Lost in Shadows

By Anita DeVito

Private security entrepreneur Jeb McCormick is in over his head with his latest client. Not only is the painfully shy woman he’s meant to be protecting a total knock-out, she’s also his former Army buddy’s sister. Helping her find the reason why anyone would ransack her house is demanding enough, but keeping his hands off her is proving to be the real challenge.

Carolina Walker wants a quiet life, thank you very much. She left intrigue and deception behind in Washington D.C., never expecting it to follow her home to Bowling Green, Kentucky. When events happen that can’t be explained away, help arrives in the form of the very attractive and muscular Jebediah McCormick. But as the tension escalates between Jeb and Carolina, so does the danger facing them...

Each book in the Lost series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.

Series Order:
Book 1 – Lost In Tennessee
Book 2 – Lost in Shadows
Book 3 - Lost in Deception

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Dec 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781633757899

Book preview

Table of 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

About the Author

Discover more Entangled Select Suspense titles…

Sinful Secrets

Tempted by a Touch

Willing Target

On Her Six

Discover the Lost series…

Lost in Tennessee

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by Anita DeVito. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 109

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

Select Suspense is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.

Edited by Jenn Mishler

Cover design by L.J. Anderson

Cover art from Shutterstock

ISBN 978-1-63375-789-9

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition December 2016

Chapter One

The glow of the laptop was brilliant against the night as Carolina Walker sat on her porch, figuring out the puzzle that was her brother. Nate’s frowning face filled her screen.

Just spit it out, Carolina. I know you have something to say.

She knew she looked as guilty as she felt. There was no use beating around the bush. Nate always knew when she was hiding something. The prospectus on the cyber cinema company. What did you think?

Nate groaned. He fell back heavily in the chair, the edge of southern Kentucky replaced by the edge of the Army issue desk. I hate those things. You didn’t actually think I would read it, did you?

It fascinated her how the family coloring they shared looked so different. They both had the Walker blond hair. She preferred the way her long, silky strands felt draped around her neck. Nate wore his cut so short, it was nearly invisible on the sides. Carolina’s pale blue eyes were a gift from her grandmother, an angel’s eyes, her father had said. On Nate, the arctic blue was frigid, formidable.

She shook her head, wondering how Nate ended up being the dramatic sibling. You don’t have to look like you’re in pain—

"I am in pain. Psychological pain. Why do you torture me with these?"

It’s important that you understand the risks of investing, Nate. These start-ups can be flashy, risky. If I’m going to invest our money in one, you have to know what we’re getting into and agree.

Every one that you have picked has turned into a gold mine. If you like it, I agree. Just don’t make me read that cure for insomnia.

He was hopeless. It was a good thing she had taken their finances in hand when Daddy passed or they’d be making pennies on the dollar in some staid savings account. Fine.

Fine? Just fine? Skepticism crept into his gaze. We already made the investment, didn’t we?

I asked you to look at it last week. These opportunities don’t just wait around. She waved her hand dismissively but blushed anyway. It always felt a little like stealing when she spent their money without his buy-in. You have to jump on them to get the best price. I found out they are investing heavily in the big tech show in Las Vegas. That event alone is likely to double the value.

Nate raised a brow, flashed a crooked smile. How much did we invest?

We negotiated a 40 percent stake for a hundred and fifty thousand.

"We did, huh? Nate whistled. Double in value, huh? I’m going to retire from the army a young and rich man."

Hardly rich. She twirled the end of her hair, running through the math. Comfortable maybe, but we have to live off it for a long time. Don’t forget that.

Tell me again why you chose journalism over economics?

There’s nothing interesting about economics. It’s all odds and trends and probabilities. Really. Where’s the challenge? Now, take investigative journalism. I loved solving the puzzles. Taking the who and the when, figuring out the how and the why. Facts and figures don’t lie. People, on the other hand, lie like dogs. In the end, I helped make the world a little bit better place.

If you loved it so much, why did you quit?

She gave him the answer for the tenth time. I didn’t quit. I changed directions. I am very happy being in the background, researching and editing from my own cozy corner of Kentucky. Just today, I’ve been to London, Texas, and Illinois. All without taking off my shoes for TSA.

Nate leaned forward, his face again filling the screen. I don’t care much about your shoes. The rest of you can’t live your whole life from inside our house. It’s not healthy. When you lived in D.C. you were out there, having real conversations with real people. Face-to-face.

