19 yellow moon road, p.1
19 Yellow Moon Road, page 1
Books by Fern Michaels
Santa Cruise
No Way Out
The Brightest Star
Fearless
Spirit of the Season
Deep Harbor
Fate & Fortune
Sweet Vengeance
Holly and Ivy
Fancy Dancer
No Safe Secret
Wishes for Christmas
About Face
Perfect Match
A Family Affair
Forget Me Not
The Blossom Sisters
Balancing Act
Tuesday’s Child
Betrayal
Southern Comfort
To Taste the Wine
Sins of the Flesh
Sins of Omission
Return to Sender
Mr. and Miss Anonymous
Up Close and Personal
Fool Me Once
Picture Perfect
The Future Scrolls
Kentucky Sunrise
Kentucky Heat
Kentucky Rich
Plain Jane
Charming Lily
What You Wish For
The Guest List
Listen to Your Heat
Celebration
Yesterday
Finders Keepers
Annie’s Rainbow
Sara’s Song
Vegas Sunrise
Vegas Heat
Vegas Rich
Whitefire
Wish List
Dear Emily
Christmas at Timberwoods
The Lost and Found
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Truth and Justice
Cut and Run
Safe and Sound
Need to Know
Crash and Burn
Point Blank
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Eyes Only
Kiss and Tell
Blindsided
Gotcha!
Home Free
Déjà Vu
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Game Over
Deadly Deals
Vanishing Act
Razor Sharp
Under the Radar
Final Justice
Collateral Damage
Fast Track
Hokus Pokus
Hide and Seek
Free Fall
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Sweet Revenge
The Jury
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The Men of the Sisterhood
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Double Down
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To Have and To Hold
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For All Their Lives
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Anthologies:
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Coming Home for Christmas
A Season to Celebrate
Mistletoe Magic
Winter Wishes
The Most Wonderful Time
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Secret Santa
A Winter Wonderland
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Making Spirits Bright
Holiday Magic
Snow Angels
Silver Bells
Comfort and Joy
Sugar and Spice
Let it Snow
A Gift of Joy
Five Golden Rings
Deck the Halls
Jingle All the Way
FERN MICHAELS
19 YELLOW MOON ROAD
ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
Also by
Title Page
Copyright Page
Prologue
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
Epilogue
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2021 by Fern Michaels
Fern Michaels is a registered trademark of KAP 5, Inc.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-4201-5208-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-5210-4 (eBook)
Prologue
Present Day
Dade County, Florida
Gabby knew that if she kept looking back over her shoulder, it would slow her down. Why were The Haven’s Guardians following her? The Guardians, known as “the Gs,” were members of the organization—the organization where one resided in search of a higher meaning and a more spiritual life. They were an elite group of individuals assigned to accompany the Pledges when they went outside The Haven’s compound, unless the Pledges had obtained special permission to do so, which did not happen very often. Their purpose, the Pledges had been told, was to protect members from harassment, but some thought it was a method of intimidation.
Gabby was supposed to be boarding a flight to Minneapolis to visit her mother in the hospital. But when she arrived at the security checkpoint at Miami International Airport, she discovered that her ticket and passport were missing from her backpack. She knew she had put them in there. She had checked several times. Her wallet was also missing. The only thing she had was the fifty-dollar prepaid debit card she had tucked in the pocket of her jeans.
Liam, the supreme guru of the organization, and his brother Noah, the general manager, had given her permission to travel, something not normally granted to a Pledge. One had to have been a member for at least a year and pass a series of tests before one could leave The Haven unaccompanied. But Liam had taken a special liking to Gabby and wanted her to be happy and content—and Noah wanted her content long enough for The Haven to gain access to the principal of the trust fund she would come into when she turned thirty-five. There were only a few months to go.
Trying to dodge the Gs, Gabby frantically weaved in and out of hustling, oncoming passengers. She could feel the heat on the back of her neck. Why am I panicking? She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but her inner voice was telling her to run.
Present Day
Washington, D. C.
Office of the Post
Maggie Spritzer stared at the phone sitting on her desk. The call had come in through the newspaper’s toll-free line and went to Maggie’s voice mail while she was conducting an interview on the latest political scandal. The message was from her former college friend, Gabriella (Gabby) Richardson. They were journalism students together and met when Maggie was a junior and Gabby a freshman. They say opposites attract. Maggie was outspoken, witty, and had an enormous appetite for food. Gabby was demure and often shy, and tried to maintain a vegetarian diet. Gabby’s father had been in the diplomatic service, which had caused the family to uproot often, even as her mother tried to maintain her position as a college professor. The frustration her mother experienced moving from one country to the next, forcing her to leave one prestigious learning institution after another, became too much. She had finally filed for divorce when Gabby was a teen. When Gabby entered college, she was feeling displaced once again and was drawn in by Maggie’s vivacious personality. Maggie hit the REPLAY button on her phone again:
Maggie, it’s Gabby. I’m at a flower shop in Miami. I was trying to get on a plane to see my mom, but something happened to my ticket and my passport. I think some people are following me. I didn’t know who else to call. Please call back on this number: 305-555-7416.
The last Maggie heard was that Gabby had been on a soul-searching mission and joined an organization that sounded like an ashram or spiritual retreat Maggie couldn’t remember the exact name of the place. As she was drumming her fingers on her desk she thought, Spiritual retreat, okay, fine. I get it. But who would be following her? And why?
