Forgotten: Affairs of the Heart - Briarwood Series

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Holly Hill

She’s an American para-legal, in her late twenties that works at a prestigious criminal law firm in Beverly Hills, California. She contributed to the defense win for the Collin Murder trial that captivated the world. Though exhausted she prepares the preliminary work for the next case.

On a lark, her assistant, Lucy, enters her in a music contest. As the winner, she arrives in England for seven days to participate in the launch of Hurrikaine, the top rock band in the world. Holly is not a fan and is preoccupied, debating if she should set a wedding date with long time childhood friend, and colleague, Brett Templeton.

However, fate has a different path waiting for her in London with two powerful and charismatic men, first with Luka Hunter, and then Kaine Walker.

Luka Hunter Sinclare

He’s the Cable Music Television (CMT) representative, responsible for the launch of Hurrikaine in London and Paris, and until recently, Hurrikaine’s manager and producer that is responsible for their worldwide fame and fortune.

Luka is British, blonde haired and blue eyed, mid-thirties, charming, powerful, and unbearably gorgeous. His refined English gentlemanly qualities restrained Luka from revealing his true feelings, but with Holly, they surface and he quickly connects with her.

Most people in his private circle believe Luka’s uncharacteristic attraction to Holly is the strong the resemblance to his first love. He is secretive, especially when it comes to disclosing why the star-crossed love affair ended.

Luka commands an empire, is jaded and skeptical of women he believes are out for his fortune and status. Nevertheless, with honest and direct Holly, Luka transforms and believes there is hope her love is true and compels him to create a future with her.

In Hollywood, Luka accelerates his plans, creating a position at CMT for Holly to include her in every part of his life except marriage, as he’s married to Contessa. No matter, Luka courts Holly and declares her as his woman — over his dead body. After a night of scorching passion on Christmas Eve, Luka believes she’s surrendered and is his woman.

Luka convinces Holly to go on a press junket to the American southwest. Little does she know of his true intentions toward her or his plans to be revealed at a wedding held at the New

Rochelle Hotel, and as a result, is shot and ends up close to death on the floor.

Kaine Walker

He’s an American ex-patriotic, is the frontman and namesake of the internationally famous rock band Hurrikaine, in his earlier thirties and the opposite of Luka.

Kaine is an elegant, dark-haired, incomparably stunning blue-eyed poet that is volatile, teeming with exploding and romantic emotions. Like Luka, he is jaded, and certain he will never find a woman to love the real him.

In London, during a Hollywood-type kiss in Hurrikaine’s latest music video, Kaine finds his future in Holly’s eyes and instantly falls into a magical, passionate, headlining romance with her.

Luka does not take Kaine’s interference easily and after crafting a scene revealing Holly’s duplicity. Kaine has to embark on the European leg of his worldwide tour is forced to leave Holly in London with Luka.

Kaine unravels quickly, his spirit destroyed, and everyone concerned fears he has spiraled out of control into a deep depression over Holly’s leaving him for Luka. To complicate his recovery, nude photos of Luka and Holly are on the covers of European rags.

However, Kaine remains hopeful after Holly sends a secret message declaring her love is strong. Kaine decided to send presents and poetic words of love — he is on his way to her.

Kaine reunites with Holly at the wedding at the New Rochelle Hotel. After a rocky reunion, she accepts his marriage proposal, and he learns he’s becoming a father. However, he and Holly need to stay aloof to not alert Luka that his fate is about to change — Holly is leaving with Kaine.

Sarah returns to fill in the blanks and explains to Kaine the collusion between her and Luka to destroy his relationship with Holly. Kaine, enraged and armed, goes after Luka, and the confrontation leaves him in a pool of blood, dying on the penthouse floor.

Emily Dunnehill-Jamison

She’s English, early thirties, Kaine’s younger half-sister, and wife to Nicky Jamison, lead-guitarist in Hurrikaine. She intervenes when she attempts to reunite the star-crossed couple, by explaining Kaine’s complex history, conveying the crucial information of Kaine’s standing in the English peerage, a Duke, and lives in the hauntingly charming Briarwood Castle.

Emily’s pregnant and encourages Holly to share the wonderful news with Kaine that he’s becoming a father and will draw him out of the dark depression that’s captured him.

