Lover's Origin: Black Island

By Altonya Washington

Receiving a mysterious package with directions to journey to an island half way around the world should have raised suspicion as well as caution for Persephone James. While caution and a fair amount of suspicion were definitely heightened, what stirred most was her curiosity. Having lived sixteen years as the only child to two loving parents, Persephone felt her world turned inside out at the discovery that she had a sister somewhere in the world- one her parents never mentioned. With no thought of consequence or danger only discovery, Persephone followed the instructions inside the package and found herself in a place that should’ve only existed in an adventure story...or horror novel.
Black Island; for all its beauty and luxury was a far cry from the wonderland its residents arrived hoping to find. Populated almost exclusively by young adults the place was as strange and fascinating as it was dangerous and depraved.
Not all was bleak and unsettling however. Persephone made friends she would never forget and met a sister she all too soon wished she’d never met. What’s more, she met the one who would stir emotions that her wildest imaginings couldn’t conjure. There was no description for Hilliam Tesano-at least not one that would do him justice. Persephone was riveted not only by his looks but by the demeanor that could intimidate as easily as it could intrigue.
Darkly gorgeous with an army at his command, Hill Tesano knew all too well that Black Island was not a place for the faint of heart. It was a place where friends disappeared in the dead of night-a place where ulterior motives were commonplace. Nothing was as it appeared. It was a place that could all too easily swallow an uncommon beauty like Persephone James. She had no place there, but he wanted to keep her just the same.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Altonya Washington
• Release date: Mar 31, 2015
• ISBN: 9780991181469

Altonya Washington

AlTonya Washington's first contemporary novel, “Remember Love” BET/Arabesque 2003, was nominated by Romantic Times as Best 1st Multicultural Romance. Her novel “Finding Love Again” won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Multicultural Romance 2004. Her fourth novel “Love Scheme” was nominated as Favorite Steamy Novel for the prestigious EMMA Award of Romance Slam Jam. She presently resides in North Carolina.

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Lover’s Origin: Black Island

By AlTonya Washington

Copyright 2015 AlTonya Washington

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~FIRST PROLOGUE~

Seattle, Washington, 1976~

Honey, calm yourself. It’s alright-

You promised. You promised to help me keep them safe! The woman’s voice hissed and cracked beneath an obvious and ominous weight.

Shh...honey I haven’t forgotten, another woman soothed from her end of the line. She knew it was doing little good given the hysterical tones firing through her phone’s receiver.

Sweetie, try and tell me what’s happened, the calmer woman forged on, encouraging the distraught female as best she could. Has he found you? She whispered in spite of the fact that she was alone in the room.

I haven’t seen him, a measure of levity seemed to work its way into the woman’s voice then. I haven’t seen him, but I know he’s close. This is about something else though. I can’t say it’s worse than not being found by him, but it’s pretty damn bad.

The calmer of the two women engaged in the three a.m. phone conversation, sighed and ran an unsteady hand through her clipped curls. You know he’s close? How?

You promised to protect us!

I know, honey, I know. I haven’t forgotten but I need to know what we’re dealing with. If you could just tell me-

They killed him! Lord Jesus, they killed him!

Who? Frowning from shock then as well as concern, Carmen Ramsey pushed off the den sofa in her cozy Seattle home. The need to pace had suddenly become a necessity.

Tammy? Tammy, who? They killed who? Glancing over her shoulder then, Carmen moved to check the hall. The phone cord prevented her covering much space. Hold on, Tammy. She went to the den door and checked to make sure all the chatter hadn’t wakened her girl.

The corridor was empty. Little Sabella Ramsey was still asleep in her bed. Carmen turned her attention back to the call. Grabbing the phone’s cradle, she paced the brief length behind the sofa that the cord allowed.

Tammy? Talk to me.

From her own phone two states away, Tamara Burnett Leer only shuddered out a long moan through the line. Cle-Cleon Raymond, she finally managed.

Carmen went cold, feeling her skin turn to gooseflesh beneath the thin powder blue nightgown she wore. Did he hurt Mae? She asked.

Tammy was sobbing by then, emotion causing her to hiccup and sniffle profusely. I don’t th-think so. After what they think he did to his wife...who knows what he’d have done. Carmen the police are involved.

