Shield of Protection

By Dana Mentink

Protecting and serving in the Big Apple

An exciting prequel to the True Blue K-9 Unit series

Her uncle’s business practices have put a target on April Reed’s back. He’s gone into hiding, and April’s the only link the drug runners have to him. NYPD K-9 Unit officer Declan Maxwell and his dog Storm will do anything to keep her safe. With danger stalking them, they’ll race to save her uncle without losing their lives in the process.

Experience more action-packed mystery and suspense in the rest of the True Blue K-9 Unit series:

Book 1: Justice Mission by Lynette Eason

Book 2: Act of Valor by Dana Mentink

Book 3: Blind Trust by Laura Scott

Book 4: Deep Undercover by Lenora Worth

Book 5: Seeking the Truth by Terri Reed

Book 6: Trail of Danger by Valerie Hansen

Book 7: Courage Under Fire by Sharon Dunn

Book 8: Sworn to Protect by Shirlee McCoy

Book 9: True Blue K-9 Unit Christmas by Laura Scott and Maggie K. Black

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Love Inspired
• Release date: Mar 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781488050671

Dana Mentink

Dana Mentink is a national bestselling author. She has been honored to win two Carol Awards, a Holt Medallion, and a Reviewer's Choice award. She's authored more than thirty novels to date for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense and Harlequin Heartwarming. Dana loves feedback from her readers. Contact her at www.danamentink.com

Book preview

Protecting and serving in the Big Apple

An exciting prequel to the True Blue K-9 Unit series

Her uncle’s business practices have put a target on April Reed’s back. He’s gone into hiding, and April’s the only link the drug runners have to him. NYPD K-9 Unit officer Declan Maxwell and his dog Storm will do anything to keep her safe. With danger stalking them, they’ll race to save her uncle without losing their lives in the process.

Dana Mentink is a national bestselling author. She has been honored to win two Carol Awards, a HOLT Medallion and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. She’s authored more than thirty novels to date for Love Inspired Suspense and Harlequin Heartwarming. Dana loves feedback from her readers. Contact her at danamentink.com.

Books by Dana Mentink

Love Inspired Suspense

True Blue K-9 Unit

Shield of Protection

Gold Country Cowboys

Cowboy Christmas Guardian

Treacherous Trails

Cowboy Bodyguard

Lost Christmas Memories

Military K-9 Unit

Top Secret Target

Rookie K-9 Unit

Seek and Find

Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

Shield of Protection

Dana Mentink

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

—2. Timothy 1:7

To the North Valley Animal Disaster group for their unceasing work to reunite families and animals in the wake of the Camp Fire.

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

DEAR READER

EXCERPT FROM AMISH HAVEN BY DANA R. LYNN

ONE

A bead of sweat trickled down April Reed’s temple in spite of the March cold that seeped along the New York sidewalk.

Where was he? The man was coming for her, tall, dark-eyed, grim, closing the gap between them, waiting to strike. Fear crawled along her spine, and she felt exposed, vulnerable. To her right was the dark maw, the entrance to the subway station where there would be safety in the crowds of commuters and security cameras. Should she stay the course? Hide? After one more moment of hesitation, she jogged down the steps.

She didn’t want to be trapped in a station, especially this one in Queens, where she knew Declan Maxwell and his K-9, Storm, had been assigned for police training. As she hustled along, she strained to spot him in his uniform, broad-shouldered, intense, with those indescribable green-gold eyes, but he wasn’t there. Relief and disappointment mingled. It was just as well. He couldn’t know what she was involved in, not now, not ever.

People milled around, newspapers tucked under their arms, peering at cell phones and clutching steaming coffee in paper cups. She hadn’t intended to allow any delay in getting to her uncle, until she noticed the man watching her on the icy sidewalk outside the steps to the station, the man Uncle Hal warned her about. He’d texted a picture of her pursuer along with a chilling message.

Watch out for Spade’s guy. He’s a killer.

Nondescript in jeans and a jacket, he sported a black knit cap pulled down over his forehead like any of a million other New York City residents, since winter was refusing to give way to spring. In one moment his casual glance turned intense, riveted on her as he pushed off from the wall where he’d been slouching and began to follow as she hurried along.

Her uncle’s frantic stream of messages replayed in her mind. I don’t know which cops to trust. I have to get you the evidence before Spade kills me. It’s the only way to keep us both alive. Meet me at Queensbridge Park.

Malcolm Spade’s people must have somehow found out that her uncle had contacted her. It was clear her pursuer had orders. Stop her from getting to her uncle. Maybe even kill her in case Uncle Hal had already passed along some of this dirt he had on Spade. Skin prickling, she tried not to show the tension roiling around in her gut.

Keep moving. Don’t let him catch you.

Quickly shoving her pale blond hair into her hood, she hoped it would make her stand out less. Why hadn’t she taken the time to grab a hat or scarf? As she hurried through the bustle of morning commuters, she felt her confidence fail. Could she actually save her uncle from Malcolm Spade? Perhaps it had also been an error to go it alone, without calling the police, without telling Declan. But she’d been right about one thing; Malcolm Spade, the man who would do anything to stop her from

Reviews for Shield of Protection

[melissa_o-399736 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Shield of Protection is the explosive beginning of the new True Blue K-9 series. This novella introduces readers to NYPD K-9 Unit officer Declan Maxwell and his dog, Storm. Declan will go to great lengths to save April from the men who are after her and her uncle. This book truly left me looking forward to the rest of the series.

I was given a copy of this novella in exchange for my honest review.