Delores Fossen - Drury

An FBI agent must protect his ex and her newborn baby in the latest saga by USA TODAY bestselling author Delores Fossen

FBI agent Drury Ryland is no stranger to surprises. But upon returning to his family’s cattle ranch in Texas, he’s confronted with the ghosts of his past…and a threat to his future. Caitlyn Denson is the beautiful woman who broke his heart and the last person Drury expected to reunite with. But his ex didn’t arrive at Silver Creek Ranch alone.

With a killer on her trail and a newborn daughter in her arms, Caitlyn must put aside her tumultuous history with Drury and focus on survival. Drury feels obligated to protect the family he never had, but professional boundaries begin to blur as their enemy shifts into stark focus.

The Lawmen of Silver Creek Ranch

“I can still hear the gunshots,” she said.

Yeah, so could he. He didn’t want to tell her that she would hear them for the rest of her life. But she would. So would he. And he would remember that look of terror on her face.

There wasn’t really a way to comfort her right now so Drury just slipped his arm around her and hoped that helped. It seemed to do that. For a couple of long moments anyway. Until she lifted her head, and her eyes met his.

Any chance of comforting her vanished. A lot of things vanished. Like common sense, because just like that, Drury felt the old attraction.

“I don’t know how to stop this,” she said. Her voice was a whisper, filled with her thin breath.

She wasn’t talking about the danger now.

It would have been safer if she had been.

Before he could talk himself out of it or remember this was something he shouldn’t be doing, Drury lowered his head and kissed her.

Drury

Delores Fossen

www.millsandboon.co.uk

DELORES FOSSEN, a USA TODAY bestselling author, has sold over fifty novels with millions of copies of her books in print worldwide. She’s received a Booksellers’ Best Award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. She was also a finalist for a prestigious RITA® Award. You can contact the author through her website at www.deloresfossen.com.

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text An FBI agent must protect his ex and her newborn baby in the latest saga by USA TODAY bestselling author Delores Fossen FBI agent Drury Ryland is no stranger to surprises. But upon returning to his family’s cattle ranch in Texas, he’s confronted with the ghosts of his past…and a threat to his future. Caitlyn Denson is the beautiful woman who broke his heart and the last person Drury expected to reunite with. But his ex didn’t arrive at Silver Creek Ranch alone. With a killer on her trail and a newborn daughter in her arms, Caitlyn must put aside her tumultuous history with Drury and focus on survival. Drury feels obligated to protect the family he never had, but professional boundaries begin to blur as their enemy shifts into stark focus. The Lawmen of Silver Creek Ranch

Introduction “I can still hear the gunshots,” she said. Yeah, so could he. He didn’t want to tell her that she would hear them for the rest of her life. But she would. So would he. And he would remember that look of terror on her face. There wasn’t really a way to comfort her right now so Drury just slipped his arm around her and hoped that helped. It seemed to do that. For a couple of long moments anyway. Until she lifted her head, and her eyes met his. Any chance of comforting her vanished. A lot of things vanished. Like common sense, because just like that, Drury felt the old attraction. “I don’t know how to stop this,” she said. Her voice was a whisper, filled with her thin breath. She wasn’t talking about the danger now. It would have been safer if she had been. Before he could talk himself out of it or remember this was something he shouldn’t be doing, Drury lowered his head and kissed her.

Title Page Drury Delores Fossen www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author DELORES FOSSEN, a USA TODAY bestselling author, has sold over fifty novels with millions of copies of her books in print worldwide. She’s received a Booksellers’ Best Award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. She was also a finalist for a prestigious RITA® Award. You can contact the author through her website at www.deloresfossen.com .

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

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Special Agent Drury Ryland pulled into his driveway, his truck headlights slashing through the curtain of rain. Rain that nearly caused him to miss the movement behind his detached garage.

Nearly.

But Drury managed to catch a glimpse of someone darting out of sight.

He groaned because it wasn’t exactly the hour or the weather for a visitor. Or the place. He was home, in one of the nearly dozen houses on the sprawling Silver Creek Ranch, and all those houses were occupied by lawmen. Anyone who’d come here to break in was a couple of steps past being stupid.

Of course, it might not be a break-in.

Because Drury’s arm was still throbbing from the six stitches he had just gotten, he had no trouble recalling the encounter he’d had three hours earlier. A thug had knifed him during an FBI sting operation. Drury had managed to arrest him, but the guy had sworn on his soul that he would get even with Drury. No way could the soul-swearing guy have gotten out of jail yet, but he could have sent one of his buddies to do his dirty work.

Drury brought his truck to a stop, eased his hand over his gun and tried to pick through the darkness and rain so he could get another glimpse of the guy. Nothing. But Drury knew he was there.

“I’m Agent Drury Ryland,” he shouted. “Come out so I can see you.”

The guy didn’t. And not only didn’t he come out, he fired a shot. Before Drury could even react, the bullet slammed into his windshield.

The next two shots went straight into his truck’s engine. One must have hit the radiator because steam started spewing into the air.

Drury cursed. There went his way to escape. If he wanted to escape, that is. He didn’t. He wanted to confront this moron and make him pay for starting a gunfight on Ryland land.

Since the sound of the shots would no doubt alert his cousins and brothers, Drury sent a quick text to one of those cousins, Sheriff Grayson Ryland, and requested backup. However, Drury was hoping he could put an end to the situation before backup even arrived.

Drury threw open his truck door, and using it for cover, he took aim at the shadowy figure that kept peering around the garage. He couldn’t just start pulling the trigger, though. It had to be a clean shot because Drury didn’t want it to ricochet and risk hitting a ranch hand or someone inside one of the nearby houses.