by Rose Smith
Blood Moon (Special Forces: Operation Alpha)
SEALs on Vacation Book 2
Rose Smith
Contents
Foreword
Note to readers of Blood Moon from author Rose Smith.
~ Chapter 1~
~ Chapter 2 ~
~ Chapter 3 ~
~ Chapter 4 ~
~ Chapter 5 ~
~ Chapter 6 ~
~ Chapter 7 ~
~ Chapter 8 ~
~ Chapter 9 ~
~ Chapter 10 ~
~ Chapter 11 ~
~ Chapter 12 ~
~ Chapter 13 ~
~ Chapter 14 ~
~ Chapter 15 ~
~ Chapter 16 ~
~ Chapter 17 ~
~ Chapter 18 ~
~ Chapter 19 ~
~Chapter 20 ~
~ Chapter 21 ~
Pronunciation Key
About the Author
Also by Rose Smith
More Special Forces: Operation Alpha World Books
Books by Susan Stoker
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
© 2019 ACES PRESS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this work may be used, stored, reproduced or transmitted without written permission from the publisher except for brief quotations for review purposes as permitted by law.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy.
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the Special Forces: Operation Alpha Fan-Fiction world!
If you are new to this amazing world, in a nutshell the author wrote a story using one or more of my characters in it. Sometimes that character has a major role in the story, and other times they are only mentioned briefly. This is perfectly legal and allowable because they are going through Aces Press to publish the story.
This book is entirely the work of the author who wrote it. While I might have assisted with brainstorming and other ideas about which of my characters to use, I didn’t have any part in the process or writing or editing the story.
I’m proud and excited that so many authors loved my characters enough that they wanted to write them into their own story. Thank you for supporting them, and me!
READ ON!
Xoxo
Susan Stoker
About the book
Murder of a blue blood under a blood moon--not just another day in paradise.
Sexy ex SEAL Michael “Gage” Sheldon, a newly appointed lead detective for the Hilo Police Department is single and popular with the ladies. So when he meets stunning forensic odontologist, Nalani Yung, who’s assigned to the murder he’s investigating, he assumes he can easily sweep her off her feet with his natural charms. He’s taken aback, however, when she doesn’t seem the least bit interested. Nalani only has eyes for Ionale, her high school crush. A man she’s been in love with for forever. It’s been her and her dog, Shredder for a little over a year. She has high hopes sexy Ionale will become part of her family.
Meanwhile, when Caroline, Matthew “Wolf” Steel’s wife, runs into Nalani, her world is once again rocked by painful memories she’s suppressed for years. That’s when Caroline’s nightmares return. She hasn’t had them this bad since she helped Wolf and his team avert a deadly bio-attack on the plane where she first met him. Having dealt with his own PTSD, Wolf vows to help his wife confront her pain.
Nalani Yung has a living nightmare of her own she must battle. Her abusive aunt teases her about being different and made Nalani’s life as a child difficult. Nalani’s not sure, but she thinks her aunt may be abusing her young brother, Mickey.
Filled with action throughout, follow Gage, Nalani, Wolf and Caroline as they uncover a riveting murder mystery while battling their own personal demons in beautiful Hilo, Hawaii. If only paradise was more than a promise.
Blood Moon is a new book in Susan Stoker’s Special Forces World written by author Rose Smith. It is the second in the SEALS On Vacation series. The first in the series is Saving Satin. Both books are stand alones, but for maximum enjoyment and for the backstory on all of the characters involved, it’s recommended you read:
Saving Satin, Book 1 of SEALs On Vacation: Special Forces Operation Alpha
Protecting Caroline, Book 1 of Seal of Protection Series (the story of Matthew “Wolf” Steel and Caroline)
Note to readers of Blood Moon from author Rose Smith.
Thank you for picking up a copy of Blood Moon. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Because there are so many Hawaiian names and terms in this book, one of my loyal readers suggested I include a pronunciation key. Since I struggled to pronounce a lot of the words myself, I thought that was a brilliant idea—thanks, Joy Williams, for the suggestion. The pronunciation key is bookmarked and appears at the end of the book, and I included the pronunciation of each uncommon Hawaiian and other hard to pronounce words the first time you see them. Enjoy!
~For Omaree Varela~
~ Chapter 1~
Caroline beamed as she eyed the turquoise and emerald waters. The airplane turned toward the Hilo, Hawaii airport. Occupying the middle seat next to her hunky husband Matthew “Wolf” Steel, she could only glimpse the view while the jet turned.
Long-legged Wolf, on the other hand, focused more on getting off the uncomfortable plane than the waters below. Being a navy SEAL, he was accustomed to various uncomfortable conditions. However, commercial travel on an almost 9 hour flight in a too small seat was not his idea of a good time. He managed to give his happy wife a smile.
