Newest release: Escaping the Shadows

A Tuesday teaser from the latest Women of Strength series

By Lucy Appadoo

Passing several ambulances, Eva stepped inside the hospital with Francisca, dodging the hustle and bustle of medical staff and civilians as they made their way towards the reception area. Sounds of monitors going off, flashing warning lights, and rapid footsteps made her wish she was anywhere but at the hospital. She could have slipped on the glossy flooring through the narrow corridor if she focussed on how much she hated hospitals. But when the police had given them news at school about Samuel, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Are you okay?” asked Francisca, who increased her pace.

“Of course. I’m excited about Samuel. Thank God he’s okay.” Francisca gave her a reassuring smile as she prodded her friend into the ward.

What she didn’t expect to find was a man wearing a high-visibility jacket and pants, with a lanyard around his neck, leaning towards Samuel. Was he an EMT?

He looked up as the two women arrived to see Samuel with an IV lead in his arm and bandages over his foot. His body was covered with multiple cuts and bruises. But he smiled as soon as he saw Eva and Francisca, shifting in his raised hospital bed.

The man walked over to the window to give them space. Eva bent over Samuel and hugged him tightly. “Oh, Samuel. It is so good to see you.” The poor guy shed tears that he rubbed off. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. Where’s your aunt?” He pointed to the door, indicating that she’d just stepped out. “That’s okay. We’ll speak to her later.”

Francisca squeezed his shoulder. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, little man.”

Eva turned at the sound of a voice.

“I’m Tomas, the EMT who brought him in this morning. I thought I’d check in on Samuel at the end of my shift.”

Eva took in his short blonde hair with gorgeous waves. He was tall, and his clear, blue eyes penetrated her own as if he was trying to figure her out. A large, muscular hand threaded through his small beard, giving him a rough and rugged look. Dimples on his cheeks gave him an innocent expression. She pushed down the tingles in her chest and felt the flush in her cheeks. “Hello. I’m Eva and this is my friend, Francisca. We work with Samuel at his school.”

“Do you know what happened?” asked Francisca.

Tomas moved in closer, his eyes focussed on Eva. “We got a call from dispatch, saying a young boy of unknown origin had enlisted the help of an elderly gentleman who called 112 on his behalf. The man assumed he was a runaway. He was in Cortes. That’s all we know. The boy had his mother’s handbag with him, which was how the police tracked down his aunt.”

“Have the police questioned you?” asked Eva.

He nodded. “My partner and I spoke to them briefly, but no sign of his missing mother yet. They said they’ll continue the search on her whereabouts.”

Francisca scoffed. “I won’t hold my breath. She won’t be on their list of priorities.”

“I won’t disagree with you there,” said Tomas.

Eva’s heart raced when Samuel’s eyes became as wide as saucers, his body quaking and his mouth opening and closing. He hugged the blankets closer to his body and hid underneath them, shielding his face. She gazed at him and wondered if their conversation about his mother had triggered him. “Samuel. What’s wrong?” She grabbed his hand and swallowed. “Look at me. Please.” Slowly, he relaxed his breathing and turned the other way.

“Can I speak to you outside?” Tomas asked Eva.

Francisca nodded. “You go. I’ll stay here with Samuel.”

Eva made her way to the corridor outside the ward and waited for the man to follow. What was so important that this strange man had to pull her out at such a time?

Escaping the Shadows

Dark secrets, romantic love, and exploitation in the heart of Spain.

Eva Lopez loves helping children with special needs in Madrid. But when one of her students, Samuel, vanishes along with his mother, and later returns unable to speak, Eva needs to find the reason.

Eva’s fears escalate when Samuel’s mother is found dead. She joins forces with Tomas, an EMT with a mysterious past who wonders why he is called to many people in his neighbourhood with mercury poisoning—including his mother.

Against police warnings, Eva and Tomas dig deeper into the mystery behind Samuel’s silence and the poison spreading in the community. As danger builds, their growing attraction becomes impossible to ignore.

When Eva starts receiving threats, she and Tomas know they’re in a race against time to save vulnerable children from a sinister group.

If you enjoy romantic suspense, dark secrets, and a fight for the truth, you’ll love Escaping The Shadows, the fourth book in the Women of Strength Series.

Lucy Appadoo

is a prolific reader and author of the a number of books series, including Women of Strength, Friends In Crisis, Hearts, The Italian Family and other, as well as non-fiction.

After a childhood spent reading and imagining escapist worlds, Lucy has put her imagination into stories. Her work as a rehabilitation counsellor, and former work as a counsellor in private practice, have led to an interest in writing inspirational stories about authentic, driven women who manage adversity with strength and heart. She writes in the genres of romantic suspense/thrillers with significant life themes and contemporary romance.

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