The Guardian (A Wounded Warrior Novel) Read online

  Praise for Anna del Mar

  Night Owl Romance

  “Top Pick and Five Stars! ... The unexpected twists to this exciting story kept me enthralled until the last fascinating word ... The Asset is a wonderful start to the series and I can only hope that future stories continue to showcase such compelling characters in equally exciting and mesmerizing situations.”

  Midwest Book Review

  “The Asset by Anna del Mar is an emotionally compelling and sizzling romance, has two protagonists to die for, a well-thought out plot with carefully-timed, revealing twists, mounting tension, and thrills that will keep you turning pages ... del Mar is an exciting new name in the steamy romance genre and I look forward to read more from her. If you love romance, especially military romance, this is a must read.”

  Library Journal

  “Author del Mar does the wounded warrior romance just about right...The romance is nicely and slowly built, and Ash, though a warrior, is not an over-the-top alpha. A military romance that will appeal to fans of Lora Leigh and Linda Howard.”

  The Romance Review

  “I really REALLY loved THE ASSET, the first in the Wounded Warriors series… Ash was a freakin’ fantastic hero, one that women can both swoon over and be in awe of. Lia was also incredible, such a survivor and a strong, independent woman despite the terribly shitty life hand she’d been dealt…The intrigue and danger elements of this book were extremely well written and played out. Additionally, the story was fast paced without being overdone. And when everything came to a head, I felt like I was balancing on a tight wire of tension, it was excellent!”

  Book Briefs

  “Bottom line: Whether you are a character driven reader, or a plot driven reader- The Asset will appeal to you. This is a kick butt book with a strong romance, strong characters and action galore. Check it out.”

  The Suburban Eclectic Review

  “Complex characters, heart wrenching subject matter, quiet sensuality, and strength, The Asset will give you all the feels ... If you love romance, action, or thrillers than you need to read The Asset because it has it all and is told with gravity and graciousness. I cannot wait to read more from Anna del Mar and The Wounded Warrior series.”

  Blushing Reads

  “This was an emotional roller coaster ride for me like no other... While this is the first book in the series I am super excited about reading each book that follows. If they are all as suspenseful and exciting as this one then I will be one happy gal!”

  Splashes Into Books

  “WOW! What an amazing debut novel! A suspense filled, stunning novel which has well portrayed characters, a superb, enthralling plot and is a real page turner ... It is an action packed read that I have no hesitation in highly recommending, it is definitely one of my favourite reads for this year so far and, I suspect, will still be a favourite for the year.”

  Romance Authors That Rock

  “I give this book 5 hearts! ... If you’re anything like me you’ll fall in love with these two wonderful people as they find strength, trust, passion and love in each other.”

  Harlequin Junkie

  “The Asset by Anna del Mar will take our heroine on a dark, emotional rollercoaster in order to get her happily ever after…but she will get it! This is the debut novel for the Wounded Warrior series and I for one, can’t wait for the next book in the series. This author has captured my attention with her well-written words, strong characters, and vivid storyline.”

  Literary Addicts

  “I was glued to the pages from the very beginning and couldn't put it down...”

  Happy Ever After Book Reviews

  “With boatloads of chemistry and action, this romance is built on a solid plot, well-developed characters, and vivid descriptions.”

  Library Journal

  “Seth and Summer (The Stranger) each have their own baggage, but they are well matched, and their emotional journey works on all levels. Add in some danger and industrial espionage and you have a mix that will appeal to fans of Maya Banks and Lisa Marie Rice.”

  The Romance Review

  “I'm obsessed with the frozen, dangerous story that Ms. del Mar has crafted about fire and ice, and it was fantastic! ... I'm looking forward to the next offering in this very excellent series!”

  Blogcritics

  “Having read the first book, The Asset, all I can say is that The Stranger is another tour de force from del Mar. Once again, she delivers an addictive romantic suspense read with a compelling, emotionally charged plot and engaging, likable characters whom you will root for—not to mention an explosive, passionate love story filled with dangerous twists and turns. This was a fabulous fast-paced read, simply addictive. Sexy, with a touch of darkness, and humor to boot! If you haven’t discovered Anna del Mar’s books yet, you’re missing something.”

