By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Jenn Talty

She thought she could leave her past behind her, but when the bodies start piling up she realizes the past wasn’t finished with her and now history might not only repeat itself, but take away her chance at love.

Retired CIA agent Fay Clayton is trying to get her career back on track with her new position in Fouls Gold, Colorado working with the Brotherhood Protectors. She can handle almost anything, including working with ex SEAL Walker Nash, who blamed her for his untimely exit from the Navy. However, with their latest assignment, it seems history is repeating itself because at every turn, with every clue, the bad guy is always one step ahead of Fay, Walker, and the police.

That is until Fay realizes the mole that sabotaged her mission to save Walker and his team before she retired followed them back to the States and is doing whatever he can to make sure that once again, she—and Walker—fail at their assignment.
And at love.

Fay is a former CIA agent that Walker blames for his injuries and subsequent retirement from the Navy. On a previous mission they came to an understanding and find they work well together.

This new mission is a bit different, helping local law enforcement it involves cold cases as well as a new one that fits the profile. In the past there were 10 young men traveling alone, that disappeared heading toward Fool’s Gold. The cases were over an eight-year span and the last one was six years ago. They’ve come back into the spotlight with the recent disappearance of Levi Jetson. He was traveling from Colorado Springs to visit his father in Fool’s Gold. There are the usual suspects, the divorced parents Rose and Pete. Pete also has a penchant for gambling, and he’s been seen with some unsavory characters.

Walker and Fay have no problem working this case, even after they’ve been told Fay’s cover is as his girlfriend. However, there’s another curve that will be thrown as Walker and Fay settle in to have a drink at Walker’s house.

This information is brought to them by Jake and Hank in an unannounced visit.

This is a favorite scene.

Walker pulled open the door and mentally prepared himself for whatever Jake and Hank needed to discuss.

In person.

Because they didn’t do that unless it was of the utmost importance.

“What brings you two by?” Walker left out unannounced since he figured that might be considered antagonistic, and ever since the mission at Wind River Mountains and the fact he’d questioned Hank’s pairing, he knew he was on thin ice.

“We need to talk to you and Fay,” Jake said as he pushed his way into Walker’s home. He tossed Fay’s rucksack on the floor next to the stairs.

“What the hell?” Fay was on her feet in seconds. “Why did you go into my room and bring my stuff here?” Her voice rose to an octave that Walker didn’t think was possible for Fay.

“Because you’re staying here,” Hank said. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“Yes,” she said. “I mean no, sir.”

Walker knew this should not be a question that came out of his mouth, but he’d had just enough alcohol to ask it. “Why is it so important that she stay with me?” Walker closed the door and polished off his tequila. “I think we deserve at least an explanation. You both know the history between us and while some of it is water under the bridge, and we’re certainly cap—”

“Save the winded backpedaling,” Hank said. “She is staying here because where else would a girlfriend stay?” He made his way into the family room.

Jake followed.

Both men took a seat on the sofa.

“Any other questions about that?” Jake asked.

“No,” Walker said flatly as he took a seat on the edge of the chair that Fay had reluctantly perched herself in.

“We’ve begun digging into the files Sparrow gave us.” He figured it was best to redirect the conversation.

“I’ve reached out to a couple contacts I have with the FBI to do a deep dive,” Fay added.

“That’s good. Glad to see you’ve jumped right into the assignment,” Hank said. “That’s only part of why we’re here.”

Walker exchanged a quick glance with Fay, who looked as puzzled as he felt. “Is there something wrong?”

“I wouldn’t say wrong,” Jake said. “More like interesting.”

“How so?” Fay asked.

“Lee Cameron applied for a position with the Brotherhood Protectors.” Hank leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and clasped his hands together.

“I didn’t know he left the Navy,” Walker said. It had been a good two months since he’d spoken to Lee. Or anyone else from his old team for that matter. Not because he didn’t care, but because they were still enlisted, and last he’d heard, deployed. “I know his contract was up a few months ago, but he told me he passed the physical.”

“He might have, but he opted not to renew and now he’s looking to work with us,” Hank said. “I know his commanding officer well and from what I’ve learned, Lee tends to be a hothead. You were team leader. Is that true?”

“It is.” Walker saw no reason to lie. “He could be a tad arrogant at times and thought his way was better.”

“Did you often butt heads?” Jake asked.

