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  Liv would give the speech tonight, which was why everyone went on ahead without her. She needed to practice a few times in silence.

  I’m sure it will be fine, Liv thought to herself, trying to keep her breathing even. She parked on the street just a few doors down from the restaurant—a giant, glorified log cabin with a large ocean-side patio—and checked her makeup in the lighted vanity mirror. Her face was finally beginning to look normal again now that she’d put back some of the fifteen pounds she’d lost. It was amazing how quickly a girl could gain weight once carbs were reintroduced.

  Liv freshened up her pink lip gloss and then petted the back of her dark hair, which she’d straightened into a silky mane. Feels good to feel human again. The not smelling like shark blood was great, too.

  She opened the car door and stepped out into the cool evening air, smoothing down her red dress. It was the same one she’d worn for Christmas—modestly snug with an open back and spaghetti straps. She just hadn’t had the energy to shop for a dress, and it was the only thing that fit.

  She entered the restaurant and immediately felt more relaxed. A ’50s rock band played—the only band in town— and she spotted her parents among the couples laughing and dancing on the floor. It was just like she’d imagined when she’d been fighting for her life on that island.

  You made it. And you have so much to be grateful for.

  “Hey, didn’t you wear that at Christmas?” said a familiar voice.

  Liv turned her head and saw Krista standing there in her famous little black dress. It was the only dress her sister owned and no one expected that to change. Krista—who looked like a slightly older version of Liv and Dana with long dark hair, pale skin, and big brown eyes—was a veterinarian for the Portland zoo, taking care of their marine mammals. So her usual attire was a wetsuit or galoshes and jeans.

  “Ha. Look who’s talking.” Liv gave Krista a tight squeeze. “But as always, you look stunning.”

  “Thanks. You too,” Krista replied.

  “So did everyone make it?” Liv asked, her eyes sweeping the room and immediately spotting a few of their cousins from Texas, who had just flown in.

  “Aunt Libby called and said she was sick, but I think everyone else is here. Plus a few uninvited guests.”

  Liv nodded and waved to her parents, who were in mid-twist.

  “But I already told Mom I’d change tables so your date can sit with you,” Krista added.

  Liv’s eyes snapped toward Krista. “Date? I didn’t bring a date.”

  Krista gave her a strange look. “Are you sure? Because the guy asked for you and said you knew he was coming.”

  “No. I swear. I didn’t invite anyone.”

  “Well, he’s…” Krista’s eyes searched the crowded room. “Oh! There he goes. He just went out to the patio.”

  Liv didn’t see anyone. “What does he look like?”

  “Hot. No wait. That’s too low for him. God-like. Green eyes, well-built, shortish hair, and really tall—are you sure you don’t want him, because I’ll take him. The man nearly melted my panties off. Except I’m not wearing any. But if I had been, they’d be a puddle on the floor.”

  Roen’s here? Liv’s mind sparked with indescribable joy. Because while she’d been doing her best to get over him, there was a Grand Canyon-sized gap between being in healing mode and being fully healed. It would take Liv years, perhaps a lifetime, to really get over Roen. But now, if he was here, could that mean he’d solved his issues with the island or that he’d changed his mind about her?

  The thought send her heart racing and her eyes filled with tears of hope.

  “Um. I’ll be right back,” Liv said and began making her way through the crowd. She smiled and gave quick hugs to folks, promising to be right back after she took care of some “important” detail.

  “Ms. Stratton, there you are,” said a woman, stopping Liv halfway through the room.

  It was Dr. Fuller from the ER. She wore a black blazer over a white fitted dress.

  “Oh. Hi. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Liv’s eyes gravitated toward the double doors leading outside, searching for any sign of Roen.

  “Your mother invited me, and I couldn’t say no.”

  Liv flashed a quick smile. “Well, it’s really nice of you to come, but I need to talk to—”

  Dr. Fuller grabbed Liv’s forearm, applying a bit of pressure. “That’s the thing, Liv. I need to talk to you.”

  “About what?”

  “About what was in that vial,” she replied with exaggerated sweetness.

