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Guardian For Hire
Guardian For Hire
Guardian For Hire
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Guardian For Hire

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Sarabeth Lucking’s reputation is in tatters after the couples' retreat she works for is embroiled in the biggest scandal of the year. She can't imagine things getting worse, until someone starts killing her former co-workers, and a bad-ass, ex-Army Ranger shows up hell-bent on protecting her. Sarabeth insists she doesn’t need his help…until her car explodes into a ball of flames.

Protecting Dr. Stick-Up-Her-Rear isn't on Gavin McClintock bucket list. But a promise is a promise, and he’s ready to do whatever it takes to keep Sarabeth safe. When she sheds her librarian-in-mourning look in favor of a sexy new disguise, she shows Gavin the Sarabeth that’s been hiding beneath that shell of propriety, and soon it’s Gavin’s heart in danger.

Each book in the Guardian for Hire series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 Wife for Hire
Book #2 Guardian for Hire

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 13, 2014
ISBN9781622663309
Guardian For Hire
Author

Christine Bell

Christine Bell’s first novel, Saint, was optioned for a feature film and praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “a brilliant first novel, an extraordinary book.” The Seven Year Atomic Makeover Guide, a short story collection, was described by the New York Times as “accessible, entertaining and infused with the improvisation energies of a writer who refuses to play it safe.” Bell’s next novel, The Perez Family, was made into a film directed by Mira Nair and named Notable Adult Fiction of the Year by both the American Library Association and the New York Public Library, as well as Notable Book of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer and the New York Times, who hailed it as “a loud, gaudy sentimental heartbreaker of a book, a triumph.” Bell lives in the Central California Coast area with her husband, writer J. F. Freedman, and their family.

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Rating: 4.275 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a good book from start to finish! I started reading it while waiting for my mother to have some tests done and needless to say, I was NOT ready to have to put it up to drive back home. Definitely a book that sucks you in! There were some really intense parts, but there were some really funny parts too, like Sarabeth standing in front of a mirror going "phew phew", which if you haven't read it, you will just have too, to see what I am talking about! Can easily be read as a stand alone, but it is the second book in this series. Will be keeping my eye out for more to come for this series and from this author. I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I found this book totally entertaining. It was funny, sexy, exciting and had me turning page after page. This is my first book by Christine Bell but it won't be my last. I highly recommend it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    an exciting and fast paced read. Just the right mix of action, romance and enough development to the characters to give them substance.

    I greatly enjoyed this read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sarabeth finds hard to believe anyone would want to murder her. As reluctant as she is to believe this, the fact that some of her co-workers are dying one by one violent deaths is making her uneasy to say the least.

    Enter Gavin, ex-army hunk, head of a security company. Sarabeth's friends have hired him to protect her and prevent whoever is out there from murdering her. Just in time as her car explodes before they get in it. This begins what has to be a complex, mysterious and nail biting chase to find the culprit and keep Sarabeth alive.

