by KaLyn Cooper
Shadow in the Mountain
Shadow SEALs Book #4
KaLyn Cooper
Contents
About This Book
A Letter to Readers
Acknowledgments
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
Epilogue
Books in the Shadow SEALs Series
Books by Kalyn Cooper
About the Author
Shadow in the Mountain
KaLyn Cooper
Cover Artist: Cat Johnson
Editor: Rebecca Hodgkins
ISBN 978-1-970145-27-4
eBook Published by Black Swan Publishing
Copyright © Published 2021, Black Swan Publishing
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
About This Book
Another mission into the shadows was the last place he wanted to be. Last time it ended his career. This time promises death or salvation.
Ryker Tufano has spent the last several months drowning his survivor's guilt—and unexpected ejection from the Navy—in alcohol and self-loathing. His entire SEAL team, and his memory, were lost on their last mission. A phone call from the mysterious Charley changes everything. It was all a lie.
When he discovers that his foster brother and SEAL teammate, Ajax, is alive, they must head back to Ethiopia to rescue the rest of their team.
Xena Riggs is angry with “someone” in Washington DC. They were willing to let an entire SEAL team be erased for their mistake…her mistake. Offered redemption and retribution if she helps two of Charlie's newest employees, she jumps at the chance.
As Ryker follows his guide into the mountains of Ethiopia, he's not sure if she's Xena Warrior Princess, GI Jane, a wet dream…or walking him into an ambush.
Xena is having trouble keeping her heart out of this mission. Lust doesn't belong in these mountains. If Xena survives this assignment without being captured or killed by the enemy, there's a good chance Ryker will kill her himself once he discovers the truth.
A Letter to Readers
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for purchasing Shadow in the Mountain, the fourth novel in the multi-author Shadow SEALs Series.
Shadow in the Mountain runs parallel to Shadow in the Desert by Becca Jamison, book three in this series. What that means, is that both books follow the exact same timeline. The heroes and heroines make appearances in both books. Although both books are complete romance novels—each with a happy ending and can be read as a standalone—you may wish to read both books to fully understand the complexities of the characters.
This book has many genres including; contemporary, military, romantic suspense, and action adventure.
At the end of Shadow in the Mountain you will find a sneak peek at Shadow of a Chance by Donna Michaels, the next book in the series.
I hope you enjoy reading Shadow in the Mountain and buy the other books in the Shadow SEAL series. For your convenience, there’s a complete list and links at the end of this book.
I hope you enjoy Shadow in the Mountain.
Always,
KaLyn Cooper
For the latest on works in progress and future releases, check out KaLyn Cooper’s website
www.KaLynCooper.com
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Dedication
I dedicate this book to those who have had career choices taken from them, then given redemption.
Acknowledgments
Shadow in the Mountain requires my awesome team to get it into your hands.
I’d like to thank the members of the Black Swan Book Club for their constant support and assistance in the selection of the names in this book; Melody Giddens McAuliffe and Nicole Beshears Kinyon.
My sincere thanks to my writing partner, Becca Jamison. Because our books run parallel, we had to work together closely, often involving long hysterical conversations.
I cannot thank my editor, Rebecca Hodgkins, enough for her patience, understanding of plot and character development, and speedy services.
A huge thank you to my publicist, Michelle Duke, and my personal assistant, Charlotte Oliver, for everything you do for me.
Last, as always, I want to thank my husband for sharing his military expertise and his amazing tolerance for my writing anomalies.
Chapter 1
Ryker Tufano glanced at the large black diver’s watch that had never left his wrist since BUD/S training. Charlie, whoever the fuck he was, obviously didn’t abide by military time. The first thing the Navy taught recruits was if you aren’t five minutes early, you’re late. The man truly was late, at least by seven minutes. Ryker would give him three more before he got up and returned to the hotel to take advantage of his all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C.
Not for the first time, a shot of panic rushed through him as he questioned whether he was in the right place and had the right time.
He hated that he questioned himself. Until three months ago, that never happened.
No. He had the correct room. He’d checked twice. Number 212. It had seemed weird as he’d approached the door the first time because there was no business name like all the others up and down the hall. It wouldn’t matter anyway; his instructions hadn’t included a company name. No last name either. Just Charlie.
As he stared at the huge watch face, with several circles of numbers and four oversized external buttons, Ryker was thankful they had forgotten to take that from him when they’d stripped him of his rank and any hope of a military retirement.
