Title: See No Evil
Author: Sue Ward Drake
Genre: Romantic Suspense & Adventure
Book Blurb:
When billionaire engineer, Nikos Metadorakis, invites his lovely assistant, Erin Raffelo, the woman he secretly adores, along on his last overseas trip, he expects to be at the Athens shipyard. Instead, he must travel to Lidracros, a place he fled as a child.
In another lifetime Nikos shepherded a prisoner from the clutches of the dictator who still rules half the island. Wounded on their escape and with his own family annihilated, he’s adopted and brought up in the wealthy Metadorakis shipping family.
Erin, pretty, smart and resourceful, has had a crush on Nikos forever. At a turning point in her life, she’s desperate to discover her boss’s faults so she can file him in the folder labeled Forget.
Kidnapped on the orders of Nikos’s childhood nemesis, now a powerful enemy colonel, they manage to break free. On the run, they discover each other’s feelings and grow closer. But, stranded and hunted in hostile territory, can they reach freedom before they’re captured—or killed?
Excerpt
“Look for a place to hide.”
The narrow, flagstone street rounded a blind corner. Gunshots! Behind them!
Nikos poured on speed. Somehow, Erin kept up. In the dimness ahead, a barricade blocked their path. He panted to a stop, taking in the barbed-wire coils on top of piled rubble rising high over his head. He spun around, desperate for an escape. Whitewashed walls on both sides boxed them in tighter. Dead end.
Nikos tugged Erin into the shadows cast by branches of bougainvillea dripping over one of the walls. They couldn’t stay here. Someone could see them. He checked out the height of the wall supporting the flowering branches, but he couldn’t reach the top even with a jump.
Erin tugged on his arm and pointed across the narrow street. “That looks like some kind of door. I just noticed it. On the right-hand side. Maybe we can open it and get inside that building.”
“Let’s go look.” He dashed down to the flat sheet of metal on the wall. He worked at the edges with his fingers but only managed to scatter plaster at his feet. “We need something to pry underneath the edge.”
She dug into her daypack. “I have a pocketknife.”
Shouts reverberated from down the street. If they got caught again, he had no expectation of being treated gently. “Hurry.”
She opened a small blade and applied that to the sheet’s sealed edge.
The voices grew louder.
Nikos urged her to one side. “Let me try now.”
He dug his fingernails into the soft plaster and tugged at the edges while she pried them loose. A crack appeared and Erin helped him pry one side of the metal open far enough for them to squeeze through and step inside.
He dispersed the whitewash flakes with his feet, followed Erin, and pulled the metal sheet back into place. He hoped it would look sealed to the soldiers. No outside light penetrated to where they stood. Erin touched him, and he caught her hand to anchor him in the darkness. “Let’s stay together.”
“Agreed,” she whispered back.
He felt for and leaned against an interior wall, inhaling a lungful of stale air. The abandoned building had been soaking up the heat all day, making this structure, whatever it had been, stifling.
“Let me have the pack.” Nikos slipped into the straps and inched away from the entrance, tripping on piles of debris. The sounds of small animals skittering away echoed in the stillness.
“Is that a rat?” Erin clutched his arm.
“Shh.” He pulled her against his side, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was no way to know what might be happening in the street outside, but he doubted the gunmen who’d snatched them would give up easily.
He studied the door panel but couldn’t see any light around the edges. If he couldn’t see out, they must have gotten the door closed flush enough not to be noticeable from outside. Dread still balled in his gut. If he and Erin had been able to open the door, anyone else could. Especially a soldier whose mission was to find them.
“Let’s move back a bit.” He swept his foot in an arc. Where he found no obstacles, he steered them farther from the doorway and deeper into the shadows.
Abruptly, prickles raced over his scalp, warning of danger. He strained to hear sounds, holding himself rigid. Erin pressed herself even closer. Did she also have a premonition?
Under his fingertips, her pulse raced as rapidly as his own. Seconds passed, minutes…eons. Brusque male voices grew louder, exchanging furious words he couldn’t understand. More minutes ticked by. Finally, the sounds of boots pounded away, and everything grew silent. The troops had abandoned this dead-end street. The danger was gone for now, and he relaxed.
“That was close,” Erin murmured, her hands still resting on his chest. Her whisper brushed his neck, and a shiver set his blood pumping faster.
“I agree.” He became aware of Erin’s warm, vibrant shadow pressing against him. A tingling rippled over him. He bent his head and caught the scent of her hair, flowers basking in sunshine. She leaned against him, and he easily found and encircled her waist.
He pressed his forehead to hers. How many times had he fallen asleep dreaming he held Erin with her curves pressed against him? With her delectable mouth only inches away? He inhaled deeply, and her sweet scent captured him again.
No one seemed to be directly outside, but the soldiers wouldn’t be giving up. They’d keep searching for him and Erin, and they might not escape again. Would he get another chance to hold her…to kiss her?
She shifted, sliding her hands down his chest as if she meant to step back. Please don’t. Not yet. He tightened his hold on her waist. “Erin…”
He cradled her cheek and pressed his thumb to her lower lip, bending until his nose touched hers. He tilted his head and brushed his lips over hers, waiting for her to pull back or protest.
Instead, she slipped her hands around his neck, and he covered her mouth, kissing her again and again, unable to get enough of her. She mesmerized him just as he’d always known she would. He couldn’t—Nikos stiffened and lifted his head. What was he doing?
“Nikos—” She stopped as if confused. About him. About the kiss. And no wonder. He was her boss.
Right. He straightened. His fantasies had gotten the better of him, but he doubted she wanted to hear that. At least now, when they needed to escape this building before it became a deadly trap.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Amazon: Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1B38NJ
What makes your featured book a must-read?
See No Evil takes you to the sunny Mediterranean, and it’s chockful of narrow escapes, foreign intrigue, and star-crossed lovers who finally find each other. Perfect beach reading.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $30 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally.
Runs June 25 – July 4, 2024.
Winner will be drawn on July 5, 2024.
Author Biography:
Award-winning author of romantic suspense, Sue loves using her experiences living in a farmhouse on a Greek island and her years in the French Quarter as fuel for her stories as often as possible. Publishers Weekly and other reviewers have called her work “sizzling,” “gripping,” “emotional,” and “an edge of your seat thrill ride.”
To discover more about Sue and her books, visit www.SueWardDrake.com.
Social Media Links:
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