Holly won’t allow it. She wants Kaine to return to her on his own, not because she is carrying his child. That hard stance worries Emily. She’s is fearful, especially due to the captivating hold that Luka Hunter has on her. She warns, Luka will do anything he needs to get what he wants — and that is Holly.

Emily anticipates Holly reunion with her brother at the New Rochelle Hotel and is elated when she learns of its success. However, after the wedding, Emily is worried.

She can’t find Kaine.

No one can.

Nicky Jamison

He’s American, early thirties, Emily’s husband, founding member, and lead guitar player in Hurrikaine.

Solange Beauvais-Montgomery

She’s French, a thirty-year-old private detective, and sophisticated fiancée of Ian Montgomery, Hurrikaine’s keyboardist. She’s shared with Holly her longtime history with Luka and warned her to pick either Kaine or Luka. She is partial to Kaine and attempts to steer Holly away from Luka … to no avail.

Solange invited Holly to be a bridesmaid in her upcoming nuptials at the New Rochelle Hotel at the end of December in Pasadena, California, where Kaine will stand as best man for Ian. She is in phone contact with Holly keeping her up to date on the difficulties of Kaine on tour in Europe. She too is in constant fear of Luka Hunter’s hold on Holly and cautions her to be cautious.

At the hotel, she passes into marital bliss with Ian but is unable to enjoy her nuptial reception because Kaine is missing. She confides to Holly that she is a private detective, working with Kaine, investigating Luka for corporate fraud for stealing Hurrikaine funds to buy shares of CMT. Knowing both men are armed, Solange invites Holly to join forces to keep Kaine safe from an unknown danger.

Solange is found lying unconscious in the hallway of the penthouse floor with her wedding gown covered with blood.

Ian Montgomery

He’s an American, early thirties, founding member, Hurrikaine’s keyboardist, and Kaine’s best friend, and recently married to Solange.

Contessa (Tessa) Armstrong-Sinclare

She’s an American, although she’s lived all her life in England, is a stunning beauty at thirty. She’s the designer and owner of the world-famous clothing line Asset that creates all of Hurrikaine’s stage costumes, and owns three shops in London, Paris, and recently in Beverly Hills. She is also Luka Hunter’s wife of eight years.

Tessa’s in Hollywood to debut Asset’s couture wedding collection for Solange and Ian’s wedding. At a bridesmaid dress fitting, Tessa and Holly forge an odd alliance bound by the fact that she too was Kaine Walker’s girlfriend in the early days of Hurrikaine. She’s aware her marriage to Luka has ended and warns Holly to be careful with Luka, he is capable of anything to get what he wants, and that is Holly.

Tessa announces to Holly, she’s been notified by Luka, the divorce papers are on the way, and to prepare, he is taking over Asset in the settlement.

At Solange and Ian’s wedding, Tessa warns Holly of Luka’s true, malicious intentions, especially his death threat to her life — he would rather see her dead than give up Asset.

Sarah (Rah) Cromwell

She’s Irish, in her early thirties, and Kaine’s red-haired personal assistant with an obsessive attachment to him. She is vicious and dangerous. She hates any woman Kaine shows attention to, but especially Holly, threatening her life.

Rah willingly worked in tandem with Luka, determined to keep the break-up between Holly and Kaine permanent. During a confrontation with Luka, he beats her, punishing her brutal treatment of Holly at Friar Manor, and that if she doesn’t stay silent, he will end Kaine’s life.

Luka’s clear, Rah is a loose end, and she knows how Luka handles loose ends. To retaliate, she takes her foul confession of interference to Kaine and that reckless action incites him to put an end to Luka.

Lucy

She’s American, and Holly’s personal assistant at the law firm and entered her in the CMT contest, she won and inadvertently changed her life. At Holly’s invitation, she followed Holly to The Heart of Hollywood. Holly sent her on a secret assignment to England to investigate Luka Hunter-Sinclare to ascertain his true identity. At the last minute, Lucy discovers a secret more life-shattering than Holly could imagine.

Michael Richmond

He’s American, in his early forties, handsome and elegant. He’s married to highly manicured, yet down-to-earth Catherine, and has two teenagers. Michael is a self-made multi-millionaire, CEO of CMT UK/US, responsible for Holly’s cable music show, and as far as anyone knows, the man Luka Hunter reports to.

