Scarred: A Mountain Man Romance

by J. R. Ryder

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 (Mandy)

  Chapter 2 (Jasper)

  Chapter 3 (Mandy)

  Chapter 4 (Jasper)

  Chapter 5 (Mandy)

  Chapter 6 (Jasper)

  Chapter 7 (Mandy)

  Chapter 8 (Jasper)

  Chapter 9 (Mandy)

  Chapter 10 (Jasper)

  Chapter 11 (Mandy)

  Chapter 12 (Jasper)

  Chapter 13 (Mandy)

  Chapter 14 (Jasper)

  Chapter 15 (Mandy)

  Chapter 16 (Jasper)

  Chapter 17 (Mandy)

  Chapter 18 (Jasper)

  Chapter 19 (Mandy)

  Chapter 20 (Jasper)

  Chapter 21 (Mandy)

  Chapter 22 (Jasper)

  Chapter 23 (Mandy)

  Chapter 24 (Jasper)

  Chapter 25 (Mandy)

  Chapter 26 (Jasper)

  Chapter 27 (Mandy)

  Chapter 28 (Jasper)

  Chapter 29 (Mandy)

  Chapter 30 (Jasper)

  Chapter 31 (Mandy)

  Chapter 32 (Jasper)

  Chapter 33 (Mandy)

  Chapter 34 (Jasper)

  Chapter 35 (Mandy)

  Chapter 36 (Jasper)

  Chapter 37 (Mandy)

  Chapter 38 (Jasper)

  Chapter 39 (Mandy)

  Chapter 40 (Jasper)

  Chapter 41 (Mandy)

  Chapter 42 (Jasper)

  Chapter 43 (Mandy)

  Chapter 44 (Jasper)

  Epilogue (Mandy)

  Chapter 1 (Tanya)

  Chapter 2 (Everett)

  Chapter 3 (Tanya)

  Chapter 4 (Everett)

  Chapter 5 (Tanya)

  Chapter 6 (Everett)

  Chapter 7 (Tanya)

  Chapter 8 (Everett)

  Chapter 9 (Tanya)

  Chapter 10 (Everett)

  Chapter 11 (Tanya)

  Chapter 12 (Everett)

  Chapter 13 (Tanya)

  Chapter 14 (Everett)

  Chapter 15 (Tanya)

  Chapter 16 (Everett)

  Chapter 17 (Tanya)

  Chapter 18 (Everett)

  Chapter 19 (Tanya)

  Epilogue (Everett)

  Chapter 1 (Elaine)

   Copyright 2018 by J.R. Ryder - All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document by either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

  SCARRED

  A MOUNTAIN MAN ROMANCE

  By: J.R. RYDER

  CONTENTS

  SCARRED

  BOOK DESCRIPTION

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER 37

  CHAPTER 38

  CHAPTER 39

  CHAPTER 40

  CHAPTER 41

  CHAPTER 42

  CHAPTER 43

  CHAPTER 44

  EPILOGUE

  EXCLUSIVE: ONE MORE TIME

  EXCLUSIVE: OBSESSION

  EXCLUSIVE: CLAIMED

  SCARRED DESCRIPTION

  Fierce. Protective…and Broken.

  Tortured by a past that torments my mind.

  My demons swinging from the ceilings.

  I was her dark, mysterious savior.

  Defenceless. Her fate in my hands.

  I saved her. Claimed her. Owned her.

  And she is a godsend.

  Teasing lips. Curves to die for.

  Everything I need… everything I want… and then some.

  Obsession? No doubt.

  Our perfect little universe seemed all too perfect.

  And I was right…

  Taken. That f*cker.

  Back from the dead and ready to kill.

  An empty shell of a man out for the ultimate revenge.

  I’ll track down that animal.

  He’s taken his shot. But I’ve cheated death before.

  The only question, when I fire back, who’ll get shot down?

  CLICK HERE to join Jessie’s VIP Readers Club and receive an EXCLUSIVE preview of my upcoming MC Romance.

  Copyright 2018 J.R. Ryder; All Rights Reserved

  SCARRED

  Chapter 1 (Mandy)

  “Hey Mandy, do you want to grab a few drinks with us?”

  I looked up to find my partner standing in front of my desk, thumbs hooked into his belt in his typical stance.

  “Huh?”

  “We’re headed to Patty’s for some drinks.” He repeated. “I thought you might want to come. We’ve all been working hard this week. We deserve a break.”

  “I think I’ll pass.”

