Aimee Thurlo - The Shadow

Gun in one hand, Emily’s hand in the other, Jonas continued his progress along the wooded side of the road in pursuit of a lead. Between his ranger training in the military and his experience with the Brotherhood of Warriors, he knew all the tricks of the trade. But one moment’s distraction could result in lethal consequences. Jonas knew how to stay alive, and that’s why he was here now instead of in a cemetery on the Navajo Nation. Without focus, he and Emily would be nothing more than the walking dead. That, more than anything, confirmed for him that there was no place for love in his life. It softened a man and muddied his objectivity. And he had to keep Emily safe.

Dear Reader,

Several years ago I began to experience a loss of vision. Those months were without a doubt the most terrifying of my life. Like the heroine, I told no one at first, but eventually David, my husband, guessed what was going on. Throughout that difficult time David stood beside me. It was his love that bolstered my courage whenever it sagged.

For the purposes of this story I’ve chosen to mirror some of the symptoms I experienced and the issues I confronted, hoping to give you a more intimate glimpse into my life at the time. The terror, the feelings of isolation, the desperate need to plan for the unknown, are all part of my heroine Emily’s story, too.

Emily has her project—constructing an inn—to keep her hopes alive. I had my writing. Bringing these stories to you kept me focused and eventually saw me through that period in my life.

I’ve recovered my sight, but the lessons I learned during those days will remain with me forever. I now know that there’s no greater blessing than a love that neither time nor circumstance can stem.

With that in mind, I bring you The Shadow.

Aimée Thurlo

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To Peg, because between the both of us,

we give new meaning to mi casa es tu casa.

And Deb Hetrick who always has something nice to say.

Aimée Thurlo is a nationally known bestselling author. She’s the winner of a Career Achievement Award by RT Book Reviews, the New Mexico Book Award in contemporary fiction and a Willa Cather Award in the same category. She’s published in twenty countries worldwide.

She also cowrites the bestselling Ella Clah mainstream mystery series praised in the New York Times Book Review.

Aimée was born in Havana, Cuba, and lives with her husband of thirty-nine years in Corrales, New Mexico. Her husband, David, was raised on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

Jonas Slowman —He had the power to make things happen, but what he wanted most was out of his reach.

Emily Atkins —Her hopes and dreams for the future demanded she stay strong. Yet the warrior who fought beside her was her greatest weakness.

Dinétsoh —The trusted member of the Brotherhood had disappeared with a fortune in bearer bonds that Emily desperately needed.

Robert Jefferson —A real estate lawyer about to make the deal of his life—if he lived long enough to collect.

Grant Woods —He wanted the Atkins property, and wasn’t prepared to take no for an answer.

Jen Caldwell —Not so innocent, the legal assistant was in a position to know everything…or so she thought.

Sam Carpenter —He was Grant Woods’ handyman, but who was he really working for?

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Dinétsoh gripped the heavy briefcase tightly with his uninjured hand as he tried to figure out what to do next. He couldn’t afford to lose those bearer bonds; anyone could cash them in. The Navajo Nation needed the funds to buy the land where their ancestral refuge had been hidden—then rediscovered, less than ten years ago.

He checked the makeshift bandage on his wounded arm as he stopped behind a tall juniper to catch his breath. The bullet from the high-powered rifle had passed through his arm cleanly, leaving two gaping holes in his biceps. The improvised bandage had temporarily stemmed the flow of blood, but just barely. His head felt light from the loss of blood, and he was running out of time. His strength was fading and he was finding it increasingly difficult to walk, much less run.

Duty drove him now. The Brotherhood of Warriors was counting on him to see this mission through. He’d been their only contact with the Anglo attorney, Powell Atkins. Now he was the only one alive who could identify the person who’d caused the wreck that had killed the attorney, and almost cost Dinétsoh his own life, as well.

Determination kept him moving. He had to live long enough to insure his tribe’s future, and the safety of the attorney’s daughter. If he failed to survive, the one hunting him would certainly turn on her next, and the promise the Brotherhood had made her father would be irreparably broken. Only one other Brotherhood Warrior had all the skills to prevent the unthinkable, but there was no way to reach him now.

Dinétsoh suddenly heard a sound in the brush below him. He tightened his grip on the briefcase once more and climbed wearily toward the bluffs. If he couldn’t make it to Fire Rock Hollow before dark, all would be lost.

An item fell from his torn pocket onto the sand, but before he could turn to pick it up, he heard the sound of footfalls crunching on the dry ground, coming closer. Ducking behind cover again, he waited. In the fading sunlight, the turquoise key took on a deep green glow. As the tribal artifact fell under a deep shadow, Dinétsoh reluctantly slipped away.

Emily sat in her father’s cozy leather chair and leaned back wearily, stretching her muscles. His combination library-office was a total mess. Every inch of the old oak floor was littered with papers, documents and manila folders—a leftover from a burglar’s visit two days ago, during her father’s funeral. Having learned how to track during her early teens, she’d followed the footprints left by the thief, hoping to find a clue. Unfortunately, the trail had disappeared at the road, replaced by tire tracks. The official police department search had yielded no further answers.

She still had no idea what, if anything, had been taken, except for her father’s collection of maps. They’d been in a folder, but she doubted they were of much value.

Emily looked around her. Daylight was only a memory now, and the pair of battery-powered lanterns atop cardboard boxes in two corners of the room were the only sources of illumination. She’d had all the utilities turned off yesterday. The main house, where she was currently, was scheduled to be torn down soon. Though money was tight, she’d given the construction crew the go-ahead, knowing her father would have approved.