Guard Duty. Sharon Dunn

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      “IF YOU TELL, YOU DIE.”

      As a potential murder witness, rookie K-9 police officer Valerie Salgado is living with a death threat and caring for her young niece. And things get worse when FBI agent Trevor Lewis comes to Sagebrush, Texas. In exchange for her help on his case, Trevor offers Valerie protection, but Trevor has more walls around him than a maximum-security prison. And now Valerie must convince him that she, her niece and her K-9 partner would make the perfect family for him, if they can stay alive....

      Valerie stared at the email... and felt shaken from the inside.

      Bethany is such a pretty baby. It would be a shame to have anything happen to her.

      “Everything okay?” Trevor asked, coming to stand beside her desk.

      She forced the fear from her voice. “Sure. Why?”

      “Your hands are shaking.” He cupped his hand over hers.

      She felt the warmth of his touch, saw the concern in his eyes. Would he think her weak if she revealed her fear? There probably wasn’t anything that made this man afraid.

      The warmth in his gaze told her to risk sharing. “I just got this.”

      Trevor’s jaw hardened as he looked at the screen. “This is all part of a game. Threatening your kid to upset you.”

      She let out a shaky breath. “Then it’s working.”

      TEXAS K-9 UNIT:

      These lawmen solve the toughest cases

      with the help of their brave canine partners

      Tracking Justice—Shirlee McCoy, January 2013

      Detection Mission—Margaret Daley, February 2013

      Guard Duty—Sharon Dunn, March 2013

      Explosive Secrets—Valerie Hansen, April 2013

      Scent of Danger—Terri Reed, May 2013

      Lone Star Protector—Lenora Worth, June 2013

      SHARON DUNN

      has always loved writing, but didn’t decide to write for publication until she was expecting her first baby. Pregnancy makes you do crazy things. Three kids, many articles and two mystery series later, she still hasn’t found her sanity. Her books have won awards, including a Book of the Year award from American Christian Fiction Writers. She was also a finalist for an RT Book Reviews Inspirational Book of the Year award.

      Sharon has performed in theater and church productions, has degrees in film production and history and worked for many years as a college tutor and instructor. Despite the fact that her résumé looks as if she couldn’t decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, all the education and experience have played a part in helping her write good stories.

      When she isn’t writing or taking her kids to activities, she reads, plays board games and contemplates organizing her closet. In addition to her three kids, Sharon lives with her husband of twenty-two years, three cats and lots of dust bunnies. You can reach Sharon through her website, www.sharondunnbooks.net.

      Guard Duty

      Sharon Dunn

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

      —Psalms 10:17,18

      For Bart, the nervous Border collie,

      who has brought laughter

      and unconditional devotion into my life.

      Special thanks and acknowledgment to Sharon Dunn for her contribution to the Texas K-9 Unit miniseries.

      Contents

       CHAPTER ONE

       CHAPTER TWO

       CHAPTER THREE

       CHAPTER FOUR

       CHAPTER FIVE

       CHAPTER SIX

       CHAPTER SEVEN

       CHAPTER EIGHT

       CHAPTER NINE

       CHAPTER TEN

       CHAPTER ELEVEN

       CHAPTER TWELVE

       CHAPTER THIRTEEN

       CHAPTER FOURTEEN

       CHAPTER FIFTEEN

       CHAPTER SIXTEEN

       CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

       Dear Reader

       Questions for Discussion

       Excerpt

      ONE

      “K-9 unit 349. Convenience-store robbery, corner of State and Grand. Suspects are on the run.”

      As she pushed the talk button to respond to dispatch, rookie officer Valerie Salgado felt that strange mixture of fear and excitement that came every time she responded to a call on patrol.

      “Copy. I’m about five blocks from that location. Any idea what direction