Aimee Thurlo - Alpha Warrior

He was also far more complex than she’d realized.

“Thank you,” she said, then impulsively threw her arms around Nick and hugged him.

She’d meant it only as an expression of gratitude, but the second his arms wrapped around her, she entered a new world—one of fire and longings too strong to resist. As she melted against him, he groaned, and the sound vibrated against her, awakening the woman within.

Nick cupped her face in his hands and lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was gentle but insistent, coaxing and demanding at the same time. The strength of his arms and the hardness of his body filled her with a sweet, melting heat. The world ceased to exist. There was nothing but him.

At long last he eased his hold. “I’ll protect you from others, but who’ll protect you from me?”

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To Peg. See? You don’t have to share!

Aimée Thurlo is a nationally known bestselling author. She’s the winner of a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews, a 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.

Detective Nick Blacksheep—He’s an ex-marine with a deadly past and many personal demons. Ordered to drop an important case to protect the niece of the former police chief, he finds his life suddenly turned upside down by feelings that have no place in a warrior’s world.

Drew Simmons—She was training for a temporary job in the police records department, but unless she learns to trust her bodyguard, despite all the reasons against it, Drew might become just another crime statistic.

Chief Franklin—He was walking a fine line, trying to protect a friend, but his questionable leadership has already cost him the respect of his department.

Ray Owens—Everyone knows he is the lowest form of human being—a wife beater. But Ray holds a lot of power in the community, and his wrath is now directed at the officer who arrested him—Nick Blacksheep.

Beth Michaels—Once Drew takes over her position at the department, she’ll be free to nurse her dying husband—if her money holds out.

Harry Koval—He’s responsible for tracking down Drew’s assailants, but is making very little progress despite his reputation as a top-notch detective.

Captain Wright—Nick’s boss insists on knowing exactly where he and Drew are hiding. Unfortunately, whoever’s after Drew is also receiving this information, and that makes Captain Wright a suspect.

Travis Blacksheep—Nick is his older brother, and they’ve always had each other’s back. But someone is now trying to use that against them.

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

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Epilogue

Wherever Nick Blacksheep went, trouble usually followed. That’s the way it had been since he’d taken his first breath back on the Navajo rez thirty-three years ago.

Travis, Nick’s younger brother, held the punching bag steady as Nick continued to channel his anger into the inert mass. “Work out on this, then we’ll go a few rounds,” Travis said.

“Wear me down first? Won’t work. Right now you couldn’t handle me, little brother,” Nick growled, and continued to pound the heavy bag.

“Anger destroys focus. I can take you.”

“In your dreams,” Nick retorted, sinking his taped fists into the thick leather with a lightning-fast combination.

“Have an Enemy Way Sing done. Release the past and the memories of war you still carry inside you and you’ll be able to sleep again at night.”

“The old ways have no part in my life,” Nick said, pounding the body bag with an intense flurry of jabs.

“You need to restore the balance. The path of harmony that allows a man to walk in beauty, the hózho, will elude you until you put your ghosts to rest.”

“It’s the present that’s the problem. There’s no reason for me to have been put on disciplinary suspension. We’ve had eight domestic disturbance calls this month alone from that address. The lowlife there can’t keep his fists off his wife. I responded to the last call, and when he tried to slip by me to go whack his wife, I threw him across the hood of his sports car.”

“I agree that you did the right thing. But nothing will change until the guy’s wife leaves him for good.”

Nick slammed his fist into the bag one last time, then stepped back. “I better hit the shower. I’ve got a meeting with the chief and the review board tonight.”

“Everyone in the department knows you’re a good cop, and there’s enough evidence to clear you. Providing you don’t screw up tonight, you’ll be fine,” Travis said. “Things have hit bottom so they have nowhere to go but up.”

“I have my own saying. Just when you think it’s really bad, it gets worse.”

“Your main problem, bro, is that you substitute attitude for patience.”

“I’d rather push things to get them rolling than play nice,” Nick said, removing the tape from his knuckles.

Travis shook his head. “A little patience gets better results. Remember how it was for us.”

Nick met his brother’s eyes. They’d been watching each other’s backs since the day their father told them he was going for a walk in the desert and never returned. To this day, they never figured out if he’d meant to abandon them, or had been trying to do them a favor. On the rez, when a man knew that he was dying, he’d sometimes walk off like that. That last act was considered a gift to his family, since a death in the house meant that the building would have to be abandoned. The Navajo Way taught that the chindi, the evil in a man, would never be able to merge with Universal Harmony, so it remained behind, posing a threat to the living.

“I’ll let you know how things go,” Nick said.

WHEN NICK STEPPED INTO the shower, he could hear Travis punching the heavy bag. Travis had lightning-fast reflexes. Nick lacked his brother’s speed and agility, but he packed more power and could slug it out toe-to-toe with anyone.

Fifteen minutes later, Nick was dressed and ready to leave. Tugging on his boots, he stood and automatically reached for the detective’s badge he normally kept on the dresser. The empty gesture made him curse. Suspension meant no department firearm or badge.