To Protect His Own

by Talty, Jen

  “Do you know anything else about her?”

  “Grew up in Brooklyn. Went to Colombia, lives near the school. She’s a copy editor by trade and writes novels as a hobby. Not published. One brother. Didn’t get his name. That’s it.” Josh stood in front of the big picture window that overlooked the lake. Specifically, the dock where he and Delaney just an hour ago had been laying on their backs, looking up at the stairs. Her blue sun dress showing off her firm toned legs. His fingers could still feel the silky softness of her skin. Had she not flirted with him from a distance, he would never have even thought about approaching her since he couldn’t bring himself to date, much less even have a meaningless fling, but she was that intriguing.

  “I’ll see what I can dig up.”

  “I’m having lunch with her tomorrow, so be discrete when texting me any information.”

  “Do you always screen your dates?” Luke swiveled back and forth in the bar stool.

  Josh turned and glared at his friend. “Wouldn’t you?”

  “Speaking of that subject,” Luke said. “Any news about you Craypo and his goons?”

  Josh shook his head, standing in front of the picture window, which was the kind of glass that prevented the outside world from staring inside your home. The only thing it lacked was the ability to stop a bullet. “He hasn’t left Manhattan. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t sent someone—”

  “You really think this chick is working for him?”

  “I really hope not,” Josh said. “But I find it weird that less than a month after his release a girl from downstate hits on me. Let’s me take her down to the docks—”

  “That doesn’t work on the girls from around here.”

  “Doesn’t work on most girls.” Josh sat back on the sofa, still peering out the window at the dark lake. “Then she let me walk her home and now I’m taking her out for lunch. Don’t you find that odd?”

  Luke laughed. “Dude, what’s odd is that you’re thinking twice about getting with a hot woman.”

  “A woman from New York that I know nothing about.” Whose intention might not be hooking up, but putting a bullet in his head, just like the last woman he’d gotten involved with.

  “If there is something to find out, I’ll unearth it, but no one would think less of you if you up and disappeared and I know you were given that option.”

  “I’m not running.”

  “I don’t know man. If I were in your shoes, I’d run. The guy blames you for the death of his wife and kids.”

  “It was his bomb that killed them.” But Josh might as well set the bomb off. He was the reason they were dead. He shouldn’t care about Nicki because she wouldn’t have cared if he were dead. But her two little boys watched behind horror filled eyes as their mother fired at the man that was going to pull them from the grips a crime filled existence. He squeezed his eyes close, forcing the memory to fade to black. “Find out what you can on Delaney. If she’s with Craypo, then we can deal with that. If she’s not associated, then I can just cut her loose.” No way would he get involved with someone he could actually fall for, giving Craypo another way to make Josh pay for what he’d done.

  “If it's the latter, and she’s that hot, mind if I take her out and show her a go—”

  “I mind,” Josh said sharply.

  Luke shot his arms out to the side. “Geez. Possessive over a girl you don’t even want.”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t want her. Besides, she’s only here for a short time and—”

  “That’s the point,” Luke said. “A hook-up. Just sex.”

  Josh narrowed his gaze. “Keep your hands to yourself or I’ll have to mess up that pretty face of yours.”

  Luke laughed. “I think you like her.”

  “I think this conversation is over, so finish your beer so I can get some sleep.”

  “Yes boss.”

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  More Books By Jen Talty

  "Talty knows how to twist romance and mystery to make an excellent read" Long and Short Reviews

  For the last nine years, Kaylee Mead has been running from her past. Now she's running for her life. Her only chance at survival is to return home and patch things up with her father. When she returns to her home in Thief Lake, Minnesota, she finds her father dead and herself becoming the cop's best suspect for his murder. Assistant Police Chief Blaine Walker has been trying to put his ex-wife out of his mind for years, but when he finds her hovered over her father's body, he knows that battle is lost. She becomes his only suspect in a case that doesn't make sense. He vows to find the answers and then hopefully rekindle the flame that has never quite died out in his heart.

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  NY State Trooper Series

  Ryan O'Conner has the world at her fingertips. She's strong, feisty and has everything she's ever wanted, except the right man. Jared Blake represents everything Ryan doesn't want. He's controlling, overbearing and now he's moving. Having had a crush on him for years, Ryan decides to seduce Jared. A goodbye thing. However, her plans change when someone starts stalking her. With her life on the line, she turns to Jared for protection and finds the not so perfect man is the perfect man for her.

  Restless and bored, NY State Trooper Jared Blake accepts a transfer from his position in Lake George, NY. Jared craves the rush of adrenaline and his current post is too tame. As soon as he moves, his career will take off, but his plans are put on hold when a friend is threatened by a stalker. Jared has exactly two weeks to find out who is behind these treats.

  And in two weeks, Jared will lose is heart forever...

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  Lacy DeGeorgio never imagined she'd have to be responsible for anyone but herself. She's strong, stubborn and fiercely independent. She needs no one. She's a woman determined to do things her way, on her own. But when a freak boating accident takes her sister Hannah's life, Lacy finds herself not only back in her hometown of Lake George, New York, but in a custody battle for her eleven-year-old nephew, Andy. Just when things couldn't get any worse, pesky State Trooper Frank Harmon starts showing up, tearing down all her defenses, making her want things she's never wanted before. She'll trust him with her nephew, but can she trust him with her heart?

