The rustle of leaves close by thundered through her brain. He was gaining on her. She ran hard and was forced to skid to a stop along the banks of a wide river.
Water ran in rivulets down her face, blurring her vision. She couldn’t see how wide it was. No idea how deep. And with the rain the mountains had gotten from that tropical storm, the water was up, rushing by with force and fury.
Her heart raced. She brushed the wet hair out of her eyes and scanned the forest for an escape route. The only exit was to the right, up the hill—a clearing through the trees as if it had been blazed just for her.
Not up! Up won’t save me!
“Marina!” The crackle of twigs off to her left signaled he was closing in. Her heart thundered in her ears. Her legs moved without reason, heading toward the gap in the trees, up the hill.
“You can’t run from me,” he rumbled. “There’s nowhere for you to hide!”
Lightning flashed, and she dodged a tree. Twigs and thorny vines scraped the bare skin of her arms, slicing at her jeans. She stumbled over a large boulder, her body landing with a thump against the earth. Mud splattered in her face. Rocks impaled her knees.
Keep going. Keep running.
She glanced over her shoulder, and icy fingers of fear clutched her throat. Another slice of lightning illuminated the jungle, the driving rain, and the rustling leaves through the trees.
“I’m coming for you, Marina.”
His voice was so close, so icy and possessed.
She fought with the ground, dug her fingers into the slick earth, and pulled herself up. Finding her feet again, she tore off up the hill. The trees opened up. The wind and rain whipped her hair in front of her face.
She kept running through the blinding maze of darkness and shadows. Ominous clouds completely covered the moon. Sensing a change in her surroundings, she slowed her pace. She wasn’t on soil anymore, but rock. No more trees hindered her movement. The scent of salt and sea tickled her nostrils. Slashing wind and rain cut through her, but it was the pounding of the raging water below that brought her feet skidding to a halt.
Lighting flashed once more, revealing the stone cliff she’d stumbled upon. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the sharp drop off toward the roaring ocean.
Her heart beat frantically. She glanced right and left, trying to decide which way to go.
“There’s nowhere to run, Marina.”
She whipped around. Lightning flashed above her, illuminating Evan’s crazed features. He emerged from the trees, covered in blood and mud, and his wide, unfocused gaze sent fear shivering along every nerve ending in Maren’s body.
She caught her breath and took a cautious step backward, closer to the edge of the cliff. “Stop calling me that. I’m not Marina. My name is Maren!”
“You’ll never be rid of me.” His steps didn’t slow. “You belong to me. I’ve waited for you for so long. Running won’t save you.”
He wasn’t seeing her. He was seeing Marina. She had to get him to focus on her. “Evan, look at me. I’m Maren. You know me. I’m not Marina. Say my name.”
“Marina,” he repeated, stepping forward, his eyes blazing.
The wind picked up, curling her wet hair in her face. He inched closer. Lightning flashed, and thunder roared far off in the distance.
“No! I’m Maren. Say my name, Evan!”
A flicker of recognition streaked across his rain-slicked face. And for a moment, his eyes softened. “Maren,” he mumbled as if seeing her for the first time.
Hope leapt in her throat. If she could keep him focused on her, she had a chance. He’d felt something for her once, before his obsession had consumed his life. She had to bring that back, to get him to see her as a person.
“Yes, say it again.” The wind slowed. The rain seemed to die down a little.
“Maren,” he muttered again. His eyes narrowed, and he stared into her eyes. “Marina,” he mumbled louder, his tone sharpening. “She’s always been you, and you’ve always been her.”
The wind picked up once more. Dark clouds swirled above. He continued approaching, his face that of a madman again.
“Let it go, Evan. Please”—she took another small step back toward the ledge—”just let me go.”
“You won’t win.”
Maren’s gaze jerked to the side, where the voice had come from. A female voice. One she’d heard before.
“I always win.” Evan said, still staring at Maren.
“Not this time.” This time the voice came from Maren’s right. “Las Hermanas de Protección will stop you.”
Maren’s eyes grew wide. Two, three, four women all dressed in the same black clothing as the woman she’d seen on the beach during that storm stepped out of the shadows behind Evan. Maren wasn’t sure what they were doing here, but they were all staring at Evan’s back, not her, and the menace in their eyes was directly solely at him.
She swallowed hard. “This is going to end badly for you, Evan. Walk away before it’s too late.”
One side of his mouth curled. He didn’t seem to notice the women around them. “It’s already too late, my love. You belong to me. You always have. I’ve waited five hundred years for you.”
Chants rose up from the women. Dark clouds swirled above. Thunder crackled and lightning flashed, and in the sharp burst of light, Maren saw all four women pull long-handled knives from their belts.
“Evan,” Maren screamed. “Don’t do this!”
“Marina,” Evan whispered. “You’re both mine. You always were.”
He lunged for her.
Four objects whirled through the air.
His body slammed into hers and knocked her off her feet. And Maren screamed.
Thad reached the cliff just as Maren and Declan sailed over the edge.
“No!” Heart in his throat, he raced to the ledge and dropped to his stomach. Maren was three feet down, dangling over the raging surf and holding on to a muddy tree root with white-knuckled fingers.
