Slow Burn

Product Description Living a successful life in Charleston, South Carolina, Kate MacKenna has always been able to turn her challenges into triumphs. But now the fates seem to be lining up against her . . . in a lethal fashion. While attending a reception at a friend’s estate for a controversial artist, Kate is nearly killed by an explosion. Once home, Kate is hit with the news that the prosperous fragrance company she has nurtured from the ground up is in jeopardy: It turns out that her late mother used the business as collateral for a huge loan, and full payment is due in three weeks. Kate’s still reeling from this devastating news when her younger sister’s volatile ex-boyfriend shows up and threatens her. Then Kate receives a call from her best friend, Jordan Buchanan, who is hospitalized and scheduled for surgery in Boston. Though stretched to the limit, Kate immediately rushes to her side. Once she knows that Jordan is going to be fine, Kate abandons her calm façade and allows herself a major meltdown, doing something that is totally uncharacteristic: She has a one-night stand with Jordan’s brother Dylan. Coming to her senses, Kate returns home determined to get back on track and save her business. But the mishaps keep coming. At Jordan’s insistence, Dylan checks up on Kate. He’s convinced that she’s merely having a spell of bad luck - until he discovers how many people want Kate MacKenna dead. About the Author Julie Garwood is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Sizzle, Fire and Ice, Shadow Music, Shadow Dance, and Slow Burn. She lives near Kansas City. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Slow BurnBy Julie GarwoodBrilliance AudioCopyright © 2005Julie GarwoodAll right reserved.ISBN: 9781593358181Chapter OneChapter One The crusty old man was going to cause an uproar, and he was only sorry he wouldn’t be around to watch it. He was about to pull the rug out from under his useless relatives, and oh, were they going to take a tumble. But it was high time someone in this miserable family righted a terrible wrong, high time indeed. While he waited for the equipment to be set up, he cleared the clutter from his desk. His gnarled fingers stroked the smooth wood with as much tenderness and care as he had once given his mistresses when he touched them. The desk was old and scarred and as worn out as he was. He had made his fortune in this very room. With his phone glued to his ear, he had worked one lucrative deal after another. How many companies had he purchased in the past thirty years? How many more had he destroyed? He stopped himself from daydreaming about his many victories. Now wasn’t the time. He crossed the room to the bar and poured himself a glass of water from the crystal decanter one of his business associates had given him years ago. After he took a sip, he carried the glass to the desk and placed it on a coaster near the corner. He looked around the paneled library and decided it was too dark for the cameras, so he rushed to turn on all the table lights. “Are you ready?” he asked, impatience brimming in his tone. Pulling the chair out, he sat down, smoothed his hair, and adjusted his suit jacket so the collar wouldn’t stand up. He tugged on his tie as if that would loosen the tightness in his throat. “I’m going to prepare my thoughts now,” he said, his voice raspy from years of barking orders and smoking his cherished Cuban cigars. He wanted a cigar now. There weren’t any in the house, though. He’d given up the habit ten years ago, but every once in a while when he was nervous he would get a sudden longing for one. At the moment he was not only nervous but also a little fearful, which was an odd, almost unfamiliar, feeling for him. He was desperate to do the right thing before he died, which would be soon now, very soon. He owed at least that much to the MacKenna name. The old-fashioned video camera with a VHS tape was positioned on a tripod facing