Wicked After Midnight (Midnight Blue Beach Book 1) Read online

  Wicked After Midnight

  Midnight Blue Beach

  Book One

  by

  Olivia Jaymes

  www.OliviaJaymes.com

  WICKED AFTER MIDNIGHT

  Copyright © 2016 by Olivia Jaymes

  Kindle Edition

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  Wicked After Midnight

  Shocking revelations…

  After a night of tequila shots with her two new friends, Bailey Scott discovers that their husbands all died on the exact same day five years ago. Shocked, hung over, and in deep denial, she vows to put the entire evening behind her and never give it another thought. Clearly the universe is messing with all three of them but she won’t let it drag her back to that dark place. She’s worked too hard to move on.

  But the past refuses to rest in peace…

  Chase Jennings has his work and his friends and although it sometimes gets lonely he’s happy. Sure he’d love to share it with a woman but he simply hasn’t found the right one yet. However there is one shadow in his otherwise sunny life that he can’t seem to shake. He has never forgotten that summer so long ago when a young girl was brutally murdered at his parents’ summer camp. Although there were plenty of suspects there was little evidence. Everyone has forgotten it but Chase can’t seem to put it behind him.

  Everything she thought she knew is false…

  When their two worlds collide, Bailey and Chase reluctantly team up to investigate the tenuous connection between that murder twenty years ago and her husband Frank’s death. As the pair fights their growing attraction, they uncover deadly secrets that will change their lives and that of others. All they have believed will be called into question and the only thing they can count on is the blossoming love that brings them ever closer together.

  But the universe isn’t nearly done with them yet…

  Series description:

  Three successful women. One devastating discovery. The truth must be found, but the search uncovers a destructive power struggle that goes far beyond their wildest dreams. The stakes have never been higher and it could cost them everything. Even their own lives. Welcome to Midnight Blue Beach.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  About the Author

  Other Books by Olivia Jaymes

  Chapter One

  Twenty years ago…

  She’d disappeared from the campfire with some boy. It was always that way. Young and pretty, she had all the males at the camp under her spell. Gwen drank up the attention too. She’d flirted, danced, and giggled her way through every guy their age this summer. She thrived on the attention.

  Making his way down to the lake, he could hear the giggles and sighs plus the whispered words from a lower register. A male voice.

  She wasn’t alone but then she’d never liked being on her own. She always wanted someone there.

  The tinkle of laughter drifted around him, although most of the couples had turned in for the night. There were still a few by the lake but he knew that spot at the river bank would be deserted. No one went down there when it was dark. The lights from the camp didn’t go that far.

  A rustle of grass and he watched the boy and Gwen head back to the camp, their fingers entwined. He followed them, staying back so they couldn’t see him but he could see them. The boys’ cabins were closest and the couple kissed briefly before separating, the boy disappearing into the dark structure. Gwen turned to go to her own cabin but he rushed forward, determined to talk to her.

  “Gwen.”

  She stopped and twirled around, her lips in a thin line and her hands furled into fists.

  “What now? It’s late.”

  She was mad about earlier but she wouldn’t stay that way. A little moonlight and some compliments and she’d be all smiles.

  “We need to talk.”

  Gwen sighed and shook her head. “We’ve already talked.”

  Just play along. Make her think you agree.

  “I know. I just wanted to apologize about this morning. I was out of line.”

  Her expression softened and even her shoulders relaxed. She reached out and pulled him into a hug, the scent of her strawberry shampoo filling his nostrils. She felt small and fragile in his arms as if she might snap in two with a strong gust of wind.

  “I hate it when we argue.”

  “Me too.” He tugged at her long ponytail, the hair silky between his fingers, his fingertips brushing the soft skin of her neck. “Let’s go for a walk. You can tell me about Cindy and Matt. It looked like they were fighting tonight.”

  She giggled and smiled, their earlier animosity forgotten. “Matt was flirting with Emily, and Cindy got mad. You should have heard what they said to each other.”

  He tugged at her hand, wanting to lead her away from the others. “Come tell me about it then while we’re walking.”

  Biting her lip, she glanced over her shoulder to the girls’ cabins. “I don’t know. It’s late.”

  “C’mon,” he cajoled. “I know you’re not any more tired than I am. Just a little walk.”

  She gave in, as he’d known she would. “Just a short one.”

  She linked her arm with his and he guided them in the direction of the river. Following him like a docile lamb, she chattered on about Matt and Cindy and Taylor and Emily plus some others that didn’t matter. He didn’t care about those people. No one understood what was important.

  What he needed.

