by Beth Abbott
“No, beautiful girl.” He murmured. “I’m not your Guardian Angel. Because, if I had been, I’d never have let those bastards do this to you!”
All he could do was pray that those sick fuckers could be traced through the DNA they’d sprayed all over her body!
Danny bolted upright, feeling the slosh of the liquid spilling from the glass as it tipped onto the sun-lounger.
He’d dreamt of her again!
Every damned time he closed his eyes, all he could see was her face, her body. The bruises, cuts and unmistakable evidence of unconscionable horrors!
He’d reluctantly handed her over to the medics when they’d finally arrived, and walked away with a heavy heart.
He’d given the police a written account of how he’d found her, even down to drawing them a God-damned picture.
But no way would he speak to anyone about it!
Evil like that should never be spoken about, lest it find a way to live again through repeating the words.
He’d known that JT had been worried about him for a while. He’d been so out of sorts, and JT never missed anything.
But when he’d realised the price for a peaceful life was to pretend to his friends that he’d gone back to his womanising ways, then pretend he did!
Nobody needed to know that he’d been living the life of a monk for the last six months!
Nobody needed to know that every damned night for the last six months he’d woken up in a full body sweat, gasping for breath and whispering the same name!
Hannah!
****
Before you go……….
A message from the author.
Hi there,
I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to read Invisible, Book One of the Alpha Company Women Series. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favourite authorized retailer, or consider leaving a review.
If you would like to get in touch with me to let me know what you thought, find out when my next book is out, or even pass on some constructive criticism, I would love to hear from you.
Also, if you want to be added to my mailing list to know when I have new books being released or even offers (freebies!) on different sites, just e-mail ‘List’ to the address below.
You can find me here;
Website; http://www.bethabbottbooks.com
Follow me here; http://www.facebook.com/bethabbott2016
Or E-mail me here; mailto:[email protected]
Or check out my Author pages on Amazon.
I’d also like to appeal to your generosity.
When you downloaded this book, it was given to you for free. That was my choice, and you’re very welcome, even if you choose not to read any of the other books in the series.
But if you enjoyed it, and you’re able, would you please consider making a donation to one of my favourite charities?
In the UK, I support Help For Heroes, a wonderful charity that helps our veterans and wounded military personal through rehabilitation.
In the US, I support activeheroes.org, a charity that is working tirelessly to wipe out veteran/military suicide.
Please go along to my website for details on how you can donate to these wonderful charities, as every pound or dollar can really make a difference.
You can find the link here;
http://www.bethabbottbooks.com/my-favourite-charities-can-you-help-too/
Or if you have another charity you would be happy to give to instead, then please do so. There are many worthwhile causes that could use your help.
To every one of you who is able to help, thank you so much.
Take care,
Beth
xx
Read on to find out more about Beth Abbott
About the Author
Beth Abbott is a married mum of three boys who lives in South Wales. She works full time, and spends every free minute tapping away on her poor abused laptop!
She’s an avid reader of many genres, loves films, music and watching most sports.
Beth’s also a huge tennis fan, and more specifically is a massive Andy Murray supporter.
One of the smartest things Beth ever did was to pick 2015 as the year to follow the GB team in the Davis Cup, and she’s very proud to say that she and her husband went to every day of every round, right up to and including the finals in Ghent, Belgium, where GB lifted the trophy. With two vuvuzelas and a huge Welsh-Scottish flag (along with the obligatory Union Jack of course!), if you were there and didn’t see her, then you almost certainly heard her!
Beth started writing the Alpha Company Series of books after a break from writing of two decades, but felt compelled to start writing again as she had so many voices in her head.
Ignoring her husband’s suggestion that she should try medication, she grabbed her laptop and started tapping away. Within hours she knew she wasn’t just writing another short story.
The Alpha Company Women Series was born!
Luke and Ellen came first, swiftly followed by the rest of the Alpha Company characters.
Before she had even finished writing Invisible, Beth was already planning four books. But then before she finished the third book, Concealed, she knew that she couldn’t leave CJ without telling her story, and without blinking, books five and six were in the works.
Even though she always knew her books would be about military veterans, Beth always imagined that she would base them in America, because that’s where most of the books she reads are based. Imagine her surprise when her first book ended up being set not only in the UK, but just outside of Birmingham, in the Midlands, a place she has absolutely no connection with whatsoever.
Gradually though, the books have moved over to the US, and the start of Relentless, heralds the move from the Alpha Company Women Series to the Stalwart Security Series, most of which will be based in the States, albeit with a few excursions to far-away places.
But for those of you who have fallen in love with the Alpha Company Family, fear not. You’re not the only ones. They will be in and out of the Stalwart stories, as and when storylines allow it.
Read on for a Q&A Session with Beth Abbott.
Interview with Beth Abbott.
Q1. Which is your favourite book of the Alpha Company Women Series?
A. It depends which one I read last. I’ve had to go back and re-edit them countless times and each time that particular one becomes my favourite all over again. If pushed, I’d say it was probably a tie between books 4, Healing and 6, Impossible.
Book 4 had so many threads going through it, it was really complicated to write. It was also my chance to tell Suzy and Matt’s story, so that has a definite place in my heart. But I loved my new characters in Book 6 as well, and there are quite a few funny moments in it too, which I loved writing, so yeah, those two.
