It’s dangerous to ignore what’s right in front of you.
He lives in obscurity and is better called a shadow.
Hastings Rhodes spends his days with his boots on the ground of foreign countries. Yet the moment he gets the terrible news about one of his best friends, he heads back. To get the answers he demands, he’ll need Violet Wentz, the beautiful organizer.
A boon for a family member has put her in a difficult situation.
Violet expected some hassle getting the project off the ground, but a vile senator and a grumpy but guarding military man weren’t on the list. With the senator making threats, she realizes she has to put aside her own personal feelings and work with the sexy, protective Hastings.
Two opposites have to learn to work together to each get what they want.
Hastings discovers that neither his name nor his job is a plus for this woman, and she has thick walls around her heart. Getting in will be more dangerous than any mission he’s been on. Once in, he plans on staying forever.
Reader advisory: This book includes scenes of bigotry, injury, and coma. There is mention of child abuse, drug abuse, and unsafe sex.
General Release Date: 27th June 2023
“If you can’t do it, I suggest you get the person who can give me some fucking answers down here!”
The venom in those words had Violet pausing as she stepped in through the doorway of the renovated building, out of the pouring rain. Welcome Home would be officially opening its doors in nearly four weeks, and she’d been roped into coming out here by family, nonetheless, to help them smooth over the final bumps.
From the sounds of things, there are plenty of bumps. She pushed her hood back from her head, freeing her curls and took a deep breath. No one waited for her, not that there was a front desk being manned yet, but still, they knew she was coming.
Chances were the person she needed was in the room with the yelling grump.
“Sir, there’s no need for that language.”
“Then do your fucking job.”
Oh, hell no!
She wasn’t going to put up with that. Marching over the spotless beige-tiled floor, she entered the doorway and found two men in there, squaring off. Two who couldn’t be more different from each other.
The man behind the desk, whose lean body was draped in white leather pants and a bright orange shirt, stood his ground, but even from the doorway Violet could tell he wasn’t a fan of the situation. And she didn’t blame him. His voice was one she’d heard a few times when she had called out here prior to her arrival. This was Paul Hemmor.
Yelling Man was built, a goddamn brunet Viking. Broad shoulders that looked like he could pull one of their longboats single-handedly were draped in a black leather jacket with a hood of dark charcoal-gray. As she stood behind the man, she took a quick—not so quick—perusal of him. Even his hair, that long collection of dark chocolatey strands with a few hints of rust in it, looked incredible. He had it gathered up in a man bun, but that in no way distracted from his sexiness.
Powerful legs encased in dark denim and an ass that—Christ!—could probably crack a walnut. He stood with his legs shoulder-width apart and arms crossed as he faced down Paul, who probably weighed half his muscled weight.
She hated bullies.
“May I help you, sir?” she asked while she maneuvered herself into the room, past him and around the desk. Without ceremony, she dropped her large pack on the floor by her feet and gave Paul at her side a reassuring smile. Then she gazed at the man across from them and lost her breath.
And I thought the back side was delicious. This man was every fucking desire she’d ever had, all rolled into one.
“Who are you?” he growled.
Patting Paul on the arm, she took a much-needed moment for regrouping and said quietly, “I’ve got this from here, Paul. We’ll catch up after.”
He nodded then took two steps away from her only to stop. “Are you sure you want me to leave you alone?”
The with him wasn’t spoken but definitely implied.
“I’ll be fine.” Dismissing him, she faced a man she would on any other day want to climb like a tree. Okay, today wasn’t an exception, she still wanted to do that, but he had the manners of a jackass.
She plastered on her work face and looked once more at the man before her. Objectively, this time. He was a dangerous one for sure.
“What’s the problem, sir?”
His dark scowl was focused completely on her. She wasn’t scared, she’d been before more than her fair share of bullies. He skimmed her with his flinty gaze, the graphite hue heating to molten for the briefest of seconds before it hardened once more.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m the one in charge around here and the one who is going to have you removed from the premises if you keep on with that language.”
