Read Saving Simon (Tarnished Saints Series Book 5) Online
Authors: Elizabeth Rose
Saving Simon (Tarnished Saints Series Book 5)
Saving Simon
Tarnished Saints Series
Book 5
By
Elizabeth Rose
Copyright © 2014 by Elizabeth Rose Krejcik
This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual organizations or persons living or deceased is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without the author’s written permission.
Cover by Elizabeth Rose Krejcik
Cover images provided by Shutterstock
E-books by Elizabeth Rose:
♔
(Legacy of the Blade Series)
♔
Prequel
- Free
♛
(Daughters of the Dagger Series)
♛
Ruby
♖ (Madman MacKeefe Series)
♖
Onyx
♖
Ian
☀
(Elemental Series)
☀
The Dragon and the Dreamwalker
✛
(Tarnished Saints Series)
✛
Tarnished Saint
s
’ Christmas (Prequel)
✛
Saving Simon
(NEW)
✛
Wrangling James (coming soon)
✭
(Greek Myth Fantasy Series)
♡
(Short stories)
☂
(Single Title)
☂
The Caretaker of Showman’s Hill
❒
(Boxed Sets)
Website:
elizabethrosenovels.com
Author’s Note:
The
Tarnished Saints Series
is a twelve book series about the twelve Taylor brothers. Each book can stand alone, but so as not to ruin any surprises it is best to read them in order if possible.
Because of the amount of characters this will entail, I have listed the names of the brothers according to age as well as kept characters to a minimum in each book. The names and descriptions of the main characters for each story can be accessed by clicking the cast of characters’ link that will take you to the back of the book. You can expect a new book in the series to be released every few months.
Wrangling James
is scheduled for release this fall. Watch my website at
http://elizabethrosenovels.com
for sneak peeks of upcoming covers and excerpts.
I now also have a new recipe page on my site, where my characters tell how to make some of the dishes they eat in the story. Just click the highlighted words if you’d like to know how to make
Pippa’s Grilled Peaches and Ice Cream
or
Simon’s Catfish
Chowder
. As an added bonus you’ll see what Piper looks like on the recipe page as well.
Enjoy,
Elizabeth Rose
The Taylor Brothers:
(Oldest to youngest, title and number.)
Thomas
–
Doubting Thomas
– (1)
Matthew
Levi
–
Luring Levi
(2)
Judas
–
Judging Judas
– (3)
James
Zeb
edee (Twin) –
Seducing Zeb
–(4)
James
Alphaeus (Twin) –
Wrangling James
– (6) (coming soon)
Simon
–
Saving Simon
– (5) (NEW)
Peter
-
Praising Pete
– (7)
John
–
Loving John
– (9)
Philip
–
Teaching Philip
– (8)
Andrew
–
Igniting Andrew
– (11)
Nathanael
–
Playing Nate
– (10)
Thaddaeus
–
Taming Thad
–(12)
Cast of Characters For Saving Simon
Table of Contents
A storm brewed at sea, and it had little to do with the fact there were strong winds and high swells.
Simon Zealot Taylor pulled the hood of his rain jacket up over his head and made his way out to the deck of the Seduction of the Seas cruise ship. He needed to make sure all the passengers had heeded the captain’s warning and taken cover in their staterooms or below deck. There had been a report about two passengers lingering on deck arguing, and as the ship’s Safety Officer, Simon needed to investigate this immediately.
“Simon, where are you going?” Simon’s brother, Zeb, followed him out onto the deck, leaving his newlywed wife, Cat, in their honeymoon suite. Zeb and Cat had just gotten married and spent one week in the best room on one of the most prestigious cruise ships in the Caribbean as Simon’s gift to his older brother. Too damned bad the squall came up so fast that they weren’t able to sail around the storm like they normally would, in order to give the passengers the best experience possible.
“Zeb, get back inside,” said Simon. “It’s not safe on deck.
“Hey, wait for me,” called out their youngest brother, Thad, hurrying out onto the deck after them.
“Thad, get your ass inside. Both of you,” Simon warned. “It’s not safe out here.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t be out here either,” Thad said, sounding more like a doting parent than a young man of only twenty-four years of age.
“It’s my job to see that the passengers are safe. Also, I’m used to being on a ship in a storm. You two don’t even have your sea legs about you yet. Now go on back inside. I’m just making a quick check and I’ll be right in.”
Just then a wave hit the side of the ship and splashed up and drenched them. The ship tilted, pushing all three of them so hard they had to grab on to the railing to steady themselves. Then a flash of lightning lit up the sky followed by a loud roar of thunder and a downpour of cold rain.
“Okay, I’ve had enough,” said Thad.
“Me too,” agreed Zeb. “You may enjoy the sea and her antics, Simon, but I don’t think Cat would like it if she ended up a widow on her honeymoon. I’m going inside. Stay here and drown if you want to, but not me.”
Zeb headed inside but Thad refused to leave Simon.
“Go on,” Simon said to his younger brother, almost laughing at the sight of Thad. His hair, cropped short at the sides but usually long and spiked-up in the middle, now hung limp over his forehead, dripping water down his face. After the last wave, he looked more like a drowned rat than anything.
“You sure about this?” Thad tried once more.
“I’ll be right in, I promise.”
Before Thad had a chance to leave, they heard a woman scream. Simon looked over to the aft of the ship to see a skinny blond hanging over the railing in the area that was restricted to passengers. Her arm stretched out as she grabbed for an expensive-looking camera with an extended lens that had obviously slid across the deck and now dangled from the end of a long strap caught on the outside of the railing. At any second it could drop into the sea.
She hung onto the railing by one hand, stretching, her fingertips brushing the end of the camera, but not quite able to reach it. Her feet slipped on the wet deck next and kicked about wildly as she balanced dangerously on the railing, her short black dress riding up her thighs in the process. Her long hair whipped around in the wind, and with one more kick of her feet her high heels fell off and dropped down onto the wet deck and slid back the other way as the ship tilted again.
“Dammit, what is she doing?” Simon ground out, knowing he had to help her. She could very well fall overboard trying to save her damned camera. If so, she could drown in a minute with these high waves. “Forget the camera and hold on with both hands!” he shouted.
The woman actually managed to grab the camera, and hearing his voice she looked up in surprise. When she did, the ship suddenly lurched back the other way and her hand slipped on the railing and she screamed, just before she fell and disappeared over the side.
“No!” shouted Simon, racing to the spot she’d been and looking down into the water searching for her. He didn’t see her for a second since the sun had disappeared and the sky was covered with dark clouds with rain pounding down all around him. Then he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her blond head bob up from the water next to the ship. He knew that the first thing to do in a situation like this was to keep your eye on the person at all times. He quickly reached over and grabbed a life preserver and rope from the post next to him while keeping his eye on her, and threw it into the water right next to the girl. He then ripped the radio from his waist, shouting into it urgently.
“Mermaid on starboard!” he said, giving the ship’s secret code for an overboard female passenger. “All hands to the main deck and send out the Red Herring now,” he instructed, using the code for the emergency rescue boat. He ripped off his rain jacket while shoving the radio into Thad’s hand, never taking his eyes from the woman in the process. Next came his hat and uniform shirt that identified him as one of the crew.
“What are you doing?” asked Thad.
“I’m going to save her damned neck,” he spat, kicking off his shoes as the deck hands rushed out, and the sound of the ship’s motors slowing down moaned and groaned loudly. Then came the reassuring sound of three loud, long blasts from the ship’s whistle, telling him they’d heard his call for help.
