Morgan Kelley

Blood Red Rage

Book 1 in the Littlemoon Investigations

Synopsis ~ Back Book cover 

They’re starting anew.

Julian and Tori Littlemoon are now their own bosses. It’s a blessing and a curse at the same time.

As they struggle to build up a business and make a name for themselves, they have other problems facing them down.

Someone is collecting women.

It’s a new dangerous game, since they no longer have the power of the FBI to back them up. They’ve been hired to bring home one missing girl, but it leads them deep into the madness.

With the help of his family, and an unexpected ally with a ‘gift’, they begin to unravel the mystery of who is taking these women to create the ultimate collection.

The truth will be set free, but can they live with the consequences of what is to come?

The madness is the least of their worries. Now, the team has a far bigger concern.

It’s the Blood Red Rage, and maniac with an appetite to own them all…

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   © Copyright 2014 by Morgan Kelley LLC All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or in an information storage or retrieval system without written consent from the author. All characters are fictional and any similarity to real life or individuals is coincidental.

 Excerpt ~ 

He was a collector.

All of his life, he always wanted to find the best things out there and make them his. It had been his mission, even from his prepubescent years.

When something sparkly, pretty, or lovely crossed his path, he was compelled to make it his.

It started with simple stones.

One would think that it was innocent enough, but it prepared him for the future ahead. The rocks were just the beginning and made him want more and more.

He would go out into the river and find the ones that nature had worn down in its current, and he would bring them home. At first his mother didn't mind, but then…

Like so many things, it became his obsession.

The collection grew and grew, taking over his space and his brain. It went from hobby to fixation incredibly fast. When his mother tried to step in, he was filled with hate and anger.

IT WAS HIS!

How dare she try to stop him?

Even at a young age, the rage filled him when someone tried to touch his possessions. So, as time went on, his mother turned a blind eye. She ignored his obsessive tendencies and let him have it his way. The day that he exploded in rage, she backed down and would never contest his collecting again. Even she feared what may happen if he were provoked.

This hobby opened so many doors for him.

After rocks, it was leaves and then figurines.

There was nothing wrong with that, right?

Before long, as time slowly ticked by and childhood ebbed into adulthood, the needs changed and grew. The objects he longed to collect no longer were little things. As their size grew, their value to him also became greater.

Until that one day, when he stumbled upon the ultimate collection.

Beautiful women.

As he went off to college, a whole new world opened around him. Since he had been home schooled his entire life, he never really understood the importance of the opposite sex. Granted, he spent his days with a woman; his mother. What was so special about her? If anything, she was mediocre at best.

He didn't get it until that day when he was surrounded by them. It was as if something unlocked inside him, and he finally knew the truth.

There were blondes, brunette, and redheads. They smiled and smelled like heaven. Some had curly mops and some had hair that was poker straight.

This was a brand new world.

He was a kid in a very sexy candy shop. Every time that he blinked, a new woman appeared before him. All he needed to do was find the one who called to him.

So, like any good collector, he started at the beginning and prepped with photographs. Taking a few snapshots was easier than talking to them, so pictures would come first, and then he would see where it led.

Maybe in time, he could approach them and make them his.

A good gatherer didn't put a limit on a newly sought after prize.

He let the spirit move him.

Well, now, he was feeling it like never before. As he would sit in his classes, he would watch them all. The brunette liked the one jock. She would bat her eyelashes at him and hike her skirt up pretty high. The blonde was the smart one. She didn't even care about what was going on around her. All that she focused on was the man at the front of the classroom and her notebook. Then there was the redhead. She snapped her gum and looked infinitely bored, as she continued to glance at her watch. Each were very different, and yet so much alike.

Yeah, they were all oblivious to him watching. Part of him wished that they knew the truth of what was floating around in his brain. If they could see the intent on his face as he admired their different colored hair and body types, maybe then, they wouldn’t look so lackadaisical. To him, they were special.

Once class was over, he would follow the one that he liked best. When she never noticed that he was behind her, it gave him more hope that he would finally get her picture for his collection.

When she went to the commons and found a place to lie in the green grass, he did the same. Only, he stayed far enough away to openly admire her.

Oh, and did he ever!

There were shots of her licking her lips, flipping her hair, and falling asleep on her back in the sun.

This was heaven.

Already, his body was stirring, and he was feeling things that he never knew possible. Who would have thought that this beautiful collection was out there, wandering the world so freely?

Why had he not decided on this hobby long ago?

As his eyes flickered around the commons, he saw the truth. Beauty was everywhere, and now he could focus on it.

There was no one to stop him.

He stayed until she did, blowing off his last class of the day, only to watch her head home. He was so enraptured, that he didn't want to miss a second of observing her. If he did, surely something miraculous and wondrous would happen.

Fortunately for him, her apartment wasn’t far from campus and along the tree lined street. If she turned around, he could dive for cover and not be seen. If caught, it would ruin it all.

In his mind, he already had it all planned out. Not only would he take pictures, but he would study his subjects and find the best of the best.

This woman had piqued his interest and would hold a special place in his heart.

He was sure of it.

As he followed, his excitement grew. His body tightened and his response confused him. In his life, he had never wanted anything more. While his other collections brought him joy, this one made him feel. It filled him and made him so very warm with bliss. It astounded him that his own mother had failed to mention the effect of the opposite sex.

This was an endorphin rush.

It was amazing.

It was… addictive.

Deep in his mind, he knew that he was on the right track to find his next collection. With this response, it had to be right.

There was an inkling of warning, but it was pushed back down into his conscience for the momentary high. For now, that was all that mattered.

Once at her apartment, he noticed that she lived on the bottom floor. This would make it easy. Finding a place to hide in the trees, he waited until she made her next move. This was new to him, so he wasn’t quite sure what to do next.

So, he waited.

Once darkness had come, he was in his glory as he moved even closer to his new subject and prize.

He watched.

Moving as close to her window as he dared, he began taking pictures of her for his books. This subject would have one all of her own. Where usually his collections shared a scrapbook, this beauty would get the royal treatment. He was giddy at the prospect of constructing it. There were pictures of her partially clothed and just about ready to enter the shower.

Yes, she was the one.

Now, he knew for sure.

As he took the final shot with his camera, he stared longingly at the beauty. For the time being, she would be his muse. He was certain that it would lead to many more in the collection.

How could he stop at only one?

 Backing away from the window, he made his escape into the night.

His new obsession had begun.

It was going to last his entire life.

Racing back to his apartment, he was overjoyed and exuberant. The energy vibrated through him. Never in his life had he felt this alive and happy.

Something about this woman and the prospect of the hunt, made him feel like he was living the dream. As someone who appreciated the beautiful things in life, he knew deep down that she was his pinnacle.

This was it.

Here was the culmination of everything that he had grown up loving and adoring.

Gone were the trinkets.

Now was the time for his works of art.

As he lay on his bed, his thoughts were focused on one thing. He knew that he needed a strategic plan of action. There needed to be a guideline to tell him where he should begin and how far he could take it.

Were pictures first?

Would they be enough?

He shook his head, as if to fight off the dark ideas bouncing around in his brain. He wanted so much more, but he knew that wasn’t possible.

Yes, pictures would be enough.

After all, he was an artist and nothing more. Then, he allowed the darkness a tiny segue into his mind. He was not only a man who appreciated beauty.

He was more...

He was the collector and was destined to have her.