I still have conversations with real people. More than you, I’m willing to bet. Talking is talking whether on the phone or Skype. Besides, face-to-face is overrated. She wrinkled her nose. Last time I went into town, my bag was nearly stolen. Luckily I held on tight, and an off-duty officer scared him away.

His arctic gaze chilled a few degrees. You’re supposed to let him have the bag. Nothing in it is worth you getting hurt.

My laptop was in it, and you’re deliberately missing the point. You’re the one who loves going out, being seen. I love staying home, being cozy.

You can’t hide, day in and day out. You’re too…you’re too good for that. Nate slapped his hands on his desk, the signal he was done arguing.

I’m not hiding, she said with equal fervor. I have friends all over the world. We text and email all the time. I work nearly around the clock—I have to because my clients are, again, all over the world. I love that Buy More delivers my groceries. I love shopping online and free delivery. I see the UPS man so often, he gave me a birthday card this year.

When was the last time you went out on a date?

She thought of the online dating service she’d enrolled in and the men who emailed her. No, she hadn’t gone out with anyone yet, but a woman should be a little fussy. I’m working… The thought was interrupted as lights came up her driveway, illuminating the front of her garage.

What’s that look on your face?

Someone just pulled up the driveway. She squinted to make out the shape in the dark. It’s a van. Huh.

Do you recognize it?

No. Carolina stood, carrying Nate to the edge of the screened-in porch. The van’s door opened, and light flooded out. Her brain glitched, the scene not making sense. Why do they have masks on?

Nate banged his fist on the desk, making her jump. Get in the library!

The library? She looked at Nate’s angry face. All at once, she understood. They’re coming here.

The porch had a door to the backyard, but anyone in the driveway would see her. Nate was right, her haven was inside the house.

Move, Carolina. Go!

The command in Nate’s voice propelled her forward. She deftly unplugged the power cord from her laptop and slid into the house. The library was to her left, only feet away. Over the pounding of her heart, she heard the soft whisper of the back door across the threshold.

She wasn’t alone anymore.

Seconds counted. She ran on bare feet to the fireplace then tripped the release mechanism, opening a hiding place within the parquet floor and all but fell into the foundation of her home. She pulled the floor back down, feeling as if she were closing the lid on her own coffin.

This cannot be happening. This cannot be happening.

The white-blue light from the laptop lit the small space. In the part of the house without a basement, a lined hole big enough for two adults receded nearly three feet into the ground. The air smelled earthy and chilled her face, hands, and feet. Abruptly, the light from her laptop extinguished.

Dark. It was beyond dark. It was the essence of black. Completely devoid of life and air, there was just the cool, dank earth.

Carolina put the tip of her thumb in her mouth and bit, anything to prevent the scream trying to burst out. The pain gave her focus as her body flooded with adrenaline and an urgent need to run away.

Lubdub lubdub lubdub

Find it. It wasn’t in the car. It has to be here. A voice of authority spoke.

What if she has it with her? The sidekick’s nasally voice seeped through the cracks in the floor.

Dumbass. This voice was older but still rang through his nose. Women don’t carry those around.

A library, Authority said. Search it. Search every room.

What were they looking for? What did they think was here? Her thoughts filled the small space until there wasn’t room for her body.

The hard heel of a boot landed right above her face.

Lubdub lubdub lubdub

Come out, come out, wherever you are. One of the men stood above her, his accented voice promising and threatening in equal measures.

Lubdub LUBDUB LUBDUB

What the hell are you doing? Go help upstairs. Authority gave the order with the drawl but none of the charm of a Southern gentlemen. Footfalls echoed above Carolina’s body. She pressed herself against the wall, trying to make herself thinner, trying to disappear. Eyes closed, she listened.

Silence.

Where were they?

Silence.

Did they leave?

Fuck. The curse roared above her.

She bit as hard as she could, preventing a silent, anguished cry of terror as the boogeyman stood unwittingly over her. Then the floor was a drum. Books rained down. It had to be the books reverberating through the century-old home. There were too many for it to be anything else. Each strike from above resonated through her prone body, razing her overworked heart.

LUBDUB LUBDUB LUBDUB LUBDUB

She had done it. She had sucked all of the air out of the vault. Her lungs couldn’t fill. Her heart raced out of control. Her head spun. Eyes open, eyes closed. It didn’t matter. Around and around and around she went. She pressed a hand to cool stone, hoping to ground herself. Instead, the walls closed in.

