Guardian. Terri Reed

      

      PROTECTING THE SINGLE MOM

      When a fellow FBI agent is kidnapped and a protected witness vanishes, Leo Gallagher will stop at nothing to find them both. So when he discovers a link between the case and a single mother in Wyoming, Leo and his trusty K-9 partner rush to question Alicia Duncan. Could she be the key to locating the missing persons? Not if a killer has anything to say about it. Someone is determined to keep Alicia from talking, so Leo and his chocolate Lab must keep her and her little boy safe on their family ranch. With danger lurking around every corner, Leo must work overtime to not lose another person who’s important to him.

      “Agent Gallagher.”

      Alicia’s soft voice stopped him on the upstairs landing of her ranch house. “Please, call me Leo,” he said. “We’re going to be in close quarters for a while.”

      She nodded but her eyebrows pinched together. “Leo. I appreciate what you’re doing for us.”

      He nodded. “Keeping you and your family safe is my job, Alicia.”

      “And finding the man who wants your witness dead,” she pointed out.

      “Yes, that, too.”

      “I’ll pray that you find him.” Her words wrapped around him. The common bond of faith pleased him. He could use all the help he could get.

      CLASSIFIED K-9 UNIT:

      These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners

      Guardian—Terri Reed, April 2017

      Sheriff—Laura Scott, May 2017

      Special Agent—Valerie Hansen, June 2017

      Bounty Hunter—Lynette Eason, July 2017

      Bodyguard—Shirlee McCoy, August 2017

      Tracker—Lenora Worth, September 2017

      Classified K-9 Unit Christmas—Terri Reed and Lenora Worth, December 2017

      Dear Reader,

      Writing about K-9 officers and their handlers is always a pleasure. True was a heroic dog and learning about water search-and-rescue was fascinating. I’m always amazed and impressed by the abilities of canines.

      FBI agent Leo Gallagher, True’s human partner, overcame a traumatic past to become a hero. So often we humans let our past define us just as Leo had done, but with the help and love of the right woman for him, he was able to look to the future with hope.

      For widow Alicia Duncan, trust didn’t come easy after the hurt and betrayal of her late husband. For her son’s sake, she chose not to let bitterness take root, which allowed her to be open to finding love again with a man of integrity and honor.

      I hope you’ve enjoyed the first book in the new Love Inspired Suspense continuity series. If you’d like to see Zara and Dylan’s story, look online for Agent-in-Training. And keep an eye out for the next five installments in the series to see how the men and woman of the FBI Tactical K-9 Unit rescue Jake and take down the Duprees.

      Until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you in His care,

      TERRI REED’s romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on the Publishers Weekly top twenty-five and Nielsen BookScan’s top one hundred lists, and have been featured in USA TODAY, Christian Fiction Magazine and RT Book Reviews. Her books have been finalists for the Romance Writers of America RITA® Award and the National Readers’ Choice Award and finalists three times for the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award. Contact Terri at terrireed.com or PO Box 19555, Portland, OR 97224.

      Guardian

      Terri Reed

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;

      In You I take shelter.

      —Psalms 143:9

      Thank you to the editors at Love Inspired for the opportunity to work on this continuity. And a huge shout-out of gratitude for the brainstorming, encouragement and friendship to the other authors in this series: Laura Scott, Valerie Hansen, Lynette Eason, Shirlee McCoy and Lenora Worth.

      Contents

       Cover

       Back Cover Text

       Introduction

       Dear Reader

       About the Author

       Title Page

       Bible Verse

       Dedication

       PROLOGUE

       ONE

       TWO

       THREE

       FOUR

       FIVE

       SIX

       SEVEN

       EIGHT

       NINE

       TEN

       ELEVEN

       TWELVE

       THIRTEEN

       FOURTEEN