Hanover picked up his
pipe and relit it, studying Regan’s face as he inhaled to bring the fire back
to life. “Today’s not the first time, is it?”
“First time? I lost
count around my second week in Amsterdam.”
“Not chasing the
dragon, seeing things.”
Regan studied her drink
for a long moment and then shook her head slowly.
“What have you seen?”
“Ghosts,” she said
softly. “I talked to them all the time when I was younger, but then Daddy
thought I was crazy and sent me to a psychiatrist. So now I only talk to them
if we’re alone.”
“When did you start
seeing ghosts?”
“The first time was
the day I saw my mother get shot. Her spirit rose up out of her body and kissed
me on the cheek. She wiped my tears and told me she wouldn’t leave me. And she
hasn’t. She still kisses my forehead every night and sings me a lullaby when
I’m sad. That’s another thing I saw in the mirror.”
“What?” Hanover asked.
“My mother get shot.
When I ran away from the table the first time. That’s why I ran, except I
thought it was a real person getting shot here tonight. I thought I could save
her.”
“But when you got
there, no one had been shot.” Hanover reached across the table and put his hand
over hers.
Regan turned her hand
over and clasped his hand. “How did you know?”
“Maybe our worlds
aren’t that different after all, Regan Worth.” Hanover reached out to wipe a
tear that glistened on her cheek.
High
Rollers is the latest book in our Dime Store Novel series. However, it is
the first book that stars Regan Worth, so you haven’t read the other books, you
can start here and go back if you want.
Regan Worth is a fun character to write. She’s the daughter
of a jazz pianist and bootlegger. High
Rollers takes place at the height of the Jazz age when prohibition had its
claws on fun, but people like Regan found ways to party. Regan likes to party.
She drinks, smokes, and chases the dragon (smokes opium). In some ways, the partying gives her an
excuse for seeing things others can’t see. If she starts talking to someone
others can’t see, she can always blame the drugs.
In this scene she shares her secret with Hanover Fist. Will a romance develop between Regan
and Hanover? I’ll never tell.
In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day (Regan is half-Irish),
we are offering High Rollers Kindle edition at a discount this week. 3/17
through 3/19 it is available for 99 cents. From 3/20 through 3/23, the price
goes up to $1.99. On 3/24, the sale is over and you’ll have to pay $2.99. High
Rollers is a KDP Select book and is only available for Kindle or in paperback.
I blog at rachelleandjohn.blogspot.com. You can also find me
on Twitter as @RachelleReese and if you’d rather speak to my dog, follow
@RagabashGirl. The Dime Store Novel characters blog at dimestorenovel.blogspot.com.
Regan typically blogs on Fridays about spirits (typically the drinking kind),
music, or anything else she happens to think is fun that week.
