Shadow Tag, Perdition Games by L E Fraser

Author:L E Fraser
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: mystery, Crime, suspense, thriller, Fiction
ISBN: 9780994774262
Published: 2019-10-19T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Reece

REECE TURNED ONTO the Bridle Path and drove through an upscale residential area known as Millionaires’ Row. At an ornate, wrought iron gate, he punched in a code and the gate swung open. He continued down a long, brick-paved road to a circular entrance in front of a stunning French château-style mansion. Although it was less than twenty minutes to the heart of downtown Toronto, the thirty-million-dollar home sat on four acres of mature trees and meticulously landscaped grounds. He parked beside a hedge-trimmed water fountain and admired the lush green lawns, spectacular gardens, and peaceful seclusion of the property.

Sam hated her mother’s opulent lifestyle, but Reece admired the woman’s impeccable taste. The thirty-thousand-square-foot home was stunning. He’d seen the back of the property on a previous visit and loved the double set of stone stairways that led from the elevated patio deck to the dazzling gardened acreage. Holding the wedding ceremony here would be perfect. He just had to convince Grace to pare down the pomp and pageantry so Sam could see beyond the extravagance to the natural beauty of the parkland setting.

Having not said a word during the entire ride, his cranky fiancée sat sulking in the passenger’s seat. Reece got out of the driver’s side and circled the car. “Ready?” he asked through the open passenger window.

She thrust the door open with a grunt, climbed out, and slammed it shut behind her.

He reached for her hand. “Want to stroll around the grounds before we go in?” His plan was to wax poetically about the scenery, in the hope it inspired her to imagine their wedding the way he did.

“No. Let’s get this over with,” she grumbled and marched to the front door.

He trailed along behind, dreading the evening, and hoping that their wedding wasn’t going to cause more conflict between Sam and her mother. Sam had hero-worshiped her detective father, who a drunk driver had killed ten years ago. Harvey, a wealthy philanthropist, had been her father’s best friend and her mother had married him a year or so after her first husband’s death. Sam adored her stepfather, who was a homely man, with a grass-roots approach to life, but even Harvey—a brilliant negotiator—hadn’t been able to heal the estrangement between his wife and stepdaughter. At least they were civil to each other now, which was a start. Reece had learned to celebrate the small wins.

Sam ignored the doorbell and hammered on the front door with her fist instead. A maid in a loose black dress with a white bibbed apron answered the door. “They’re waiting in the front room,” she said.

“Thanks.” Sam stomped across the marble foyer and turned right at the base of a sweeping staircase. Reece followed her into a luxurious room with coffered ceilings, exquisite wood mouldings, and multiple French doors that opened onto lush gardens.

“She redid the room again,” Sam muttered under her breath. “Look at that chandelier.” She snickered. “She probably snagged it from the Palace of Versailles.”

Reece’s temper rose. “Can you be nice, please?”

She shrugged.

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