  New York State Trooper Frank Harmon is a man of honor and duty. He's always done things by the book, believing the law always works in favor of those who uphold it. Until the day he took a domestic disturbance call at the DeGeorgio trailer, and even though he knew something bad was about to happen, he had to walk away. Two days later, he pulled Hannah DeGeorgio's body from the icy cold waters of Lake George, changing his life forever. He sets out to make sure Hannah's killer is brought to justice and in the process makes a home for a family he thought he never wanted.

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  Book Three in the NY State Trooper Series

  After staring down the wrong end of a gun, not once, but twice, all Patty Harmon had wanted was to have a little fun. She’d spent most her life taking care of everyone else but herself. And while she had a plan for her life, she hadn’t yet started to live her life. So, when the aloof, distant, and emotionally unavailable New York State Trooper Reese McGinn takes an interest in her, she’s all in…for the moment. When the moment is over, they go their separate ways and Patty can get back to her life plan. But once again, that plan is interrupted when Patty finds herself pregnant. She’ll let Reese back in for the sake of the child, but can she keep Reese from stealing her heart?

  New York State Trooper Reese McGinn has been haunted by his late mothers confession and the secret she still took to her grave. For the last seven years, he’s done nothing but move from job to job and town to town, vowing to never put down roots. But when his summer fling with Patty Harmon ends with a child on the way, he decides that its time to forget the past. Only the past doesn’t want to forge him and a deadly secret rises from the grave, threatening to take away everything he thought he never wanted.

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  Book Four in the NY State Trooper Se
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  Things were finally looking up for Douglas Tanner. His divorce was about to be final. His construction company was doing better than ever and he was ready to start a new beginning. He just hadn’t expected that new beginning included his long time friend and daughter of his business partner. But just as he expresses his new found feelings for Stacey, his soon to be ex-wife is found dead in the bottom of Lake George one day before he was to sign the divorce papers.

  And Doug is the prime suspect. Not just in his wife’s murder. But also her lover’s disappearance.

  New York State Trooper Stacey Sutten had just finished her rescue swimmer certification course and finally had some time to relax. Or so she thought as she’s called to a search and rescue mission. Only there was no rescue and the body she found just happened to be the wife of the man she was falling in love with.

  As Doug and Stacey’s romance heats up, so does the case. One damning piece of evidence after the other lead the police to Doug’s door. Caught between trying to prove Doug’s innocent and doing her job, Stacey finds herself in the hot seat. Just when she thinks it can’t get any worse, she's investigated as a possible accomplice.

  Stacey must find out who really killed Mary, why they are hell bent on framing herself and the man she loves, before both of them get good look at the inside of a jail cell.

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  New York State Trooper Jake Prichard turned his back on the family farm, the family fortune, and his lying, manipulative father. But when someone tries to kill his dad, Jake reluctantly returns home to investigate. Only, his father isn’t the real target. It’s the farm's manager and Jake's first love.

  Kenzie Chorley has worked at The Cavanaugh Equestrian Center since she was sixteen. It’s all she’s ever known, and all she’s ever wanted…other than Jake. But when he walked away from the farm, he walked away from her, too. In an attempt to heal old wounds, they rekindle their passion, but the pain of the past is too strong, leaving Kenzie alone, bereft, and pregnant.

  Now someone is threatening not only the farm she cherishes, but her unborn child’s heritage. If Kenzie wants to hold onto the only man she’s ever loved, she’s going to have to dig up the darkest betrayal of all.

  A lie so damming it holds the power to destroy the very thing she’s trying to save…

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  New York State Trooper Josh Burdette hasn’t had the best of luck with the ladies. The last woman he was sleeping with pumped three bullets into his chest. So, when sexy Delaney Mervis shows up, batting her baby blues, he’s cautious…but not cautious enough.

  Josh is suspicious that Delaney could have been sent by an arms dealer (Alexander Craypo) who vowed to make Josh pay for the death of his wife and two children in an undercover operation that went bad. While having a buddy do some digging on Delaney, Josh succumbs to his desire and sleeps with her only to find her sole motivation was to destroy his career…her reasoning was to save her brother who is being held hostage by Craypo and his men…or so she thinks.

  Josh and Delaney are forced to run when Craypo’s men come to kill them both. While in hiding, their passion grows deep and they find themselves unable to fight their feelings for one another. But Craypo will stop at nothing to destroy Josh, leaving Delaney to choose between the man she loves and a brother she never really knew.

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  About the Author

  Jen Talty is an award-winning author of Romantic Suspense. Dark Water hit #10 in Barnes and Noble and her books have been in the top 50 on Amazon. Jennifer grew up in Rochester, New York. She recently retired from being a full-time hockey mom as her children hung up their skates. She and her husband still live in Rochester while her children travel globe. Jen is the co-founder of Cool Gus Publishing with NY Times Bestselling Author Bob Mayer. Jen does all the cover art, book trailers, eBook Conversions, and also works as a developmental editor. For more information about Jen Talty please visit: jenniferstalty.com

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  Copyright

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

  COPYRIGHT © 2017

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author.