“Stephanie! We need to talk,” Rook called out impatiently.
Ugh. I wasn’t ready. With Rook, it was just too damned complicated and painful. The things he’d done. The things I’d done. Everything we’d been through…
“Just a moment. Okay?” My hand started to shake as I took the towel from my hair. I still felt like Warner would burst through the door at any moment and kill me. I hadn’t seen him die. What if he got out?
No. Stop. Rook wouldn’t let that happen. My mind jumped to the protective man outside the bedroom door who’d made me feel every possible emotion in the space of twenty-four hours. I thought I never wanted to see him again. I thought I hated him with everything in my soul. But the moment I saw Rook in Warner’s warehouse back in Queens, my heart felt like it might burst from my chest, run across the floor, and fling itself into his arms. He looked so beautiful, so perfect, and I missed the way we felt together. I missed…him.
No. You miss the dream of him. The fantasy.
CONTENTS
About the Book
Praise for the Mr. Rook’s Island Series
Other Works by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
Wilma Salinger
Author’s Note
Acknowledgements
Coming Soon
Excerpt from The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant, Book One
About the Author
PRAISE FOR THE MR. ROOK’S ISLAND SERIES
“I have been waiting on the edge of my seat for this book after reading book one, Mr. Rook. And Mimi did NOT disappoint me.”
– Carol’s Reviews, on PAWN
5 STARS! “I should have known that all was not what it seemed. Like the island itself, the story was sinister and sultry.”
– Leigh, Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews, on Mr. Rook
“PAWN should come with a warning, expect to feel like you are attending a sinfully exotic tennis match as Stephanie squares off against her new boss in a wickedly tantalizing game of love.”
– Dianne, Tome Tender Book Blog
4.5 STARS. “Oh, Mimi, Mimi, Mimi. What a terrific and wonderfully twisted author she is. Just like with everything I’ve read of her previous work, Mr. Rook had likable characters, lots of snarky goodness, and plot twists that will scramble your mind.”
– Harlequin Junkies, on Mr. Rook
“Mimi Jean Pamfiloff’s Pawn has it all.”
– Tanya, Heroes and Heartbreakers, on PAWN.
5 STARS! “Oh, I wish I could give more stars!! Mr. Rook and his island—whoa!”
– #Minxes Love Books, on Mr. Rook
“Another mindf*ck by Mimi and I loved it.”
– Hannah’s Words, on PAWN
“It pulls you in like a puppet on a string and you cannot put the book down until it is finished.”
– Mrs. B’s Books, on PAWN.
OTHER WORKS BY MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF
COMING SOON!
The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant, Book Two (“Mystery, mystery, mystery!” – M. Vanderhorst)
THE ACCIDENTALLY YOURS SERIES
(Paranormal Romance/Humor)
Accidentally in Love with…a God? (Book 1)
Accidentally Married to…a Vampire? (Book 2)
Sun God Seeks…Surrogate? (Book 3)
Accidentally…Evil? (a Novella) (Book 3.5)
Vampires Need Not…Apply? (Book 4)
Accidentally…Cimil? (a Novella) (Book 4.5)
Accidentally…Over? (Series Finale) (Book 5)
THE FATE BOOK SERIES
(Standalones/New Adult Suspense/Humor)
Fate Book
Fate Book Two
THE FUGLY SERIES
(Standalones/Contemporary Romance)
fugly
it’s a fugly life
THE HAPPY PANTS SERIES
(Standalones/Romantic Comedy)
The Happy Pants Café (Prequel)
Tailored for Trouble (Book 1)
Leather Pants (Book 2)
Skinny Pants (Book 3)
IMMORTAL MATCHMAKERS, INC., SERIES
(Standalones/Paranormal/Humor)
The Immortal Matchmakers (Book 1)
Tommaso (Book 2)
God of Wine (Book 3)
The Goddess of Forgetfulness (Book 4)
THE KING SERIES
(Dark Fantasy)
King’s (Book 1)
King for a Day (Book 2)
King of Me (Book 3)
Mack (Book 4)
Ten Club (Series Finale, Book 5)
THE LIBRARIAN’S VAMPIRE ASSISTANT
(Mystery/Humor)
The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant (Book 1)
THE MERMEN TRILOGY
(Dark Fantasy)
Mermen (Part 1)
MerMadmen (Part 2)
MerCiless (Part 3)
MR. ROOK’S ISLAND SERIES
(Romantic Suspense)
Mr. Rook (Part 1)
Pawn (Part 2)
Check (Part 3)
THE OHELLNO SERIES
(Standalones/New Adult/Romantic Comedy)
Smart Tass (Book 1)
Oh Henry (Book 2)
Digging A Hole (Book 3)
CHECK
Mr. Rook’s Island
Part Three
Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
A Mimi Boutique Novel
Copyright © 2018 by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Kindle Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the writer, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks are not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Cover Design by Earthly Charms (www.earthlycharms.com)
Developmental Editing by Latoya C. Smith (lcsliterary.com)
Line Editing and Proof Reading by Pauline Nolet (www.paulinenolet.com)
Formatting by bbebooksthailand.com
CHECK
CHAPTER ONE
Rook
“What do you mean ‘Stephanie left the island’?” I set my glass of scotch on the bar, unsure if I had heard my nephew, Luke, correctly over the loud music. Tonight, my open-air dinner club was noisy as hell and crammed with employees, who would depart our island in the morning. A final farewell. Two planeloads had already left, and only those who shared my secret, those I considered to be my “extended” family, would remain indefinitely.
