Black and Blue (Kira Brightwell, Book 2) – Jacquelyn Smith

Black and Blue (Kira Brightwell, Book 2)

Series: The Kira Brightwell Mysteries

Kira Brightwell hates to lose—in the MMA cage or outside of it. But her failure to capture the serial abductor known as the Procurer rankles most of all.

Four months. Four months spent obsessing over the last time he slipped through her fingers with nothing to show for it.

Time to move on—at least for the moment. (For her own sanity, if nothing else.)

…Easier said than done.

This fast-paced, suspenseful novel pushes Kira deeper into uncharted territory as a problem solver for hire, with dangerous consequences. Follow the path of a clever heroine’s obsession in this second book from the Kira Brightwell mystery series by Jacquelyn Smith. (Originally published under the pen name Kat Irwin.) → Read an Excerpt

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This title is also available as part of the Second Warning Kira Brightwell Collection.

A shadowy figure slipped into the darkened bedroom from the hallway. Raindrops tapped against the curtained windows on the far side of the room. The muted sounds of overlapping conversations punctuated by notes of music drifted from the party downstairs. How long before anyone noticed someone was missing?

The figure padded across the room on silent feet toward the wall beside the bed. The careful removal of a pastoral oil painting revealed the cool metal surface of a safe door. The dial turned with ease, a soft click announcing the fall of a tumbler as each correct number was selected. Moments later, the door swung open on silent hinges, a light flickering to life inside to illuminate the contents with a pale glow.

This was the moment. All the planning and preparation… It had all come down to this. After tonight was over, the wheels would be set in motion. Everything would change.

The prickling sense of being watched made the figure turn.

Is someone else here?

Eyes swept the darkened contours of the large bed, dressers, and wing chairs in the sitting area of the room. Nothing moved.

I’m being paranoid.

Precious minutes were ticking by. There was no time to waste jumping at shadows. The figure turned back toward the safe to continue with the task at hand. Within moments, the job was done. Time to get back to the party and mingle.

The night was still young, and there was so much left to do.

* * *

Kira dodged a punch and circled, her bare feet skimming the mat of the cage. Her dark ponytail swished in the air behind her. The man facing her was roughly her weight and height—five foot ten with lean muscle—but he lacked experience. Still, she was glad to add some variety to her training partners. When she had first started her MMA training, most of the guys had been hesitant to roll with a woman. But things were different now. More and more people had come to learn of her past since she had solved an abduction case four months ago and rescued her friend, Stephanie Wright. The media had been quick to link the story with Kira’s own abduction escape and rescue of seven other girls three years before. Most of the guys who approached her at the gym now were just curious, but she made sure they all walked away knowing she was every bit as tough as her reputation.

And they still underestimate me.

The man currently facing her—Ryan—took another swing. Kira blocked and struck his unprotected side with her knee. She was a decent striker, but she knew she needed to take the fight to the ground if she wanted to increase her chances of winning. She picked away at her opponent strategically with knees and jabs, keeping dark memories of her past firmly in check. She had come to accept that those experiences were a part of her. Not only that, but they were what had made her the fighter she had become. Even though Kira had no interest in becoming a professional fighter, it didn’t mean she didn’t take her training or fights seriously. The reason she fought with more intensity than any of her opponents was because she had been forced to fight outside the cage to save her own skin.

Nothing could replace that kind of experience.

[Copyright © Jacquelyn Smith, 2021]