Heart of gold, p.1
Heart of Gold, page 1
part #4 of Guardian Sabears Series

Guardian Sabears 4: Heart of Gold
Kenna Peterson and her brother Bently are caught up in a bank robbery when the members of a notorious MC gang storm in and wreak havoc. Innocent people are injured and killed. Kenna manages to get her hands on a gun and kills the leader to save her brother putting them in danger.
Guardian Security is hired by a detective to keep the brother and sister safe when other officers end up dying trying to protect them in WITSEC.
Ford, Flynn, and Floyd Charter know that Kenna is their mate, but the sabear shifters aren’t sure how to tell her what they are. The truth comes out when another attempt is made on Kenna’s and Ben’s life, and when they reveal she’s their mate, Kenna isn’t sure what to do.
Nevertheless the blazing attraction between the quartet is too hot to resist and she agrees to be theirs.
Danger comes to Gambell and it's up to the Charter brothers and their shifter friends to rescue Kenna and Ben from the enemy.
They’re almost too late.
Genres: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Shape-shifter
Length: 57,763
GUARDIAN SABEARS 4:
HEART OF GOLD
Becca Van

Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
Guardian Sabears 4: Heart of Gold
Copyright © 2018 by Becca Van
ISBN: 978-1-64243-521-4
First Publication: December 2018
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2018 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
My name is Becca Van. I live in Australia with my wonderful hubby of many years, as well as my two children.
I read my first romance, which I found in the school library, at the age of thirteen and haven’t stopped reading them since. It is so wonderful to know that love is still alive and strong when there seems to be so much conflict in the world.
I dreamed of writing my own book one day but, unfortunately, didn’t follow my dream for many years. But once I started I knew writing was what I wanted to continue doing.
I love to escape from the world and curl up with a good romance, to see how the characters unfold and conflict is dealt with. I have read many books and love all facets of the romance genre, from historical to erotic romance. I am a sucker for a happy ending.
For all titles by Becca Van, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/becca-van
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GUARDIAN SABEARS 4:
HEART OF GOLD
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
GUARDIAN SABEARS 4:
HEART OF GOLD
BECCA VAN
Copyright © 2018
Prologue
“Everyone down on the floor, now!”
Kenna Peterson turned toward the loud voice and immediately began to shake with terror. She and her young brother Bently were standing in line at the back waiting their turn to be served, but now, all she cared about was that she and her brother survived.
She grabbed Bently’s hand and tugged him down with her as she sank to her knees and then onto her belly. She gazed into her eight-year-old brother’s eyes and placed a finger over her lips telling him to keep quiet. Kenna hadn’t thought beyond getting herself and her brother to the floor, but she wished she’d thought to place him under her so if things went south, she could protect him with her body. Now, she was too scared to move in case she drew attention to her and Bently from the assholes walking around all the people cowering on the floor.
At least five men in leather jackets stormed around the room, shoving and hitting people with their fists, with the butt of the guns in their hands. Women screamed, and a few children began to cry. Kenna was scared out of her mind, but she was determined that she and Bently, her only living relative, would come out of this uninjured and breathing.
She caught a glimpse of words across the back of one of the leather jackets and her fear intensified until she was panting for breath and sweating. The men who’d just entered the bank were members of the notorious motorcycle gang.
They were evil and had killed so many people already.
It felt like hours had passed as the men demanded money be placed into bags by the bank staff.
Just as the gang members turned toward the door, the sound of sirens wailing closer and closer could be heard.
One of the men cursed. “Kill them.”
Adrenaline spiked as shots were fired. Kenna couldn’t help flinching each time one of the assholes pulled the trigger. She prayed for the first time since before her mother had died five years ago, hoping that this time God or some higher power heard her call for help.
Hours passed as police tried to negotiate with the murdering robbers, but Kenna knew deep in her gut the only way any of the survivors in the bank were getting out of there was if the police shot the gang members.
She’d caught glimpses of a SWAT team out on the street and knew it was only a matter time before the shit hit the fan.
And then the world exploded.
The doors to the bank blew apart and many guns seemed to be firing simultaneously.
When she saw Bently slowly scooting closer to her, Kenna shook her head, but it was already too late.
One of the men grabbed the back of her brother’s shirt, and hauled him to his feet to use him as a shield.
Kenna’s terror took a back seat as rage and determination filled her heart and soul. She wasn’t about to let these bastards kill her brother. He was hers to protect and she would give her last breath to do so. She’d made her mom a promise on her death bed that she would keep Bently safe.
