Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace

Chapter 1

I was dead.

I bit the dust the night he forced me to lure a killer all to protect his new flame. After I kicked the bucket, they turned my body into an exhibit and stuck me in a glass display case for eternity.

But Dexter Fitzgerald just lost his marbles.

Sea City, the Fitzgerald Mansion

couldn’t figure out why my spirit ended up back at this joint after I took a big sleep.

“Still no word from Phoebe? It’s been days,” Dexter’s mother Hailey muttered under her breath as she parked on the couch. “That kid’s always been a goody two shoes; she wouldn’t just ghost my calls. What if something’s happened to her?”

I was the Fitzgerald family’s adopted girl, shipped over to their pad when I was eighteen.

My mom was Hailey’s BFF. After my folks passed away in a car wreck, she scooped me up and brought me to the Fitzgeralds.

“Mom, just let it be. She’s a big girl; what could possibly go wrong?” Dexter was getting antsy and glancing at the time. “Today’s Melody’s birthday bash–I gotta jet.”

Watching Dexter, I couldn’t help but snicker at myself. Like he’d give a damn if I was dead or alive.

Back in the day, we were the childhood sweethearts everybody raved about. Me, always following him around; him, always holding my hand.

ead

He said he dug me, and then like a complete idiot, I fell head over heels for him for a whole decade.

Turned out young love was paper thin. When Dexter met his true love, all the feelings we had went up in smoke in the blink of an eye.

“Dexter… With that serial killer jazz going around targeting young, pretty girls, I’ve got this twitch in my eye and my heart’s racing non–stop. Hit up Phoebe, tell her I miss her,” Hailey was. on edge and pleaded quietly.

under, Hailey was the only one soothing and caring for me like a mother; she was treating me like her own flesh

wanted to comfort her, to give her a hug, but I couldn’t do squat

was the reason she

to embrace her, but I couldn’t touch her no matter how hard I

She shouldn’t have hung up

1/3

1. me. She’s got a hard–on.” Dexter was loaded with disgust as he mentioned me.

remembered that year when Dexter got sideswiped by kidnappers. I played the decoy like a madwoman, just

still heard him murmuring right before he passed out, “Phoebe,

was just the ingrate he’s

I stood in front of him, mocking myself. “Turns out I’ve always been nothing

set. from the start and childhood sweethearts with a solid foundation. You’re already an item; if you don’t marry her, how am I supposed to face her

we grew

shaking with rage. I swung at him but hit

it was him who went nuts and laid hands on me in bed. And he also had the nerve to claim I played

no choice but to tag along to Melody

as we walked in, Dexter’s buddies started calling Melody ‘Mrs.

birthday. Mrs. Fitzgerald! Dexter broke the bank to make

fondly at Melody, presenting his gift amid cheers from the crowd.

Phoebe?” Melody asked quietly as if something just crossed her

the good guy, huh? Weren’t you the one who

kill the vibe by

“She’s still your sister, after

scoffed. “She almost got you killed and you’re

too nice.”

hugged Dexter, getting all cutesy in his

never hurt her, and it was her! She’s the

couldn’t hear a