of evil. And if things couldn't possibly get worse, her best friend, the good doctor Whitney Montgomery, has her eyes set on Tate. When a vicious murder suddenly stirs the relatively peaceful community to turmoil, a murder reminiscent of the killings that plagued the county several years earlier, LeAnne begins to wonder about this mystery man Snake has befriended. Has a copycat killer truly emerged, or does Henry County have a ghost on its hands?

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The sun beat down on the back of Doctor Whitney Montgomery's neck, as a bead of sweat ran between the valley between her breasts. The humid August temperature had to be reaching near one hundred as the orange ball heated up the cloudless afternoon sky. She ran the back of her hand across her heated brow as a rumble up North Scott Street caught her attention. Looking over the shoulder of Detective LeAnne McVeigh, as the two stood chatting at the corner of the county's court house, Whitney noticed two large Harley Davidsons, sporting three riders, making their imposing way through the center of town.

Whitney's stomach clenched as they neared. Her eyes centered on the muscular, black-haired man. He hauled his shining, onyx-colored Harley to a stop as the light turned red. As if sensing her attention, he pulled his silver sunglasses low on his nose. Whit stared into a piercing pair of blue eyes. Almost evil in their nature.

A shiver ran down her spine and pooled in her gut. Had she not known better, she'd swear the feeling was darn near sexual. But men of his ilk did little for her. She couldn't be seen with the likes of him and his ill-gotten buddies. What would people think? It would likely ruin her standing and practice in the small town of Napoleon, Ohio. After all, she had a reputation to uphold.

The raven-haired one smirked, pushed his glasses up his nose, and revved the engine to his large bike. His leather-clad thighs hugged the heavy machinery. What she wouldn't do for a night with the likes of that one, Whit thought, as her knees weakened.

The light turned green and the two motorcycles sped off down the road, stopping about halfa block away at a bar called DC's Five Stars. The other biker, with lighter brown hair tied back with a black and white bandanna, held out a hand to help the beautiful woman behind him disembark, then stepped from the bike. He took his glasses from his face, stared at the two women on the corner, then nodded before heading into the cool and air-conditioned bar.

Confused by the man's familiar gesture, Whit turned to LeAnne, who seemed to have suddenly gone on alert. Something about the trio had set her on edge.

"What's up? You know them?" Whit asked. She could tell by LeAnne's posture that her answer would be affirmative. Although Whit had never seen the bikers in town the year and a half she had resided there, LeAnne obviously had. And by the looks of it, her dealings with them had not been good.

"Unfortunately," LeAnne clipped. Her lips became a taut line.

Whit could tell LeAnne didn't want to talk about it, but it never stopped her before. She forged ahead, never being shy about her thoughts when it came to LeAnne. They had been friends since she moved here. "Well, I must say, he certainly looks like he'd be well-worth a toss in the sheets."

LeAnne's gaze, which had drifted down the street, snapped back to Whit. "For crying out loud–the man had a woman with him."

At LeAnne's misunderstanding, a chuckle erupted from Whitney. "Not that one. The dark-haired one with the electric-blue eyes."

"Oh," LeAnne said, her cheeks coloring red.

"You know him?"

"The dark-haired one?"

Whit's smile grew. "Yes, the one wearing the leathers and not the cut-offs."

LeAnne shook her head. "Never saw him before."

"Okay. We can skirt the issue all afternoon, but I'm due back at the office before long and I know you have some case or other that needs your attention. Since you don't know the raven-haired biker, who's the one with the chick?"

"Snake."

"Snake…does he have a name other than that of a reptile?"

LeAnne smiled for the first time since the passing of the bikers. "I'm not being very forthcoming, am I?"

Copyright © 2003 by Patricia A. Rasey