In the Line of Fire [Love on the Rocks 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Love on the Rocks 6

  In the Line of Fire

  Corporal is in love with Berlin, but her life is in danger. The only way to keep her safe is to send her to his four cousins, retired soldiers who can watch over her and protect her. He hasn't spoken to his cousins in five years, after a failed ménage relationship in which the woman they loved cheated on them and then overdosed on drugs. It was too much for them to handle, and Corporal ran away from the pain.

  When he meets Berlin, the instant attraction makes him think about his cousins and what they all shared before. But men are trying to kill Berlin, and he has to stop them from following her, even if it means dying to do so. His hope is that his cousins fall in love with her, too.

  There’s corruption and enemies everywhere, and it will take some true friends from the past, his cousins’ connections, and a bit of faith—not only to save Berlin’s life, but also to mend their broken hearts and find true love, after all.

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Romantic Suspense

  Length: 42,067 words

  IN THE LINE OF FIRE

  Love on the Rocks 6

  Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  MENAGE EVERLASTING

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

  IN THE LINE OF FIRE

  Copyright © 2016 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-68295-654-0

  First E-book Publication: December 2016

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2016 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of In the Line of Fire by Dixie Lynn Dwyer from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Dixie Lynn Dwyer’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Dixie Lynn Dwyer’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  Dear readers,

  Thank you for purchasing this legal copy of In the Line of Fire.

  Berlin has a big heart. Despite the struggles, the sadness, and the difficulties of her childhood, she chose to pursue a career in social work to help make a difference in other people’s lives and perhaps help them, so they wouldn’t suffer like she had.

  She never expected her big heart to not only land her in a heap of danger, but also send her on a journey of finding true love while letting down the walls surrounding her heart.

  She realizes rather quickly that true love, true compassion, and true trust can make a woman do some crazy things—even step into the line of fire to save the men she loves.

  May you enjoy her story and her journey.

  Happy reading.

  Hugs!

  Dixie

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Landmarks

  Cover

  IN THE LINE OF FIRE

  Love on the Rocks 6

  DIXIE LYNN DWYER

  Copyright © 2016

  Prologue

  Oh God, please. Please let me escape.

  Berlin Shay begged to God, to anyone that would listen to her. She gasped, felt the cut to her knee as she slipped on the rocks. It was getting darker. She was running out of time. He was going to find her, rape her, and kill her next. Why hadn’t Vaile listened to her? Yozi was a creep. His buddies Yanni and Banks were no better. They didn’t have Vaile’s brother held hostage. Why hadn’t she even told her where they were going? Unless she was in on it? Damn it to hell, she needed Corporal. “Oh!” She slipped again, this time hitting her ribs as she landed on the jagged edges of some rocks. She could hear the laughter. She grabbed her side. Her ribs were killing her from the way Banks had kicked her in the side numerous times. They were monsters and they wanted her to be their slave.

  “Berlin, stop running, darling. We’re not going to hurt you,” Yanni called out from a distance away. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes darting left, right, but she couldn’t see them. They were hunters, criminals, and Detective Brothers had lied about their capabilities and now he was dead. Oh God, Vaile. What a freaking mess.

  She continued on, moving faster as the ground leveled out. Looking ahead, she could see the heavy brush beyond the small clearing. If she could get there and zigzag between the trees, she could maybe backtrack and get to the highway. Flag someone down, get the hell out of here before they killed her next. She just needed to disappear. If she could get to Corporal, he would help her.

  “Berlin! You stop right now and we’ll go easy on you. We’ll finish what we started, little girl. You’ll have the life with us,” Mozely yelled out to her. Oh God, were all three of them chasing her? I’m dead. They’re going to kill me. Shit. Where was Corporal? She thought he would wonder why she and Vaile hadn’t made it to his cabin. Maybe he would come looking, knowing about the trouble they were in. Vaile was weak. She’d believ
ed Mozely, Yanni, and Banks’s lies, and now she was dead.

