The Pawn (Shattered Series Book 1)
Page 34
The wind from the helicopter was forceful once they reached the deck. To no surprise, a string of officers were already there waiting. The bulkiest and most intimidating officer broke away from the pack and advanced toward them with intent. All the while, the remaining officers on deck formed a defensive front along the fringes of the yacht. Not to mention the others on the rescue boat.
She fought to breathe as she took in their visages.
A naked fear filled her.
The truth lingered within the air.
They were all expecting a confrontation.
“Go back downstairs,” Jarrod muttered, turning towards her, and his expression was unreadable. He grabbed her by the upper arms and then desperation played across his handsome features. “I need you to call---”
The click of the officer’s firearm stayed his words.
Jarrod’s features hardened as he turned. “Is there really a need for such---”
“Take your hands off the prisoner and put your hands behind your head! Do it now!” the officer shouted, aiming the weapon straight at Jarrod’s chest, taking a defensive stance. The officer cut a quick glance in her direction. “Ms. Lange, are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” she demanded, firing an angry glare at the officer. She stepped before Jarrod, shielding him from the officer’s weapon. “Put your guns down, he’s done nothing wrong! If you shoot him, you’ll have to shoot me, too.”
“Again, we ask that you let us handle this,” the officer soothed, still holding the gun steady. “You’ve been through a horrible ordeal. It’s not unusual for victims to become confused by events. This man is a criminal---”
“He’s not a criminal!” she shouted. “If you’d give us a chance to explain things---”
“The last thing that I need or want is for you to get hurt. Just trust me, okay? I’ll take care of this.” Jarrod said stiffly, and his body was like hard granite behind hers, and she easily realized it was fear for her safety and hers alone. He addressed the officer again. “There’s no need to cause a further scene, she’s upset enough as it is. She’s innocent in all of this. Don’t make her pay for my sins.”
So, as not to heighten the taut tension any further, he pushed her aside, and then blocked her small form with his. Leaning against him, she sobbed into his back, and he absorbed her desperation with quiet words. With reluctance, he raised his hands and placed them behind his head.
“Jarrod, no,” she cried, holding onto his waist. “Please…don’t do this. I don’t understand. Tell them the truth.”
“Baby, no matter what happens…I want you to remember one thing. I love you more than my next breath,” he said quietly, but just for ears alone. “And I’d give anything to right the wrongs that I’ve done. I swear on my life that I’m going to make things right. I will be the man that you want and need me to be.”
“You already are,” she cried, tightening her hold, and her tears wet his naked back. “Why won’t you believe that?”
“Don’t you fucking move!” the officer shouted, rushing in fast, and was determined to ensure that Jarrod was no longer an immediate threat to anyone. “Keep your hands where I can see them!”
Staring straight ahead, Jarrod said nothing.
“Jarrod Sabatino, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Olivia Lange and obstruction of justice….” the officer recited the memorandum rights, proceeding to handcuff Jarrod as he did. “You have the right to an attorney…further action will be decided by the American embassy…”
“Please…leave him alone,” she sobbed, fighting to cling to him as they pried him from her. As he left her grasp, the horror seeped through her, and all she could do was watch helplessly as they hauled him away.
When two officers grabbed hold of her, she struggled against them like a wildcat. “Let go of me! You’re making a terrible mistake,” she pleaded, almost drowning out their repetitive questions about her well-being. “Please, you have to listen to me. There hasn’t been a kidnapping---”
“Olivia!”
She gasped in surprise.
The officers freed her as she turned.
Seemingly out of nowhere, a stranger appeared and strode towards them.
An attractive, blond guy around thirtyish or so---
But, as he drew closer, her trepidation rose.
Even from her distance, she sensed the stranger’s despicable attitude and deadly intent. As his eyes swept over her, they turned even colder---or maybe glacier was a more apt term.
With every step he made, her own animosity grew, she realized with a start. Was it possible to actually hate someone instantly?
Well, she did, she mulled, forcing back the bile in her throat. A pure monster breathed within the expensive designer suit that he wore.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” the stranger said, stopping before her, obviously amazed. “I can’t believe it’s really you. Have to say that you’re putting on one hell of a show, Olivia.”