Her ears were ringing from all the guns firing, but she still had her eyes and her brain. She lifted her head to gaze about and tears welled when she saw how many people had been killed and injured. Too many lives had been cut down in the name of greed and violence, but her brother wouldn’t be one of them.
Bently struggled in his captor’s grip but he was too small to escape, and when the bastard pointed a gun at her brother’s head, terror ripped through her body, her heart.
Kenna inhaled deeply through her mouth, trying to quell her fear and not breathe in the metallic scent of blood, and that’s when she noticed all the other gang members were dead.
One of the men was lying on his back not five feet from her, his eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling.
The asshole who had her brother in his grip had his back to her as he gazed at the police aiming their weapons his way. Kenna knew by the fucker’s body language that he was saying something, but she couldn’t hear him.
Inch by slow inch she crept across the floor until she was within reach of the gun. She tried to ignore the warm, sticky blood seeping into her clothes and coating her skin as she reached for the weapon.
Kenna had no idea if there were any bullets left in the gun, but she had to try. She would kill to keep her brother safe and hoped she could live with the guilt.
She curled her fingers around the grip and placed her finger over the trigger. As she gazed toward the police noting their positions, she realized that none of the SWAT team members or any of the other officers were willing to take the shot and end up getting her brother killed. When she met the eyes of one of the SWAT team members, she saw that his lips were moving and he nodded at her.
Kenna hoped that he was telling her to take the shot and she prayed the cops didn’t start firing as soon as she pulled the trigger.
She looked back at the man holding the gun to her brother’s head and imagined in her mind how she’d bring the gun up, aim and shoot, but she hesitated. If she pulled the trigger her brother might get hurt. She’d watched movies and read books and knew that reflexive movement from the gang member could still end up killing her brother.
And then she saw movement from the corner of her eye. The SWAT officer she’d locked gazes with stepped into view from behind the car he’d been crouching behind.
The gunman pulled the gun away from her brother’s head and Kenna made her move. She rolled onto her belly, gripped t
Everything after that seemed to happen slow motion. The man holding her brother captive staggered, then released Bently’s shirt and turned toward her as he dropped to his knees. Just as he aimed his gun at her, the side of his head exploded, spraying brain matter and blood everywhere, just before he fell to the floor face down.
Kenna blinked, trying to keep the darkness encroaching on her vision away, but she lost the battle and fainted.
Chapter One
“We have another case,” Campbell Mackenzie said. His brothers, Clint and Calvin, sat on either side of him in the large office in the Mackenzie brothers’ house.
His brother Clint took over. “We have a brother and sister who are in WITSEC. They were in a bank in Waco, Texas when an attempted burglary went down. Members from a notorious motorcycle club shot and killed the bank staff when the cops showed up. Negotiating had no effect and SWAT was brought in. All but one gang member was shot and killed.”
Calvin began explaining. “The last remaining fucker used a kid as a shield and there was a standoff. The boy’s sister and guardian managed to get one of the dead gang members’ gun and shoot him. A SWAT officer finished him off.”
Cam sighed. “One of the fucking paparazzi caught everything on camera and it was played country wide.”
“Fucking press,” Ford Charter growled.
“You got that right,” Clint said.
Cal rubbed at the back of his neck. “Three cops have lost their lives protecting the brother and sister. It seemed that she shot the local leader of the motorcycle club, and now his brother wants revenge.”
“I can’t believe she and her brother aren’t already six feet under,” Floyd, Ford’s brother, said.
“So who are you sending?” Flynn, Ford’s other brother asked. “Us or Bastian, Beck, and Byron?”
“You and your brothers,” Cam answered. “Go get packed. You can take the helicopter to Nome. It will be faster.”
“Roger,” Ford said as he shoved to his feet.
Flynn and Floyd stood and followed him out.
* * * *
Ford hated flying commercial but at it was quicker than trying to cross the US in a helicopter since they would have had to stop every couple of hours to refuel. He and his brothers ignored the stares as they strode through the terminal and out into the hot Texas air. He breathed easy for the first time all day.
Ever since he’d climbed into the helicopter, his sabear had been antsy. He and his inner beast hated being away from their island home, but it had either been them or Bastian and his brothers for this job. Their other friends were all mated and didn’t want to leave their women. Ford understood their reticence, because if he had a mate he wouldn’t want to leave her behind for hours, let alone days.