“Maren!”
Her fingers slipped, and a scream tore from her throat.
“No! No, baby. Hold on!”
“Thad!” She swayed in the breeze and tried to look up. “I can’t hold on!”
Fear pummeled him from every side. “Don’t you dare let go. Drummer!” he screamed.
Drummer grasped his ankles as Thad went down on his stomach and lowered himself over the edge of the muddy cliff, shouting orders to Drummer behind him.
“I’m slipping!” Maren screamed.
“No, you aren’t. Look at me.” Thad fought to keep his voice calm. “Don’t let go. You hear me? Don’t let go, Maren.”
She gulped in a large breath of air and wrapped her hand around the gnarled root. “Hurry.”
“A little more!” Thad hollered at Drummer. His hand lowered to within inches of hers. “Reach up and grab my hand, Maren.”
“I can’t! I’ll fall. I can’t let go!”
“Yes, you can. Look at me, baby. I can’t reach you. You have to grab my hand. I won’t let go. I’ll never let go of you.”
She locked her gaze with his, and the determination in her eyes sent a surge of confidence through his body. “Reach up, Maren.”
She clenched her teeth. On a deep breath, she swung her right hand up to grab his.
For a moment, time stood still. Then he caught her slim wrist in his hand, locking them together. “I’ve got you, baby. Give me your other hand.”
She let go of the root and dug her fingers into his forearm. Her feet scraped rock and mud as she struggled up the cliff.
His muscles burned as he hauled her up. She clawed her way over the edge, and when she reached the top, Thad’s arms closed around her, dragging her close.
She fell into him and gasped.
“I’ve got you,” he said, tugging her close. He rocked back on his heels and closed his eyes. “I’ve got you.”
Her heart raced against his, and she buried her face in his chest. Behind him Drummer breathed heav
ily, trying to fill his own lungs.
“You’re here.” She drew back and clasped both hands on the side of Thad’s face. Her hair was wet and dripping down her cheeks, and mud covered both of them, but he didn’t care. “How…? I thought I’d lost you.”
“It seems Doña Marina has some influential friends. They showed up with Patrick just after you and Declan left.”
Maren looked past him. He turned. The woman they’d seen in that storm stepped out of the shadows and bowed.
“Las Hermanas de Protección safeguards more than just the resting place of La Malinche,” she said in a thickly accented voice. “We safeguard her blood. Apologies for not recognizing you sooner. Had we known who you were, we would not have caused you trouble in that cenote or during that storm.”
So they’d been the ones to set off that explosion. Maren had been right. Wide-eyed, Maren looked to Thad, and relief trickled through him. That she was safe. That he’d gotten here in time. That they were together.
“We will be watching,” the woman said, drawing their attention back to her face. “When you find La Malinche, we have but one request.” Three more women dressed just like her stepped up behind her. “You finally let her rest. If you do not, we will return.”
They disappeared into the darkness without another word, as if they’d never been there.
“That was creepy,” Drummer said when they were gone, “Hot, but totally creepy.”
Maren sagged against Thad, and he closed his arms around her again, still shaking. “I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered. “Those chicks run like the wind. They left us in the dust. Drummer and I got to the cliff just in time to see you and Declan go over the edge.”
“What happened to him?”
“He didn’t make it. By the time we got to the cliff, he was already at the bottom.”
“Dude,” Drummer said. “He was already dead before he hit the ground. Did you see those knives? No way he survived all four.”
Thad scowled Drummer’s way. Drummer chuckled and pushed to his feet.
Maren gripped Thad’s T-shirt. “He couldn’t let it go. His greed and hatred overtook him until he was transformed into someone else.”
“I know, baby.” He smoothed his hand down her hair. “But it’s over now. You’re safe. You’re here. He can’t touch us anymore. Though I might not let you out of my sight for a good year.”
A wry smile spread across her face, and she wiped a smudge of earth from his cheek. “You chose us.”
His heart filled. “Us is all I’ve ever needed.”
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. And in her kiss, he finally felt like his life was beginning. Like it finally had purpose.
He eased back. “Let’s go see our girl.”
“She’s okay?” she asked with tears in her eyes.
“Oh, baby, she’s better than okay. She’s perfect. Just like you.”
Maren stared over the edge of the Escapade into the crystal-blue Caribbean waters under the sparkling sun. She could just see the dark outline of the wreck below, where Lisa and Rafe were working.
La Malinche was somewhere down there. They might find it today, tomorrow, or never. She didn’t care anymore, and she was no longer afraid of it. Cursed or not, it couldn’t touch her. Her father was right—history was not about to repeat itself, and her future was her own.
It could have been me. The shell of a woman, consumed by hate.
But not anymore.
Thad stepped up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and looked down at the wreck. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, gripping his forearms. “Just thinking about La Malinche.”
“Hard to believe one little statue could cause such turmoil over the years.”
“Love is the strongest emotion there is. Doña Marina loved with a passion most people can’t even begin to comprehend.”
