A Spinster's Awakening (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite Book 2)

by Rebecca King

  “I thought I had just had a nightmare,” she murmured ruefully. “It took me a moment to realise it has all really happened.”

  “You nearly died.” Angus clenched his back teeth and swallowed harshly. “Do you have any idea how close you came to being killed?”

  “I am sorry,” Charity whispered. “I was shopping in town and saw the man I thought was Mr Lawrence. I couldn’t believe it was him so followed him. The next thing I know is he shot me.”

  “It wasn’t him,” Angus corrected. “It was his son who was inside the house. He must have realised you were following his father.”

  Charity frowned at him. “I didn’t realise Mr Lawrence had a son.”

  “He doesn’t. The old Mr Lawrence had no children. The man you followed was his cousin, Phillip Lawrence, who is only five years younger than the man you knew to be old Mr Lawrence,” Angus informed her.

  “Who was the younger cousin we kept seeing, the one who was middle aged?” Charity asked.

  “Phillip Lawrence’s son, Phillip junior. We think they murdered Mr Lawrence and used his house as a base while they kidnapped women who lived in the area. We also think Horvat, their neighbour, moved in to help them. The food you mentioned he kept buying, far more than one man could eat, also fed the Lawrence men. They couldn’t go out any more than once a week for fear of alerting the locals that Phillip was not the real Mr Lawrence,” Angus murmured.

  “It seems like a lot of trouble to go to, doesn’t it?” Charity whispered. “They either must be desperate to kill people or have some specific purpose for the women they kidnap.”

  Angus nodded.

  Charity lifted her brows when he seemed reluctant to tell her. “What?”

  “We think they are being either used as slaves or are being sold into the sex trade.” Angus sighed because it was the last thing he wanted to discuss right now. The distress in Charity’s eyes was enough to make him wish he had kept his mouth shut now, but she had been curious, and he had wanted to keep her talking if only to reassure himself that she really was going to be all right.

  “We will find him,” Angus assured her.

  “Have you not caught him?” Charity felt sick at the thought that they might re-appear one day.

  “Both Lawrence men have been killed in the gunfight that happened at the house. When the gunfire had stopped, Aaron and Oliver and the others got into the house and found both men dead from gunshot wounds. Horvat, unfortunately, escaped. We have men trying to track him down.” Angus gathered Charity tighter into his arms and pressed a kiss against her temple. “Thankfully, he is heading down to London, well away from here or St Magdaline. We suspect he is going to meet with his contacts down there.”

  “So, you are off to London next.” It wasn’t a question.

  Charity dreaded the day she had to say goodbye to Angus again but was now able to understand why he felt the need to go. Someone had to do the work the Star Elite did. By nature of the people they dealt with, it was dark and dangerous work, but Charity knew that if anybody could find Horvat and bring him to justice it would be the Star Elite.

  “I made such a mess of things, didn’t I?” she muttered. “I am sorry.”

  “You weren’t to know. It was quite an innocent move on your part, mostly driven out of curiosity. You had no way, indeed even we had no way, of knowing that they would start shooting at us, or you. We expected to storm the house and be able to slap the men in irons. The fact that they were so defensive without any provocation proves they all have a lot to hide,” Angus informed her.

  “Yes, their guilt.” Charity pressed a gentle kiss to his chin. “You saved my life.”

  “I was saving both of our lives,” Angus informed her wryly. He turned over carefully until they were facing each other.

  “I have to confess that I cannot remember much about that morning,” she said quietly.

  “That can only be a good thing,” Angus assured her. “I know I will never forget it.”

  His voice grew thick with the force of emotion that surged through him. Carefully, so he didn’t jostle her shoulder, he lifted onto one elbow and looked deeply into her eyes.

  “God, I love you,” he whispered fervently. “I have been in many a battle and seen a lot of horrific sights in my time but nothing, absolutely nothing, could have ever prepared me for the sight of the woman I love being shot like that. It was the most horrific thing I have ever witnessed. I realised in that moment that you mean more to me than anything or anybody in the entire world. Without you, I have no world. If I didn’t have a future with you there would be no reason to keep on working for the Star Elite. There would be no purpose to my life. In the short space of time we have known each other you have become so essential to my future, my life, my heart, my very existence, that I cannot bear the thought of being parted from you. The last two and a half weeks have been the longest of my entire life. Being without you is like living only half a life. I can’t stand it any longer. I have to have you in my life, for always, my love.”

  “Life is so short, Angus, that I don’t want to waste a single second of it,” Charity whispered. “I will do whatever it takes and go wherever you want me to go with you, as long as we can be together. I have been given a second chance at life, and I don’t intend to waste a single moment of it. I love you, with all my heart. Forever and always. Promise me that wherever your work with the Star Elite takes you, you will always come back to me?”

  “I promise. I have already spoken with Sir Hugo, my boss, about making certain changes in my life. While I cannot give up the work I do; it is all I know; I can relocate to the local group, some of whom were in a meeting with the magistrate when they heard the gunfire and came to investigate. I am not sure if you remember them, but this is their base, Angus said quietly.