Carmen put shaky fingers to her mouth, understanding then why the distraught mother was...well...so distraught. Any mother would be in such a situation. The cops being involved however, brought in a level of possibilities beyond what would be perceived as the norm.

Tammy-

They found her there, Carmen. They found her there covered in blood. I-I think because everyone knows she’s...slow they think he tried something and she fought back.

Carmen stilled again. You sound like you don’t believe that.

Eva was there when it happened.

Carmen closed her eyes.

The police don’t know. Once the investigation was over- because her and Eva are friends- they gave me custody of her.

Jesus, Carmen’s shaky hand was downright quaking then. It took her several minutes to process the information. She appreciated Tammy’s silence during that time. Honey you said he was close. How do you know that?

Again, Tammy expelled a weighty sigh. People in town told Will, she referred to her husband Willard Leer.

Told him what?

"He was here, Carmen. Here in town snooping-I don’t know why or how he found out, but he was asking about Cleon and the daughter was how Will said they put it."

Carmen rubbed an ache beginning to form at her temple.

This is the last thing I need right now Carmen. Not now of all times.

Why not now?

I’m pregnant, Carmen. The baby isn’t Will’s.

Oh Tammy…

I didn’t mean for it to happen! Brandon just-

Brandon?

Brandon James- it’s too much to go into right now. Willard already suspects something and when I start to show he’ll know and that’ll be that.

It was never real, Tammy.

No, remorse laced Tammy’s voice. No it wasn’t but Will helped me out of a situation that could’ve been more of a hell that it was. He deserved better than this.

What can I do? Carmen asked.

What you said you would- the murder, the investigation...the papers got involved. My name was mentioned when I got custody of Mae. Who can say that’s not what got him snooping and on his way to finding us. Tammy’s voice was rife with certainty then.

That won’t happen, Carmen tried to tug just as much certainty into her voice. She hoped Tammy couldn’t decipher how hollow her words were. In that moment, she had no idea how to back up the promise she’d made.

Where’re the girls?

Both here. I’m keeping them close to the house.

Carmen returned to the sofa, put an elbow to her knee and cradled her forehead in her palm. Tammy was right. The papers and their stories- true or fictional- would keep the murder on people’s tongues for days...and miles.

The crime would sell tons of papers, that was for sure. A young black girl: suspect number one in the brutal murder of her stepfather a man suspected of beating his wife to death. Little was done to seek justice for Odessa Raymond. She was found in an alley behind a notorious brothel. Cleon Raymond had friends on the force for whom he offered his prized mechanics skills at competitive rates. As a result-a killer was allowed to remain at large.

A story of such magnitude would draw tons of coverage. With all the attention-grabbing, Carmen wondered if it would it rouse the attention of her family or one disgusting member of her family in particular? Sure, it would especially if Tammy’s name had indeed found its way into the press’ investigative efforts.

Carmen had gone to stunning lengths to keep her own child safe from a brother, whose depravity had turned him into her rapist and quite possibly, the father of her baby girl. She knew she’d do the same to protect a woman who unfortunately knew for certain that Marcus Ramsey’s seed had taken root inside her.

Tammy? Carmen could hear the woman’s muffled sobs across the line as her pounding thoughts receded. Tammy I’m gonna need you to calm down and just-just sit tight for about ten minutes. I’ll call you right back.

She didn’t wait for Tammy’s approval, instead Carmen set the receiver to its cradle and sprang into a rapid pace around her den. Think! she whispered, enraged and anxious. In a second, she whirled back to the phone as if the inanimate object had just spoken the answer into the still room.

Exhaling a shuddery breath, she went to the end table where the phone rested. Instead of reaching for the phone, she opened the drawer built into the table and extracted a small, thick photo album. Turning to the page she knew by heart, she wedged out a phone from beneath tiny triangular cardboard slots. Following a few moments of studying the image there, she turned it over.

She reached for the phone and quickly dialed the number she found on the back of the picture.

Yes, this is Carmen Ramsey, she offered once the connection was made. I’m calling for Jasper Stone.

