Guarding adelaide, p.1
Guarding Adelaide, page 1
part #1 of GHOST Legacy Series
Guarding Adelaide
A steamy, small-town protector romance
GHOST Legacy
PJ Fiala
Contents
Description
Glossary - GHOST Legacy
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Acknowledgments
ALSO BY PJ FIALA
MEET PJ
Copyright
I’ve had so many wonderful people come into my life and I want you all to know how much I appreciate it. From each and every reader who takes the time out of their day to read my stories and leave reviews, thank you.
My beautiful, smart and fun Road Queens, who play games with me, post fun memes, keep the conversation rolling and help me create these captivating characters, places, businesses and more. Thank you ladies for your ideas, support and love.
The following characters and places were created by:
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Last but not least, thank you to my family for the love and sacrifices they have made and continue to make to help me achieve this dream, especially my husband and best friend, Gene. Words can never express how much you mean to me.
To our veterans and current serving members of our armed forces, police and fire departments, thank you ladies and gentlemen for your hard work and sacrifices; it’s with gratitude and thankfulness that I mention you in this forward.
PJ Fiala
Description
GHOST: Government Hidden Ops Specialty Team. They eliminate the threat when no one else can.
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She’s following in her father’s footsteps as a GHOST Operative.
He’s the special counsel to the Secretary of Defense.
Their roles merge as a war breaks out that neither of them saw coming.
Adelaide Masters knew what she wanted from her earliest memories. Her cousins, Maya and Myles, along with the other children whose parents were special operatives with GHOST, were her constant companions growing up. Working under the watchful eyes of her family was the experience of a lifetime, but she’s ready to set out on her own.
For fifteen years Rafe Martin has been living his dream as special counsel for the Secretary of Defense. It’s a source of pride that he has been brought in on the most confidential assignments and what has brought him to this life-changing mission.
When Rafe's boss goes dark, and special operatives are brought in to secure him, Rafe finds resisting Adelaide's request for information at odds with his need to keep secrets. Now his secrets just may get Adelaide killed.
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Guarding Adelaide is the fifth novel in the GHOST Legacy Romantic Suspense Series, although all books in the GHOST Legacy world can be read as a stand-alone. A steamy romantic story with a guaranteed happily ever after, it does have some strong language and exciting sexy times. Enjoy Rafe and Adelaide!
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If you’d like to join me, click here and we’ll get you signed up. Thank you so much. I hope you love Rafe and Adelaide!
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Glossary - GHOST Legacy
The kids from GHOST are all grown up and living lives of their own. Meet these men and women of GHOST Legacy:
Tate Vickers - Tate is the son of Gaige and Sophie Vickers. Their story is told in Defending Sophie. Tate is a recon specialist and runs the GHOST satellite office.
Aidyn Dunbar - Is the son of Bridget and Axel Dunbar. You can find their story is Defending Bridget. Aidyn’s specialty is sharpshooter and recon.
Spencer Lawson - Spencer is the son of Wyatt and Yvette Lawson. You can read their story in Defending Yvette. Spencer specialize’s in security, recon and recovery.
Henry Delany - Henry is the son of Hawk and Roxanne Delany. Their story is told is Defending Roxanne. His specialties are recon, recovery, and anything that requires size.
Adelaide Masters - Adelaide’s parents are Josh and Isabella Masters. Their story is told in Defending Isabella. Adelaide served in the Army and is the team’s medic.
Maya Sager - Maya served in the US Marine Corps. Her parents are Dodge and Jax Sager. Their story is told in Finding His Jewel. Maya’s specialty is recon and rescue.
Myles Sager - Myles served in the US Marine Corps. Myles and Maya are the twins of Dodge and Jax Sager. Myles is an explosives expert.
1
Rafe Martin stood and watched as his boss packed his battered brown leather briefcase and he explained the situation. It wasn't good. Not only, not good, this could be the shit-show of all shit-shows. The president-elect was dirty. And, there was evidence. His stomach tightened like a fist before giving blood.
"Rafe, you are the most trustworthy person I know. I've counted on you for years now and I give you this information knowing you'll never tell a soul, and you'll investigate it with the utmost thoroughness."
"You can count on me, sir." He said on autopilot. The beating of his heart drowned his words out to his own ears though.