“Several people spotted Stephanie boarding the first flight out about an hour ago,” said Luke, his hazel eyes filled with concern.
Fuck. An hour ago, she and I had been talking outside. She’d refused to marry me tonight, as I’d hoped, because she wanted more—a commitment that I’d do everything possible to live longer. I
’d said yes, though my days were undeniably numbered. Maybe she knew. But why would she simply run off? I didn’t understand.
I tugged on one end of my bow tie to release it and sat at the long bar in the back of the restaurant, my weight suddenly too heavy for my knees. I’d already removed my dinner jacket due to the sweltering tropical heat. It seemed there wasn’t a breeze to be found anywhere on the island tonight.
“But she said she loved me,” I muttered under my breath. “I’m closing the resort to spend my final days with her.”
Luke grabbed my shoulder and squeezed, his eyes filled with pity. “Perhaps it was all too much.”
For an ordinary person, yes, but Stephanie was special. Strong, beautiful, and resourceful. I loved her. With everything a man could possibly love a woman.
I shook my head, sensing something wasn’t right. Of course something isn’t fucking right. You’re aging five years every day. You’ll be dead in a week. But she had said yes to staying until the bitter end. Yes to a child—if we should be so lucky—so that a part of me would live on after my time was up.
“I am sorry, Uncle. Truly. But perhaps it’s a sign that we shouldn’t throw in the towel on the lagoon just yet.” Luke, who looked to be in his mid-forties, was much older than he appeared, but not nearly as old as me at two hundred and thirty. He was my last living relative aside from my aunt, Amancia, who’d been with me since the very beginning. She was two hundred and fifty-two.
And how had we managed to live so long? In short, I believed that everyone had a destiny, and death didn’t always stop a determined soul. Specifically, one of the original inhabitants of this island: Father Rook. He had been a gifted healer, a leader, a devout monk, and my mentor as a boy. Tragically, however, when I was ten, he was murdered alongside his brethren and my family by men we refer to as pirates in today’s terminology. Back then, we simply called them animals. The things they did to those monks, my stepmother and her sister, and my father and older brother gave me nightmares to this day, but nothing would haunt me more than the look on Father Rook’s face as those monsters slit his throat and tossed him into our lagoon. It was the moment I vowed to carry on his work. He would live on as long as I remained alive—a sad consolation for having to witness his pregnant soul mate, my aunt Amancia, die violently before his eyes. Father Rook had renounced his vows two days prior, intending to marry her.
But Father Rook’s death wasn’t the end.
For him.
Or my aunt.
Or me, for that matter.
Immediately after he died, a part of my aunt’s body had been touching that lagoon, and it healed her. She still lost the baby, but that was how we discovered Father Rook’s miraculous gift of healing had somehow stayed alive in that water, though that wasn’t all he’d left behind. His rage, his need for revenge, and his hatred of the men remained, too. Our lagoon became a fountain of youth for most, able to restore anyone to their ideal age and state of health, but it became a death sentence for anyone unlucky enough to be related to those savage pirates. Revenge became the lagoon’s fuel for healing, and my vow to take Father Rook’s place as a monk was the glue that held it all together. I was the anchor between the world of the living and this man with a miraculous gift.
Until last week.
No more revenge. No more fountain of youth. Whatever hold that lagoon had in this world had been broken the moment I renounced my vows. Now, those who were the oldest were aging fastest. Like our sins, time was catching up.
“Please, Uncle,” Luke spoke quietly, for my ears only, “reconsider taking your vows again. You can restart the lagoon. We can go back to the way things were.”
“No,” I said, “with or without Stephanie, this has to end. It’s gone on far too long, caused too much pain.” My words sounded strong and rational, but on the inside my heart was in chaos. Why would she leave? Yes, I was a sinner. I had done unforgivable things. But my love for her changed me. From the moment we met, she opened my eyes to the dark price we were all paying for our youth.
“Our lagoon,” Luke argued, “has given thousands of people a second chance at life. In some cases, like yours, it’s given third or fourth chances. And I don’t know about you, but I feel we’ve done some good with those chances.”
I gave him a stern look and shook my head. We’d defied nature and every law of the universe by living so long. We had played god by deciding who, from the pool of those pirates’ descendants, would die and who would live.
