Chapters (77)
- Cover
- Endorsements
- Books by Elizabeth Goddard
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- A Preview of Book 2 in the ROCKY MOUNTAIN COURAGE Series
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Back Ads
- Back Cover
“As for what I’m doing here now, as soon as I realized who was behind everything, I knew I had to warn Robert. I knew Robert, you, and Owen were in danger, but I got here too late.” He growled those last words out, glaring at Marcus. “But it’s okay because I have the leverage needed. As for the past”—his tone softened as he turned his gaze back to her—“I had no choice. Because of my mistake in Iraq, staying here would have put you in danger. Even though leaving hurt us both, it was better for you. Safer. After your mom died, I couldn’t lose you too. Briggs forced me to leave my family, to leave you to keep you safe. But I see now that my efforts made no difference. You’re here now because of my mistakes.”
Tears erupted. “You did lose me, Dad. You lost me and Owen. You left us. How could you think that leaving would ever be better?”
“Terra, I—”
“Don’t beat yourself up, honey.” Marcus/Tony, whoever he was, interrupted her father so he could be kind now? “I required that of him. I didn’t need anyone catching up to Chris Connors to ask more questions about the looting. I could have nothing lead back to me. I had to create a new identity, and Chris had to as well. He had to lose his family, like I lost mine. I helped him create his new identity—Chance Carter, courier for an airfreight company in which I’m the majority shareholder.”
“And Leif Morrisey?” she asked. “He wanted revenge for his sister’s death. He was looking for you. What did you do to his sister?”
“She was fencing for me in Morocco and got into a bad situation. That’s on her, not me. I had to focus on collectors in the United States for the last couple of years.”
Terra was done with the man pointing a gun at her. Except her hands were in plastic ties, and he held the gun. There were no defensive moves she could use that wouldn’t risk either her grandfather or now . . . her father.
“You.” Marcus directed his words to her father. “You put your gun down and back away from the package. Come over behind the desk and join Robert.”
“I’m not losing my gun. I don’t trust you.”
“You won’t get a shot off before I kill her. Do you want to risk it?”
“Don’t do it, Dad,” she said. “He’s bluffing.”
But she saw in her father’s eyes how precious she was to him, and he would do anything to save her. He’d given her up in order to save her. He hesitated before finally acquiescing to Marcus’s request, putting the gun down and stepping away from the package. Terra hoped that wasn’t a mistake.