The Executioner

By Maggie Nash

Trusting your ex is relative when you're running from a killer...

A team-building exercise at a remote location reignites the heat between former lovers Madeleine Smith and Nicholas Garabaldi. When team members start dying they must learn to trust again before they can outwit whoever is killing off the group one by one. Is this the Executioner' from the indigenous Dreamtime legend of the local Bibulmun tribe? Or is it someone closer to home?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Aug 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781786510075

Maggie Nash

Living in a fantasy world as a child, Maggie was fascinated with telling stories. Whenever she shared her adventures of imaginary friends and saving the world from the bad guys, her mother called it ?Romancing? Actually it was more likely a really good ploy to get out of doing chores! Little wonder that after a life spent in many different occupations, Maggie has settled in to writing romance fiction. Her stories range from dark erotic thrillers, to fantasy tales of bondage and submission, to romantic suspense and paranormal.

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The Executioner

ISBN # 978-1-78651-007-5

©Copyright Maggie Nash 2016

Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright January 2016

Edited by Anne Leveille

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2016 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN

Totally Bound Publishing is a subsidiary of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

Warning:

This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Simmering and a Sexometer of 2.

THE EXECUTIONER

Maggie Nash

Trusting your ex is relative when you’re running from a killer…

A team-building exercise at a remote location reignites the heat between former lovers Madeleine Smith and Nicholas Garabaldi. When team members start dying they must learn to trust again before they can outwit whoever is killing off the group one by one. Is this the ‘Executioner’ from the indigenous Dreamtime legend of the local Bibulmun tribe? Or is it someone closer to home?

Dedication

I would like to acknowledge the Elders and members of the Bibulmun tribe—traditional owners of the land featured in this story.

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Mick Dundee: Rimfire Films Pty Ltd

Scout: World Organization of the Scout Movement, Lord Baden Powell Society, London UK

Bobbsey twins: The Bobbsey Twins Series, Laura Lee Hope

Esky: Coleman Pty Ltd

Land Rover: Jaguar Land Rover Limited

Wonderbra: Stylight Worldwide Corporation

The X-Files: Chris Carter & Twentieth Century Fox, Inc.

ABC: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Government of Australia

Scrabble: Mattel, Inc.

Chapter One

The weather in Albany resembled the overcast conditions Madeleine Smith had left behind her in Melbourne the previous morning. Not at all what she’d expected when she’d begun her journey to the southern region of WA. Wasn’t it supposed to be hot in Western Australia? She stretched a little, arching her back as she did her best impression of a Siamese cat after a mid-afternoon nap. The sustained yawn that followed came out all by itself, reminding her of how long she’d been on the road.

Okay, so it wasn’t really that cold. If she stayed out of the wind, it wasn’t such a bad place. She looked to her left as her taxi drove through the backstreets of town and saw the most spectacular view of the ocean she’d ever seen. The rocky formations of the small cone-shaped islands were quite majestic as they jutted out of the clear blue water that lapped against pristine white sand.

It almost made up for the weather.

Almost.

She shivered despite the view. Her job with Gryffin Technology was a new start for her, and she really needed to make a good impression, although she didn’t know a lot about the company as yet. Especially the mysterious CEO, who everyone called ‘Boss’. Maybe she’d find out his real name over the next few days. The summons to the special team-building adventure weekend had come as a complete surprise, especially since she was yet to commence her new role. However, her new boss’ secretary had been insistent—she was expected to participate and no excuses would be accepted. Who was she to argue? It wasn’t every day you got an all-expenses-paid adventure holiday in the wilderness of Western Australia. Besides, after her summons, she’d lashed out and bought a wardrobe of new desert-proof clothes. It wasn’t as if she’d get any wear out of them living in Melbourne. She closed her eyes, imagining herself in khaki shorts and a black T-shirt with her hiking boots, walking into the swish office block in the Paris end of Collins Street.

Nah.

She started giggling but stopped quickly when she noticed the taxi driver peering strangely at her in the rear-view mirror. Oh crap. Sitting up straight, she put her best blank face on. He thinks I’m an idiot! Better get back to serious business. The new job, yep…think about the new job and how great it’s going to be.

She craved the challenge the opportunity offered. Boy, did she need it. Especially as her life had pretty much sucked over the last six months since ‘the breakup’. Floating from one loser job to the next, she’d floundered her way from one end of the business center of Melbourne to the other. Coffee shop vendors in Collins Street closed their shutters and shut up shop when they saw her coming rather than have her scare away customers with her melancholic woe is me attitude. The black clothing fixation she’d adapted for the winter season hadn’t helped matters any either.

What had she been thinking? It had taken her friends, who’d ambushed her with their crazy style of intervention, to break through her depression and bad attitude. How many people had friends who’d get a girl drunk, strip them to their underwear, throw her in a cold swimming pool and refuse to help her out of the water until she’d agree to get a life? Jodi and Tina had told her that if she liked being a wet blanket so much, she could wallow in the cold water. Oh yeah, that was one hell of a wake-up call! Once she’d gotten over the angst that they’d actually nearly drowned and frozen her to death, she’d realized how self-indulgent she’d been. What a selfish nit! It still amazed her that her closest friends had stood by her side while she’d made an idiot of herself over the first man she’d ever contemplated a happily-ever-after with.

Boy did I read him wrong.

All that time she’d wasted feeling sorry for herself over that rat! Again—what had she been thinking? Anyone who would go to the trouble of pretending to be with someone else just so she would break up with him wasn’t worth the trouble. It wasn’t like they’d even discussed marriage or even moving in together. If only he’d talked to her first, maybe they could have worked it out. She’d loved him and would have done