Death by Wedding (Book #16 in the Caribbean Murder series) Read online

  DEATH BY WEDDING

  (BOOK #16 IN THE CARIBBEAN MURDER SERIES)

  JADEN SKYE

  About Jaden Skye

  Jaden Skye is author of the #1 Bestselling CARIBBEAN MURDER series, which includes 16 books (and counting). The first book in the series, DEATH BY HONEYMOON, a #1 Bestseller, is now available as a FREE download on Amazon! Jaden Skye also writes as Julian Starr, and is author of INVITATION TO DIE (THE KILLING GAME—BOOK 1), now available!

  Jaden has always been fascinated with mystery, wrongful death, lies, deception and the power of the truth to prevail. Her romantic suspense/mystery novels feature strong female protagonists who must overcome insurmountable obstacles, and through them, she seeks to get to the very heart of the nature of justice and love.

  Please visit www.jadenskye.com to find links to stay in touch with Jaden via Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, her blog, and a whole bunch of other places. Jaden loves to hear from you, so don't be shy and check back often!

  Books by Jaden Skye

  THE CARIBBEAN MURDER SERIES

  DEATH BY HONEYMOON (Book #1)

  DEATH BY DIVORCE (Book #2)

  DEATH BY MARRIAGE (Book #3)

  DEATH BY DESIRE (Book #4)

  DEATH BY DECEIT (Book #5)

  DEATH BY JEALOUSY (Book #6)

  DEATH BY PROPOSAL (Book #7)

  DEATH BY OBSESSION (Book #8)

  DEATH BY DEVOTION (Book #9)

  DEATH BY BETRAYAL (Book #10)

  DEATH BY REQUEST (Book #11)

  DEATH BY ENGAGEMENT (Book #12)

  DEATH BY SEDUCTION (Book #13)

  DEATH BY TEMPTATION (Book #14)

  DEATH BY INVITATION (Book #15)

  DEATH BY WEDDING (Book #16)

  THE TOM’S RIVER SAGA

  A PERFECT STRANGER (Book #1)

  Writing as Julian Starr

  THE KILLING GAME

  INVITATION TO DIE (Book #1)

  Tap here to download Jaden Skye books on Amazon now!

  Copyright © 2016 by Jaden Skye

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental

  Jacket image Copyright Sylvia sooyoN, used under license from Shutterstock.com..

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  CHAPTER ONE

  As the plane flew through the billowing clouds down to Belize, it was hard to believe the time had come. After such intense planning, Cindy and Mattheus’s wedding was scheduled to take place in only three days. Cindy looked over at Mattheus sitting beside her, a look of unusual contentment on his face.

  “It’s really happening,” she whispered to him. Mattheus turned toward her and slowly smiled.

  “It’s true,” he echoed, “this is our time. We did it, beat all the odds. And finally, everyone is happy for us, Cindy, really happy.”

  Cindy couldn’t help but smile as well. She was still surprised at how much this wedding meant to Mattheus, how involved he’d been in the preparations. Mattheus had insisted not only that large numbers of people be invited, but that they take the grand wedding package in the most exotic hotel in Belize. They’d chosen a hotel which was not only directly on the beach, but also close to the mystic Mayan ruins that Cindy had always been so drawn to.

  “We deserve this,” Mattheus kept saying over and over again now. “We’ve earned it. We’ve come through hell and we’re still together. That’s proof of our love.”

  Cindy paused. She didn’t know if love could ever be proved, or if it had to be. She said nothing, however, not wanting to spoil the wonderful mood Mattheus had been in for days.

  “It’s proof that nothing will be able to topple us, ever. Not ever, Cindy,” Mattheus went on. “I want everyone to celebrate that with us.”

  Cindy was glad Mattheus felt so certain. She herself had wanted a smaller, simpler wedding. But Cindy understood that over the course of the rocky years Mattheus’s friends and co-workers had become his family. It was understandable that he wanted them all with him now.

  “Such an exciting time,” Cindy breathed now, looking past Mattheus’s face out of the airplane window at the vast, open sky.

  Mattheus took Cindy’s hand and held it tightly. “I can’t wait to see Sparks again, too,” he murmured. “It’s actually amazing to me that the guy agreed to come down for the wedding, stand up for me, and be my best man. You’ll love him, Cindy. I can’t wait for the two of you to meet.”

  Cindy had been startled when Mattheus told her about his choice for best man. She hadn’t heard much about Sparks before, just a passing reference here and there. Mattheus and Sparks had worked as cops together on the same force for a while, years ago. They’d been on one dangerous and rocky assignment after another, and in the midst of the worst one, Mattheus had actually saved Sparks’s life. Sparks hadn’t known how to repay him. He kept asking Mattheus what he wanted. Finally, Mattheus had told him that if Mattheus ever got remarried, he wanted Sparks to be his best man. At the time Mattheus was half joking, but his comment had meant a lot to Sparks. He’d promised Mattheus that no matter where he was in the world, he wouldn’t miss Mattheus’s wedding.

