A navy SEAL sniper turned bodyguard, heâll protect his targetâ¦at any costâ¦
The SEALâs secret assignment had been to protect a certain important doctor. But when the man is murdered, Austin Foleyâs mission changes. The navy sniper must now protect the doctorâs protégé, the irresistible Sophia Grant, at any cost. For Sophia has information that could endanger the entire country. Thereâs 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 harmâs wayâa sacrifice not even the steel-hearted SEAL may be able to make.
Red, White and Built
âThank you. I really donât know what I wouldâve doneâor where Iâd be nowâif you hadnât appeared.â
He knew where sheâd be about nowâsitting under some hot light, probably tied up and getting interrogated by some very bad people. He would never allow that to happen to her.
Heâd been too late to protect her friend, but not too late to protect Sophia. Now that heâd met the woman with the sad childhood and the hard shell, heâd do anything to keep her safe.
Heâd never kept anything from his superiors before, but he just might want to conceal his crazy attraction for Sophia. They didnât need to know, even though he wouldnât let his emotions get the better of him.
That had happened only once.
Prologue
A possible target came into view and a bead of sweat rolled down Austin Foleyâs face and dripped off his chin. It wasnât the mission making him sweat, even though technically the SEALs werenât 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 missionâhe 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 pathâand his path led to the Jeep parked in front of Dr. Hamid Fazalâs house.
âI have eyes on a suspected target. Howâs it looking, Grayson?â
Chip Grayson, his spotter, sucked in a breath. âItâs that guy who just came around the corner, right?â
âThatâs our man, and heâs heading for the Jeep and Fazalâs house. Is the doctor out yet?â
âNot yet. Do you see a weapon?â
âNope, but I donât see his hands.â
âMovement at the front door. Whaddya got, Foley? Do or die time?â
Austin let out a measured breath, the man in the crosshairs his whole world, the manâs movements determining Austinâs next step and the targetâs own fate. The suspect turned his head to the side once. Austin blinked. Another drop of sweat plopped to the gravel on the rooftop.
âFazalâs at the door, outside, weapons up.â
âThe rescue team canât see our guy yet, which means nobody has a clear shot.â
âExcept you.â
âGot that right.â
âAre you gonna take it?â
âPatience, my man. He could be a friend coming to say goodbye to Fazal.â
âExcept nobodyâs supposed to know heâs leaving, especially not in the company of a navy SEAL team.â
The man hunched forward suddenly and Austinâs finger tightened on the trigger, the action an extension of his brain. The suspect couldnât have a gun. He wouldnât be ducking if he wanted to shoot.
The target pulled his hand from a pocket, clutching something dark and pear-shaped. Austinâs jaw tensed as he recognized the object. The man reached for the grenade with his other hand.
Austin took the shot. âGot him.â
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 Graysonâs 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 Austinâs 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.