Counter Balance by Patricia Bates
A woman
with secrets. A man with honor. Can love survive?
When an
unknown foe kidnaps Alex Caden, her rescue comes at the hands of an elite Navy
SEAL team. But there are secrets that will keep those who want her dead on her
trail.
Slade
Lake has dedicated his life to keeping civilians safe. When he saves Alex, he
knows as soon as he sees her that they're meant to be together. With killers
dogging their every step and secrets unfolding can they find love or will the
enemies from the shadows destroy everything?
Excerpt:
Slade
clicked his communicator, his steps confident as the team eased through the
opening in the gate to blend into the shadows of the interior of the estate.
Hunkered down behind a massive four-wheeler, Slade spread out on his belly, his
gaze sweeping the courtyard.
Men
huddled around barrels, fire lapping at the cold air. Several men shifted,
their attention on a nondescript shed half-hidden beyond a stack of straw
bales. Dogs lunged at the ends of their chains, their fury evident in the howls
and roars of captivity.
Slade
slapped the shoulder of the nearest man and pointed. Out of four buildings only
one was guarded. Six heavily armed men stood at the door. "Our target's
there."
"You
sure?"
"Can
you think of any reason to have six men guarding a tool shed?" Slade shook
his head. "I can. Something or someone is there…and my guess is it's the
target."
"We're
right behind you."
Slade ran
from the cover of the four-wheeler toward the shed. Bent over, he darted
between barrels and vehicles, keeping his rifle pressed against his side.
Sliding on ice, Slade hugged the shed. From his position, he could easily see
his men. A quick nod and he pulled the sidearm from its holster.
"Hell,
this is nuts," Slade muttered and leaned to the side. His gaze swept the
front of the building.
Two men
stood together, their attention on the cigarettes in their hands, weapons
looped casually over their shoulders. The other four scanned their
surroundings, eyes peeled for danger. This is going to be hairy.
A flash of
red on the neck of one of them drew his attention. Whipping his head around,
Slade scanned the yard. A glint of light from atop a truck revealed Smoke's
position. Across the courtyard, several men fell, sending those surrounding
them racing for weapons.
Slade
gave a slow nod. "Time to dance."
Ten
seconds later one of the guards dropped to the ground, red spurting from a
severed jugular. Seeing their comrades go down, the compound lit up.
"Damn!"
Slade grunted as he watched two more men race from the building, weapons drawn.
The door slammed shut behind them, the last turning to click something into
place.
"Keep
your head down, Danny-boy," Pyke's voice filled Slade's ear before his
radio fell silent.
Darting
past the remaining guards, Slade headed for the door, the firefight heating up
around him. Aiming from the hip, he shot two before he reached the door.
"Mother…" With a well placed bullet, the lock shattered. Jerking the
door open, Slade ducked on his way in, the pistol a welcomed weight in his palm.
One foot
in front of the other he inched into the dark, his gaze darting through the
faint beams of light. He stumbled, his gaze locked on movement in the shadows.
He assessed the curled figure—long, toned legs flowed into the trim body of a
woman. A delicate white lace bra and matching panties provided her only
protection from the elements. She shifted, gathering her feet beneath her. His
eyes narrowed and rage flared as he caught the ugly, red lines along the soles
of her feet. A whimper escaped her, and he glanced at her face.
Slade
felt his heart drop. Golden eyes, surrounded by thick, pale lashes, glared at
him. An ugly bruise trailed along one side of her face. Blood oozed from a
wound on her right shoulder, staining her bra and flesh with deep crimson
streaks.
If this
was their target, he was in deep shit.
Buy Link: Beackwalk Press
About the
Author:
Reading
has been such a large part of my life. I cut my literary teeth on such authors
as Louis L'Amour, Nora Roberts and Janet Dailey. For me it wasn't such a jump
from reading the wonderful tales these authors spun to imagining my own.
Soon I
was writing poetry, short stories and by junior high I'd written my first full
length romance novel. Since then I've taken my love of history and my passion
for writing and combined them into what I hope will continue to prove a
successful career.
With six
books contracted, four of which are currently available in print. All are
available in electronic format with the last two ebooks due for a release in
May and the other in the summer. I'm currently working on three projects, an
erotic paranormal romance featuring a witch who loves Christmas, another
Ancient Ireland novel, rich in the history of the Irish Celtic peoples, and
plotting out a Cowboy Series tentatively titled "The James Gang".
Of course
I've got a lot more on the go. I'm developing and growing my editing company
with some amazing authors, working on polishing my concepts and plans for
upcoming books within the paranormal genres, and keeping up on my writing and
being a full time mom, working outside of the house…it's amazing what one can
manage in a 16 hour day.
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