  “I can vaguely recall being moved,” she said with a thoughtful frown. “Why can’t I remember anything else?”

  “The doctor gave you a lot of medication both before, during and after he removed the bullet from your shoulder. He then gave you some medication for the pain, so I think it might have left you a little fuddled,” Angus murmured gently.

  The several hours it had taken for the doctor to remove the bullet, and stitch Charity up, were the longest of Angus’s life. He had paced, ranted, then prayed with every fibre of his being for her survival while he had waited. Thankfully, the doctor had finally emerged from the bed chamber to inform the waiting men that Charity would make a full recovery but couldn’t be moved for a few days. That was fine by Angus, who had no intention of allowing her to go anywhere.

  “When do you have to leave?” Charity whispered tearfully.

  “For the time being, I am staying with you, it is as simple as that. Sir Hugo has sanctioned me taking some time off, even though we are in the middle of an investigation. I can catch up with the men in London just as soon as my leave is over if they need me down there. As soon as you are strong enough, we can return to St Magdaline, so you can recover fully in the comfort of your own home. For now, we are going to stay in the safe house where you will be protected morning, noon and night. The men won’t bother us, but you can rest easy knowing you are in probably the safest place in Leicestershire and Derbyshire right now.” Angus smiled encouragingly at her because she invariably smiled back, and he wanted to see that wonderful twinkle she got in her eye whenever she smiled at him.

  His smile dimmed when he saw the tears on her lashes. “What is it? You can tell me anything, you know.”

  “I am just very glad that I am here,” she whispered. “With you.”

  “So am I,” he assured her fervently. “I am grateful that I was in town when you decided to follow Lawrence. To think that I might not have been there when you needed me the most leaves me horrified. I must be here, Charity. I need to be with you, or nearby, just in case you ever need me. I won’t let you down, I promise.”

  “I know you won’t,” Charity said, her voice quivering. “I don’t think I have ever lov
ed anybody this much in my entire life.”

  “Given how close we have come to losing each other for good, don’t you think we should do everything in our power to ensure our futures lie together?” Angus whispered.

  He began to pepper a trail of tiny kisses along her brow and down the smooth skin of her cheek. Once at the corner of her lips he pressed a gentle kiss into the groove at the corner of her mouth and began to gently tug at her lips with his.

  “Marry me?” He knew there was a plea in his voice but made no apology for it.

  Time froze as he waited for Charity to answer. When her reply came, he too was struggling to contain the emotion he felt. The force of the relief that surged through him when he saw her nod was enough to make him huff a laugh and suck in a deep, fortifying breath. He had just made the most colossal change in his life, and didn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t regret it for a single moment.

  “I would be so honoured to be your wife, I don’t think I have any choice in the matter. I love you and promise here and now to keep my nose out of your investigations as long as you promise me that you will always return home,” she murmured.

  He rested his forehead against hers. “To love, life and happiness together?”

  Charity smiled. “To love, life and happiness together forever,” she promised and, before he could say anything else, tugged his head down to seal their promise with a very loving kiss.

  The End.

  TO HONOUR A ROGUE

  The Bet Series – Book Two

  RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2018

  When Rufus is ordered to the Admiralty Office, he receives new orders that are unlike any he has ever had before. The last thing he wants to do is transport the Admiral’s daughter all the way from Brazil. His crew are men of action, not babysitters. Thankfully, before he can leave port, his orders swiftly change. Unfortunately, Abigail has been kidnapped by the ruthless French pirate, Turenot.

  With the prospect of being able to sink, burn, or take the Amarante as a prize fuelling their thirst for battle, Rufus and his crew set sail for Brazil, and Abigail.

  Locating the Amarante is easy for an experienced Captain like Rufus. Retrieving Abigail proves to be considerably harder. This voyage brings the crew many challenges; raging seas, illness, injury, and rebellion, which all threaten to tear the ship apart. To add to that, Rufus must battle with his desire for the one woman he knew he should never touch; the Admiral’s daughter the woman who Turenot also has an unhealthy interest in.

  Can this Captain ever find his happy ever after? Just how far will he have to go to keep Abigail safe, and out of Turenot’s clutches? More importantly, will he have to sacrifice the love of his life for a chance at happiness?

  When five friends, Rufus, Elijah, Sam, Robard, and Myles watch one of the most celebrated rogues of their time marry, a bet is placed. The stakes are high. Nobody can afford to lose.

  The bet is to avoid marriage for the next twelve months. It sounds simple enough, but with desperate relatives and conniving and relentless matchmaking mamas determined to trap them at every quarter, and Fate throwing them in rather unusual and adventurous circumstances, the men realise that winning the bet is considerably harder than they ever imagined.

  FALLEN HERO

  Star Elite – A New Adventure Begins – Book Three

  RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2018

  When Aaron learns of his best friend’s death, he has no hesitation leaving the investigation into the series of kidnappings happening up and down the country. What matters to him most is being there for the people that matter, in this case Elspeth Lincoln, his best friend’s sister.

  What he finds at her home when he arrives, though, leaves him no alternative but to begin a completely new investigation of his own. Not only at the circumstances around his friend’s death suspicious, but the dire situation he finds upon his arrival leaves him with no alternative but to take matters into his own hands.

