Chasing
Morgan
THE HUNTED SERIES Book Four
By: Jennifer Ryan
FBI agent Tyler Reed trusts only
facts and evidence, until the day a beautiful blonde delivers a life-saving
warning ... based on nothing more than a vision. Five years later, the
mysterious Morgan Standish has used her talents to help Tyler and the FBI bring
down countless criminals. Still, Tyler knows next to nothing about her. She
contacts him by phone—and by some sort of psychic connection he's not prepared
to admit exists—but has not shown herself once. Until now. Morgan's gift may
let her see things others can't, but it comes at a price. Getting too close to
anyone is dangerous, especially the gorgeous, moody Special Agent Reed. For
she's seen the future: if they meet again too soon, an innocent could be lost.
But when Tyler's latest case forces Morgan out of hiding, she is the one thrust
into the path of a serial killer, the Psychic Slayer, who will stop at nothing
to protect the secrets only Morgan can see.
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Excerpt
from “Chasing Morgan”
Sam leaned
forward in his chair. “It has to be done.” She knew it, he knew it, and
everyone at the table knew it. Even Tyler knew it. He just didn’t want to admit
it.
“Morgan.
I’m Elizabeth, Sam’s wife. You’re the psychic ghost we’ve been hearing about
for years. What brings you here tonight? It seems you and my husband have
something cooked up.”
“I came for
a few reasons, actually.” She should acknowledge all of them in some way. As
much as she knew about them, in actuality, they’d never met. “It’s nice to meet
Tyler’s family. I feel like I know all of you through him.”
Tyler felt
that one stab him right in the heart. She did know a lot about them because of
him. He’d talked about them often, and she learned a lot more when they’d been
connected mentally. He didn’t know anything about her family, at least nothing
he hadn’t learned from Sam, or the reports about her mother’s death.
Emma liked
the new person. Pretty, she had long golden hair, longer than her own. It
looked soft. “Are you really a ghost?”
Morgan
stared across the table and focused on the tired, sickly looking little girl.
No wonder they were all worried about her. The picture she had in her mind of
the happy and laughing girl was missing tonight. This version of Emma wasn’t a
good one, and Morgan silently vowed to fix that right now.
“No,
sweetheart. I’m not a ghost. I guess you could say, I’m more like a witch. I
have a special gift. And the reason I came today is to show you that gift.
Would you like me to show you?”
Emma
nodded. “I’ve never met a witch. ”
“Don’t
worry, I’m not a bad witch.”
“That’s
what I was just thinking,” she shrieked.
Morgan
laughed and walked around the large oblong table toward the little girl. All
the while, Tyler watched her every move.
“How come
when I look at you I see a ladybug with a tiara of rubies on her head and sugar
raining down on you? I have to say you make the most interesting and whimsical
picture to me.”
“Mommy
calls me Sugar Bug and Daddy calls me Princess. I have a ruby necklace that I
wear on my head sometimes. Mommy has an emerald one.”
Marti and
Cameron exchanged a shocked look.
“Well that
explains her tiara when I look at her.”
“What do
you see when you look at her?” Emma liked this fun game, especially since
everyone at the table watched her and the witch. Even her cousins, Matt and
Sam, stared at her.
Morgan
turned to Marti. At least eight months pregnant, if not more, she simply
glowed. The image that came to mind was as unique as the woman. “I see a woman
dressed like a pirate. She has a paintbrush instead of a sword, and an emerald
tiara, like you said.”
“Mommy’s
Daddy’s pirate princess. She has a pirate ship.”
“And the
paintbrush?” Morgan asked.
Marti
answered for her daughter. “I’m a painter and the granddaughter of a famous
painter. Sophia Fairchild is my grandmother.”
Morgan
smiled and nodded. She liked this. She didn’t often use her gift with people in
person. It made her feel good to have the results confirmed. It offset the
anger she felt rising in Tyler.