  She pumped her arms as she got into the clearing. Her body ached. The part of her tank top where Banks’s had ripped it as he forced himself on her flapped in the wind she was running so fast. Her life depended on getting into those woods and getting lost in the thickness of the brush and the darkness of night. Thank God they didn’t bring Shark, their vicious dog, or she would have already been caught. I don’t want to get caught by them. Please, God, help me. Help me to put this all behind me and be free.

  She got into the thickness of the woods and continued to run as fast as she could. Her arms were scraped by large branches and tree limbs that she tried ducking under but instead banged against. She couldn’t stop. Tears streamed down her cheeks and when she went to wipe them away so she could see more clearly, she felt the pain from the bruising on her cheekbone. Banks had struck her so damn hard, she had fallen to the floor. He was huge, and she was petite by comparison. She needed to keep moving. Her ribs ached and her knee throbbed—the cut there was deep, blood seeping from the wound. Her knee was a mess. It burned from the gash there and was now filthy with dirt. Get as far away from them as possible. Soon it would be too dark to run so fast. She would slam into trees and other obstacles. She had to slow down.

  She was panting for breath. Low on energy, she had to stop. She looked around her and opted for the thickest set of brush that no one could possibly see through. There was a boulder behind it so she could lean against it and no one could sneak up from behind. She’d learned a lot from Corporal. She wished that he was here with her right now to protect her from these men. She sunk down low, pulled the branches around her, and leaned back against the boulder. She needed to calm her breathing. Save her energy. Her heart hammered inside of her chest and she covered her mouth with her hand. Someone was coming closer.

  “I know you’re out here, little girl. I can smell that sweet scent of yours. The one that makes me want to hold you close and make you my woman. Don’t be scared, Berlin. I know you’re not so experienced. Vaile told us. She brought you to us for good reason, just a little earlier than we expected and you saw some things. Things ya shouldn’t have.”

  She listened and begged her body to stop shaking. He’d killed a detective. He’d raped and beat her friend Vaile. They were selling drugs, and they were with the man she saw on the television. The one who shot three cops who were still fighting for their lives in the local hospital. She’d seen too much, knew too much about the men. When she escaped, she caught Banks off guard by slamming her forearm into his throat and then kicking him in the balls to get free from his attempted rape. She climbed out the window and ran. Ran for her life through the woods. And now after running and begging God for freedom, Banks’s buddy Mozely was right there. She could see him.

  He inched closer and she tightened up, held her breath, and jerked when she heard the second voice. Yanni.

  “We have to go. We need to head back and get rid of the cop. We’ll catch her. There’s no place for her to run and hide. We’ll send Terrence to her place to wait for her. She’s young and has no family. Come on,” Yanni yelled to him.

  “Fuck,” Mozely said and turned around.

  “She’s mine when we find her. I don’t give a fuck what Banks says. I get to fuck her first.”

  “Yeah, good luck with that. He got her scent already, and you know Banks. He won’t rest until she’s in his bed and calling out his name.”

  “Fuck.”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks and she felt like throwing up. She continued to cover her mouth, preventing herself from making any noises. She waited. She counted the time that passed until she got through to about twenty minutes. Now it was super dark, but the moon was out and she would follow it toward the highway. She stood up, felt the aches and pains, and pushed onward. I’m not going to die out here. I’m not going to let them win. Those three sick bastards will not get their hands on me. So what if they were soldiers, that they were connected to Dominic Forte.

  Corporal would protect her. He was all she had left to trust, to guide her, and to save her life. She had to get to him before they did and killed him next.

  * * * *

  “What do you mean you lost her?” Dominic Forte asked Banks over the phone.

  “She got away through the woods. She saw too much.”

  “She knows that I shot those cops. She knows that you killed Brothers. Why the hell did he come snooping around?” Dominic asked.

  “He was getting greedy. No longer wanting to work for you, but for the cops. Says that fucking guy Corporal was getting closer to finding out who you are, Dominic, and that you’re running this operation. He wants you badly, and us, too, now that he knows we killed his partner four years ago,” Banks told him.

  “Fuck Corporal. I don’t care that he was some super military hero and a detective out to solve his friend’s murder. He’s a goddamn liability, and so is Berlin. I want her dead.”

