Tangled Lies Read online

  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

  www.brilliancepublishing.com

  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

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  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 ca
lling 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.

  Chapter 1

  When a gorgeous 1946 mahogany racing boat like he was towing appeared in a town the size of Safe Harbor, Florida, people noticed. Jesse Claybourne eased his pickup to a stop at one of the only traffic lights in town and smiled at a little boy who skidded to a halt, openmouthed on the sidewalk. The little boy’s mother looked over her shoulder and her jaw dropped, as well. Jesse had toyed briefly with waiting until dark to make his appearance, but decided to wade in with both feet. He acknowledged mother and son with a nod as he drove through the intersection. He figured in the five minutes it took to reach the marina on the outskirts of town, everyone would be talking about The Painted Lady. And speculating about her owner.

  That might, or might not, make things easier.

  When he turned off the two-lane road onto the dirt track that led to the marina, he realized he should have waited until nightfall. Pickups of every vintage and description, along with a smattering of sensible sedans, lined both sides of the road. He’d stumbled into the middle of some big event.

  In for a penny, in for a pound, his great-aunt Clarabelle had always said. He kept his pace slow and steady so he wouldn’t bog down in the sand, and nodded to the people who turned to stare. At the marina, he pulled off to one side since all the trailer parking spots were filled. One look over his shoulder at the Martinelli house, where the marina’s owner and family lived, and he knew the reason for the crowd. Through the haze of barbecue smoke, he glimpsed a hand-painted banner that read “Happy Birthday, Mama Rosa!”

  He wandered over to the slips, looking for number sixteen, but none of them were marked. Most already held boats, so his shouldn’t be tough to find.

  “Can I help you, son?” a deep voice said.

  Jesse turned to see Salvatore Martinelli and a couple of his captain buddies standing behind him. He held out his hand.

  “Nice to see you again, Sal. It’s been a long time.”

  Sal’s eyes widened, and he glanced at The Painted Lady, then at the two captains frowning beside him.

  “Is that you, Jesse Claybourne?”

  Jesse sent him a half smile. “It is, sir.”

  Sal tugged him closer for a hug and a slap on the back. “Don’t you sir me, now, son.” He pulled back, met Jesse’s gaze. “I was sorry to hear of your aunt’s passing. Clarabelle was a fine lady.”

  “Who could also throw a mean left hook if you crossed her,” Jesse added, and they both laughed. Then he sobered. “Thank you. She’ll be missed.”

  Sal gestured to the men beside him, who were listening with unbridled interest.

  “You remember Captains Demetri and Roy?” Demetri’s dark hair and beard were going gray, but Jesse remembered his ever-present cigar from childhood summers in Safe Harbor. Short and squat, Captain Roy had gone almost bald, but he still had the look of a man who didn’t suffer fools lightly.

  Jesse held out a hand, but Demetri ignored it. Roy turned sideways and spit tobacco juice near his feet.

  Jesse dropped his hand but kept his smile in place. “Good to see you both.”

  Two other men, obviously captains, appeared and scanned The Painted Lady with practiced eyes. The tall, skinny one gave Jesse an equally intense once-over, while his stocky friend merely scowled.

  “Captains Bill and Jimmy,” Sal said.

  Jesse didn’t offer his hand again, merely nodding to each in turn. He hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “Looks like quite a party. Didn’t mean to pull you away.”

  “My Rosa is sixty today, praise be to God, and she is surrounded by people. She can spare me for a few minutes.” Sal nodded to The Painted Lady. “She’s a beaut. What brings you here?”

  “Boat like that don’t come cheap,” Captain Demetri muttered.

  Jesse ign
ored him and answered Sal. Aunt Clarabelle’s unexpected legacy wasn’t something he’d planned to explain. “I’m entering The Lady in the Tropicana in Clearwater in a couple weeks and need a place to work on her.”

  Sal started shaking his head before Jesse finished speaking. The other captains stepped closer, closing ranks, and Jesse had to admire the way they stood with their friend.

  “Sorry you’ve come all this way, Jesse. But I don’t have any transient slips for rent.”

  Jesse hid his disappointment at Sal’s response, though he wasn’t surprised. Safe Harbor had never been big on welcoming outsiders. He smiled.

  “I don’t need transient space. I’m going to keep her in Aunt Clarabelle’s slip.”

  Captain Roy visibly started. He spit again. “But she’s . . . gone.”

  Jesse nodded and noticed Sal looking off into the distance, clearly uncomfortable. He looked Captain Roy straight in the eye.

  “Right, but my uncle purchased the slip from Sal years ago, and Aunt Clarabelle left it to me in her will. Along with her cottage.” He met Sal’s eyes. “And everything else she owned.”

  “You mean you’re plannin’ to stay in town?” Captain Roy looked him up and down. “Took you more for a city boy. Or a no-good ex—”

  Jesse caught his eye, dared him to keep talking. Roy stopped, but his look said he knew all about Jesse’s jail time. Jesse didn’t blink.

  Sal straightened as though he’d come to some decision. “Roy? You mind checking on the grill? I know Rosa loves your barbecued chicken.”