"You're the only one I can count on. I've had GHOST called in. They'll be investigating Senator Jackson. I know he's dirty, he's admitted it. But, I need GHOST to dig into him fully. There are likely things he hasn't told me. I sent Gaige Vickers an encrypted file containing all I have. I've asked him not to open it unless something happens to me. I've given him your name and contact information. I understand Adelaide Masters is the lead on this one. She's good. I've known her father for years and there isn't a person in the GHOST organization that isn't top notch."
He continued packing files into his briefcase as Rafe looked on.
"Yes, sir. I've been impressed with them for years now. They always manage to do what's needed."
"Okay. I'm stepping away for a few days to see if I can corroborate some of this information. You know how to reach me if you need me."
"Yes, sir."
His boss strode with purpose to the door. His posture always ramrod straight, but this was anything but a normal day and Rafe worried what their involvement and this investigation would mean in the future.
He stepped through the door to his own office and sat woodenly in the black leather chair behind the desk. In all his years climbing his way to the top, he'd never been tasked with something like this. Hell, he'd never considered something like this would ever come to pass. He wished his father could see him now. That old man was such a liar and a thief he'd never get over Rafe being considered trustworthy with information of this magnitude. What he wouldn't give to shove this in that old bastard's face.
He shook his head and abruptly stood. Thinking about his father never served him well. It always made him edgy and unfocused. Now more than ever, he needed focus.
He paced across the room to the door of his office and glanced across the outer office to his secretary. "Leesha, I'm taking a bit of time to work out. I'll be back in the office in a couple of hours.”
"Have a good workout, Mr. Martin. Did you see the Distible documents on your desk?"
"Ah, yes. I'll get to them when I get back."
He continued through the door of the outer office and down the hall. He shook his head, he hadn't seen the documents at all. Focus. He needed focus. Ducking through a private door to a back hallway, he left the building without notice to anyone else. His boss had this door put in years ago. The funniest thing was no one ever asked or seemed to notice it. Then again, if a stranger to this office building came into this hallway, it looked like a hall of doors, so what was one more?
Ducking into the parking lot, he jumped into his Range Rover with ease and navigated the staff parking lot of the building with little effort. Entering Washington traffic, he merged into the string of cars and trucks like anyone else. But he wasn't anyone else. He had a secret that was going to blow this town apart.
Shaking off his paranoia, he navigated traffic until he turned into the parking lot of the gym he preferred over the one at the DoD building. He hated being asked questions at the gym there. Here, he was just Rafe Martin, a guy who worked out.
Preferring a long swim today, he quickly donned his swim trunks and swim shoes, locked his locker and headed to th
Upon exiting the pool, he forced his weakened legs to carry him to the locker room. A balding man startled as Rafe entered the locker room. The man quickly dropped his hands and hurried toward the door. Rafe crept toward his locker and found the lock had deep gashes on it as if someone had tried to pry it open.
He spun around and sprinted toward the door to find the man he'd seen leaving just moments before. Just as he entered the gym's main floor, he saw the man look back at him. An explosion erupted from behind him. Chaos, panic, and terror filled the building as the patrons began screaming and running blind. Rafe was engulfed in people, smoke, and debris before he could get to the door to stop him.
His ringing ears filled with screams and crying as the dust rose. Coughing, he helped a woman who had fallen and cut her knees on broken glass. She tried standing, but her wobbly legs wouldn't move her fast enough, so Rafe easily picked her up and took her to the front doors, where throngs of people now huddled as staff tried encouraging them to the back of the parking lot.
Ignoring the gym staff, Rafe ducked back into the building and took the back way to the pool area. The water now flooding the floor suggested the pool area had been hit. A young woman, likely in her early twenties, tried stopping his progress. "I'm sorry sir, you'll need to go outside with the others."
Rafe stared into her eyes. As much as either of them could with the dust still swirling. "I'm military police, here to work out."
Her eyes widened then squinted with the air quality so poor. Deciding not to bother further, she shrugged and said, "Suit yourself." She disappeared around a corner and Rafe eased his way into the locker room that led to the pool.
2
Adelaide followed Tate to the conference room, which stood off to the right of the living room. It was surrounded by glass so the aesthetics of the old sewing factory they occupied as their home, office, and garage - HOG, would shine through. Tate's mom, Sophie, and Henry's mom, Roxanne, had done a fabulous job of designing the space. It was the perfect blend of old and new.
