A Marshal's Courage (A Rescue Series Novella Book 1) Read online

  A Marshall’s Courage

  A Rescue Series Novella - Book One

  Barb Shuler

  Contents

  Copyright

  Other Books by Barb Shuler

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  From The Author

  Prologue

  1. Layna

  2. Layna

  3. Layna

  4. Layna

  5. Layna

  6. Daniel

  7. Layna

  8. Layna

  9. Layna

  10. Layna

  11. Layna

  12. Layna

  13. Daniel

  14. Layna

  15. Layna

  16. Layna

  17. Daniel

  18. Layna

  19. Daniel

  20. Layna

  21. Layna

  22. Layna

  23. Layna

  24. Layna

  25. Daniel

  Epilogue

  A Marshall’s Courage ~ Playlist

  About the Author

  Copyright

  A MARSHALL’S COURAGE

  (Rescue Series Novella; Book 1)

  © Copyright 2017 Barbara Shuler

  Published by Barbara Shuler

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction recommended for anyone 18 and over due to violence, adult content and language. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  * * *

  Cover Design by: Madhat Books

  Edited by: Emily Maynard

  Other Books by Barb Shuler

  My Own Nightmare (Shattered Lives Series; Book 1)

  Somewhere I Belong (Shattered Lives Series; Book 2)

  Shatter Me Whole (Shattered Lives Series; Book 3)

  * * *

  Wrangled By Love (The Cowboy Way Series; Book 1)

  Dedication

  For anyone that has ever been caught between what’s right, and what’s wrong… this is for you.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to everyone who has been here to support me - whether you be family, friend, fellow author or just a fan/reader - while I’ve undertaken this writing thing. I have to say, I’m loving it and the support system around me. Without any of you I couldn’t do what I do.

  My beta readers, you gals rock. I love you girls like, whoa! Jo Dawson, you were the first person to see this completed MS. Your kind words and thoughts on what needed to be changed around were much appreciated. Your eye for detail, catching the little things is a huge help. I couldn’t do this without you! Emily Maynard, I wouldn’t have pulled this one out of the huge ‘file of doom’ without your encouragement. Who knew a scribbled idea on a napkin could be something big one day? As always you were there for each step of this story. With your help it’s a great story! Kelly Graham, girl, I love that you are always here to kick me in the butt if I need it. Thanks for being my sounding board! Jennifer Amerson, dude, your enthusiasm as your read and give me play by plays… blows my mind. Thank you for always encouraging me to move forward.

  As always I must thank my friend, and fellow author for being there when I was stuck, or had no clue what to do to make something perfect. Annie Anderson, seriously dude, I could not do any of this without your blunt, yet creative input and helpfulness.

  Shari J Ryan/MadHat Books, thanks to you and Annelle Willard I have the perfect cover for this story. It makes the story come to life before the book is even open. Thank you both for all of your hard work on making this cover the absolute best.

  When the road of life leads you to a dark cavern, the only way to find out what’s on the other side is to step inside. You may not like what you find, but with each new task you accomplish you can move further into the future that awaits.

  Prologue

  That moment: You see a face in the crowd. Your head tilts and your eyes go wide when you get a better look at the face. The ice cold feeling of recognition runs through your veins; time seems to move in slow motion before your heart starts to race in your chest.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  That's the moment when you realize you’re seeing someone from your past that you thought - you hoped - you'd never see again. That’s when your world starts to crumble around you. Breathing becomes a chore. Panic. Fear. Desperation. You start to search for a place to run, to hide in plain sight. The questions start. How did he find me?

  That was how it started for me. I’d been walking down the boardwalk in the small park that was minutes from the hustle and bustle of town. I wasn't alone here, never would I be that lucky. Don’t get me wrong. I loved that I was looked after, but on a few occasions I just wanted space. That wasn’t a luxury I could have. Not now. Right now I had to think, I was far from safe with him this close.

  The sun was on my face, and the chatter of the passersby filling the small area where I was walking would usually put me at ease after having a melt down. Today had started out as just a normal day; well, normal for me, someone on the run from a past she had longed to forget. Now with more and more things to add to the “I should give up” pile.

  Until a year ago, I’d never been out of the small town I was raised in. Alabama was such a beautiful place… well, where I lived was. I missed it, but not enough to let anyone know I was alive, or where I was hiding from him. That was my sacrifice, my burden to bear. I had been snatched away by the witness protection team and moved in the dead of night into another small town that had so much character… and so much sunlight.

