Captured

By Lorhainne Eckhart

CAPTURED: Captain Eric Hamilton is now settled on base after giving up his first love, the sea, for his wife, Abby, and their children. He watches day in and day out as his friends are deployed, burning with an empty feeling as if life is passing him by—that is, until his friend Lieutenant Commander Joe Reed is captured while deployed in Iraq.

While his family is at home, helpless, Joe’s life hangs in the balance, and Eric is forced to make a decision he swore he would never make again: Should he leave Abby and their children to go halfway around the world in search of a friend who may be dead?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lorhainne Eckhart
• Release date: Nov 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781928085164

Lorhainne Eckhart

"Lorhainne Eckhart is one of my go to authors when I want a guaranteed good book. So many twists and turns, but also so much love and such a strong sense of family." (Lora W., Reviewer)New York Times & USA Today bestseller Lorhainne Eckhart writes Raw Relatable Real Romance is best known for writing big family romances series, where “Morals and family are running themes. Danger, romance, and a drive to do what is right will see you glued to the page.” As one fan calls her, she is the “Queen of the family saga.” (aherman) writing “the ups and downs of what goes on within a family but also with some suspense, angst and of course a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.” Follow Lorhainne on Bookbub to receive alerts on New Releases and Sales and join her mailing list at LorhainneEckhart.com for her Monday Blog, books news, giveaways and FREE reads. With over 120 books, audiobooks, and multiple series published and available at all retailers now translated into multiple languages. She is a multiple recipient of the Readers’ Favorite Award for Suspense and Romance, and lives in the Pacific Northwest on an island, is the mother of three, her oldest has autism and she is an advocate for never giving up on your dreams."Lorhainne Eckhart has this uncanny way of just hitting the spot every time with her books.” ★★★★★ Caroline L., ReviewerThe O’Connells: The O’Connells of Livingston, Montana are not your typical family. A riveting collection of stories surrounding the ups and downs of what goes on within a family but also with some suspense, angst and of course a bit of romance thrown in for good measure “I thought I loved the Friessens, but I absolutely adore the O’Connell’s. Each and every book has totally different genres of stories but the one thing in common is how she is able to wrap it around the family which is the heart of each story.” C. LogueThe Friessens: An emotional big family romance series, the Friessen family siblings find their relationships tested, lay their hearts on the line, and discover lasting love! “Lorhainne Eckhart is one of my go to authors when I want a guaranteed good book. So many twists and turns, but also so much love and such a strong sense of family.” Lora W., ReviewerThe Parker Sisters: The Parker Sisters are a close-knit family, and like any other family they have their ups and downs. “Eckhart has crafted another intense family drama...The character development is outstanding, and the emotional investment is high..." Aherman, ReviewerThe McCabe Brothers: Join the five McCabe siblings on their journeys to the dark and dangerous side of love! An intense, exhilarating collection of romantic thrillers you won’t want to miss. — “Eckhart has a new series that is definitely worth the read. The queen of the family saga started this series with a spin-off of her wildly successful Friessen series.” From a Readers’ Favorite award—winning author and “queen of the family saga” (Aherman)

Book preview

Captured

Captured

Lorhainne Eckhart

Contents

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The Saved Series

Captured

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

Afterword

What’s coming next

Other Works Available

About the Author

Links to Lorhainne Eckhart’s Booklist

Copyright Information

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The Saved Series

SAVED: Growing up I had dreams that one day I'd fall in love, get married and start a family. Then one night I was taken. But I survived, I escaped and I was saved. Eric didn't see me as damaged. He didn't see my baby as a monster. He protected me, he kept me safe ... he saved me.

In VANISHED, Abby has married the man of her dreams. He rescued her, and he’s the father of her child. Everything should be perfect, but she begins to relive her nightmare from when she was taken… and one night she disappears, leaving her children alone in the dead of night, her husband on a military ship halfway around the world.

---

But when Eric arrives home and the search begins, there are two disturbing questions: Was someone in the house? And how is it possible for Abby to simply vanish?

In CAPTURED, Captain Eric Hamilton is now settled on base after giving up his first love, the sea, for his wife, Abby, and their children. He watches day in and day out as his friends are deployed, burning with an empty feeling as if life is passing him by—that is, until his friend Lieutenant Commander Joe Reed is captured while deployed in Iraq.

---

While his family is at home, helpless, Joe’s life hangs in the balance, and Eric is forced to make a decision he swore he would never make again: Should he leave Abby and their children to go halfway around the world in search of a friend who may be dead?

The Saved Series: The Complete Collection is now available at all retailers

Captured

The Saved Series

I must say it’s a very good story and one that I believe sheds an important light on an issue that usually falls under the heading of out of sight, out of mind. I wait impatiently for the third installment in this series to see where the author takes these characters and this issue, this book is worth the time and money to read

Reviewer - Sherry

Great love story. I couldn't put it down. Living near Norfolk we hear about lots of navy stories. This one was riveting for start to finish. — Reviewer - Deborah

Reviewer - Deborah

Captain Eric Hamilton is now settled on base after giving up his first love, the sea, for his wife, Abby, and their children. He watches day in and day out as his friends are deployed, burning with an empty feeling as if life is passing him by—that is, until his friend Lieutenant Commander Joe Reed is captured while deployed in Iraq.