  Elspeth, still reeling from the death of her only family, is terrified. Under threat from the lecherous local lord and facing being thrown out of the only home she had ever known, she has no choice but to turn to Aaron for help.

  What he suggests leaves her facing a completely new future that brings her many surprises, the first of which is a life of adventure. Can Aaron persuade Elspeth to make the arrangement a permanent one? Can he get to the bottom of why his friend was murdered in cold blood?

  Unfortunately, his home is no safer than Elspeth’s and Aaron soon discovers he is prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the woman he loves.

  When the Star Elite receive news of a series of mysterious disappearances all over Derbyshire and Leicestershire, they second several of their best operatives to investigate.

  What Justin, Angus, Aaron, jasper, Phillip, Niall, Oliver and Callum discover when they get there is a complex web of mysteries, numerous dead bodies, and several far too curious women who are embroiled in the deadly game of cat and mouse with the abductor.

  The Star Elite quickly run into difficulties when they uncover a plot unlike no other they have ever faced. Innocent lives are at risk, especially when it becomes evident people are being snatched off the street, practically in broad daylight, never to be seen or heard from again.

  Can the men find out what happened to the victims? Have they all been murdered, or is something else going on? Will the Star Elite ever be able to capture the person, or people responsible?

  One thing is definite, with danger lurking around every corner, it is down to the Star Elite to bring an end to the destruction of so many innocent lives. But, with trouble following them every step of the way, will the men end up losing more than they bargained for?

  A Betrayal of Innocence – Book One

  A Spinster’s Awakening – Book Two

  Fallen Hero – Book Three

  The Runaway – Book Four

  Cold Comfort – Book Five

  A Terrible Misunderstanding – Book Six

  To Have a Heart – Book Seven

  For Love Alone – Book Eight

  TUPPENCE

  Tipton Hollow Series – Book Three

  RELEASED – OCTOBER 2018

  When Tuppence is arrested for a crime she most definitely did not commit she knows her life is ruined. Facing trial for murder means she can never return to the life she once knew and loved, not in the small village of Tipton Hollow in any case. All right, so life there was a little boring, and left her yearning for something more in life, a little adventure maybe. But the kind of adventure Tuppence found herself in was something she wouldn’t ever dream possible in her worst nightmares.

  Lost in a world of gaol, false accusations, lies and broken trust, Tuppence is forced to turn to the last man she should ask for help. Her humiliation is complete when Isaac Chester, Lord Aldridge arrives to speak to her in prison before he tries to secure her release. She should be pleased he would help her try to gain her freedom, but is embarrassed that this handsome, debonair man should see her in her darkest hour. Little does she know of his ulterior motive, or the personal reasons behind his decision to help her.

  Can they find out who the real murderer is before Tuppence appears in court? While Isaac does find enough evidence that casts doubt on her presence at the scene of the crime and secures her release, keeping her out of gaol is a different matter entirely. The finger of blame still points at her, and not even he can protect her. Life in Tipton Hollow swiftly becomes impossible for Tuppence, especially when another body turns up and all eyes turn to her once more.

  What Tuppence doesn’t expect is to not only have to fight for her freedom, but the burgeoning desire she has for the one man who has given her hope for the future.

  Aware they can never have that future together, Tuppence must make a very brave decision, and it is one that leaves her heartbroken.

  Tipton Hollow should be a normal, sleepy village hidden in rural England. However, sinister events begin to unfold which changes the lives of several of its residents, and takes t
hem on epic adventures of love, murder, lies and mystery. Join Harriett, Beatrice, Constance, Tuppence and Eloisa as they battle murderers, parsimonious gossips, and the men in their lives as they work to solve the mysteries that Fate hands them. Will they ever find the happiness they deserve?

  Five dashing heroes meet five rather daring young ladies: a perfect combination for romance – or disaster.

  GHOSTLY ENDEAVOURS

  RELEASED OCTOBER 2018

  When someone in the village of Snethwick begins to dig up dead bodies, the local magistrate, Perry Mitterton, is called in to investigate. He firmly believes ghost don’t exist – they are a creation of superstition – right? The last thing he expects is for a ‘ghost’ he sees at the scene of the crime to lead him to the rather spooky local manor house, and the curious, slightly eccentric occupant, Miss Bettina Kingston.

  Bettina is already struggling to understand what is happening in the house she has lived in all her life. She thought it was a place where she could be safe; a home to relax in. When things start moving seemingly of their own accord, footsteps wake her in the night, and cold hands appear out of nowhere, she truly starts to fear for her life. If that wasn’t bad enough, Perry’s arrival throws her world into chaos. He makes her yearn for a different life, one in which she isn’t all alone with only the dead for company. What she doesn’t expect is for Perry to think she is guilty of the macabre goings on in the village but struggles to find a way to prove her innocence.

  What connection could grave robbing possibly have with Camberwell Grange? Why does Perry continue to doubt her honesty, even though she is living in the house all alone? Determined to get some answers, Bettina must work with Perry to get some answers, if only so she can sleep peacefully in her bed at night.