“No. No more. It’s over.” I looked away.
“Then you’re a fool. Because you’re letting all of us—your family—die for a woman who did not love you.”
“I’m ending this because it’s wrong,” I snarled, feeling his sharp words cut deep. “I will not allow another innocent person to end up as accidental fodder for the lagoon simply because they share a bloodline with those vile murderers.”
“It wasn’t your fault that Stephanie’s sister died. The lagoon has a mind of its own.”
“That is exactly why it was my fault,” I said. “Because I knew that. And I failed to keep Cici safe.” Cici, Stephanie’s sister, had been a guest about five months ago. She had wandered into that water and was taken. But it was my job to know exactly who was on our island and ensure my staff properly screened everyone.
I failed.
I destroyed Stephanie’s life and lied to her about what had happened because I was a selfish bastard and didn’t want to risk having her hate me. “I am to blame because I am in charge. This is my goddamned island.”
“It was an oversight by a lazy employee. You cannot blame yourself for not knowing Cici and Stephanie are related to those fucking men.”
I looked away, choosing to guzzle down my drink instead of debating the point further. I fully understood the consequences of my choice to shut down the lagoon and hadn’t taken the decision lightly. It would impact everyone connected to it. We would all age, some a little faster than others, but everyone had still been given extra time beyond their natural lives. Just not as much time as they wanted. However, what was I to do? This couldn’t go on forever. It wasn’t right.
“Are you certain you won’t reconsider?” Luke asked.
No way in hell would I retake my vows and try to bring back the lagoon. “I am.”
“Then let us get on with the party.” Luke walked away, the festive crowd blind to our interaction. They only saw the illusions I’d created here on this island. The fantasies, the luxury, the wealthy guests engaging in the most sexual and romantic of experiences ever dreamt. But the few who truly knew what this place was and the sacrifices required, they were not celebrating tonight. Because the real party was over.
CHAPTER TWO
Stephanie
I’m a dead woman, I thought as the car rumbled down the highway with me gasping for air in the trunk, proof that Warner Price was the sort of man you pissed off once and only once. Lucky me, I managed to piss him off twice. Which was why when this car stopped moving, my life was over.
Looking back, I now knew how foolish I’d been. Or maybe I’d just been mad with grief. My sister, Cici, had gone on vacation and disappeared. When I got the news, I crumbled—unable to eat, sleep, or leave the house. I couldn’t imagine anything more devastating than losing her, but as the months dragged on, it was the not knowing that nearly did me in. Who took her? Why? Is she still alive, waiting for help? No. She has to be dead because she’d never leave me.
The vicious mental circles were unrelenting, which was why I hadn’t been right in the head when I borrowed one hundred thousand dollars from Warner to buy a ticket to the exclusive and very secret island resort where Cici was last seen. And I was downright insane when I agreed to find out as much as I could about the island and its owner as payment to Warner, who would use the information to “acquire” the island for his particular needs—drug trafficking, money laundering, whatever. Since the off-the-grid island didn’t belong to any country, it was the perfect home for a m
obster.
Long story short, however, my plan to seek justice for Cici fell apart the moment I met James Rook. He was beyond beautiful and charming and had a way of making me believe anything, even the fact that he was an eccentric billionaire instead of a monk. He convinced me that hearts do mend and made me so, so happy. For a brief moment.
Looking back, my fatal flaw wasn’t allowing myself to love again, it was trusting him. Because while he swore up and down that my sister had died swimming in the ocean and that he loved me, they were all lies.
And sooner or later, the truth catches up with us. Which was why this moment had been inevitable. I knew I couldn’t run from Warner forever, but now that I was ready to give him what he wanted, he wasn’t going to listen. He’s like that lagoon, out for blood. My blood.
I felt the car slowing. This was it. Oh shit. Oh shit. My body began to tremble and my skin turned ice cold. Add to that, I felt dizzy from lack of oxygen and my foot still hurt like hell from a cut I’d gotten at the beach. It had been stitched up by Mr. Rook’s resident doctor, but I’d reopened it while fleeing the island and Rook’s aunt. Crazy bitch. She’d told me the truth about the lagoon and then tried to drag me off—likely to kill me or something. I hadn’t stayed around long enough to find out.
The tires of the car rumbled over gravel or some other rough surface, coming to a complete stop. I held my breath to listen, wanting to piss myself. Warner and his men were known for removing body parts before killing, as a warning to others.
I shut my eyes and squeezed tight. Oh, God. Please help me.
The trunk popped open, and the early morning light blinded me. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry I didn’t call you, but they didn’t give me a choice! I escaped just to come see you.” Lies. Mostly.
“Now, Stephanie, do I look like an asshole to you?” said Warner in a cocky tone, bending over the trunk. He still wore the all-black outfit he’d had on when he’d showed up to my house last night and dragged me out the back door where his men were waiting.