by ANGEL PAYNE
Shark’s Rise
Shark’s Edge: Book Three
ANGEL PAYNE &
VICTORIA BLUE
This book is an original publication of Waterhouse Press.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are 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. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.
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Copyright © 2019 Waterhouse Press, LLC
Cover Design by Waterhouse Press
Cover Photographs: Shutterstock
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All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic format without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
David—after 25 years—still just another lover, the Shark attack! (get back, don’t fight it)
Thank you for the support, encouragement, and enduring love.
—Victoria
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For the two dolphins in my world who keep showing me the magic of it all:
Tom and Jessica, you are the stuff that makes my heart beat and my hope rise.
—Angel
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Continue the Shark’s Edge Series with
Excerpt from Grant’s Heat
Acknowledgments
Also by Angel Payne & Victoria Blue
Also by Angel Payne
Also by Victoria Blue
About Angel Payne
About Victoria Blue
Chapter One
Abbigail
“This is medium rare, but I’d be happy to put it back on the grill if you’d like it ruined.” Elijah grinned while placing a plate in front of me. A luscious tri-tip steak held pride of placement between a baked potato and roasted Brussels sprouts. I stared at the food petulantly, then transferred the look to him.
“Not even a thank you?” He raised a dark brow while looking at me with disappointment. “I’m surprised Sebastian tolerates such ill-mannered behavior.”
I grimaced. For a second. He wasn’t wrong. I had been terribly rude to the guy since we’d arrived at the safe house four days and three nights ago. But nothing had changed about my truth. I didn’t want to be here in the first place. I didn’t care how many cool bells and whistles this complex had or how thoroughly Sebastian believed he was doing the right thing in sending me here.
Because in the end, this whole stunt only felt like one thing.
Banishment.
An opinion I’d made abundantly clear as Elijah dragged me from Sebastian’s office.
And yes, intellectually, I knew their plan made sense. Understood it was for my own safety. But it didn’t mean I had to like it. Didn’t mean I had to be pleasant about it. And if Elijah thought we would spend this time getting to know one another better and becoming friends, he could think again. I had no plans of changing my attitude or becoming more agreeable or more cooperative anytime soon.
I pushed my plate toward the center of the table. “I’m not hungry. I’ll be in my room.” I pushed back, stood, and turned toward the large living room. Through the sprawling space with its leather couches and inviting décor, I could access the wide hallway that led to the bedrooms.
While I hadn’t done much exploring, I knew the house was an open-concept ranch-style estate. The bedroom I was using was located at the end of a hallway with at least six other doors along the corridor before mine on the right. The hall concluded at a set of French doors that opened to a stunning backyard with a waterfall-fed pool. Other elements I’d seen but not explored were a koi pond, a rose garden, a shuffleboard court, and a poolside villa with an awning-covered ping-pong table. A small staff bustled around the home at all hours but gave me plenty of privacy, though one of them always seemed to emerge precisely when I needed something.
“Abbigail.” Elijah’s commanding tone of voice stopped me in my tracks, although I didn’t turn to face him. “You need to eat. Come back to the table. Now.”
“No,” I replied through gritted teeth. “I said I’m not hungry. Thank you, though.”
I was sure if he were standing closer to me, he would hear how my fury had my heart thudding in my chest.
“Don’t turn this into a battle of wills,” the man warned. “You won’t win.”
Slowly, I turned to face him. I tilted my head. “Do you really think I see this as a game?”
He relaxed his stiff posture. “Frankly, I don’t know what to think. It’s been the better part of a week, and you haven’t had more than a bowl of cereal. I gave my best friend my word that I would take care of his woman. Right now, I’m not doing a very good job.”
Lifting my chin in realization, I said, “Now it’s making more sense. This is actually about you. I’ll tell you what, Mr. Banks. I hereby release you of your duties and your misplaced heroism.”
“My God, you’re a handful,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “I’d have spanked your ass red by now.”
The last part was more to himself, but I still heard the comment. Great! Now all I could think of was Sebastian doing those exact carnal things. My lonely imagination—and pussy—were taking over rational thought. Now I was hungry, still not for food, so I pulled my cell phone out of my back pocket to check my messages as a distraction. My lack of messages would be a more accurate statement. I’d averaged about five texts back and forth with Sebastian each day since I’d arrived at the safe house. And, despite his promises that he’d visit a day or two after Elijah moved me in here, I still hadn’t seen him. My understanding and patience were wearing dangerously thin.