Emma didn’t
want the game to end. She took a handful of Morgan’s long hair. She continued
holding fistfuls of it and running her fingers through it. Morgan felt the
little ripples of pleasure from Emma as she stroked the length of her hair. It
felt good to be touched with such reverence. The golden locks fascinated the
little girl.
“Do Daddy
next.”
Morgan
laughed again, catching the little girl’s contagious enthusiasm. “He’s easy.
He’s a knight who slays corporate dragons with a gold Mont Blanc pen.”
Cameron
took the pen out of his pocket and held it up to her. He simply nodded his
agreement and flashed his mischievous grin.
“Do Aunt
Jenna and Uncle Jack.”
“Uncle Jack
is another easy one. He’s a cowboy with a heart the size of Texas. Jenna is a
rabbit turned lioness. She loves her cubs and chews up whatever gazelle happens
into her corporate den. Especially when that gazelle is an ex-husband. The
hunted became the hunter.”
Jenna held
up her glass in salute to Morgan.
“Uncle Sam
and Aunt Elizabeth next,” Emma pleaded.
Morgan’s
gaze softened on Elizabeth. “I have never met anyone who is loved so deeply by
their family and husband. When I look at you, I see a giant heart covered in
chocolate.”
Elizabeth mimicked
Jenna’s action and saluted Morgan with her water glass.
“Sam is as
easy as Jack. They are the same in that they both have big hearts and care
deeply for their family. While Jack is a cowboy in the truest sense, Sam is a
cowboy with a badge. He looks like a Marshal from the West to me. Little Matt
and Sam are like their father and Uncle.”
“Now do
Uncle Tyler.”
Morgan ran
her hand down the little girl’s golden hair and looked into her hopeful eyes.
She looked across the table at Tyler.
“Do you
know the movie Beauty and the Beast, Sugar Bug?”
Emma liked
it when she called her by her nickname. “I know it. I like that one. The Beast
isn’t very happy, and he’s kind of mean to Belle.”
“That’s
what Uncle Tyler looks like to me. He’s not happy I’m here.”
Tyler
didn’t know what to say. She thought he was unhappy and mean. Great. He
wondered what else she thought of him these days, but kept his mouth shut. He
didn’t have to ask though. Maria helped him out.
“That’s
very impressive. You got them all right as far as I can tell. I’m Maria,
Tyler’s girlfriend. I’m afraid I don’t know much about you, except that you
work with him at the FBI. Would you be willing to do me next? I have to admit,
I’m fascinated.”
Maria
didn’t point out being Tyler’s girlfriend to stake a claim, or throw it in
Morgan’s face. She’d simply stated her own truth.
Morgan
looked at Tyler to see what he thought. Still, that impassive expression and
ever-present anger. Interestingly enough, she felt his fear. Then came the
flash of a ring in his pocket. He truly intended to ask this woman to marry
him. It would be the biggest mistake of his life. She couldn’t change his mind,
but she could enlighten him to his options.
“All right,
Maria. It’s nice to meet you, by the way.”
“And you,”
Maria said and gave her a warm smile, making it that much more difficult for
Morgan not to like her because she had a place in Tyler’s life Morgan wished
belonged to her.
“If you
don’t mind, I’ll finish with Tyler first.”
She looked
at Sam. “This is going to go very badly.”
“It has to
be done.” That comment earned a glare from Tyler. Sam sat in a prime spot for
Tyler to elbow him right in the face and break his nose. It’d be worth it if
Tyler changed his mind about marrying Maria.
“Fine. It’s
part of the event, so let’s go with it. Jack, so help me, be quiet.”
Author Info
Jennifer Ryan writes romantic
suspense and contemporary small-town romances featuring strong men and equally
resilient women. Her stories are filled with love, friendship, and the
happily-ever-after we all hope to find. Jennifer lives in the San Francisco Bay
Area with her husband, three children, dog (Bella), and cat (Shadow). When she
isn't writing a book, she's reading one.
@JenRyan_author
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