Excerpt Wednesday: Another Excerpt from my WIP Destiny's Decisions Sequel to Destiny's Choices M/F

“Tiana pulled her new truck up to the front of her gallery, and just sat there as she felt herself get first hot and then cold. After a few seconds she leaned her head against the steering wheel. Damn.           

            She sat there for several minutes just controlling her breathing and then pulled her cell phone out of her purse. It rang once before being picked up.

            “Waters Investigative Agency.” A perky voice answered. Tiana nearly rolled her eyes, she liked the teenager that James had hired to be the receptionist for his Kamiah office, but still it was eight o’clock in the morning and she’d only had one cup of coffee so far.

            “Hi Dawn, this is Tiana. Can I speak to James, please?”

            “Oh, hi Tiana. Sure, he just walked in a few minutes ago, I’ll transfer you.”

            Powwow music played on the line briefly and then the reassuring sound of her intended’s voice came across the line.

            “Hi babe, what’s up?”

            “Honestly, I wish I wasn’t.” Tiana knew her voice sounded odd, but with seeing the terrible vision in front of her she just couldn’t work anything else into it.

            “What’s wrong?”

“What isn’t?”

            “Honey, what’s happened? You sound like you did when your grandmother was in the hospital.”

            “Yeah, well this is almost as bad.”

            “Where are you?”

            “My gallery.” Tiana sighed and then rubbed her eyes tiredly with her other hand. “It’s toast, James.”

            She heard a thump, and then James’ breath accelerated. “Someone burned it down?”

            “No, but they might as well have. The front window is busted out, the door is hanging on one hinge, and from what I can see through the window, any and all stock I had is completely destroyed. Anything that was breakable is smashed. I can’t see the glass case that I locked the beadwork in but it’s probably been destroyed as well.”

            “Stay right there. Don’t get out of your truck, you are in your truck right?”

            “Of course.”

            “Stay there, and lock yourself in. Whoever did this could still be around, and I don’t want you getting hurt.”

            “I know that James, I’m not a complete idiot.” Tiana growled.

            “Sorry babe, can’t help it. I just found you again, and I have no intention of losing you the way we did Grandmother. Have you called the police yet?”

            At the mention of her grandmother’s death the year before, Tiana’s heart clenched tightly before she took a deep breath and released the tension.

            “You’re kidding right? After what happened last year, I think it’s going to be a long time before I trust a tribal cop again.” Tiana’s voice turned sour.

            Tiana heard James take a deep breath. “Tiana, you can’t blame what happened with Starla on the entire tribal police force. Most of them are good people, she was just one bad apple in the barrel.”

            “Want to bet?” Tiana muttered beneath her breath. No way was she trusting anyone but James from now on. He might not be a cop, but she would trust him with her life. He would never betray her, she knew that with complete certainty.

Copyright (c) 2012-2013 by Regina Paul. All Rights Reserved.