But nothing compared to the pain in his chest when they’d told him that he could no longer consider himself a SEAL. As the sole survivor of his last mission, he had disgraced his team and every man who ever wore the Trident.
After he’d recovered in Germany, he’d been sent straight home with specific instructions to never have contact with any SEAL or the parents of his team members. No one would want to talk with him after what he’d done.
But…what had he done?
He couldn’t remember. Not. A. Fucking. Thing.
They had obviously been on a mission. He thought he remembered being in a helicopter. Hell. That memory could’ve come from any one of dozens of other missions. The psychologist in Germany told him his memory of the events surrounding that last mission may never surface.
Ryker speared his fingers through his long hair a
nd stood to pace. The lemon-scented solution used to clean the table was starting to irritate him. On the other hand, everything annoyed him, starting with himself.
He’d only taken one step and had to readjust his waistband. Although he was thankful his mom had insisted on buying him a new pair of dark slacks, he should have bought one size larger since he’d put on several pounds over the past three months. Dad had lent him a freshly pressed white shirt. None of Ryker’s would fit. It was amazing how fast beer went to the belly, especially when he started drinking in the afternoon. Sometimes, immediately after noon.
Even though Mom had insisted he should wear a tie, it remained on the hangar as he got dressed that morning. He wasn’t at all sure what kind of job he was interviewing for. If they truly wanted to use his skills, he should have shown up in camouflage. Ryker had never been a suit-and-tie kind of guy.
He paced over to the small window and looked out, not really seeing the congested streets and tall brick buildings. He saw his reflection almost as though it were a mirror. His hair stuck up in every direction with deep valleys between the spikes. Dad, being a military man to his bones, had never allowed any of the children he and Mom fostered to have long hair while they were growing up.
Ryker wasn’t sure why Frank and Nancy Holt had given him so much leniency in the past few months. He had truly arrived home a broken man. Even though he’d forgotten everything about the mission, he’d thankfully remembered the two wonderful people he thought of as his parents. For all practical purposes, they were. Ryker had been brought to them at five years old. At thirty-five, he couldn’t remember what his biological parents looked like, but that had nothing to do with his current memory loss.
He could also remember every child who had ever come through the Holt home. Ryker fought tears when Ajax filled his mind. His brother of the heart had shown up when they were both twelve. From the moment they met, they were inseparable…until that last mission.
Fuck. Why can’t I remember?
Every incident when they’d gotten in trouble at school was clear as though it happened yesterday. The mental picture Ryker had taken as he stood beside Ajax, at attention, right hand in the air, repeating the oath to enlist in the Navy was forever seared in his memory. The next slide was similar. It was the day they pinned on their Tridents signifying they were officially Navy SEALs.
Ryker looked at the man reflected in the window. His face was puffy and ruddy-looking—more like an old drunk than the sharp-eyed special operator he was trained to be.
It was time to leave. He didn’t need to look at his watch for the umpteenth time. His mind automatically ticked off seconds, minutes, hours. Whatever was needed.
A job, that’s what he really needed. Ryker had always defined himself by the work he did. Currently, he wasn’t doing shit. He’d spent enough time wallowing in self-pity, doing just enough farm chores to keep his foster parents from kicking him out. Although his dad hadn’t said a word, other than to encourage Ryker to listen to what Charlie had to say and consider all his options, it was time for him to man up and move on with his life.
Work. Charlie was supposedly going to offer him some kind of opportunity.
Ryker sighed and scratched his chin, which was now nearly an inch deep in thick, dark hair. He’d give the man of mystery five more minutes. Thirty seconds later he heard footsteps echoing down the hallway outside then stop in front of the door.
Finally.
Turning to face the newcomer, Ryker’s heart stopped as he lifted his gaze and gasped.
“Holy mother of God.” His brother’s voice was just above a whisper.
His dead brother.
Ryker couldn’t believe his eyes. Ajax was dead.
At least that’s what he’d been told back in Germany. But he couldn’t deny his own eyesight.
Too afraid to move for fear the apparition of his best friend ever would vanish, the two men stared at each other.
“Fuck me. Ryker?” The voice was that of his brother and fellow SEAL.
“Ajax?” Ryker’s feet finally moved. “Is that really you?” In two steps the large men crashed into each other in a desperate manly hug. Ajax was alive.
Relief and thankfulness washed away the pain and sorrow that Ryker had felt for the past three months. He hadn’t killed his brother.
“I thought…” Ryker’s throat squeezed as he tried to say the words.