He raised one thick eyebrow. “How do you expect to do that?”
Smile not slipping an inch, she sat in the chair and rolled it closer to the desk. “I don’t have a lot of time, so either get to the point of what is bothering you or leave.”
Interesting how dark stormy eyes can get thunderheads in them. This man, whoever he was, didn’t like being challenged. Or refused.
“Evan Winter.”
She knew the name, had read about it in the files she’d been sent. But she also didn’t give out information to just anyone. Especially when she didn’t have much.
“Nothing to say?” He placed his hands on the desk, glowering down at her.
“You didn’t ask a question.” She leaned forward, positively refusing to back down from his challenge. “You stated a name.”
He narrowed his eyes further, and she felt the searing burn from his glare.
“Do you know him?”
“Not personally, no, but I know the name. And let me stop you before you even get started. Welcome Home isn’t about giving out personal information on our people, so I won’t tell you if he’s here.”
“I’m a friend of his.”
His nostrils flared, and she assumed his jaw clenched but she wasn’t able to tell with that beard covering his lower face.
“Tell me what you know,” he growled at her.
She didn’t know a damn thing, not beyond that Evan had been found beaten and near death. There were rumors of drugs. Right now, the man was in an induced coma at the hospital to allow his body to begin the healing process.
“Why don’t you tell me what you know, Mr…”
“Rhodes.”
What are the chances this man has the same name as my brother-in-laws? Or is that brothers-in-law? Oh well, not like it’s not a common name.
“Start talking.”
“You know, being all growly and childish isn’t going to get you the results you want any faster. Try being adult about this and talk to me, not yell, curse or anything like that at me.”
She was getting to him, if that twitch at the corner of his right eye was any indication. At least she was sitting down so he couldn’t see her clenching her thighs together like she needed to use them to keep her on the damn pole between her legs.
Great, now she was thinking of a pole between her legs. More than that, his pole.
Another growl, panty-soaking, if she were thinking about things like that—which she decidedly wasn’t—rolled up from his throat.
“You will tell me everything you know about the assholes who put him where he is. What happens after that, little girl, you don’t have to worry about.”
Little girl.
Hot or not, this man is a fucking ass.
And her temper, which had been simmering since she’d walked into this clusterfuck, boiled over. Hands on her desk, she got to her feet and glared over the hard expanse at him.
“Little girl?” She drew in a swift breath, and cursed herself because she was instantly surrounded by a heady masculine scent that didn’t help anything below her nose. “If this is how you speak to people, no wonder you’re not getting the answers you want. I’m going to ask you to leave now, Mr. Rhodes, and if you decline to take me up on my generous offer of walking out the door on your own, well, that’s fine because I will just call the cops and have them remove you from here.”
He ground his jaw and leaned closer. “Do you have any fucking idea who I am?”
“Besides an overgrown, ill-mannered prick? No, and not only that but, newsflash, I don’t give a fuck. Get out.”
The gorgeous Viking opened his mouth but snapped it shut when the door behind them burst open. Violet was shocked at how fast he moved. Not just spinning around to face the doorway but to put himself in front of her, almost like he was protecting her.
“Where the fuck is my son?” a graveled voice demanded.
Edging sideways to see around the extremely broad back of the man in front of her, she saw an older man standing there, his hawkish face red. She wasn’t sure if it was weather related, anger or something else. But his suit was damn expensive-looking, as was the trench coat draped over his thin shoulders.
His watery blue gaze latched onto her. “Are you the one responsible for his getting hurt? I’ll shut this place down.”
I’m killing my sister for this.
“Hold on a minute.” She began moving away from the living wall in front of her.
Or so she’d thought. He moved with her.
“Mind your tone speaking to her.” The warning was low and dangerous.
“Do you know who I am?” the newcomer demanded.
“I do. You’re Senator Hayes. Evan Winter’s sperm donor.”
Well, shit, she’d not expected that response. At all.
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