Although now I come to think about it, Book 5…. Ok. Move on….!
Q2. Who is your favourite Alpha Company Male character?
A. Oh, that’s easy… Danny! No, Drew! No, JT….! Dammit! Do I have to pick just one? There are so many reasons to pick one over another.
To write about, it would have to be Danny, because any ridiculous situation that I can imagine, I can always assign to him, because he’s just this mad-cap, larger than life, happy-go-lucky character that has a heart of absolute gold.
Who do I have a soft spot for? That’s a close one, but I would have to give it to Drew. He’s just one of life’s good guys who goes out of his way to help everyone.
Who am I married to? Hah! That’s easy…Thomas!
Q3. Who is your favourite Alpha Company Female character?
A. Hmm. Tough one…
I think it would have to be Hannah. She’s been through so much, but she’s come back from the brink and is an absolute fire-cracker. She’s smart, sassy, brave and loving. All wrapped up neatly as a five-feet nothing Queen of Badass!
Q4. Which of your female characters are you most l
ike?
A. I don’t think any of them is based on me, certainly not looks wise.
Maybe I can see bits of me in Ellen, Alice and Vicky, but then I like to think I’m loyal like Suzy, a Momma-bear like CJ, and as ‘Impossible’ as Sara. I’ve definitely had my Badass moments like Hannah!
Oh, and I absolutely have the same sense of humour as Brunette Barbie. (Book 6, Impossible - Motel room scene is an excellent example.)
Q5. What would you do if you won the lottery tomorrow?
A. Oh, that’s the simplest one to answer yet - I’d buy tickets for every major sporting event on the planet, and then, when we had a quiet week, I’d send my hubby off playing golf with his buddies, while my BFF and I went stalking Ryan Reynolds, Chris Hemsworth, Channing Tatum, Charlie Hunnam and possibly Henry Cavill. (In rotation.)
Not that I’ve ever given it much thought…
Q6. What makes you laugh?
A. Danny. And Matt. And Brunette Barbie.
Q7. What makes you cry?
A. Apart from the obvious?
National Anthems.
No seriously! My kids actually come in the room to watch me listen to the National Anthem when I watch Wales play rugby on TV. They think it’s hilarious.
But watching any sportsperson stand up for their National Anthem when they’ve achieved something always gets to me, as I imagine how proud I’d be if I was their wife or mum.
Q8. What would you do if you no longer had to work and money was no object?
A. Apart from the things listed under Q5? Well, that’s also easy…
I’d write.
But not edit and publish!
That’s the bit I hate most. It’s so time-consuming, and it’s almost impossible to get everything perfect without an army of helpers, which honestly, I haven’t got.
I’d write my stories full-time and have someone else do all the stuff I hate.
Q9. Aside from your own books, who are your favourite authors?
A. You mean I have to boost their sales as well?
Oh, if I must… Hang on while I grab my Kindle….
Ok, well in the non-romance genre, I absolutely love Peter James’ Roy Grace series. Best detective series ever. Who knew there were so many crimes going on in Brighton?
As for romance books, I like all sorts, from the downright filthy to the sweet and clean, the side-splittingly funny to the heart-breakingly tragic. That’s probably why there’s a bit of everything in my own books.
So, in alphabetical order, straight from my Kindle to yours…I’d recommend;
Melody Anne (Most)
Lexi Buchanan
Nicola Claire
Kaylea Cross (Everything)
Sylvia Day (Crossfire)
Nicole Edwards (Absolutely everything.)
MJ Fields (Absolutely everything.)
Jennifer Foor (Everything)
J Kenner (Stark/Most Wanted)
Lora Leigh
Gennita Low
J M Madden (Everthing)
Kallypso Masters (Rescue Me)
Stephenie Meyer (Twilight Series - yes really!)
Eve Rabi (Brace yourself first! - Absolutely everything.)
JC Reed
Cherise Sinclair (Masters of the Shadowlands)
Karen Rose
J S Scott
J M Walker/AKA Jo-Anna Walker (Torn/Shattered)
Dahlia West (Stark Ink/Burnout)
Please check before buying any books by the above authors, that the content is suitable for your needs. Some of them can be quite…steamy! Definitely not for the faint-hearted or the easily offended.
But all brilliant.
Q10. You stated that you like music. What are you listening to at the moment?
A. Now I’m glad you asked me that.
Normally my tastes vary wildly, from Queen to the Who, Michael Buble to Ed Sheeran, Adelle to Meghan Trainor.
But we were in Orlando for Easter this year, and my husband had the radio tuned to the country music channels. So every time we went anywhere, all we kept hearing was the Jason Aldean track Burnin’ it Down. I’m ashamed to admit that I’d never heard of him, because in the UK, we just don’t get to hear many American Country singers on the radio (especially male singers for some reason).
So anyway, by day two, my youngest and I were singing along with it, and by day three, I went out and bought every album he’s ever made, and they’re now on my phone on a loop, and I play them all the time via Bluetooth speakers I have dotted around the place. When I’m driving, when I’m writing - even when I sleep I have them playing for a bit of background music.
I’m even listening to them as I write this.
Seriously? It’s driving my husband nuts!
I’m not sure why I like his songs so much, other than that they have great lyrics and he has an awesome voice.
I guess with his real surname being Williams, it must be the Welsh connection. Duh! Obviously!