Though he was happy for his friends, he was also jealous as hell. Ever since Cam, Cal, and Clint had found their mate and he’d seen the loving interaction between the quartet, he’d been yearning for a woman of his own. As had his brothers. Nonetheless, he couldn’t see something as miraculous as meeting his one happening anytime soon. Especially when they lived on a remote, freezing desolate island, which they hardly ever left.
“There it is,” Flynn said.
Ford followed the direction Flynn was pointing, sighing with relief that their leased vehicle was in sight. He hated the way women gawked at him and his brother with lust in their eyes. They made his skin crawl and not in a nice way.
When they’d all served in the SEALs, he and his brothers had hooked up with women regularly while on leave, but that had grown old fast. While he had natural urges like any other healthy male, he was happy enough with Mrs. Palmer and her five daughters. In other words, he got himself off to release some of his pent-up need whenever necessary.
He shoved his thoughts aside as he pushed the fob and slid into the driver’s seat. As he put his seatbelt on and started the engine, he familiarized himself with where everything was while Flynn, who’d climbed into the front passenger seat, punched the address into the navigational system.
According to the digital map, they were ninety miles from their destination. They weren’t going to arrive until nearly midnight, but Ford wasn’t worried about the time. He was worried about the brother and sister, however. He just hoped that whoever was on protection detail kept the pair safe until they got there.
After checking his mirrors, Ford pulled out into the traffic.
Floyd, who was in the back seat, piped up after receiving a text message. “Cam’s organized a private jet to be on standby at the Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport. The fuel tank is big enough to get us to Nome without having to refuel.”
“Thank fuck we don’t have to travel back on a commercial flight,” Flynn said in a growly voice. “All those people crammed into a small space was driving my sabear nuts.”
“Those fucking seats are way too small,” Floyd said. “My legs are still stiff from having my knees up under my fucking chin.”
“Suck it up, princess,” Ford goaded, even though he agreed with his brother wholeheartedly.
“Fuck you.”
“Back at ya.” Ford laughed.
“Cam just sent the file through on our clients,” Flynn said as he swiped his finger over his screen. Then he whistled.
“Fuck me,” Floyd groaned. “She’s fucking gorgeous.”
“Show me,” Ford ordered. When Flynn showed him the picture of the brother and sister on his phone, he sucked in a breath. His brothers were right, the sister was a looker. He shifted in his seat when his dick twitched and began to get hard, cursing under his breath. He hadn’t been this attracted to a woman in a long time, if ever, but he wasn’t about to get tangled up with a client. For one, she would probably think he was a sleazy asshole if he came onto her while she and her brother were in danger. Secondly, he wasn’t interested in meaningless sex just for the sake of it.
Ford wanted his mate.
* * * *
Kenna was worried sick about Bently. Ever since they’d been in the midst of that holdup, her brother hadn’t spoken a word. He ate and drank but he was having trouble sleeping. He woke up screaming nearly every hour and his nightmares were getting worse, not better. She was also scared out of her mind. Three policemen had been killed while protecting her and her brother, and she was assailed with guilt.
While she understood logically that none of this was her fault, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about the families of the police officers who’d lost their lives.
She was just as jittery as Bently, and between them both having recurring nightmares, neither of them were getting much sleep. The police had been great making arrangements for her and Bently to see a psychiatrist, but Kenna had a feeling that they wouldn’t be able to settle until they were no longer under threat.
The only way she could see herself and Bently being able to lead normal lives was if they staged their own deaths.
She was also worried that there was an informant at the Waco PD, but there was no way she’d ever be able to prove it.
Right now, they were hiding in the basement of another policeman’s home. The last time they’d been in a safe house, another officer had been killed, and they’d been lucky to escape with their lives. If it hadn’t been for the quick thinking of Officer Draycott, she and Bently would be dead.
He’d managed to get them out the back while shots were being fired at the house from the front. Officer Draycott had piggybacked Bently as they’d climbed over a neighbor’s fence and then they’d run for their lives. How he’d gotten them back to the Waco police station without anyone seeing them or any of them being injured, she’d never know. She owed Officer Draycott, as well as the cops who died protecting them, their lives and she had no way to ever repay them.
Once at the Waco PD, Darren Draycott had hidden them in the back of the parking lot and broken into someone’s car. She and Bently had hidden on the floor in the back seat, too scared to speak or lift their heads in case someone had been watching.