    Through all the plot twists, we are treated to a love affair between Gavin and Sarabeth you will not soon forget. Love is complex and between these two, love becomes a battleground you have to walk very carefully through.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Steamy contemporary romance that had great humor and a little mystery. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat and I thought that it could have been a lot better.Opening Sentence: Sarabeth Lucking stared at her monitor without blinking, utter disbelief keeping the horror temporarily at bay.The Review:Sarabeth Lucking finally landed her dream job as a psychologist at a wealthy couple’s retreat where couples go to work on their relationships. Unfortunately, it was all a sham. The owner of the retreat is luring the couples to cheat on their spouses and recording everything for blackmail. Once the scandal is unveiled the retreat is closed and Sarabeth’s reputation as a psychologist goes down the drain. It has been a few months since everything went down and Sarabeth is trying to put her life back together, but she is soon pulled into an even worse situation where all of her former co-workers are being murdered and it looks like she might be the next target.Then enters Gavin McClintock, a rough ex-Army Ranger who has been asked to protect Sarabeth. Gavin grew up on the streets and had a pretty rough childhood. Lucky for him he decided to do something with his life and now runs a very successful security business. When one of his long time friends asks him for help with protecting the snooty Dr. Lucking, he can’t say no even though he wants to. Sarabeth is just as cold and stuck-up as Gavin thought she would be, but as she starts to thaw out he realizes that he is way more attracted to her then he ever thought possible. Keeping her safe becomes a priority in life and it’s not just because he promised to, it’s because he wants to. The two of them can’t deny their attraction, but they are from two different worlds and a real relationship would never work.Overall, Sarabeth was a likeable character that was easy to relate to. She grew up with her extremely rich grandparents, but they always treated her like a burden that was dumped on them. Then there was the whole debacle with her last job, which has led her to be the next victim in a plot to kill of all the employees of the last company she worked for. Obviously she hasn’t had the easiest life so far, but she still has a pretty positive outlook on life, which I really respect. She has put up a lot of walls when it comes to other people, but it is easy to understand why once you read her story. In many ways she is a very lost person and I really enjoyed watching her find herself. There were a few moments when her insecurities were a little annoying, but overall she was a fun character.Gavin is totally HOT! He is this huge guy that has a massive protective streak that was really endearing. From the moment I met him I was pretty taken with his demanding presence and rough personality. I have always been a sucker for a bad boy and he had a lot of bad boy qualities. He is tough and not someone you ever want to get on their bad side, but he is also really considerate and respectful, which I really liked. His relationship with Sarabeth was very steamy and they had some amazing chemistry, but overall it did feel a little rushed. Gavin was a great hero for the story and a fun love interest to get to know.Guardian for Hire started out really interesting with great humor, mystery, and sexual tension, but as the story went on it lost some of its appeal. Before I go into the things I didn’t like about this book, I want to say that it was a cute romance and overall it was a pretty entertaining read. I liked the whole premise of someone trying to kill the main character and they have to figure out who it is before they succeed. But I felt that the entire mystery was solved very conveniently and honestly it was really far-fetched, which I was not a fan of. I get this is a work of fiction, but it is set in real life so the plot should be believable and it just wasn’t to me. The next thing I struggled with was how instant the romance was. There was great sexual tension at the beginning of the book but once the characters had sex it got a little boring after that. I did enjoy the humor in the story and luckily that lasted through the entire book. Overall, I think this book could have been great, but instead it ended up just being an okay read. It only took me a few hours to read the whole book so it is one of those stories you can fly through and be entertained for a couple hours. If you are looking for a romance book full of sexy times and a little mystery, I think you would probably enjoy this one.Notable Scene:“Of course,” she said curtly. “After I warm up my car and gather the rest of my things. It was a real pleasure, Mr. McClintock.” As she held out her right hand toward him for a shake and aimed her car remote at the Volvo parked in the driveway with her left, his skin crawled in an all-too-familiar way.Shit.“Don’t press tha—”He was a pretty smart guy and, rationally, he was well aware that light traveled faster than sound. But in that moment, it was all about the boom as the Volvo promptly exploded into a gigantic fireball. Working on pure instinct, he dove forward, tackling the doctor to the hardwood floor like a linebacker. Covering her body with his own, he braced himself for a second explosion or the biting rain of shrapnel. Ten seconds passed, and neither came.As he waited for the monotone buzzing in his ears to fade, he pushed his torso away from Sarabeth’s to do a cursory inspection. Her eyes had gone glassy with shock, which was to be expected, but he saw no blood or obvious signs of injury.He rolled off Sarabeth and onto his feet. She stared up at him, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly until he reached for her. “It’s okay. You’re going to be fine, but we’ve got to go. There’s no choice now, Doc.”FTC Advisory: Entangled: Indulgence provided me with a copy of Guardian for Hire. