Cuffed & Claimed
Page 1
Cuffed & Claimed
Lori King
Caitlyn O’Leary
Daisy Phillips
Elle Boon
Fiona Archer
Holly S. Roberts
Jenika Snow
Lynne St. James
Sherri Hayes
Sydney Lea
Contents
Copyright
Cuffed & Claimed Description
Delta Rogue by Elle Boon
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
About the Author
Other Books By Elle Boon
Arresting Submission by Daisy Philips
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
About the Author
Other Books by Daisy Philips
In His Custody by Fiona Archer
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
About the Author
Also by Fiona Archer
Street Justice by Holly S. Roberts
Dedication
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
About the Author
Also by Holly S. Roberts
Yes, Sir by By Jenika Snow
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Author Bio
Also by Jenika Snow
The Lawman’s Lover by Lori King
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
About the Author
Also By Lori King
House Arrest by Lynne St. James
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
About the Author
Other Books by Lynne St. James
Seducing the Detective by Sherri Hayes
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
About the Author
Other Books by Sherri Hayes
Dirty Liars by Sydney Lea
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Sydney Lea
Her Heart’s Protector by Caitlyn O’Leary
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
About the Author
Books by Caitlyn O’Leary
Text Copyright © September 2016 Romance Rebels Publishing
Art and Logo © September 2016 Romance Rebels Publishing
All rights reserved.
* * *
Collection Creator: Romance Rebel Publishing
Cover by: Sinfully Sweet Cover Design
Formatting by: Stacey Price
* * *
EBooks are not transferrable.
This book is intended for the purchaser’s sole use. Sharing, or downloading to other individuals or devices is illegal.
This work is fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is purely coincidental. All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author, except in the case of quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Cuffed & Claimed Description
What's better than an Alpha man in uniform?
* * *
Ten of them. Turn up the heat with ten BRAND-NEW law enforcement stories from some of the hottest USA Today, Amazon, and International best-selling romance authors around. These commanding men in uniform will fulfill your every sinful fantasy, and leave you panting for more.
* * *
Her Hearts Protector by: Caitlyn O’Leary
Arresting Submission by: Daisy Philips
Delta Rogue by: Elle Boon
In His Custody by: Fiona Archer
Street Justice by: Holly S. Roberts
Yes, Sir by: Jenika Snow
The Lawman’s Lover by: Lori King
House Arrest by: Lynne St. James
Seducing the Detective by: Sherri Hayes
Dirty Liars by: Sydney Lea
Delta Rogue by Elle Boon
Seal Team Phantom Series #3
Hailey’s tired of seeing men she considers her brothers nearly killed. The Navy was the one place she considered home, until now.
* * *
Maddox is used to playing cat and mouse; his job is to keep the United States safe from terrorists. However, the ends always outweighed his own needs. Only this time, with Hailey’s life hanging in the balance, it wasn’t the same.
* * *
As threats escalate, and Hailey is placed under his care 24/7, will he be able to keep things professional? Or will it all fall apart as secrets are uncovered and the threats are closer than either thought?
I’d like to dedicate this book to the men and women who serve and protect our country in any form, from the military, to the police, to the firemen and firewomen, to the medical workers, and beyond. Also, to the loved ones of those who serve and protect us. Thank you so much for your sacrifices.
* * *
Love and Hugs,
Elle
1
Hailey Ashley looked at the lock on her apartment door, and then at the computer screen again. Ever since the man she’d called friend and team member, Dex, had betrayed their team, she’d been living in a state of fear. A game of hide and seek and waiting, until he decided to come and take her out. Th
e other guys were big bad SEALs, while she was the only woman in the group, whom he would consider an easy target. Until a few weeks ago, she was pretty confident she was as badass as they were. Now, she wasn’t so sure. Hell, Blake Anderson was one of the toughest men she knew, and he’d been drugged by the asshole, and taken hostage.
A shudder worked its way through her at the image of the other man lying in the hospital bed. Luckily for him, he had JoJo, another SEAL member, and his lover. Both men were so in love, she sometimes envied their closeness. “I’m freaking pathetic,” she groaned to the empty room.
