The Scarlett Legacy
Copyright © 2015 by K.N. Lee
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
The Scarlett Legacy/ K.N. Lee. – 1st Ed.
I must first thank the lovely Scarlett Dawn for the opportunity to craft a story for the mysterious town of Woodland Creek. This was such a fun project that pushed me past my comfort zone. I’ve fallen in love with my characters and cannot wait to share them with you in this book.
Thank you to my friends, fans, family, and social media family.
Enjoy!
Dedicated to my grandmother, Josephine.
WHAT DO YOU DO
when your husband asks you to kill someone? If you’re the wife of a Scarlett, you do as you’re told.
If your husband happens to also be a wizard… you don’t even ask questions.
Hugh Prince, one of Woodland Creek’s most notorious crime bosses, had a hit on his head, one that took a certain kind of skills.
One woman had those kills.
Stealth was Olivia Scarlett’s number one asset. No one noticed her when she entered the stone building on the outskirts of Woodland Creek. Not the prison guards, inmates, warden, or custodians ever suspected anything.
Not a single soul.
From the glass of the single window, she peered down at her target, contemplating how she would administer her lethal dose of poison.
The silence of the room was only broken by the inmate’s soft snore.
No longer human, Olivia could run along the walls and ceiling unseen.
She was a Spider; black with a purple stripe down her body, eight wiry legs, and a resolve to execute her mission without error.
Olivia was an assassin.
With impeccable grace, Olivia launched herself from the ceiling of the prison cell. A single strand of silver silk carried her down to the lone cot.
She landed on her target’s chest, the vibrations of his body almost overwhelming her senses. The rise and fall of his breaths, the rumble in his empty stomach, and his snores were more felt than heard.
Visions of her father-in-law’s dead body in the black coffin fueled her. She had to do this to protect the family she had married into.
Scurrying up to his neck she recited silent prayers her mother used to say whenever her father would come home drunk and ready for a fight.
The same prayers were said, but she would never be as weak as her mother. Perhaps she inherited more of her father’s character… along with his
abilities.
Sharp fangs dug into the soft flesh beneath Hugh’s chin. The venom ate away at his flesh. She shot a silken thread to the ceiling, and escaped the slap of his hand.
A cry of pain erupted from Hugh’s lips as he swatted at her. Olivia disappeared into the darkness of the cell. The pain and itching was enough to drive anyone mad. This bite would do more.
It would kill.
THE GRAY SKY
had yet to cast the glow of the early dawn’s sun, but soon it would, and Olivia would have to resume her masquerade as a normal young woman.
Olivia shifted back into her human form inside her car; she rubbed her pale white arms to keep the chill of the crisp October morning at bay. Her heart still raced as she tried to regulate her body temperature.
The color began to return to her smooth tattoo-covered flesh, making the black tint of her shifted form vanish.
Emptiness filled her when she was no longer a Spider. She missed the power and the thrill.
Sometimes she wished she could live as a Spider and stay away from the demands of the human world. She was safe in her shifted form, but staying in it too long seemed to weigh on her mind, leaving her disoriented for days at a time.
This particular time she’d only needed to remain a Spider for a few minutes. She was in and out.
Efficient.
Deadly.
It was well before dawn and she needed to get her clothes back on before she was seen. What would people think if they saw Olivia Scarlett, one of the top genetic researchers in Woodland Creek, sitting in her car without any clothes on?
They’d add this incident to her long list of infractions. She was a freak according to some. If tattoos and piercings made her a freak, she’d wear the title proudly. But this time she had to be discreet.
No one could know what she had done. Her cover was essential to her survival. All she wanted the world to believe was that Olivia was a scientist, artist, and loving wife.
She slid gray yoga pants back over her long slender legs, as well as a sports bra, and matching yoga shirt.
As she drove away from the parking lot across the street from the prison she glanced at herself in her rearview mirror.
When did I become an assassin again?
She shook her head, looking away from her dark brown eyes. She’d thought she left her life as a killer back in Europe.
She should have expected this to be the result of marrying Wesley Scarlett. You don’t marry the son of a crime boss without losing a bit of your innocence.
Olivia wasn’t innocent to begin with. At least she knew her husband’s secrets up front. She pulled her long black hair into a ponytail, thinking there were still a few of her own secrets she’d never tell him.
Now the deed was done, and she hoped that life could return to normal. Maybe Wes would finally give her the children she so desperately wanted to bring into this world. He knew it was all she’d ever wanted; a loving home and lots of children.
The thought of getting what she wanted brought a small smile to her face. Driving back to Old Town was quiet and serene. Woodland Creek had some of the best scenery she’d ever seen.
Growing up in Paris had exposed her to so much beauty and culture, but this little town had grown on her. Something in the soil, trees, and air called to her. She’d never leave this magical place.
The day she had met Wes had been one of the greatest days of her life. She was all too eager to move to America with him and live in his beautiful mansion in the countryside. The reality was a bit different than what she’d imagined, but Wes was still the love of her life.
