Summary: Detective Killian Jones took an indefinite leave of absence from SBPD after his brother was murdered in the Line of Duty. Bitter and broken, he resides in a cabin on the beach when his brother's former partner, David Nolan brings him a case he knows the vengeful detective won't be able to resist. A case involving Liam's killer.
Dr. Emma Swan makes all of her decisions like she operates on her patients—with care, competence and compassion. But when her colleague, Graham Humbert, is killed in cold blood by the man who was freed because of a decision she made as a juror, she second guesses herself. Now her squeaky clean reputation is questioned when she becomes a suspect for Graham's murder.
There is one detective who knows she's innocent, and he has a plan to protect Emma and find his brother's killer at the same time. When Killian finds himself caught between his duties to the SBPD and his need for vengeance, matters are only complicated by the feelings he develops for the woman he's supposed to protect.
He's impulsive and hot-tempered, and she's methodical and cool under pressure. Despite their differences, can they work together to bring the murderer to justice, or will the murderer get to them first?
A/N: This is something I've been working on. I love murder mysteries and always wanted to write one. I read a book a long time ago called The Crush by Sandra Brown that inspired this one in particular. This just a short prologue, which is basically just an introduction to the fic.
Many thanks go to ultraluckycatnd for her wonderful beta-ing skills and onceuponaprincessworld as always for her encouragement and letting me bounce ideas off of her.
Explicit due to mature language, character death, violence, murder and smut. The scenes won't be too graphic, but I'd rather overrate than underrate it. Also, this fic takes place in Texas, where the death penalty is legal, but it's only mentioned in the story and pertains to the trial in this prologue.
One decision.
That's all it takes to ruin a person's life.
Or possibly several people's lives.
One carefully measured, rational, thoroughly informed decision, taking all angles and every spec of evidence into consideration.
Or one decision that's made in a split second fueled by high emotions.
One decision that can't be retracted or changed.
No matter how the decision is made, that one decision is all it takes.
"Not guilty."
As soon as the gavel strikes the wood at the conclusion of the trial, Emma questions her decision. Even though she'd made a decision based on all the facts. All the evidence, or lack thereof.
The words echo through her mind on an endless loop.
Not guilty. Not guilty. Not guilty.
She will never forget those words or how they were spoken. She'll never forget the judge who spoke them or what the words implied. But mostly, she'll never forget the man who was spared the death penalty of those two single words.
Not guilty.
Because of her.
Well, technically, a jury of twelve made the decision, but she was the forewoman; she was the person who changed everyone's minds when they were in disagreement with her.
He might have been guilty, but the prosecuting attorney didn't present enough evidence to convince her beyond a reasonable doubt, and she could not in good conscious let a possibly innocent man receive the death penalty. As a doctor whose job is to save lives, as a person who consciously and carefully ponders every decision she ever makes, she couldn't let a man be convicted without the adequate evidence.
She saved a man from receiving the death penalty.
But whose lives will be ruined because of her decision? Whose lives will be taken? Whose lives could have been spared if she let one man die?
Who will pay the price of her one decision?