Silver Shield Security Box Set Read online

  SILVER SHIELD SECURITY

  D E E B RI D G N O R TH

  Copyright © 2018

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  BOOK ONE

  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

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  BOOK TWO

  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

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Epilogue

  BOOK THREE

  Prologue

  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

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  BOOK FOUR

  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

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  BOOK FIVE

  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

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  BOOK ONE

  Chapter One

  Sierra Newman was not one who liked disruption; deciding to become a journalist might have seemed like an odd choice, given her aversion to chaos, but it was that nagging need for everything to be in its place and for all loose ends to be neatly tied up that made her a really good journalist. Actually, she was a damn good journalist. And while she could handle the disruption when she was working, she did not like for it to spill over to her personal life. Somehow, she had always succeeded in keeping both lives separate—until now.

  She scanned through her emails as she took a sip from her smoothie cup. Her hands were nearly steady with just the faintest trembling, it was not even noticeable. At least she didn’t think it was noticeable. Still, she took her eyes off the screen for a moment to gaze sharply at the hand in question. She was just about to look away when she saw the slight tremor.

  Damn!

  This was not good. Sierra Newman did not get rattled. She was a ball-buster, at least she liked to think that she was.

  She sighed and turned her attention back to the screen. Absently, she took another sip from the smoothie. She made it just that morning and wanted to savor it. She paused, if she concentrated, she could taste the mangoes, fresh mint and three other fruits. She’s quit coffee cold turkey six months ago and she knew that she was never going back to the dark brew. She had nothing against coffee, but since she discovered smoothies, there was just no comparison.

  “Hey, Sie.”

  Sierra looked up from her computer to see her best friend, Alicia Taylor. Alicia was all the way in Human Resources, but she still made time to come by Sierra’s desk.

  “Hey Al, what’s up?”

  Alicia placed her beautifully manicured hand on her
waist and sighed dramatically. “I’ve had it with that woman,” she said.

  Sierra watched in fascination as Alicia’s hair, which fell in waves all the way to her shoulders seemed to vibrate as she spoke. They had known each other since junior high and had remained best friends since then. She knew that her best friend was filled with drama and was hoping that Alicia’s latest drama would take her mind off what was happening in her own life.

  “Ah, her royal highness is at it again, right?”

  Alicia worked in HR and the head of her department was a holy terror. She was the definition of the boss from hell and seemed to have it in for Alicia. Sierra was grateful that she did not have to deal with the woman.

  “She is driving me crazy! Do you know what she did just this morning…?”

  Just then the phone on Sierra’s desk rang. Sierra froze then slowly turned her eyes to the phone. Her heartbeat sped up and she took several deep breaths in an effort to control her breathing.

  “Aren’t you going to answer that?” Alicia asked.

  Sierra nodded. Then slowly reached for the phone.

  “Hello?”

  She could hear the heavy breathing on the other end of the line.

  “Hello? Look I’m going to drop the phone if you don’t speak up.”

  She was trying to sound tough, but she must not have succeeded very well because the other person on the line just laughed. The voice was hoarse and gravelly, and it sent chills up her spine. It was the same voice that had been haunting her throughout that week.

  “We’ve warned you to stop digging, yet you went to Keeper’s Reef.”

  “You don’t scare me. You need to stop calling me, okay?”

  “This is your last warning, cupcake. Quit digging. Enjoy your mango and mint smoothie, darling, and let’s hope it won’t be your last.”

  “Are you threatening me?” Sierra was angry now. She opened her mouth to tell the idiot what she thought about him but the tone told her that he had disconnected.

  She slowly dropped the phone back in its cradle, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She took another deep breath and let it out slowly again, closing her eyes in the process. This was becoming serious, but she was determined not to let them get to her. She must be getting close to something if they were hell bent on scaring her off this way.

  “How long has this been going on?”

  Sierra’s eyes popped open. For a moment there, she had completely forgotten that Alicia was standing right next to her. “What?”

  Alicia folded her arms. “I said, how long have you been getting these phone calls?”

  Sierra shrugged. “It’s nothing, Al.”

  “You are kidding me, right? Look at you, I’ve never seen you so scared…” she paused and tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. “Well, except that time you needed to get your tooth extracted; boy, were you terrified.” She had a smirk on her face before turning serious again. “Is someone threatening you?”

  Sierra sighed, “I don’t think it’s anything serious, although…”

  How had they known about her smoothie? She gazed at the offending cup lost in thought. She did not like the conclusions that were running through her mind. She looked around the newsroom, everyone seemed busy and no one was paying particular attention to them, but that didn’t mean anything. She knew the people she was up against, at least she had an idea of how ruthless they could be.

  “Sierra,” Alicia leaned close and lowered her voice to a whisper, “is this about your investigation of the senator?”

  Sierra nodded. “It’s just a mess. You’ve heard of the Vida Health Foundation?”

  “Aren’t they currently under investigation for some medical fraud scheme or something?”

  “Yeah, that’s them. The rumor on the streets is that they are tied to the Abrantes Dukes.”

  Alicia gasped. Sierra understood perfectly well the fear that crept into her friend’s eyes. She picked up a pen and clicked it a few times before neatly placing it back.

