She didn’t disappoint.
THE FARMHOUSE IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER
Danae Dawson
After a tumultuous few weeks, The Farmhouse in Purgatory has reopened its doors for its first fall seasonal seatings. The restaurant’s new General Manager, Jake Hall, is excited for the opportunity – and that excitement dances across both plate, and palate.
Crispy pan-seared Brussels sprouts with bacon and truffle mac ‘n cheese are new menu items, along with buttermilk fried chicken served with a delightful smoked gouda polenta. Diners should save room for dessert, as the homemade caramel spiced-apple cakes are too delicious for words.
One of the most exciting additions to the fall menu comes from the new GM’s previous culinary expertise as a food truck owner of the YIPPEE PIE YAY – which offered a wide variety of specialty pies.
Celebrity Chef James McGill has taken over operations of the YIPPEE PIE YAY, and is currently shooting a television pilot with a debut scriptwriter in Knoxville. Although there had been rumor of a new culinary store opening in Knoxville, Chef McGill says for now, he’s focusing his efforts on his new food truck.
Oh! And make sure not to miss the pumpkin soup. The Farmhouse’s co-owner, Molly McGill, promises it’s worth fighting for.
About the Author
Kristi Adams is an internationally published writer, United States Air Force veteran, and military spouse. She began her writing career as a technical writer in the military, and started writing short stories and fiction in her spare time.
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Kristi's work has been featured in several international and award-winning publications, including eight bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, the military news organization, Stars and Stripes, Military Spouse Magazine, and more.
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When she's not writing, Kristi loves traveling with her husband of 13 years, wine tastings, yoga --- and practicing being an old lady by spending evenings cuddling with the family cat – Tiki, and crocheting.
Read More from Kristi Adams
www.kristiadamsmedia.com
Knight Watch
Maddie Wade & India Kells
Knight Watch © copyright 2019 Maddie Wade & India Kells
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All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Created with Vellum
Knight Watch
A British Knight and a broken woman with a dark secret.
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He left everything behind to start a new life.
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Kingsley Knight, a former UK special forces bomb tech is loving his new life in America as part of the Alliance Agency. Put in charge of the Agency’s first case, Kingsley will do everything in his power to find the missing niece of a powerful man. As the team investigates, they discover all is not as it seems, and friends soon become foes.
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She is in a fight for survival.
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At fifteen, Sydney Rutherford was the victim of a brutal assault. Fifteen years later, her past is back to haunt her, only this time, she may not escape with her life. Just when she thought all was lost, she’s rescued by a man that breaks through her defenses and shows her a future may be possible after all.
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Keeping secrets could kill them both.
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As sparks fly between Kingsley and Sydney, she realizes that she needs to trust the handsome Brit that rescued her. The only way to stop the evil chasing them is to confront her past and share her biggest secret as they race against the clock to unravel a decade's old mystery.
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Will everyone survive, or will the ultimate sacrifice be required as the Alliance Agency puts everything on the line to bring down a madman?
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CONTENT WARNING: This book contains details of sexual assault that some readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.
1
Kingsley Knight crossed his arms over his chest and a feeling of pride and contentment trickled through his veins he never could have imagined feeling twelve months ago. It had been one of the most difficult years of his life, but in some ways, he didn’t regret what had happened or his choices because they’d led him here.
He looked out across the training field at the amazing team he was part of as Cain Davies showed Emme Harris, his boss lady, how to adjust her aim for a bigger caliber weapon. Cain was an ex-undercover ATF agent and had been a recommendation from Lance who headed up the Purgatory organization. At thirty-two he was considered young to have burned out, but Kingsley knew the strain that undercover work could have on people.
Cain had jumped at the chance to sign on with the Agency, and they were lucky to have found him. He felt Shane’s best friend Nicholas Hale come to stand beside him. Shane was the co-owner of the Alliance Agency, along with his fiancé Emme. They had founded the company after getting together a few months earlier on an op that had gone terribly wrong in a lot of ways. Nick had served with Shane in the Navy as a SEAL.
“Still can’t believe you’ve made the jump to join us Yankees.”
Kingsley smiled at Nick, uncomfortable in the already hot temperature of early spring in this part of the world compared to what he was used to in the UK. “Indeed, still coming to grips with it. That and the food,” he replied with a smirk.
Nick rolled his eyes, but Kingsley could still feel a shadow on the man. Shane had told him that his friend had gone through a lot, and still needed time and work to recover fully.