Carolina covered her ears and pretended she wasn’t here. She found a quiet spot of sanity deep in her mind and curled up. She lost sense of time and space. She heard nothing, felt nothing. Floating, no longer being. Alone. She thought of Nate. She forgot to tell him she loved him. Did he know? There was no one else in her life, so it was important he knew. She took a shallow breath, too tired to fight for more. Leaving would be…so…simple.

White light engulfed her. She was too exhausted to care that she died in a hole under her family’s house.

Carolina, honey, you’re safe. Hard hands gripped her arms, fingers digging deep.

Cool air was a sharp slap to her cheeks. She opened her eyes to face her fate. The heavy cheeks and prominent nose inches from her own were so familiar. Daddy?

A thought peeked through the exhaustion. If she were dead…would she have arms? And…would they hurt if someone squeezed them?

They’re gone, Carolina. Come on, let’s get you out of there.

She blinked, bringing the face into focus. Uncle Mitch? Mitch Walker pulled her into a sitting position. He was in uniform, his sheriff’s badge and side arm providing her comfort. Her gaze drifted over his shoulder to the face of Deputy Derrick Jenkins, Nate’s high school friend. He often visited and told her stories that made her laugh. Now he wore an expression of revulsion, abhorrence, as he surveyed the room. Climbing to her feet, she followed Derrick’s gaze to the empty shelves that had started the day holding hundreds of books. The furniture was turned over. The lamps were toppled. She reached for her uncle’s gun. In…in the house.

Mitch knocked away her hand and, taking most of her weight, brought her out of the hole. I know. They’re gone now. Come on, let’s go to the parlor.

How did you know? She looked into the face so much like her father’s as they left the destruction of the library behind.

Nate called. Mitch’s lips were drawn thin with a slight curl of contempt. Bastards were gone when we arrived. Probably drug addicts looking for anything they could pawn. Did you see what they drove?

It was a van. I’m not sure what color… My kitchen! Her voice was an octave too high and, for a moment, she forgot how to breathe. Her cabinets were as empty as the library bookshelves. Flour and eggs and pickles and dishes were a pile in the middle of the once spotless floor.

Who could have done this? She stopped, her legs simply refusing to move. She looked to her uncle. I don’t understand. What did I do?

…

This day had been a long time coming. Jebediah McCormick tugged on his suit jacket as he stood under the arbor, next to his brother. John Butch McCormick Jr. was finally marrying the love of his life. Jeb took in the lovesick look on his brother’s face and relaxed. He wouldn’t have to worry about Butch, who had found more than he bargained for in Kate Riley.

Kate was a woman of above average intelligence, a spine of steel, and a proclivity for trouble. Maybe if he confiscated her car…but he couldn’t do that anymore. He wasn’t sheriff. He’d resigned from the position and signed on as co-owner of a security firm, Chameleon. He was, officially, a businessman.

The music changed. The door at the end of the courtyard opened, and the bride stepped into the warm October sun. The fire-haired beauty, wrapped in a sculpted white dress, floated down the aisle, tethered to the earth by the arms of her father and uncle. She radiated happiness as she landed inside the arbor and handed the wildflower bouquet to the tall, smirking man standing at her side. Jeb hadn’t been able to resist teasing Tom Riley about standing for his cousin as her man of honor. Teasing aside, this felt right, the four of them, together as they had been since that eventful spring.

Promises gave way to rings that led to kissing as the courtyard filled with blue and white balloons, and the party started. Over the past four months, Jeb had worked with Butch, Katie, and Tom to transform the hundred-year-old family farmhouse into an estate with enough room for all of them. Many of the rooms were still bare studs, but the courtyard in which he now danced with the bride was spectacular. Katie laughed as he spun her in a circle and then brought her back against him.

Clyde, this is Tennessee, not West Virginia. You can’t be making a move on your sister, and that’s exactly what she is now that I married her. Butch grabbed Kate by the waist and spun her in a circle.

Happy to see the drunk-on-life gleam in his brother’s eyes, Jeb felt a grin cross his face at the nickname. Even on his wedding day, Butch likened him to the ass from their childhood. Clyde, that’s just sick. The phone in his pocket vibrated. He absently pulled it out to read the two-word message. His heart skipped a beat and then settled into a trained rhythm.

What is it? Butch asked, leaning in and looking at the screen in Jeb’s hand.