My stomach ached from my jangled nerves as I pushed through the door to my sanctuary. Quickly, I closed and locked it behind me. The space was apparently the master bedroom suite. It was decorated as beautifully as the rest of the home and at least provided a peaceful, calming place in which to hide out. The color scheme was dominated by the darkest navy blue I’d ever seen. At times, I couldn’t tell if it was blue or black. Cream and khaki accented the dark shade and lent a casual vibe to the regal blue. I’d instantly fallen in love with the hideout—if there was anything to “love” about this place at all.
The room even had a window seat, and it was large enough for two people to snuggle up in. A thick upholstered cushion ran beneath the abundant pillows and cozy throw blanket. It was a perfect book-lover’s escape.
According to my phone’s GPS, we were in Twentynine Palms, California. After the emotional turmoil in Sebastian’s office the day I left—correction: the day I was extracted from—Los Angeles, Bas’s driver, Joel, brought Elijah and me to this estate in the Mohave Desert. I had exhausted myself with a tear-filled breakdown, followed by a fit of rage, wrapped up by shamelessly pleading for my freedom. My dramatics ended with Elijah handing me a monogrammed handkerchief from his suit’s inside breast pocket before eyeing me like a grenade with its pin pulled.
In the end, I’d fallen asleep against the limo’s window, lulled by the mindlessness of counting red cars as they passed by on the far side of the
freeway. It was a silly game my brothers and I had played as kids during family road trips. It made the long hours pass a bit quicker while confined with my rambunctious siblings. At that moment, when everything else felt like it was turning upside down, the game gave me some familiarity and safety.
Neither of which I felt anymore. Not by a long shot.
Maybe if I asked nicely, Elijah would let me call Rio. I was worried sick that things were falling apart at Abstract. If I could check in on the business, it would help settle my nerves.
I hurried back out into the hall. Once there, I spotted my jailer out by the pool. I took a chance that the French doors were unlocked. To my surprise, the handle turned freely. I hadn’t been outdoors since I’d gotten here, and the warmth of the sun on my skin brought tears to my eyes. It was a melodramatic reaction, but my emotions were like a swollen river after a storm. I was the damn Rio Grande, ready to crest over every situational bank and shoreline.
But this bullshit had to stop. Soon. Something already told me that my tears wouldn’t carry the same weight with Elijah as they did with his friend, the MIA Mr. Shark.
I stepped in front of the lounge chair he lazed on, blocking the sun from his face and ensuring I had his attention. As soon as he looked up, I asked without preamble, “May I use the phone?” Through gritted teeth, I added, “Please.”
“Not until you eat something,” he answered without opening his eyes. “It’s a fair trade.”
“I told you I’m not hungry.” My stomach actually pitched at the thought of eating.
“And I told you, I’m responsible for your well-being. You need to eat something.”
“Let me make the call first.”
“No.”
“Elijah! Damn it!” I shifted from one foot to the other, deciding how far to go with an explanation. “I’m not feeling well,” I began. “I’m assuming it’s stress, and I think if I talk to my business partner, some of that will be alleviated. Then maybe I will feel more like eating. I would like to make the phone call first.” I explained it with barely veiled frustration—and then dawning recognition. “And why do you have cell service here while I don’t?”
“Your carrier must not service this area.” He shrugged as if the answer was obvious.
“That’s not true. I looked online”—I was able to do that, thanks to the Wi-Fi in the house—“and I should have a cell signal here. Something’s wrong with my phone. I need to go to a store and have it looked at. Can you take me? Or loan me a car so I can do it myself?”
“You can use my phone to call Grant. We’ll worry about the rest when Sebastian gets here.”
I frowned. Deeply. For some reason, I sensed he wasn’t being honest about this. About all of it or some of it, I had no idea—but my bullshit meter, honed by years of dealing with every crooked food-supplier in Los Angeles, was crackling like an out-of-control Geiger counter.
“I don’t want to talk to Grant,” I told him. “I want to talk to Rio Gibson, my business partner.”
“Grant is with Rio,” he explained while already dialing. “He can put her on the line.”
I took his actions as progress—until, as the call connected, he stood and walked away from me a few feet. Despite how I tried to linger close by, he continued the conversation at a volume next to a whisper, ensuring I couldn’t make out a word of the conversation. Finally, Elijah turned back to me. With a couple of efficient steps, he closed the space between us.
“Is she there now?” he asked his friend with a grin. “Oh, I can just imagine. If it’s anything like what I’m dealing with…”
He cut in on himself with a long laugh. The full, hearty sound had me imagining all the mischief my sister-in-law was probably committing upon Sebastian’s best friend, the equally bossy Grant, as he hung around our Inglewood prep kitchen.
“Let me talk to her.” I held my hand out expectantly, and Elijah gave me a reproachful look. Clearly these three men had all attended the same “Dominants Do It Better” correspondence course. I rolled my eyes just to piss him off and gesticulated more aggressively for the phone.