She looked down at her cell phone when a call came in.
Wes’ face appeared on her screen. Like Clark Kent he wore dark glasses, had dark hair and blue eyes. He was her perfect match. He happened to have the power to hurt her if she disobeyed him. Ironic that she married a man even more dangerous than her father had been.
But Wesley wasn’t any normal man, and a wizard’s love was a dangerous love.
“Hi,” she said, keeping her voice light and cheerful.
“Is it done?”
“It’s done.”
There was a moment of silence. Olivia’s shoulders tensed.
“Good,” he said. “What are you up to now?”
“I thought I’d go to the gym for some yoga.”
“Good,” Wes said. “I don’t want you to miss your class. We will celebrate our success tonight.”
“That would be lovely.”
“We will go to the Italian place in New Town that you like.”
“Thank you. I’ll wear the black dress you like.”
“I love you, Olivia.”
A tear stung her eyes. Only he could make her feel such strong emotions at hearing those words. Perhaps it was because Wes was the only person to ever say them to her.
“I love you too.”
“Olivia,” Wes said.
She wiped her eyes. “Yes?”
“You did a good thing today.”
“I know,” she said, both keeping their statements vague in case their phone calls were being screened and recorded. It wouldn’t be the first time the Scarlett family had been put under surveillance.
“Drive safely.”
“I will.”
They hung up and Olivia continued down the country road. The sun began to rise. It cast a stunning orange and red glow on the trees whose leaves had been transformed by autumn and stretched high toward the sky.
She bit her bottom lip as it began to tremble. She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. If she was going to cry she’d better do it now.
Wes didn’t respond well to tears. He never seemed to know what to do when people let their emotions show. She suspected he’d learned that from his father, Edward. It wasn’t Wes’ fault that his father had been into illegal activity. Cleaning up Edward’s mess seemed to rule both of their lives.
For him she’d poisoned the most powerful crime boss in Woodland Creek.
Now we wait,
Olivia thought.
Would this end the war between the Prince family and the Scarlett’s?
BLOOD DRIPPED
from his fingers.
Her blood.
At least Evie thought it was her blood. She couldn’t be sure, because this was a dream.
Evie clutched her wounded ribs and tried to scramble away. Her mind raced with spells and incantations that could save her life.
She couldn’t speak. It was as if her mouth had been sewn closed.
Parker was in bed with her. She screamed inside her head, praying he would wake her up. Evie knew her attempts to communicate were useless. It had never worked before. And so, her body remained paralyzed as she endured the agony of a premonition.
Evie gasped for breath as she crawled backward.
The man that stood before her was tall and beautiful. An eagle tattoo stretched up his neck to his chin.
Her dream man.
Literally.
She’d had this same dream every night since her father died. This was the first time the green-eyed stranger with the red hair had appeared in this dream.
She just couldn’t tell if he was there to help or harm her.
Her eyes pleaded when her voice would not come when called.
He just stood there, and stared at her. She wished she could make out the features of his face.
She tensed when he knelt down before her, smoke filling the dark basement around them.
You’re not supposed to feel pain in a dream but Evie could feel everything. To her it was more than a dream. Having the ability to tell the future through dreams was her curse. Not only did her premonitions scare the crap out of her, but when within them she could feel physical pain, and that stab wound stung like hell.
This was hell that she was living in. Forced to recount the horrible death her father had suffered, Evie now knew what it was like to be stabbed to death.
Daddy,
she thought. The sadness overcame her, crippling her.
What she couldn’t understand was why her father wasn’t strong enough to defend himself. He was a wizard, a powerful one.
Hugh Prince shouldn’t have been able to defeat him. The stranger in her dream knew the answer.
Who are you?
Evie mouthed the question when her voice still wouldn’t come.
Instead of words, music notes floated from his mouth and into the air, and he transformed into a creature she’d never seen in real life before, a creature from myths and legends.
A Gryphon.
EVIE BREATHED A SIGH OF RELIEF
when she woke up to the real world. Her dream world was too frightening to remain in any longer. Nonetheless, she needed to wake up and get ready for class.
Evie peeked an eye open and suppressed a grin when she saw Parker looking back at her from his side of the bed.
All was right with the world when he smiled at her like that. Blood, tears, and agony melted into the back of her mind when she was near him.
Evie covered her mouth and giggled. Who would have ever guessed that Evie Scarlett had one of the most desired men in town in her bed, madly in love with her?
Perhaps her luck was changing.
She could see it in his eyes. Parker Drake loved her… and she didn’t even have to use any magic.
He kissed her on the forehead. “I caught you,” he said, sitting up. He reached for his shirt on the floor and pulled it over his tousled blond hair.
Oh why’d you have to do that?
Evie hated to watch him cover his abs. Like a Greek god he towered over her. There was so much to love about his body, but his ripped abdomen was one of her favorite parts.
She sat up on her elbow. “Caught me doing what?” She reached over to her antique nightstand and put her black-rimmed glasses on.