  Blushing Reads

  “As always Anna del Mar has created a world where the chemistry is enough to melt the Alaskan tundra!”

  Happy Ever After Romance Book Reviews

  “I was totally taken in by this one. Del Mar has a very vivid way of story-telling, with well-developed and often complex characters. The supporting characters always leave a mark, which is the perfect setup for the next in any series. There’s a lot of action, sex, surprises, and heart-tugging. True Del Mar style. There’s nothing cliché about her works, and it’s her unique writing style that keeps me coming back for more.”

  Carlene Inspired

  “I will pick up anything written by Anna del Mar and The Stranger is a perfect example of why ... I highly recommend it to all readers of romance and suspense, especially those that love a particular breed of strong characters.”

  For the Love of Fictional Worlds

  “This was the first book for me by this author and honestly, the moment I was done, I went ahead to buy all the books by her within the next five minutes!”

  The Indie Bookshelf

  “Ms del Mar has given us a great story with writing that flows around you like melted snow pack. There is intrigue, danger, quirky people, jealously, sexy times, secrets, and fierce loyalty. All covered in a layer of ice and snow and star filled nights.”

  The Guardian

  Anna Del Mar

  Contents

  Teaser

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Anna Del Mar

  Afterword

  The Guardian

  By Anna del Mar

  From the Amazon Bestseller author of The Asset and The Stranger comes Anna del Mar’s latest romantic suspense, The Guardian.

  Ex-SEAL turned game warden, Matthias Hawking is engaged in a fierce battle to end poaching in Africa, but when a beautiful journalist defies the poachers, he will do everything in his power to protec
t the woman who has captured his heart.

  Game Warden Matthias Hawking is a decorated ex-SEAL engaged in a grueling fight against ruthless poachers in Africa. He’s short on resources and long on enemies. There’s a price on his head. The last thing he needs is the unexpected arrival of a beautiful but stubborn journalist threatening to uncover his secrets, an alpha female challenging his alpha male and getting into trouble, a hurricane wearing boots.

  Jade Romo is a veteran of several different kinds of war. She’s survived her heroin-addicted mother, the foster care system, and the conflict in Afghanistan. Jade’s tough, confident, cynical, and self-reliant, a woman who doesn’t believe in forevers. But when she defies the poachers and lands at the top of the warlord’s kill list, she’s forced to rely on the skilled, attractive, but supremely infuriating game warden who has captivated her body’s undivided attention.

  Haunted by his past but driven by his courage, her mysterious guardian will do anything in his power to protect the woman who has captured his heart.

  This book is approximately 115,000 words

  Edited by Nancy Cassidy

  To the extraordinary people of Africa, who challenge the odds every day to build a better future for humanity.

  Dear Reader,

  I’m so excited to introduce you to Matthias Hawking and Jade Romo, the sexy, fiery pair that captivated my imagination during my travels to Africa. Perhaps it was unavoidable that a setting as dazzling and magnificent as the Serengeti would spawn an epic love story in my mind. Maybe I should’ve seen it coming even before I boarded the long flight across the ocean. But Matthias and Jade? They caught me completely by surprise!

  I went to Africa on a non-writing, no-laptop vacation, to check off a bucket list item that entailed world-class wildlife viewing. I also wanted to pursue a life-long yearning to connect with my Caribbean-forged African heritage. Silly me. Little did I know that Africa was about to grab me by the throat, shake awake my soul, and capture my heart for good.

  Yes, I loved the wildlife. Yes, I loved the land. The Serengeti is one of the most beautiful, last wild places on earth and we MUST support the effort to protect it. But it was the people I met in Africa that left the greater mark on my soul, the extraordinary folks who challenge the odds every day to build a better future for themselves and for humanity, the diverse communities that face complex, difficult, sometimes heart-breaking realities on the ground with skill, resilience, and wisdom. Their hopes and dreams inspired the story in these pages. Their courage drives the characters that you are about to meet.

  Looking back, there was never a chance that I’d experience such an intense, transformative journey and not share it with you, my reader, my life-long traveling companion. So thank you for choosing to read The Guardian and thank you especially for coming along on Matthias and Jade’s adventure.

