Dark inheritance a dark.., p.1
Dark Inheritance : A dark romance (Dark Intentions Book 5), page 1
DARK INHERITANCE
CHARLOTTE BYRD
BYRD BOOKS
CONTENTS
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Also by Charlotte Byrd
Dark Inheritance
1. Dante
2. Dante
3. Jacqueline
4. Jacqueline
5. Jacqueline
6. Jacqueline
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
10. Dante
11. Dante
12. Dante
13. Dante
14. Jacqueline
15. Jacqueline
16. Jacqueline
17. Jacqueline
18. Dante
19. Dante
20. Jacqueline
21. Jacqueline
22. Dante
23. Jacqueline
24. Jacqueline
25. Dante
26. Jacqueline
Prologue - Isabelle
Tyler
Isabelle
Connect with Charlotte Byrd
About Charlotte Byrd
Also by Charlotte Byrd
Copyright © 2021 by Byrd Books, LLC.
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Cover Design: Charlotte Byrd
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PRAISE FOR CHARLOTTE BYRD
“Twisted, gripping story full of heat, tension and action . Once again we are caught up in this phenomenal , dark passionate love story that is full of mystery, secrets, suspense and intrigue that continues to keep you on edge!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Must read!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Charlotte will keep you in suspense!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Twisted love story full of power and control!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Just WOW...no one can weave a story quite like Charlotte. This series has me enthralled, with such great story lines and characters.” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Charlotte Byrd is one of the best authors I have had the pleasure of reading, she spins her storylines around believable characters, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Five star rating does not do this book/series justice.” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Suspenseful romance!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Amazing. Scintillating. Drama times 10. Love and heartbreak. They say what you don’t know can’t hurt you, but that’s not true in this book.” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I loved this book, it is fast paced on the crime plot, and super-hot on the drama, I would say the perfect mix. This suspense will have your heart racing and your blood pumping. I am happy to recommend this thrilling and exciting book, that I just could not stop reading once I started. This story will keep you glued to the pages and you will find yourself cheering this couple on to finding their happiness. This book is filled with energy, intensity and heat. I loved this book so much. It was super easy to get swept up into and once there, I was very happy to stay.” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“BEST AUTHOR YET! Charlotte has done it again! There is a reason she is an amazing author and she continues to prove it! I was definitely not disappointed in this series!!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“LOVE!!! I loved this book and the whole series!!! I just wish it didn't have to end. I am definitely a fan for life!!! (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Extremely captivating, sexy, steamy, intriguing, and intense!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Addictive and impossible to put down.” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“What a magnificent story from the 1st book through book 6 it never slowed down always surprising the reader in one way or the other. Nicholas and Olive's paths crossed in a most unorthodox way and that's how their story begins it's exhilarating with that nail biting suspense that keeps you riding on the edge the whole series. You'll love it!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“What is Love Worth. This is a great epic ending to this series. Nicholas and Olive have a deep connection and the mystery surrounding the deaths of the people he is accused of murdering is to be read. Olive is one strong woman with deep convictions. The twists, angst, confusion is all put together to make this worthwhile read.” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Fast-paced romantic suspense filled with twists and turns, danger, betrayal, and so much more.” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Decadent, delicious, & dangerously addictive!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Titillation so masterfully woven, no reader can resist its pull. A MUST-BUY!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Captivating!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Sexy, secretive, pulsating chemistry…” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Charlotte Byrd is a brilliant writer. I've read loads and I've laughed and cried. She writes a balanced book with brilliant characters. Well done!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Hot, steamy, and a great storyline.” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“My oh my....Charlotte has made me a fan for life.” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow. Just wow. Charlotte Byrd leaves me speechless and humble… It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. Once you pick it up, you won't put it down.” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“ Intrigue, lust, and great characters...what more could you ask for?!” (Goodreads) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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ABOUT CHARLOTTE BYRD
Charlotte Byrd is the bestselling author of romantic suspense novels. She has sold over 1 Million books and has been translated into five languages.
She lives near Palm Springs, California with her husband, son, a toy Australian Shepherd and a Ragdoll cat. Charlotte is addicted to books and Netflix and she loves hot weather and crystal blue water.
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ALSO BY CHARLOTTE BYRD
All books are available at ALL major retailers! If you can’t find it, please email me at charlotte@charlotte-byrd.com
Dark Intentions Series
Dark Intentions
Dark Redemption
Dark Sins
Dark Temptations
Dark Inheritance
The Perfect Stranger Series
The Perfect Stranger
The Perfect Cover
The Perfect Lie
The Perfect Life
The Perfect Getaway
All the Lies Series
All the Lies
All the Secrets
All the Doubts
Tell me Series
Tell Me to Stop
Tell Me to Go
Tell Me to Stay
Tell Me to Run
Tell Me to Fight
Tell Me to Lie
Wedlocked Trilogy
Dangerous Engagement
Lethal Wedding
Fatal Wedding
Tangled Series
Tangled up in Ice
Tangled up in Pain
Tangled up in Lace
Tangled up in Hate
Tangled up in Love
Black Series
Black Edge
Black Rules
Black Bounds
Black Contract
Black Limit
Not into you Duet
Not into you
Still not into you
Lavish Trilogy
Lavish Lies
Lavish Betrayal
Lavish Obsession
Standalone Novels
Dressing Mr. Dalton
Debt
Offer
Unknown
DARK INHERITANCE
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Twisted, gripping story full of heat, tension and action. Once again we are caught up in this phenomenal , dark passionate love story that is full of mystery, secrets, suspense and intrigue that continues to keep you on edge!” (Goodreads)
Now that all of our secrets are out in the open, we must live with the choices we made and the truth of who we really are.
