Blood and Sand by JJ Marsh

Author:JJ Marsh [Marsh, JJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Prewett Bielmann Ltd.
Published: 2024-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

Waves tumbled over her head, spinning her like a seashell, until she wasn’t sure which way was up. Something caught her around the chest, dragging her with powerful force to the surface. Her head burst out of the water and she took huge, gasping breaths. Trembling legs found firm ground and she staggered onto dry land. Sal. Salvador, her beloved husband whose name meant saviour. Except when she looked back at her rescuer, it was a leaner, darker man with a burn scar on the right side of his torso.

She opened her eyes and concentrated on steady breathing to expel the night frights. Drowning, out of her depth, losing orientation: so far, so clichéd. But it was Gil Maduro who drew her to safety, put her right and waited in the wings. Her mission was clearer than ever. Burn the Vargas organisation to the ground and return to the man she loved. Presuming she could find him. She got out of bed, and made a pot of tea and some concrete plans. Golden rays of dawn began to brighten the sky as she set the alarm, switched her phone to silent, kicked the cushions off the sofa and curled up under a throw. Nightmares rarely happened in daylight.

Almost immediately she sank into sleep until a loud knocking came at the door. Her eyes flew open with a gasp. How was it possible she’d heard no vehicles approach in the last five minutes? A glance at the clock showed she’d been out of it for at least an hour.

“Ursula? Are you there?” Xenia’s voice was cheerful. “I tried calling but you didn’t pick up. I’ve got tea for you.”

Ursula opened the door. “Hi, Xenia. It’s nice of you to come over, but I was just catching some rest and I’ve got plenty of tea and coffee, thanks.”

“Ooh, you look knackered. Bad night? Better freshen up before you meet Berto. No, not tea as in a cuppa. I mean gossip. Look, you sit down and I’ll make us some strong coffee. Here, I brought us some pasteis de nata from the deli. They’re enough to put a smile on anyone’s face.” She shoved a box in Ursula’s direction and went into the kitchen. “Where’s the coffee machine? Oh, a Moka pot. You’re so European. Right, so, here’s what I learned this morning.”

“Wait, Xenia, let me have some caffeine before you begin your update. What happened with Francesca yesterday?”

Xenia scowled. “She’s a piece of work, isn’t she? I went to the same salon to get my nails done. Slipped the staff some dosh to get us seated together. I made every attempt at conversation and finally got her going on the subject of ecotourism. She’s not a fan, I can tell you that much. When we were done, I suggested we go for a coffee to discuss how businesses can greenwash activities like jet-skiing and so on. She gave me a snooty look and said she had plenty of ideas of her own. Horrible cow.

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