His eyes caught on Caitlin Carter as she took Killian, her German Shepard, through his paces. When he had met her, she had been training Killian to replace her last dog Mayhem who had recently retired. As a K-9 handler with the LAPD, and her parents both veterinarians, she had a reputation as one of the best handlers and trainers on the force. He watched she gave Killian—who for shits and giggles she called Kill for short—a series of commands that he obeyed with a blinding loyalty. He thought that a few more K-9s on the team would be a good call. That was something to discuss with Shane and Emme for sure.
Over on the assault course the rest of the team were going through their paces. Malco Aguilar, another member of the team, was stretching his muscles off to the side before he attached the running prosthetic that gave him more absorption and energy return than a regular one. As the hostage rescue expert, he was one of the best and had an unparalleled reputation. Losing his right leg below the knee from a land mine trying to save an eight-year-old girl from her crazy, drugged up father, while working for the Green Beret’s had not stopped him in the least.
However, Kingsley knew better than most that people only allowed you to see what they wanted you to see. The group was a mix of different backgrounds which perfectly fit the diversity of work the Alliance Agency wanted to attract.
His bosses wanted to expand hard and fast and they had a flight out of Miami that night to meet a contact of his about a contract with the FBI. It was lucrative and would involve them signing an NDA which wouldn’t be a problem as most of them still had top security clearance from their previous lives.
He cast an eye at Nick as he watched Alex Webb race Wolf Murdock over the course.
It had been designed by Zack, Emm
e’s former boss at Fortis who was also an ex-SAS commander. They were some of the toughest bastards around, and this course showed why. With it built over the hilly terrain at the back of their new base of operations it meant the operator had to use agility and strength, not just brute force and muscle. It was why Caitlin, Emme, and Mercy—the three women on the team—had some of the best times on the leaderboard.
Wolf raced over the ropes with speed, and Webb had the edge as they crawled through the wet tunnels with barbed wire overhead. It was neck and neck by the time they sprinted for the finish but Webb came in a split second faster.
Shane, who had been standing on the sidelines watching started to walk toward them, a grin on his face as the two men bent at the waist and sucked in oxygen. They had been training together for a month now, and Kingsley could see they were starting to think cohesively as a unit. Kingsley knew Shane wanted everyone to be able to read each other. It could be the thing that saved their lives one day.
“Gentlemen, that was piss poor.”
It wasn’t, but Kingsley knew Shane had done it faster, and so had Zack and Lance when they tested it for him. Not by a lot but enough.
Webb looked up, his bright blue eyes holding mischief. “What’s your time, boss?”
“Three minutes nineteen seconds,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest with a grin.
Webb lost some of his arrogance, but Shane saw the determined light go on in the man’s eyes. That competitive spirit that would give him an edge.
“Again?” Wolf asked.
“Again,” Webb agreed as the two men walked back to the start to rerun the course.
Wolf Murdock was a thirty-seven-year-old former Texas Ranger. His specialty was infiltration and undercover work. The man looked like he belonged on a cattle ranch, and was often seen in cowboy boots and hat. He gave off a relaxed air that fooled most people into thinking he was safe, and they never realized he was the one hunting and stalking them. It was how he’d got his name in the service.
A woman’s scent filtered across Kingsley’s senses, even as he felt her come to stand beside him silently. It was easy to recognize Emme’s signature perfume.
“What time did they make?” she asked her British accent a reminder that he wasn’t home anymore.
“Three minutes, twenty-seven seconds.”
He watched her nod and then swivel around as they heard Cleo approach. Now, that woman had been a surprise. Slim with pale purple hair and the sweetest smile. It was all a ruse though, because their new office manager was a shark in clownfish clothing.
She had already whipped the office into shape, sorting out payroll, taxes, invoicing, and setting up email accounts for everyone. She had even had a little training from Dee, one of their consultant hackers, on how to keep the website and emails secure above what an average person would know.
Now, as she bounced across the field in a short, flowery dress that was sexy but demure he wondered at the excited look on her face.
“Cleo?” Emme asked in question.
“We just had a case come in!” she said barely hiding her excitement.
It was their first case and Kingsley felt a twinge of excitement hit his belly.
Cleo handed Emme a note with the necessary details as the others started to crowd in. Cain and Caitlin also headed over to join them.
“It’s a missing person case. Raymond Rutherford the third wants us to find his niece, Sydney Rutherford,” Emme read.
“Do we have any more details?” Shane asked.
“No,” Cleo shook her head, “but I have him coming in at eleven to meet with you.”
“I know a bit about this guy,” Caitlin said as they walked off the field when Shane called time on the morning’s training.
“How?” Shane asked as he watched her control the colossal dog at her side with a few barely perceptible hand movements.
