Intruders: H.E.L.P.M.E.

By Tuff Gartin

Janetta, estranged from the family, is forced to return to the location of her worst nightmares, caused by tragic events ten years earlier. To her great relief, Henrio, the original family outcast to whom she has bonded over the years, is also present. She finds additional comfort in a secure hideaway built by her husband allowing the seclusion she needs from his family.

In her safe place, she peers through a hideaway window and experiences déjà vu seeing that intruders have broken in and are tying up family members. Could this be happening all over again? Can Janetta reach Henrio’s cabin without being captured? Or will trying to do so be her fatal flaw?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tuff Gartin
• Release date: Aug 21, 2018
• ISBN: 9781947903005

Tuff Gartin

Tuff Gartin lives in the Nashville, Tennessee area. He has a wonderful and supporting family that encourages him always, despite what they may be thinking about crazy authorpreneurs. Tuff enjoys spending time with his family and, otherwise, writing for his Tuff Readers and watching sports. As long as there are Tuff Readers out there, Tuff will stay committed to giving his readers the best reading experiences he and his Muse can create. Are you a Tuff Reader? Visit www.tuffgartin.com/myreaders.html to find out. If you are, please sign up for Tuff’s email list to get the latest info on Tuff and his books. Author website: www.tuffgartin.com

Book preview

Intruders

H.E.L.P.M.E.

TUFF GARTIN

Published by Tuff Gartin

Copyright © 2018 by Tuff Gartin

ISBN 9781947903005

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

PUBLISHER'S NOTICE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost I want to thank my awesome fiance, Jeanne Miller. From providing content feedback as my alpha reader to giving me input on the cover and hunting bugs as a beta reader, you were an important part of this project. Thanks honey! Even more, thank you for your love, encouragement and support!

I also want to offer a special thanks to Ell Wheeler for her excellent feedback as a bug hunter / beta reader. Your feedback was invaluable and made this a better story. Thank you!

Hiding out

Janetta and her husband, Tom, turned off the main highway onto the side road that served as a one-mile driveway to a secluded family retreat.

I don't like! said Janetta.

Janetta, please don't get all worked up over this. Everything is going to be fine. I've talked to everyone. They understand your anxiety about --

Bad word Tommio!

Tom reached over and grabbed his wife's hand. He knew this would be difficult for her, especially without him there, but there was no other choice. Since the tragedy ten years ago he had placed his company's future into the hands of his team so he could be his wife's caretaker during her recovery. Sorry honey. I meant to say they understand your anxiousness about coming back. Not that bad four-syllable word.

Why not other retreat?

Honey, we've gone over this already. There are too many family members for the other retreat. This reunion was planned a year ago.

You stay too! You promised! Indeed he had promised to never leave her side as long as she needed him. But the company was at a crossroads and his presence was needed at a pivotal meeting with the customer that provided more than half the company's annual revenue. If he felt she wasn't ready then he would stay. Screw the company. Janetta meant more to him than anything and anyone else, including wealth and status. But she was ready in his opinion. So why not attempt to save the family's business and secure their financial future together. And while his family members had become jerks of late, he knew she would be safe with them.

After no response, Janetta glanced over at her husband. Was that a tear he just wiped away? He really was a great man. Any man who would stay with his wife after everything she had put him through was a great man. But dang it, she was not happy to return to the place where she witnessed all three of their beautiful children be killed with a baseball bat. Even worse, the ransom-seekers never had a chance to finish her off before the police sirens were too close. Now she was handicapped, and not dead like her children, but still had the agony of reliving the memories of that terrible night constantly. And Tommio had the nerve to bring her back to where it all went down. Even worse, he wasn't staying with her. Great man or not, she was mad at him for this. He should have told his team to handle it like always, or