All Chapters of Solid Muscle (Unseen Enemy 5): Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Mark watched as Michael Ferguson drove towards him. Luckily, there was only one road away from the Halloway farm, so guessing this asshole’s choice of direction hadn’t been a big challenge. No, the challenge was yet to come. Mark’s large body tensed up as he prepared to make contact with a man that, until now, he’d only encountered on paper; God knows, that man had been bad enough. Ferguson was the Sheriff of Foxburg Falls, Oregon, a former Marine, a high school football hero. He was also a sick, twisted fuck who raped and beat up women in his hometown, and then used his badge to intimidate them into silence. He’d come up on the Solid Security team’s radar through Katherine Lawrence – who had now reclaimed her real name of Beth Harper in light of Ferguson’s arrest. Beth was Jim Alden’s girlfriend, and Jim was one of Dallas’ closest friends and a fellow survivor of three tours in Afghanistan. The two men and their friends had stepped up to protect Beth from Ferguson when she’d finall

Ferguson stood and glared at Mark, totally still and silent, and every single instinct in Mark’s powerful body was screaming at him. Yeah, he and Sully and Dallas had assumed that Ferguson wasn’t going to get out of this alive, and he saw now that it was actually way worse than that: Ferguson was going to make sure of it. He was going to force their hands. Mark’s finger tightened, and he got ready to shoot.Suddenly, Halloway sat up in the car, looking dazed. Both men startled at his unexpected appearance, and that was when Ferguson made his move: as fast as a blink, he swung his gun to the right, leveled it through the open window and inside the car. Immediately, Mark stepped even farther to the left. He knew that Sully was lining everything up behind him, and Ferguson’s life was now being measured in seconds.“Out,” Ferguson hissed at Clyde Halloway. “Out now.”The old man blinked, confused. His head was bleeding badly, and Mark was sure that he was in shock. Still, he fumbled with

Jim held her away from him, staring at her hard. “You’re going to be here for all of it now, all those things you care so much about. You’re going to be at Dallas and Liv’s wedding, you’re going to meet Dean and Emma’s baby, you’re going to see Chris and Jenny get closer and stronger. Baby, you aren’t going to miss any of it – you’re going to be part of it.”Beth nodded.“And best of all?” Jim kissed her mouth now, slow and sensual, taking his time, really making her feel his love for her. “You’re going to be here for us, Beth. For everything that we decide to do and be together.”She looked up at him, looking a bit better. “Us?”“Yeah. You and me. Living together and loving each other.” He traced the curve of her full lips. “And more.”“More?” She grinned now. “What more? You got something planned, handsome?”“Well, now, you’re just going to have to wait to find out about that.”She raised her eyebrows. “I never knew you were a tease.”“You totally did.” He ran his hands down the fro

“Yeah.” Cordelia brushed her hair back over her shoulders. “Zane’s too. The hands were animated and moving around a lot when they mentioned Olivia’s stalker.”“Showing frustration at not being able to get a stalker of her own,” Jack said. “Or at least not a real one.”“Yes. Exactly.”Griff and Selena had sat silent this whole time, and now exchanged perplexed glances, as everyone at the Solid Security offices always did lately when Jack and Cordelia started talking like this. Dallas had hired Jack to train Cordelia in non-verbal cues and communication, and the woman had taken the learning and she’d run with it… and it was in turns almost spooky and hilarious.Nobody would forget anytime soon the totally unnerving day when Jack and Cordelia had wandered around the office identifying everyone’s emotions at a glance. It had been a kind of lightning strike, and she’d been deadly accurate, and had given everyone lots of laughs and uncomfortable moments. But what had made that morning the

Cordelia unlocked the apartment door, sighing with pleasure at being home. It had been a long and emotional day, and she was ready to have some of her mother’s famous lasagna and kick back with a glass of wine. Maybe two.“Hi, Mom.” Sean was standing in the tiny kitchen drinking a glass of carrot juice. For reasons that would forever remain a mystery to Cordelia, her son loved the stuff. He’d choose it over milk, over apple juice, even over Coke. Not that she offered Sean Coke very much, but still. It was inarguably odd for a ten-year-old kid to ask for carrot juice with his pizza.“Hi, sweetie.” Wearily, she kicked off her cheap high heels. “You doing alright?”“Oh, he’s fine, believe me. But your son is driving me crazy, I’ll have you know.”Cordelia turned to her mother, already fighting back her grin. The woman complained unceasingly about Sean driving her crazy, but woe to Cordelia if she suggested that Chantal take a few days off from child care. The last time she’d run that ide