  Being a witness to a robbery shouldn't destroy your entire life, but it certainly wrecked mine. It may not have been so bad if I hadn't have recognized the man holding the gun. The man who shot an innocent man for no reason other than stupidity and greed. His face had been shielded by a ski mask, but that deep baritone gave him away. The moment “Hurry the fuck up or I’ll blow your head off” left his lips, I gasped, uttering his name in what I thought was a silent rebuke. He looked my way and the man behind the register tried to grab the gun. My world flashed in multiple colors as I watched in horror. The guy’s hand reached out, Jonathan jerked back, and with a twitch of his hand the man's head blew back, a coating of red spraying against the back wall. He was dead. I screamed and Jonathan attacked me. His hand wrapped around my throat, and I fought unsuccessfully to get out of his grip. Some noise distracted him for a moment, and I was able to hit his arm and slip out of his hold, barely. The sound of the sirens made him think twice about attacking again. He ran off, but not before warning me to stay quiet, or I was dead. Why he didn’t just shoot me right then and there, I don’t know.

  Maybe he thought I would stay silent? I should have. My life has been turned upside down and rung out like it was just another piece of dirty laundry. But I couldn't let that poor man's killer go, no matter how I'd once felt for the man b
ehind the mask. He was not the man I thought he was. No, he was a monster, and he needed to be behind bars where he could no longer harm anyone.

  I guess through the bad, even this messy situation had its good points. Daniel, for one. He was... I had met him after relocating here. He was sorta like my welcoming committee. Now, ten months later, he is the reason I wake up smiling everyday. I need him by my side like I need air to breathe.

  I never expected to see Jonathan again, not here, not ever, really. I thought that part of my life was over with, but obviously I was mistaken. How could I get away? That was all my mind could focus on. I had to run. Hopefully he hadn't seen me yet. I saw him, but God, please let me be lucky, just this once. I slipped past a couple walking down the small path, so very thankful that I had worn jeans and tennis shoes today and not my normal shorts and sandals. I made it around the trickling brook to my left and urged myself to move faster. As I went up onto the main street which lead up to the parking lot - out of sight of the path - I took off running.

  I needed to get to some place safe. I had a plan to do just that. They teach it to you when you join. You know, in the event your cover is blown or the ones after you finds you. Get to a phone, call your handler and stay out of sight until the agents arrive. My case was similar, but different at the same time since the boys had me hidden even from the Witsec people.

  My feet pounded against the pavement. The sounds of people either moving towards the park or away from it were all I could hear, other than my own harsh breathing. I tuned everything else out, my mind focused on the task at hand. That task was getting to the Old Saw Mill Bar & Grille. It was a block over from the parking lot where my car sat, waiting on me to return. I had a key to the back door. It was where Daniel's family would be. I'd be safe there. I could only hope like hell that Daniel was there as well. But after earlier, I wasn’t sure.

  I turned the corner and something - someone - slammed into me. Hard. My head hit the sidewalk like a falling boulder. I looked up from where I had landed, blinking through the haze that covered my eyes. All I could see was beard and muscles… and the face of the man I thought was out of my life forever….

  When my eyes did open again, albeit very slowly, they were foggy. I heard a faint beeping sound and I felt the pressure of someone squeezing my hand. I swallowed and panic set in. He’d found me.

  I was going to die.

  He’d finally win.

  1

  Layna

  Eight Months Earlier

  I woke with a start, my eyes darted around the dark room looking for what had woken me. What had made that sound? Was I going crazy? Possibly. My stress level was crazy high as it was. A scream escaped me as a figure appeared in the rooms window. I sat there paralyzed, my heart pounding, sweat covering every limb and my hair sticking to my face. The tears start to fall freely as I clutch the blankets to my chest. The door to my hotel room bursts open and then another voice stealing scream falls from my lips. Fear. The amount of fear was drowning me now. It was hard to get my bearings.

  I couldn’t breathe. I was going to die. It was my turn, and nothing they did would keep him from finding me. I’d be like that man in the gas station. He stared down the monster and had his brains blown out - literally. I shook as I tried to get the image of his blood coating the back wall out of my head.

  Nothing was helping. I was losing it. I could hear Jonathan’s voice in my head. “I will kill you, bitch.” His deep rhythmic baritone would forever make my heart race with fear. Each word was punctuated as it had been the last time I'd seen him standing in the that small room with the number card before him. He was number three. I'd forever dislike that number now.

  Someone was calling my name, over and over again. The soothing sound finally penetrated the fear and I looked up to see Daniel Wallace, my handler, my… my- I'm not sure what to call him anymore. I shouldn't have these feelings growing inside me for this man. But they're there, expanding, multiplying, and getting stronger every day. His gentle touch on my raised knee sends a jolt through me. I jump.

  “Easy, it’s just me. You’re safe,” he says softly.

