Enter to Win a
$25.00 eGift Card to Choice Book Retailer
Amazon, B&N or iTunes
THE LAIR
A Sinner's Grove Novel
A.B. Michaels
Released June 16th, 2015
Red Trumpet Press
The Lair follows on the heels of
Sinner’s Grove, a contemporary suspense novel centered around the fictional
artists’ retreat on the northern California coast known as “The Grove.”
Dani Dunn, the local innkeeper, has
just learned of her famous father’s death and must travel back to her home
country of Italy to attend the funeral. To say she’s not looking forward to it
is an understatement. In fact, she’s petrified. The estate she grew up in holds
terrifying memories that she knows she’ll have to confront if she’s ever to get
on with her life.
Complicating matters is the fact
that her flirtatious friend, Detective Gabe de la Torre, is coming along for
the ride – without being asked. However, as Dani discovers the true evil that
awaits her, Gabe proves he’s much more than a friend – he’s a sworn protector
who may lose his own life in the process of saving hers.
Author's Note: THE LAIR deals with a very real, but sensitive subject, human trafficking. It may be disturbing to some readers.
Now,
lying here, she was filled with regret; how could she have been so stupid? At
the time, it all seemed so safe.
The company man had been clear and
straightforward, with no funny business. He’d even given her a choice of
country and she’d chosen Italy—known for its beautiful churches, just like
those of Maramureș. Only Italy’s churches were of
stone, not wood, and they were overwhelming. The company had paid for her train
ticket, assuring her the hotel she worked for would cover her fees and living
expenses until she earned enough to pay her own way. Strong, bright girls are
in high demand, the company man had said; you will be promoted in no time at
all.
The
only thing that had seemed strange to her was the tattoo he’d insisted she have
put on her hairline, just behind her right ear. He told her it was to help
identify her until she learned to speak Italian. It seemed a small enough
request. The design was of a very small golden tree, visited by a tiny blue
butterfly. Even though she’d been scared of the needle, it turned out not to
hurt very much, and it was a pretty little mark. In fact, she came to think of
it as her own little secret, like wearing red silk panties beneath her maid’s
uniform.
The
door opened and in the dim light of the hallway beyond she saw an older woman
with dark hair talking with a tall, white-haired man in a suit. He looked
vaguely familiar, but Mirela couldn’t recall where she had seen him. The two of
them glanced in at her and the woman nodded before entering the room and
shutting the door. Mirela recognized her from the hotel. “Signora, please, you must help me!” The woman could speak some
Romanian; they’d even talked a little on Mirela’s first day.
“Do not
worry, puiu,” the woman said
soothingly. “No harm will come to you.”
Mirela
winced at the endearment—“little chick.” It was the same one her mother used.
How could this woman pretend to care about her when it was obvious she did not?
“Why am I tied down like this? What happened to me?” Mirela tried but failed to
keep the fear out of her voice.
The
woman, brisk in her movements, brought a pan out from underneath the bed. She
carefully cut off Mirela’s panties. “Come, you will use this now,” she said.
Mirela
was mortified, but desperate to empty her bladder, she complied with the
woman’s directions. Afterward the woman did not replace Mirela’s underwear. She
merely tossed the cut garment into a nearby waste can as if she were
straightening up a room.
“It
won’t be long now,” the woman said, and left.
“Until
what?” Mirela cried after her. “Until what?!”
BUY NOW
PLEASE VOTE FOR~
A.B. Michaels' dual-genre series "Sinner's Grove"
follows the family, friends and associates connected to a world-famous artists'
retreat on the California coast. While The Lair is
a contemporary novel of romantic suspense, The Depth of Beauty (soon to be published) is historical fiction, set
at the turn of the twentieth century. Both San Francisco and the retreat of
Sinner's Grove are featured in the story.
To read a free sample, visit https://kindlescout.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Born
and raised in northern California, A.B.
Michaels holds master's degrees in history and broadcasting, and worked for
many years in the public relations and marketing fields. An avid quilter and
bocce player, she currently lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband and two
furry "sons" who don't seem to realize they're just dogs.
Comments
Post a Comment