Dangerous Reactions

By Moira Callahan

Everything has a beginning.

Grant Sherbrooke has been brought up to believe in honesty, integrity, and working hard for what you want in life. Doing things the right way hasn’t always guaranteed friends, just a rock solid reputation. When the packages begin to arrive there’s only one person he knows to turn to.

Robyn Matthews knows the value of friendship. After serving her country overseas she’s back home with her best friend to get their security agency operational. Not once in all her planning did she account for the fact she might be sideswiped by a man like Grant. And there is no way she’s letting anyone tear what they have growing to pieces.

Then in one singular moment the life Robyn’s already imagined in her mind is forever shattered. Time is not on their side as they prepare to fight a crazed man’s dangerous reactions before it’s too late.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Publishing
• Release date: May 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781772333558

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Published by Evernight Publishing ® at Smashwords

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2015 Moira Callahan

ISBN: 978-1-77233-355-8

Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Editor: Jessica Ruth

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

First I would like to thank my editor, Jessica. Thank you for doing your best to keep me in line, it’s not an easy task I know. You were amazing. All your suggestions and help were greatly appreciated.

To my fans. You have been patiently waiting for this book to come out. Thank you for standing by me while I worked on making it the best possible story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

DANGEROUS REACTIONS

C&M Security, 6

Moira Callahan

Copyright © 2015

Prologue

August 2002—Afghanistan

Sliding out of the Humvee once the gate shut them in behind the walls of the US military compound, Robyn stretched her tired muscles. Another patrol down, and one less she’d have to worry about before her tour came to an end. She’d been considering re-upping for another round, but her heart just didn’t seem to be in it any longer.

Between the tension of the patrols, not knowing when you’d be one of the unlucky to hit an IED on the roadside, or when you would get caught in a trap no one had seen coming, it all took its toll. Both physically and mentally. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d actually had a good, full night’s sleep. She did know it hadn’t been at any point while in the sandy hellhole she currently resided upon.

Robyn swiped at a trail of sweat on her forehead. Soon she could ditch the helmet, but not soon enough. She knew better than to remove it out in the open even with the illusion of safety provided by the walls of the compound, and the watchers up in the towers. Shit happened, had happened, and she wasn’t about to let it happen to her when she was so fucking close to being free from it all.

Matthews!

Whipping around at the bellow, she relaxed and grinned at the man striding her way. Damn, you scared a couple years off me with that. Did you just get in yourself, Camden?

Shawn nodded, and gave her a return grin. Heard you were headed back in so I thought I’d wait on you, and see if I couldn’t tempt you into meeting up with me in the mess hall for chow later so we can catch up.

It’s not exactly the Ritz but I’ll be there, she teased. It was a running joke, and one Shawn swore he’d actually follow through on. When they got out he was going to treat them both to a week at the Ritz, with all the included pomp and flair. Room service, massages, saunas, late morning wake-up calls, and anything else he could think up. She was fully on board, and couldn’t wait.

Ha-ha. Smart ass, he muttered. He was still grinning, though. Go and grab a shower, change, and meet me outside the CO’s office. I have to stop in to have a chat with him. I’ll be there after I attempt to get a layer of sand off of me.

She wrinkled her nose in understanding and mutual distaste. Sand always got into places you never thought possible, and it was a bitch of a time to get it all back out again. Robyn was about ninety-five percent sure she’d end up having to declare at least a pound of it that had decided to tag along at customs when she finally got home. Sounds good. Give me an hour, I need to drop some stuff off at the laundry. Which happened to be in the opposite direction of the CO’s office.

With the way the base was set up to make zero sense to the outsider’s eye, it would take her a good twenty to get from her quarters to the laundry, then pretty much double back to the offices. The place was a maze for a reason. One that was all about safety for everyone inside in case they were being watched.

Should be more than enough time. See you then, Matthews. Shawn popped her a lazy salute, one that she returned with a smirk.

Turning back to the Humvee, Robyn hefted out her backpack and headed for her quarters.

****

Won’t be long now, Shawn said.

They’d just finished their meals and were sitting around enjoying a glass each of fresh squeezed orange juice that had been done up for the meal. It was a treat to have something not from a pouch, or freeze dried. Seems like forever when you’re waiting on it to finish up.

True enough. Couple more months, and then we are both out.

Within a week of each other almost. She’d enlisted exactly six days after Shawn had, though at the time they hadn’t known one another. It was only later, partway through basic training, when they’d first come upon one another. Or rather ran full tilt into the other and landed on their asses trying to get through the same door at the same time.

After regaining their breaths, laughing a lot, and dusting themselves off they’d gotten around to introductions. Quickly they’d discovered they were both from the same state, same city, point of fact, and from there a friendship had begun to blossom. One that had only grown over the years to the point where they had absolutely no secrets from one another.

