by Sarah Barrie
‘I’ve already had two champagnes in the limo.’
‘Then go steady. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover tonight.’
‘We do?’
‘Mmm hmm. Here come our entrees.’
They worked their way through four delicious courses, and when they were finished, Lee took her hand and pulled her up to dance. The violinist kept playing, the wine was making her slightly dizzy. It was too perfect to be real.
‘Happy?’ Lee murmured against her ear as the last strains of another melody dissolved into the night.
She leant into him, looked up. ‘This is … unforgettable.’
‘Let’s walk along the harbour.’
They wandered hand in hand along the water’s edge, enjoying the lights dancing on the surface, the energy of the city, the eclectic mix of people, sights and sounds. When they reached a wharf, he turned her in his arms and kissed her until her legs almost buckled. There was a question in his eyes, a slight tension she picked up on, but couldn’t quite understand.
‘Come with me.’
He led her towards a sleek white yacht where yet another uniformed man was waiting.
‘Good evening, sir, madam.’
‘You’re kidding?’ Ebony gasped, eyes wide. ‘You’re … not kidding.’
Lee’s smile was huge. ‘After you.’
Overwhelmed, Ebony stepped on board. ‘Wow.’
The captain gave them a brief explanation of where they were headed, mentioned something about wine and a cheese platter. Ebony listened in a daze. This was too much – the whole evening was every romantic dream she’d ever had. When the boat cruised quietly out onto the water, Lee handed her a glass of wine.
‘I can’t believe you did all this.’
He kissed her gently. ‘You know how I feel about you, don’t you?’ Taking her wine from her hand he touched her fingers to his lips. ‘As much as I’ve tried to stick to the storylines tonight, I have to break tradition, here, just for a moment.’
Fascinated, Ebony tilted her head to watch as he walked away and opened a hatch to the inside deck. A lively white ball of fluff wearing a red ribbon came bounding out to jump at him, then spotted Ebony and bounced across to say hello.
Her eyes rounded. ‘It’s a Samoyed!’ She scooped the puppy up, cuddled it close. ‘She’s beautiful. Hi, sweetheart, hi. Lee, she’s perfect just –’ Her fingers found the bow, noticed what was attached to it. Her breath stopped. Tears gathered in her eyes.
Lee stepped in, untied the bow and retrieved the ring.
When he got down on one knee and took her hand, the tears spilled down her cheeks.
‘I love you. More than I thought it was possible to love another person. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Nothing I wouldn’t try to be to make you happy.’
Ebony fought the tears back, wondered if she could speak. ‘Who you are makes me happy,’ she managed. ‘I’d never need anything else. I wouldn’t ask for it.’
‘Will you marry me?’
She pressed her lips together to get herself under control, took a deep breath. ‘Yes.’
He slid the ring onto her finger.
‘It’s beautiful. You got me a pink diamond. You remembered. All of it.’ She gently put the puppy down and Lee pulled her with him as he stood. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leant into his kiss and set the memory safely into her mind and her heart.
This moment was more perfect than any movie, any book. This was her very own fairy tale. She’d wondered what her prince would look like, and in the end, he’d been the picture in her mind all along.
All that was left to do now was enjoy their happily ever after.
EPILOGUE
He paced the scarred lino floor of the cheap unit and scratched at his head in agitation, muttering and cursing to himself. Trying to keep still was a waste of time – he needed to take the edge off. He should go pick up a hooker. He grabbed his knife, studied it. They weren’t easy to pick up – not with what Mia had done to his already damaged face. And he had to be careful now everyone was looking for him – he didn’t exactly blend into the crowd. With a growl, he threw the knife at the wall, its sharp blade trembling as it pierced the surface.
Pleased with his aim, he pulled it out, examined it again. Maybe he’d give it a go anyway. Of course, without the thrill of the chase, the kill was nowhere near as exciting. But it would hold him, for now. The Masters had suffered a huge setback and he’d been ostracised by those who remained. The hunter who hadn’t been able to hunt: disabled by prey.
Fuck Mia. She was going to pay for that.
He was a rogue now, packless. But he could hunt alone. Would hunt alone.
He travelled down in the lift and out to his car. The Holden Commodore he’d bought was cheap and ordinary; it wouldn’t stand out.
He cruised down Darlinghurst Rd and into Kings Cross, slowing occasionally to see if any fresh meat caught his eye. Shops and bars were lit up, people wandered, revelled, young people mostly – out for a good time – possibly trouble. Plenty of noise, plenty of chaos, easier than most places to blend in here, to hide among the masses.
He drove around some more, down a few side streets, back into the Cross. Nothing tempted him. He realised he was looking for one woman in particular. She wouldn’t be found here, but a reasonable likeness would do. A reasonable likeness? He grinned wryly. No one who looked like Mia Morgan was going to be walking the streets. She was special.
He thought back to how soft her skin had felt, almost smelled again the scent she’d been wearing, remembered the fear in her eyes that she’d tried so hard to mask when he’d pierced her skin.
He wondered how much she’d told her friends, whether she thought about what he’d said to her. Of course she did. She’d think about it.
He wasn’t going to give her a chance to forget.
He found himself on her street, checking out her pretty little terrace. She wasn’t home yet, but she’d come back. And then he’d be too busy to look for likenesses. But not tonight. His fingers curled around the handle of his knife. Tonight he’d take the edge off.
He headed back to where the hookers prowled the loneliest areas of the streets to find himself a distraction.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
One of the most challenging elements of writing a story full of police procedure is learning police procedure! For those elements of the story I have to give a huge thank you to my very patient, always available friends, former Senior Constable Tangil Kinch and former Leading Senior Constable Angela D’Bras. Thanks also to Belinda Neil, former police detective, homicide investigator and hostage negotiator. Your experiences of post-traumatic stress disorder have played a vital role in this series. Thank you for your support and for sharing your sensational book, Under Siege.
Damian Burgess, of Burgess Lawyers, you are amazing. I find the legal system even more perplexing than police procedure, and I very much appreciate you answering my out of the blue and often (probably) silly questions. Thanks also to Lee Christine for dropping everything to call or text your husband with these questions just about every time I run into you!
Another personal learning curve has involved dart guns and their uses in treating large animals. For all this information, thanks to Mike Ross from DanInject Dart Guns.
Of course, I have to acknowledge my critique partners Ann B Harrison and Tea Cooper - you ladies are wonderful. Thanks for the assistance, laughs and occasional kick up the butt. Also to The Hunter Rural Romance Writers, for the same reasons.
To Clare Foster, for making me feel like a professional writer and taking care of all the hard bits, you are very much appreciated.
To family, who go above and beyond with entertaining children and picking up extra farm work so I can lock myself away for days on end to meet (usually meet … okay sometimes meet) deadlines. Thank you.
To my readers, thank you for all your support and your lovely messages.
And finally, to the incredible team at Harlequin
who do such a fantastic job and allow me to share my stories, you’re the best. Thank you.
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First Published 2016
ISBN 978 148921057 9
SHADOWS OF HUNTERS RIDGE
© 2016 by Sarah Barrie
Australian Copyright 2016
New Zealand Copyright 2016
Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilisation of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission of the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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