Carol Ericson - Locked, Loaded And Sealed

A navy SEAL sniper turned bodyguard, he’ll protect his target…at any cost…

The SEAL’s secret assignment had been to protect a certain important doctor. But when the man is murdered, Austin Foley’s mission changes. The navy sniper must now protect the doctor’s protégé, the irresistible Sophia Grant, at any cost. For Sophia has information that could endanger the entire country. There’s only one problem: Sophia has no idea what those secrets are.

With lethal terrorists on their heels, Austin and Sophia must embark on a covert operation. But it will mean placing Sophia even more in harm’s way—a sacrifice not even the steel-hearted SEAL may be able to make.

Red, White and Built

“Thank you. I really don’t know what I would’ve done—or where I’d be now—if you hadn’t appeared.”

He knew where she’d be about now—sitting under some hot light, probably tied up and getting interrogated by some very bad people. He would never allow that to happen to her.

He’d been too late to protect her friend, but not too late to protect Sophia. Now that he’d met the woman with the sad childhood and the hard shell, he’d do anything to keep her safe.

He’d never kept anything from his superiors before, but he just might want to conceal his crazy attraction for Sophia. They didn’t need to know, even though he wouldn’t let his emotions get the better of him.

That had happened only once.

Locked, Loaded and SEALed

Carol Ericson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CAROL ERICSON is a bestselling, award-winning author of more than forty books. She has an eerie fascination for true-crime stories, a love of film noir and a weakness for reality TV, all of which fuel her imagination to create her own tales of murder, mayhem and mystery. To find out more about Carol and her current projects, please visit her website at www.carolericson.com, “where romance flirts with danger.”

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For all the military wives who keep it together

Contents

Cover

Introduction “Thank you. I really don’t know what I would’ve done—or where I’d be now—if you hadn’t appeared.” He knew where she’d be about now—sitting under some hot light, probably tied up and getting interrogated by some very bad people. He would never allow that to happen to her. He’d been too late to protect her friend, but not too late to protect Sophia. Now that he’d met the woman with the sad childhood and the hard shell, he’d do anything to keep her safe. He’d never kept anything from his superiors before, but he just might want to conceal his crazy attraction for Sophia. They didn’t need to know, even though he wouldn’t let his emotions get the better of him. That had happened only once.

Title Page Locked, Loaded and SEALed Carol Ericson www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author CAROL ERICSON is a bestselling, award-winning author of more than forty books. She has an eerie fascination for true-crime stories, a love of film noir and a weakness for reality TV, all of which fuel her imagination to create her own tales of murder, mayhem and mystery. To find out more about Carol and her current projects, please visit her website at www.carolericson.com , “where romance flirts with danger.”

Dedication For all the military wives who keep it together

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

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Prologue

A possible target came into view and a bead of sweat rolled down Austin Foley’s face and dripped off his chin. It wasn’t the mission making him sweat, even though technically the SEALs weren’t supposed to be operating in Pakistan; it was the heat rising from his rooftop hideaway, even in the dead of night. The corner of his mouth lifted. He had full confidence in the mission—he always did.

He adjusted his .300 Win Mag slightly to the left, repositioning the target in his crosshairs. The man in his sights had just slipped around the corner of a whitewashed building and stepped around a whirlwind of sand in his path—and his path led to the Jeep parked in front of Dr. Hamid Fazal’s house.

“I have eyes on a suspected target. How’s it looking, Grayson?”

Chip Grayson, his spotter, sucked in a breath. “It’s that guy who just came around the corner, right?”

“That’s our man, and he’s heading for the Jeep and Fazal’s house. Is the doctor out yet?”

“Not yet. Do you see a weapon?”

“Nope, but I don’t see his hands.”

“Movement at the front door. Whaddya got, Foley? Do or die time?”

Austin let out a measured breath, the man in the crosshairs his whole world, the man’s movements determining Austin’s next step and the target’s own fate. The suspect turned his head to the side once. Austin blinked. Another drop of sweat plopped to the gravel on the rooftop.

“Fazal’s at the door, outside, weapons up.”

“The rescue team can’t see our guy yet, which means nobody has a clear shot.”

“Except you.”

“Got that right.”

“Are you gonna take it?”

“Patience, my man. He could be a friend coming to say goodbye to Fazal.”

“Except nobody’s supposed to know he’s leaving, especially not in the company of a navy SEAL team.”

The man hunched forward suddenly and Austin’s finger tightened on the trigger, the action an extension of his brain. The suspect couldn’t have a gun. He wouldn’t be ducking if he wanted to shoot.

The target pulled his hand from a pocket, clutching something dark and pear-shaped. Austin’s jaw tensed as he recognized the object. The man reached for the grenade with his other hand.

Austin took the shot. “Got him.”

The man jerked and fell, the grenade dropping from his hand and rolling away from his body.

Grayson got on the radio to the team now assisting Dr. Fazal into the Jeep. After acknowledging Grayson’s communication, one of the SEALs broke away and approached the dead man on the street.

A movement on top of a building across the way caught Austin’s attention. With his scope, he zeroed in on the sniper raising his rifle and aiming at the SEAL in the street.

Austin took him out...and the fight was on.

Chapter One

Sixteen months later

The soles of Sophia’s sneakers squeaked on the slick cement floor of the parking structure. She hit the key fob and her trunk popped open. As she swung her bag into the car, it fell on its side, scattering the contents across the carpeted trunk.

She huffed out a breath and hunched over to collect her junk—a hastily wrapped leftover sandwich from lunch, a dog-eared paperback...and Dr. Fazal’s files.