Creed's Second Chance: Gray Wolf Security Shifters New Mexico, #1

By Glenna Sinclair

This is the first book of the second series of Gray Wolf Security Shifters. For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to start from the beginning with Pack of Misfits, Gray Wolf Security Shifters.

 

This is a stand-alone novel containing over 50,000 words of paranormal romantic suspense. If you enjoy the characters, you can continue with more books in the series.

 

Feeling like an outsider in what has become a family unit, Creed jumps at the chance to help Ash reorganize a new security firm he bought in New Mexico. The woman in charge down there, Dibe Haskies, is a firecracker that Creed finds a perfect distraction to his new reality.

 

Joshua Clinton, Dibe's righthand man, distrusts Creed and refuses to let him help Dibe in the way he sees to be most productive. But when a case Joshua is working on goes south, it's Creed who comes to his aid by finding the truth behind the scheme.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Glenna Sinclair
• Release date: Feb 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9798223085461

Glenna Sinclair

Experience the heart-racing novels of Glenna Sinclair, the master of romantic suspense. Sinclair's books feature strong male protagonists, many with a military background, who face real-world challenges that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Books2read.com/GlennaSinclair Facebook.com/AuthorGlennaSinclair GlennaSinclairAuthor at Gmail dot com

Book preview

Chapter 1: Creed

They all thought I was a traitor.

And then they knew I wasn’t. Not really.

I’d never really cared what anyone thought of me. I’d done a lot of good things in my life. I’d done a lot of bad things. There were things I wasn’t incredibly proud of. But I had no regrets about how I lived my life.

Until now.

I watched her walk into the room and I knew what she was going to say before she even opened her mouth. There was something about the expression on her face, something about the way she refused to look me in the eye. She’d kept to herself a lot these past few weeks, ever since I’d been welcomed back into the house after my role in taking down Alice Remington—the new leader of the Mahoney cartel—was revealed. I’d saved her life and was rewarded with a little kiss. Not the sort of passionate kiss we’d shared in the past, but a chaste little kiss that ended the moment Tunstall came into the room. That told me a lot, but I’d refused to believe it. But there was no denying it now.

I wasn’t going to make it easy for her though. I wasn’t that good of a man.

I never thanked you, not really, for what you did that day at Erik’s.

I rolled my shoulders, lifting the coffee mug I was holding between both hands, the aroma of Tunstall’s mint tea drifting up around my face, trying to pretend it didn’t matter. But it did matter. I would have died for her.

I almost did.

I’m sorry about how I treated you, Creed. You deserved better than that.

My eyes moved slowly over her face, a face that had become more than just a pretty face to me. I wasn’t one who made connections, who allowed other people to get under my skin. Life was better lived alone. And I did live it alone. I took odd jobs here and there, doing whatever I could to make an easy buck before moving on. The only time I’d ever allowed a connection to get out of hand was when I met Alice Remington and allowed her to control me through the jobs and the money she sent my way. But it was that connection that had brought me to Minnesota, that connection that had led me to make a deal with Tunstall Grayson, that had led me to Trinity Larson. And that was the second connection I’d made in my lifetime, a connection that I’d allowed myself to hope would lead to something more, to a life I’d never allowed myself to desire.

And she was standing here, trying to crush that hope in the nicest way possible.

You’ve chosen him, I said quietly, deciding I was a better man than I gave myself credit for.

I have. I’m going to tell him tonight.

She moved close to me, resting a hand on my arm. I wanted to shake it off because that gentle touch was excruciating. I’d been bitten and stabbed and mutilated in ways humans could never imagine. But none of that ever hurt as much as her touch.

You’re a good man, Creed. There’s someone out there somewhere waiting for you. I know it.

I shook my head. That’s just something you say to make yourself feel better. I pulled away, turning to set my full mug in the sink. I don’t need your platitudes. I know I’ll be okay. I turned again, forcing a charming smile. I never was the one-woman kind of guy, anyway. Now I’m free to go back to playing the field. I’m free to be me again.

An expression of such deep sadness and pity washed across her face, an expression that I couldn’t stand looking at. I patted the side of her face a little more roughly than I probably should have.

I’m okay, kid. Don’t worry about it.