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    GUARDIAN FOR HIRE by Christine Bell is a fast paced New Adult Romance. #2 in the "For Hire" series, but can be read as a stand alone. A fast paced, smoky hot romance filled with did I mention smoky hot chemistry, scandal, danger, a bit of mystery, a touch of humor and lots of passion. Follow Gavin McClintock and Sarabeth Lucking as they navigate though their smoked filled passion, and laugh out loud moments. A great read from beginning to end. What happens when you mix a smoky hot, bad butt Scottish ex-Army/ Security expert with a sassy, smart, sexy therapist, why you get "Guardian For Hire". This was my first story by this author but it will not be my last. Loved it! Can hardly wait for the next installment in the "For Hire" series. Received for an honest review from the publicist and/or author.RATING: 4.5HEAT RATING: HOTREVIEWED BY: AprilR, Courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love Christine Bell's writing! It's quirky and fun and hot and romantic all at the same time. I don't know how she does it--one minute I'm laughing, and the next I have to fan myself. Guardian for Hire showcases her talents well.Sarabeth and Gavin both come into their relationship on totally the wrong foot. He thinks she's a prissy rich chick with a stick up her butt and a sense of entitlement. She thinks he's a bossy, overbearing meathead whose services and opinions are definitely not needed. Watching them re-evaluate their first impressions--and fall for each other in the process--is sooooo much fun.As they get to know each other better, both make all kinds of miscalculations and mistakes, second-guessing themselves constantly. I loved this scene because it shows Gavin trying to be the good guy--after embarrassing her horribly just minutes before--and making one blunder after another. Giggle worthy. Yet the next minute? Steam. Check it out:Scooping up the box of generic tissues off the chipped beige sink, he swung the door open again. “Hey, uh, you want some Kleenex?”She’d buried her face in her hands and her shiny, newly darkened hair gleamed as she nodded. He tossed the box toward the empty side of her bed, but she picked that exact moment to turn to her side, looking up just in time for the box to smack her squarely on the bridge of her nose.“Ah!”The box toppled to the floor, and he winced as her hands darted to the offended spot.Yeah, he was like The Notebook when it came to cheering women up. All warm fuzzies here. What a comfort.“Shit, sorry about that.” He crossed back to kneel by her feet and scooped the box from the floor. He pulled a few tissues out and shoved them toward her. “Are you bleeding?”“A little.” She reached for the wad and he could see the blood trickling from the split in her otherwise perfect skin.Lovely. She’d been under his protection for less than a day and already she was hurt. And he’d done the hurting, to boot. Renowned security specialist at your service, lass. If Owen found out, he was going to break his balls mercilessly over this. “I guess it’s lucky that was today’s only injury.” He half smiled.“Huh?” Her brows knit together as she peered at him throughwatery eyes over her makeshift bandage.“Well, with your car, your whole body could’ve been blown to pieces. So. In all, it was a good day.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized just how much better they’d sounded in his head. Because in his head, it had sounded nothing like, Hey, remember when you almost died a horrific, fiery death? Good times, right?She stared at him like he’d lost his marbles, but mercifully, she’d stopped crying. Instead, she seemed focused on patting at her nose gingerly like she was blotting out a stain.“That’s cartilage, there. You’ll need to apply more pressure than that,” he offered.“It stings.”“It’s the only way to stop the bleeding. Give it here.” She didn’t hand over the tissues, and rather than forcing them from her, he laid his hand over hers, pressing firmly. “There. Like this.” She sucked in a breath, but didn’t fight him. Her hand was even softer than he’d expected. Warmer, too. With her being so damn chilly toward him, he’d half expected some kind of arctic blast from her touch. Instead, the skin he found was silky and inviting. The bones felt so small and delicate in his giant mitt and for an instant, he was almost afraid of breaking her.You’ve already done that, you big oaf, he reminded himself.Exactly why he shouldn’t be around women like her. A long moment passed before she murmured, “That, um, feels better actually. Thank you.”Her gaze locked with his and a bolt of heat sizzled through him. No f-ing way. Not that. Not now.Not with her.Yep. Lots of mental kicking going on there. There's more where that came from, and I adored every minute.And just in case you weren't already convinced that Gavin was awesome with a side of awesome sauce, despite his inner awkwardness? He buys her a bag full of used books to keep her occupied while she's under house arrest. Bodice-rippers are included.He buys her books. Romance novels. Talk about fictional characters you can fall in love with...If someone were to blow up my car, would this guy show up at my door? Please?Guardian for Hire is the second book in the For Hire series, the follow-up to Wife for Hire. Its events build off of what happened in book one, but enough is revealed about that plot that if you haven't read it already you aren't lost here.But, yes, you'll want to back up and read Wife. Trust me on this.Rating: 4 1/2 stars, A rating.I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book preview