He smirked. “Watching me sleep.”
Laughing, Evie rested her head back on her pillow. “You’re crazy.”
He stood and pulled his pants on. “Am I? You’re the one watching me sleep like a loon.”
Evie rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You’re not that hot.” She lied. He reminded her of Thor. He
was
that hot.
“Liar,” he said and walked over to her floor-to-ceiling window to gaze out into the early morning sky.
“Perhaps,” Evie said with a smirk.
Parker came back. He climbed into the bed and held himself over her body in a push up position. His eyes glanced down at her exposed breasts and back to her face.
Evie kept to herself just how much she adored his blue eyes, hooded with thick dark lashes. His lips were perfectly smooth and full for kissing. As if he could read her mind Parker leaned down and kissed her on the lips.
She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was glad that she was able to push the fact that they had been best friends since childhood away long enough to see Parker as a man — a smoking hot man that she couldn’t seem to get enough of.
He was her first and only lover, and she prayed that they would remain together forever.
Just the thought of losing him frightened her.
The town called the Scarlett family cursed. Evie didn’t disagree. She and her older brother, Wesley were the last of the Scarlett legacy, and they were both cursed in ways the townspeople couldn’t imagine.
One more year and Evie could have the inheritance she needed to escape.
She just hoped and prayed she could stay alive that long.
While Parker’s tongue caressed hers Evie ran her hands through his dark blond hair.
Parker slid his fingers into her panties and she stopped him.
Smiling, she shook her head. “As much as I’d like to go again, I need to get to class.”
“I know. Me too. I have one at nine.” Parker kissed her again. “Tonight then?”
“Mother will be back by then.”
“Oh yes. I almost forgot. Your mother still treats you like a fifteen year old.”
“She just doesn’t want anything to happen to me.”
Evie almost felt like a prisoner at times. After her father died her mother increased her overprotective nature. She didn’t blame her. Their family had seen their share of violence over the years.
At least she had her brother, Wes. He always watched over and protected her and as head of the family now, he gave her more freedom than their mother would.
“I wish you didn’t have to follow her rules. You’re not a little girl anymore.”
“She’s still my mother. I think I’ll always keep her wishes in mind no matter how old I get,” Evie said.
“I think you should move out. Your father left Scarlett Hall to Wes. Where does that leave you?”
Evie shrugged. She would miss the home she had grown up in. There were so many memories in those walls, both good and bad.
“I have an inheritance. It’s okay. I don’t want to live here forever. You know that.”
Parker climbed off of her and started picking up his shoes from the floor. “Well tomorrow then. Just come to my place. You should just move in with me.”
Evie sat up and stretched. Her arms were still sore from the workout Parker put her through the day before. Being trained by a boxer was brutal, but he was determined to make her capable of protecting herself.
If he only knew.
She winced at the pain in her biceps. “All the way in New Town?”
He raised a brow. “What’s wrong with New Town? It’s a lot more fun than out here in the country.”
Evie took off her panties and headed for her shower. “You grew up out here in the country.”
“Yeah, and now I live in the modern era.”
He was right. She did love his loft apartment. It made her almost feel as though they were in another city.
“Okay.” She turned on the water and grabbed her toothbrush while the shower heated up. “Let’s meet tomorrow at the bookstore when my shift is over. We can talk then.”
“Fine. Won’t you let me take you to dinner after? Show you off a little.”
“You want to show
me
off?” Evie stared at her reflection.
Gray eyes with flecks of hazel looked back at her from beneath her glasses. She shared much of her looks with her father.
Evie sighed at her reflection, missing her father at that moment. A lock of white hair stood out against her black hair. No matter what, she’d never been able to dye that lock to match the rest of her head. Instead it had stood out for as long as she could remember. There were pictures of her as a baby with that white lock.
The taunts of ignorant children had followed her from elementary school to college.
“Why wouldn’t I? You’re beautiful.”
Hearing those words washed away all of her bad memories about her self-image. Evie hid her grin and started brushing her teeth.
“You sure you aren’t embarrassed to be seen with me?”
“Now that’s possibly the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever said to me. Of course not. I love you.”
Evie’s heart soared at hearing those words. She’d never get tired of hearing them come from his lips.
“I love you more,” she said in a soft voice.
“Not possible.”
She giggled, loving how open he was about his feelings. “Good reply.”
He made her feel safe even though he was merely human. Sometimes that’s all she needed, a human companion to make her feel normal when she was far from it.
Parker came into the bathroom and stood behind her. He grabbed her by her waist and pressed her naked bottom to the front of his pants. He groaned.
“Come on, Evie. One more time.”
Evie rinsed her mouth of toothpaste and grinned at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He kissed her throat and her eyes fluttered closed. Every touch sent hot tingles along her skin. She began to calculate how long it would take her to drive to Hastings-Albrecht University if she left just a little later.
She enjoyed the feel of his mouth on her neck. He sucked her earlobe, making her eyes flutter closed.
“Fine,” she breathed. “One more time.”