Thinking back, she wondered how they’d missed the fact Dex had been working for another faction. They all lived in the Steinem apartment building, or at least they had, and hung out regularly. Now, she wasn’t sure where Dex was, or Maddox Lopez for that matter. When Dex had shown his true colors and allowed Blake to be kidnapped, then tried to take Alexa Gordon in order to trade her to some unknown person, all so he could make a quick buck, he’d betrayed them all. She was the only one out of the team who’d kept a separate apartment in another location, or at least she thought she was. Now, she questioned everything she’d thought she’d known.
The ringing of her landline startled her, but she let it go to voicemail. More than likely, the same person was calling again. “I don’t know anything,” she said aloud even though she was alone. Somehow a computerized voice would call her at all hours, demanding answers to questions she didn’t have. Her job on the team was not glamorous, or even dangerous. She blended, or if the target was female, then she became the friend and confidante. Hailey drew the line at sleeping with a target.
Tired of staring at the walls, and waiting around to be killed, she unfolded her legs from the sitting position. In a pair of black leggings and a tank top that read Shut the Fuck up, she slipped on a pair of tennis shoes, then grabbed her backpack. After making sure her gun was safely inside, she headed toward the door. For weeks she’d hid in her home, only going out to get groceries in broad daylight like a coward. She hadn’t seen any of the men she’d gotten used to seeing on a daily basis, the ones she’d called friends. For three years, she lived and worked and had no other friends in South Dakota, thanks to her job. Well, she was not going to sit around and mope or fret anymore.
Mind made up, she unlocked the deadbolts one at a time, then took a deep breath and stepped into the hall. The quietness was alarming, but she reassured herself it was normal. She turned back around and relocked the door, then with a press of a button, engaged the security system on her keychain. She may be ready to get out, but she wasn’t stupid.
When she didn’t encounter a soul in the elevator or the lobby, she exhaled a deep breath. One obstacle down, several more to go. Keeping her head up and her mind alert, Hailey continued to head toward where she kept her Ducati Monster 696. With her keys palmed, she pulled the helmet off the handlebars, strapped it on, then straddled the bike. The sound of the engine roaring to life made her feel alive for the first time in weeks.
She leaned forward over the gas tank, maneuvering out of the parking spot and headed out of the garage. The sound of a vehicle coming up behind her, set off alarms in her overly tired brain. While she waited for the bar to go up, she looked behind herself and saw a blacked-out sedan coming up the ramp. Without a second thought, she eased around the guard rail, and left before whoever was in the vehicle could get within shooting distance. Her fight or flight instinct took over before she could think twice, choosing to run as fast as she could.
The sun going down blazed a bright orange and yellow trail as she gunned the engine, putting much-wanted space between her and the vehicle. Swerving between traffic, she tried to picture the license plate, and cursed herself for not paying closer attention. If Mad or one of the other guys had been there, they’d have made sure to get details, or more than likely, they’d have stayed and confronted whoever was in the vehicle.
As the miles passed, she finally let herself cry for the first time. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and dried from the wind while she drove. Her stomach ached from lack of food, making her decision to get out of the apartment apparent. Another loop up the winding road, and she promised herself she’d head back to town for dinner. At the very top, she saw a small roadside area and decided to stop to watch the sunset. With nobody else on the road, the need to take advantage of the perfect moment was too hard to ignore. She hated the thought of heading back to Ohio to her family with her tail between her legs. Sure, they’d hug her and tell her they loved her, but afterward, she would never hear the end of the ‘I told you so’s’, or even worse, ‘that girls aren’t cut out for that line of work’ speeches. No matter how much better of a shot she was than her brothers and cousins, or the fact she could kick their asses in hand to hand, it all came back to the fact that her family believed a woman’s place was in the home, taking care of the kids.
The sound of her tires rolling over the gravel echoed around her. She stopped the bike and sat up, cracking her back from being bent over for so long. Taking off the helmet, she shook out her hair, and sat for a few minutes. Pushing the kickstand down, she hopped off and went to stand near the edge of the cliff off to the side. The sound of wildlife like a symphony. Going home shouldn’t feel like a prison sentence, dammit.
