Authors: Connie Mann
Tags: #Christian Books & Bibles, #Literature & Fiction, #Mystery & Suspense, #Romance, #Clean & Wholesome, #Romantic Suspense, #Religious & Inspirational Fiction, #Religion & Spirituality, #Christian Fiction, #Inspirational, #Suspense
Tangled Lies
PRAISE FOR
ANGEL FALLS
“This heart-pounding novel doesn’t stint on its characters . . . masterful.”
—
RT Book Reviews
, four stars
“If you’re looking for nonstop action and heart-pounding excitement, then
Angel Falls
is just the read you’ve been looking to find. Connie Mann deftly weaves danger and suspense into a story that left me sitting on the edge of my seat, flipping the pages.”
—Debbie Macomber, #1
New York Times
bestselling author
“A perfect blend of fast-paced thriller, inspiration and romance.”
—Fresh Fiction
“In
Angel Falls
, Connie Mann has penned an edgy, gritty book that pushes the boundaries of Christian romance fiction while giving readers a hero and heroine to root for.”
—Irene Hannon, bestselling author of the Guardians of Justice series
“A riveting read starting with the first page all the way through the book.”
—The Suspense Zone
“Dark, intense, and breathlessly paced, Connie Mann’s edgy novel,
Angel Falls
, is exciting, romantic suspense that kept me guessing. With tight writing and fast-paced action, Connie does a fantastic job of grabbing the reader from the first page and never turning loose until the last.
Angel Falls
is not your usual Christian suspense. Filled with intrigue, murder, and sensuality, and set in Brazil’s steamy underbelly, Connie’s debut is riveting.”
—Linda Goodnight, author of
A Snowglobe Christmas
and
Rancher’s Refuge
and contributing author of the Prairie Romance Collection
“
Angel Falls
is a powerful read from the beginning with a hero and heroine who emotionally grip you and won’t let go. The chemistry between Regina and Brooks along with the suspense keeps you riveted to the story.”
—Margaret Daley, author of the Men of the Texas Rangers series
“Connie Mann takes her readers on the heart-stopping journey of a woman who puts her life on the line for an orphaned baby boy and her heart in the hands of the man who came to save them. It was a remarkable story I won’t soon forget.”
—Sharon Sala, author of the Rebel Ridge trilogy
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT
TRAPPED!
“Romance, intrigue and suspense with a Florida twist. Great read!”
—Captain Shelia Kerney, United States Coast Guard–licensed captain
“In
Trapped!
the author lets the reader feel the heat and sweat and smell the fear from unknown dangers along the river. Her fast pace and stunning conclusion will give the reader a fascinating ride.”
—Martha Powers, award-winning author of
Death Angel
,
Bleeding Heart
, and
Sunflower
ALSO BY CONNIE MANN
Angel Falls
Trapped!
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2016 by Connie Neumann
All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Waterfall Press, Grand Haven, MI
Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Waterfall Press are trademarks of
Amazon.com
, Inc., or its affiliates.
ISBN-13: 9781503934764
ISBN-10: 1503934764
Cover design by Michael Rehder
For everyone who has ever longed for “home,” and with love and gratitude to those who opened their hearts and gathered them in.
CONTENTS
Prologue
Boat captain Sasha Petrov called any day spent on the water a good one. If she got to test her mettle against one of Mother Nature’s temper tantrums while out there, well, so much the better.
Sasha eyed the darkening early-June sky and grinned. Today might just have been perfect. The three-man crew had just stowed the day’s catch and she had turned
The Mermaid
for home when the wind in northern Puget Sound kicked up and the sky turned an angry gray. She zipped up her windbreaker as she scanned the squall line building behind them and gauged its speed and distance, the weight of the pink salmon sloshing around the holding tanks.
She raised her face to the sky and laughed as the wind slapped her cheeks, spray making her hands slick on the old wooden wheel.
“We’re going to get wet, Bella-girl.”
Her yellow Lab scanned the sky as though she understood, then nudged Sasha’s leg before disappearing belowdecks to join the rest of the crew. Since the day Sasha had found the shivering, half-drowned pup four years ago, Bella had never left her side—except to hide during storms.
The Mermaid
handled the choppy surf like the old workhorse she was, oblivious to the churning waves. Sasha braced her feet against the swells, eyes on the horizon, ignoring the spray in her face and the rocking of the boat. Nothing beat the thrill of pitting her skills against the fury Mother Nature dished out.
Pete Trowbridge,
The Mermaid
’s handsome owner and the man she’d been sort of dating for the past few weeks, joined her on the bridge. When he saw her face, a smile split his own.
“You love this, don’t you?”
Sasha sent him a saucy grin, then swept her eyes forward again. “Aye aye, sir. Always. Every day.”
“My mother is going to love you. I’m taking you to meet her this weekend.” He winked, and her heart stuttered.
Meet his mother?
Dread stole her smile, and she tightened her grip on the wheel. Maybe he meant it in a casual, my-mom-is-awesome way.
Sure. Right.
