Ominous Island
Page 19
Noelle smiled. “I talked to her last night. Janvier recommended that the murder charges against me be dropped, and the prosecutor agreed.”
“So, that means you are officially innocent,” said Beanie, beaming. “You’re not going to jail for a crime you didn’t commit.”
“And I have more good news,” said Noelle, bending to kiss Ethan, and then Beanie, and finally, Evan. “I’m not going to lose my job. I’ve been officially reinstated, and I'm going back to work next week.”
“I told you the nightmare would end,” said Beanie. “From now on, it’s going to be sweet dreams.”
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Reunion Island
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Prologue
I’m going to die tonight, he thought, gazing at the amber liquid his favorite bartender, Ratcliff, expertly poured into his glass.
“You doing all right tonight, Mr. Jameson?” Ratcliff asked, screwing the cap back on the bottle of whiskey he preferred, the only drink he ever ordered when he patronized the Purple Gecko. A local bar on Sandy Coral Road, it was in a neighborhood called Handweg Gardens, considered the wrong side of the island, an area where tourists were warned not to wander around alone at night. He liked the Purple Gecko because it wasn’t busy during the week. On the weekend it was a madhouse of adventurous tourists and locals, deafening reggae, thick clouds of weed-laced smoke, and raucous behavior.
“I’m okay, Ratcliff,” he said, even though he wasn’t.
He had stopped being okay ten minutes ago, when the door opened and he’d turned, wondering who might be about to enter the seedy dive.
“You need anything else, Mr. Jameson, you let me know,” Ratcliff said and then returned to his spot behind the bar, where he began polishing glasses as he stared at a cricket match on the small black-and-white television mounted on the wall.
“Sure thing,” the man said, clutching the shot glass with trembling fingers as he brought it to his mouth and took another sip.
He’d nearly gagged when she’d walked in, tall and lithe, nothing but dangerous curves beneath a clingy red strapless dress. A mane of luxurious raven hair tumbled down her back as she navigated the maze of tables, heading to the bar. He could scarcely believe it was her. Amal Shahin. For a moment, he’d thought the whiskey was giving him some sort of alcoholic hallucination, but no, it was Amal. He’d never forget the fierce, intimidating beauty.
He let out a long, shaky exhale, staring as she stood at the bar ordering a drink. Amal would kill him tonight. Pressing the barrel against his forehead, she would squeeze the trigger.
Amal Shahin didn’t look like a cold-blooded killer.
She looked like what she was perfect for—a fast and dirty fuck in the back of his car followed by a hasty departure with no need for awkward goodbyes. Hadn’t their first time together been quick and nasty? Tumultuous and explosive. Separation without explanation. No need for discussion when there were no ridiculous expectations like love or commitment, no need to let feelings get in the way of a good thing. And it had been damn good. Sexy and experimental, the best kind of decadent debauchery. Almost too much of a good thing.
Now, it was a good thing about to go very bad.
He took a drink but the whiskey which had soothed him moments ago felt like acid going down his throat and soured in his stomach.
His mind raced. He struggled to control his thoughts, to prioritize his current predicament. He needed to figure out his next move, but her presence, so alluring and tempting, had shocked him, and options eluded him. He didn’t have a plan, didn’t know what to do other than hope he could get away before she put a bullet between his eyes. Picking up the wine she’d requested, Amal turned and smiled at him, raising the glass.
Hopes fading, he downed the remaining whiskey, now more convinced than ever that this would be his last night alive.
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Murder in Paradise Series
Stand-alone romantic mystery novels all set in the fictional Palmchat Islands.
REUNION ISLAND
TEMPTATION ISLAND
OMINOUS ISLAND
Also by Rachel Woods
SPENCER & SIONE SERIES
Gripping romantic suspense series with steamy romance, unpredictable plot twists and devastating consequences of deceit.
FLAWLESS MISTAKE
FLAWLESS DANGER
FLAWLESS BETRAYAL
About the Author ~ Rachel Woods
Rachel Woods studied journalism and graduated from the University of Houston where she published articles in the Daily Cougar. She is a legal assistant by day and a freelance writer and blogger with a penchant for melodrama by night. Many of her stories take place on the islands, which she has visited around the world. Rachel resides in Houston, Texas with her three sock monkeys.
For more information:
www.therachelwoods.com
therachelwoodsauthor@gmail.com
About the Author ~ Angel Vane
Angel Vane has a dramatic personality, is prone to exaggeration and is in perpetual pursuit of her creative muse. She loves writing, reading, traveling, spa days and soap operas. Angel resides in Tomball, Texas.
For more information:
angelvaneauthor@gmail.com
About the Publisher
BonzaiMoon Books is a family-run, artisanal publishing company created in the summer of 2014. We publish works of fiction in various genres. Our passion and focus is working with authors who write the books you want to read, and giving those authors the opportunity to have more direct input in the publishing of their work.
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For more information:
www.bonzaimoonbooks.com
bonzaimoon@gmail.com