  Beyond that, Cindy knew little about Sparks, except that he’d left the police force soon after that episode. Mattheus heard that Sparks had then created his own incredibly successful, high-profile security company in Los Angeles. There were even articles in the paper about Sparks from time to time.

  “I’m looking forward to meeting Sparks,” Cindy now said.

  “You’ll love each other. He’s a great guy.” Mattheus was delighted. “Sparks had a really rough life. Lost both his mom and dad when he was little but never let it stop him. He was a tough cop, too, very tough. He never let anyone get away with anything. The guy really inspired me.”

  Whenever he talked about him Cindy was surprised at how close Mattheus still felt to Sparks. The other groomsmen Mattheus chose for the wedding were also former cops he’d been close to. And out of respect for Cindy’s late sister, Ann’s, memory, Mattheus also included her husband, Frank.

  As the plane wove in and out between the clouds, Cindy was struck with a sudden feeling of wonder. Her family was probably down at the hotel already, al
ong with a few old friends. The hotel had everything ready and waiting, the flowers, wedding cake, photographers, and delicious food. The wedding suite, guest rooms, arrangements for the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding itself on the beach the next evening had all been thoroughly prepared. Even the honeymoon Cindy and Mattheus were going to take on the island of Belize was arranged.

  After the wedding was over and the guests left, Cindy and Mattheus would swim at the beaches, and explore both the Mayan ruins and the nearby jungle. A vast network of wildlife sanctuaries was also waiting. Along with that they would do bird watching with the hundreds of exotic species that nested along the rivers and lagoons. Not only the wedding, but their time afterward was all they could ever have hoped for. Finally, nothing could get in their way.

  “This is it, Cindy,” Mattheus said, looking straight into her eyes. “This will be well worth all the time we waited.”

  A moment of sadness washed over Cindy then as she suddenly recalled her former honeymoon with Clint down in Barbados. She quickly put her head on Mattheus’s shoulder, determined to put the tragedy out of her mind. She was here now, starting a new chapter, and could not allow echoes of the past to spoil the beautiful plans they had made. It wasn’t fair to Mattheus and it wasn’t fair to her.

  As the plane drifted through the sky, the flight attendant brought them glasses of wine. Cindy and Mattheus drank, laughed, toasted to everything, and waited with increasing excitement to finally land in Belize.

  *

  It took no time at all to get their luggage and hail a cab, which now drove them along the wide highway to Belize’s famous hotel. All the photos Cindy had seen showed the hotel perched on a hill and sloping down to one of the most beautiful beaches in Belize. As they drove along, warm salty air swept in through the open window, washing over both of them.

  “Storm season’s here,” the driver mumbled as they took the next exit on the highway and began driving along the winding roads to their destination. “Did you guys hear that a storm’s coming later in the week? Most folks come down here without checking anything out. But at this time of year one day is gorgeous, the next is a mess.”

  “I love storms,” Mattheus laughed in return. “It’ll make landfall for a day or so and then move on. I know all about storms. They can’t hurt us.”

  The driver chortled. “A know-it-all,” he mumbled under his throat.

  Cindy laughed. She and Mattheus had been through so many storms of all kinds, a day or so of wind and rain didn’t bother either of them. In fact, the ocean was beautiful to watch when the waves were wild, like a fierce dancer set loose.

  “Hotel’s down the road and to the right,” the driver went on.

  Cindy looked out the window to see a palatial building in the distance rising above the dunes. Made of glass, marble, and wide open spaces, the hotel looked as if it were ready to host the grandest events. The reality of her upcoming wedding then suddenly hit Cindy. It was time for it, certainly, but still, she felt nervous. That was normal, she guessed. Such a big step to take.

  “Going to a wedding at that hotel?” the driver continued. “They got splashy affairs going on there all the time.”

  “I sure hope so,” Cindy laughed.

  Mattheus grimaced. “What do you mean you hope so? Of course we’re going to a wedding.” He turned to the driver. “And it’s going to be the best wedding the island has ever seen!”

  Once inside the lobby of the hotel, Cindy and Mattheus were instantly surrounded by friends and family who had been eagerly awaiting their arrival. Cindy’s matron of honor, her dear friend from college Julia, who still lived in Wisconsin near Cindy’s mother, was there, all dressed in pink. Beside her was her husband, Paul. Julia and Paul, married for several years, had attended Cindy’s first marriage to Clint. They had two young children and Julia insisted they were incredibly happy. Cindy and Julia always kept in touch, no matter where life brought them. It was Julia who had inspired Cindy to take the leap now.

  “The time’s finally come.” Julia started hugging Cindy the minute she saw her. “You can’t even imagine how excited we all are. It’s a relief to everyone that you’re going to be married again.”

  “Why a relief?” Cindy didn’t know how to take that.

  “The work you do, it’s dangerous,” Julia whispered. “It’s hard to think of you doing it alone.”

  “I haven’t been doing it alone,” Cindy murmured. “Mattheus has been with me on all the cases.”