Guardian For Hire - Christine Bell

For Allison. I couldn’t have done this one without you.

Brainstorming FTW.

Chapter One

Sarabeth Lucking stared at her monitor without blinking, utter disbelief keeping the horror temporarily at bay.

Nico Stefanopoulis, alleged con man and principal player in the high-profile scandal that occurred at his couple’s retreat, The Healing Place, was found dead today in his Los Angeles penthouse apartment. LAPD has refused to comment on the cause of death, but the Times has learned that Stefanopoulis is not the only person involved in the notorious blackmailing scheme to have met with tragedy in recent weeks.

Her fleece hoodie, damp with sweat from that morning’s run, chilled against her skin, and she suppressed a shiver. There was no need to scroll down and read further. She knew the rest. First Liza. Then Marcel. Now Nico. It didn’t take a PhD to see the pattern.

Bracing her elbows on the desk in front of her, she buried her head in her hands. Tears pricked the back of her lids, but she blinked them back. She wouldn’t cry for that bastard. He’d ruined her life…all of their lives with his greed and dishonesty.

And now he was dead.

Salty droplets streaked down her cheeks and plunked onto the keyboard, skittering off the well-worn keys. Damn it, Nico.

Her landline jangled, jarring her from her dark thoughts. When the story about the retreat broke a few months before, she’d had no choice but to change her personal number. Now, only four people had it, and she knew exactly which one of them was on the other end of the line. She slipped off her glasses and swiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

Hello?

Are you okay? Lindy demanded, concern coloring her usually peppy tone.

I’m fine. I guess you saw, then.

Lindy sighed. Owen heard from Gavin last night, but I didn’t want to call and wake you. I figured it might be the last time you get to sleep in your own bed for a while.

The silence crackled over the line, but Sarabeth refused to fill it.

Sar?

She swallowed hard.

A growl of frustration preceded Lindy’s voice blasting over the line. Damn it, I’m not asking this time. If you don’t let us do this, I’m coming there, tossing you into a giant sack, and dragging you back here with me. You can’t stay in Chicago. It’s not an option anymore. Her friend blew out an exasperated sigh and her tone gentled. I know this is hard, but you’ve got to try to look at this from my point of view. You want to call Marcel a fluke? Fine. Liza an odd coincidence? Whatever. But there’s no denying it now. The former employees are being picked off one by one. This is happening, girlfriend, and ducking your head in the sand could get you killed.

The dull throbbing between her eyes radiated outward. I wasn’t part of it. I didn’t do anything wrong. Maybe—

Maybe? Lindy’s tone had gone from exasperated to shrill. You might be willing to risk your life on a maybe, but I’m not. I only have a handful of friends in this world, and one of them is an eighty-year-old woman, so I’m afraid I can’t spare you. Get your bottom in gear. We’re getting you out of harm’s way.

I’ll think about it, she mumbled.

Nope, no time for thinking. Throw a suit and some undies in your purse and—

Lin, remember we’ve already agreed? I’m nothing like you.

Silence crackled over the line before her friend responded cautiously. Sure.

And that was good because? Sarabeth prompted.

There needs to be one sane person between us. I know, but—

No buts. I said I’ll think about it and I will. I’m not running off half-cocked with my underwear in my purse like some politician’s mistress after his wife comes home early from Tahoe.

There was another long pause before Lindy’s guilt-laden voice came over the line. Umkay, but, uh…while you’re thinking about it, you may wanna start packing. Gavin’s going to be there soon.

She stifled a groan. Lindy and Owen’s friend Gavin McClintock was apparently some sort of security expert they’d been harping on her about since this whole mess had started. They wanted to hire him to protect her, but Sarabeth had flatly refused every time they’d brought it up. When Lindy got her mind set on something, though, she barreled ahead like a miniature steamroller. Sarabeth should’ve known this was coming.

When you say ‘going to be here’ you mean Chicago, or…?

Like at your house. In an hour or so. Owen had him leave first thing this morning.

Aw, Jesus, Lin. Perfect. A new layer of manure added to her already majorly crappy month.

At least talk to him, Lindy pleaded. Listen to what he has to say. For me. Owen says he’s the best in the business, and if you let Gavin take care of you, I know everything will work out fine. I can feel it.

Time to concede the battle and look ahead to the war. She’d talk to the guy, but that was as far as it was going. Fine. But don’t get your hopes up. This is a meet and greet only. I’m not going anywhere until I’ve had a chance to think things through.

If something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.