An old friend. I have to take this. He left the couple to their guests and disappeared into the east wing of the house. His wing. The lower level was his office, featuring an extensive computer system and a safe room where he stored equipment. His residence occupied the upper level. He was railroaded by his brother into moving in, bribed with a furnished living room and bedroom, and guilted by three faces who wanted him in their lives. Months later, he still hadn’t changed a thing.

He sat behind his large desk and looked again at the text. Mockingbird sing. An overseas phone number followed. Fire burned in the pit of his stomach. Only a handful of men knew the code, and he would willingly die for every one of them. He dialed the number. Mockingbird here.

Jeb, Nate Walker. I need your help. I’m not sure where to start.

Jeb pulled a pad of paper from his desk drawer, armed himself with a reliable pen, and prepared to listen. The voice in his ear was that of a man who was more than his friend, he was his comrade. They worked together as part of a seamless team, the difference between success and failure, life and death. Beginning is always good.

Right. You remember, I have a sister. Carolina.

I remember.

She lives in my family’s home in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The house was broken into last night, while she was there, while I was Skyping with her. I had her hide. I had to… I couldn’t find a way to get her out and even if I had…

Nate took a deep breath while Jeb scratched down the information: Bowling Green. Break-in. Sister. I called our uncle, Mitch. It took three rings before he answered. I nearly went out of my mind. He’s sheriff. He got there fast…they were gone by then. The damage was done.

Did they find her?

No. No, thank God for that. They did a quick and nasty on the house. Smashing anything they could get their hands on.

He frowned, wondering where this would lead. Nate Walker wasn’t a frivolous man.

My uncle thinks it was addicts, looking for anything to sell. He thinks that when they heard the sirens, they did what they could to make a point before running.

You think differently.

That’s what I’m asking you to find out. My uncle is good at being sheriff, but he perpetually thinks of Carolina as five years old in pigtails. Carolina is scared but she’s smart. She says they were looking for something specific, something a woman might have had.

He had been spending time with women lately, but was out of his depth with this one. Something a woman might have had? Carolina or some other woman?

I don’t know. I spoke with my sister this morning, and she is certain they referred to a woman. I spoke to my uncle before I called you. He dismissed it before he even considered there might be a real threat to Carolina. A fist pounded on a table. My little sister is going to lock herself in her house, make herself a sitting duck a thousand miles away from where I can help her. Please, Jeb. Go to her.

Give me the address. He would babysit the sister and investigate until Nate was satisfied. It was as simple as that.

322 Ridgewood. Jeb?

Here it comes, Jeb thought, the message hidden behind the story.

"She isn’t going to willingly leave or let you in. Carolina has always been shy. I was so proud of her when she moved to D.C. to work for the Washington Post. Did I tell you she won a Pulitzer?"

No.

I must have moved on by then. I told everybody. Twice. She won for investigative journalism and was one of the youngest to win. Ever.

He had never known Nate to ramble. It said a lot about the situation that his calm, logical friend was hopscotching through the conversation. Still, he let it go. His time as sheriff taught him that some people needed to talk through it.

"My mother was diagnosed with cancer two years ago. Carolina up and quit the Post and moved home to help Mom. Nate took a deep breath. She passed last year. Since then, Carolina’s been at home. Alone. I think…I think she stayed home because of Mom and it became a habit. Staying in. But it’s gotten out of hand. She lives her entire life from inside those walls. That damn store even delivers her groceries."

I understand.

Nate snapped. How could you? I don’t. He exhaled long and slow. Sorry. Sorry. When she first moved home, Carolina told me she was being followed. More than once, she talked about getting hang-up calls and how they unnerved her.

You think that those events are connected to the break-in?

Jeb, they probably aren’t real. Mitch had his deputy, a buddy of mine, investigate and found no evidence. I chalked it up to stress. She quit her job and started working from home doing research for other journalists. She cared for Mom till the end, mostly on her own. That would wear anyone down. I guess I’m telling you more so you see what kind of person my sister is before you label her as a shut-in. My sister is…the best woman I know, and I’m not there for her. Metal thundered in the background. Jeb suspected Nate’s desk was taking the brunt of his guilt. It’s just, I’m worried and frustrated because there’s not a goddamned thing I can do.

He put the pad away. Yes there is, and you did it. You called me. I’ll take care of her for you. Why do you think someone would break in and search the house?

Silence stretched to the point of snapping. Her work. If it’s not her work…then I truly have no idea. She can tell you the details of her projects. Carolina has a memory like a herd of elephants.

