The Deadliest Secret (The Deadliest Series)

The Deadliest Secret

Lauren Peyton

Copyright © 2013 Lauren Peyton

All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-1492195450

DEDICATION

This book took so much work from more than just myself. I would like to dedicate it to my real family and friends who never gave up on me and who always gave me love and support. To my wonderful husband, I love you more than words can say. To my unborn child, I cannot wait to meet you; I hope you are proud of mommy for writing a book.

I also wish to dedicate this book to my readers. Without you I wouldn’t have a reason to write, so thank you for your support.

XOXO,

Lauren

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Again I wish to acknowledge my readers and supporters. I would also like to thank my editor, without you I wouldn’t have put this out or finished it. I just hope to make you all proud.

CHAPTER
One

It was a typic
al Thursday evening at the gym. The whirring of the machines filled the air in the large gym; Gwen always turned on her iPod and ignored the stares from other patrons.  She didn’t see why they stared. She assumed it was her blonde hair, but she won’t venture further than that. Her past dictated that she was not enough for one person, and her job prevented her from being involved with herself let alone anyone else; her patients needed her the most and that is who she was devoted to. Gwen was married to her job. Her mind wandered far from keeping pace on the treadmill, and away from the music pumping into her ears. She was lost to herself.

             
McNeil Island was locally infamous. Everyone knew the name, so naturally when Gwen announced that she worked there the people would gasp, or their pupils would dilate in horror, and they wouldn’t speak. How could a young woman work with such incredible evils in the world? She didn't care; she enjoyed her job. She felt like she truly made a difference in the lives of the inmates, that is what she obtained her degree for, psychology. She had always wanted to help people as far back as she could remember.

             
She closed her eyes and thought about her caseload for the next few days. She had a couple of transfers coming in from other places, a couple of people coming in because of fresh murders committed, she had two parole hearings that they requested her to appear for. Plus she had her daily and weekly patients she had to see.

             
Gwen was over loaded with cases and patients but she wouldn't have it any other way. She loved what she did and the danger was almost a rush she needed, but she knew there were plenty of safe guards for her to rely on. She pushed the tempo of the jog up while she thought about what was coming up, she lived for the rush of helping where she could, and she was also damn good at her job. Gwen was enthralled and loved to take her job home. She was an honest workaholic and admitted it, but she needed to love her job or else she would have burned out a long time ago and became jaded to the world or just quit on the people that needed her most.

             
Gwen took her mind back off work and onto her workout. She turned up her music, it was something current along the lines of the latest rap craze with a decent beat she knew she could move to in the club whenever she decided to go out, and if she decided to go out. That was always a big if, after her long days at the prison and a workout to get rid of the pent up tension to keep her sane she didn't feel much like going out to the party scene, to be honest she was utterly tired of it. She was never actually part of it, she did her time in college and that was enough.

             
The machine chimed after an hour of jogging signaling the end of her workout, Gwen parted the treadmill and went to the weight lifting machines, she liked to have a complete workout so she could have the strength to fend off an attacker in case anyone got too rowdy with her, most of the time it wouldn't happen thanks to the diligence of the guards at the prison, but you never know what the future holds. It was time to up the weight on the machines, she moved the little bar around and started lifting, her angst, her day melting away with each repetition and each lift she completed. The burn started to ache in her muscles. Gwen was stubborn and refused to stop so the burn intensified until Gwen couldn't lift more, she was proud of herself silently counting in her head on each machine until it was time to call it a night. Gwen left the main floor of the gym to head to the showers to finish the day off with a little heat therapy in the hot tub.

             
She knew tomorrow would be a long day, not only was her caseload getting larger but she had to go attend dinner with her parents. Gwen loved her parents but sometimes they could put unnecessary pressure on her about her love life, or lack of. She was in love with her job. She believed she was blessed to do what she loved, but they had other opinions on what true happiness was.

             
While relaxing in the soothing heat of the sauna, her muscles loosen and her mind stayed on her parents.  While her mother, Marie was a carefree spirit, always encouraged her to do what she pleased. Gwen’s father, Steven, was a bit more uptight about rules and regulations. He never had even gotten a speeding ticket, he was one of the reasons Gwen had gone into psychology. Steven’s practice thrived, Gwen had done one of her many internships at her father’s practice as well as volunteer during her childhood sorting papers and filing away the papers that her father asked her to. Her smile spread she wondered how her father, and her mother fell in love.

             
Steven and Marie Bjorkman were a classic case of opposites attracting. While Steven was a clinical psychologist and very serious, Marie was a midwife and doula, she kept odd hours but always had a smile on her face because she spent her time helping to bring children into the world. That was her truest love, children. Steven and Marie may have been opposites but it worked, Gwen never witnessed her parents argue over anything seriously. That was a rarity in the world of divorced parents and weekend visits many people she knew had to live with daily. Gwen knew she was blessed with and by her parents love and secretly she hoped she would find that one day, but not today.

