TooDangeroustoLove

  Trained to kill it takes the love of a unique man to uncover the gentleness within.

  Gifted with a unique set of abilities that had come to light during a time she was MIA in Africa, Serenity Chandi Walker had become a killer for the government, taking on a new name for her assignments, Raven Dare. Retired, she is drawn back in for one more assignment by the very man who’d betrayed her.

  Brandt Fowler is the son of a construction magnate. When his life is threatened to get at his old man, he’s given bodyguards. Ditching them all he finds himself with a woman named Raven. She’s not like the others, he can’t lose her no matter how hard he tries. When he realizes the threats are real, it’s almost too late. Raven protects him then leaves, vanishing from his life.

  A chance meeting in the Caribbean reunites them and he struggles to understand this woman who’d captured his heart. He has no wish to let her go, but realizes she has to accept she’s allowed to be loved, no matter what she’s done in the past. Will she or is her future destined to keep her alone?

  Too Dangerous to Love

  Quad Series, Book Two

  by

  Aliyah Burke

  MF, ROMANCE, EROTIC ROMANCE, CONTEMPORARY, AND INTERRACIAL

  Twisted E Publishing, LLC

  www.twistedepublishing.com

  A TWISTED E PUBLISHING BOOK

  Too Dangerous to Love

  Quad Series, Book Two

  Copyright © 2017 by Aliyah Burke

  Edited by Kat Lively

  First E-book Publication: August 2017

  Cover design by MMJ Designs

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2017, Twisted Erotica Publishing, LLC.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  All characters participating in sexual situations are above the age of 18.

  Sign-up for the Twisted E-Publishing Interracial Romance Newsletter for up to date news about new releases and specials from Aliyah and our other IR authors HERE

  Four women, strangers to one another.

  Each unique and special in her own way.

  A mistake one night unites them and a sisterhood is born.

  Their stories are as different as the card suits.

  A club.

  A diamond.

  A spade.

  And a heart.

  They are tied together by that unbreakable bond of friendship.

  Table of 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

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Other TEP Books by Aliyah

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  The Alaskan Wilderness

  The distant yet distinctive whirr of blades sliced the crisp air, interrupting the peaceful sounds of nature surrounding the spectacular log home. There, in the middle of nowhere, sat a two-story, octagonal-shaped log home. A full porch ran the circumference of the home and had pieces of cedar furniture strategically placed on it. Tables, chairs and more. All of it handmade and beautifully crafted.

  The home sat smack in the middle of this wild, untamed beauty known as Alaska. Not a house, but a home where the owner found her peace. A solitary woman sat in complete tranquility on one of the hand-carved porch swings. She looked up and away from her book only briefly as some indescribable emotion flashed across her face, coinciding with the moment her two canine companions raised their heads to the sky.

  The new noise was not difficult for her to identify. Not in the least. She knew it was a UH-60 Black Hawk chopper used by the Army mostly, but not in this case. It was a personal one. If she wanted to think on it she could pretty much hazard a guess on the pilots sitting at the controls.

  Two pairs of intelligent eyes, almond-shaped and dark in color, stared up into the cloudless blue sky as the solid black helicopter came into view. Once it landed in the clearing near the cabin the two dogs rose and placed themselves on either side of her.

  She sat motionless on her swing as she continued to read her book, ignoring the fact that a large aircraft just landed in her front yard, flattening the lush green grasses with the force of air from its revolving chopper blades.

  Three men jumped out of the chopper, heads low to avoid the rotor wash as they ran towards the large, odd-shaped house. They stopped at the bottom of the porch steps, for both dogs had begun to growl low in their throats. The noise they made was barely discernible over the chopper but the three standing there heard it just fine. Loud and clear, their message was received and understood. Come no further.

  The three were dressed completely in black, both shirts and BDU’s with nine millimeters strapped on them as well. Not a single hint of emotion showed on their faces as they looked up at the woman on the porch, who still ignored them and kept reading her book.

  The woman wasn’t exactly what one would expect to be out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mountains and crystal-clear lakes. Her skin—rich nut brown, clear with health—and her black as pitch hair shone in the rays of sunlight that managed to find her under the porch’s roof. In the wilds of Alaska people didn’t find many African-Americans, but here one sat. She paid no heed to the three men at the bottom of her steps.

  The man in the middle, with silver oak leaves on his shoulders, cleared his throat and spoke in a deep, rough voice. “Serenity. We need your help.”

  No response from the woman except maybe to sigh and turn the page of her book. And that sigh was unlikely. He tried again. “Serenity. Can we at least come up and talk to you?”

