Elizabeth Goddard - Thread Of Revenge

COAST GUARD PROTECTOR

Marine biologist Sadie Strand is back in her coastal hometown to prove her best friend was murdered—but searching for evidence almost costs Sadie her life. Abducted, drugged and left for dead on a sinking boat, she’s barely rescued in time by Coast Guard Investigative Service special agent Gage Sessions, an old friend. Assigned to protect Sadie and connect three complicated cases, Gage risks his life time and again to make sure the woman he once loved survives. But although the handsome, guarded agent vows to protect her, someone will keep killing to ensure the truth never rises to the surface.

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

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Texas Christmas Defender

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Targeted for Murder

Undercover Protector

False Security

Wilderness Reunion

Mountain Cove

Buried

Untraceable

Backfire

Submerged

Tailspin

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Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Thread of Revenge

Elizabeth Goddard

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08058-3

THREAD OF REVENGE

© 2018 Elizabeth Goddard

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.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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“I’m glad you’re the one assigned to find my friend’s killer,” Sadie said.

She bit her lip and added, “I feel safe when I’m with you.” She averted her gaze as if it was too hard to see his reaction to her words.

They only served to further ignite his protectiveness.

He needed to focus. “The fact that you were abducted from her beach house and left to drown on a sinking boat suggests there must be something in this house worth looking at.”

“And someone doesn’t want me digging around and finding out who killed her.”

A lump grew in his throat as he stared up at the beach house.

The sudden sense that someone was watching them crawled over him. Trees butted up near the house that faced the ocean. Waves crashed against the rocks behind them. Was he making a mistake?

Gage grabbed Sadie’s hand and headed back toward his SUV. “This is too dangerous. I should never have brought you here.”

The air whooshed from his lungs as a concussive explosion slammed his back, forcing him to the ground.

Dear Reader,

I’m so glad you took the time to read Thread of Revenge, and I hope you enjoyed the story. As always, I had a lot of fun writing the novel and living my life vicariously through my characters as they tried to survive and solve the puzzle of who was trying to kill them. In my research, this story took me into the dark world of drug smuggling, and into the new and terrifying world of designer drugs, online ordering of those drugs, along with postal service delivery. Writing stories like this can often leave me concerned about the world we live in, and for my children’s future, but I have to remind myself that God is with me. He will never leave nor forsake me. And I know that to be true.

I pray for His wisdom and guidance in your life, and that you’ll know without a doubt that He’s with you, even when you’re struggling through the darkest of times. I pray His many blessings on you, my friend.

If you’d like to know more about me or my books, please connect with me at my website: ElizabethGoddard.com. You can find my Facebook and Twitter pages there too. I hope to hear from you soon!

Blessings!

Elizabeth Goddard

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

—Deuteronomy 31:6

To Dan, my hero.

Acknowledgments

A writer can’t create a novel in a vacuum. We can’t write the stories alone. We need experts to help us get it right. Many thanks to those who helped me with various aspects of this story. Susan Sleeman—thanks for your police-procedural expertise and your brainstorming help. Martin Roy Hill—I couldn’t have written this story without your expertise on all things Coast Guard. I especially appreciate your naming of the USCGC Kraken! And last but never least, I want to thank my editor, Elizabeth Mazer, and my agent, Steve Laube, for believing in my stories!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

Acknowledgments

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

Extract

ONE

Her head throbbed and grogginess gripped her. She rocked as if on giant waves. A deep, aching chill touched her feet. The coldness licked at her toes until she slowly realized the sensation felt more than cold—it felt wet.