Hero: Healing a Warrior, Book 3: The Guardian Series, #3

By Maggie C. Brynnon

Thomas and India are going stronger than ever. Having overcome their initial relationship obstacles, the couple is now in a good place.

Or so they thought.

Ghosts from the past soon come roaring back to haunt the lovers the day that Thomas receives a mysterious letter that challenges everything he’s known about his life and that changes everything going forward.

Meanwhile back at home, India’s volatile and jealous younger brother has resurfaced and is causing his own brand of havoc in her and Thomas life.

With their bond being tested in new and increasingly challenging ways, India and Thomas set out to prove that what they have is bigger than all this. But will they succeed and stay together? Or will blood turn out to be, in fact, thicker than water?

This book is Part Three of “Hero: Healing a Warrior, The Guardian Series”
(A BWWM Interracial Military Romance)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Maggie C. Brynnon
• Release date: Feb 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524280338

Book preview

Maggie C. Brynnon

© 2016 by Maggie C. Brynnon

All Rights Reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

First Printing, 2016

Printed in the United States of America

Disclaimer

THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Chapter 1

INDIA STRAIGHTENED her skirt for what seemed like the fiftieth time.

She didn’t know why she should be so nervous. Today was all about Thomas.

And he was on his way to pick her up. She’d taken great care in selecting her outfit, and finally settled on a dark suit, one of only two that she owned, and the white silk blouse that she’d worn to her mother’s funeral. She pulled her ebony curls back and secured them with a barrette.

India didn’t know why she was putting so much thought into how she looked. Today was supposed to be all about Thomas, after all, but she wanted to be there for him, and somehow, to her, that meant dressing the part.

All of a sudden, she frowned. There was an uneasy feeling growing in her stomach. She remembered how Thomas’ entire mood had changed after he received that letter.

My father, he kept saying over and over again. He had never spoken much about his family, and when he did, he never once mentioned a father.

I didn’t even know I had one, he had said and shrugged like it meant nothing to him. My mother never talked about him.

His eyes were what gave him away. It meant plenty to him, India could see.

He had so many questions.

Frankly, so did she but she decided it wasn’t her place to ask. She just wanted to be there for him through all of this. The way he was there for her when her own life went to shit for a little while.

Speaking of which...

She frowned when her little brother popped into her head, which was a lot these days and never for good reasons.

Myles was acting more strangely than India had ever remembered seeing. He was even more withdrawn, if that was even possible. His behavior was erratic. One minute he was the sweet and loving boy she’d grown up with, and the next he was barely recognizable to her.

He was in trouble.

India knew it deep inside, despite his constant reassurance that everything was just fine. But she didn’t know how to deal with this. She had no idea what she could do to help him.

She wasn’t even sure he could be helped.

This was one of those times India sorely missed her mother and wished that she were still around so she could talk to her. Mother would know exactly what to do.

I can’t shake the feeling that something is about to go terribly wrong. This whole thing with Myles. This new thing with Thomas. Everything is changing so fast.

She wished she could just slow things down a bit. Savor the good moments.

Just then she heard Thomas’s truck honking outside.

She took a deep breath, grabbed her purse, and stepped through the front door, locking it behind her.

Chapter 2

MYLES TURNED HIS KEY in the lock and called for India as soon as he stepped inside. There was no answer. All the lights were off, and there were no signs of life about the place.

He frowned. His sister wasn’t home.

Again.

She’s probably out with that toy soldier that she calls a boyfriend.

Myles didn’t like it. Myles didn’t like him.

But at least, she isn’t here to watch me, he thought again. He had an opportunity to give the place a thorough search and he intended to use it.

He needed to find some money stashed away somewhere. Or something of value that he could hawk and get the money he needed to pay off the rest of what he owed and then quietly disappear.

He tried the doorknob to India’s bedroom.

It turned.

Quietly, he entered and turned on the light. He took a quick look around and then decided to start in the far corner, with her closet.

He looked and rummaged through everything: old shoeboxes, plastic shopping bags, and every hanger.

Nothing.

He looked under the bed.

Still nothing.

He went over to her dresser and opened all the drawers. He rummaged through all the things in there. Her makeup. Her old photographs. Her big pile of cheap costume jewelry.

He even went through her underwear drawer.

Nothing. Nothing of value, at least.

Myles let out a curse.

He needed to disappear, and he needed money to do that.

And after that last job, he'd made up his mind not to get in too deep with that crowd. But he wasn’t naive. He knew they would not let him just walk away.

And they had threatened India too, however indirectly. So in essence, he was saving her by trying