Authors: Fern Michaels

Desperate Measures (41 page)

The joke was feeble at best and didn't even draw a smile from Kala, when Jay said, “Guess Sophie can pay our bill now if this is on the up-and-up.”

Kala shook her head. “We took the case pro bono, and that's the way it stays. My God, how do we tell this to Sophie?”

“Well, I don't think we should say anything at all to her until . . . until they shovel the last bit of dirt on that bastard's coffin. I'm not sure I'm buying all of this,” Jay said.

“What part aren't you buying, Jay?” Kala asked.

Jay threw his hands high in the air. “The whole damn thing. Guys like Adam Star don't have a conscience. They take crap like this to their graves. The man didn't give two shits that a young girl got sent to prison for life. For life, Kala! Now, because he's dying, he wants to make nice. Be forgiven! Like Sophie is going to forgive him for taking ten years of her life, leaving her with no hope for a future? She has to hate his guts. How could she not hate that bastard? I don't think the word
forgiveness
is in her vocabulary these days.”

Kala leaned back and steepled her fingers. “I think you're wrong. Sophie's bitch is going to be with Ryan Spenser, not with Adam Star. She knew just the way we knew that Adam was guilty. All three of us tried to convince Spenser of that, and he turned a deaf ear. Sophie will take the position that Adam tried to make it right in the end, mark my words. When Spenser finds out, if he doesn't already know, he's going to blow a gasket. And you can take that one to the bank. I think now that this has happened, it's why he was planning on attending my retirement luncheon. To see if I knew about it.”

“Boy, what a shame that you're leaving for that six-month retirement vacation tomorrow,” Jay said slyly as he winked at his wife. Linda did her best not to laugh out loud at Kala's expression. “Okay, let's view this cinematic masterpiece.” Jay pressed a button, and Adam Star's face filled the screen.

No more than three minutes in length, the video was painful to watch. Everything Adam Star had said in the office was now verbalized, with a face to make it real. At the end, his lawyer, a man named Clayton Hughes, and two witnesses verified the date, the time, and the fact that they were in attendance when the DVD was made.

Jay turned the machine off, popped the DVD, and slipped it into a plastic sleeve. “I think this should go in the safe. I also think we should burn maybe, let's say, three extra copies. Just for ... whatever.”

Kala nodded in agreement. “And to think today is Tuesday!” she said. “You're right, we'll sit on this until . . . well, until Mr. Star goes to meet his maker. In the meantime, I'm canceling my reservations for tomorrow. Linda, do me a favor and call Ben and tell him I'll meet him outside the courthouse in an hour.”

“It will be my pleasure, Kala. Are you sure we can't let Sophie know?” Linda asked.

Before Kala could say anything, Jay piped up. “We're sure.”

Again Kala nodded.

Photo by M2IFOT0 2006

FERN MICHAELS is the
USA Today
and
New York Times
bestselling author of the Sisterhood and Godmothers
series and dozens of other novels and novellas.
There are over seventy five million copies of her books
in print. Fern Michaels has built and funded several large
day-care centers in her hometown, and is a passionate
animal lover who has outfitted police dogs across
the country with special bulletproof vests.
She shares her home in South Carolina with her four dogs
and a resident ghost named Mary Margaret.

Visit her website at fernmichaels.com.

#1 New York
Times bestselling author Fern Michaels takes the Sisterhood to a tropical paradise, where they confront an adversary more ruthless and devious than any they've yet faced in this much-loved series.

It's been a long time since the Sisterhood and their allies gathered together at Myra Rutledge's homeâfar too long, in Myra's opinion. She'd had enough of missing Charles and feeling the weight of the passing months. What's needed is another mission to pour her energy and the Sisterhood's talents into, and her dear friend, Countess Anna de Silva, has provided the very thing.

Lush, exclusive Spyder Island is home to many of the world's billionaires. Though the inhabitants guard their privacy jealously, resident Gretchen Spyder, daughter of the island's namesake, is making headlines. Years ago, Gretchen gave her twin babies up for legal adoption. Now Gretchen and her father are trying to get them back. The twins' adoptive parents are a loving but poor couple, completely outgunned by the Spyders' wealth. Myra, with the full force of the Sisterhood behind her, intends to give them a fighting chance at keeping the family together.

After assembling in their War Room and gathering intel, the gang is ready for action. But nestled among the lavish mansions and immaculate landscaping of Spyder Island is a sinister enemy. And in a case that's far more twisted than it first appeared, the ingenuity, courage, and friendship of the Sisterhood will be tested as never before.

From #1
New York Times
bestselling author Fern Michaels comes a captivating and heartfelt new novel, as a young dancer finds an unexpected partnerâand gains the courage to live according to her heart ...

In a city built on dreams, Trisha Holiday makes her living moving like one. But out of her dancer's costume, she's as down-to-earth as they come. That's why she ignores the admiring noteâand the accompanying $1000 billâthat arrives backstage after one of her ethereal performances. Yet the sender, a wealthy foreign prince, isn't easily dissuaded. Seven years living and studying in the United States have made Malik long for the freedom to choose his own brideâand the woman he wants is Trisha.

After a breathtaking visit to Malik's kingdom culminates in a marriage proposal, Trish attempts to adjust to an opulent new lifestyle complete with servants, sumptuous surroundings, and vast wealth. None of that matters to Trish as much as Malik's love. With Malik's sister Soraya proving a trusted new friend, they plan a lavish wedding surpassing anything she could have imagined.

Yet Trish's new life will have challenges tooâadjusting to a new and complex culture, to the myriad demands of Malik's royal position, and to the expectations she faces as his wife. In the midst of her own major changes, Trish vows to help her sister, Emma, whose marriage has end in a bitter breakup. And through it all, TrishÂ·will strive to stay true to what matters mostâlove, true friendship, and the ties that hold family together across the miles and the years.

International bestselling author Fern Michaels follows the transformation of a heartbroken young girl into a proud, sophisticated woman on the verge of a magnificent destiny ...

Six years ago, Jory Ryan fled Philadelphia after a brief, tragic marriage to wealthy Ross Landers. Now Jory has come home to make peace with the past. But the future invites trouble when Jory falls precipitously for Ross's best friendâand becomes entangled with the Landers family and the business she fled. Suddenly Jory finds herself at the helm of an empire, confronted with changes and choices she never dreamed possible, and ready to meet a new life ripe with the promise of lasting love.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

LYRICAL PRESS is published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018

Ballantine Books Trade Paperback edition: 2010

Fern Michaels is a registered trademark of First Draft, Inc.

Lyrical Press is a trademark of Kensington Publishing Corp.

First Kensington Electronic Edition: February 2015

ISBN: 978-1-6018-3072-2