  “That’s why it’s so wonderful that you’re actually going to get married.” Julia nodded. “You won’t have to wonder anymore if he’s staying or going. It’s a relief, believe me. And there will also be a stronger foundation between you.”

  It was a good point. Cindy had to agree. “I suppose so,” she said.

  Cindy’s mother came up right behind Julia, leaned over, and put her hand on Cindy’s shoulder. “I didn’t believe I’d ever see this day,” she murmured. Tall and regal as always, Cindy’s mother was imposing. Cindy looked up and saw her brother-in-law, Frank, standing behind her mother, grinning.

  “And who chose this hotel?” Frank asked. “It’s truly magnificent. Your mother and I have never been treated so royally.”

  “Mattheus chose it,” Cindy laughed, suddenly looking around for him. Mattheus was off a bit to the left, in the midst of a bunch of guys who had gathered around him as well. She looked at his friends, realizing that their two worlds were going to intersect now and become one. Then Cindy glanced at Frank, who was standing close by, truly grateful he was present.

  “Frank.” Cindy reached out to him, wishing deeply that her sister, Ann, were alive now and could be there with them.

  “You’ve got quite a collection of guests.” Frank moved closer and joined the inner circle.

  “This is going to be a huge wedding,” Cindy’s mother intersected.

  “Mattheus wanted that,” Cindy said quietly.

  Julia smiled. “That’s a good sign,” she said.

  “What’s good about it?” asked Cindy’s mother.

  “It’s a wonderful sign when the man wants the whole world to know about the woman he’s found,” said Julia.

  “Julia, dear, you certainly are a dreamer,” Cindy’s mother sighed. “You always were and I suppose you always will be. That has to be why you and Cindy have always been such good friends all these years.”

  Right at that moment, Mattheus looked up and over toward Cindy to see how she was doing. He waved over at her and Cindy waved back lightly. Just as Cindy was about beckon Mattheus over, she saw a tall, great-looking, dark-haired guy push his way through the crowd and make his way over to Mattheus.

  Mattheus’s eyes lit up. “Sparks,” he called out above the din. “So great to see you again. Unbelievable!”

  Sparks grabbed Mattheus and hugged him hard. “I made it. It’s your wedding and I said I would, didn’t I?”

  “You certainly did.” Mattheus grinned. “And I’ve never been so happy to see anyone.”

  Cindy was fascinated. Sparks and Mattheus had such a deep connection. Where had Sparks been all these years?

  “I promised Mattheus I’d be his best man years ago,” Sparks announced to the crowd. “And I’m not one to break a promise.”

  “No, you’re not, you never were.” Mattheus was visibly touched.

  Cindy wanted to meet Sparks. She excused herself a minute and headed over to where he and Mattheus stood. Cindy had to make her way through a gaggle of tough-looking men who stood close around Sparks. She assumed that they worked for him, were waiting for directions.

  As Mattheus was busy introducing Sparks to his friends, suddenly, Sparks leaned behind him and pulled a young, slender woman, with long, flowing brown hair, into the circle with him.

  “This is Benita, my fiancée,” Sparks proudly announced.

  “Congratulations,” said Mattheus.

  Benita, who had an exotic, finely sculpted face, threw her head back and smiled widely, as if
on display.

  “Beautiful,” Mattheus exclaimed. “Great to meet you, Benita. Can’t wait for you both to meet Cindy, too.”

  Cindy stepped closer.

  “Here she is.” Mattheus motioned her to his side. “This is Cindy,” he said proudly.

  “Hello, Sparks,” Cindy said, going over to him and his fiancée. “It’s a pleasure to meet you and Benita.”

  Benita beamed at Cindy happily and reached out her hand as well. “I’ve heard all about you from Sparks,” Benita said, her voice fluid like soft music. “Sparks has researched everything about the woman his friend Mattheus is going to marry.”

  Cindy was taken aback.

  “He did it for fun.” Benita made light of it then. “But nothing gets past Sparks.”

  “And what exactly did you find?” asked Cindy, turning straight toward Sparks, somewhat ill at ease.

  “No worries at all.” Sparks looked at Cindy approvingly. “Everything I found out told me you were terrific and would be the kind of wife my friend always deserved.”

  “Thanks,” said Cindy. “I appreciate.”

  “And I appreciate anyone who makes Mattheus happy,” added Sparks emphatically. “Of course, the minute they don’t make him so happy, then I’m not so happy anymore, either.”

  Everyone laughed at that, including the guys who were standing in a huddle around him. Cindy didn’t find it quite so funny, but smiled grudgingly.

  “Are your friends staying at the hotel as well?” Cindy asked, motioning to the men around him.

  “One or two of Sparks’s bodyguards are,” Benita broke in, “but of course not all of them. Sparks never travels alone. There’s a huge party going on at the Gemi Yacht, about two miles down in the cove. Lucky for everyone, Sparks’s team will be based on the boat. It’s all been worked out.”

  “The Gemi Yacht?” Cindy didn’t know what Benita was talking about.