  Oh shit. “I don’t know what you mean.” Had she left the vial in the ER? Obviously, she had. With all the commotion, it must’ve slipped her mind.

  “Don’t bullshit me. I saw she was suffocating, and then I came back a few seconds later and she was all better. Then I found this on the floor.” Dr. Fuller pulled the empty vial from the pocket of her black blazer. “Coincidentally, when I got the lab results back from your sister’s blood, she had the same unidentifiable compound.”

  Liv shrugged. “Your lab probably had another glitch.”

  “No. I had her blood sent out to a lab in Ketchikan, right along with the sample I got from the tube.”

  Liv felt her spit stick in her throat. “I don’t know what to tell you. The vial just had holy water in it. That’s all. I must’ve dropped it, and it spilled.” That was a terrible lie. Who the hell would believe she ran around with holy water in her purse? She wasn’t some Catholic priest. Hell, she wasn’t even Catholic.

  That said, there were no other choices.

  The doctor gave her a look. “That wasn’t water.”

  Liv stared at her, wondering the obvious: what the hell was this doctor going to do?

  “I’m sorry, Dr. Fuller,” Liv said, “but I’m not sure what your point is or why you’re—”

  “Because—and I know it’s going to sound crazy—but I dreamed of you coming into my ER. I dreamed of you and that water and of it being a cure for every illness that’s ever plagued mankind.”

  Whatthehell? Liv had no clue what was going on, but… I can’t deal with this right now! Roen was there for some reason and she could only hope it was to answer her prayers.

  “You’re right,” Liv said. “That does sound crazy. If you’ll excuse me, I have people to say hi to.”

  Liv headed toward the double doors, her mind scrambling, attempting to deal with the fact that Roen had showed up. She pushed outside onto the dimly lit patio overlooking the marina. A cigarette butt smoldered in a standing ashtray next to the cement bench where she spotted the silhouette of a broad-shouldered man in a black suit. Liv felt her heart thumping and adrenaline shooting through her veins.

  “Roen?” She could scarcely believe her eyes.

  Roen slowly stood and turned around. “I’m not Roen.”

  Liv’s jaw dropped and panic replaced her mixed emotions. “Shane?”

  His green eyes caught the light behind her and glittered with the fierce determination of a predator about to make a kill.

  “Hello, Liv,” he said in a menacing tone. “Nice to see you again.” No, it didn’t matter that he was in a suit, or his hair was neatly combed back and cut shorter. He wasn’t a civilized man with civilized intentions.

  Liv turned and reached for the doors to run inside.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Shane said. “Not when so many people you care about are inside. And I’m sure you’d hate for them to get dragged into this.”

  Liv froze with her hand on the handle and then looked at him. “What do you want?”

  Shane flashed a wicked grin. “The Collection has begun. And I’ve come to claim what’s mine.” He lunged and covered her scream with his hand before dragging her over the railing into the cold water.

  TO BE CONTINUED…

  NOTE FROM AUTHOR

  Hi everyone!

  I knoooow… It’s the dreaded cliffhanger I’m so famous for. (The good news is that i
t means more is coming!) But, as always, there’s a method to my madness. Obviously, I won’t spoil what comes next, but you know how I love twists, and Roen’s journey is just getting started.

  ANYWAY, if you’re looking for more, Book #2, MerMadmen is AVAILABLE NOW!

  BUY LINKS can be found here: www.mimijean.net/mermadmen.html (OR CHECK OUT the EXCERPT here in the back!)

  ALSO if you would like an awesome SIGNED MERMEN BOOKMARK, please shoot me a note (contact info is in the back). It’s first come, first serve, but if I’ve got ’em, it’s yours! (You can always check my website mimijean.net/romance_adventure_gear.html for swag availability, too.) DON’T FORGET! If YOU LOVED the story and take the time to WRITE A REVIEW (which us authors so, so, sooooo appreciate!) please let me know when you request your bookmark. I have special “thank you” swag for the first few hundred.

  And KING FANS…Heads up! Don’t miss the big cover reveal in the back!

