By
Rhonda Lee Carver

He put her in danger
and now he’s the only one who can save her.

Delta 6 is an elite team comprised of retired SEALs, the best-of-the-best, who have faced incredible conflicts and missions. Their motto is “Get in and get out, using all necessary force, and leave no man behind.” Working with Homeland Security, their team is the one called upon to do the impossible reconnaissance missions—and now they’re facing six big ones. Assigned to catch the six most wanted terrorists on friendly soil, each tough soldier will face brutal circumstances to bring the enemy to justice. And they’re willing to pay any price…

Enemies don’t always wear black and carry guns. Sometimes they’re beautiful doctors with raven hair and engaging blue eyes. Cason Driggs has been investigating elusive terrorist, Ghost, for six months and the first real clue he finds is a partial print that belongs to Dr. Yara Yates, an epidemiologist who is skilled in monitoring infectious diseases and bioterrorism threats. Cason decides the best way to draw a terrorist out of his hole is to dangle a juicy carrot underneath his nose. Kidnapping the lovely doctor, he plans to use her as bait, but something changes that Cason isn’t prepared for.

Yara believes the man who kidnapped her must be one of Ghost’s thugs who plans to kill her after she sent an unexpected clue to authorities. More than fearing for her own life, she must protect her family. And her heart.

A hunting cabin. A stray dog. A snake. And a bullet all lead up to a wild goose chase.

Cason is an alpha and Yara is a focused scientist. They couldn’t be more different. How will the two work together to bring down a terrorist? How will they deny, or tame, the fire that is threatening to consume them?

Cason Driggs made a decision to do something a bit out of character. He kidnaps a Dr. Yara Yates, an epidemiologist he knows is key to capturing the terrorist known as Ghost. His investigating found she’s connected with Ghost, he’s just not sure in what capacity. His goal here is to find out and put an end to Ghost’s terrorism. The problem is he’s failed to inform his team what he’s doing and why.

Yara is sure the man who’s taken her works for Ghost. She’d almost run out of time to find what Ghost wants from her, and in her concern for her family she’s sent a clue to her only outlet, The Daily Journal, a newspaper she has connection with. It’s this clue that Cason has misinterpreted.

The drive to where he plans to lure Ghost out is treacherous since the weather took a turn he didn’t expect. It was only made worse by his own errors in judgement as Yara fights back and they crash. With her unconscious he has to carry her the rest of the way to the cabin he’s prepared.

Cason doesn’t explain things to her or even question her, which doesn’t alleviate her fears in the least.

This is part of that first real conversation and a favorite scene.

“I’m going to make us a cup of coffee and I have a can of soup prepared. Can I trust you to stay put?” He raised a thick brow.

“Do you have more booby traps I need to be aware of?”

“All over the place. Consider them not only valuable in keeping you in, but also keeping others out.”

He walked over to the pan warming over the fire and she watched him pour the contents into two Styrofoam cups.

“Does this place have electric?” She traveled her attention over the rustic furnishings and oil lamps. Sitting more comfortably on the couch, she pulled her damp, clingy shirt away from her body, wishing she could take it off.

“I have two generators if we need them. I’m saving the gas for an emergency though.”

“Isn’t all this an emergency?” she asked.

He ignored her. Lifting the towel to her nose, she expected it to be musky, but instead she caught the faint scent of soap and sandalwood. She dried her hair and face, and when he brought one of the steaming cups over to her, she laid the towel aside.

“It’s not gourmet, but it’ll fill your belly.” He sat down in the overstuffed chair and stretched his legs.

Looking down into the cup, her mouth salivated, but she didn’t think she could eat.

The beast had no problem digging in.

Setting her cup on the table, she brought her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs. “I think we both have some questions.”

He settled his gaze on her above the rim of the cup. “No need to be in any hurry. Eat.”

“No. I want answers as much as you do.”

When he placed the cup next to hers, he scooted himself to the edge of the cushion and braced his elbows on his knees. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a pest?” A grittiness framed his words.

“Only those people who I don’t like.”

“The feeling’s mutual,” he groaned.

She went on without missing a beat. “The note…I sent it to the newspaper, yet you were the one who received it?”

“Not initially. It finally landed in my lap.”

“Are you a policeman? FBI?”

He eased back into the chair and crossed his arms over the broad expanse of his chest. “What I can tell you is that I’ve been tracking Ghost on and off for years and the first real solid clue was that note and partial print.”

She lowered her gaze to her clasped hands. “So you’re with the FBI then?”