The one time he enjoyed flying commercial was when he and his SEAL buddies vacationed together last year. Dude’s friend Satin gave them first-class tickets, compliments of her billionaire boss. Her name was Chloë Stevenson, but she went by Satin while working as a hostess at Chance’s Casino Royale. Wanting to do something nice for her friends, Satin’s boss, Chance, financed their high-roller trip. After that rousing adventure in Vegas, another year had sped by. Now he and Caroline were venturing out on a quieter vacation; a couple’s getaway.
“I can’t wait to get out of this seat and stretch my legs,” Wolf told his wife.
“Oh, Matthew,” she said as she touched his hand, “I can only imagine how uncomfortable these seats must be for you. I swear they make them smaller every year.”
The couple waited their turn to disembark. Once Wolf stood and stretched, he could feel his legs coming back to life. Smiling at Caroline, he was glad she was by his side. She’d been looking forward to this trip, and he wasn’t about to ruin it for her with a sour mood.
Caroline trekked down the airline staircase first. A gorgeous, tanned Hawaiian woman slipped a beautiful lei over her head onto her shoulders.
“Aloha, welcome to Hawaii,” she smiled at Caroline.
“Mahalo, (mah hah lō)” Caroline told her. “That means thank you,” she reminded Wolf as he stood next to her. He bent down so it would be easier for the woman to place the lei over his broad shoulders.
He blushed, smiled and said, “mahalo.”
As they made their way into the airport, Caroline looked up at him. “Wow, I know you’re sexy in your Navy gear, but you’re awful kissable in your Hawaiian shirt. And the blue flowers in the lei show off your ice blues, baby.”
“Thank you. You look pretty hot yourself.”
“Thanks
. Let’s check out the gift shop before we get our luggage.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the Hilo store. Stunning postcards and dozens of tourists items, ceramic mugs, Hawaiian bells and other gifts lined the shelves and colorful leis hung from the ceiling. Caroline didn’t know where to start. She lost herself in her gift-getting expedition. Wolf browsed magazines on the newsstand.
He noticed two young women who walked into the shop, chatting away. He also observed a man with dark sunglasses amble in behind them. Looking at the women—both professionally dressed, he concluded they were on a business trip or maybe even employees of the airport. One woman donned a black skirt with small white polka dots. The other wore a red dress.
The man put Wolf off. He reeked of sleaziness. While the women continued browsing and talking, the man kept eyeing them. When they moved—he lingered close behind. They were oblivious to him. Wolf began flipping through a magazine, while keeping an eye on the seedy-looking stranger.
Caroline walked over to Wolf with her hand-held shopping cart flowing over. “I think I’ve got everything. Damn, I almost forgot to get something for Chloë and Canyon. Among other things, they are responsible for me discovering what a good dancer you really are,” she teased. She remembered the Soul Train Line they’d all formed on their last vacation.
“Oh, go on,” flushed her husband. She made her way to the counter. He continued watching the uncouth stranger, inching closer to him. Once Wolf confirmed what he was up to, he moved like an uncoiling spring, closing the distance between him and the man in one leap.
When Wolf caught his wrist with one hand and squeezed, the man winced, crying out. He dropped his apparatus. The mirror broke into pieces when it smashed to the tile floor. The commotion caused both women to stop in mid-sentence. They turned around, shocked.
“Easy, Ma’am,” Wolf warned the one in the red dress, closest to the pieces of glass scattered over the floor. “Watch your step.” She eyed the broken glass then gasped.
“It’s a pocket mirror,” he explained, dreading what he’d have to say next. The man squirmed, but Wolf’s grip was vice-like.
“What’s that?” Inquired the woman in the polka dot skirt. She pointed to the extended silver pole the mirror had become detached from.
“Oh, my god! It’s a pole he had it attached to. What was he doing? Was he… was he?”
“Upskirting, Ma’am.” Wolf said when she couldn’t find the words.
“What’s that?” Asked the still shocked woman she stood next to.
By then Caroline had walked over to them. “That means he had that apparatus and was using it to look up your skirts. Unfortunately, there’s a name for it. It’s known as upskirting.”
Both women gasped in horror.
Glad that Caroline had stepped in to explain the situation to the victims, Matthew still had a firm hold on the perpetrator.
“My husband is a Navy SEAL,” Caroline said with pride. “And he’s getting quite a reputation for rescuing damsels in distress—especially in airports.” She winked at Matthew.
He smiled. He knew she was talking about his last vacation when he’d rescued a woman from a vile racist.
They both looked up in admiration. Caroline couldn’t help but smile again when both women almost simultaneously did a double-take when they realized how handsome he was. It was if they were both saying the same thing she’d said to herself when she first saw him—Holy Hell! “Well, we’re sure glad you got this disgusting pig!” Exclaimed the woman in the red dress.
“I wish I could kick him!” Raged the other. The perp hung his head in embarrassment.
“I know how you feel,” said Caroline. “But he’s not worth the trouble. And anyway, it would be a shame to muss your hair,” she joked, trying to add levity to the unsettling situation.
Both women laughed. “You’re right,” the one in the polka dots said.
“He’ll get what’s coming to him,” said Wolf, while signaling the cashier to call security.
