Page 1 of The Hero's Bride
Prologue
Mason Williams heldhis breath and stepped over a man he recognized as the drummer in his parents’ band, dodging the pile of vomit and empty glass bottles strewn across the presidential suite at the luxury resort in Colima, Mexico. He glanced at the velvet sofa and quickly averted his eyes from multiple women—groupies, the band called them—in varying stages of undress. He didn’t see his parents anywhere, but that wasn’t unusual the morning after one of their concerts. His shoulders sagged as he reached the door and exited the suite, breathing in air that wasn’t tinged with stale alcohol, smoke, and other scents he didn’t want to think about. At ten years old, the knowledge that he came second to his parents’ musical aspirations was nothing new. Mason could do without the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll scene. The one he’d been raised in since birth.
He rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked through the cavernous lobby and out a side door into the bright sunshine. It was nearly ten o’clock in the morning and if he wanted to fill his grumbling stomach, he was on his own. Everything near the resort was green and blue. Tall palm trees, flowering bushes, and huge stretches of ocean. He headed in the direction of the restaurant, passing a bubbling fountain surrounded by clay vases of flowers. Couples lingered outside the restaurant and as he drew near, he spotted his parents’ manager sitting down for breakfast. He sighed, shoulders slouching, as his dreams of the hotel buffet were dashed. The guy gave him the creeps and he preferred to be alone to eat. There was probably a bakery or something nearby and it wasn’t like he had anything to do but explore until tomorrow when they caught a flight to the next stop in the tour.
He continued walking, counting down the days until school started in the fall. Then his parents would leave him home instead of dragging him on the rest of their tour. He liked how predictable the school year was. Wake up, get on the bus, go to class, return home, and repeat. Sure, the house was quiet and sometimes he got scared in the big estate alone, but housekeepers and cooks were in and out, so he wasn’t truly on his own. He’d been begging his mom and dad for a dog for as long as he could remember, but they were worried about their stupid furniture.
He wasn’t sure how long he walked, but when he lifted his head and took stock of his surroundings, his heart sped up and he turned in a circle, trying, and failing, to spy the resort in the distance. The paved sidewalk was crumbling and the buildings around him appeared weathered with faded signs and broken windows. Shit. The curse resonated in his mind as he continued to glance around, stomach dropping as a sense of dread filled him. Shouts had him glancing across the street. A group of men in sleeveless shirts, heads shaved to show off full-body tattoos, stood on the sidewalk. The tiny hairs rose on the base of his neck, and he turned and began to walk in the direction he’d come. His breath came faster when the men crossed the street diagonally, stopping traffic as they moved toward him. He picked up his pace, but the men were gaining on him. A firm hand gripped his wrist and whirled him around. The man’s dark eyes held no emotion but the smirk on his face, revealing several missing teeth, nearly had him pissing his pants.
He quickly weighed his options and decided he’d have the best chance if he tried to run now. Surely the traffic on the street and sidewalk would deter the group. He brought his knee up into the man’s groin and broke away. His feet pounded over the uneven cement as furious shouts rang out behind him. There was no way he could outrun them, and he darted down an alley. He ran to the end of the filthy passageway, only to run into a fence at the end. He turned and quickly backed up as the men prowled forward. His heart dropped into his stomach right before he felt pressure on his wrist. He was yanked to the left and he stumbled through an open doorway facing the alley. The figure still clutching his wrist was tiny but pulled him along with surprising force. He stumbled through the dark building, feet snagging on trash and debris littering the floor. The person pulling him didn’t seem to miss a step though. Cobwebs and swatches of tattered fabric brushed over his face as he continued to place his trust in the stranger in front of him.
“Through here.” The person dropped to their knees in front of a solid wall. Light was streaming through a jagged hole in the side of the building. His breath was sawing in and out as the figure disappeared through the rotted gap in the wall. He was never going to fit through a space that small. Panic rose in his chest, but then a tiny hand appeared. He sucked in a breath and dropped to his knees, giving the hand a quick squeeze before forcing his head and shoulders through the hole. Shouts sounded in the distance as he continued to push forward. He glanced up, but the sun shadowed the slight figure trying to tug him forward by the shirt.
It struck him that his rescuer had to be a little kid. One that was putting themselves in danger to help him. With that thought, he used all his strength to break through the tight space. Once again, the child gripped his hand and darted through the streets and into the dense jungle. They didn’t stop running for what felt like forever. His lungs were burning by the time they stopped, and he dropped to his hands and knees, gasping for air. When he caught his breath, he looked up, eyes landing on the kid who had helped him. The person wasn’t just a kid, though—it was a petite girl. Large olive-green eyes dominated her face, framed by dark hair that was partially tied back. Her shirt might’ve been white at one time, but it was stained, gray, and too large, slipping off one shoulder. Jesus, she looked about half his age.
“Thank you,” he choked out between labored pants. “I’m Mason.” He held out his hand and the girl hesitated before placing her palm against his.
A pink sheen colored her cheeks over her tan skin. “You shouldn’t leave the hotel. It’s not safe here,” she scolded, taking her hand back.
He jerked his head back, surprised she knew where he came from. “How do you know I’m from the hotel?”
Her lips tilted into a smile and her eyes danced with light. “Your hair is red. You wear clean clothes. Your shoes aren’t torn. You’re American. Everyone who looks like you stays at the hotel.”
“Oh, um…okay. I was trying to find a place to eat and got lost.” A rustle in the trees above startled him and he glanced up to see a bright red and blue bird. “Are you going to tell me your name?”
She glanced down at her shoes, then shook her head.
He shrugged. “That’s okay. What were you doing out there by yourself?”
She scrunched up her nose. “I live here. You were in the alley outside my home.”
He was sure his eyes widened before he quickly blanked his expression. The building he’d been in was no home. There was no electricity that he saw. No human comforts. “Aren’t you worried about those men?”
“They’re bad, but I’m too fast for them to catch. The hotel is this way. I have a shortcut.” They began walking, this time hip to hip. He wondered why the girl knew where the hotel was and why she was all alone.
“You are fast. Your English is really good, too.” He held a hanging branch to the side so she could easily pass.
“My mother was a teacher, but she got sick.” She looked at the ground as they walked.
“Is she okay now?” He instantly wished he hadn’t asked and held his breath as he waited for her reply.
The girl angled her face toward him and the sadness that flashed in her eyes cut through him. She shook her head, her gaze sliding away from his.
“Oh man, I’m really sorry. What about your dad?”
“He works at the docks.”
She didn’t volunteer any additional information, and they walked in silence until they broke through a gap in the trees. The resort was visible in the distance and some of the tension bled from his shoulders. He’d made it back and it was because of a little girl who took a big risk.
“I’d like to get you something to eat at the hotel. There’s a gift shop. I could get you some new clothes or toys.”
She snorted and shook her head. “Thank you, but no. This is where I stop. You go.” He watched as her eyes narrowed at something off to the left and she bounded forward, dropping to her knees. He followed, looking over her shoulder.
“What is it?”
“A lizard. It’s hurt.”
The green iguana appeared to be a baby. He loved dinosaurs and always liked to see different reptiles when they traveled to warmer climates. He crouched down and slid his hand under the creature, brushing ants away from its severed back leg. “Something must’ve tried to eat him. You escaped, huh?” His last statement was directed toward the lizard, which tilted his head and gazed at him with gold eyes. The irony wasn’t lost on him. They’d both escaped a terrible situation today, each of them being spotted and helped by the green-eyed girl. The lizard stopped squirming in his hands, seeming to relax in his palm.