  “Dead? Hell, Dominic, we want to keep her around.”

  “Well, you can’t. She knows too much, saw too much.”

  “We’ll convince her that she screwed up by running and the only way to stay alive is to keep her mouth shut.”

  “Just get her the fuck back.”

  “Dominic, I want her alive. At least for a little while. There are things for me, Yanni, and Mozely to finish with her.”

  “Don’t turn this into a bigger fucking mess. I have buyers looking to close the deal on the product. You know what, forget about her for now. Get rid of the bodies, deliver the goods, and I’ll send Terrence to take care of Corporal.”

  “Whoa. Are you sure about that? It will make matters worse and the cops will be all over us. We won’t be able to do shit for months, never mind the feds,” Banks stated.

  “It will be worth it. He’s a thorn in our side. Let the detectives try to figure it all out while we celebrate another huge victory. I want you to make it look like Brothers was running that operation. That he killed Kane himself instead of just helping us out with time and place. Make it look like he raped and killed Vaile. Move the shit now and get it to Launders. He transferred the money fifteen minutes ago,” Dominic said and disconnected the call.

  Dominic leaned back in his chair at his desk. He looked through the Plexiglas at his employees working away on the multiple cars. His upscale sports car dealership and repair shop was the perfect cover for his real business. No twenty-three-year-old pixie was going to destroy it all, and not some fucking nosey detective out to revenge his partner’s death. Kane wasn’t even supposed to be there, but he showed up and he paid the price.

  “What do you need me to do, boss?” Terrence asked him.

  He looked at Terrance. Six-foot-three, blond hair, dark blue eyes, and a man capable of killing, whether slowly by torture or quickly by a bullet or slit to the throat. He was a born killer, and damn good at it.

  “Take out Corporal. We have to clean up the fucking mess. Let’s end this shit once and for all.”

  * * * *

  Corporal knew that something was wrong. Berlin and Vaile were several hours late. He knew that Mozely, Yanni, and Banks had them. He had to try and figure out where they were. He’d already set things up with Thelma Yorn. Thank God his aunt owned that campsite and all the property. It would be a safe place for Berlin and Vaile to hide out until he could gather more evidence and work with the feds to take down Forte and his goons. Dominic was going down for killing his partner Kane. Corporal still didn’t know what Kane had been doing there at the warehouse. They’d been off duty, but he must have gotten a tip. Why hadn’t he called me for backup?

  He heard something outside and reached for his Glock. The sound of banging on the door and Berlin screaming had him running into action. He pulled the door open and his eyes widened at the sight. She was bloody, filthy, and hysterical.

  “Berlin! Jesus, what the hell happened?” He picked her up into his arms and looked around outside to be sure no one
had followed her. He closed the door and then carried her into the living room. Setting her down on the couch, he cupped her cheeks as she cried.

  “They killed her and Detective Brothers. They tried to rape me and kill me, too, but I got away. They were chasing me for so long. They’re going to kill me, Corporal, and you, too,” she said sounding hysterical.

  “Did they follow you?” he asked and stood up before running to the window and looking out.

  “I don’t think so, but I think they know where you are and are coming. We have to get out of here.”

  “I have a plan, but we may need to call the cops so we can save Vaile.”

  “She’s dead, Corporal.” She sobbed and her shoulders shook. “They raped and killed her. I was next.”

  “Jesus,” he stated and ran his fingers through his hair. He pulled from the window. “Okay, we need to get you to a safe location. That’s the first thing. Then I’ll have to call Scuba.”

  “Do you think that’s wise? These men seem to have dirty cops all over the place. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we do—they’re watching.”

  “I got you caught up in this and I’m going to get you out of it.”

  “You didn’t get me caught up in this. Vaile did.” She pressed her hand against her side and cringed.

  “Shit. Let me see.” He bent down, lifted her shirt, and cursed. He placed his hand against her skin and stared down into her eyes. She was a sweet, beautiful young woman caught in the middle of some serious criminal mess, and he’d made things worse for her.