Walker had to be very careful how he answered this question, but only because he wasn’t sure if he was being asked because they were still unsure about him being a team player, or if they wanted an honest answer. “Lee can be stubborn at times and he always has an opinion.”

“And were those thoughts helpful?” Hank asked.

“Sometimes.” Walker wasn’t lying.

“What about you, Fay? You worked with him,” Hank said.

“You don’t want to know what I think.”

“Yeah. We do.” Hank sat up taller. “And we want you to be honest.”

She shrugged. “I don’t trust him.”

“Like you don’t trust Walker?” Hank cocked his head.

“I never once said I didn’t trust Walker.” Gracefully, she rose. She strolled across the room, lifting the bottle of tequila from its perch on the table by the stairs. She poured a hearty glass and took a sip. “At least not in the same way and it’s Walker that has the trust issues with me.”

Walker lifted his hands. “Not anymore. We’ve worked through that.”

“For the most part.” Fay chuckled.

“So, what’s your problem with Lee?” Hank asked.

She turned and locked gazes with Walker. “Once we finally made it out, Lee confronted me about the execution of my plan to pull Walker’s team out safely. So much had gone wrong before I was even called in. I followed a paper trail that told me there was a mole, but I couldn’t figure out who because whoever it was covered their tracks well. Ultimately, I had to take a risk if I was going to get to them at all and we went in. That was my call. And he thought I made the wrong one.”

“Wait. What?” This was something that Walker hadn’t ever heard. Not from Fay. Not from Lee. Not from anyone. “What exactly did he expect you to do?”

“Wait. Dig a little harder to find out where the leak was before rushing in, trying to make a name for myself. He told me if I had a little more patience, his buddy might not be dead, and you’d still be a SEAL.”

“That’s not really true,” Walker said.

She lifted her drink. “It’s not really false either.”

Fuck. That hadn’t come out right. “If you had waited much longer, we’d all be dead and why was he even discussing a mole? He didn’t believe—”

“He never said mole. He said leak and there is a fundamental difference between the two,” Fay corrected. “And he honestly thought it was me.”

“Why would he think that if you were trying to make a name for yourself?” Jake asked the obvious.

“Lee believed I rushed into rescuing the team, opening the mission up for a number of mistakes, including leaking information, even if it was my accident, because I was up for a promotion, which was true. At least the promotion part was, but I didn’t rush anything.”

“So, you don’t trust him because he doesn’t like you,” Jake said.

Fay laughed. Walker wished he could have pinched or kicked her or something because that wasn’t the right response in front of their bosses. “No. I don’t trust him because he went out of his way not to tell anyone what he believed. If I thought someone was that incompetent, I would have told their supervisor. He chose not to and for that reason, I did a little digging on him and found out—”

“He doesn’t like taking orders from women,” Walker finished her sentence. It wasn’t the first time Walker had come across a man in the military who had problems with women in positions of power. But he hoped it would be the last.

“If that’s the case, I’m not sure he’s going to be a good fit with the Brotherhood Protectors,” Hank said.
Jen Talty. Fay’s Six (Kindle Locations 327-383). Twisted Page Press, LLC.

After dropping the bombshells of Fay staying with him and a former SEAL team member Lee Cameron as well, Jake and Hank take their leave.

For Fay it’s not only Lee’s misogynist attitude that bothers her but also his deviation from assignment. He’s investigating but he’s not where he should be when he should be.

Walker doesn’t like the way things are progressing and Lee just makes it more difficult.

There are many twists in this book, and I love how the relationship between Walker and Fay just heats up the pages.

5 Contented Purrs for Jen!

Jen Talty

Welcome to my World! I’m a USA Today Bestseller of Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, and Paranormal Romance.

I first started writing while carting my kids to one hockey rink after the other, averaging 170 games per year between 3 kids in 2 countries and 5 states. My first book, IN TWO WEEKS was originally published in 2007. In 2010 I helped form a publishing company (Cool Gus Publishing) with NY Times Bestselling Author Bob Mayer where I ran the technical side of the business through 2016.

I’m currently enjoying the next phase of my life…the empty NESTER! My husband and I spend our winters in Jupiter, Florida and our summers in Rochester, NY. We have three amazing children who have all gone off to carve out their places in the world, while I continue to craft stories that I hope will make you readers feel good and put a smile on your face.