By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Maryann Jordan

Blake…

Former Delta and adventure lover was stuck on a boring, bodyguard mission for an academic at a conference in French Guiana. The only thing holding his attention was the beautiful interpreter he noticed in the balcony and at the hotel.

Sara…

An American interpreter assigned to the economic conference, found the handsome bodyguard to be much more interesting than the topic she was interpreting.

They shared a night of passion and were prepared to say goodbye…until Blake watched her kidnapped from a shop the next morning.

With the aid of the French Guiana Police and the other Keepers from Lighthouse Security, Blake’s routine mission became anything but boring and the Amazon rainforest was no hiding place for the men who dared to take Sara.

As they made their escape up the Lawa River, Blake found that Sara was much more than just a rescue mission. But would their love survive the return to their lives back in America? When she is threatened again, Blake vows to keep her safe at all costs.

Note:
Scenes and language similar to what you would find in an R-rated movie. 18+ readers

Blake had just returned from a mission, a rather boring one and he really wanted something with a bit more action. Unfortunately he was assigned as security to a man attending an economics summit in Guiana. A man with no threats against him, just a fear of being in a foreign country.

He settles in somewhat with Stanley, but really didn’t see the point in traveling if you weren’t going to do some site-seeing and sample some local cuisine.

Blake notices one of the translators, her hair is what caught his eye, but she was magnificent in all ways. Unfortunately he thinks he’s missed his chance with her only to have her return to the bar where he was enjoying a drink alone on the last day.

Sara and Blake share an explosive evening, one that has him waking alone. He does however get the opportunity to see her at breakfast after Stanley heads to a lobby shop to get gifts for family.

He intends to catch up with Stanley and does when Sara expresses a desire to purchase a scarf she saw earlier, a sort of tradition started by her mother.

Then the fun begins.

This is a favorite scene.

He had only taken two steps toward Sara when a squeak of fear sounded from the other side of the shop. His gaze jerked over, landing on three masked men who had entered, each holding a gun.

Instantly assessing, he watched as two of them headed straight to the jewelry counter and the third positioned himself where he could keep his eyes on the whole shop. The older man held his arm out, trying to shield his wife. The pregnant woman was standing closest to Sara, and with his peripheral vision, he could see that Sara moved slightly in front of her, offering whatever protection she could. Stanley, still at the jewelry counter, began babbling.

“Oh, my God, you’ve got guns! I don’t know anything! I don’t have anything!”

One of the men shoved Stanley out of the way and began speaking in rapid-fire words, but Blake was not sure what language it was. He thought it was French, and the store clerk appeared to understand the language, or at least understand what the gun pointed toward him meant. The clerk took the cloth bag in his shaking hands and began filling it with the diamond jewelry.

Blake had a holstered gun underneath his jacket but knew he could not get to it safely without risking the other customers. Fuck, if it was just me, I could take all three out. The thieves were of slight build and less than six feet tall. The one holding the bag for the salesclerk was sweating profusely, and Blake would have bet this was his first robbery. The one next to him appeared twitchy, his nerves showing. Blake slid his eyes back to the one watching the customers. He’s the fuckin’ leader. Even with a black bandanna tight across the lower half of his face, it was easy to see the man was not sweating, and his eyes were clear and sharp.

Blake glanced down at Stanley, who was cowering on the floor. My job is to keep my mission safe. A slight movement caught his eye, and he glanced back to Sara, who had managed to slide completely in front of the pregnant woman, her arms out slightly from her sides offering more protection. Admiration along with fear for her moved through his mind.

The salesclerk made quick work of filling the bag with jewelry, and the two thieves stepped back to the one eyeing the group.

Blake breathed steadily. Okay, you got what you came for. Now just leave. Nice and easy.

The leader stepped closer to Sara, lifted the butt of his gun, and ran it along her cheek. “Belle,” he said.

Lips pinched, she whimpered slightly, and Blake’s fingers twitched at his side, desperate to take the man down. The leader reached his hand out, clamped it around Sara’s upper arm and jerked her forward.

Blake held his body in check, memorizing everything he could. The man had a small scar over his left eyebrow. He was only about five feet-eight inches tall, and as he swung Sara around in front of him, Blake could see a tattoo on the back of the man’s wrist.

The leader stepped toward the outside door, Sara’s arm still firmly in his grasp as he dragged her along.

“No!” she cried, attempting to dig her heels in. The leader had his gun pointed straight to her face, but that did not seem to stop her. When he swung the weapon toward the pregnant woman, Sara gasped, eyes wide.