  HAPPY READING!

  Mimi

  P.S. I know some of you enjoy this, so here’s the playlist of what I listened to while writing the story:

  “Little Fluffy Clouds” The Orb

  “Sail” AWOLNATION

  “Dream” by Imagine Dragons

  “Don't You Worry Child” Swedish House Mafia

  “Go Away” Weezer

  “The Kids Aren't Alright” Fall Out Boy

  “Do I Wanna Know?” Arctic Monkeys

  “Paper Planes” M.I.A.

  “Save The World” Swedish House Mafia

  “Calling (Lose My Mind)” Sebastian Ingrosso

  “Something New” Axwell

  “It Comes Back to You” Imagine Dragons

  “Ten Feet Tall featuring Wrabel” Afrojack

  “Say It Ain't So” Weezer <<< hehehe…spoiler

  Acknowledgments

  A HUUUGE thank you to my MER-licious crew of helpers who swam with me across the finish line on this crazy-ass book. Kylie, Dali, Layota, Su, and Pauline. Words can’t express how grateful I am for your support, so I’ll simply make a gurgling sound which means “thank you” in mermaid speak.

  I’d also like to thank Jan at Author Sidekick for helping me keep the wheels on the bus with all of the important non-writing stuff like making hottie banners and booking ads!

  And needless to say, my undying gratitude goes to my guys. Every day is a challenge, and your hugs and kisses are always there to push me on.

  AVAILABLE NOW! MerMadmen

  He never wanted this. He only wanted her.

  EVERYTHING ABOUT THE ISLAND OF EL CORAZÓN IS WRONG. The men are ruthless warriors who call themselves mermen but don’t have any fish parts, the island isn’t exactly an island, and the women…well, let’s just say their story isn’t pretty. More like a nightmare. Which is exactly why billionaire Roen Doran will do anything to protect the woman he can’t live without from that violent place. Including becoming the island’s leader and giving her up forever.

  WHEN LIV STRATTON ESCAPED THAT TERRIFYING ISLAND in the North Pacific after being shipwrecked, she didn’t just leave behind the horror, she left behind Roen Doran. A man she didn’t know, but who risked everything to save her. And now her heart can’t seem to move on. So part of her wonders if it’s somehow her fault she’s been taken against her will and locked inside a ship bound for El Corazón. But an even bigger part wonders if Roen will lift a finger to save her this time. After all, now he’s one of them…

  Read on for an excerpt…

  EXCERPT MERMADMEN

  CHAPTER ONE

  With a terrified gasp, twenty-nine-year-old Liv Stratton’s eyes flew open. Oh God, where the hell am I? She slowly sat up, her eyes searching the dark room for an answer. A large black rectangle sat on the wall ahead—a television. Off to the left, a dark hallway faded into blackness. To the right, drawn curtains covered an entire wall. Nothing, not even the cool air wafting over her bare breasts, seemed familiar.

  Wait. Bare? She glanced at the sheet covering her naked body from the waist down. Oh, crap. Did I go home with someone? But that wasn’t like her at all. She didn’t do the drunk “hookup thing.”

  She shoved her hands into her tangled long hair. Think, think, think. What’s the last thing you remember? But it was all a blank.

  Hugging the sheet to her body, she sprang from the king-sized bed and whipped back the velvety white drapes. In the distance, beyond a patch of dark rolling hills sprinkled with lights, she spotted dozens of shimmering skyscrapers clustered around one tall structure shaped like the queen on a chessboard.

  The Space Needle? She’d lived in Seattle the last few years, while doing her PhD in sociology at Washington State, so she knew the building well. But how did I get—

  Her mind began filling in the blanks with images of her parents’ anniversary party at their favorite restaurant in Wrangell, Alaska—her hometown. But how did I get here?

  “Miss Stratton,” said a deep, velvety smooth voice behind her.

  Liv yelped.

  In the darkened doorway across the room stood the large, menacing silhouette of a man she thought she’d never see again. He was a man of unspeakable beauty, dangerous as hell, and he’d once saved her life. But that didn’t mean he was there to do it again. The last time they’d met, he’d made it clear what he thought of her: not much.

