Ladies Love Lawmen: When It's A Matter of The Heart or Death...
Page 1
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Other Titles by D'Ann Lindun
Rescued
Blurb
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Longshot
Blurb
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
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
Dangerous Destiny
Blurb
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Black Mountain Justice
Blurb
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Wild Horses
Blurb
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
Check Out More Black Mountain Books!
About the Author
Ladies Love Lawmen:
When It’s the Matter of the Heart or Death…
D’Ann Lindun
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction, distribution, or transmitted in whole or part in any form or means, or stored in any electronic, mechanical, database or retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
Ladies Love Lawmen: Rescued; Longshot; Dangerous Destiny; Black Mountain Justice; Wild Horses
Copyright 2017 by D’Ann Lindun
Cover Design: Kim Killion/Hot Damn Designs
Other Titles by D’Ann Lindun
The Cowboys of Black Mountain:
A Cowboy To Keep
Ladies Love Cowboys: the daughters of Clem Jamieson
Promise Me Eden
*
Mississippi Blues
Vaquero
*
Anthologies:
Cowboy Country
Cowboys Forever
Cowboy, Mine
Cowboy Time
Cowboy Yours
Dreaming Of A Hero
First Ride
Five Roads From Beltane
Holding A Hero
More Cowboy Country
Rescued
RESCUED
The last thing disgraced Search and Rescue team member, Andrea—Andy—Baines wants is to be sent on a life-or-death mission to rescue a Saudi princess trapped inside a wrecked plane. However, when Andy’s father not only requests her presence, but puts her in charge, she has no choice but to comply. No matter how sexy, a Navy SEAL distracting her is something she can’t afford.
Navy SEAL Jack Coltraine wants nothing to do with a covert operation involving a female. The last time he attempted to rescue a woman in the line of fire she lost her life, and Coltraine can’t forgive himself for her death. Nevertheless, when an old friend calls in a favor, Coltraine can’t say no.
Can Andy and Coltraine find a way to work together to save the princess…and fall in love along the way?
Dedicated to Brandi, always. I love you to the moon and around the stars and back!
With a special thank you to Melissa Keir, who makes this process so much easier!
CHAPTER ONE
“Get over here. Now.” Mick Baines’ voice boomed through the phone like a rifle shot.
When her dad used that tone of voice, it meant someone was in trouble.
Andy tossed her TV remote aside, grabbed her parka and headed for the door. As head of Elk Park’s Search and Rescue, Dad must be calling the team together.
Including her.
Dad’s giving me another chance.
Heart pumping like a piston, she navigated the first snowstorm of the season, a full-blown Colorado blizzard. Wind whipped snowflakes sideways, slamming them into the granite face of the mountains surrounding the little ski town. Lights twinkled in the windows of Victorian homes; drifts covered parked cars, making them resemble sleeping white elephants.
Although the resort hadn’t opened yet, a storm like this would have the skiers salivating. The citizens of Elk Park were used to large amounts of snow, but only snowplows had ventured out onto the slick streets this early, before seven a.m.
Making her way along a narrow, one-way avenue, Andy gaped when she spotted the sea of cars packed into the SAR parking lot. Among them sat scattered satellite trucks. Every news organization in the country, heck the world, had to be in Elk Park. Adrenaline rushed through her. Who was down? Somebody important, for sure.
She found a spot halfway down the block and killed the engine. For a half second, she gripped the steering wheel and checked out the wall of cars. Close to the door sat the rest of the team’s vehicles. She recognized Mick’s Jeep of course. And the vehicles of Frank, Howler, Mooney.
Gabriella’s Hummer.
Andy fought down a wave of nausea. How could she face Gabriella? And with the world watching?
What was Mick thinking, bringing them back together?
Forcing her fingers to unfurl, Andy opened the Jeep’s door. With a deep breath, she ducked into the storm. A mass of people swarmed toward her, stuffing microphones in her face, screaming questions she didn’t have answers for.
“Where is the princess?”
“What is the body count?
“Who’s in charge of the rescue?”
“Does this have anything to do with 9/11?”
