Jessica slammed the door to her son, Devin’s room shut. Ever since he’d become a teenager, he’d been impossible. Devin refused to come join the family at dinner nearly every night. He never answered questions about what was going on in his life when asked. Jessica’s husband, Tom dismissed her concerns about Devin noting he was a typical teenager, so she was on her own with him.

Running her hands through her thick hair, Jessica sauntered down the stairs to pour herself a glass of wine. It was too late to do anything tonight anyway.

Picking up the Devin’s clothes which he’d thrown around the living room, she sank down onto the couch with her wine. Turning on the remote, she flipped aimlessly through the channels.

God, she hoped that her plan for Jax worked out. Jax Paulson had such enormous talent, but he was stagnant in his career. Jessica had worked with many talented authors in her life, but he was special. His books were more than just alpha male romantic crap. She could see that something more was brimming beneath the surface just aching to come out.

That was where her brilliant plan came in. Jax had expressed a desire to turn to his first love, thrillers and his latest book, Disturbed was supposed to be just that. Jessica came up with the idea that in order to inspire him and to drum up much needed publicity he could actually become a stalking victim himself. However, Jessica was concerned that Jax’s work was starting to take a darker turn. His PA, Kristi had expressed her concerns over Jax’s latest writing noting how dark it was. It was her impression that Jax being stalked was starting to get to him.

Jessica shrugged it off as she finished her glass of wine. She knew her plan would work. Sarah Bender was noted for being an accomplished editor and apparently her acting skills were wonderful as well. There was nothing to worry about.

Or was there?

Something had been gnawing at her. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

Sarah Bender hadn’t been in the office for more than a month. When Sarah’s supervisor, Tony told her that Jessica couldn’t hide her alarm. Tony dismissed her concerns citing that Sarah had contacted him indicating that she was going to be working from home for a several weeks. This wasn’t unusual, he told her for an editor to do that. Given her special assignment with a high level executive like Jessica, Tony had granted her request. Still, it didn’t sit well with Jessica.

She sat up in the chair as she cradled her empty glass. Rain was beginning to softly fall outside pelting the vinyl cover of the hot tub on the deck. Jessica walked over to the window to watch the rain intensify. Lightening cut through the sky as she debated on whether or not she should call Sarah to come in for a meeting to discuss how the ‘stalking’ was progressing.

Suddenly, a small hand touched her back. Jessica jumped sending her wine glass crashing to the floor.

“Mom!”

“Dammit, Devin, you scared me to death! I told you to stop sneaking up on me!” Jessica whirled around to face her son. He was standing there clad in a pair of black shorts looking crabby as usual.

“I just wanted to ask if you had washed my favorite pair of jeans for tomorrow.”

Jessica spun around to glance at the pile of clothes on the couch. She shifted through them briefly and handed him his jeans.

“Here you go. I thought I told you to take your clean clothes to your room.” Jessica bent down to gather the broken glass from the floor.

“I will later.” He took his jeans and slunk off up the stairs. Jessica shook her head as she finished cleaning up the glass.

As she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the sliding glass doors, a shiver went up her spine. She could’ve sworn she just saw Sarah standing outside.

But that was ridiculous.

Sarah didn’t even know where she lived.

Taking the broken glass to the trashcan, Jessica flipped open the lid and poured the shards in.

Jessica took one last glance around the kitchen before turning off the light. She certainly hoped Jax’s book would be a huge success if not he was going to end up paranoid for the rest of his life.

* * *

Monday morning was the most dreaded time of all, Jax thought as he rolled over in his bed. He didn’t imagine anyone enjoyed it. At least he didn’t have to go into a physical office, but nevertheless Mondays still greeted him with a sense of overwhelming nausea.

Time to start writing, he thought.

Yanking a t-shirt down over his well-muscled chest, Jax walked down the stairs. He punched the coffee maker to the on position.

Minutes later, after the aroma of hot coffee filled the air, Jax sat down in front of his laptop to begin his day.

After several minutes of feverish typing, he stopped sensing someone was watching him. Jax stood up and walked over to the huge picture window to gaze outside. He looked to his right and to his left, but saw nothing. The woods surrounding his house were even quiet save for a few birds chirping.