When he reached out to touch her, she flinched before stepping back. A cold feeling of dread filled her as she looked at him. “Who are you?” she asked, instinctively putting more space between them. “Perhaps you can help them understand that arresting Jarrod is a mistake----”
“Oh, trust me. There’s been no mistake,” the man laughed coldly.
“You’re just as senseless and crazy as the rest of them! But, this is not over!” she vowed, and the anger burned in her deep brown eyes. “I will not stand for him to be treated this way---”
An ugly sneer passed along the stranger’s face. “Don’t tell me that you’re going to have the nerve to defend him! Not after the way that bastard has humiliated me for months!”
“The only bastard is the one standing before me right now. I don’t know who you are, and the only thing that you’ve done is talk craziness!” she shouted back. “Why I’m wasting my time with you, I have no earthly idea! Who are you anyway?”
The stranger’s smile was dead cold. “Olivia, my dear, I’ll tell you exactly who I am. I’m Matt Addison---your real fiancé in the flesh. And if you want that bastard lover of yours to live, I suggest that you come with me and do exactly as I say.”
***
Read the spellbinding conclusion of Olivia and Jarrod’s torrid love affair in….
The
Darkest Danger
Available Summer 2016
(Pre-order your copy on www.amazon.com)
The
Darkest Danger
How far would you go to protect the one that you loved?
Olivia Lange is shattered once she learns of her lover’s deception, but still the love that she feels for him knows no bounds. But, she has no time to embrace heartache as she fights to protect him from a violent, cruel enemy and decides to make the ultimate sacrifice. On every dangerous turn, she takes deadly risks. Will it cost her very life?
The only thing Jarrod Sabatino wants to do is atone for his sins and win back the woman he loves. But, that proves far from easy as his vengeful nemesis hatches another brutal game of lies and deception. The stakes are raised as he does everything to win her back. But, will he lose it all at the hands of his enemy?
Author’s Note
Indeed, love does make the world go around, and it’s the motivating drive behind my characters and stories. I’ve always been an avid reader, spending endless hours getting lost in the fictional world of heroes, heroines, villains, and such. My love of reading, naturally, transcended into my own writing craft, and it’s a journey that I eagerly want my readers to take. I always enjoy hearing my readers’ thoughts about my stories. So feel free to leave comments on any of my social media outlets!
Happy reading!
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Other available titles
by Chloe D. Ashton
Forbidden Sacrifice: A Saga
4 Novels in one book!!!
The fury of hell has followed the dragon prince straight to Earth. Exiled from his fiery dragon world to escape execution, Daemonicus is thrust onto Earth for his very survival. Now, a century later, he walks the streets and undergrounds of Atlanta as enigmatic private investigator, Daemon Caldwell. Wielding a bloodline and ancestral fire of dragon and vampire, the dark prince has a sole purpose: claim a human bride as the sacrificial penance to save his kind. Only then can he defeat the white dragon lord and reclaim the throne. So, when he plays savior for a woman in desperate need of his help, the last thing he needs or wants is to become emotionally involved. But, when he lays eyes on his broken angel, all his plans are thrown awry. Once again, fate is the deceiver as he’s forced to face his forbidden desires and redemption.
A dark world has claimed Daniela Jamison since her tragic accident, and it becomes even more unsettling when she’s targeted by an obsessed madman. But, amidst the danger, she crosses path with the dark, brooding Daemon Caldwell. Instantly, he awakens her forbidden fantasies and wicked desires, and she’s helpless to turn away from them. As the stakes are raised, she is determined to break down his defenses and win his heart. But, can she withstand the astounding truth when she uncovers his deadly secret and intent? Or will she take the biggest gamble of all with her heart?
Available on amazon.com!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015BP9K5E?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
Or purchase the novels in the Forbidden Sacrifice Saga series separately:
Novel 1- Bare Innocence
Novel 2- Cruel Wanting
Novel 3- Chained
Novel 4- Freed: The Finale