  “Roen, what am I doing here?”

  Wearing what looked to be a white dress shirt and dark slacks, he began unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves, like a man preparing for a little dirty work.

  Liv would’ve stepped back, but back meant into the window.

  “Why do you think you’re here?” he asked, his voice exaggeratedly slow yet overtly menacing.

  Given your tone? Can’t be good.

  Liv cleared her throat. “Did you really bring me here to play guessing games?”

  “You speak bravely for someone so frightened.”

  “Who said I’m frightened?” she responded.

  “I can see it on your face.”

  So he can see in the dark now. It wasn’t a surprise given so much about Roen had changed. Once upon a time he’d been just a man. A billionaire who owned one of the world’s largest shipping companies. Even then, however, his cutthroat tactics and icy heart had been as infamous as his looks—Sexiest Man of the Year. Regrettably, he’d only become more strikingly handsome. His caramel brown hair alone, with streaks of gold and chestnut, qualified him for the category of unspeakably beautiful. And those eyes. Lord, those eyes. A vibrant green with gold rings around the pupils. Every time he looked at her, his raw sexual energy left her feeling defenseless. At least, that’s what she remembered thinking the last time she’d seen him with the lights on.

  Liv tightened her grip on the sheet around her body. “Fine. I’m terrified, but can you blame me? I have no idea how I got here, and the last time we spoke, you told me to crawl back to my pathetic life. I also believe your hand was raised to slap me.”

  “How could I forget?” he said in an amused, sadistic tone. “You didn’t flinch.”

  “Guess I’m not so weak after all, am I?” That had been what he’d called her: “weak,” a trait he clearly loathed.

  Roen laughed and crossed his thick arms over his chest. No doubt about it, the man’s size was menacing—broad shoulders, hard muscles covering every inch, and six-six-ish in height. Yeah, he definitely looked like he’d grown an inch since she’d last seen him. Of course, grown men didn’t usually get taller, but according to Roen, he and his men weren’t exactly human. Then there was that water they drank to make them stronger. It dripped from the walls inside the giant cavern on the island they called home. The water, however, wasn’t simply water; it was so much more. Just like that crazy island wasn’t an island.

  “I never would’ve hit you.” He shoved his hands into his pockets as if holstering his weapons. “Nor did I mean those words. I was upset that day and had every right to be.”

  Maybe he did. She had broken a pretty big promis
e not to speak to anyone about his new home or its people, but all that was in the past now, and Liv desperately wanted to move on with her life. Or, more accurately stated, move on from him. Exactly like he’d asked.

  If only my heart would let me.

  “Let’s cut the crap. Tell me why I’m here,” she demanded.

  Roen gestured toward the bed. “Why don’t you sit down?”

  Liv didn’t budge.

  “I insist,” he said in a stern tone.

  She wished he’d flip on the lights so she could see his expression more clearly. It might clue her in on what he intended to do to her. In his new world, the laws regarding a woman’s place, purpose, and rights were fairly clear. And they were barbaric.

  Liv shook her head no.

  “Liiiv,” he growled.

  “Uh-uh.” She shook a finger at him. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. We are not on your island. And even if we were, I’d still tell you to pound sand. So whatever you have planned—whatever goddamned reason you brought me here, you can expect nothing but a fight from me.”

  Despite being all the way across the room, she felt the tension and heat radiating from his body. It made her skin tingle with the awareness of how much she missed his rough hands on her body. No one’s touch compared to Roen’s. No man compared to Roen.

  Don’t, Liv. Don’t open your heart to him again. It didn’t end well last time.

  “I’m not here to hurt you, Liv. I’m here to warn you.”

  “You brought me all the way to Seattle, stripped me down naked, and put me in your bed, to warn me?” She didn’t believe that for a moment.

  “You can’t go back to the island, Liv. I can’t protect you this time.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” She’d barely escaped with her life from that hellhole, and Roen knew it.