CHAPTER I
APRIL
IN HAWAII
"Where
do you think you're going?" Steven threw the blankets back.
"I'm
meeting Elliot for a run on the beach, you know, that thing I do every morning while you continue to dream," Sarah said.
Steven
shook his head and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Damn, I miss our cabin
in the woods."
"Really?"
She finished fastening her hair into a ponytail and faced him, eyebrows furrowed.
"Hawaii was your idea. Cabin fever, if I remember correctly. At least
that's what you told Frank."
"I
was wrong. At the cabin, we spent hours cuddling. Now you're up with the sun, and the bed is cold."
Sarah
sat down beside him. "I miss that too."
He
pulled her deeper into the bed, his naked body covering hers. Kissing passionately,
she molded her body to his.
"Tell
you what." She said after she caught her breath. "I'll make it a five-mile run,
and after a quick shower, we'll continue." She smiled but pushed him away.
He
fell back on the bed and sighed deeply.
"Five miles? I'll bet you do fifteen, just to make me wait."
She
nibbled his earlobe. "You’re the one
determined to get me healthy. I'm doing all I can to fulfill your wish. I promise
a quick run. You start the shower, and I'll
be right back."
He
sighed again but let her go and pulled on a pair of shorts. In the kitchen, he
poured a cup of coffee, grabbed the paper from the front porch, and went to the
patio to monitor her run. He never slept during her early morning excursions.
While Elliott, her bodyguard and running
partner, was always at her side, Steven kept his eye on the dunes and the
rocks dotting the beach. He didn't expect trouble, but he was ready regardless
of the serene setting that Hawaii offered.
They
were on private land, with a private beach, but Steven never rested when Sarah
was out of his sight. It had only been four
months since the last threat, and he wasn't ready to trust there'd be no more.
In December, he'd rescued her from a kidnapper, and a sniper determined to put a
bullet in her head, but constant nightmares haunted his dreams.
Frank
had convinced him to come to Hawaii and consult on a case while continuing the honeymoon.
He'd promised Sarah a year of his time,
and while he felt guilty for working, Sarah needed the sunshine. Their cabin in
the Brooks Range was great, but she had
continued to struggle with her health. The warmth of Hawaii changed all that.
In less than a month, she was the picture of wellbeing and this new case was
close to a solution.
Their
suspect had made a huge mistake moving to Hawaii to continue his exploits. The
killings had started in Los Angeles, in January, but moved to Hawaii in March.
The killer made his victims eat their own body parts, sexually assaulted them,
and eventually killed them. This creep's appetite knew only brutality and Frank
wanted Steven's help to capture him. They were close and once the case wrapped
up, Steven would take Sarah to Paris.
He
sipped his coffee and caught sight of her and Elliott coming back up the beach.
The phone rang and when he answered, Frank shouted at him. "Where's
Sarah?"
"Running.
Why?"
"Get
her in the house. I'm on my way." Frank yelled.
Steven
could hear the roar of a helicopter in the background. "What's happening,
Frank?"
"Bardot.
Rudy Bardot, Jarrod's brother, is alive. He's our serial killer, and he's
after Sarah!"
Steven
dropped the phone and grabbed his gun. Barefoot he took off for the beach.
Two
seconds too late.
Rudy
Bardot rested a sniper rifle on a dune. His targets were in view. Steven sighted the man just as Sarah and Elliott arrived
at ground zero.
Before
Steven could calm his breathing enough to shoot, a shot shredded the morning's tranquility!
Elliott
always ran with his body blocking Sarah's in safety, but the shooter had prepared
for that.
One
shot and both Sarah and Elliott went down. The bullet had gone through Elliott's
shoulder and hit Sarah.
Bardot
dropped his gun, pulled a knife, and moved toward his victims. He wanted a souvenir.
" Jolies oreilles," Bardot
said. (Pretty ears.)
Steven
fired . . .
The end!
Well, actually the beginning of book 4.
Or if you've already read the trilogy,
I hope I've excited you about the next book
MOTIVE FOR MURDER!
FYI
I changed the title
from Dark Motives to Motive for Murder.
I've always referred
the first three books as my
Murder Trilogy;
I thought it made
sense to make it the
Murder Series
by keeping the word
Murder
in all the titles!
Do you agree?