Jacqueline has found out the truth about her brother, the secret that I vowed to never reveal. She wants to see him again and doesn’t care that it will endanger not only her life but all of ours.
The thing that I have feared has happened. The worst of the worst men are after us and they only have one goal: to take our lives.
It’s time to RUN.
Darkness descends. Yet hope remains.
The danger that I tried to keep at bay this whole time has come for us with a vengeance.
Will we ever have a happily ever after or will our life together (what’s possibly left of it) continue to teeter on the edge?
Dark Inheritance is the fifth and final novel in the Dark Intentions series. It is a dark romance/romantic suspense about debt, lies, wealth, crime and family bonds.
1
DANTE
I tap my fingers on the table and listen to the sounds as they echo around the room. It's a big oak administrative type of desk, the kind that gives you more gravitas than actual feel. Clouds are looming in the distance, pressing against the floor-to-ceiling windows. I didn't close the blinds last night and I look out through the fog.
I'm alone here in this king-sized bed at the Four Seasons.
It's a suite overlooking the city. Houston, I believe, though I have lost count. I have traveled a lot over the last few weeks and months. No matter where I go, Singapore, Paris, Cape Town, Houston, Miami, I still feel lost. There's a hole in my heart where she used to be. The one person that I cannot be with because of what my family has become.
I've buried myself in work, investments, real estate mergers; moving money from one company to another. I attend a Zoom meeting practically every other hour, listening to investors pitch their companies. If the money is deployed correctly, it will start performing in a year or two and you’ll start getting your investments back.
This is an aggressive strategy. I'm trying to make as much money as I can, not just investing in startups, but also in real estate companies and investment funds, as well as plain old stock investments.
I spend morning to night working. The hours that aren't filled with Zoom meetings, I fill with research and decision-making about where the rest of it will go. I think that if I get enough, just enough, then I can get out of this mess and I can start my life with Jacqueline.
I can find her.
I can protect her.
I can pay off my father's debts and maybe they'll leave us alone, though I doubt it.
I work mainly because I have nothing else to do. I stay in these fancy hotels to escape. Over the last few weeks and months, I have become a recluse. I fight the urge, however little, that comes about to go out there in the world and actually join the human race. Instead, I live my life in lobbies.
But the Four Seasons’ lobby is quite nice, not exactly something to sniff at. Marble floors, gold trim, delicate wood inlays, courteous bartenders. I give them generous tips and I stop by the bar often, not wanting to drink too much, not wanting to lose myself more than I did before.
When I visit my brother in Nashville, taking a first-class flight under an assumed name, I justify it, knowing that I work hard for what I have, but I really should fly coach. I find him and Marguerite and their new baby girl in a two-bedroom house, a rental that's nowhere near the lavishness in which they lived in the Hamptons.
Marguerite now knows the truth about everything. She knows that Lincoln lied. She knows how many untruths there were, and from the looks of it, she has yet to forgive him.
Her hair is pulled up into a tight bun. She's not wearing a smidge of makeup when she greets me at the door. The house is really a townhome in an up-and-coming suburb, but nothing too impressive from the looks of it. I park my rental right outside their door and she invites me into her cookie-cutter, wall-to-wall carpeted living room. The only time she smiles is when she looks at her baby, who laughs and is now looking a lot bigger than she did in that hospital room.
I've talked to Lincoln on the phone a number of times, but this is the first time I'm seeing him. He looks weary, tired, exhausted. His skin has become sallow and the vibrancy in his hair and face is all but gone.
Of course, this is to be expected, given the fact that he's the father of a newborn and that they're spending all of their time taking care of this new baby.
I ask about Lily, who is bald like a cue ball and has thick, chubby cheeks. "How's she sleeping?"
"Okay," Marguerite says, collapsing onto the couch while Lily swings in her swing in the middle of the living room. "But it's still hard. She's basically up every two and a half hours. We're taking turns taking care of her, but it's exhausting."
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," I say.
"Well, at least she's sleeping a bit. Some babies don't sleep at all, so I guess we should be thankful."
"Let me know if you need any help."
"Oh, yeah? Where are you going to move into? One of the many spare bedrooms we have at this place?" Marguerite jokes.
There's just the baby's room and their bedroom, and both are considerably small.
I want to talk about the past and what happened, but being here in this room with Lily, I don't want to contaminate this scene. This meeting should be about her.
This should be a joyous occasion, not something that's polluted by my father's presence, just because everything else in my life is.
"Any plans about your Hamptons house?" I ask, unable to resist the urge.
Lincoln gets up and pretends to go for a six-pack of beer, but I think he's just trying to buy some time. I sit on the recliner, which I find out is from IKEA. It looks nice.
"This place looks good," I tell Marguerite, who just rolls her eyes. "Look, I know that it's not the high-end stuff that you had before, but this is a home. This is a nice place."
"It's not the stuff that I'm worried about. I mean, yes, we have good things, and I appreciate nice furniture, stuff that doesn't smell foul like this couch did for a while, and stuff that doesn't look like it's going to break tomorrow if you give it a dirty look," she says, pointing to the coffee table, also from IKEA. "I know that makes me sound stuck up, and I really don't want to be, but I want my house back. I want my home. I want to be where we lived, where I had friends and family and support, not this foreign city. Why are we here?" She lashes out.
"You know why," I say, reaching over and grabbing one of the little sandwiches that I brought from the grocery store for everyone to have. So far, I'm the only one who has eaten any. I take a napkin from the coffee table so I don’t get crumbs on the floor.