Chapter One
2004
Liam and Noah had been raised in a house on Sheridan Road, the upscale area of Wilmette, a suburb of Chicago. Their father, Sidney Westlake, had a seat on the Chicago Board of Trade, and had parlayed a modest stake into a large fortune. Their mother, Eleanor Adams Westlake, was aloof. A debutante when she was in her teens, she had picked her friends according to their socioeconomic status and continued to do so throughout her marriage. Only the wealthiest people in town were invited to the opulent parties hosted by “the Ice Queen,” the name Liam and Noah would mutter when she dismissed her sons from a room. Any room. To describe her as cold would be like describing Warren Buffett as well-off. Even the sting of dry ice would be warmer than her personality. She could be most charming, but only bothered when being scrutinized by her peers. She was a perfectionist at maintaining a façade of grace and hospitality.
The brothers had attended boarding school from the time they were eligible. Prior to that, they were constantly under the tutelage and care of not one but two nannies. They rarely saw their mother, even when they were home.
Truth be told, Eleanor hated children. If it hadn’t been for the pressure from her family, she would have skipped the revolting process by which they came into the world, but someone had to inherit her share of her father’s estate. Her father had been a bit of a prig. He wanted an heir. An heir as in a male. As far as he was concerned, neither Eleanor nor her sister, Dorothy, qualified. They were women. He was adamant that the legacy would be handed down to Eleanor’s and Dorothy’s male children. Dorothy was still single, so it was up to Eleanor to do the heavy lifting, something Eleanor abhorred.
A few short months after they were married, Eleanor was with child. Not one but two. Twins. She despised being pregnant and refused to breastfeed the infants once they were born. Her disdain went beyond breastfeeding. She barely held them. She was thrilled that she had gotten all the dirty work out of the way in one fell swoop. The only time she exhibited any sort of emotion was when she discovered she was having twin boys. She would produce two heirs to the family fortune. Besides, she dreaded the thought of having a girl. Not only would a girl not be an heir, so she would have to go through the disgusting process all over again, but a girl would expect some kind of female bonding. Not Eleanor.
She couldn’t bond with anyone even if she used Gorilla Glue. Eleanor was people-proof. The only reason she had a long list of social acquaintances was for everyone else’s opportunity to mingle and network with other socialites. She knew it, but she didn’t care. She only cared about all the accolades she would get in the lifestyle section of the newspapers—print and online. When it came to human feelings, Eleanor had only one: self-absorption. She was the ultimate narcissist.
On the surface, her marriage to Sidney appeared normal, with the exception of Eleanor’s conspicuous consumption of goods, parties, and extravagant trips. Perhaps it was her way of dealing with the numerous extramarital relationships Sidney had had over the years. His dalliances were common knowledge, and most people secretly felt it was more her frigid personality than anything else that caused him to stray. But everyone looked the other way, since they reaped the benefits of association with the wealthy and entitled. It was a price everyone in her circle was prepared to pay.
Even with his money and influence, Sidney could never divorce Eleanor. He was always discreet as well as generous to the women with whom he had his dalliances. Also, many of the women were married, which meant that discretion was even more important. The affairs were casual, and he would show his gratitude with gifts. But he never took it to the point that could warrant his being accused of having “a kept woman.” No, Sidney was careful. He couldn’t afford a scandal, much less a divorce. Eleanor would take him to the cleaners and stick a hanger up his butt.
Eleanor knew about each and every one of Sidney’s peccadilloes. She didn’t care as long as he showed up at her side at the many social events they attended or hosted. She’d rather have access to all of Sidney’s money than half of it. And everyone knows that the ex-wife becomes the social persona non grata, as she has to take a back seat to the trophy wife who replaces her. No, Eleanor was shrewd. Besides, she found Sidney’s lovemaking revolting. She was happy to let someone else handle that repulsive bit of business. Eleanor provided the perfect partner for Sidney. They were locked into their soulless, loveless, controlled lives.
The sons of Sidney and Eleanor Westlake were privileged but not spoiled in the usual way. They didn’t have the entitled attitude that so many of their peers exhibited. That was probably due, in large part, to Eleanor’s lack of participation and interest. The nannies, the tutors, and their proctors taught them respect and kindness.
Liam was the more introspective of the two. He spent a great deal of time thinking, while Noah spent time playing. In boarding school, Noah would tease Liam when they had an opportunity to watch a rugby match. Liam preferred to sit among the books at the school’s well-endowed library. He enjoyed getting lost in thought as he buried himself in the works of ancient philosophers. Noah would sneak up behind him and give him a flick on the back of the ear, causing Liam to holler and shrink in embarrassment while the librarian would give him a big “ssshhhh!” Liam was interested in psychology. He secretly hoped he could reconcile his feelings of abandonment. Intellectually, he knew that Eleanor would never win Mother of the Year, but emotionally, he felt a tremendous void in his heart.
Noah seemed immune to their mother’s indifference. His way of dealing with it was simply to make the most of the situation, even if that meant making mischief at times. He never did anything horrid or dangerous. Mostly practical jokes, like short sheeting someone’s bed, setting the table with a dribble glass, or leaving rubber spiders in the toilet. They were fraternal twins, so switching identities was not an option. But even as he was nearing his eighteenth birthday, Noah would be the one setting a bag of doggie doo-doo on fire and ringing the doorbell, in the hopes that the person would instinctively stomp out the fire, getting poop all over their shoes. That was probably the most horrendous joke he had pulled.
At least as far as anyone knew.
Regardless of their different personalities, the brothers had a very strong bond. As children, they soon realized that Mother didn’t care much and Dad was never home unless Mother was entertaining. Their nannies were the only people who showed them any affection. Eleanor grudgingly gave them a hug when the boys went off to boarding school, but neither could recall any other displays of motherly love. When they were sick, it was the nannies who cared for them, administering cold medications, serving them soup and crackers, and reading stories. Stories. Their mother had never told them a story. Not a single time. Looking back, Liam couldn’t remember if their mother had ever entered their bedroom when they were home from school. He had asked Noah if he recalled her coming to them, and Noah couldn’t think of a time that it had happened.