Sitting to Tate's right, she watched as her teammates entered the room one by one. First Myles, directly behind her, sat to her right. Henry entered next, and sat across from her, he smelled like a horse. Spencer entered next, freshly showered and looking like he was heading out on a date with Kenna. Maya came last, eating an apple.
Maya sat at the end of the table. Her nose wrinkled and her eyes landed on each of them one by one. "We need to have a rule that you need to shower before coming to a meeting and sitting in a glass room."
Adelaide chuckled and stared at her cousin. Maya's pretty face lit up, a cocky smile slid across her lips. "It smells like horses in here."
Addy burst out laughing and the entire room turned toward Henry. "I was called to an emergency meeting, so I dropped everything and ran over. Deal with it."
Addy shook her head. "Not entirely true."
Henry shrugged one beefy shoulder. "I'm getting married and we were excited to tell you all. But now Ev is sitting in the kitchen by herself while I'm in here."
Spencer grinned. "Congrats. Kenna and Lara are in the kitchen with Everleigh. They were mixing up drinks when I left."
Tate tapped his forefinger on the table. "Okay. Listen up. First of all, Maya, you've smelled much worse before.”
Maya’s brows bunched together. “Gee, thanks.”
“Second of all, I changed the grossest diaper ever today and this room smells like a flower garden compared to that. Unless you want some diaper duty of your own, zip it."
Maya shook her head and held her hands, apple and all, out in front of her. "No. Thank. You."
Addy laughed. "I second Maya."
"Okay. Kidding aside, we've got an issue. I received a call from my dad. He received a call from Casper. From what they've managed to deduce, Wade Evans, the Secretary of Defense, received some information from a Senator Pierce Jackson with damning information about our newly elected president, Daniel King. Casper refused to say more than that but said they both may have to go dark if some of this information is fact."
Addy sat back in her chair and her brows furrowed. Casper had been giving them missions long before she was born. All any of them knew about him was that he worked for the Department of Defense. The rest was a mystery. Over the years, GHOST, her father's generation, had tried figuring out who Casper was, but he was good at secrecy. He'd been bigger than life in her mind forever. He was this mystical creature who was using them to right wrongs of the world. She loved that they didn't know who he was. But the fact he might be in trouble, that was scary.
"That's not good." She mumbled.
Tate nodded. "Right. That's what we all feel. I need three operatives to go to Washington and ferret out Senator Jackson. See if you can get him to talk. If you can't, you'll need to find a way to figure out what he told Casper that has him worried."
Addy surged forward in her chair. "I'll go."
Myles quickly said, "Me too."
Tate nodded at them, then turned to Henry. "We're using your grandparents’ home as our home base in Washington. Do you want to be there too?"
Henry nodded. "Of course."
"Good, you know the area better than anyone here. And, from what I'm told, the housekeeper, Catalina, will be excited to see you."
Henry's cheeks turned a deep pink. Addy grinned. "Oh, is there a story there?"
Henry swallowed. "No. But she thinks I'm cute. And, she's my mom's age, so that's the gist of it."
Myles burst out laughing. "Is she blind?"
Henry grinned. "She has twenty-twenty vision. So, when she sees you, it'll be hard for her not to grimace."
Myles laughed and lifted his middle finger.
Tate chuckled slightly but brought the conversation back to the task, or mission, at hand. "So you three need to pack. Gavin will be here with the plane in three hours. The Bowman home is well equipped, so you won't need little necessities, just clothes, laptops, equipment. I'll get the equipment bags ready while you pack. Addy, I’d like you in charge of this mission."
“Thank you. I accept.”
Maya stood. "I can help with the equipment."
"Great. Thank you everyone. Addy, Myles, and Henry, I have the files we got from headquarters uploaded to the server. You can read up on the flight to Washington."
She had goose bumps on her arms. Excited didn't half describe how she felt. Maya joined her in her room. "You're practically beaming."
Reaching to the back of her closet, she pulled her suitcase out and laid it on her bed, next to her cousin.
"I'm so ready for this mission. I've been going stir-crazy here."
"Yeah. Me too, but I hate Washington."
Pulling her top drawer open she pulled out her undergarments. "I've only been once, but I'm dying to see the Bowman home."
Maya laughed. "My mom said it was amazing."