I walked off, needing to get as far away from her as possible. I was thinking maybe I’d borrow one of the SUVs and get out of town for a day—not really thinking much further than that. But the man himself, our fearless leader who’d just won a fight I wasn’t even sure he knew he was in, stuck his head out of the office door.

Creed! Just the guy I was looking for!

Yes, well, he was the last guy I wanted to see. But I obediently followed him into the office. He gestured for me to take a seat—in Trinity’s chair—as he perched on the front edge of his own desk.

I’ve just stumbled into an opportunity and I thought I’d offer it to you first.

My eyebrows rose. Sounds mysterious.

Ash has bought an existing security firm down in New Mexico. Apparently it was started by a young woman fresh out of the military. They’ve been doing steady business for three years, but ran into financial issues this year. She was going to go bankrupt if she didn’t get a new source of income, which is where Ash came in. He bought the business, but agreed to allow the personnel to remain in place. However, he wants someone to go down there and oversee the business, help make managerial decisions and oversee the books.

I crossed my arms over my chest as I sat back and looked up at Tunstall. And you thought of me?

It’s a promotion, if you think about it. You’ll be in charge.

But I don’t know anything about managing a business.

You helped Trinity run this place when I was gone to Austin. I think you know more than you give yourself credit for.

It crossed my mind that Tunstall might just be trying to get rid of me. But, in light of what Trinity had said to me in the kitchen, I realized that I wasn’t averse to the idea. Especially if it meant I could boss a few people around.

What exactly would I have to do?

Tunstall shrugged. Observe. Watch the way they handle their business, and offer advice. Make sure they’re collecting fees, not taking a lot of pro bono cases; make sure none of the operatives are taking advantage of the lady in charge.

That’s all?

Pretty much. And it’s not a permanent position. You’d be able to come back here after a few weeks.

Sounds interesting.

Tunstall walked around his desk and picked up a piece of paper, scanning it as he began to talk again. The lady in charge is Dibe Haskie. She’s ex-navy. Grew up in the Albuquerque area, near where the business is located. They do pretty good business, but I guess her issue is collecting fees from clients. And there’s some competition from a rival security firm out of Albuquerque. Ash thinks that there’s some sort of personal connection between her and the owner of that firm—a Denton Isaacs—but he’s not clear on what that might be.

Dibe Haskie? That’s an interesting name.

She’s Navajo.

I nodded, more intrigued than I was willing to admit. How big is her team?

She’s currently got ten operatives working for her, and a half-a-dozen-strong support staff. Ash notes here that she put a lot of her capital into fixing up the old warehouse where their offices are located, building a training facility, buying tech, and employing several software developers. Kind of like what we’ve done here, though we had the luck of having David and Ricki already on Gray Wolf’s payroll.

Where is Ash?

He went to town to meet with Erik Os. He’ll be back soon if you want to talk to him before you make a decision.

I didn’t think I needed to talk about it. The idea of getting out of town for a while, long enough to allow my broken heart to heal a little, was a tempting one. As much as I respected the people in this house, as much as I appreciated their camaraderie, I was a man who wasn’t comfortable with setting down roots. Moving on, even temporarily, seemed right.

No—I’ll do it.

Yeah?

I nodded. The more I thought about it, the better the idea seemed.

Good! Tunstall dropped his sheet of paper back on the desk and came back around, taking up his position on the front of his desk again. Ash would like you to evaluate their tech and make a decision about implementing some of David and Ricki’s software. He’d also like for you to send him quick emails every day, giving him information on the way Dibe runs things, on anything different they might do that could benefit other offices of Gray Wolf. And he’d like to be informed on any negatives that might impact the health of the firm.

No problem.

Tunstall crossed his arms over his chest. You can take one of the SUVs and anything else you might need. Feel free to call for advice or anything else.

I appreciate it. I stood up and patted him on the shoulder. But I don’t think I’ll need you to hold my hand.

Of course not. But we make a pretty good team, don’t we? He smiled. Working together to take down Alice Remington panned out pretty well. I’m not sure I could have done it without your insight and you spreading rumors and bullshit to her people.

I lowered my head. I was but an instrument in your plan.

But it worked—and everyone’s safe now because of it.

