Romance: Romantic Suspense: Seduction On Eden Island: (Dark Contemporary Romance) (Science Fiction Romance) (Romantic Suspense Mystery Romance Books) (Contemporary Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

a canoe. Paddling upstream is hard work, and being unconditioned, Rayne took her time floating downstream for a while before paddling strongly back to the starting position. Her shoulders were burning pleasantly, and her silence on the water meant that more wildlife was about. Rayne slid into one of the many lagoons and decided to take an extra-long break. She lazily paddled around, watching amphibians climb the damp rocks back to their perches.
    She had come to the end of one rocky formation and was going to cut across the middle of the lagoon to the next when something she saw made her freeze--there was something bobbing in the water. Rayne silently slid her canoe over to check it out; it looked like a matted buoy caught under the surface of the water. Using her paddle, Rayne gave it a shove. The mound dipped and began to spin, revealing--to Rayne’s utter horror--a bright magenta plumage and a torn, gaping mouth.
    Rayne jolted in her canoe and would have gone overboard had she not sat so deeply in the water. The rest of Billie was gone; it was just her head . Rayne gasped and felt bile rise in her throat. She splashed away from the head and made it to shore, pulling herself out onto the soft earth and throwing up into a bush. I have to go back and tell someone. Rayne climbed dizzily back into her canoe and was prepared for the long paddle upstream when she heard voices coming from afar.
    “Where did you hide it?”
    “By the lagoon above section three.”
    “What? You know that’s tidal--it could be anywhere along the river by now!”
    “Nah, it’ll be there.”
    Rayne had no other alternative; she paddled as quickly and silently as she could away from the voices, downstream. Getting behind a bend, Rayne climbed out of the canoe, hoisted it onto the bank and crept slowly back. Two men wearing yellow biohazard gear emerged from the undergrowth, their faces covered. One made a show of pointing in a direction and freaking out that the head was gone. They glanced at the downward stream path and would have walked over to reveal Rayne’s hiding spot had they not taken another look at the lagoon and seen Billie’s bright hair. The men walked around the lagoon and waded in, dropping Billie’s torn up head into a thick black bag. The men then walked back to where they came from, their yellow suits disappearing into the green undergrowth.
    What in the actual fuck is going on?
    The rest of the morning was a blur for Rayne. She had returned the canoe to the chirpy staff and wandered aimlessly in the forest for over an hour until she careened into Ben.
    “Rayne, where have you been?”
    Shaken, Rayne looked around uneasily “Why?” she couldn’t hide the edge in her voice.
    “There’s been an evacuation called. Plus, I didn’t see you yesterday. I was worried; they said guests have gotten sick. More have disappeared today.”
    Evacuation? Today? More missing?
    “Well, where were you ? Yesterday, I went canoeing and sunbathed; dinner was served in my cabin.”
    “I was… I was… around, I guess you could say.”
    Rayne went to back away, but Ben’s firm hand grasped her wrist. “What have you seen?” he asked, his once friendly brown eyes now taking on a frightening blackness. “Where is Nelson Patrick? Where’s Billie Toms?”
    Before she could open her mouth to scream there was a thundering explosion from behind them; gunshots peppered the serene rainforest atmosphere. Ben had released Rayne’s arm, giving her the perfect chance to take off. Spinning on her heels, Rayne pumped her arms and legs down a track and then off into the dense underbrush. Behind her, she could hear Ben calling her name and his heavy footfalls--he was gaining on her!
    Rayne leapt over logs and used trees to swing herself down the slope without tumbling head over heels. Another noise joined Ben’s crashing: motorbikes. Shrill, revved engines tore down the slope in front of and behind Rayne, causing her to skid to a halt.
    “Hey, hey!