  The moon cast a glow over the rippling water of the James River. The branches of the trees cast shadows on the banks and the leaves rustled softly in the light breeze. The scent of damp earth and grass seemed to suffocate him and he took a deep breath to clear his hazy thoughts. She was standing at the water’s edge with her back to him but humming her favorite song, some dance number that annoyed him every time he heard it.

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” She looked back at him, a smile on her full, pink lips. “The cool night air is such a relief.”

  Gwen had sunburn on her shoulders from swimming. He’d rubbed
soothing cream into her parched skin but she’d gone back into the pool again today, complaining about the hot weather.

  “So what should we do tomorrow?” he asked, slowly reaching down for a large rock stuck in the sand. His fingers flexed around the rough surface. He’d placed it here a few days ago in preparation for just this moment.

  He was relieved she was looking away from him. He didn’t want to look into her eyes.

  “I want to go horseback riding. We should all go.”

  His chest squeezed so tightly he could barely breathe. The urge to hurt more powerful than the urge to soothe. He needed to set things right again.

  “You can have anything you want,” he said softly, pulling his arm back as he stepped closer. Another whiff of shampoo hit his nostrils and for a moment he almost dropped the rock, almost stopped but then she started talking about going home. Her family. The parties. He couldn’t let that happen.

  Acid churned in his stomach, eating away at his insides like tiny, buzzing insects swarming his abdomen. Rage burned in every vein and pore of his body, white-hot, sweeping through him like an out of control wildfire. His vision grew blurry, whether from sweat or tears, he didn’t know. It was too much and not enough all at the same time. How much was he supposed to endure? It wasn’t fair.

  Mustering all the strength he could he threw his arm forward, anger and hate amplifying the force until he felt the impact of the rock and her skull ricochet through the tendons of his hand all the way to his shoulder. It made a dull thud sound that belied the power behind the hit.

  She’d cried out but they were too far away for anyone to hear. He’d made sure of that. His fingers were covered with warm, sticky blood and he threw the rock into the river where it sunk to the bottom immediately. Turning his hand over and back, he examined it, studying it as if it belonged to someone else. Detached from his torso and floating independently in the air.

  A soft moan from Gwen brought him back to that moment. He knelt down next to her and ran his hand over her golden hair that was quickly becoming saturated with blood.

  “Easy there, baby. I’m going to take good care of you.”

  Chapter Two

  Present Day…

  Bailey Scott ducked behind a large column and with one hand holding her wine glass adjusted the neckline of her slinky black strapless cocktail dress that had slipped down an inch too far. Flashing the high society of Midnight Blue Beach might increase traffic to her bakery but it wouldn’t endear her to the stuffy old farts that populated events like these.

  Of course, it might say something about herself that she was here too.

  Keeping a low profile, Bailey relaxed and enjoyed watching the guests mingle and impress. It was only a cocktail party but the men and women of the town hadn’t skimped on attire.

  A redhead, the wife of a local attorney, stood a few feet away with her friend, a gorgeous divorcee and business owner. They were chatting animatedly about the summer holidays and kids out of school. The redhead’s expression turned from happy to stormy in an instant.

  “Can’t we have one party where she doesn’t show up?” the woman hissed, leaning forward so no one would overhear. “She has some nerve.”

  Her friend looked over her shoulder and snorted. “That girl has some king-sized balls. She works with practically every charity in town and attends every single party.”

  Bailey’s gaze followed theirs to where Willow Vaughn stood, chatting with two older gentlemen. Willow was around Bailey’s age and was rather notorious in Midnight Blue Beach for her past as a high-dollar stripper before she married her husband. With her perfect figure and face, it was easy to see why Willow had been successful in her past profession.

  The redhead wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Look at that dress. Showing off what God gave her, that’s for sure. Just goes to prove that money won’t give you class.”

  Bailey didn’t think the dress was that bad. It was a dark purple with a plunging back that went perfectly with Willow’s unusual coloring – golden skin paired with light brown hair. So different from Bailey’s chestnut hair and fair skin.

  The friend nodded in agreement. “You’d think a widow would have more decorum. Her husband is six feet under and she’s out chatting up rich men, looking for husband number two.”

  Muffling her chuckle, Bailey wondered what the two women thought about her own widow status. Since Frank had died, she’d found that other women either pitied her or feared her – as if she was out trolling for a new husband and anyone’s man would do. Personality not important, only a penis required. Ability to kill bugs a bonus.

