Emerald Fire. Monica McCabe
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Cover Copy
Chloe Larson is a historian obsessed with clearing the name of her grandfather, eight generations back. After his heroic exploits during the Prussian Wars his life slid sadly into oblivion and madness, taking with him the location of a queen’s priceless emerald jewels. But the discovery of a cryptic two-hundred year old journal written by a man history declared insane might offer a clue.
Finnegan Kane is a top-notch marine bounty hunter on the hunt for the Emerald Fire, a 120-foot Sunseeker yacht stolen by ruthless Caribbean pirates. It’s the kind of dirty work that keeps his antique ship restoration business afloat, but that doesn’t mean he has to put up with the fiery demands of an admittedly gorgeous historian. But when Chloe offers the one thing that practically guarantees success—the GPS coordinates of the Fire’s location—he has no choice but to forge into uncharted waters.
With danger at every turn, Chloe and Finnegan must battle against the odds to decipher a historical legacy and settle a score against a family gone mad.
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Books by Monica McCabe
Jewel Intrigue series
Diamond Legacy
Emerald Fire
Phantom Pearl
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation
Emerald Fire
Jewel Intrigue series
Monica McCabe
LYRICAL PRESS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
Copyright
Lyrical Press books are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2016 by Monica McCabe
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First Electronic Edition: July 2016
eISBN-13: 978-1-60183-654-0
eISBN-10: 1-60183-654-6
First Print Edition: July 2016
ISBN-13: 978-1-60183-656-4
ISBN-10: 1-60183-656-2
Printed in the United States of America
Dedication
To anyone who has the courage to explore outside the lines. Here's wishing your journey to be filled with a lifetime of curiosity, imagination, and grand adventure.
Author’s Foreword
Modern day piracy is a very real danger for those on the high-seas. From power boats to luxury yachts to commercial fleets, vessels are stolen, crew ransomed, and companies extorted for excessive amounts of cash. Worldwide losses are estimated at over $16 Billion annually. And it’s not just the African coasts. South China Seas, Indonesia, South and Central America, and the Caribbean are all hotbeds. Despite this harsh reality, piracy is very difficult to combat. International waters offer no safeguards. Anti-piracy measures are being enacted on a global scale, but it's complicated and costly to prosecute. Maritime companies are encouraged to take Self-Protective Measures and are beginning to hire private security personnel for their ships. While all this makes excellent material for movies and fiction novels, the threat to global commerce is substantial and far-reaching. Marine insurance rates have soared and the use of Recovery Specialists is just one method to help control sky-rocketing cost of claims. It's a lucrative and dangerous line of work, but is utilized for everything from luxury yachts, to cars, to fine art and exceptional jewels. A skilled bounty hunter is a valuable asset and worth their weight in gold.
Acknowledgements
There is never a shortage of people to thank in the creation of a novel. Many hands are part of the process and all help make the creative work the very best it can be. I'm grateful for every contribution, big or small. And a huge thank you to my friends at Music City Romance Writers. This journey wouldn't have happened without the years spent honing my craft with you all. And to Corinne DeMaagd, whose excellent skill as an editor is only surpassed by her love of family and adventure. May the wind forever fill your sails.
Chapter 1
Finnegan Kane adjusted his sunglasses against a brilliant Caribbean sun and scanned the picturesque harbor. Yachts, cruisers, and skiffs dotted the vivid blue water of Castries Bay. A veritable postcard of idyllic island life to a tourist, a complicated crime scene to a marine recovery specialist like Finn.
Paradise masked a deadly secret.
“It’s like I said, mon. Nothing to see.”
St. Lucia’s harbor clerk wore the standard island uniform of shorts, loose shirt, and sandals, but the carefree island attitude was missing. Finn didn’t care. There wasn’t room for sympathy in his budget, and with the kind of money at stake here, he’d make as many enemies as needed.
But the uncooperative clerk had a point. Piracy troubled the islands, and stolen yachts rarely left a trail. In a span of minutes, lines were cut, security systems disabled, and easy money sailed away.
Bad odds for recovery, but impossible never had stopped him before. Clues always hid in the details, and he needed a timetable. “When did the Emerald Fire first appear in the harbor?”
“Four days ago,” the clerk answered. “Pretty boat. Sleek and tricked out. She berthed in Trou Garnier, that upper cove past Pointe Seraphine.” He pointed across the harbor to a deep inlet.
A stiff breeze snapped a harbor flag above them and stirred the mustiness of wet wood from the city’s industrial pier. Finn breathed deep the familiar calming scent and did the math. The Fire arrived in St. Lucia on Tuesday, was last seen late Wednesday, and Thursday afternoon Boston Marine Insurance received word she’d gone missing. He’d jumped a plane that night and arrived at the Harbor Master’s office Friday morning. That meant thieves had roughly a day and a half head start.
Discouraging news. The Caribbean was chock full of small islands, hidden inlets, and desperately poor residents more than willing to turn a blind eye. The Fire could be anywhere by now.