Blake watched the instant realization hit her, and she stopped struggling. Her gaze swung around to him just as the men pushed through the door leading to the street. Wide-eyed. Terrified. Gaze boring straight into his.

Whirling, he shouted to the clerk, “Call the police!” To Stanley, still on the floor, he shouted, “Stay where you are!”

He rushed to the door, observing the thieves running down the sidewalk toward the beach, Sara still clutched by the arm, stumbling along. Unable to get a clear shot as they weaved amongst early hotel guests heading to the pool, he raced after them.

At first, he assumed they would make their getaway from the hotel’s parking lot, but instead, they continued down the path, past the swimming pool, toward the beach. Fear clutched his heart as he thought of a water escape, and he sped after them, the adrenaline pumping through his body giving him even greater speed.

In the distance, through the palm trees, he spied a small motorboat just offshore. The first two thieves raced into the water, their leader lagging behind as he continued to drag Sara along.

Lining up his shot, Blake halted as the leader whirled around, clutching Sara in front of his body with his own weapon pressed against her temple.

The man called out, “You shoot. She dead.”

Blake knew that he could easily take out the two men in the motorboat, but he did not have a clear shot at the leader holding Sara. Hotel guests began screaming and racing around at the sight of men with guns, some running through his line of fire. Moving steadily forward as the leader backed away, he was determined to take down the man that dared to point a gun at Sara.

Ignoring the footsteps he heard coming from behind him, he was soon surrounded by French Guiana police, some with their guns pointed toward the thieves and others with their weapons trained on him.

“Pose ton arme!” came the shout.

“American,” he called out, his gun still aimed at the leader, who was now dragging Sara into the water.

“Put down weapon!” one of the policemen shouted.

“There are the thieves! They’ve got a hostage!” he retorted, his weapon still held on the boat, cursing that he could not get the right shot.

Several of the policemen fired their weapons toward the boat, and Blake shouted, “Stop! They’ve got a hostage!”

“Arrêtez-vous!” the policeman speaking broken English shouted. “La femme est un otage!”

Blake could only assume the policemen grasped the situation, but by this time, the leader had dragged Sara through the water, lifted her into the boat from the back side where he was protected from their weapons, and climbed aboard. The engine started, and the boat turned, heading toward the west.

Over the waves, he watched as she scrambled to sit up, her eyes pinned on him, and he heard her scream his name… a sound that he knew would haunt him forever.
Maryann Jordan. Blake – ARC copy – not for sale or distribution: Heroes at Heart (Kindle Locations 424-472).

Let me say here that I was surprised at the reluctance of the police to help. It was only with Mace’s insistence that Blake was given an officer to assist and escort him where he needed to be. More back up would be coming in the form of Drew and Tate to get them safely home.

Blake and Sara are pursued down the Lawa River. Only to find they really are compatible and when all this is done they want to see where their relationship can go.

Fast-paced and emotional with plenty of action,  twists, plus romance and sizzle.

5 Contented Purrs for Maryann!

Maryann Jordan

As an Award Winning, Amazon International Bestselling and All-Star author, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble Best Selling Author, I have always been an avid reader. In 2013 I started a blog to showcase wonderful writers and finally gave in to the characters in my head pleading for their story to be told. Thus, Emma’s Home was created.

My first novel, Emma’s Home became an Amazon Best Seller in 3 categories within the first month of publishing. Its success was followed by the rest of the Fairfield Series and then led into the Love’s Series. Soon, other spin-off series came along and 8 of my books have made Amazon top 100 Bestselling books.

Gabe, from the Alvarez Security Series won Silver Medal and 5 Star Review by the 2016 Reader’s Choice Awards.
Honor Love was an award winning novel from the 2016 Reader’s Choice Awards.
Serial Love was an award finalist novel from the 2016 Reader’s Choice Awards.
Coming Home was awarded the 5 Star Review by the 2017 Reader’s Choice Awards.
Discover Love was awarded the 5 Star Review by the 2017 Reader’s Choice Awards.

My books are filled with sweet romance and hot sex; mystery, suspense, real life characters and situations. My heroes are alphas, take charge men who love the strong, independent women they fall in love with.

I worked as a counselor in a high school and have been involved in education for the past 30 years. I have just retired and look forward to more time with family and writing!

I have been married to a wonderfully patient man for 36 years and have 2 adult, very supportive daughters.

When writing, my dog or one of my cats will usually be found in my lap!

I love to hear from readers, so please email me!