And maybe King Neptune would appear from the deep and offer her a graceful way out. She wanted to bang her head on the wheel. She’d thought of their relationship as fun, a nice way to spend a few hours. How had she missed the signs? Again?
She chanced a quick glance in his direction and decided she’d better make this short and sweet. Kind of like the old saying about a bandage: rip it off fast and it won’t hurt as much. She hoped.
“Look, Pete, it’s been fun and all, and I love working for you, but I’m not really a meet-the-parents kind of girl.”
“What are you saying, Sasha? That you were just passing the time with me?”
It wasn’t the words so much as their underlying fury that raised goose bumps on her arms. She really had not been paying attention.
She tried for a casual shrug. “I just meant I’m not ready for anything serious, that’s all.”
He folded his arms, widened his stance. “Then I’ll just wait until you’re ready.”
A second, sharper twinge of panic made Sasha’s heart rate speed up. “I wish you wouldn’t. Really. Can’t we just say it’s been fun and move on?” She threw a big smile his way.
His eyes narrowed, and she knew she’d overplayed it.
Too late.
“I want to marry you, Sasha. This summer. We’re good together.”
Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open in pure shock. Marriage? Good gravy. She hadn’t even been ready to commit to calling him her boyfriend.
“I’m just not the marrying kind, Pete.” She had to raise her voice to be heard above the rising wind. “I don’t ever see myself tying the knot. I love the freedom of the sea and all that.”
And if I’m alone, I never have to worry about hurting someone—like I’m doing now.
Pete grabbed her arm and jerked her around to face him.
The Mermaid
’s wheel slipped from her grasp, spinning wildly. The heavy boat turned to port, parallel to the ever-increasing waves as the storm caught up with them. If she didn’t get back to the wheel, they would be running in the trough with waves hitting them broadside. Even a boat as sturdy as this one could get swamped if she didn’t regain control.
“Let go! I need to hold her steady!” Sasha yelled, but Pete held fast.
Suddenly Bella burst up from below, sliding on the wet deck, barking frantically. She shoved against Pete’s legs, but he wouldn’t release his grip.
“No, Bella. Go below, girl!” Sasha shouted.
Pete ignored everything around them, eyes on Sasha.
“You’re going to marry me.”
A huge waved crashed over the side, almost washing Bella overboard. The big dog yelped and scrambled to get her paws back under her. Sasha lunged forward to help, but Pete wouldn’t let go.
“Later, Pete. Please. The storm.”
She saw him slowly look around and blink, finally realizing the squall had overtaken them. The wind whipped the waves into a frenzy, tossing
The Mermaid
like a cork. He shoved her away and she grabbed the wheel, fighting with everything she had to work against the heavy seas and keep them from capsizing. Muscling the heavy boat back on course took every ounce of her strength, especially with the wind blowing so hard she couldn’t see past the rain hitting her face. Pete disappeared below and she blocked everything from her mind but the challenge of besting the storm.
It seemed like hours, though probably no more than forty minutes passed before the worst of the wind died down, the rain slowed to a sprinkle, and Sasha slumped against the wheel, exhausted. Her arms and shoulders ached from gripping the wheel, but her usual elation at winning another round against the sea had vanished. Pete had stolen that from her. She wanted to fight back, tell him what she thought of his crazy assumptions, but she didn’t want to get him wound up again. It didn’t matter anyway. She’d just take Bella home to their little studio apartment and get into dry clothes. Then she’d figure out their next move. She’d loved this job, had planned to spend all summer working
The Mermaid
, maybe longer. Pete had stolen that, as well.
Still, there was the proverbial silver lining. Now she had no reason to miss her foster mother’s sixtieth birthday party in Florida. Last time she’d turned on her laptop and checked email, she’d found half a dozen messages from her sister Eve, nagging her to come home. After so many years away, the thought both tempted and terrified. Yet she owed Mama Rosa and Pop that much, and more.
As they approached the marina where Pete kept the boat, Sasha throttled back the engines. She looked over to where Bella had come back on deck to pace, eyes on the lessening waves.
“Almost there, girl.”
Pete burst up from below. Bella growled, but before Sasha could respond, he scooped the big retriever into his arms and tossed her overboard.
For one frozen instant, Sasha could only stare. Then she sprang toward the railing, ramming both hands against Pete’s hard chest to shove him aside.
“Are you insane?”
She spotted Bella paddling frantically in the boat’s wake and climbed over the railing, slapping Pete’s hands away when he tried to stop her.
Gasping when she hit the icy water, she reached Bella in a few quick strokes and grabbed her collar, offering encouragement. Bella paddled frantically, both of them fighting the pull of the cold water as they swam the final stretch to the dock. They climbed out at the farthest end of the marina, a safe distance from where Pete struggled to get
The Mermaid
into the slip.
Let him struggle, the snake.
Dripping wet and cold, they walked away without a backward glance.
Sasha didn’t start shaking until they reached her apartment.
Time to go home to Florida. To face the past.
And maybe, just maybe, figure out the future.