             
Gwen shook her head at her own thoughts, her parents would have the usual ice breaking conversation with her tomorrow at dinner, then Marie would make reference of Gwen’s choices in men and how if she didn’t use what she had she might just lose it. The argument was silly but Gwen hadn’t dated anyone seriously since college, as far as her parents were concerned. Truth was that Gwen had dated, but no one worth writing home about because when they found out what she did they were scared away, or freakishly interested, almost perverse in their interest and Gwen had to break it off.

             
After losing herself in her own mind Gwen got out of the sauna, her mind protesting that she was leaving the warm embrace of the water, Gwen moved lethargically towards her locker, retrieved her shower items, and gave her body some warmth in the shower stall.

              About forty miles north, in Seattle, Kody Alexander McQueen was locked in his cell, pacing because he rarely slept and with those pathetic pieces of foam the city called mattresses he could see that sleep wouldn’t do a damn thing for his state of mind. He took the heat for his boss and knew right where he was going. The bitch lawyer couldn't remember his name or his crimes; which helped send him there. He was on a one-way ticket to McNeil Island. He licked his lips then his cold features lit slightly a sadistic smile, Kody knew people in there already this would be like a homecoming for him; not a damn thing to worry about in his mind.

             
Kody relived his day in court, the last day of his "free" life. What a crock, the judge asked him if he had remorse for his crimes against humanity and the city of Seattle; Kody simply replied with a roll of his eyes "no and if you knew about what happened outside of your precious fucking Seattle you would know better to ask that of me."

             
The response from the Judge was the best he could have hoped for it was like no one ever challenged him before. Kody was happy to have been his first, as well as that bitch he had to shut up. Truth was he had two regrets in life, he didn't put a raincoat on and left his bowie knife behind, if he would have remembered those two things he would be plotting his next hit for the boss. Not sitting in this jail planning how he was going to bust the most dangerous man in the jail-yard in the mouth for his rightful respect. He would never admit his mistakes to a living soul; hell his mistakes got him a roof over his head, three meals, and no real worries after he established his dominance. He finally laid back and talked to himself. The life he was going to was cushy compared to what he lived in before. Complete squalor. Kody relived his last free night again and again, his smile cruel and tight.

             
"Yeah that bitch was worth this shit, she can't talk about the union and I got some pussy the best way I could. Fear makes the fucking that much better" The cold in his voice chilled a nearby listener to his bones; he was as calm as someone discussing the most recent change in weather. He was in his own world; the listener rolled over and tried to ignore the babble coming from the nearby cell.

             
"The tears made it better, and when she fucking screamed, oh fuck yes it was amazing,” Kody found himself reliving every second in his mind, he was hard, the sadistic male loved violence, “Too bad I had to stick her with the blade I would have enjoyed tapping that ass on the side, but bitch had a problem keeping her mouth shut and had to go. She had her chance and became a liability to the organization when the cops caught her dumbass, she shouldn’t have tried to get a fucking deal."

             
Kody’s memories kept him warm. He was pure evil, he knew it and whoever dared look into his eyes would know that too. There was only one woman that was worth not sticking his blade into. Fuck his mother he didn’t care about her, he didn’t care about his sister much either. She had been born to the same bastard father and the same junkie mother as he had. She took attention off of him, which was a good thing most the time but Kody still wanted to be the only child, she died suspiciously but in the end it was ruled an accident. The only bitch he ever really cared for was the one he would never see again or be able to get back. Fuck he missed her. He started to rub his aching cock at the memory of how sweet she tasted and how tight she was.

             
“Fuck!”

             
He thought about the last time he saw her, she slapped him and that little action cranked him up so hard. He wanted to slam her against the wall and teach her a fucking lesson for hitting him and make her scream for him to stop after she had so many orgasms she would collapse, he still remembered the spots to hit on her body to make her soaking wet. Kody was so hard remembering how she would scream his name and how she would clench around his sex right before she came for him. Damn he wanted her again; his cock punched the front of his boxers. He knew he needed relief and fast he rubbed the straining flesh, his hand useless to calm his desires.

             
Kody flipped over on the mattress and tried to go to sleep, he already knew his day tomorrow would be filled with the traditional bullshit preparation of the “new” prisoner to transport him to his new home for the rest of his life on the next work day. This was just a piece of shit cell temporary stop for him. He knew he wouldn’t be in the pinch for long. On Monday Kody was being transported to the large prison but again he didn’t care. He had plans, and even if he stayed in the prison for a few months it was going to be like club med compared to what he had been through already.

             
“Fuck this place.” He announced to his own ears with a cocky intonation, “I’m going to be out in no time getting my knob slobbed on in no time.”

             
Kody didn’t care if anyone was listening or not he was satisfied just making the statement because he knew it would be true.  The boss wouldn’t have him on ice for long; hell the boss was probably hiring a lawyer for him as he thought about it. Not many killers wouldn’t care about who they killed or what they did or if they were man, woman, or a child that needed to be taught a lesson. Kody was heartless and that is one thing he prided himself on.