---

While his family is at home, helpless, Joe’s life hangs in the balance, and Eric is forced to make a decision he swore he would never make again: Should he leave Abby and their children to go halfway around the world in search of a friend who may be dead?

1

He needed a minute, maybe a little longer, to feel something other than regret and a sense of having been left behind. This was ridiculous, or so Eric tried to tell himself repeatedly, but the reassurance only deepened the feeling that some part of him was slowly dying. He took in his home, the brown frame bungalow with a sidewalk that curved around to meet the driveway and the double garage. It was a nice home, for navy housing, in a nice community. Everything was safe and predictable and the same. The bushes around front needed trimming, and the flower beds were now filled with dead and composting perennials in the chilly fall air. Even the leaves had turned yellow and were dropping at a steady clip, covering the once green grass. It was average work and would be the excitement of his weekend. There was always something to do for his house and home.

He slid his hand over the sturdy black steering wheel and pulled his keys from the now silent ignition. He loved this car, a ’67 Shelby Mustang GT 500, one of the best cars—in Eric’s humble opinion—ever built. The 320-horsepower engine alone was an adrenaline rush. It had been a steal. He had picked it up from a sergeant, a man with a wife and three kids and another on the way. The man had loved the car, or so he said, but he was being re-stationed across the country, and it was time to say goodbye to his toy. Eric suspected those orders had come from the sergeant’s wife, because Eric would have moved heaven and earth to take this car across the country with him had he been in the sergeant’s position.

For Eric, this car was an indulgence he believed he was entitled to after giving up the sea for Abby. He would never say that to her, though he wondered whether she knew. She was so kind and fragile, and saying how he felt would only be cruel. It would hurt her, and she’d blame herself. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself, seeing the hurt in her eyes. Even though he felt empty on land, he’d choose Abby and his children over the sea any time. Most sailors and career navy men had both, but then, the married ones often had strong, stable wives manning the home front. Even though Abby had pleaded with him not to give up his career, he knew that her demons and nightmares and the pain of being taken still haunted her. No, he couldn’t take a chance and leave her and the children again. He needed to protect her. He needed to be her rock. He needed to be here to wake her, holding her when the nightmares took hold, reassuring her that she was safe.

A tap on his window startled him. He glanced out before opening his door to see Mary-Margaret, the wife of Joe, his best friend and former XO. She stepped back, wearing blue jeans and a cream sweater. Her dark, straight hair touched her shoulders, and she wore tiny gold hoops in her ears. She was holding a dish covered with a towel.

Are you planning on sitting in your car all night, mooning over your new toy? she said, her right dimple flashing as she teased him—though for some reason she seemed less put together tonight than she normally was.

He gave the heavy door a shove, and it clicked closed. Taylor, Mary-Margaret and Joe’s eldest boy, was hovering beside her uneasily. At fourteen, he’d grown again, and he towered over his mother by almost a head. His dark hair was getting long, covering his ears, and his hands were shoved in his jeans pockets.

Are you missing some kids? Eric asked right before he heard her two youngest arguing as they came out of the house next door. It was good having them close by, as Mary-Margaret and Joe had been his saving grace when Abby broke down. At the time, he’d been shipped out, and Abby had walked out on the kids in the dead of night. If Mary-Margaret and Joe hadn’t been so close…Eric still cringed as he relived that panicked call when Joe told him Abby was gone. He took a breath to push away that painful memory. He didn’t like going back there and reliving what had happened.

Janey stomped across the grass toward her mother, wearing blue jeans and a hoodie, her long, dark hair in a ponytail. Her face was a picture of preteen surliness. Steven, who had celebrated his eleventh birthday last week while his dad was away, slammed the door of the house and leaped off the front step into a pile of leaves, calling after his sister. His tan jacket flapped open, his short, dark hair sticking up. Eric could see that the kids had had enough of their dad being away. They needed him and had held it together, but the tension was building. When Eric glanced over at Mary-Margaret, she rolled her eyes.

The joys of sibling rivalry, she muttered.

What’s going on?

Joe’s been gone too long, three months… She stopped and glanced up at Taylor, who was listening. Run on inside, Taylor. Give Abby a hand with the kids.

Eric took in all the kids. Steven and Janey had stomped right past him as if he didn’t exist. He could see that Taylor and his younger siblings were at an age where their independence shone through. It didn’t help that Joe was stationed over in Iraq—which was the reason the kids and Mary-Margaret were at his house now. Joe was going to Skype in, having actually arranged it with Eric…which he now thought was odd, considering how close Joe and Mary-Margaret were. Maybe there was something going on that Joe needed to talk to Eric about.

Eric realized that Taylor was still standing there, ignoring what his mom had asked. He wondered whether Taylor was going to argue with her, as he stayed where he was, shifting from one foot to the other, shoulders slumped.

Taylor, your mom asked you to do something, and I don’t see you moving,