~SECOND PROLOGUE~

Tempe, Arizona, 1988~

Yaay! The cheer rose as a wave of candle smoke wafted into the warm air and was carried away by the breeze,

The sun-kissed day was alive with the sounds of loud, sugar packed kids and their harried parents. Parents, who found a measure of joy at the full bar that the birthday girl’s parents had blessedly put in place for their adult guests. Many of those guests were suffering through at least their tenth party of the year,

It was safe to say that the spirits of the children and adults ran high that afternoon. The most spirited of course had to be Persephone James. The birthday girl’s cheeks puffed like velvety milk chocolate balloons as she prepared to deliver more air to extinguish the flaming candles that had topped her cake. That there were only eleven, didn’t matter. Persephone planned to shower the cake with far more carbon dioxide than was needed.

~~~

We could take her now. All these kids...nobody would see.

Evangela Leer’s smile held all the elements of amusement while a dark grimace lurked out of sight behind it. Somebody might miss her, Mae seeing it’s her party and all, Eva supplied a measure of sarcasm in the faint admonishment. Sometimes, Mae actually had her convinced her ‘stupid’ act was for real, Eva thought.

Oh yeah, Mae murmured, shame coloring the acknowledgement.

No...we’ll wait, Eva’s light tone belied the stony intent of her dark stare. She observed her little sister’s movements as though she were committing them to memory.

No we’ll wait until she’s… The depraved nature she’d inherited, set Eva’s provocatively crafted mouth into a more defined and wicked smile. We’ll wait until she’s ready for our lifestyle, let her grow a little more.

She’s big enough- plenty smaller where we live, Maeva put in. The emotionless depths of her disturbingly large, black eyes were fixed on the bubbly girl.

Yes there are, Eva’s delicate features veiled a lethal element that made her mesmerizing to look at in spite of her beauty.

I don’t want her there for the scientists or his...friends, Eva’s back stiffened at her pronunciation of the word. "When she comes to us, she’ll be for our benefit."

How Evan? Mae looked to her oldest friend with all the awe of a child viewing its first fireworks display.

However I want.

Are we gonna come back to get her?

Evangela put a sneer in place. I don’t plan on seeing my bitch of a mother ever again, the retort was biting, immediate.

No Mae… when the time is right, she’ll come to us. She’ll want nothing more than to come to us. We’ll get her curious and then we’ll help her find us. The wicked smile mingled with pure amusement then. We’ll make it so pathetically easy for her to find us.

Why are we doin’ this, Evan? Mae’s blank expression mirrored that of her words.

Eva appeared stunned by the question but there was no agitation in her expression. Well she’s family, Mae. She’s family that I’d very much like to have on my team.

~ONE~

Far Rockaway, New York, 1992~

They’re in the kitchen. I can go get-

Nah, don’t do that. I just called to see how everybody was doin’. I’m glad you answered.

Isak ‘Pike’ Tesano’s easy smile broadened in response to his brother’s words. You can ask ‘em yourself, you know? he taunted.

Hilliam Tesano’s deep, playful laughter rumbled through the other end of the phone line before a voice of equal depth followed. Jeez Chump, been in college two years and still can’t give a report worth a damn.

Pike joined his brother in a round of good natured laughter that went on for a long while. Mama’s makin’ that squash stuff for dinner, he said just a bit later.

Hill’s laughter then mingled with a groan. Who’s on punishment?

Cai, a sigh instead of a groan merged with Pike’s laughter. He found Smoak’s stash- cleaned the fool out of all but twenty bucks.

Another bellow of Hill’s laughter surged. Well hell, how much did the Kid have to start with?

Sounds like he had almost five yards saved. Pike reported.

Hill whistled over the disappearance of the missing five hundred dollars. Rugrat’s havin’ a good time bein’ the only one home, huh?

Just then, only the youngest of Roman and Imani Tesano’s four sons resided at home for most of the year.

Hell yeah, he is, Pike confirmed through his chuckles.

So the Rugrat’s idiot move has everybody eating squash for dinner, huh?

Hill referred to the Tesano house rules that called for the least favorite meal to be served when someone screwed up royally. The dish was only on the menu for one night, but the rule breaker had to finish off all leftovers as part of his punishment.

Yeah, but Ma promised her peanut butter cheesecake for dessert, so…

Ah hell, Chump, you’re torturin’ me over here.

Sounds like you’re torturin’ yourself.

What else is new?

Why’d you call, Hill?

Wanted to hear a familiar voice.

Mmm...hear a familiar voice, but not see a familiar place, huh?

I can’t come home, P.

Why not?

Hill snorted a laugh. "You mean besides