Dangerous Offer

DANGEROUS OFFERA.L. Nelson Copyright © 2023 A.L. NelsonAll rights reservedNo part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, stored in, or introduced into any information storage and/or retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or mechanical methods, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, including any hereafter invented, without the prior express written permission of the author.Dangerous Offer is a work of fiction. The story, all names, characters, dialogue, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious and a product of the author’s imagination. All incidents, dialogue and characters are products of the author’s imagination. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. Trigger Warnings (which can also be spoilers for the reader): Please note that the author is trying to help, not harm, and is doing her best without being an expert in medical, psychological, or associated professions. Some of what this book covers that might cause unintended reactions include brief episodes of gun violence, stabbing, death, and hospitalization.Printed in the United States of America Copyright © 2023 A.L. NelsonAll rights reservedNo part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, stored in, or introduced into any information storage and/or retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or mechanical methods, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, including any hereafter invented, without the prior express written permission of the author.Dangerous Offer is a work of fiction. The story, all names, characters, dialogue, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious and a product of the author’s imagination. All incidents, dialogue and characters are products of the author’s imagination. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. Printed in the United States of America DedicationThis novel is dedicated to the Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter, its founder, Mary Ellen, and all the countless hardworking volunteers who have tirelessly labored to rescue and rehabilitate wild birds with very little funding. If you feel moved to donate beyond purchasing this book, you can find them at https:www.seabisbuitwildlifeshelter.org. Contents Title PageCopyrightCopyrightDedicationPrefaceONETWOTHREEFOURFIVESIXSEVENEIGHTNINETENELEVENTWELVETHIRTEENFOURTEENFIFTEENSIXTEENSEVENTEENEIGHTEENNINETEENTWENTYTWENTY-ONETWENTY-TWOTWENTY-THREETWENTY-FOURTWENTY-FIVE PrefaceThe opening sequence of Shelby learning how to swim is from my own firsthand experience. A few years ago, I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of learning how to swim. My husband and children encouraged me and demonstrated each technique until I got it all down. I used to be terrified of drowning. Not anymore. I am forever grateful to my family for giving me such a wonderful and potentially lifesaving gift. The experience of swimming was so special to me that I went inside, grabbed my phone, opened a new document, and wrote some of the opening sequence to Dangerous Offer. There was no intention of turning into a novel at the time. The experience so excited and amazed me that I didn’t want to forget the wonder of it all. ONEWhile Shelby Morrison stared toward the distant peekaboo ocean glimpse, someone else stared, too. But not at the ocean. She’d gained attention. When she turned her back on the view, she didn’t notice him, watching her to the exclusion of all else.Her focus on this unseasonably warm January day remained on swimming. Beginner strokes as short and awkward as hers were inadequate in the ocean if any trouble came along. Trouble could come in the form of a rip current, a shark, or other swimmers getting too close. Or even from a wave higher than a few inches or an unseen strand of seaweed coiling around a hand or foot. Anything at all.Hence the reason for swimming in the shallows of a hotel pool from one side to the other, rather than long ways. It made the distance more manageable and kept her clear of the deep end. Confidence came with a shallower depth. If any problems came along, she could stand.Shelby’s ultimate goal happened to be bigger than a swimming pool and its relative safety. One day, she’d tackle the dream of swimming in the ocean. For now, her limited skills kept her in a place of relative safety. Pausing to catch her breath on the ocean-facing side of the pool gave a teasing glimpse of the goal.An almost passable view required standing on tiptoes, the nails polished a subtle coral pink. The warm, chlorinated water bobbed at mid-chest. She folded her arms on the edge of the pool deck’s toasty concrete. Bands of glass tiles rimmed the pool. The colors were reminiscent of the ocean in a variety of blues.The ocean itself went all but unseen due to intervening obstacles. Some impediments were sunning bodies turning various shades of tan or red on the pool deck. Traffic clogging the street beyond presented the biggest visual barrier. Then there were the buildings across the street.Still, her eyes zeroed in on sparkles decorating the crests of swells far out. The waves grew an edge of white as they rolled in. The sound didn’t reach, but a sliver of view made it through.Distant beach umbrellas were strewn in cascades of bright colors. They came with hordes of people using them. Seagulls squawked for handouts amidst games of beach volleyball and surfers headed for the water. A perfect spot for people-watching.Shelby had longed for the ocean all her life, despite not knowing how to swim in it. Waves stretched out, inviting, lapping at legs, tickling at toes. Soothing troubled minds. On Oak Island, in North Carolina, treasures in the form of shells beckoned.Being a treasure seeker, Shelby selected the best of the best to make the return trip to the state’s foothills. Her apartment there stood far from the sweet salty air and rhythmic pulse of pounding waves. Those waves spoke to the soul, and her soul belonged to them and the mysteries they concealed.The longing to conquer the challenge presented by the ocean drove her. Body and soul. Not drowning was the first and most important step in swimming. Success on that point so far.The second, actual