Michael recently made stocks in CMT available, and at a secret meeting over the Thanksgiving holiday at his mountaintop lodge, he sold controlling shares to Luka. According to his wife Catherine, Michael works for Luka.

Michael, conspired with Luka to hijack Holly with the southwest junket and keep her away from Kaine.

CONTENTS

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter One

MESSIN’ WITH A HURRICANE

DECEMBER 31, 1989

11:59 P.M.

New Rochelle Hotel

Pasadena, California

Holly began to drift.

She didn’t hear the clock count down.

Nine …eight …seven …

She passed into unconsciousness.

... Two.

… One.

Midnight.

Happy New Year!

Chapter Two

EYES WITHOUT A FACE

January 1, 1990

12:05 a.m.

New Rochelle Hotel

Pasadena, California

Blood and bodies...

The decaying smells of living and dying collided in the thick air.

A gruesome moment she’d never forget.

Holly lay on the hardwood floor.

Pitch black.

Air quiet.

Suddenly, lightning flashed scratching the sky with its nails.

Yes, her eyes were open.

The thunder rolled, shaking the floor, nudging her, prompting her, there were things she needed to do.

Dazed and confused, she wondered what happened. Why was she lying on the floor in the darkness?

There was an echo of a blood-curdling scream. She wasn’t sure from what direction.

She struggled to sit.

It was her screaming.

She remembered...

Kaine, her magnificent Kaine ... beaten and bloody.

Luka, a few feet away, his face a fractured mirror to Kaine’s.

What happened?

Where was everyone?

Holly began to remember like stars twinkling in a coal black night. Ian and Solange booked the top three floors of the New Rochelle Hotel for the wedding party and A-list out-of-town celebrities and guests.

The lightning flashed again, then again bringing the terror deeper and deeper into the darkness.

She remembered...

Gunshots, how many?

She couldn’t remember.

Fuck!

Apparently, the others hadn’t heard the gunfire over the black mountain of the raging storm clouds, dwarfed by the sounds of the omnipotent lightning and thunder foreshadowing this horrendous event.

She blinked. That was all the time she could spare. She needed to move, to sit up. It was necessary to help her sweet Kaine, and yes, even that fucking bastard Luka. She felt the compulsion to go back to beautiful Solange lying in the corridor splattered with her own blood.

Whom first ... she knew the answer.

Dazed, she needed to move Kaine’s head that lay on the polished wooden floor beside her. She gently lifted and returned it to rest in the nook of her lap and then lightly touched his chest for a breath.

Nothing.

She heard the pitiful howling again — it was she, as the crushing pain brought the realization that Kaine was dead.

***

Black … nothingness.

The air … silent.

A chilling mist shrouded his body.

Somewhere in the far, distance a muffled sound wrapped in thick cotton.

He felt his shattered spirit searching for his soul.

He was leaving.

***

Holly frantically traced Kaine’s neck … no pulse ... she waited … no pulse … she waited … faint, as if a thread tethered to life, a slight pulse.

She wiped away the tears that blurred her vision and did the hardest thing. She slowly moved, pulled a pillow from the couch, and placed his head on it next to the scattered debris on the wood floor.

He needed help, immediately!

When the lightning flashed, again, she saw the gun in his hand. A crushing squeeze of terror closed in on her chest as she impulsively grabbed it from him. He would never be accused of killing his brother. Well, technically half-brother.

How had this happened?

Not daring to think of all the consequences of her situation, she crawled over the broken furniture to Luka, chanting under her breath.

Is Luka dead ... is Luka dead?

If he were, Kaine, her Precious One, would never have a future. The baby... what about their baby growing up believing its father a murderer.

More thunder and more thunder followed loudly as if the sky splits into, but the rumblings seemed to be farther apart. Didn’t they say that the more time between lightning and thunder the farther away the danger was? The hard edge of the violent storm heralded its final victory and triumphantly faded into the distance.

She moved as quickly as she could over the broken chips, shards of wood and glass, littered about the suite’s polished floor.

Blood… there is too much blood.

The coppery scent weighed heavy as a stench in the chilled air, more potent than she recalled that