Elizabeth Goddard - Running Target

She escaped right into danger...

A Coldwater Bay Intrigue novel

A routine patrol turns deadly when marine deputy Bree Carrington’s boat is sunk by men carrying illegal weapons. Fleeing a barrage of bullets, she’s suddenly rescued by DEA agent Quinn Strand—her ex-boyfriend. Quinn’s return threatens more than Bree’s heart…because he’s the one the men are really after. As criminals hunt her to get to him, can Quinn and Bree take down a drug ring?

ELIZABETH GODDARD is the award-winning author of more than thirty novels and novellas. A 2011 Carol Award winner, she was a double finalist in the 2016 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and a 2016 Carol Award finalist. Elizabeth graduated with a computer science degree and worked in high-level software sales before retiring to write full-time.

Also by Elizabeth Goddard

Coldwater Bay Intrigue

Thread of Revenge

Stormy Haven

Distress Signal

Running Target

Texas Ranger Holidays

Texas Christmas Defender

Wilderness, Inc.

Targeted for Murder

Undercover Protector

False Security

Wilderness Reunion

Mountain Cove

Buried

Untraceable

Backfire

Submerged

Tailspin

Deception

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Running Target

Elizabeth Goddard

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09640-9

RUNNING TARGET

© 2019 Elizabeth Goddard

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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Quinn grabbed her. “Be careful.”

Was he worried about her sprained ankle, or warning her to keep away from him?

She stepped closer. She couldn’t help herself. She might never see him again. Never know if he survived the hit men after him. Bree could hardly breathe.

“Please, Quinn. Let me put you into protective custody.” Maybe she’d be the one to watch over him. Don’t even go there.

He grinned. How she’d always loved that grin. “Nice try, Bree. You know why I can’t.”

“I know what you’ve told me, but I think it’s just your excuse to stay in hiding. To keep people at a distance. To keep me at a distance.”

He leaned in closer. Once again her lungs stilled, but she didn’t need oxygen. She needed Quinn. But she would never let herself love him—he would only leave. He was leaving now.

“There’s no other way, Bree. If the men after me find out about you, that I care about you, then...”

Her pulse ratcheted up. She knew what he didn’t say.

She’d become a target.

Dear Reader,

I’m so glad you had the opportunity to read Running Target . I hope you enjoyed the story. The characters each had to make some hard choices that I hope you’ll be able to relate to, though maybe you haven’t been chased by drug runners with machine guns, or maybe you haven’t had to choose between your job and keeping someone you love safe. Still, the choices we face every day don’t seem all that much easier.

I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t know how to trust in the Lord. I pray if you don’t already trust in Him, that you’ll learn to do just that, and soon.

If you’d like to find out more about my books, you can visit my website at www.elizabethgoddard.com.

Many blessings!

Elizabeth Goddard

Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

—Psalms 59:1

To Jesus. You’re my all in all.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

Extract

About the Publisher

“Don’t move!” Deputy Bree Carrington aimed her newly issued Glock 22 fifteen-round semiautomatic pistol at three men standing in the twenty-four-foot fishing boat.

Though she had the authority of the law behind her, and had trained for a day such as this, her palms slicked and heart pounded.

Inside, she shook.

Still, she allowed her training to kick in, keeping her weapon aimed and level. She never wanted to have to use it, but a sick feeling stirred in her gut—today could be the day when she would have no choice. She pointed the Glock at the three muscled men wearing scowls. Men who made the boat look too small. Men who carried more powerful weapons than she did. Powerful and illegal.

If they got their hands on those...

Well, she couldn’t let that happen.

On this hotter-than-usual summer day, sweat beaded at her temples and back.

Next to her, Deputy Jayce McBride tethered the vessels together.

Bree and Jayce had been patrolling the river when she’d spotted them—just three men out on a boat whose motor had failed on them.

Bree had headed toward them to assist, though the men had insisted they needed no help. But it gave her an excuse to stop and check them out. That’s when they had tried to hide that they were transporting illegal arms—machine guns. One guy had grown twitchy and thought he could grab a weapon and take her out. She’d been faster and held them all at gunpoint. If she hadn’t, both she and Jayce would be dead.