  “Are you sure?” He asked, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

  Henry was an older man who had seen it all. He had been on the force for twenty-five years. Most nights he clocked out early, saying he no longer had the patience to work the long hours like the newbies.

  “Yeah. I’m just finishing up here.”

  “That’s what you told me last time. Yet, when I came in the next morning, you were still here. You’re working too damn hard Mandy. You’ll burn yourself out.”

  “I won’t do that this time. I just feel I’m onto something… I want to follow the lead while it’s still hot. It’s exciting, you know?”

  “Hold on. Is this still the Hitchcock case?”

  I smiled and nodded back at him.

  “You’ve been taken off that case, Mandy. You have no jurisdiction snooping around anymore. Plus, talk about a conflict of interest.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend anymore,” I said, voice curt. Before he could say anything else I got to my feet and headed for the breakroom, trying to avoid the lecture he was about to give me.

  “Well, if you decide to give yourself a break, you know where to find us.”

  “Yep, Yep. Will do.”I said as I disappeared through the doors.

  The break room was a miserable, pokey little place - barely larger than a supply closet. Inside, lockers went right across one wall, always overspilling with coats and bags that were stuffed inside. We had one kettle, only large enough to make two cups of tea at a time, and about ten mugs between us. The smell of coffee and bad milk always hung in the air. Tucked away in the corner was an ancient looking microwave that would sputter to a dead stop after three minutes of use. We were probably all slowly dying from some sort of radiation poisoning just standing in this room.

  “Mandy!”I looked up. Fucking brilliant. Sat on the single tattered couch was Roger, a detective from my graduating class. While we were in training he had hit on me c
ountless times, always trying to take me out on a date. He never seemed to get the message that I wasn’t into him. He just wasn’t my type.

  “Roger, hey.” I glanced over and smiled politely in his direction before turning to face the selection of coffee, trying to look busy. Not that there was much of a choice. The dark roast looked like a safe bet. I started up the machine and filled the reservoir with water. I should have guessed that Rodger would come and talk to me as I waited for it to boil. He got up, carefully folding his newspaper and placing it on the counter. “What are you still doing here? I thought your shift ended already.”

  “It did. I’m just tieing up a few loose ends and then I’ll be off home.”

  He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “The Hitchcock case?”

  “It’s really none of your business.” I snapped. That was one thing that I really disliked about him. He was so damn nosy.

  “Oh come on, maybe I can help.” He offered, stepping even closer.

  “Roger.” I held up my hand in warning. “I don’t want to be the bitch here, but I’ve told you plenty of times that I’m not interested.”

  He sighed. “I get it. You’re still trying to get over him, aren’t you? That’s why you’re trying so hard to crack this case.”

  “This has nothing to do with him.” I clenched my teeth in frustration. Why did everyone think that I was still so hung up on my ex-boyfriend?

  I didn’t care about him.

  Not anymore.

  Not after I found the truth.

  Well, almost. I was still working on it…

  “Look, all I’m saying is that I can help. You don’t have to kill yourself over this if you don’t want to.”

  “And I’m telling you, for the final time, that I can do this on my own.”

  Roger ran his fingers through his long greasy hair. “You always were a stubborn one.” He said with a mischievous grin. “I think that’s why I’ve always tried so hard to get your attention.”

  My brows furrowed in confusion.

  “Never mind. Enjoy your coffee. I’ll see you around.” With a wave, he left the room. That was rather odd behavior, even for him. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, but he certainly seemed like he was up to something. Then again, it could just be my paranoia setting in.

  Truth be told, I shouldn’t even be working on this case. After my lieutenant found out I was dating one of the Hitchcock family members, he immediately took me off the detective squad. But I wasn’t the kind of girl who takes no for an answer.

  I still had some of the case files on my computer and with a little bit of digging around, I managed to get rest of the files I was missing. I was on a one-woman mission to undercover the darkest secrets of my ex-boyfriend and his family.

  I’ll say one thing; they are damn good at covering up their tracks. Their history is so muddled that no one can really figure out what they're up to or how they’re getting all their money. Theories include casino rigs, siphoning money from various banks, and the obvious drug cartel. My gut feeling is that there is a whole lot more going on than any of us could imagine. And I sure hope I prove myself wrong because my guess is it is something much darker.

  I don’t know what. But I made it my job to find out.

  With this newfound motivation, I grabbed my mug and headed back to my desk.

  By this time the station was nearly empty. The few people that were still around looked so tired and drained to give a shit about anything I was doing. Since it was a Friday, most people had gone home as soon as their shift was over.