“Is this a terrorist attack?”
Before she reached the old stone building, her eyelashes were frozen and her nose felt colder than Frosty the Snowman’s. With her heart picking up speed by the second, she stepped inside the hallway of the Santa Maria County Courthouse. One reporter tried to follow, but Andy slammed the heavy glass door in the woman’s eager face.
A blast of heat melted the snow off Andy’s knitted cap, sending a rivulet of water running down her left cheek as she headed for the Search and Rescue offices in the basement.
At the meeting room, she hovered in the doorway until Mick caught her eye and motioned her inside. He sat on his desk, one leg hanging, the other foot on the floor, steadying his bulky frame. His ruddy face looked redder than normal, but maybe it was because he wore a buffalo plaid shirt over a black turtleneck. Andy unzipped her parka. Wearing similar clothing to her dad’s, plus long underwear, wool socks and Sorel boots, she had dressed for action, not sitting in an overheated office.
Andy took her usual place by the coffee pot, poured herself a cup—thick as old paint—and looked around. The aroma of her coffee barely covered the musty smell of the room. Housed in the basement, it was always dark, but the gray walls and no natural light didn’t help brighten the place.
The guys sat on neon orange chairs donated by the elementary school when they upgraded. Gabriella stood near Howler, her hand on his shoulder. She always reminded Andy of a tigress with her wild mane and slanted gold eyes. Howler waggled his fingers at Andy, and she nodded back. Gabriella frowned.
Before Mick could address the team, a man Andy didn’t recognize strode into the room. For a minute, she just stared. The stranger’s face looked like it could have been carved from one of the mountain peaks, with no forgiveness in the hard planes. His nose had been broken at least once, probably more. His lips . . . Oh God . . . That mouth. Full lips that hinted of long sultry nights—a naughty idea of what he could probably do with his tongue made her shiver.
When their eyes met, she could’ve sworn he could read her mind, although no emotion showed in his hooded eyes. A hot flush crawled up her cheeks, but before she could drool, and make a total fool out of herself, Mick cleared his throat.
“Team, meet Lieutenant Jack Coltraine. A Navy SEAL.”
“Team.” His voice sounded raspy like he’d swallowed a truckload of desert sand. He had an intense gaze that looked right into her soul. Like he already knew all her deepest secrets. And fears.
Mick motioned toward his crew. “You’re looking at Elk Park’s finest SAR members. There are others, but these are the core members. The best.” He pointed at the nearest man. “Painter.”
“Good to meet you.” The oldest of the team, Frank Painter straddled one of the plastic chairs. His prematurely gray hair and leathery skin made him look much older than forty-five, but as head of the ski patrol, he knew his way around the slopes like no one else.
“Howell, known as Howler.”
Andy’s gaze followed Coltraine’s to Ken Howell, mountain climber extraordinaire. Blond, lithe, chiseled face, attractive enough to have been on the cover of several magazines, he had conquered K-2, Everest and every woman in between. She’d learned the hard way no woman would ever matter to him more than the siren’s song of those faraway peaks.
“Our youngest member, Mooney.”
“Dude.” Winston Mooney slouched against the wall, his waist-long dreds, baggy skater gear and lazy attitude belying a world-class snowboarder. Famous, rich, young. Like many others who resided in Elk Park. Andy disliked him intensely. She hated his cocky attitude, his hangers-on, his celebrity.
“Dude.” Coltraine’s voice was dry as desert sand.
“Savedra.” An heiress, Gabriella filled her days with skiing and SAR. And whatever man captured her fancy for the moment. Right now, that man seemed to be Howler.
“Helloooo,” she purred.
“Miss.”
Andy wondered what the stranger thought about Gabriella’s cover girl looks. Most men, including Howler, apparently, saw little more than her long hair and abundant curves. Although Gabriella might look like an angel, there was no forgiveness in her soul. Would she ever let Andy off the hook for what happened last fall?
Unlikely.
“Baines.”
Andy realized Mick had just introduced her and she straightened. “Hi.”
“Miss.” Coltraine’s deep voice sent another shiver through her. She stuffed her hands deep into her pockets to hide their trembling.
