Chapter One
Leigh Grayson was in her bedroom looking at her own face reflected in the body length mirror. Her beauty was oblivious to her. She could make her presence known anywhere she entered. Her long black hair complemented a perfectly heart-shaped face. But her dark chocolate eyes reflected all the sadness she felt inside. She missed her parents terribly.
Her parents would have been proud of her, she thought. Her mother, Maria, was always supportive of her passion for art. Maria, a sensitive and loving woman who also appreciated art herself encouraged Leigh to express her feelings through it. She died of cancer after two years of suffering; Leigh was only sixteen years old. Then a week before her eighteenth birthday, her father William was shot on duty. The perpetrator had also been killed during the heist.
Leigh was positive that her father had been victim of foul play. He had been oddly withdrawn weeks before the fatal day. He wouldn't talk about what was disturbing him.
But there was no way she could prove Michael's involvement. The officers involved in the operation refused to help her. They dismissed her allegations straight away. She knew at least two of them were dirty; she'd overheard her father mentioning their names during a heated phone conversation once.
Five years ago
Assistant Chief William Grayson was a very loyal and dedicated officer. Michael's father had been William's first partner, before getting killed while on duty. He took Michael under his wing and guided him through training and his first years on the force. He saw Michael mature as a man and a cop. He witnessed Michael advance higher in the ranks and soon Michael had become part of the family and that made it almost impossible for William to conceive any idea that Michael might be involved in illegal activities. The fact had come alight after he'd witnessed something that made his stomach turn with disgust. Michael was on the payroll for the mob. That was a stab in the heart.
What William didn't know was that taking money from the local mob boss was child's play compared to what Michael was really capable of: Murder. Assistant Chief William Grayson had found this out in the worst way and the most treasured thing in his life would suffer the consequences of his naivety. He thought of Leigh, a child, who had known the truth about Michael's character all along, and yet he, who was supposed to have been a perceptive man never saw what was in front of him. He was utterly blinded by his trust in the only person who had ultimately betrayed him...
Detective Michael Tempton hadn't been involved in the incident, but was promptly on Leigh's side ready to offer his sympathy, one she refused blatantly. She never liked him. She never hid the fact from her parents or anyone for that matter.
Michael Tempton was a gentleman, an outstanding member of the community, the perfect partner a police officer could have hoped for. Well, at least that's what everyone had thought. Her father held Michael in high esteem, making sure Michael felt part of the family.
She would feel a chill in her body every time he was near. When he spoke to her she would either ignore or reply curtly. She couldn't bring herself to even look at him. She didn't like him at all. Her father took it as normal teenaged behavior, juvenile, but the fact was, Leigh wasn't rebellious, she had no reason to be. Her parents were loving, considerate and, supportive. She responded to their love by being a helpful, responsible daughter. However, when Michael was in the picture, her mood would change completely. She couldn't help it, and he made sure her displeasure for him was shown in front of as many people as possible. He would play his role brilliantly, feigning hurt but forgiving her for her attitude. He would just smile and dismiss it as a teenager fit of temper when her father would apologize on her behalf. She had no chance to make her father believe her.
But Leigh knew what Michael was really like, because she saw through his charming demeanor. She was young but she was no fool. He was cunning and deceiving. Why could nobody see that was beyond her?
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"Damn it!" Leigh was late and she hated being late, but last night she couldn't sleep; a certain pair of green eyes were in her mind the whole night, keeping her from falling asleep. It was around 5 A.M. when she managed to drift into a deep and wonderful dream. "Damien;" that was his name. In her dreams, she watched him cross to her, entranced by his magnetism. There was something about him that made her let her guard down. She would have gladly lost herself in those arms, those lips.
I couldn't. I can't, she thought sadly as she grabbed her car keys and headed to the door. She knew Michael was watching her like he had every day for the past year. He waited in his car and watched her get into hers. Every single day she ignored him. She couldn't help it today. Today she felt powerful. Thoughts of Damien and how his touch felt on her skin made her feel brave and in control. She looked back, facing those icy eyes with all her strength and defiance, only to regret. She wasn't strong enough. She felt a chill pass through her. He was grinning, acknowledging her challenge. He seemed quite amused; perversely amused.
When she arrived at the gallery Lucy came running up breathlessly waving her hands at her. She knew she was late but not that late. So, why was Lucy so eager to speak to her?
"Sorry I'm late," Leigh said nonchalantly. She knew her friend and owner of the gallery where she gladly volunteered to help twice a week wouldn't care if she was late or not. Lucy simply dismissed her apology impatiently.
Okay, that's odd, Leigh thought. She knew for a fact that her friend never lost her patience which made Lucy look so funny at the moment.
"What on earth is going on?" Leigh asked, trying hard to hide the laughter in her voice.