He knew from his stint as sheriff in his own county that random acts of violence did happen but, more often than not, there was a connection. Somewhere, someone had knowledge that the house or Carolina had something worth stealing. He nodded slightly, finding he was looking forward to investigating once again. Solving the crime, standing for a victim, appealed to his intellectual side more so than the security jobs he had been running. Let me get into it. Then we’ll talk again.

One last thing. If you run into my uncle…don’t let him know what you’re doing. He’s already written this off. He’ll take your involvement as, well, stepping in his business. He can get ugly. I don’t want to bring him in until we have something concrete.

An irate uncle—even if he was sheriff—didn’t worry Jeb, but it was Nate’s family. I’ll play it your way until I have to play it mine. Jeb disconnected from Nate and pulled the bag from the office closet already packed with essentials—personal and professional. He didn’t expect babysitting would generate the kind of trouble personal security usually did, but he firmly believed failing to plan was planning to fail.

Failure was not an option.

He would pay a visit this evening, collect any basic information he could. If need be, he’d put her in a safe house while he worked the case. If she wouldn’t leave, he had men he could assign. He would use the resources of Chameleon—computers, laboratory, helicopter, manpower—to resolve whatever mess Nate’s sister found herself in. Numbers ran through his head. 24/7 coverage would cost him. He could afford to give it a week before he’d have to consider other options.

In his bedroom, he traded the suit for clothes that would move with him. He put on a bulletproof vest and covered it with a light jacket. As he changed, he considered the depth of Nate’s concern. Nate had seen more in his tours of duty than most saw in a lifetime. He wasn’t a man to panic. Frustration and guilt could account for some, but he knew Nate now believed his sister was in real and imminent danger.

He remembered the picture of a young woman swinging on a tire swing. Her hair nearly touched the ground as she lay back, laughing with the joy of flight. She had been just eighteen in the photo, which would make her about twenty-eight, twenty-nine.

Down the stairs and into the courtyard, he skirted the edge of the reception, avoiding eye contact as he made his way to the garage.

Sneaking out of my wedding? You know there isn’t going to be a next one. You miss this one, you’re out of luck. The wind blew Butch’s long, curly hair around his handsome face. With his gritty voice and laughing gray eyes, the ladies of country music propelled his brother to star status.

You mess up this one, and I’ll have to attend your funeral after Katie kills you. Jeb stopped and looked into his brother’s eyes, willing him to see he was serious. Don’t mess up.

I won’t. Butch smiled broadly. She won’t let me. Pushy woman. Where are you going?

Helping a friend.

You have a vest on. Do you have help yourself?

He climbed into his truck. I just need to check on his little sister. I’m taking the chopper. I’ll be back tomorrow. Next day at the latest. Tell Katie I love her.

Butch’s grin widened. The hell I will. Get your ass back here and tell her yourself.

Less than an hour from the time Jeb had taken Nate’s call, he found the address displayed prominently on a mailbox and turned into the drive. The white house loomed over his rented SUV, a single dim light shining in a second floor window.

He had called and left a message that he was Nate’s army buddy and in the area. Odds were Nate’s sister would decline his offer to help over the phone but wouldn’t turn away a friend of Nate’s. He rang the front doorbell. He waited politely at first, then looked in the windows. There was no movement. He rang again. Waited again and then went to Plan B.

All signs said Carolina wasn’t home. He wasn’t disappointed. Taking a look around on his own, gaining any first impressions without the sister there to ask him questions, was preferable. He’d be in and out without her being the wiser. He pulled the small case from his jacket pocket and entered the house as swiftly as if he’d had a key.

The kitchen looked like Betty Crocker went on a rampage. There were footprints in the flour. A few pairs of boots. A pair of bare feet. He took a set of pictures with his smartphone. He moved down a hallway, peering into rooms in the same condition as the kitchen.

At the end of the hall sat a closed door. Behind it was a library. The spacious room featured twelve-foot ceilings with windows nearly as tall, alternating with shelves devoid of books. The books were littered across the floor except for a clear spot about five feet wide and seven feet long.

Jeb squatted, his gaze sweeping the floor. So that’s where you hid. The room offered no clues to the suspects’ identity or intent. He left the room, passed the kitchen, and resumed his inspection in the dining room. Shelving lined the wall opposite the doorway while the dishes they held were dispersed across the floor, the polished table, and the upholstered chairs.

What were you doing? What were you looking for? What was the point of all this?