Not once had it turned to anything more than friendship. Shawn was a fine-looking man, Robyn couldn’t deny that any more than she could deny herself air, but he wasn’t her type. Which had definitely helped keep their friendship on solid ground, and had led to talking about being business partners when they finally got out of the sand pits.

Both were naturally inclined to help others, whether they be weaker, or just ill equipped. It was who they were, and had led to many a late night talk about what they wanted to do when getting out. Which in turn led to the idea of a security firm that would both provide protection to those who needed it and could pay but also those that couldn’t afford them.

Since it was part of their makeup to help others, they’d agreed to do pro bono work when they saw fit. Their own way to give back to those under threat where the police couldn’t help because of the letter of the law they had to abide by. Plus not everyone with a threat looming could afford a group like what they were hoping to build. Didn’t mean they didn’t need the same help as the wealthy, and they both knew that.

Lifting her glass, she looked Shawn in the eye. A couple more months until freedom. No more orders, no more nasty blah fatigues, and no more fucking sand where sand has no damn right to be.

He snickered at that, but tapped his glass to hers. Hear, hear, he said.

Robyn took the last mouthful of juice and closed her eyes to savor it. Soon enough she’d be having as many of them as she wanted, when she wanted. And if she never saw another dehydrated potato flake again in her life it would be way too fucking soon.

Chapter One

May 2004—San Francisco

When she and Shawn stepped into the building, she knew. It was the one. A look to him showed he had the same thought. A nod, and small quirk of his lips told her they were on the same page.

Still sporting the Marine Corps haircut Shawn moved over to the realtor to get some more details. While their idea was still in the planning stages, at least they’d found a place to call home for it. A security firm.

While they were still hashing out the details of the business plan, at least they were making progress on other fronts. Finding a place to house the business was key. And now that they’d found it they could start on part two. Creating the spaces they’d need to run it.

Part three was hiring a contractor to build that space, which they’d already done. They’d met with the owner of Sherbrooke & Sons, a jolly fellow in his sixties who, despite his wife’s wishes, still went into the office each and every day to do his job. He had three sons, all of whom worked for the company, but he was the sort that needed to keep his finger on the pulse of it all. A classic workaholic. Likely wouldn’t quit until the day something shook him out of the pattern.

Robyn and Shawn had met with the middle son, Henry, and the father to discuss what they were looking for on their project. Both men had been enthusiastic and even offered up some advice as to what to look for during their building hunt. Robyn had a good feeling about the Sherbrookes. While they hadn’t yet met the oldest son, Grant, or the youngest one, Peter, she definitely had good vibes about them.

She could tell a lot about a man and his business from his office. It had been stylish but masculine, neat yet still had a pair of dirty work boots near the door. Sherbrooke was highly organized, but not obsessively so. He had a quick mind, a big heart, and a great attitude toward his job. All things that had immediately had Robyn on board for using the company.

Shawn, being the suspicious sort, had run a full background on the company. They’d struggled in the early years, but even through the lean years of near recession in the US they’d kept afloat and hadn’t laid off a single employee. They’d in fact expanded, and expanded, and expanded. Sherbrooke Sr. was a wily businessman from what Shawn had found. He knew how far to push the envelope, and never went further. Which had put Shawn on board with using the company as well. Meeting the group, though, had sealed the deal for her suspicious friend.

Sherbrooke Sr. told them straight up that while he still came in to tend to paperwork, he rarely went out into the field. For all intents and purposes, despite what his wife thought, he was only the face of the company. His boys had taken over the bulk. Grant was the hands-on guy in the field. He ensured the jobs were done to specs, on time, and stayed on budget. Henry saw to the permits, ensuring that supplies got where they were needed and when, and basically handled all third-party contractors before passing them off to Grant. Peter, the youngest, was still in college getting his business degree. Apparently he was the one that their old man planned to pass the business end of things to. A good head on his shoulders, an eye on the market, and someone who knew how to work in the technological age.

They really were an all-around, well-balanced, all-American family. Something Robyn was truly fascinated by. As an orphan she’d grown up in the system, shuttled from foster family to foster family until she was old enough to be kicked free. After that the Corps had become her family, giving her a solid base as well as teaching her to be strong in her own right.

Which was where she’d met Shawn, as well as men like Trent McDonald, Vincent Bradley, and several others that would be coming to work for their company once the doors were ready to open. All good men and women with a strong sense of right and wrong. All people who wouldn’t flinch at the thought of throwing themselves into the line of fire if it helped to protect an innocent life.

Turning at Shawn’s call to her, Robyn headed toward him and the realtor. She stepped in close and took the sheet Shawn had in hand. All his little check boxes were ticked off, which meant