An Admiral for Her Voyage: Monterey Brides Series, #1

By Cheyanne West

Born into Italian wealth didn't safeguard Maria against the corrupt intent of known mafioso Victor Orsini, a man determined to possess the raven beauty. 

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Refusing to be Orsini's captive, Maria flees from Italy to the shores of America with her best friend Adriana, both stalked by a powerful menace. Neither imagined they'd be followed.

Union Navy Admiral John Charles Fremont served with distinction during the Mexican American War. Now retired he endeavored to settle into a quiet civilian life on the large spread of land he'd purchased for ranching, that was until gold was accidently found. With notoriety and now riches he attracted shallow high-society women, the final straw being the likes of Esmeralda Cortez.

Two hearts; one escaping and one hoping, but both need saving.  Will Maria grow to trust and possibly love the man behind the stern façade?

Watch for Monterey Brides 2, "Troubled Past meets Bright Future" soon to be released!
 

Read other best-selling releases by Cheyanne West!

The San Diego Brides Series has six clean and wholesome Mail Order Bride stories that will touch your heart.  These are tales demonstrating qualities of fortitude, strength, and valor with biblical values.

Stories you'll find in this series are:

Book 1 – A Home for Elizabeth

Book 2 – A Sturdy Hand for Sharron

Book 3 – Welsh Beauty for a Fierce Fighter

Book 4 – Irish Lass for a Wounded Warrior

Book 5 – An English Bride for a Lonely Captain

Book 6 - A Highlander Bride for the Dark Rider

• Language: English
• Publisher: Big Sage Press
• Release date: Sep 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393321170

Book preview

1

An Unorthodox Escape

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but He frustrates the ways of the wicked. Psalm 146:9

Venice, Italy. 1850.

The haunting image of Roberto Colonna’s murdered body was burned into Maria’s retinas.

He was a stout, healthy man of fifty-three, and was exceptionally kind and generous to his family and acquaintances. Maria had never thought she would live to see him die an unnatural death, let alone one so atrocious.

It had begun with the employment of Mr. Ross Davies, a financial manager that Roberto was compelled to hire after the death of Maria’s mother—as if that hadn’t been traumatic enough to endure. Olivia Colonna had suffered a fit of influenza for several weeks before she had met her demise. Maria had tried waking her up one morning, but the older woman’s wrist had been cold as the ice that coated the paned windows, and her face gaunt and blue. Maria had refused to believe it and kept shaking her mother’s body, screaming for her to wake up until Governess Emma had pulled her away.

Five years later, fate had come after her father.

Maria stiffened on the porch swing as the agonizing memories ran before her eyes, blocking out the sight of Adriana Guieseppe, the governess’ niece and Maria’s dearest friend.

Adriana had to wave her hand at Maria’s face to get her attention. Maria lifted her head and shot her friend a broken smile. Adriana knew Maria well enough to recognize the right time to converse with her, and it wasn’t now.

I’ll be upstairs, Adriana announced, giving Maria a pat on the shoulder before she strolled inside the house.

The screen door squeaked on its hinges as it closed, and Maria heaved a sigh as she rummaged through her troubled mind for a solution to her father’s debts, a burden passed on to the family through Ross Davies’ notorious embezzlements and deals with local mafias.

After the tragic and sudden death of his wife, Roberto was not in a state of mind to manage his own shipping business. A second party was needed to carry the burden; little did he know that it was the start of a never-ending nightmare. Ross Davies was the first applicant who was briefly interviewed by Roberto. With so much to bear on his shoulders, Roberto hired the first applicant that stepped into his office. The initial plan was to manage the finances and allow Davies to take care of the rest. Davies had persuaded the businessman that he could only perfect the job if it was all handed to him—that way, he’d be able to strike the best deals and save the family money.

He’d struck the best deals, all right. With Italy’s most notorious Mafia affiliate, Victor Orsini.

The Colonnas had always been well-off and spending a few hundred more a year was not in Roberto’s interest, but he fancied the idea of having more time to spend with his only daughter. Ever since Maria had laid her eyes on Davies, she could sense there was something uncanny about the look in his eyes. He looked like a man controlled by his desires, and she had suspected that he would embezzle some money. She later wished it had only come to that.

Davies had also signed IOUs using Robert’s business stamp to collect several thousand before he fled the country, leaving Roberto’s business indebted to Orsini. And the Mafia don was not taking no for an answer.

Maria let go of the swing pole as she was priming herself to rise, but the sight of Orsini plodding toward her house froze her.

Her first instinct was to get up and run inside, lock the door, and pretend she didn’t hear his vigorous knocks. But she’d seen what his men had done to her father; witnessed it with her very eyes. She was not scared of death, but Maria couldn’t tolerate the thought of crippling fear being the last feeling that crept through her every vein as she drew her last breath.

Victor Orsini limped his way up the porch stairs, clanking his oak cane on each of the steps in rhythm with Maria’s racing heartbeat. He wore a plaid flat cap, out of which his entwined curls jutted. He loomed over her with a menacing grin spread across his rough-skinned face.

Have you thought about my offer? he reminded her. His voice was gruff, resembling a lion’s threatening grunt. If you can’t pay me back in cash, your body and soul, he said as he scanned her body, will do just fine. He sucked a breath through his teeth like a hungry beast.

After his men had killed Maria’s father with a single blow to the head, and placed the trophy that had sat on the shelf next to his head to pass it off as an accident, Orsini had still insisted on getting his money back. He was willing to trade it for Maria, making her resent her own beauty.

She was pale as snow with silky, shimmering dark hair. Her exotic beauty was one that left many a man in Venice awestruck, and that included Orsini, who had been stalking her from afar before her father got involved with the Mafia. Orsini seldom agreed to make deals with businessmen, but once he found out who the business owner was, he held onto the opportunity like a lifeline.

Maria tucked her trembling hands under her thighs. She shook her head. There must be another way, Victor.

A devil’s deal, Maria thought. He didn’t even bother to sugarcoat his intentions. Marrying Orsini would be akin to selling herself off as a slave. Just the idea of it sent flashing images of Orsini abusing her.

I’m running out of patience, my dear, he snarled. I’ll give you more time to think because I like you.

She shivered.

He moistened his lips. But you won’t like the consequences if I’m disappointed. I think you already know that, he spat the words before he turned around to leave. As he landed on the last step, he looked over his shoulder. Don’t make the same mistake your father did.

Maria held her breath as she watched the cruel man walk away. She let out a tormented moan, her chest heaving before she ran into the house, sprinting up the spiral stairs into the governess’ room.

I can take this no longer, she cried,