Lindy’s voice was filled with regret, and the anger drained out of Sarabeth in a whoosh. Lindy and Owen were responsible for cracking The Healing Place con. The year before, Owen’s sister had been bamboozled out of three quarters of a million dollars by Nico, but no charges had stuck. Owen had made it priority number one to prove that Nico was a high-stakes career con man and see him punished to the full extent of the law. When Nico had opened The Healing Place couples retreat, Owen had hired Lindy to act as his wife so they could go undercover and find out if the business was a front for another con. Unbeknownst to Sarabeth, who was the couple’s therapist on staff, it was. She and Lindy had met at the retreat and became fast friends. In spite of all the drama that followed, they’d managed to stay that way, and Sarabeth couldn’t imagine her life without Lindy now.

Don’t even go there. Just because you guys exposed Nico for the cheat he was doesn’t make you responsible for anything that followed. You did the right thing, Sarabeth said.

If only that were true for her, as well.

She’d been so excited about the lucrative and possibly career-making opportunity Nico had presented, she hadn’t looked hard enough at the fine print. If she had, she would have known it was too good to be true.

Lindy sighed heavily into the phone. I know that in my head, but in my heart, I can’t help but feel like I’m partly to blame for you being in danger. Please. Keep an open mind. For me. Once you listen to what he has to say, I know you’ll see it my way.

She wasn’t sold, but agreed to hear the guy out. She and Lindy said their good-byes and she disconnected. There was nothing to do now but wait and see what this Gavin person proposed. She stared at the article on the screen for another long moment before x-ing out. Maybe things would be clearer after she glugged down her coffee and had a shower.

The hot water and caffeine combination did clear her head some, and when she emerged, it was with renewed energy and resolve. Nico had already stolen too much from her. She’d lost the job she never should have taken in the first place, her professional credibility was in the outhouse, and her nights were long and nearly sleepless. No way was she leaving her home and her business—or what was left of it, at any rate—on top of it.

She’d talked to Gavin McClintock on the phone once, after the second murder, and she hadn’t appreciated his know-it-all tone or overbearing attitude one bit. If the ex-military thug wanted to follow her around the city, maybe she’d consider it, but she wasn’t running away.

That settled, she went about her usual morning routine, preparing to go into the office. These days that entailed little more than shuffling around paper and reading psychology journals, especially on a Saturday, but she needed that routine to anchor her now more than ever.

She quickly donned a tailored pantsuit and coiled her hair into a knot on top of her head. Just as she slicked a layer of nude gloss over her lips, a knock sounded at the door. She peered at her watch with a frown. Twenty minutes early. She hadn’t even agreed to this yet, and the man was already disrupting her schedule.

She crossed the room to the entryway and pasted a cool smile on her lips. He’d come a long way, five hours by car, as a favor to a friend. Good manners dictated that she not let him see her frustration. She opened the door with a polite, Hello.

Nice digs, he said, crowding into the doorway.

A blast of awareness sucked the breath from her lungs as a big body pressed against hers. She took a step back to give him some more room. He just seemed to take up so much of it. It was like a wall of muscle had planted itself square in the middle of her personal space. A tall one, to boot. She was no slouch at five nine, but he had her by a solid six inches even with her two-inch heels. She craned her neck to meet his annoyed gaze.

Mr. McClintock?

That’s me. Firm lips twisted into a semblance of a smile before flattening again. Now can you tell me why you opened the door and let me in before asking that question? His hazel eyes were flecked with gold and should have looked warm, but instead they were bleak, like a lone jack pine on a February day. His coal-black hair was nothing more than a suggestion, the crew cut style adding to the severity of his look. He arched his dark brows, clearly awaiting an answer.

Hot anger ignited her vow to be cordial, burning it to a cinder in two seconds flat. She wasn’t about to allow this Neanderthal to intimidate her. Lindy told me you were coming at this time. And unless The Rock is on hiatus from shooting his latest film, I didn’t it think it likely that another ludicrously gigantic man in a black leather jacket over a too-tight T-shirt was going to show up at my doorstep at eleven a.m. on a Saturday. She scowled at him. Honestly, who else would you be?

He glanced outside the door, left and right, and then closed it behind them, blocking out the unseasonable chill. "It’s not eleven yet. I’m early. And I could be a person coming to kill you. You know, like all those other people who worked at that resort with you before they embarked on their new careers pushing up daisies."

He didn’t come right out and say Duh, but his tone definitely implied it, and her cheeks warmed under his scrutiny. He was right. She’d only taken a quick glance out the peephole before swinging the door wide open.

