Dark LegacyThe Legacy Series
Jen Talty
Jupiter Press
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2021 by Jen Talty All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be used, stored, reproduced or transmitted without written permission from the publisher except for brief quotations for review purposes as permitted by law.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy.
Contents
DARK LEGACY
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Jen Talty
Praise for Jen Talty
"Deadly Secrets is the best of romance and suspense in one hot read!" NYT Bestselling Author Jennifer Probst
"A charming setting and a steamy couple heat up the pages in a suspenseful story I couldn't put down!" NY Times and USA today Bestselling Author Donna Grant
"Jen Talty's books will grab your attention and pull you into a world of relatable characters, strong personalities, humor, and believable storylines. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll rush to get the next book she releases!" Natalie Ann USA Today Bestselling Author
"I positively loved In Two Weeks, and highly recommend it. The writing is wonderful, the story is fantastic, and the characters will keep you coming back for more. I can't wait to get my hands on future installments of the NYS Troopers series." Long and Short Reviews
"In Two Weeks hooks the reader from page one. This is a fast paced story where the development of the romance grabs you emotionally and the suspense keeps you sitting on the edge of your chair. Great characters, great writing, and a believable plot that can be a warning to all of us." Desiree Holt, USA Today Bestseller
"Dark Water delivers an engaging portrait of wounded hearts as the memorable characters take you on a healing journey of love. A mysterious death brings danger and intrigue into the drama, while sultry passions brew into a believable plot that melts the reader's heart. Jen Talty pens an entertaining romance that grips the heart as the colorful and dangerous story unfolds into a chilling ending." Night Owl Reviews
"This is not the typical love story, nor is it the typical mystery. The characters are well rounded and interesting." You Gotta Read Reviews
"Murder in Paradise Bay is a fast-paced romantic thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. You won't want to miss this one..." USA Today bestselling author Janice Maynard
DARK LEGACY
The Legacy Series book 1
USA Today Bestselling Author
JEN TALTY
Prologue
Life without hope was not a life worthy of breath.
Or so Shannon Brendel’s mother had said. Shannon had never forgotten it, but some days, she wished she’d never heard it.
Today was one of those days.
She sat by the bedroom window of her father’s summer home in Lake George, New York. The tall mast of her dad’s pride and joy rattled in the slight breeze. The new Tartan had been the bane of her existence in more ways than one. She’d lost her childhood on that boat.
And her father had allowed it to happen. Hell, he’d orchestrated the entire thing.
She contemplated for the millionth time what it would be like if she slipped into the darkness and disappeared. No one would really miss her. Her family didn’t understand the concept of caring for those you were supposed to love. Her friends weren’t really friends—more people she hid behind. If she were to die, her passing would simply be a little blip on the radar, and then everyone’s life would likely go on as if nothing had happened.
She closed her eyes, letting the darkness fill her mind. She remembered the feeling of being put under anesthesia. It was as if you simply faded to black—total unawareness.
That is exactly what she wanted.
That had been the best feeling ever, and she wanted it again, only she didn’t want the waking-up part.
While she sat there in search of obscurity, she heard her mother’s voice somewhere in the recesses of her mind. It haunted her like a bad song that she couldn’t get out of her head.
Everything will be better tomorrow, you’ll see. When you wake up, things will be different.
Lies. It was all lies. But the problem was, part of Shannon wanted to believe her mother’s false truths.
Shannon blinked, allowing reality to bombared her brain like a pack of wild wolves racing through the woods, hunting their prey. She slid open the window in the bedroom her father allowed her to stay in when the wayward student paid him a visit—which was far too often if you asked her. Being with her father wasn’t any worse than being at her mother’s. Although many, if they knew the truth, would think differently.
At least her father noticed her existence. She supposed that counted for something.
The wind was still, and it was a whopping fifty-degrees outside. It wasn’t really cold, but the air was crisp enough to give her chills. Stars filled the night sky, and the moon almost looked bright like the sun as it cast its glow over the sailboat taunting her—almost laughing at her from the water only a few hundred feet away.
She rubbed her stomach. The memory of the physical pain had slipped away, but the baby’s piercing cry would be forever etched in her memory. Her father hadn’t enforced his visitation rights in months. Now that her little problem was gone and no signs of her existence remained, her father wanted his princess