“Let’s move the focus away from who I am to more importantly why you wrote the note and left your print when Ghost had been meticulous up until that point.” That tight set of his jaw returned.

Yara struggled to keep equal footing with him. “What do you know about me?”

“Enough. You grew up in California and attended a private school. You weren’t popular and didn’t play sports. However, you excelled in dance but you mysteriously stopped. After, you attended Stanford where you blossomed. A member of a dozen or more clubs, you graduated with high honors. You’re an epidemiologist who has won awards for her work in biochemical and disease control. Your father died last year from cancer. Your mother is a schoolteacher, and after a divorce from your father when you were ten, she remarried the principal of the middle school where she taught. Six months ago, you and a colleague were recognized for using genome sequencing of isolates to identify an outbreak of a new virus in a tiny, remote village in Africa.”

“Wow. You’ve really done your research.” She leaned forward, feeling a bit vulnerable that he knew so much about her and she knew so little about him.

“I also know you have to be one smart woman to be in the field that you are in, so why in the hell did you get involved with Ghost? I guess I should say how do you know the bastard who has a fascination for blowing up things and people?” His narrowed eyes drilled through her.

“You don’t know everything about me although you verbally vomited a handful of facts.” She looked at him through the veil of her lashes.

He shrugged, stretching the cotton of the shirt to capacity. “I know that there’s a picture of you and Ghost in your apartment. Hell, I could be wrong but that’s pretty damn condemning in my book.”

It took her a moment to absorb what he was suggesting. “You’re wrong.”

“Who is he to you? Lover?”

“The man you’re referring to is—was—my brother. He’s not Ghost.  Wait…you were in my apartment?” Her blood boiled.

He smirked. “I had to investigate.”

Why did she understand? She’d want to investigate too. Yet, she should be angry because he invaded her space. “You’re grasping at straws.”

“Obviously, you don’t—didn’t—know him very well. Why are we using past tense references?”

She moistened her lips. “My brother, Thomas, died in a boating accident two years ago. So, you see, it’s impossible that he could be Ghost.”

Yara could see the confusion in the beast’s expression. “That’s not possible.”

“It is possible.” she sighed. “My family and I buried him, and we have his death certificate.”

“And you saw his body?”

She shifted uneasily on the cushion. “No…his body wasn’t found.”

“Then there’s a chance he could be alive.”

“Listen, there were clues that he died. His death was investigated and ruled an accidental drowning.”

Her captor snorted. “You know how easy it is to fake a death? Have you seen Ghost? His face? Met him for yourself?”

Her chest tightened. “No, I haven’t. Not face-to-face. I only had interactions with his men.”

“Isn’t that just fitting.” He shrugged and dropped back into the chair. “But you know where he is?”

“No.”

“You must.”

“Don’t interrogate me. I told you no and I mean it.” She didn’t like where this was headed. “I’m not in cahoots with Ghost…at least not how you think.” She plucked at a loose string on her shirt.

“Then explain.”
Rhonda Lee Carver. Bite the Bullet (Kindle Locations 841-901). Kindle Edition.

As Yara explains to him exactly how she became involved with Ghost, Cason realizes he’s misjudged her but also knows she’s still key to capturing Ghost.

I was relieved when Cason and Yara finally begin trusting each other and the addition of a stray dog adds an unusual aspect to this strange relationship.

This story gets more and more convoluted with clues and people working with Ghost. It was truly satisfying to see his team show up reminding him he doesn’t have be alone in this fight. Things heat up in more ways than one as Yara and Cason work together to find the elusive Ghost.

5 Contented Purrs for Rhonda!

Rhonda Lee Carver

Rhonda Lee Carver is a published book writer with a collection of print and eBooks under her wing. She is also a freelance editor. Her first book was published with Wild Rose Press in 2010.

She writes everything from contemporary to steamy to paranormal to suspense…you name it, she’s written it. Her specialty is writing men who love to get their hands dirty—hardworking, blue collar, heroes in everyday life.

When Rhonda isn’t crafting edge-of-your-seat, sizzling novels, you’ll find her with her children and husband watching soccer, watching a breathtaking movie, traveling to exotic places (with Bora Bora on her bucket list), doing (or trying) yoga, saving cats and dogs, and finding new ways to keep life interesting.

Rhonda thrives on making her readers happy. She believes life can be a challenge, but reading is a place where fantasy comes to life. Her motto: “Everyone deserves romance—one page at a time.“