Of course you’re correct, she said stiffly, banking her anger. I’ve never been in this position before so this is all new to me. I’ll be more careful next time.

There won’t be a next time because you won’t be here. He turned without waiting for a response and strode in the direction of the kitchen, seeming to take stock of his surroundings as he went.

She scurried after him, nudging her glasses farther up on her nose. Where are you going?

Into the kitchen so we can talk, he said as he approached the table. He picked up the chair and flipped it backward to straddle it. Got any coffee made? I’ve been on the road since five and didn’t want to take the time to stop.

Because he’d promised Owen he would get there as quickly as possible to help her. Guilt pricked at her, and she grudgingly went to fill a mug. I assume you take it black? she asked, setting it in front of him.

Why would you assume that? he asked with a mocking grin. Cream if you got it, and three sugars.

She narrowed her eyes at him. He probably only drank it that way to throw people off. As she bustled around the kitchen gathering the fixings, she recalled something Lindy had said about him. Supposedly he was originally from Scotland, but most of the brogue must have been forced out along the way. Barely a hint remained in the silky baritone. Probably not enough room for it with all that judgment, she thought with a sniff. She set the cream and sugar at his elbow along with a teaspoon.

Have a seat, he said.

She bristled at the tone but pulled out a chair and sat. No point in being pissy. She expected she’d have a fight on her hands soon when she told him she wasn’t going with him. No reason to expedite it.

You’re a smart lady, so I’m sure you’ve already put it together, but I’m going to confirm it for you because I get the feeling you don’t appreciate the seriousness of the situation. Three people from your former place of work have been killed, and if you’re not next, you’re pretty damn near it.

She winced but held his matter-of-fact gaze. I wasn’t a part of the grift. I was a legitimate employee of a company I thought was committed to helping couples through a rough time, and I did that to the best of my ability. I was cleared of all charges and released. The people who’ve been killed were all either under investigation or had already been charged with a crime and were awaiting trial.

So far, he conceded with a curt nod. But this could be the tip of the iceberg, and we can’t assume that anyone on the payroll is safe. I’ve been doing security for a long time now, both in the army and in the private sector. Trust me when I tell you this is a high-risk situation.

Then why aren’t the police here offering me protection? Surely if they agreed with your assessment, I’d have been notified, she asked, wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the sudden chill.

The victims weren’t living in the same states, and none of them died the same way. Marcel Renault, hit-and-run. Liza Ingram, aka Shirleen Dennis, death by drowning. They haven’t released this info yet, but my source tells me that Nico was shot in a staged burglary. The cops are only connecting the dots now. Whoever’s doing this has a long reach and vast resources. A muscle leaped restlessly beneath his hair-stubbled cheekbone. If you think a couple of nighttime patrolmen driving past your house is going to stop them, I would question whether or not you’ve spent your morning sniffing glue.

He was scaring her, but it only made her want to burrow even deeper into her cocoon. Now that law enforcement knew the deaths were connected, they would catch the perpetrator and it would be over in no time. Surely, if she kept her head down and kept a careful eye out, she’d be all right. She’d done nothing wrong, and she wasn’t about to run off like some sort of criminal. Not when she needed to be here to try to rebuild her business and reputation. Running would only make it look worse than it already did.

She swallowed hard and shook her head. Be that as it may, I’m not going.

Gavin flexed his jaw and tried not to let his annoyance come through in his tone. What was that saying about flies and vinegar? He aimed for empathetic. Listen, Sara. This—

"Beth, she interjected primly. My name is Sarabeth."

Only steadfast willpower drilled into him at Ranger School kept him from rolling his eyes at her. Fine, he conceded with a brisk nod, empathy drying up faster than a slug in the Sahara. "Sarabeth."

Her full lips were pinched into a determined line, and he nearly groaned. He’d known his share of stubborn women. Hell, he’d even bedded a few. This one took it to new heights. He owed Owen a favor, but begging this fool-headed lass to let him save her life was pushing it. She wanted to stay, no skin off his ass. He’d done his part by driving up and laying the facts out for her.

This can go one of two ways, he continued, mind made up. "You can come with me, and do as I tell you. In exchange for your cooperation, I will ensure that you end the month without any more holes in you than the ones God gave you to start. Or you can stay here, and I can tell my old buddy Owen that you opted not to take him up on his generous offer. I’m not exaggerating when I say that nothing would make me

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