A cold click came from behind. He raised his hands slowly as a trembling voice gave an order.

Get out.

Chapter Two

Carolina stood in her foyer, her hands steady under the weight of the gun. She’d come out of her father’s office reprimanding herself for not engaging the security system. This time was different, she told herself. It was one man and she had Daddy’s .44. Confronting him gave her what she’d lost: control. Now that the man in her dining room had his hands up, she wasn’t sure what to do with him. She knew one thing—at this distance, she couldn’t miss if she tried.

Carolina.

Her jaw dropped. He knew her name. Her finger tightened on the trigger.

My name is Jebediah. I’m a friend of Nate’s. His deep voice called to her, enticing her to trust him. He sent me to help, Carolina. Silhouetted by the kitchen counter lights, his outline thinned as he slowly turned.

Don’t move. Stop moving. I’m a very good shot and at this distance, I won’t miss. Her stance widened, her balance shifting naturally. How do you know Nate?

We were in the army together. I’m going to reach into my jacket for my phone. We’ll give him a call.

No. You move that hand…you’re…you’re going to lose it. She nodded, liking the line. That was something a

Reviews for Lost in Shadows

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While, this book is the second one in this series, it can be read as a stand alone novel. Right from the beginning, I did gain a connection with Jeb and Carolina. I like that Carolina pretended to be tough when she first met Jeb. It was sweet but funny at the same time. Although, after a while of this, I grew tried of it. Yes, I understand that what Carolina where through with a home invasion while she was at home is traumatic and the lack of Carolina's interaction with people played a part in how she acted but I did not want these things to hold her down. Jeb is the type of guy I would want if I needed rescuing. He is tough but gentle at the same time. Again, while I might not have fully enjoyed this book as much as I wanted to the chemistry between Jeb and Carolina was steamy. This was an quick, good read.

[pelusa41-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Received an ARC for netgalley. Totally enjoyed book. We have Jeb and Carolina. Jeb was asked by his army friend Nate to help his sister Carolina out because she was in trouble and he was overseas. Carolina was a researcher and had issues she did not leave her house, she felt as if someone used to follow her when she previously did, she receives phone calls and no one would speak, but no one believes her, and she was traumatized. And then to top it off someone breaks into her house and she has to hide in this tiny hide-hole. That's when Jeb steps in, he believe her about the calls and end up getting one himself when he has her phone, a multitude of things happen, you have to read book for yourself, I will not tell you, but it is good and also humorous. Jeb and Carolina fall in love ofcourse but then they are attacked and Carolina pushes Jeb away, she realizes mistake but then Jeb doesn't want to reconnect. Ofcourse they eventually do and have there HEA, can't wait for next book, because I am thinking that either Tom or Beck are getting one. Hopefully both of them, Maybe even Nate.

[julied2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a thrilling story about Carolina, a shy woman who's a journalist who now works from home, she left the city to take care of her ailing mother and never returned, she now a researcher and lives her life like a recluse rarely leaving her home.Jeb had done his time in the forces and it had left it's scars - mental as well as physical, he'll never forget. Now he and his brothers are working private security.He receives a call from a friend, Nate, he served with Jeb in the forces, he asks Jeb to guard his sister - Carolina - after she tells him of some of the scary goings on at her home and he feels she is in danger.This was a very entertaining story. There's thrills, suspense, intrigue and a sweet romance. And I loved the family camaraderie, the banter between them all was great fun. I highly recommend this book, I'm looking forward to the next story.

[nelispelusa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Received an ARC for netgalley. Totally enjoyed book. We have Jeb and Carolina. Jeb was asked by his army friend Nate to help his sister Carolina out because she was in trouble and he was overseas. Carolina was a researcher and had issues she did not leave her house, she felt as if someone used to follow her when she previously did, she receives phone calls and no one would speak, but no one believes her, and she was traumatized. And then to top it off someone breaks into her house and she has to hide in this tiny hide-hole. That's when Jeb steps in, he believe her about the calls and end up getting one himself when he has her phone, a multitude of things happen, you have to read book for yourself, I will not tell you, but it is good and also humorous. Jeb and Carolina fall in love ofcourse but then they are attacked and Carolina pushes Jeb away, she realizes mistake but then Jeb doesn't want to reconnect. Ofcourse they eventually do and have there HEA, can't wait for next book, because I am thinking that either Tom or Beck are getting one. Hopefully both of them, Maybe even Nate.