Jodie Bailey - Fatal Response

A killer knows his biggest secret...

And is one step ahead

Someone’s targeting the families of soldiers in Sergeant Jason Barnes’s elite military unit, and Jason’s determined his secret ex-wife won’t become a victim. But with his heart still wounded, he refuses to risk falling for firefighter Erin Taylor again. As he puts his life on the line to guard her, though, he can’t keep his distance if he wants her to survive.

JODIE BAILEYwrites novels about freedom and the heroes who fight for it. Her novel Crossfire won a 2015 RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. She is convinced a camping trip to the beach with her family, a good cup of coffee and a great book can cure all ills. Jodie lives in North Carolina with her husband, her daughter and two dogs.

Also By Jodie Bailey

Love Inspired Suspense

Freefall

Crossfire

Smokescreen

Compromised Identity

Breach of Trust

Dead Run

Calculated Vendetta

Fatal Response

Texas Ranger Holidays

Christmas Double Cross

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Fatal Response

Jodie Bailey

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08599-1

FATAL RESPONSE

© 2018 Jodie Bailey

Published in Great Britain 2018

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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“I wouldn’t have bothered you if I didn’t think it was important.”

“What else could possibly—”

“Erin, I think you’re in danger,” Jason said.

“Okay, Jason. Whatever game you’re playing, I’m leaving. It’s been a long night. Please go.”

“You know me well enough to know this isn’t a game.”

The truth was she didn’t know this Jason at all. People changed.

“Another wife of a guy on my team died early this morning.”

“This has nothing to do with me.”

“There’s more. My buddy Cole Dawson’s ex-wife was also found dead. Three spouses in one day? From the same team? A team whose last mission might cause someone to want revenge? Until somebody figures out how they got their intel, I can’t promise whoever this is doesn’t know about you, too.”

Dear Reader,

For the past year, God has laid Psalm 139 on my heart, particularly the end of verse 13, “thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.”

Some of us had two amazing, loving earthly parents. Some had one. Some had none. Here is the thing God has shown me, and I wanted to make sure it came through in Erin’s and Jason’s lives... No matter the kind of earthly parents you have, God is always, always there. We simply have to look for Him. Yes, in the midst of our trials and struggles and hurts, He can be hard to see. But when we look back, I’m certain hindsight shows us His fingerprints all over our lives. His little gifts are everywhere, and He sends people into our lives to fill in the missing pieces, even though we may not get to see exactly what those people did until we get to heaven.

If you are feeling unloved, unwanted, uninvited, know this... God Almighty loves you so big. And He cares about you so much that when you were hidden from sight, growing into life, He was watching you. Verse 16 goes on to say that He knew every single day of your life before you were even born into it. I don’t know about you, but that speaks of a deep love to me, a love that has been there every time we’ve laughed and every time we’ve cried. Every time life has been perfect and every time we’ve wondered why on earth God is letting this happen to us. It may not feel like He is always there, but, sweet one, from one who has seen some dark times herself, I promise you that He always is. We simply have to look.

I wish I could sit across from you, share a cup of coffee (or tea, if that’s your thing) and tell you why I know this to be true. But I’m praying for you, that God sends you someone to help you if you’re hurting. If you’re healed, I’m praying you are the one that God sends. Let’s be His love to one another and help each other see His light in the darkness.

I’d love to hear your God story, if you’d like to share it. Stop by www.jodiebailey.comand visit. You can find my story there, too, if you want to make yourself some coffee (or tea!) and check it out.

Jodie Bailey

Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

—Psalms 139: 13b–14

To all of my MilSpouse Friends...For the times you’ve made a home where you never wanted to go, celebrated holidays with your loved ones far away, rearranged your life for the “needs of Uncle Sam” and planned reunions that never seemed to go quite right but turned out perfectly anyway... You are more amazing than the world will ever understand. I’m honored to stand beside you.

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