Finally—thank God—he gave in. As soon as Elijah gave me his phone, I began walking away from him.
“Stay. Here.”
“I’d like some privacy,” I snapped back.
“This is the only place there is a signal. You’ll drop the call if you wander too far.”
“Then would you mind?”
“Not at all,” he said with that grin he always wore. He settled back into the lounge chair, clearly having no intention of relocating.
“Asshole,” I mumbled before catching Rio’s groan on the other end of the phone line.
“So I’m not the only one having my patience tried? I guess there’s some comfort in that, at least,” she muttered from her end of the call.
Despite her grousing, I relaxed immediately when hearing her voice. “Hey, sister. What’s going on?”
“I think I should be asking you that, no? How much longer am I going to have to put up with this one here? I want you to be safe, Abs, more than anything, but this guy is pushing every single button I have and others I didn’t even know I had, too.” She laughed, but there was still a bit of tension underneath the sound. Okay, maybe more than a bit.
“At least he’s not hard on the eyes, right?” I offered in the way of consolation.
“Mmmph.” Her sound wasn’t an opinion either way. “That wasn’t exactly answering my question.”
“I know,” I soothed. “And I wish I had a better answer for you, but I haven’t even seen Bas since I’ve been here.” I dared to take a few tiny steps away from Elijah. The signal strength on the call remained strong. I almost glowered at the back of his head but decided not to waste the time. I wouldn’t put it past the guy to feed me a line just to keep me within earshot so he could monitor the call.
Asshole.
I managed to keep the insult to myself this time. Rio’s comforting croon helped with the effort. “I’m so sorry, Abs,” she said. “I know that has to be tough on you. Is the place nice at least?”
I laughed. “What do you think?” Barely waiting two seconds before going on. “I don’t think Bas knows how to anything but over-the-top extravagant.”
“Well, if one must be held against their will…”
When spoken out loud, those words sounded so much worse than they should have, prompting me to respond. “I know I shouldn’t be complaining. In my head, I understand all this is for my own good…”
“But?” Rio filled in the word I’d already intimated.
“I…well, I just haven’t been feeling well.”
“Gee, not like you haven’t been under juuust a bit of stress lately or anything.”
“Tell me what’s going on there. I think it will help ease my mind. How are the orders going? Is the website still busy? You got everything handled? Not too overwhelmed?”
Her reply was accompanied by background noises from the kitchen, which were more soothing than I expected. “Strangely, everything has been running smoothly,” she filled in. “Although this guy is annoying as hell, he’s a very hard worker and actually knows his way around a kitchen. I guess that’s why they sent him here.” Her pause was thick with a contemplative subtext. “And likely why Elijah’s with you, yes?”
“I doubt that.” I felt comfortable muttering it, having carefully stepped my way at least ten feet away from him now.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Elijah is the security guy. The private investigator. Right now, and right here, the concern is more about my safety than about Abstract.”
“And you’re not feeling good about that.”
I shrugged. It was a good substitute for losing my shit altogether. “I can’t ‘feel’ one way or the other about it, Rio,” I admitted with sincerity. “All I know is that Sebastian isn’t leaving any stone unturned—and because I love him and trust him, that means going along with this plan. It also means that the main thrust of t
he focus is here, on me. Although I know for a fact that he’s also ordered eyes on you, Sean, my dad, and the rest of the guys.”
“The…guys?” Rio prodded. “Your brothers?”
“Are there other ‘guys’ I don’t know about?” My snark was probably unnecessary, but dear God, it felt good to have someone who actually understood it—and me. “Anyhow, just in case Grant hasn’t filled you in on all that already, I wanted you to know. You’re not in danger. Sebastian won’t let anything happen to anyone in the family. He’s promised me. And I truly believe him.”
At least I did about that part of things.
His promise to come here and actually see me, on the other hand…
Rio’s chuckle broke me out of my sulk. “Ohhh, sister. Do you think I’ve ever felt in peril with your brother around?”
“No,” I laughed out. “I guess not. But you’ve never had Sebastian Shark in your life before now, either.” I cleared my throat while pacing a little faster. “So how are you handling the lunch orders? You’re making the deliveries, I’m guessing?”
“Yep. No worries, Abs. I got this. I promise.”
I bit my lower lip. “So…what’s happened when you’ve delivered to Viktor? Has he asked where I am?”
“Oh, you know he has. Now that I know more about him, he totally creeps me out. But I told him exactly what Grant told me to say. That you’re visiting a sick family member back east. He said to let you know he was sending his well wishes and if he can help you in any way, do not hesitate to reach out. Blah, blah, blah.” She laughed, and I could picture her rolling her eyes while saying it, making me snicker too.