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About Not a Hero

Sons of the Survivalist: 1

Cherise Sinclair is my go to author when I want a satisfying read. Heat, emotion, suspense. She’s got it all.

~ NYT Bestselling author Lexi Blake

In the Alaska wilderness, four streetwise boys became men—and brothers. Now the crazy ex-military survivalist who plucked Gabriel and three other boys from an abusive foster care home has died. But the sarge leaves them a final mission: Revive the dying town of Rescue.

Gabe is done with being a hero. Wounded in body and soul, the retired SEAL simply wants to remain holed up in his isolated cabin. He sure doesn’t want to be chief of police in some defunct town. Nevertheless, he has his orders.

Audrey needs a place to hide. After the Chicago librarian discovers a horrendous crime, she wakes to an assassin in her bedroom. Injured and terrified, she flees, covering her trail every inch of the way. New name, new ID. New home. As Audrey learns to survive in Rescue, she begins to fall for the town…and the intimidating chief of police who protects it.

Can the shy introvert and the deadly police chief find a life together? Despite the discord in town, Gabe is finding his own peace…with the quiet young woman who seems to have no past. She’s adorable and caring and so very lost. But how can he trust someone who lies to him with every breath she takes?

Acknowledgments

I had so much lovely help with this book that I’m not sure where to start.

Bianca Sommerland and Monette Michaels—where would I be without you guys to keep me on the plot path? Love you!

The reason y’all can read this book without tripping over typos and bloopers are due to the fantastic Red Quill’s editors and my wonderful beta readers, Marian Shulman, Lisa White, and—despite just getting out of the hospital—Barb Jack.

Big hugs go to my Alaska beta readers, Jennifer Foster and Kathleen Cole, who provided so many wonderful details about living in Alaska and also kept me from making idiotic Outsider errors.

Prologue

Don’t wait for someone to hand over a red cape and call you a hero. Jump the fuck in. ~ First Sergeant Michael “Mako” Tyne

Heading out to play baseball with Kana and Miguel, two other foster children, ten-year-old Gabriel MacNair heard whimpering. The sound came from the master bedroom.

Pausing, he reached for the knob and stopped. No, dummy. Although he’d only been in this foster home for two weeks, after a year in the system, he knew better than to go into a foster parent’s room…and that went double for this man.

Phillip had big hands and a mean temper.

Inside the room, Phillip cursed, then growled at someone, “Shut your trap, you ugly little shit.”

“Don’t touch me! Get off!”

That was Derek’s voice.