  “All clear, Sir, no one’s here,” another voice calls out. Daniel’s eyes didn’t leave me as he nods. I peek around Daniel and tug the covers up over me higher. I am fully clothed but I still feel the need to hide myself. I let out a shaky breath.

  “I-I saw him.” My eyes met the hand he had placed on my knee. I couldn’t look into those chocolate eyes and not get that tingle in my belly. What was wrong with me?

  “Saw who? What's going on in here, Wallace?” Another voice boomed and I jumped, scooting back into the corner of the bed, my back pressed to the wall. A whimper leaving me as I bury my face in my hands.

  “Son of a bitch! Everyone out!” Daniel growled out as he stood, facing off with the two hulking men standing in the door.

  I looked up and put my focus on his back, his strong shoulder muscles moving as he flexed his fingers. Tires squeal outside. There's a loud popping, glass breaking. Before I can register the noise and react, Daniel is pulling me from the bed. I grimace as his weight presses against me which pushes my face into the floor. I cover my ears as the men in my room start barking out orders to the others. The ones that have been in this place with me for the last two weeks.

  We’d been on the second floor until last night. That was when someone over filled the tub next to us and flooded both rooms. I'd overheard the men saying this was the only room left and there was no time to secure another hotel, not until they could scout the place out. It was like my life had turned into some horror movie, or one of those thrillers that they play over and over again. The hero saves the damsel in distress and they walk off into the sunset together.

  I’d never have that. I’d not make it out of here alive.

  I was only here for court after all. Everything drew to a stop when Jonathan disappeared two weeks ago. He'd walked right out of the courthouse. No one stopped him. Hell, no one even saw him leave. No one knew where he was. Well, I did. I'd just seen him. I know it was him. He's going to get me and kill me next. The dang tears start again as I lay on the floor. The tinkling sounds of glass falling makes me squeeze my eyes shut tighter.

  Breathe, Elayna, breathe.

  “Get her out of here!”

  “The perimeter is clear. Locals are after the car.”

  I was pulled to my feet and yelped in pain as Daniel’s tight grip dug his long, meaty fingers into my sore flesh. He gave me a look, but kept tugging me along with him. In the living area of the room he grabbed my go bag - which stayed packed at all times - and three men moved through the door. As we ran to a car I heard Daniel curse. The tires had been slashed on every vehicle in the lot. Now what did we do?

  “Get that door open. She’ll be safe inside.”

  Daniel barked out the order and one of the men - whose name I can’t remember - had the door open when we approached. I tucked myself into a ball as I lay on the back seat. My tears started again, this time from the burning pain in my arm. It wasn’t that it hurt so much as that the pain made the other pain feel better. With everything that was going on around me I'd become the girl I once was. The scared teenager who was harassed at school for being poor. The girl who used a blade to slice cuts any place I could get it. Anything to make the pain stop.

  I laid on the seat for what seemed like hours. My face was stuck to the leather, my eyes heavy until I had to close them. The adrenaline was gone, and I was crashing. The soft sound of sirens in the background was like a gentle lullaby, pushing me further towards sleep. Maybe when I woke again, this would have all been a bad dream and I'd wake up on my bed, and smiling as the sun fell across my face.

  2

  Layna

  I was dreaming. I had to be. I felt cool air softly blowing across my exposed skin. A warmth spread against my arm as a hand gripped me tightly. The dream slowly faded and the darkness once again surrounded me.

  Someone was touching me!


  No, no, no!

  Get off of me!

  My body sensed danger and woke me fully when the person touching me tugged at my arm once more. It's the only explanation I had, other than I was dreaming still, or maybe again. My eyes flew open and I tried to scramble back from the hands touching me. All I managed to do was hit my head on the door of the car, kick the poor man kneeling on the car’s seat in the nads and make myself look like an even bigger freak.

  “Dammit!” The man bellowed, grabbing for me again. I try my best to get away from him but it's too late. He gets a hold of my arm, his grip painfully tight. “Come on, we have to move. It's not safe. You’re not safe out here.”

  Not safe? Well, you don’t say, man. Wait… What's going on? The fogginess that was still stiffly wrapped around my mind clears when I get a good look at him. I don't recognize this man or his voice. That's my thing, a quirk if you will. I like replaying and remembering voices. It's a habit I picked up as a kid hiding in the closet I called a room when my mom had friends over. His voice screams anger and frustration, but his face is trying to convey gentleness and worry. Again when he speaks I decipher his voice and I shake my head. I do not know this man, I'm not going with him. I take a long, hard look at him. He's young, mid thirties, maybe. Brown hair, pretty eyes and a scar above his left brow.