  Brown eyes so severe they appeared almost black flicked up to glance up the men, showing no emotion one way or another, then silently dismissed them and went back to her book. She finished reading her page and put in a picture as a bookmark.

  In an unhurried motion, she placed the book on the seat next to her before swinging her denim clad legs to the floor and gaining her feet. Slowly, as if she had not a care in the world, she descended and the dogs fell into step with her. One on each side. Their hackles weren’t raised and they were silent, but none of the men relaxed for they weren’t fooled.

  The dogs were impressive to view, as was the woman who walked between them. Although relatively easy to tell that one dog was female and the other male, it was even easier to know that both were devoted to their mistress and would protect her at all costs. They were waiting for the slightest signal from her, or if they determined on their own that she was in danger, and they would go into immediate attack mode.

  None of the men wished to tangle with the dogs, or the woman. They had seen the dogs in action and knew what damage and destruction they could inflict. What they had witnessed had been in a planned scenario and for training purposes only, but it was enough. The dogs had gained their respect then, and the woman herself was a known force to be reckoned with. All the men knew of her feats. And of her sacrifices. She was somewhat of a l
egend in their circles.

  The dogs were beautiful. Their bodies were covered in semi-plush coats. The female appeared onyx black and a deep brick red while the male was solid obsidian. Ears stood upright and eyes assessed. The men knew the dogs’ teeth were sharp, with jaws that could clamp down in excess of three hundred pounds of pressure to easily break the ulna or radius.

  She stopped two steps from the bottom, which put her higher up from the three men, and waited. Still not a single word passed her full lips and those sienna eyes remained expressionless. With a minuscule gesture she sent the dogs, one at a time, back up the stairs to sit at the top of the porch.

  The man wearing the silver spoke again. “Will you hear us out, Serenity?”

  Her eyes flickered over to the other two men, meeting each gaze before silently dismissing them and moving on. Finally, she fixed back on the man in the middle. A short abrupt nod and she turned and walked back up the steps to where the dogs waited.

  As she sat back down on the swing, crossing her legs, the men walked up the steps slowly. They all stayed by the railing and in front of her as the dogs lay down beside the swing and closed their eyes. Again, the men weren’t fooled by this action for they knew the dogs were alert.

  “Like I said before, we need your help. Will you come with us?” The man watched her face, searching for some kind of emotion, and found none. It was like staring into the eyes of the dead. Just blank. Eyes that had been so full of life had nothing in them now.

  “Please, Serenity. I know I have no right to ask you to do this. I understand that. But we need you. . . I need your help.”

  “You’ve got that much right. You have no right to ask me for any favors. None.” Her graveled voice reached all three of the men.

  “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”

  “What is important to you may not be important to me.” There was no vestige of sympathy in her emotionless voice. “How did you find me?”

  One of the other men spoke up. He had a blond crew cut and dark blue eyes that held people’s attention. “That is not the issue. We need your help...” He broke off as those eyes found his. Her brown gaze remained on the blond man as she asked her next question.

  “I asked you a question, Commander. How did you find me?” Serenity didn’t even acknowledge the man she had silenced with a flat look.

  “I have always known where you went, Serenity. Always.”

  “For what purpose?” She swiveled her eyes back to his.

  “I had my reasons. Will you help?”

  * * * *

  “What’s the problem?”

  With a huge sigh of relief, the commander turned and sat down on a chair. “We need a bodyguard.”

  “Why come to me?” Serenity responded, truly curious as to why Dylan Morgan would seek her out.

  “You’re the best.” The statement was not said to stroke an ego, or persuade a decision. It was just a fact. She had been the best.

  “I am sure you have plenty of people who can do the job just as well. Besides, I don’t do that anymore. You saw to that.” Serenity’s gaze maintained a hold on his as she spoke in her monotone voice.

  A blush ran over Dylan’s face and she knew the men who had come with him were shocked. She was aware there had been the usual scuttlebutt on why Serenity had left and that it was Dylan’s decision.

  “I was wrong.”

  “Really? That’s a bit too late in coming.” She rose, picked up her book and walked to her door. “I’m no longer in that line of work. I can’t help you.” She opened the beautifully carved door and entered with her dogs, closing it behind her and effectively shutting out the three men. Dismissing them.

  After the helicopter disappeared from sight, Serenity went back outside with her dogs. Her body shook and trembled with emotions that she’d believed to be gone. Long gone.

  She was no longer a Marine, no longer a bodyguard. No longer did she become Raven Dare or suffer the heartache that came with it. She was just a woman searching for peace in her life.

  Her hand found its way to her throat and skimmed along the faded scar.

