Book Debut: Forbidden by April Thomas
Chapter 1
A
mahle Jackson was engaged to Brody Dabney, a man born into great wealth and privilege. He was a politician, claiming to stand for women and those who were poverty-stricken, but his real focus was selfpreservation. “Get up!” he shouted at his girlfriend of three years. Her long, curly hair was matted with blood and tears. She had had enough. Since the age of eighteen, she had searched and hoped to find a love like her parents had—for a man to touch her with genuine love; yet all she saw were lies, pain, and betrayal. She truly believed she could love through the rejection and abuse, and one day, love would love her back. However, it had not happened. She had given up a lot for the hopes of being loved. Now she felt as if she had nothing left to give. She struggled to her feet. “I don’t care what you do to me anymore!” Amahle shouted, hoping that someone outside their penthouse suite would hear. Brody lunged toward her, using his fist to knock her to the ground. He then straddled her, wrapping his large hands around her neck. Amahle did her best to fight back. She clawed at his skin until the blackness took over and her body became limp. *** His amber eyes peered into the inky darkness of the night. Something just didn’t feel right. Tokoda could feel it in the sharp,
cool evening breeze. Although the air was colder this time of year in north Florida, there was a dark chill in the atmosphere that caused the pores on Tokoda’s arms to rise. As a warrior and guard, he used all of his seven senses to protect his people. Tokoda rose to his feet. His broad, sixfoot-two frame was impressive. He was known as one of the best hand-to hand combat warriors that his tribe had had in years. His long, thin dreads were neatly pulled back from his well-sculpted face, and his dark skin protected him like a cloak in the darkness. He sensed something was coming his way but could not understand what this could be. Stepping out of the shadows temporarily, he gazed at the full moon, peeking out from the forest’s treetops. Again the feeling of foreboding passed over him, and Tokoda knew that something wasn’t right tonight. He took in a deep breath. He could just about smell the stench of death floating in the air. The forest seemed to agree; it was strangely calm, as if the old trees knew something dreadful was about to happen. An unfamiliar sound came to his ears, and Tokoda slipped back into hiding but at a vantage point where he could quietly observe what the cause of the noise was. The crackling of dry, dead leaves beneath heavy boots could be heard. Tokoda peered through the branches and leaves of his hiding place and observed a man carrying a woman’s limp body through the woods. The stranger stopped at a clearing, just thirty feet away from where Tokoda stood guard. He dumped the woman’s body on the ground and