  A scuffle on the other side of the large ballroom caught her attention. A wave of gray smoke billowed from the left side of the room where servers were streaming out of a doorway, coughing and covering their faces with napkins. More people were running out of the entrance including several cooks, which gave Bailey the impression that a fire extinguisher hadn’t been sufficient.

  Time to exit the building.

  Despite the soaring ceilings, the room was beginning to get smoky, making her eyes water, and the other guests were beginning to notice that something was amiss. The crowd was moving toward the large double doors at the front of the estate and Bailey went too, breathing in a lungful of fresh air once outside.

  She certainly hoped everyone in the kitchen was safe and unharmed but this was a terrific excuse to leave the party early, go home and watch a movie marathon. This night might not be a total loss after all.

  Bailey had parked her car at the far end of the lot and was almost there when she heard a woman curse a blue streak, four letter words thrown out in a pain-filled voice. She craned her neck to find the female and finally did – one row and three cars over.

  A blonde was bent over, rubbing her ankle and being helped by none other than the notorious Willow Vaughn. The blonde held up her shoe in one hand and the broken heel in the other.

  Slipping through the parked cars, Bailey approached the other two ladies. “Are you alright?”

  The blonde straightened and rolled her eyes, a wry smile on her lips. She was pretty in a delicate sort of way with a small nose and chin. Dressed in a red, floaty creation she had an ethereal quality that Bailey would have described as cute.

  “The heel on these brand new shoes snapped off in that hole right there and I twisted my damn ankle. I swear I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.”

  Bailey wasn’t a doctor but she was always prepared for a wardrobe malfunction. Or at least a trip to the gym when she had time. “I have a pair of tennis shoes in my car. It might be easier to walk in them rather than those heels.”

  “Are you kidding? That would be great.” The blonde peered at Bailey’s feet. “I think we might not be the same size though.”

  Considering there was at least three inches difference in their heights, she was surely correct. “They’re lace ups so it won’t matter too much. I’ll get them out of my car. My name’s Bailey, by the way. I own the bakery on Beach Boulevard. Sinful Delights.”

  The other woman shook her hand and sighed dramatically. “I’m Willow Vaughn and I’ve had your Sinful Delight Dark Chocolate Cake. It’s heavenly, just perfect.”

  The blonde also held out her hand. “I’m Peyton Nelson and I’m glad to meet both of you. It sounds like I’m going to have to give that chocolate cake a try.”

  “You’ll love it,” Willow assured her, looking around the parking lot. The crowd was milling about, waiting to get back in. A mischievous grin broke out over her face. “Listen, I could really use a drink. A real one with vodka, gin, or whiskey. Not that watered down crap they serve at these shindigs. Are you interested?”

  Bailey and Peyton exchanged a glance and a smile. The last place Bailey wanted to be was back inside.

  “I’m in,” she said with a nod.

  “Me too. Lead the way to the booze and the comfortable shoes,” Peyton laughed, allowing Bailey and Willow to help her limp to the car.

  �
�I know just where to take you,” Willow said.

  Bailey was sitting with her two new friends and drinking a martini in a cheesy beach-themed dive bar that was so small it only held six tables, all open to the elements. Luckily, it was a lovely night, not too hot or humid.

  The bar itself looked suspiciously like an old, tiny RV with the wheels rusted so they couldn’t drive on them any longer. The bartender, on the other hand was sexy as hell although way too young, and the drinks were strong. Bailey’s daddy would have said they were strong enough to put hair on your chest.

  Bailey studied the cramped space and rickety tables. They looked a little out of place with their expensive cocktail dresses while the other patrons were wearing shorts or jeans. “What’s this place called again? It’s legal, right? We’re not going to get raided and end up in jail? I have inventory in the morning.”

  Willow laughed and sipped at her Jameson’s whiskey, neat. “It’s called Ted’s, and yes, it’s completely legal. He’s a good friend I met when doing some volunteer work at the hospital and he follows all the laws. I promise you’ll be at work tomorrow morning.”

  Peyton swirled the shot glass of tequila before knocking it back. “I like it. It has…character.”

  “That’s a nice, polite way of putting it.” Grinning, Willow signaled for another round. “So tell me something about yourselves, ladies. Who wants to start?”

  A second martini was placed in front of Bailey and she downed the last of her first, the heat expanding in her belly. This was way better than that uptight party with fancy, shmancy wine. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had some plain, old-fashioned fun.

  “Start?” Bailey asked, her brows pulled together. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Your life story,” Willow prompted. “There’s still four and a half hours before last call. I figured our life stories would be a good way to fill the time but I’m willing to discuss something else. Who are you planning to vote for this election? Or we could talk about sex. Your call.”