  After almost losing her life to protect a spoiled brat of a woman, Serenity had been fired from her work and her name had been so smeared that she would have been hard-pressed to find another client that wasn’t a mobster or something worse. Lucky for her she hadn’t needed any more money, and now she had her home away from people, to live her quiet life.

  Her home was a longtime dream and she enjoyed living here. A smile crossed her face as she overlooked the Alaskan wilderness that surrounded her. This place grounded her. She found peace and happiness here. The clear air and beautiful scenery completed the lost half of her soul.

  She headed down the steps and out to the large front yard. She played ball with her dogs, showing them the emotion that had been missing from her body when the others had been there, until the sun began to set.

  Her phone rang when she sat for dinner. All she did was pull the plug on it, for there was no question of who it would be. He would be back, there was no doubt about that either.

  * * * *

  Commander Dylan Morgan swore the whole flight back. He should have known better than to drop in unannounced like that. Of course she would still be upset with him.

  Why shouldn’t she be? He had almost gotten her killed when his wife—well, ex-wife—had blamed her bodyguard for stealing from and leading an assault on her. The fool he was had taken his ex-wife’s side.

  He wouldn’t even give Serenity—or rather Raven, as she was known on assignment—a chance to explain her side. As far as he had been concerned she was just angry and hadn’t liked his wife—she’d not even wanted to protect her—and had only done so because he had ordered her to. So, he had smeared her name in a fit of rage and defense for his wife, causing Raven to quit the agency. She came back one day to get the last of her things, and that had been the worst day of his life. And the luckiest, since Serenity/Raven was there to protect him.

  His wife’s new lover, the one that Dylan had tried to protect her from, had come back for her, resulting in a confrontation during which Serenity’s throat had gotten slit when she’d protected Dylan as he lay unconscious and helpless on the floor. She’d protected him even after the way he had treated her. The last time he had seen her was when the ambulance had taken her away with gauze and bandages around her throat to try and stanch the bleeding.

  Until today. She looked well. That was a lie; she looked even more beautiful than he had remembered. Her voice was deeper, and it had a huskier ring to it. It was no wonder she didn’t trust him. Regardless, she was the only one that could help, though. Somehow, he had to get her help.

  He had to get through her shell. The life of this man depended on his success to get her to agree to protect him. She was the best. Serenity had the uncanny ability to fit into any situation and that skill was what he needed. There was no one else who would be able to memorize and analyze the circumstances better. None that he trusted more.

  Needless to say, the admiral hadn’t been very happy when Dylan had called to give the news of his failure to acquire her services. After more threats and forceful urgings, Dylan agreed to try again. So, he tried calling her house, which didn’t work either for she never answered. Knowing her, she probably unplugged the phone.

  The commander changed into civvies before renting a black Suburban. He climbed into it and began the long drive back to her house. Alone. He had to see her alone.

  Dylan pulled up into the semi-circular drive and turned off the vehicle. For a moment, he sat in the dark and looked at the large house, gathering himself before he proceeded onward. A single light glowed inside the log home, a warm inviting glow. He had a feeling, though, that it was an illusion, for he most assuredly wouldn’t be welcome.

  The Indiglo light on his watch showed almost one in the morning. He got out of the truck and quietly closed the door before heading to the stairs. The incredible lightshow from the a
urora borealis filled the night sky with greens, purples, pinks and blues, outlining the house in their gentle glow.

  He heard no noise from the house as he climbed the porch steps. He advanced to the glowing button on the side of the door. As his hand reached out to push it a low voice reached his ears.

  “Somehow, I knew you would be back, Dylan. You always were a tenacious son of a bitch. Come sit and say your piece.”

  He walked over to a cedar rocking chair and lowered his lean body into it. Accustomed to the darkness, his eyes picked out the shapes of her two sentries as they stayed beside her.

  “You will hear me out?”

  “What was so important for you to seek me out twice in one day, Commander Morgan?”

  “I need you to protect a man.”

  She scoffed. “A man. To what purpose?”

  “He is in danger. People have threatened him to get at his father. He is the only son of a building magnate.” Well, at least she showed a bit of emotion.

  “What is wrong with the rest of your men? Can’t one of them do it?”

  “He has already eluded four of my best men. He wants nothing to do with the bodyguards. Anything that his father wants for him he fights. You are my last chance. You are his last chance.” You are Laurie’s last chance.

  “How old is this man? Is he a boy?”

  “Older than you. He’s making this difficult for us and the admiral is on my case. Please, Serenity, this is one time where the best man for the job is a woman. Where the best one for the job is you. The only one for the job is you. I need your help. I need Raven Dare.