The Betrayal (37 page)
Authors: Chris Taylor
Tags: #Mystery, #Suspense, #Thriller, #Crime, #Vigilante, #spy, #Politics, #Romance, #Australia
Chloe looked across at her side of the church and smiled at her family gathered there. A shadow touched her heart at the thought of her uncle, but she made an effort to brush it away.
“Hey, beautiful, are you all right?”
Declan’s gentle prodding brought her back to the present. She smiled and kissed him. The memories of those awful events, her family’s anguish and shock over the tragedy, her own grief and devastation, would stay with her for a long time to come.
But today… Today was not a day for dark memories. Today was a day for overwhelming joy and celebration. The man she loved with all of her heart, had just been declared her husband. She clung to the thought.
“I’m great,” she whispered. “Right now, I’m the happiest woman alive.”
NOTE TO READERS
I do hope you have enjoyed reading Declan and Chloe’s story. Having had a close family member suffer through a similar situation as Declan, it was a story near to my heart. As a lawyer, I firmly believe in one of the tenets of our criminal justice system that states a person is innocent until proven guilty. Where the system falls down is when a person’s life can be ruined from nothing more substantial than mere allegations. Sadly, it happens all too often.
Please feel free to leave a review for The Betrayal. Every review is appreciated and really helps a new author like me.
The Deception
is Book Five of the Munro Family Series and is Will and Savannah’s story. You met Savannah in The Betrayal as Chloe’s ambitious reporter friend. Savannah has had a difficult past and one you will discover in her story. I’m sure once you’ve read it, you’ll agree with me that she more than deserves her happy ending.
Here’s a sneak peek:
Ambitious newspaper journalist
Savannah O’Neill
will do anything for a story, even if it means pretending to be a prostitute in Sydney’s most exclusive brothel. She’s there on a tip-off that underage girls are being held illegally and kept compliant with illicit drugs. What’s more, unidentified bodies of young women have turned up in Sydney Harbour and at least one of them is linked to the brothel.
Detective Will Rutledge
has vowed to destroy the man he holds responsible for his brother’s suicide. Vince Maranoa is the kingpin of Sydney’s illegal drug industry: He’s also the owner of the city’s most exclusive brothel. Working undercover with the New South Wales Drug Enforcement Agency, Will is determined to put Maranoa behind bars.
When Savannah and Will cross paths at the brothel, there’s an instant attraction, despite the fact she presumes he’s a cohort of the crime boss and Will assumes she’s a prostitute under Maranoa’s employ.
With both of them determined to pursue their personal agendas to infiltrate the covert life of Maranoa, they will both be left gasping when the brothel’s secrets are finally revealed…
The Deception
will be available in July, 2014.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As usual, no book comes into being without a lot of help and support by my friends and family. A world of thanks must go to my friend and fellow author Angela Bissell, critique partner extraordinaire, and a girl who loves the Munro family as much as I do.
To Pat Thomas, the best editor in the world, thank you for believing in my vision for Declan and Chloe. It wasn’t always easy, but we got there in the end. To Alisha and Damon Za, thank you for yet another fantastic cover. To my sister, Nicole Guihot, thank you for your excellent editorial comments and suggestions. Nic, I hope you like the final result.
To Amy Atwell and her dedicated staff at Author EMS who are so much more than book formatters. Amy, once again, thank you for your magic.
To the fantastic writer organizations such as Romance Writers of Australia, Romance Writers of America and Romance Writers of New Zealand for all the help, support and encouragement they offer new and aspiring writers, including me.
To my readers, thank you for your support and love for the Munro family. Your encouragement and enjoyment make this journey all worthwhile.
And lastly, to my friends and family, especially my husband and children. Thank you for putting up with late dinners and even later conversations as I’ve emerged day after day from the sometimes scary but always enthralling world I’ve created on my computer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Taylor grew up on a farm in north-west New South Wales, Australia. She always had a thirst for stories and recalls writing her first book at the ripe old age of eight. Always a lover of romance and happily-ever-afters, a career in criminal law sparked her interest in intrigue and suspense. For Chris to be able to combine romance with suspense in her books is a dream come true.
Chris is married to Linden and is the mother of five children. If not behind her computer, you can find her doing the school run, taxiing children to swimming lessons, football, ballet and cricket. In her spare time, Chris loves to read her favorite authors who include Richard North Patterson, Sandra Brown, Kathleen E Woodiwiss and Jude Devereaux.
You can find out more about Chris and sign up for her newsletter at her website:
http://www.christaylorauthor.com.au
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http://www.twitter.com/christaylorbook
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COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright © 2014 by Chris Taylor
(All Rights Reserved)
LCT Productions Pty Ltd
18364 Kamilaroi Highway, Narrabri NSW 2390
ISBN. 978-1-925119-06-0 (Ebook)
ISBN. 978-1-925119-07-7 (Print)
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
The Betrayal
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
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