The Shadow
Jonas Slowman knew that better than anyone. He'd left the Navajo Nation to fight overseas as a top-level ranger in the military. His devotion to his heritage brought him back to the reservation, back to the Brotherhood. But they handed him his toughest mission yet."Protect her at all costs," was the order from the tribe. That Jonas would do with his life. Except his attraction to Emily Atkins was a liability. She'd grown into a confident woman who now found herself the target of an implacable enemy, someone who was using her to get to the Navajo.Jonas was good at what he did, but he'd need his sharpest edge against a formidable foe. Because he couldn't risk the consequences to the sacred Brotherhood…or to the woman who'd stealthily claimed his heart.
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The world needed warriors who could fight the good fight, and Jonas Slowman, Navajo name âThe Shadow,â was the best of the best.
Gun in one hand, Emilyâs hand in the other, Jonas continued his progress along the wooded side of the road in pursuit of a lead. Between his ranger training in the military and his experience with the Brotherhood of Warriors, he knew all the tricks of the trade. But one momentâs distraction could result in lethal consequences. Jonas knew how to stay alive, and thatâs why he was here now instead of in a cemetery on the Navajo Nation. Without focus, he and Emily would be nothing more than the walking dead. That, more than anything, confirmed for him that there was no place for love in his life. It softened a man and muddied his objectivity. And he had to keep Emily safe.
Dear Reader,
Several years ago I began to experience a loss of vision. Those months were without a doubt the most terrifying of my life. Like the heroine, I told no one at first, but eventually David, my husband, guessed what was going on. Throughout that difficult time David stood beside me. It was his love that bolstered my courage whenever it sagged.
For the purposes of this story Iâve chosen to mirror some of the symptoms I experienced and the issues I confronted, hoping to give you a more intimate glimpse into my life at the time. The terror, the feelings of isolation, the desperate need to plan for the unknown, are all part of my heroine Emilyâs story, too.
Emily has her projectâconstructing an innâto keep her hopes alive. I had my writing. Bringing these stories to you kept me focused and eventually saw me through that period in my life.
Iâve recovered my sight, but the lessons I learned during those days will remain with me forever. I now know that thereâs no greater blessing than a love that neither time nor circumstance can stem.
With that in mind, I bring you The Shadow.
Aimée Thurlo
To Peg, because between the both of us,
we give new meaning to mi casa es tu casa.
And Deb Hetrick who always has something nice to say.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aimée Thurlo is a nationally known bestselling author. Sheâs the winner of a Career Achievement Award by RT Book Reviews, the New Mexico Book Award in contemporary fiction and a Willa Cather Award in the same category. Sheâs 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.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Jonas Slowman âHe had the power to make things happen, but what he wanted most was out of his reach.
Emily Atkins âHer hopes and dreams for the future demanded she stay strong. Yet the warrior who fought beside her was her greatest weakness.
Dinétsoh âThe trusted member of the Brotherhood had disappeared with a fortune in bearer bonds that Emily desperately needed.
Robert Jefferson âA real estate lawyer about to make the deal of his lifeâif he lived long enough to collect.
Grant Woods âHe wanted the Atkins property, and wasnât prepared to take no for an answer.
Jen Caldwell âNot so innocent, the legal assistant was in a position to know everythingâ¦or so she thought.
Sam Carpenter âHe was Grant Woodsâ handyman, but who was he really working for?
Contents
Prologue
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
Prologue
Dinétsoh gripped the heavy briefcase tightly with his uninjured hand as he tried to figure out what to do next. He couldnât afford to lose those bearer bonds; anyone could cash them in. The Navajo Nation needed the funds to buy the land where their ancestral refuge had been hiddenâthen rediscovered, less than ten years ago.
He checked the makeshift bandage on his wounded arm as he stopped behind a tall juniper to catch his breath. The bullet from the high-powered rifle had passed through his arm cleanly, leaving two gaping holes in his biceps. The improvised bandage had temporarily stemmed the flow of blood, but just barely. His head felt light from the loss of blood, and he was running out of time. His strength was fading and he was finding it increasingly difficult to walk, much less run.
Duty drove him now. The Brotherhood of Warriors was counting on him to see this mission through. Heâd been their only contact with the Anglo attorney, Powell Atkins. Now he was the only one alive who could identify the person whoâd caused the wreck that had killed the attorney, and almost cost Dinétsoh his own life, as well.
Determination kept him moving. He had to live long enough to insure his tribeâs future, and the safety of the attorneyâs daughter. If he failed to survive, the one hunting him would certainly turn on her next, and the promise the Brotherhood had made her father would be irreparably broken. Only one other Brotherhood Warrior had all the skills to prevent the unthinkable, but there was no way to reach him now.