“They said you were dead,” the men said in unison.
After fist pounds on the back and silent prayers, they leaned back, simultaneously grabbing each other by the shoulders, and stared into each other’s eyes.
Ryker broke the silence. “What the fuck?”
“I was going to say the same thing.” Ajax’s voice was just as tight as his own.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Ryker didn’t understand that if Ajax was alive, why hadn’t he gone back to the foster parents he too considered Mom and Dad?
“My sister’s. In Tennessee. You?” Ajax’s reply made sense. Of course, he’d go to real family first.
“Mom and Dad’s place in Indiana.” Ryker stepped back and rubbed his forehead. “What the fuck is going on?”
“Not a damn clue. Do you suppose the entire team is coming here?” Expectation wove through Ajax’s question and sparked hope in Ryker. If he and his foster brother were alive, perhaps the other six were also.
When the door behind them opened, he saw the anticipation on his brother’s face and knew it reflected his own. Ryker’s face fell when a tiny wisp of a woman walked into the conference room. His eyes automatically watched the door, waiting for the powerful boss who would most certainly follow his buttoned-up secretary and take control of the meeting.
The door closed behind the fragile woman in the pencil skirt that reached her knees. With her sleek black hair pulled viciously into a tight bun, her green eyes seemed to pierce through pale white skin stretched over a heart-shaped face. Ryker guessed she was pretty in a plain kind of way.
Wasting no time, she held her hand out to Ajax. “Mr. Cassman.” When she released his grip, she reached for Ryker. “Mr. Tufano.”
His hackles immediately rose. “How do you know who we are? And who the fuck are you?” He didn’t bother to hold back the irritation in his voice.
“My name is Serena,” she said through a tight smile.
“I was told to meet with a man named Charlie.” Ajax glanced at Ryker who nodded in agreement. He’d been told the same thing.
“She couldn’t make it.” Serena smiled and reached to the center of the table, dragging the phone toward the edge. “She’ll be joining us by speakerphone.”
“Charley is a woman?” Ajax seemed as surprised as Ryker.
“Yes. Do you have a problem with women?” Green eyes stared expectantly at Ajax.
When his brother in all but blood lifted both eyebrows and stroked his beard, Ryker had to hold in a chuckle. He and Ajax had never had problems with women. In high school, girls were easy since they had both been jocks. Their bad-boy personas had been even more enticing to the teenaged girls. Once they pinned on their Tridents, beautiful young women were everywhere and theirs for the taking. Neither man hesitated.
Ajax finally answered her question. “Not at all.”
Ryker was in no mood to stand there and watch his friend flirt. “You didn’t answer my question. Who are you?”
“I told you,” she replied without looking at him.
“Gonna need more than a name, sweetheart.” Ryker watched Serena flinch and knew he hit a nerve.
“I’m not your sweetheart. That’s all you need to know.” She picked up the phone and dialed so fast Ryker didn’t see all the digits. She then pressed the button and put it on speaker. “Have a seat, gentlemen,” she ordered as the phone rang on the other end.
The two men exchanged a glance before Ajax announced, “We’ll stand.” In sync, they both widened their stance and crossed their arms defiantly. Ryker was tired of playing nice. They wanted a
nswers.
“Suit yourselves,” Serena said with a shrug, making no moved to sit either.
“Hello.” The voice was definitely female, but not overly feminine.
“Charley, this is Serena. You are on speakerphone. I have Mr. Cassman and Mr. Tufano here with me.
“Good.”
If one-word sentences were all Charley was going to say, this conversation was going to take an inordinate amount of time. Ryker decided to get the ball rolling.
“Mind telling us what this is all about? Do you know why on earth we were both told the other was dead? While you’re at it, where is the rest of our team?” Ryker had gotten louder as his demands grew.
“I’m going to answer all your questions, gentlemen.” Charley seemed a bit condescending, as though speaking with impetuous children. “Has my assistant offered you a beverage? This is going to take a few minutes. You might want to get comfortable.”
“We don’t need anything to drink. We need answers.” Ajax scowled.
“Look. I’m not the bad guy here. My goal is to help you. You were wronged. My intention is to right that wrong.” Charley’s words hit Ryker like a gut punch. Damn straight he and Ajax had been wronged. For the past three months, each had believed the other was dead. And what about their fellow SEALs on that mission? Did each think that he was the sole survivor, specifically instructed not to contact anyone? And how did this woman know so much?