  The Abrantes Dukes. Who didn’t know about them? They were the equivalent of the Chicago mafia, a criminal organization that ruled the Chicago underworld. They had gambling outfits, illegal money lending, prostitution and so much more. But it wasn’t just their criminal activities that made them so deadly, it was the fact that they seemed to have cops and top government officials on their payroll. People who tangled with them ended up missing. And there were no consequences.

  “Sie, why are you messing around with them? I thought you were investigating a senator.”

  Sierra looked into the worried eyes of her friend. She knew that Alicia was not worrying without reason. The last witness in a case against Slim Johnny Natale, the leader of the Abrantes Dukes, had met an unfortunate accident. She did not plan to be an unfortunate accident, but this case was too important to her, for reasons she could not disclose.

  “I know, but they are linked to the senator. I just need to figure out what that link is.”

  The look of horror that spread across Alicia’s face would have been comical if it weren’t so serious. She moved closer to Sierra and said through clenched teeth, “You need to drop this, Sierra.”

  “You know I can’t, Al. This could be my chance to be on the front pages. Besides, don’t you think the people deserve to know what is going on?”

  Alicia shook her head vigorously. “I don’t care about the people, honey. I care about my best friend. I want you alive and breathing and running with me on topless beaches when we turn forty.”

  “Don’t be dramatic, Al. I’ll be okay.”

  Alicia just stared at her for several moments then sighed. “I’ll be right back.”

  Sierra watched her walk away and sighed. She went back to her emails. She was expecting a message from a lead she’d been following. She needed to get hard evidence about the senator’s connections to the organization and she was getting close. So close.

  “Here.” Alicia was back again. She shoved a card into Sierra’s hands.

  Sierra turned the card over. “Silver Shield Security,” she read, running her thumb over the engraved shield.

  “Dad told me about them. Apparently, it is a security outfit run by one of his ex-military folks. I looked them up and they’re really good.”

  “You want me to get a bodyguard?” Sierra was aghast.

  “If you insist on going on with this investigation then you’re going to need one.”

  “Have someone following me all day?” The thought creeped her out.

  “Promise me you won’t wait till it’s too late before calling them.”

  “Alicia, c’mon!”

  “Just promise!”

  They gazed at each other without saying a word. Finally, Sierra gave in with a sigh. What the hell?

  “Oh, alright.”

  “Thank you.” She turned to leave then paused, “Are we still on for tonight?”

  “Damn straight.”

  After Alicia left, Sierra tried to focus on her work, but her mind was all over the place. This was the fourth phone call and the first real direct threat. The ones before had come like not-so-friendly warnings, but this…this was the real deal.

  She reached for her smoothie, but drew back her hand. Suddenly, she did not feel much like drinking it anymore. How on earth had the caller known exactly what she was drinking?

  A shiver of apprehension shot through Sierra’s spine, but she shook it off. This was hardcore, but so what? She was an investigative journalist and hardcore was what she did. No one was going to scare her off this case. There was just too much at stake.

  Chapter Two

  Stepping into the crowded nightclub, Sierra searched out her friends. It was the last Friday of the month and keeping with tradition, she was meeting up with her crew to dance the night away. There were so many people, it seemed like half of Chicago had come out to party. She could not find her friends anywhere, so she headed for the bar.

  The music was loud and she could feel
the beats slowly slipping into her bones. She moved her head in time to the music as she pushed her way through the sea of bodies, stopping once in a while to say hi to a few people.

  The club was called Bespoke, and was one of the hottest night spots in Chicago. Even though she normally didn’t like going to clubs, Sierra had fallen in love with Bespoke the first time she discovered it a couple of years back. It was hip, trendy and so full of soul that in here, with the loud music, sweaty bodies and utterly delicious ribs, she could forget all the thoughts that weighed on her and bask in some mindless anonymity.

  “Hey Martin, hit me with a Manhattan.” She said sliding into one of the bar stools. The bar stools were part of the reason she loved the club. They were shaped like an eight and the black and white colors reminded her of the Ying-Yang symbol.

  “One Manhattan coming up,” the bartender said with a wink.

  Sierra eyed him with a small smile. It had been ages since she’d seen any kind of action and Martin had been coming on to her for a while. Maybe she could consider a wild romp with him. She studied the black tee clinging to his biceps, his thick dark hair and really fit body. He did look like the wild romp kind of guy. Then again, she did not have the time for an affair, not even a one-night stand.

  “You need to stop ogling Martin like that,” Alicia said, slipping into the seat beside Sierra. “Stop ogling and ask him out.”

  Sierra shrugged, “I don’t have the time, girl. Where are the others?”

  Alicia gestured towards another part of the club. “I came to get the drinks.”

  She placed her order and when the drinks came, Sierra picked hers up as well as another and followed Alicia.

  She had taken a few steps when someone bumped into her, spilling her drinks. Suddenly, two large hands held on to her arms to steady her. Ready to give the klutz a piece of her mind, Sierra looked up, met a pair of the bluest eyes she’d ever seen and everything inside her went still. She forgot what she was about to say as she gazed into his eyes, totally lost. Something in him pulled her in, tempting her go drown in their depths.

  “Are you okay?”

  A shiver of awareness went through her. The voice was as gorgeous as the eyes, deep, husky and smooth, like how she imagined hundred-year-old whiskey would sound if it had a voice. It was also a gentle voice, which she found surprising considering his size. Sierra was not lacking in height, but even in her heels, he towered over her and he was built.

  “Hey, you sure you’re okay?”