Chapter 1 - THE SIX BARRELS
Madison Reed had been married for thirty-six hours when her husband’s secretary walked onto their honeymoon beach in a red bikini.
At first, Madison thought she was imagining it.
The private resort sat on a narrow island off the coast of St. Lucia, the kind of place designed to make ordinary people feel briefly royal. White sand. Turquoise water. Champagne sweating inside a silver bucket beside two padded loungers.
Madison wore a black swimsuit beneath a linen wrap.
Tyler wore white swim trunks and sunglasses.
He had spent breakfast telling her how badly he needed rest after the wedding.
“No phones,” he said.
“No work.”
“No drama.”
Madison had believed the first two.
Then Sienna Vale appeared.
Twenty-nine.
Blonde.
Tyler’s executive secretary.
She walked barefoot across the sand as though she had every right to be there.
Madison sat up.
“Sienna?”
Sienna smiled.
Before Madison could stand, she dropped onto Tyler’s lounger, wrapped both arms around him, and kissed him.
Not on the cheek.
On the mouth.
Tyler did not push her away.
Madison shot to her feet.
“WHAT THE HELL?!”
Sienna slowly broke the kiss.
Then looked directly at Madison.
Smiling.
Tyler took off his sunglasses.
He looked irritated.
Not guilty.
That was worse.
Madison stared.
“Why is she here?”
Tyler leaned back and casually put one arm around Sienna’s waist.
“She’s joining our honeymoon.”
For a moment, Madison thought she had misheard him.
“Our what?”
Sienna laughed.
Tyler did too.
Madison’s face burned.
“Tell me this is some disgusting joke.”
Tyler sighed.
“Madison, don’t start.”
“Don’t start?”
Sienna rested one hand on Tyler’s bare chest.
“You’ll barely notice me.”
Then she kissed his cheek.
Tyler laughed again.
Madison felt tears rise.
She hated them.
Hated giving either of them proof that this hurt.
She looked at Tyler.
The man who had stood in front of two hundred wedding guests the day before yesterday and promised fidelity.
The man whose mother had cried during the vows.
The man who had spent six months insisting the honeymoon had to be “just us.”
Now his mistress sat on his lap in a red bikini.
Madison’s hands began trembling.
Tyler saw.
His mouth curved.
“Don’t make a scene.”
Something inside her changed.
The trembling stopped.
Her breathing slowed.
The tears stayed in her eyes.
But her face went completely still.
Tyler noticed.
“Madison?”
She did not answer.
Instead, she turned toward the large canvas beach bag beside her lounger.
Sienna’s laughter faded.
Madison reached behind the bag.
Her fingers closed around a concealed black grip.
Tyler sat up.
“What are you doing?”
Madison pulled.
Something large slid from behind the lounger.
Black metal.
Heavy frame.
Six long barrels clustered around a central axis.
Tyler’s face emptied.
Sienna recoiled.
“Oh my God!”
Madison raised the massive six-barrel rotary weapon just far enough for both of them to see exactly what she was holding.
Tyler stopped breathing.
May you like
Sienna screamed.
And Madison stared at them with the first calm expression she had worn all morning.