Sipping his coffee, Jax walked back to his laptop. He sat down hard in the chair. His mind was blank as he stared at the screen. All the words he’d already typed swam before him.

He was stuck again.

Finishing his coffee, Jax drummed his fingers on the table. His mind had been so clouded lately. Maybe it was the ‘stalking’ that was getting to him. Sarah appeared in the oddest of places at all hours of the day and night. When Jessica gave him the idea, he figured Sarah would only appear at designated times like it was a job.

At least that was what it was supposed to be.

Jax shook his head to clear it as walked to the counter to refill his coffee cup. This was all getting to be too much. The stalking, Sarah, everything.

Worst of all, he couldn’t write anymore.

His first draft had poured from him, but he was stuck on the final draft. It was due to the editor in less than a month and he still was nowhere near finished. By hiring Jessica, he had hoped to finally crack the #1 spot on the NYT. He’d been at #1 on USA Today several times, but the NYT top spot had eluded him.

He sighed as he sipped his coffee. Maybe he’d lost his spark. Ever since his last book he’d wanted to switch genres. His heart really wasn’t into romance. Jax’s dream had always been to be an author of thrillers or horror not romance that had all been Brooke’s idea.

But it had worked.

Women adored him as a romance author. He had women messaging him on Facebook all hours of the night sending the most X rated of pictures. Jax just ignored the photos, but Brooke looked at them all. She thought it was flattering her boyfriend was inspiring so many women to be so naughty.

A smile teased his lips as he thought about her reactions to all the publicity. As he put a live feed out on Facebook, women began to mob him in public asking for his autograph. It all struck him as so funny because he never thought of himself as a celebrity or a sexual icon. He was just Jax, a Marine and an author.

As Jax ran his fingertips over the keys of his laptop, he wondered how well his impending release, Disturbed would be received. He was daring to depart from his erotic romance formula to dip his toes into becoming what he really wanted to be, an author of thrillers.

In other words, a serious author as he phrased it to Brooke. She’d scoffed at him saying he was already making serious money that was all that should matter to him.

But it wasn’t.

It was never about the money for him as it was about sharing a part of himself with the world. That was all he ever really wanted to do, but Brooke just didn’t understand that.

Neither did Kristi or Jessica.

So he here was on the cusp of finishing his first thriller novel. He was pleased about it, but something else nagged at him. At first he thought it was Sarah and the strange and terrible things she was doing to stalk him, but there was something more.

Something dark emerging in his writing from within him.

Brooke had even commented yesterday he seemed different. He’d blown her off, but secretly he was worried. He’d been finding himself in places he couldn’t remember going doing things he didn’t remember doing.

The horrible night terrors were still happening even though he’d stopped the Haldol.

The familiar buzzing of his phone distracted him from his thoughts.

“Jax, are you coming into the office today?” It was Jessica.

“I wasn’t planning to, but I can. Why, what’s up?”

Jessica hesitated a moment. Jax wondered what was going on. Something was off.

“I just have a few things to discuss with you. Can you bring in your work in progress?”

“Sure, I can. Jessica, what’s going on?”

“I just have things I want to discuss. Please be here around 1:00.”

“Will do.”

Jax clicked the off button on his phone. That was certainly odd. Jessica had never requested to read his manuscript before. Maybe Kristi had said something to her.

Suddenly, a loud thud hit his picture window. Jax raced over to see the body of a bird flipping around helplessly on the grass below. He watched as the bird struggled with his broken wings to fly. Jax felt a twinge of sympathy for the bird as he observed the bird’s last desperate bid at life. Then, the bird was still.

Dead.

Jax found his cheeks wet with tears. He couldn’t imagine why. He didn’t even care for birds.

But something about the helpless creature reminded him of someone. Someone who had laid helpless before him.

When?

Who was it?

Her long dark hair was shimmering beneath his closed lids. Her body so firm and perfect with its’ lush curves beckoned to him even as she lie still.

His eyes fluttered open.

No, it couldn’t be!

Shaken, Jax dumped the rest of his coffee out into the sink. He watched the dark liquid swirl around the drain and disappear. Checking his phone, he saw it was nearly 11:30. Time to shower and get ready to meet with Jessica.

Somehow he sensed he wasn’t going to like what she had to say.