Harlequin Romantic Suspense April 2021 Karen Whiddon (best fiction books to read TXT) 📖

she couldn’t trust her local LEA, GGPD. It stuck like a jagged piece of glass in his awareness because he had so many Colton family members who worked at GGPD, including his older sister, Chief of Police Melissa Colton.

Dominique’s passion for justice was one of several characteristics that had attracted him to her in the first place. In his current position as her bodyguard, though, it made her a prime target for a bad guy at the top of a local drug ring, as well as a bad cop, or police supporters who misread her motives. The threats facing her were myriad and made his heart pound, his stomach twist. If anyone hurt her—

You’ve made a mistake.

Yes, accepting this job was pure madness. It would have been smarter to pass this assignment off to one of the half dozen fully trained and capable agents on his payroll. Colton Protection had earned its sterling reputation by protecting high-visibility clients from politicians to judges to A-list Hollywood celebrities. If he didn’t get his head completely in the mission, which meant blocking off any thoughts of his previous association with Dominique, he risked blowing their until-now untarnished image.

Rigo made it clear—he’s hired you to keep his daughter safe, period.

She turned right and made her way up a side street that wasn’t nearly as traversed as the one where they’d parked. He mentally envisioned the side alleys, all memorized. Passing the first side street without a problem, she didn’t look over her shoulders once. Dominique seemed to be pretty certain of where she was headed. He scanned the street, approaching the next alley. A hooded figure emerged from behind a large tree and Stanton paused, keeping Dominique in view. The hairs on his nape rose as he saw the man quickly close in on her.

Stanton broke into a jog, then a full run as the figure’s hand reached into his pocket.

“Dom, look out!” he yelled at the top of his lungs, but not before he saw the thug grab for Dominique.

CHAPTER 2

A shout behind her sounded exactly like her name and she halted, frozen in place. No, it couldn’t be. It had sounded like a male voice was calling “Dom.” Only one man ever called her that and he wasn’t here. Not since their breakup.

She pushed forward, quickened her step. Her progress was harshly interrupted by hands that felt like a pair of vise grips on a shoulder and her hair, yanking her backward without warning.

“Ow!” She grunted in surprise, pulled off her feet as though she weighed no more than a bag of flour. Fear drove her to fight like the devil as she was dragged into the alley and then over a threshold, through a door kicked open by the attacker, and shoved into a dark corridor. Her assailant slammed the door closed with his heel as she kicked, twisted and screamed. Anything to gain purchase. Putrid smells of urine and body odor assaulted her and she knew this was a place where people came to use. To die.

“Shut up! Knock it off or you’re dead.” The thug’s hand clamped painfully over her mouth. His voice was low and ugly, and left her with zero thoughts of reasoning him into letting her go. He had her from behind, one beefy arm around her neck, holding her body against his. He smelled like cheap cologne and bubble gum, not much of an improvement over the stench of the building.

She knew she was going to die whether she resisted or not, so she sunk her teeth into the vile-smelling hand. He swore and let go of her mouth, and she sucked in a breath to yell as she tugged away from him. Her scream was cut off by a hard slap to the side of her head. Stars floated in her vision but didn’t stop her training and that internal voice that urged her to keep going, to give it all she had. She reverted to the basic hand-to-hand combat techniques she’d learned years ago.

She jutted her elbow back into his gut, which felt like hitting a brick wall, but her stomp on his instep elicited a hiss. Cheered by his discomfort, she did the same with her other leg, taking time to drag her heel down his shin first, then press into his foot with all her might.

He responded by whipping her around and shoving her up against the wall, which forced her head back against the plaster. More stars floated, but not enough to preclude her vision. A mean mug of a man stared at her, his breath foul no matter the huge wad of pink gum he chewed on. Pure menace glowered in his gaze as his hands encircled her throat and he cut off her airway.

Dominique fought for her life, unable to gain enough space to breathe. Using the technique to take her shoulders under his arms and force her arms up to release his proved impossible, as each of his limbs was built like an oak tree. She clawed at his leathery face, kneed his groin repeatedly. He flinched but kept the pressure on her throat. Panic rose and, unable to get his hands off her neck, she gave his head a hard slap.

“You bi—”

An explosive sound, and a burst of light as the door was kicked open. Her attacker let go and Dominique collapsed to the ground, gasping in short breaths as her airway let in precious air. Heavy footsteps sounded, fading through the building.

“Dominique. Look at me.”

The voice she’d recognize in her deepest depths of despair broke through her panic and gave her what in the past several minutes had grown dim. Hope.

Stanton had saved her; he was here. With great effort, she turned her head and looked into the deep blue irises that had haunted her every night since their breakup two years ago.

“What the heck are you doing here?” Instead of sounding authoritative and irritated, her words creaked out like a baby frog’s first