Cover

About this book

Whether she’s writing about a BDSM club in Florida or a tiny town in Alaska, Cherise Sinclair is always magic.

~ Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

She survived.

Kit survived her abusive husband. Survived imprisonment and beatings from the Patriot Zealots. Now free and healing, she can make a new life for herself and her son…except he has attached himself to a terrifying, scarred, tattooed ex-mercenary.

Women take one look at him and flee.

An ugly childhood and combat left Hawk with scars, a rasping voice, and an aversion to talking. So, why in hell does the four-year-old stick to him like glue?

The kid’s pretty mother is smarter. There’s fear in her eyes when she looks at Hawk. That hurts. The sweet woman is everything he’s ever wanted--loving, affectionate, and patient. But after what she’s been through, she sure won’t want to be around men—especially the one who killed her husband.

He’d saved her.

Kit agrees with her son. Being near Hawk is the safest place on earth. Beneath the menacing appearance, he’s protective…and kind. The better she gets to know him, the more she sees him as a man--a very sexy man. But, considering what had happened to her, she knows--

No man would want her now.

Dedication

To Kathleen Cole, the Alaska Ice Lady, who fought long and hard. I’m going to miss you so much. Your joy in life was an inspiration to us all.

Soar high, my friend.

Acknowledgments

Hugs and so much gratitude goes to my psychology consultants, Ruth Reid and AnnaMaria Boullion. Y’all have the biggest hearts.

I’m so very blessed with my critique partners, Fiona Archer and Monette Michaels. Thank you!

My editors simply rock, what can I say? Content editor: Bianca Sommerland, and copy-editing/proofing from Red Quill Editing with Ekatarina Sayanova, Tracy Damron-Roelle, and Rebecca Cartee.

Many hugs and thanks go to Lisa White, Barb Jack, and Marian Shulman for the amazing beta reading. Y’all have saved me much embarrassment!

My Alaska experts went above and beyond the call of duty with ideas and corrections. Thank you, JJ Foster and Kathleen Cole. Any errors that slipped in are my very own.

Finally, thank you all, my readers, for going on this trip to Alaska with me. *muah!*

Prologue

When everything seems to be against you, remember that an airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. ~ Henry Ford.

“Keep up, boy.”

The sarge’s firm command jerked Hawk’s attention from where he trudged along the steep trail behind the other three kids. Kinda like he was in the army. In a lot of soldier movies, the badass sergeant was always yelling at some poor bastard. Mako didn’t yell much, but his voice was as big as he was.

Hawk didn’t speed up. He didn’t want to get up all close with his foster-brothers.