  Soon only the night square remained, and they were a dismal group.

  Then again, we didn’t need much protection. Located on the outskirts of a national forest, we were a sleepy little town that usually kept to the straight and narrow.

  It made my job easier but it could also make it incredibly boring.

  Sometimes I wondered why I didn’t move to a bigger city, like New York or Boston. There was sure to be excitement there – perhaps more than I could handle – but exciting nonetheless.

  I am sure I would find a decent guy in a big city office too. Rather than some asshole whose parents were probably head of a mafia crime family or something.

  I sighed, reclining in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest. I could already tell this was going to be a long night.

  ***

  “Mandy.” Someone shook me awake.

  I jerked in my seat, knocking over my coffee. Fuck. It spilled all over my paperwork.

  My eyes widened and I jumped into action grabbing tissue after tissue, frantically trying to clean up the mess and salvage my much-needed notes. This is exactly why most people make their notes on their computers these days.

  After using almost an entire tissue box, I looked up to find Keith standing there.

  I froze and my heart thudded in my chest.

  What was he doing here?

  I blinked and quickly got to my feet, one hand on my gun. “Leave. Now.” I instructed.

  He held up his hands in innocence. “Relax, Mandy.”

  I did anything but. My body was still tense. My fingers tightening around the handle of my gun. “What are you doing here at three in the morning?” I asked, trying to keep my voice as level as possible. I liked to pride myself on being just as tough as everyone else in the department but sometimes I had my moments of weakness.

  And, Keith was one of them.

  There was just something about him that made me nervous. Maybe it was that intense gaze or the way he seemed to own the world.

  Why had I ever dated this creep? I knew exactly why. There was just something about his arrogance and bad boy demeanor that simultaneously infuriated me and drew me in closer.

  But he was a mistake. No doubt about that.

  At least I never slept with him. Well, he never wanted to sleep with me. Maybe he didn’t find me attractive or something…

  “I just wanted to check up on you.” He said, breaking my train of thought.

  I blinked, trying to reorient myself. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. What did he want from me?

  “Why would you need to check up on me? We aren’t dating anymore, Keith.”

  “That doesn’t mean that I don’t still care about you.” He flashed one of his signature smiles, flicking his hair to the side. His bangs covered his left eye which was rendered permanently blind after a street fight. He never cared to give me much more detail, so I always had my suspicions about what really happened.

  “I told you. Get out.”

  “Why do you have to be like that?” He growled.

  I stepped back and swallowed hard. Keith was prone to mood swings, a furious temper that could kick in at any time. I had seen it and it was downright scary. One moment he is happy and calm and in a flash, he will glare at you like he’s ready to tear your head off.

  “Calm down, ok?”

  He laughed in his throat. “Oh, now you want me to calm down, do you?” He approached my desk and peered over at my documents.

  Before I could stop him, he snagged a folder and flipped through it.

  “Hey! You can’t read that!”

  “You’re still investigating my family…” He turned. His voice eerily calm.

  I gulped. I knew that look. The calm right before the storm.

  “It’s my assignment.” I lied, hoping to sound convincing.

  “Like hell it is.” He snapped, giving me a fiery glare. In a fit of rage, he threw down the folder and grabbed me by the arms, tightening his fingers like a vice.

  I flinched and fought but was unable to break out of his grasp.

  “If you were smart, you’d stop putting your nose where it doesn’t belong or you’re going to end up getting hurt.” He warned.

  “Is that a threat?”

  At that moment Roger appeared, puffing out his chest trying to look bigger than he really was.

  “And, who the hell are you?” Keith growled, looking like a wild animal about to attack
.

  I shook my head at Roger, trying to signal that he should get involved.

  “I suggest you leave before I’m forced to arrest you.”

  “Arrest me?” Keith chuckled. “That’s funny.”

  “Is it?” Roger pulled out his handcuffs. “Just try me.”

  Without warning, Keith threw a punch. It landed squarely on Roger’s jaw. He was out for the count, collapsing onto the ground with a loud thud.

  My eyes widened, rushing to his side. “Roger!”

  “Pathetic.” Keith shook his head. He was about to leave when other members of the department surrounded him, including the night lieutenant who wore a sour expression on his face. “Oh, I’m so scared.” He taunted. “All these big bad officers are going to arrest me.”

  Keith had downright lost his mind.

  As they approached him he lunged forward, tackling one of the newbies to the ground. He exploded, throwing down punch after punch, breaking the officer’s nose with a sickening snap.