The world has gone to hell after a terrorist attack sends the world back to nineteenth century technology. But on an island off the coast of Oregon, Eden McKay’s small town is safe and sound. But when Eden’s ill mother wants to see her other daughter before she dies, Eden must leave the safety of her home to find the sister she hasn’t seen in four years.
The only one to help her is Aaron Jenkins, the Navy SEAL who’s just made his way to the island after months of fighting his way across the mainland. After what he’s seen on the mainland, all he wants is the peace of his family’s home. He doesn’t want responsibility for himself, much less another person. But he can’t let Eden go on her own. She’s determined, but she’ll never survive on her own.
Together they set off for the mainland, where wild dogs and mercenaries are the least of their problems, where they have to fight a mad man and search for a needle in a haystack, where the danger is not just to their well-being, but to their hearts.
Excerpt 1:
Eden was awakened by gunfire on the coast. Bleary-eyed, she grabbed a robe, shoved her feet in her boots, grabbed her pistol from the table by the door and raced out of the house. Muzzle flares flashed from boats off-shore, answering ones from the island. Her heart pounding, she stopped short, aware she was a clear target in her white robe in the moonlight when there was no other light. She shrugged out of the robe and shivered in her T-shirt and flannel pants, but at least she blended into the darkness.
Who was down there? Her father? Damien? And who was firing on them? People they’d sent away, or people they wouldn’t allow to land? The standing order was that no one was allowed to land at night.
The firing from the island was pretty steady, as the shooting from the boats became more intermittent. Tomorrow they’d be paying kids to pick up shells so they could reload them.
Shouts could be heard from the ocean, more from the town. Eden hoped the townspeople were wise enough to stay inside, out of the line of fire. She was heading down to the shore when running feet approached. She stepped off the road, into the trees, flipping the safety off her handgun before she recognized Joey Delmar, one of Damien’s friends. She stepped in front of him, startling him so that for a moment she was looking down the barrel of his .45, before he realized who she was.
“Thank God, Eden. I was coming to your house. Your father—he’s been shot.”
Excerpt 2:
“Right. All right. Show me what you have.”
She shook off her nerves, took a stance, then drove her hand, heel up, towards his Adam’s apple. Huck barked madly, and growled at the attack on his owner. Just as she braced for impact, Aaron dodged, grabbed her hand, his thumb pressing into the center of her palm, and twisted her arm away, hurting her wrist. When she opened her mouth to cry out, he released her.
“Again,” he said.
So she came at him again, this time turning, bringing the side of her arm across the side of his throat. Again at the last minute, he stepped back, catching her arm in both hands and pushing so that she fell on the ground, hitting her elbow hard. Humiliated, she bounded to her feet again and charged. This time he caught her around the waist and pulled her back against his chest.
“Ah, don’t let your temper take control,” he said against her ear.
He didn’t seem to be straining to hold her, one arm across her body, his hand cupping her shoulder, his other hand holding her hip, but all the tricks Damien had shown her to break someone’s hold weren’t working. Probably because all she could think about was the impression of his body against hers, lean and strong. And how she’d dreamed about being in just this position when she was a girl.
“Break free,” he said, his voice low, seductive, sending skitters of lust along her skin, a weakness she couldn’t afford to have.
So she slammed her head back as hard as she could.
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