I paused in the doorway. I only cared about one person. I would have done anything to protect her.

A cloud brushed over Tunstall’s expression. I know she appreciates it. So do I.

I lowered my head. I trust you’ll keep her safe while I’m gone. If not, I’ll have to come back and take care of business, good team or not.

I’ll do my best.

I turned to leave again, but Tunstall called after me.

There’s one thing you should know about this firm you’re going to help out with. They’re more like us than like Ash’s other firms.

Yeah? How’s that?

Tunstall hesitated a second. Well, they’re shifters, like us. But they’re all the same sort of creatures.

My eyebrows rose. Let me guess; they’re all wolves.

Tunstall smiled, catching the irony in that idea. No. But that’d be interesting.

What are they, then?

Dragons.

I nearly choked on that. I thought I’d seen it all when I met Garrick, the ancient horse. But dragons? That was definitely a new one.

A whole firm filled with dragons. That was unheard of.

Chapter 2: Dibe

His lips were like pillows, thick and moist and so familiar that I ached clear to my core when they touched my throat. I wanted nothing more than to taste his tongue and feel his hands on my skin, to lie in the dark as he explored every inch of my being... but I couldn’t do that.

We weren’t together anymore.

Denny, I moaned, pushing against his chest. You have to go!

Come on, Dibe; you know you want to.

I groaned, annoyed by how well he knew me. Or maybe it was the arrogance of his statement, the idea that he thought he knew me well, but was really just assuming because he believed every woman wanted him. I wasn’t sure which it was and I really didn’t want to figure it out because I knew—I knew probably better than anyone—what the truth really was already. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.

You have to go. We’re broken up, remember?

We don’t have to be.

We do. You cheated on me! Over and over again!

Come on, baby, he said, pushing me back against the wall, one hand on my hip as the other slid over my throat and up around my jaw. You know that didn’t mean anything. You know I love you... Those others didn’t mean anything.

I groaned as his lips brushed against mine. For a brief moment, I let myself indulge in that kiss. But then I came back to myself, logic finally breaking through the thick walls desire had built around my broken heart.

I can’t do this again, Denny, I moaned. I need you to go.

Just one more minute, babe, he whispered against my lips. But we both knew what one more minute would mean. I’d give in—again—and I’d regret it when it was over, regret letting him into my bed, letting him into my heart only to watch him walk all over me again. I pushed at his chest, my resolve stronger than I’d imagined myself capable of.

You have to go!

Come on, Denton, a deep, male voice suddenly barked. We both turned to find Joshua standing at the top of the stairs, watching us with that formidable stare he often wore. Time to go.

Oh, look, it’s your guard dog, Denton said, his voice dripping with disdain. She can make a decision without your input from time to time, you know, Joshua.

I believe the lady asked you to leave, Denton.

He grunted, his dark eyes moving over my face. Is that really what you want, Dibe?

My heart screamed no even as my logical side did everything but jump up and down. After a long moment of battle, I lowered my head.

You have to go.

He grunted again, but he backed up, his hands held up where we could see them. All right. But we have unfinished business, Dibe. This whole Gray Wolf thing is ridiculous. You never should have let that man—

It’s my business. My choice.

I could have done so much more for you if you’d let me buy you out.

You would have taken over. I couldn’t do that.

We could have worked together. Equal partners.

That didn’t work very well when we were lovers. How was it supposed to work in business?

Denton’s warm, dark-brown eyes skirted over me again, a smoldering fire burning as his eyes lingered on my throat where his lips had just been. Then he sighed.

Just remember that I tried—when this thing with Ash Grayson goes south.

Just remember that I trusted you and you let me down.

He shook his head, brushing past Joshua as he headed down the stairs, taking them two at a time like he was suddenly in a hurry to get as far from me as possible. It crushed my heart, if I was honest. But I was in the habit of not being honest with myself. That’s how I’d gotten myself into this trouble in the first place.

There’s a guy downstairs who claims to have been sent by Ash Grayson, Joshua said in a low, almost sympathetic voice. He’s waiting in your office.

I nodded. Give me a second, will you?

No problem.

Joshua turned and rushed down the stairs the same way Denton had done. I watched him for a second, wishing that he hadn’t come up here, that he hadn’t seen me