Starlight & Sandcastles

STARLIGHT & SANDCASTLES MAINGARDE CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR NOVELLA RENÉ VAN DALEN STARLIGHT & SANDCASTLES Maingarde Christmas/New Year Novella Copyright © 2022 René Van Dalen ISBN 978-0-6397-5679-0 Cover Photograph - Danielle Burrows Art Copyright © Danielle Burrows Art facebook.com/danielleburrowsart/ Cover Design - René Burrows All rights reserved. In accordance with the U S Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading and electronic sharing of any part of this book without permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author's intellectual property. Thank you for your support of the author's rights. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons living or dead is coincidental. Warning: This book contains graphic language and sexual content. Intended for mature audiences, 18 years and older. DEDICATION As Always - 13 1 13 ♥ This book is dedicated to my ARC squad Jayne Rushton; Mari Small; Ashley Alfman; Fabiola Cadet-Destil; Kathy Jackson; Rosa Kruger; Lee-Anna Dunk; Nikki Vesty; Rebecca Sprague; Michelle Driver; Hazel Buys; Susan Trewick; Sandra Larry; Guadalupe Iniguez; Emilie Yang; Ruchika Mahajan; Kirsten Rotmo; Julia Beresford; Kelly Harrop Sarah Van Groningen; Debbie Swaby; Karen Renee Lyles ♥♥♥ In my sky at twilight you are like a cloud and your form and colour are the way I love them. You are mine, mine woman with sweet lips and in your life my infinite dreams live. In My Sky at Twilight Pablo Neruda AUTHOR’S NOTE Please be aware that this book contains triggers for sensitive readers. It has graphic language and sex in the content. Therefore please be aware of the above triggers before you continue. One more thing, please note that my books are set in South Africa and written in South African English. Those aren’t spelling mistakes Please note: This book has characters from my Iron Dogz MC series and the Maingarde series. While it isn’t required to read the IDMC series some pre-existing situations might be confusing. With all my books I take walks on the dark side. Come and walk along with me. TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTHOR’S NOTE CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN OTHER BOOKS BY RENÉ VAN DALEN PLAYLIST ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR CONNECT WITH RENÉ VAN DALEN CHAPTER ONE Dominick Two weeks before Christmas Overnight our penthouse became Christmas Central. Not only that, it was stuffed to the gills with women. Women who were all talking at the same time. And sometimes in different languages as well. How they heard or understood each other I had no idea, but it seemed they did. For my own sanity I retreated to my office downstairs to avoid being pulled into the madness. “Knock, knock.” I looked up as Remy walked in and threw himself into one of the chairs on the opposite side of my desk. He gave Darren who sat in a chair against the wall behind me a chin lift before looking back at me. “My woman dragged me here because she wanted to see Niko, but hell, Dom, the minute we walked into the penthouse we were swarmed by the crazy. I left my woman with yours and then I ran. You have the right idea hidin’ down here in your office. What the hell is goin’ on up there?” I shook my head as I leant back in my chair. “My wife told me I was an old scrooge for not having Christmas shit everywhere and she’s going to fix it. Today they’re baking Christmas cookies and cakes. She’s been buying enough decorations we’ll be able to wrap this entire building in bloody lights.” Remy contemplated me with a frown then gave a slow nod. “I saw your buildin’ has no Christmas tree or any decorations in the reception area. Why not?” I didn’t like to talk about my past, even after killing the hag who had been the cause of all my troubles. But for Remy I would make an exception as he was Pixie’s man and now part of the family. “We didn’t celebrate Christmas after my parents were killed. The hag had decorators come in and do the place up for her annual Christmas party. Once the party was done the decorations disappeared. The last time I had a proper Christmas my parents were still alive. This will be the first year since they died that Pixie and I will be celebrating Christmas together.” Locking my dark memories away I focused on Remy. “I’m glad you’re here because I need your opinion on something.” Remy immediately sat forward. “Sure, how can I help? Have you been buyin’ more businesses?” He asked with a grin. He wasn’t wrong. I was about to buy something. I beckoned him to follow me as I rounded the desk and walked over to the couch where my laptop lay on the coffee table. “Let me show you.” He looked confused but got up and followed me to the couch. It was time to let someone, other than Gideon and my team, in on my plan. “I’m thinking of buying Nika a Christmas present but I don’t know if she’ll like it or not. I need a second opinion before I sign the final papers.” “What is it you want to buy her?” “A beach house.” “A beach house? You want to buy her a beach house for Christmas? Damn, brother. Shouldn’t you be talkin’ to her about this?” “I wanted it to be a surprise but I don’t think that’s possible anymore. We have her family staying for Christmas and with your family coming on Friday both our homes will be packed to the bloody rafters.” He nodded in agreement and I continued to explain. “We need a place where she will have all those she loves in one place. The mansion is out because they’ve