“He came to the attention of the LAPD when a woman who worked with him accused him of assault. All the charges were dropped, and he was exonerated.”
“But?” Emme asked as they moved into the office space past the rear entrance leading directly to the conference room.
“I don’t know, but he was off. I can’t say how. I just couldn’t take to him at all.”
“Okay. Let’s bear that in mind when we meet with him.”
Kingsley followed the rest of the team and hit the change rooms that housed separate showers and changing facilities for the men and women. The compound also had a breakroom that had a TV, pool table, and Xbox as well as three large couches. A small kitchen was next to the breakroom containing cooking facilities, there were also two large bedrooms—one for Shane and Emme, and a spare for clients if required—along with two additional rooms that contained a couple of bunk beds each for the times the team needed to sleep there.
He had to give it to Shane and Emme, they’d planned everything for the comfort of the team, and he appreciated it.
Kingsley knew too well that with the kind of work they did, safety and comfort weren’t a given. He didn’t want to think about his past, he wanted to focus on the future. That was the reason he’d accepted Emme’s offer and joined this team.
He had a good feeling about his bosses, the Alliance Agency, and the other members of the team. The winds were shifting, he could sense it, and was ready for whatever storm the next mission would bring.
2
Kingsley caught Shane’s signal as he came out of the change room and headed toward him. The other team members were already discussing the next phase of their training as well as comparing notes on advanced combat techniques used in their respective fields of work, with definite bragging laced in between. From the corner of his eye, he saw Caitlin laughing at something Mercy said, Killian close on his mistress’ heel.
It would take some time for everybody to work cohesively—their own personalities, backgrounds, and experiences had to be taken into account as they found their rhythm, their natural place inside the group.
Kingsley entered the conference room behind Shane, about to ask a question when he saw Emme sitting at the head of the table in deep conversation with a man. Immediately, he slid his poker face on, as it seemed business was in order.
The man looked well into his fifties, with a haughty air and suit that screamed money and power. Not a strand of graying hair out of place, perfectly shaven, he was the image of control, although, in this exact moment, anxiety was the main emotion Kingsley could see on his face.
Emme turned. “Mr. Rutherford, this is Shane Rhodes, co-founder of the Alliance Agency, and Kingsley Knight, a member of our team.”
Before him was the client Cleo had referred to earlier. Rutherford shook Shane’s hand before shaking his. The grip was forceful, more than it should be and most probably a result of the strain he could see on his face.
Kingsley sat, letting Shane and Emme take the lead as he wasn’t sure of his bosses’ intentions or why he was there for the meeting.
“I came to you, to your agency, on the referral of a few very close friends who know your ties with Purgatory here in the US and Fortis in the UK. Their impeccable reputations as well as the fact that you are located here in Miami helped to confirm my choice. I’ve found it best to have people who know the ins and outs of this city. I need someone found quickly. My niece, Sydney Rutherford.”
Shane frowned. “Sir, the first step is to tell the police. I know someone—”
“No!” After the initial outburst, he lowered his voice. “No. It’s impossible. The kidnappers told me I couldn’t contact anyone.” He swallowed hard. “I have never been close to Sydney, so it was a shock when I received pictures of her, bound to a chair, gagged and helpless. That was when they sent me messages asking for money. I transferred it, regularly, through various accounts, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. They promised to free her each time, but it was a lie. And lately… they wouldn’t let me speak to her at all. They would put her on the phone…” And for the first time,
his voice hitched a little. “But not the last few times they called… I don’t know what happened.”
Emme looked at Shane and him before turning to Rutherford. “Please tell us everything from the beginning. Details are important.”
At her words, Rutherford seemed to bring himself back under control. “It started three weeks ago when I received a sealed envelope with images of Sydney bound to a chair. There was a note telling me to memorize a bank account number and send the first payment of one hundred thousand dollars, so my niece continued to breathe. I paid.”
Kingsley leaned forward. “Do you still have the pictures?”
Rutherford shook his head. “The note said to destroy everything. I did. Destroyed them, along with the message, as they said that if I contacted the authorities they would cut her into pieces.”
Shane looked somber. “And how many times have they contacted you for money?”
“Seven times over the course of three weeks. And each time I was able to speak to her briefly. But not last few times. I… have a bad feeling. I’m such a fool! I thought I could pay them off, that giving them money would be enough.”
The man put his face in his hands for an instant, and when he looked up again, he was once more composed and steady. “There isn’t much more to tell. Same male voice each and every time. Slightly distorted and I couldn’t hear an accent.”
“And what about your niece? What did she say when she was on the phone?”
Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology Page 132