With a resigned sigh, she turned back toward where she’d left her bike.
Headlights coming up the road highlighted the area, making her scramble to reach the Ducati before they got to where she’d parked. With her heart in her throat, Hailey came to a hard realization she wasn’t going to make it, as the large truck pulled in behind her motorcycle. She slipped her backpack off, grabbed her gun out, and trained it on the large man exiting.
Maddox, aka Mad Lopez, rounded the front of his Dodge Ram looking way too good for Hailey’s mindset. Dressed in a pair of jeans that molded to his muscular thighs, and a tight white T-shirt, she felt her mouth go dry.
“Nice night for a ride, Hales.” Maddox’s deep rumble had all her girlie parts standing up and taking notice.
She tilted her head, but didn’t lower her weapon. “Why are you here, Mad?”
He shrugged his massive shoulders, making her want to run her fingers over his muscles. How the man could keep his white shirts pristine, she had no clue. As the seconds turned to a minute, she began to fidget, but refused to say another word.
Taking a step closer to her bike, her thought was to get on it and leave him standing on the side of the road. His dark eyes gleamed as if he already figured out her plans, and was two steps ahead of her.
The sound of another approaching vehicle made Hailey tense. “What the fuck? I swear to all that is holy, this is usually a deserted stretch of road at this time of night.” No sooner had the words left her mouth than a spray of bullets pinged the ground in front of her. Maddox shocked her as he sprinted toward her, throwing his body in front of hers, then rolling them both away from their vehicles.
Hailey held her breath, the jarring of the fall somewhat cushioned as she rolled with the man who held her securely in his arms. The closer they got to the edge of the cliff, the more she began to struggle.
“Dammit, don’t fucking fight me. Those bullets are not fake, Hellion,” he grunted.
She almost felt bad, knowing he was taking the brunt of their fall. His nickname for her had always made her smile, yet now she wanted to knee him in the nuts. Since they’d left the hospital, she’d been all alone, thinking about her future. Or wondering when she was going to be taken out. Not once had any of the men she’d been working with had the decency to call and check on her. Of course, she understood JoJo and Blake’s reasoning, but Maddox was supposed to be her friend. Hell, she thought he cared a little more than that.
Their rolling came to a stop a few feet into the timber with her lying beneath him. Looking up into his dark eyes, she couldn’t help but be mesmerized. His lashes were longer than most women’s, and his unblinking stare made you think he truly could see inside your soul. On
ly the man was heartless. He’d told her time and time again he didn’t do love and forever. She’d told him she didn’t do one-nighters. They’d come to an agreement that they would be friends and nothing more. However, that didn’t mean she didn’t fantasize about him daily, or nightly.
“Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll say screw the men pursuing you and fuck you right where you are.” Maddox traced a finger along her jaw.
His words made her flinch. Trying for a nonchalance she didn’t feel, she smirked. “I was just thinking how incredibly unfair it was you had such girlie lashes, while us women had to put mascara on to achieve the same effect. Now, if you’d get your big ass off me, we should probably be seeing if the fucks who were shooting at you are still up there.” She gave a hard shove to his chest.
He bent his head a little closer. “Little liar. That’s okay, though. I’ll let you get by with it for now.” He shoved up onto his knees. “The vehicle is gone already.” Maddox stood, holding his hand out.
Hailey pretended not to notice and scrambled up, standing beside Maddox. At five foot six to his little over six feet, she felt small, especially since he was well over two hundred pounds of pure muscle, and wasn’t afraid to show it. “What makes you so sure they aren’t parked and waiting for us to come back up?”
Maddox shrugged. “I heard the vehicle as it raced away when several other cars came by. I’m assuming they were hoping to catch you alone.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Or, you led them here, or they were following you. Nobody knew I was coming here, not even me, big guy.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. Score one for her.
“Hales, don’t push me, okay. I was just coming by to check on you when I saw you fly out of the garage on your little bike. I noticed an SUV following you, but with your driving, you lost them. I didn’t realize we’d picked up another tail. I’m thinking if we check your bike out, we’d find a tracker on it. Want to test my theory?”