“Just Andy.”
A slight smile lifted the corner of his sexy mouth. “Andy.”
“Do you want to tell them why you’re here, Lieutenant, or do you want me to do it?” Mick asked.
He waved a hand. “Go ahead. I’ll fill in any blanks.”
Mick unrolled the large topographical map hanging on the wall behind him. “We’re going after a plane that went down late last night on the south face of Mount Blanca. The beacon shows that it is just off the peak, above timberline. We need to get in there fast, pick up any survivors and get them immediate medical attention.”
“Just a normal recovery then.” Mooney grinned. “Other than that abnormal mass of humanity outside.”
“We’ve got a sensitive situation here.” Mick looked at Coltraine. “Go ahead, fill them in.”
“Normally, I would never work with civilians, but my unit is needed in a hot spot at the moment. I’ve been assured you all are the very best at what you do.” He hesitated. “We hoped to keep this from the press, but they somehow got wind of it anyway. Do not talk to them. Period.”
“Understood,” Mick said.
Andy leaned forward. They had saved celebrities, politicians and many different vacationers, but never anyone who brought this much attention to Elk Park. Who was on board that plane?
The Lieutenant spoke. “The head of a small Mid-Eastern country needs us to rescue his daughter. She was on her way to a Canadian refuge because the sheikh feels his U.S. sympathies could possibly get his family murdered. His plane landed in Elk Park airport for refueling late last night; then minutes after it took off it crashed into Mt. Blanca. I need to get in there, recover the sheikha and escort her to safety.”
Frank spoke first. “Why only you to the rescue?” Howler’s lips curled. “What are you, a hired hand?”
A muscle in Coltraine’s jaw ticked and met Howler’s cold stare with one of his own. “Who sent me isn’t important. Getting this thing wrapped up in the least amount of time is vital. With the press here blasting the sheikha’s location to the world, we’re in a race. We have to get there before her possible assailants do.”
Andy shivered at his tone. She would hate him to unleash his wrath on her. His body looked like it might be as hard as one of the boulders that occasionally tumbled off the peaks.
Howler continued to frown. “Mick, you approved this?”
Mick nodded slowly. “We don’t have a choice. Orders came from way above my pay grade. Also, we can’t pick and choose who we go in after. No matter our feelings, we go. We know these mountains, how to get any injured and possibly dead out with the least amount of trouble.”
“Why not just hire a guide then and let us take care of the injured?” Howler stared back at Coltraine. “If you’re that good, then you know as much as we do about rescue or recovery.”
Gabriella reminded them of his title. “Yes, Lieutenant Coltraine, if you’ve been hired by the girl’s father, then why do you need us at all?”
“I wasn’t hired by the Sheikh, and that’s all I can say on it. Ordinarily, I would go in alone, but I don’t know this area. And I need a woman to help with the sheikha. Her father wouldn’t approve of me, or any other man, touching her. Your role is to guide and help me get the sheikha and her people safely out of the mountains.”
“Just what we need, a rogue cowboy,” Howler muttered.
Mick cut him off. “This mission has to be fast. We have to get the princess and her group out and back in the air as quickly as possible. It isn’t just the press that’s hunting her. If anyone wants out, speak up now.”
Andy understood Howler’s anger. If Coltraine wanted to put his life on the line for his country, that was his business, but Elk Park SAR members were volunteers. They worked for peanuts. Everyone except Gabriella and Mooney had another job.
Mick took careful stock of each one of them. He nodded at Coltraine. “We’re in.”
“Good.”
“How many on board the plane?” Frank wanted to know.
“Seven. The sheikha, two maids, her uncle, the pilot, two crew members.” Coltraine ticked them off on his fingers. “I would like to take a chopper, but the weather is too bad to make that plan feasible.”
Mick turned toward the topographical map and indicated Mount Blanca. “You can drive to the trailhead, then follow a trail to the summit. After that, you’ll have to hike, maybe even rappel, depending on the plane’s exact location.” He tapped a spot on the map. “The black box says it’s here. With the snow, conditions will be difficult.”