“And it transformed into hate when her love was rejected.” His arms tightened around her. “Love and hate are closely intertwined.” When she glanced over her shoulder, he grinned. “Some braniac told me that.”
One side of her lips curled. “And which one rules you?”
He gazed deep into her eyes. “Love. Without a doubt.”
Isabel tore up the salon stairs and slammed on her brakes.
“You got it?” Thad asked over his shoulder, his gaze never wavering from Maren’s face.
“Yup!” Isabel grinned and held out her hand.
Maren’s eyes narrowed. A bond had formed between the two quickly. One she’d hoped for but hadn’t truly expected. “What are you two up to?”
A sly smirk spread across Thad’s face. “You didn’t think I’d forget your birthday, did you?”
He held out his palm, and the object Isabel had just given him glittered in his hand.
Maren tipped her head. “You can’t give me the same present you gave me nine years ago.”
He snapped open the locket and peered inside. “I think you need an updated picture of me. This one’s a little old.”
“It’s all I had,” she said as he clasped the chain around her neck.
“I’ll get you a new one. Much better.” He fingered the heart against her chest. “But it’s missing something.”
She glanced down at the locket. “Missing what?”
“A mate.” In his other palm, he held a heart-shaped diamond ring.
She drew in a deep breath. The gem sparkled in afternoon sunlight. “When did you get that?”
He laughed and reached for her hand. “I’ve had this since I first went to your mother’s hotel to find you.” His laughter faded, and his eyes filled with love. “You’ve always had my heart. Now I’m giving it to you the right way. I love you, Blondie. Say you’ll marry me so we can be a real family.”
She’d thought her heart was full, but she’d been wrong. There was so much room left inside for him. Tears blurred her vision. “Oh, Thad.”
His eyes danced with laughter, and he brushed a tear away from her cheek. “Well? What will it be?”
“I will... As long as… Well...” She glanced at her daughter. “Isabel?”
The goofy grin across Isabel’s face said it all. “I will too.”
Maren looked back at Thad. “I guess it’s official. We both will.”
“It’s about damn time.” He slipped the ring on her left hand. Heat encircled her finger where the gold, warmed by his hand, rested against her skin. “It looks good,” he said, peering down at her hand, tipping it so light could reflect off the diamond. “Let’s try starboard light.”
He dragged her around to the other side of the boat. A balmy breeze blew her hair away from her face. She laughed. “You’re crazy, you know that, Leighton?”
“Crazy for you. I always have been.” He pointed across the water toward the Mexican shore. “See that, Blondie? Paradise. Let’s go find it.” Hefting her over his shoulder, he stepped up to the railing.
“Don’t you dare, Leighton!” she shrieked.
He took one quick glance at Isabel. Their daughter grinned wider and nodded in approval. Before Maren could protest again, he tossed her over the side and into the water.
She was smiling when she broke the surface. And when she looked up and saw the man she loved and the daughter they shared jumping into the deep after her, she knew there’d be no more stolen chances. The past was exactly where it was supposed to be.
Buried. For good.
And the future was all that mattered.
Thanks for reading STOLEN CHANCES!
I hope you enjoyed Maren and Thad’s story!
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ad an excerpt from FIRST EXPOSURE, the prequel to my upcoming Aegis Security series, please turn the page.
FIRST EXPOSURE
Prequel to the Aegis Security Series
Available in the WICKED FIRSTS Anthology
Read on for a sneak peek at
A film that could make her career.
A weekend that will change her life.
CHAPTER ONE
Fame always came with a price. Avery Scott knew that better than anyone.
Climbing out of the rental car, she drew in a deep breath that did little to settle her churning stomach and glanced around the quiet parking lot. A gardener trimmed shrubbery off to her left. The sound of a mower echoed from somewhere beyond the palatial main house. There were no other businesses out here in the middle of Kentucky horse country. Just miles of rolling green hills, old knotted trees, and pristine white fences. No other people that Avery could see besides the man and woman standing in the shade of a giant oak at least two hundred yards out, gazing at a possible Triple Crown winner.
No one noticed her. No one seemed the least bit interested in what America’s sweetheart was up to. Relaxing just a bit, she closed the car door and crossed the circular drive toward her destination. If Jake Ryder couldn’t help her…
She pushed the thought aside and pressed the intercom button near the massive double doors. When a voice echoed asking her business, she gave her name and waited.
Please let this work…
One side of the door pulled open, and an attractive brunette with large brown eyes and a warm smile greeted her. “Welcome, Ms. Stone. I’m Brandi. Mr. Ryder is running a tad behind. Can I get you anything while you wait? Tea? Coffee?”
Avery forced a smile and stepped into the cool entry, relieved the receptionist showed no spark of recognition. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”
The woman closed the door at her back. “Then please, have a seat. It’ll be just a moment.”
Soaring pillars opened to a living room that had been transformed into a reception area. Leather furnishings, burgundy walls, and rich slate floors gave the room a cozy yet trendy feeling. Expensive artwork by well-known artists screamed both attention to detail and professionalism, but it was the large, chrome letters mounted on the wall above the receptionist’s immaculate marble counter that gave her hope. The ones that spelled out the words Aegis Security.