Ryker Tillman was willing to give his life for his country in Afghanistan. Now, with his own security country, he is willing to lay down his life for the lives of pregnant Olivia Habush and her toddler son Aaron. Olivia knew that her husband was working for some really bad guys, but she had no idea that after Tim died, his legacy would be danger for her and Aaron. Pursued by the relentless killers from Blake-Moore, Olivia has nowhere to turn until Ryker shows up and rescues her. All of the action was like a movie rolling in my head, with one heart-stopping scene after another. Ryker called in his buddies from the war, the Callahans and Duncan. They offer a little comic relief and a lot of help to Ryker and Olivia. Throughout the book, no sooner do she and Aaron get out of danger than a fresh group of mercenaries shows up to force her to give them something that supposedly Tim left with her. The ride through this book was wild and fast-paced, but best of all, it was all a totally clean ride, with no expletives or graphically described violence. My only criticism is that the book was such a fast read that I was surprised when it ended. That’s not to say that I didn’t like the conclusion; I just didn’t want it to end!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Author bio: Laura Scott is honored to write for the Love Inspired Suspense line, where a reader can find a heartwarming journey of faith amid the thrilling danger. She lives with her husband of twenty-five years and has two children, a daughter and a son, who are both in college. She works as a critical-care nurse during the day at a large level-one trauma center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and spends her spare time writing romance. Visit Laura at http://www.laurascottbooks.com.
Author links:
• Author website: Laura Scott
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49374502-guarded-by-the-soldier
EXCERPT
A thud woke Olivia from a sound sleep. Had someone fallen? She pried open her eyes and peered at the cheap alarm clock on the nightstand.
Two in the morning. She glanced down at Aaron who was curled next to her. The noise hadn’t woken him.
Another thud and a muffled shout sent fear spiking through her body. What in the world was going on?
She slid out of bed, steadying herself with a hand on the wall. Her bladder urged her toward the bathroom, but before she could take a step, she heard a sharp report.
A gunshot?
No! Please, Lord, help us! She bent over and scooped Aaron into her arms, although she wasn’t sure where to go or what to do. Where was Ryker? Duncan? Mike?
She had no weapon of any sort. Not that she’d know what to do with one anyway. There was a bathroom within the suite, so she went inside, locked the door and glanced around, her thoughts whirling.
The Blake-Moore Group must have found her. Again. She wanted to cry, to rant and scream in frustration, but forced herself to swallow the cries burning the back of her throat.
Think. Think! Her gaze landed on the toilet. The motel hadn’t been updated in years, and the toilet tank was similar to the one she had at home, with a heavy ceramic cover on it.
“Mommy?” Aaron raised his head, rubbing at his eyes. “Shh. We have to be quiet.” Olivia set him down in the bathtub, the safest place she could think of. “Stay here, okay?”
“I don’t wanna.” His lower lip trembled and she was very much afraid that he’d begin wailing at any moment.
She lifted her heart in prayer. God, please protect us! “Mommy?” Her son lifted his arms toward her, his gaze begging.
“Shh. Please, Aaron. I need you to be quiet. We don’t want the bad guys to find us.” She hated scaring him but was more worried about what would happen if he cried loud enough to draw attention. She quickly lifted the heavy porcelain cover off the tank and held it over her head, positioning herself behind the door.
If anyone came inside, she’d whack him over the head, hopefully with enough force to knock him unconscious.
Time passed in slow motion. The noises coming from the main suite area concerned her. What if something happened to Mike and Duncan?
To Ryker?
Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest and her arm muscles quivered beneath the weight of the toilet tank lid. She blinked back tears, trying to convince herself that Ryker would survive.
That they would all survive.
“Olivia? Are you in there?” Ryker’s familiar voice made her knees go weak.
Thank You, God!
“Yes, we’re in the bathroom.” She lowered the lid of the toilet tank and moved out from behind the door. After getting the tank cover back in place, she opened the door, grateful beyond belief to see Ryker standing there. “What happened? Is everyone all right?”
“Yeah, but we need to hit the road.” His face was drawn into tight lines, his gaze grim. “Now.”
“They found us?” Silly question, since she knew they must have. “How?”
Ryker slowly shook his head. “They must have followed us. I didn’t see them, but they must have had a line on our vehicle. Get your things together.”
“Okay.” She didn’t need to be told twice. She quickly used the bathroom, then carried Aaron back into the bed-room. Her zebra bag was in the main living space, and she only had the one set of clothes, so there wasn’t any-thing to grab other than Aaron’s plastic lion and toy plane.
When she stepped into the suite, she stopped abruptly, her gaze landing on the two men dressed in black lying on the floor. One of them was bleeding badly; the other didn’t show any signs of blood.
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