Predator - A Stand Alone Suspense Romance
Michelle Horst
Acknowledgements
A huge thank you to my family, Ronald and Sheldon, for loving and accepting my crazy ways.
Kristine, my #crazytwinsie and super-amazing PA, I’d be lost without you. Thank you for never giving up on me <2
My Beta readers Kelly, Morgan, Amo and Kristine – Thank you for being the Godparents of my paper baby.
To my book bestie and Editor, Karen Ferry, thank you for always being there for me.
To Kylie and George from Give Me Books Promotions, you rock! Thank you for taking care of the promotional side of things.
A special thank you to every blog that took the time to take part in the cover reveal and release day.
My God, who has been my pillar of strength every step of the way.
Love ya all tons ;)
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Dedication
My heart goes out to every person who has suffered abuse, every mother who had to say goodbye to a child, every single soul who has felt the bitter sting of depression or illness.
Sometimes life sucks.
Sometimes you feel like death might be the better option.
Sometimes you reach the end of your rope only to find no ground beneath your feet.
In those darkest moments of your life, I want you to remember one thing – it’s okay...
It’s okay to cry.
It’s okay to break.
It’s okay to scream.
It’s okay to stay in bed until you feel like your body has become a part of the mattress.
It’s okay…
Because you are human and you need time to just breathe.
Please remember that you are not weak when you break. You are beautifully broken and so much stronger when the storm passes.
Please remember that you are not alone.
Please remember that you are worth a chance at a beautiful life.
Remember that, once you let go and you break to pieces as you hit the bottom of that dark pit, there is only one way to go and that’s up.
WARNING
If you need a warning before you read a book, then this book is not for you.
+18 ONLY!
Cara~
“Cara,” Dad calls out to me, “do you have the blanket?”
“Yes, Daddy.” I pull the blanket out of the car and set off after my parents. Unlike most teens, I love being with mine. We have a great relationship. I know I can talk to them about anything. It’s just always been that way with us.
Dad starts the boat motor and then he steers us down the river. It’s a sunny day with a light breeze to cool the worst of the heat. We always come out here after lunch. This is our family time together. Once we get to the wide open space of the dam, dad starts to slow the boat down.
I spread the blanket open and laugh happily as Mom and I lie down, trying to get comfy. Dad kills the motor when he’s satisfied with the spot we’re in, and then he comes to lie down on my other side.
“Look at that one,” Dad says, pointing to a cloud. “It looks like a car.”
I laugh. “Everything looks like a car to you.”
“No, seriously,” he laughs, too, but carries on, “look, those are the wheels, that there is the roof.”
We talk about the silliest of things and then we grow quiet and just listen to the birds chirping all around us. I’m going to miss doing this with my parents, once I’m away at college. I only have a few precious weeks left with them. I drift off, like I always do.
There is a loud crash that yanks me out of my peaceful sleep. I hear my parents scream and my whole body goes instantly cold from shock.
The boat tilts sharply and it tosses my body to the side. I try to claw at the floor, searching for something to grab onto. I slam hard into one of the chairs and it jars my body making a sharp pain shoot through me.
The boat breaks apart with a loud crack, and water swallows the pieces with greedy gulps.
“Daddy! Mommy!” I shout. My eyes dart around, searching for any sign of them, but there is nothing but the boat breaking apart and the awful noise.
What’s left of the boat rises sharply into the air, like a beast gasping its last breath. I start to slide down and grab for the chair, but I’m too late. Something knocks hard into my shoulder, only speeding up my decent into the muddy water.
“Daddy,” I scream as I claw for anything to stop my fall. Splinters of wood stab at me, and then muddy water swallows me.
I know how to swim. I’m a good swimmer, but the color of the water robs me of my breath … it’s red. I struggle to get back to the top and it only makes an ice cold fear spread through my body.
I don’t want to die!
I hear a louder sound. It’s not like the crash. This time it hits at the water, hammering its way closer to me.
The water won’t let me go.
White hot pain slices through me and I swallow water.
I swallow blood.
I wake up to a blinding light and I have to blink a couple of times before the light stops stinging my watering eyes. Confusion crashes through me.
Where am I? I try to say the words, but they come out sounding like a garbled groan.
My eyes dart around the room, and then a sharp pain starts to pulse in my back.