Bleed My Valentine by Alicia Dean
Fun Fact:
Originally, I was going to have the killer play “I Put A Spell On You” by Creedence Clearwater Revival during the murders. But since I wanted to include Elvis in my story, I changed it to “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Sweet and romantic, right? 😀
In Ashwick, Massachusetts, every year on Valentine’s Day, a young woman is found murdered and ritualistically displayed. With another Valentine’s Day approaching, Rayna Jennings has come to Ashwick in search of her missing sister and to find answers to the burning questions…could her sister still be alive? Or was she the victim of the same killer?
Excerpt:
The streets of Ashwick were silent and dark. The only place that stayed open past nine was his tavern, and the streets rolled up at nightfall. He loved this time of morning. The peace…the solitude. Well, it was mostly peaceful. Except once a year when another woman was killed. Who the hell was doing it? Was it someone here in town? Maybe someone he knew? Must be someone in Ashwick, right? Why else would the bodies be dumped here?
He was near his car and was reaching to pull his keys out of his pocket when a sound broke the stillness of the night. Footsteps. Sounding very, very close.
Who would be out this late? He turned and peered behind him. A large, hulking figure stood ten feet away. Shadows hid the features, leaving nothing but a darkened figure with no definition. Like some kind of evil supernatural being.
“Who is it?” His voice came out shaky, though he didn’t know why he would be scared. He was a big dude and had kicked a lot of ass in his day. But something about this…whatever it was…seemed more threatening, more dangerous than someone you’d encounter in a bar fight.
A trickle of fear turned to ice on his spine.
The figure didn’t respond. It stepped forward. One step, two, three…and then it was under the streetlight and the features came into view and recognition dawned.
Beau gasped in surprise. “What are you—” his words cut off when he saw the large knife in the right hand. And now he knew, he had every reason to be terrified.
Author Alicia Dean 