The woman in the polka dots looked up at Wolf. “Thank you!”
“Thank you both,” the woman in the red dress chimed.
When two guards responded, Caroline waited in their office while Wolf and the women reported the incident. Both women thanked Matthew and Caroline once more as they left.
The police came and arrested the perp, hauling him off to the Hilo jail. The airport security manager had Wolf and Caroline’s luggage secured and had them driven to their hotel by one of his security officers.
“This your first time in Hawaii?” Asked the officer.
“Yes, we’re looking for a beach where we can view the blood moon tonight.”
“Check out Carl’s Cove Beach Park. You’ll get a real good view of the moon from there. You can even go out on the black rocks right by the water. It’s about ten minutes from where you’re staying. The blue water is pristine. There are also grassy gardens, and there is a cool ruin of an abandoned sugar mill building.”
They thanked the officer for the tip and said goodnight. It was late by the time they arrived. After checking into the opulent Grand Naniloa (nah knēē low ah) Hotel Hilo, they enjoyed an after dinner snack then called an Uber to take them to Carl’s Cove. Even though she was tired, there was no way Caroline was going to miss the blood moon tonight. She’d promised to take pictures of it for her friends. After they’d vacationed together in Las Vegas, they’d all looked forward to hearing about Hawaii.
~ Chapter 2 ~
Across town, the click of Brianna Kamehameha’s (kah mē ha mē ha) Manolos slowed. She navigated the slick surface with care. She wanted to avoid slipping on the new garage floor and marring her white satin pumps. She’d spoil the crystal beaded vine that ran along the vamp. They were her favorite pair. Not that she couldn’t afford another. Heck, she could buy the factory the shoes were made in with Hanne’s billions. But she had a peculiar fondness for these. Her first pair of $2,000 shoes. She had a sentimental thing about firsts. She liked them even more than her Dorothy Shoes. The ones that had wished her into her nice, shiny billionaire lifestyle.
Making her way to her gleaming black Bentley, she reminisced. She drifted back to how she’d felt when she’d bought her first pair of red satin shoes. Working at the Spearmint Rino Gentlemen’s Club in Los Angeles, she’d named them her Dorothy Shoes.
Brianna thought back four years to the pink-faced clerk. The one who’d had to pick up the four C-notes and change when she’d bought those shoes.
She’d smiled when the wrinkly faced clerk’s eyes showed surprise at the price on the shoebox. That’s the most she’d ever paid for a pair. And she’d wanted to make sure the same store clerk who’d snubbed instead of helping her was the one who’d had to ring up her purchase.
Eyeing those shoes for months, she’d already tried them on in her size—5 1/2. That same woman had looked at Brianna like she was a floozy. Definitely not worthy of any of her Neiman Marcus retail-time. The last time she’d tried them on, she’d had to flag down another employee behind the perfume counter.
The haughty look Brianna gave the retail clerk as she’d rung up the shoes sized up her thoughts. Pick up my money, you stuck up wench. Looking down your nose at me. Hell, you work retail. I make more money in fifteen minutes than you make in a week. The only way they’d pay you at the Rino is if you kept your clothes on. She’d sighed when she’d driven home. Being a stripper wasn’t anything to brag about.
She’d detested the job. The leers she’d get from middle age men with their unfaithful husband odor. It permeated off them like moldy clothes. Even when they came with lots of money, she’d still found the lusty looks from slobs disgusting.
Brianna never understood why men who’d tried to date her outside the club would think she’d be interested in dating a married man who spent his evenings poking fives and tens into a stranger’s crotch. That instead of cuddling with the woman he promised to love and cherish. They were a shitty joke. She remembered smelling the ro
t of failing marriages wafting off of them.
She remembered back to the day she’d decided to try stripping. She’d been putting herself through college on fumes. At the time, Brianna worked at a local florist for little more than minimum wage. Valentine’s Day was the worse. All she’d get all day long was sleazy men, griping about having to get flowers for ‘the wife’ as if they were talking about a piece of scrap metal. All the while looking at her with wolf eyes.
Brianna called them wolf eyes because of the TV cartoon she used to watch when she was a little girl. Wearing a straw hat and bow-tie, the wolf’s eyes would bong out of his head. They’d protrude and become ten times larger. He’d make that long wolf whistle sound whenever he eyed a provocative ‘Jessica Rabbit’ type. Even as a little kid, she’d laugh at how dumb that wolf looked.
That’s the same feeling she got about men who looked at her like that. Her utter contempt for cheating men came from her own dad. He’d left her and her mom for another woman. She hated married men who cheated on their wives. Those men never even thought about it, but they also cheated their kids. Families torn apart because a man decided he wanted a younger, prettier version of his aging wife.
As if he weren’t aging right alongside her. Repugnant. She hated her father for what he did to her mother—and to her. She used to hear her mother crying in her bedroom at night while she thought Brianna was sleeping. Her dad had left them without so much as a backward glance. Brianna had even reached out to him while she was in college. She’d finally convinced her mom to give her her dad’s phone number.