Samhain Publishing Ltd, Ebooks and Books in Print

Being forced onto a plane and flown six hundred miles into the nearly forsaken town of Forrester Rock, West Virginia, was by far the most terrifying thing Tori had ever had to endure—besides surviving the situation that had led to this unwanted, devastating twist in her life.

Here she was, alone and afraid of her unfamiliar surroundings, with only a simple handbag to her name. When she first arrived in the town, it was as if its townspeople had waited their whole lives to see her walk through the streets of Forrester Rock.

As she walked up the road, small groups of people, young and old, stood back, avoiding eye contact, as if unsure if she should be welcomed or ignored. When it came down to it, they chose to do the latter, without a single person coming forward with an extended hand or a friendly hello.

All the same, Tori had no choice but to brave forward, walking past them with a nervous smile on her face. As she walked toward the crowd, they took two steps back. Tori continued even though she wanted to turn around and run for her life.

Her life? It was no longer her life.

She didn’t know what kind of life this town would bring, but one thing was certain—she had no choice. She had to adjust to her new surroundings whether she liked them or not or else she’d be looking over her shoulder day in and day out for the rest of her lonely life.

And that tendency alone was going to be hard enough to break.

The cab that had driven her into this hidden town appeared to have been swallowed up by enormous mountains as it vanished into the distance in a cloud of dust. There was nowhere to run, nobody to turn to. What had become of Victoria Valentino was suddenly all too real.

Tori headed across the dirt road to the local post office in search of her new address—an address she had taken no part in obtaining. All she had been instructed to do was follow the details that would be given to her and to make the best out of what she now had.

As far as Tori was concerned, she had nothing to go on.

The old woman behind the counter appeared friendly enough and her motherly appearance gave Tori the comfort she had hoped for. She placed the new carry-on bag down on the dirty tiled floor, taking the first of many steps to fit into this place she was now forced to call home.

“Hello there, girly,” the old woman said, a beam in her eye. “You must be our newcomer.”

“I guess that’s me.” Tori extended a shaky hand. “Tori Russo.”

Why they hadn’t picked a less Italian last name to go with her birth-given first, she’d never know.

“Now, that’s a fancy name if I’ve ever heard one. My name’s Mabel, and welcome to our little town, Miss Tori Russo.” The woman moved around the counter in order to give Tori a thorough look-over. “And such a pretty girl, too. You’re gonna make the womenfolk around here think twice about lettin’ their husbands go out fishin’, but I reckon you have a husband of your own.”

Oh, that’s just great. The last thing she needed was people disliking her before she’d even had the opportunity to personally meet them. And as for a man—any man—she definitely didn’t need that hassle in her life.

“Nope, it’s just me, and you can reassure them I’m not in the market for a husband.”

Boy, was that an understatement. She was still in shock over the situation her so-called loving fiancé had put her in. It was as if she were wandering around in someone else’s nightmare.

“I suppose you’re here for the keys to your new place, although I wouldn’t call it ‘new’.” Mabel raised her eyebrows. “That old shack’s been next to the creek for years with no more than a stranger or a few critters livin’ in it.”

Tori had not expected a brand-new home, but something a little more tamed would have been nice. However, it wasn’t the clerk’s description of the place that caught her off guard.

“What do you mean, a stranger has been living there?”

“We had a drifter come through our town a while back. Word has it, he’s been usin’ the place as a refuge.” Mabel dangled the “Out to Lunch” sign on a rusty nail. “I’m sure he’s gone now with word goin’ around that you’re movin’ in.”

“You don’t know who he is?”

“The shack was left to the town after its owner passed away. The drifter never bothered anyone, so we’ve found it better not to ask any questions. Besides, he helps people around here. I guess you might call him a ‘jack-of-all-trades’.”

Tori’s look of panic, without doubt, let Mabel know how uncomfortable she had made Tori. What kind of situation were they putting her in?

No matter what, she needed to act as though she’d stayed in these types of places before, during her research with wildlife preservation. The house by the creek apparently contained the right scenery for the job the US Marshals office had fabricated.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you half to death. It’s not as bad as I joked, just needs some work, that’s all.” Mabel went to fetch the keys from the back room then reappeared with her coat. “Come on, I’ll drive you out there.”

Why couldn’t Tori have been “lost” in some over-populated city instead of in Hicksville? She’d known this would take some adjustment, but it was going to be a lot harder than she’d ever imagined. She was far out of her element, and she already missed the big city.

At least she had made a friend in Mabel, even if she did seem to be the town gossip. That, in itself, was going to make Tori’s job a lot harder. She was going to have to make this imaginary work of hers seem as real as possible. If she didn’t, Mabel would be sure to detect something wasn’t right. After that, the whole town would know it, too.

They climbed into Mabel’s old Buick and headed south along the dirt road away from town. It was a beautiful place—Tori had to admit that much. The trees were the same green as the grass to either side of the road. The sun glistened off the dew-moistened flowers. The air entering her lungs was the cleanest she’d ever inhaled.

Mabel talked of all the townspeople from the newest born to the eldest resident, who wasn’t too much older than Mabel herself. She rambled on and on, her words unable to pique Tori’s interest.

Without meaning to, Tori drifted six hundred miles away. She’d spent her entire life in New York City, perfectly happy living there amongst her family and friends, until that unexpected day when her whole world changed dramatically…