  AdM

  1

  Jade

  Flying had never been my definition of fun and yet here I was, with my stomach stuck in my throat, traveling across Africa in a dilapidated, single-engine plane that rode a lot like a moped in the sky. According to our rakish South African pilot, the six-seater had rolled out of the factory in 1956, thirty long years before I’d been born, in a century far, far away. I could’ve done without the trivia tidbit. I was the sort that worried about metal fatigue. But I’d made it to Africa at last. Africa!

  Three other passengers crammed with me in the sputtering little plane, a gaggle of excited grad students of about my age with some impressive academic credentials. They were on their way to work as research assistants at the private wildlife conservation reserve that was also my destination. Loud, chatty, and excited, they looked alike. They were perky, enthusiastic, and all blonde to some degree, a quirky fluke that, in my current state of jetlag, struck me as a little funny.

  I was decent at identifying wildlife species, but terrible with names, so I made an effort to keep my traveling companions straight. Short-bob Sarah and curly-haired Lara sat in the seats directly behind mine. Like me, they were new to Tanzania. Poor pony-tailed Cara was jammed in the very back seat between loads of supplies. She’d been working at the reserve for the last year and was returning to the station after a break in Arusha.

  In the three hours since I’d met my traveling companions, I’d learned a lot. Talk about information overload. Sarah was a Rhodes Scholar, shrewd and observant, kind of like me. The big difference between us was that she was also charming, totally unlike me.

  Lara had confessed to being a card-carrying member of MENSA. Holy Cow. Talk about nuclear brain power. As to Cara, she hemmed and hawed about her gigantic student loans, but at the tender age of twenty-nine, she’d already published in several journals and staring at her bright future required heavy-duty shades. Sarah, Lara, and Cara. I giggled inside. What were the odds?

  From the moment the women hopped in the plane, they’d slammed me with a crushing wave of friendliness that defied the loner in me. Sarah kept telling me that I looked familiar, but she didn’t put two and two together, which was fine and dandy by me. Not even our pilot, Peter Drake, knew who I was. Incidentally, he was also blond, and the owner of an impressive set of surfer curls he wielded with panty-melting capabilities. I’d paid him double to fly me without asking questions and he’d been more than agreeable to bend to the will of the mighty dollar.

  Anonymity was my preferred MO. Even though my face was on the Nat Geo channel a couple times a month, my job was way easier when I flew under the radar. I liked working alone and I hated when the attention focused on me instead of my work. Honestly? I wasn’t exactly amiable—or particularly sociable for that matter, a tendency I’d cemented during the first shitty fourteen years of my life.

  But thanks to a belated set of kickass adoptive parents who’d checkmated me into manners, culture, and higher education, these days I passed as a semi-civilized creature. Now I just had to ignore my terror of flying, suppress the jetlagged witch I’d become somewhere over the tropic of Cancer, and do my best to fit in, even though, technically, I was the only brunette in the plane.

  “Fasten your seatbelts, ladies,” the pilot announced in his melodious accent—definitely sexy. “We’re beginning our descent.”

  The little plane punched down through the clouds and hit a patch of turbulence, courtesy of some wicked afternoon thermal currents. I clutched my backpack, dug my nails into the nylon, and tried very hard to keep my lunch down.

  “Look ahead,” our pilot shouted. “We are officially in the reserve’s air space. Over to the north, you can get a glimpse of the twin lakes that give the Pacha Ziwa Reserve its name.”

  I took in the glimmer of the long, finger-like lakes on the horizon, twin mirrors sparkling in the savanna’s endless expanse. The headache blooming behind my eyes lifted. My spirits soared. I’d been dreaming about the Serengeti since I was a little girl. Not even the jetlag could suppress the sheer joy that swelled in my chest.

  “We’re in luck.” The pilot shot his million-dollar grin in my direction. “Beneath us you’ll see your welcoming committee, a big ass giraffe of the Maasai variety, as indicated by its distinctive starred blotches.”

  I pressed my nose to the window and scanned the ground. Several other giraffes appeared around the first, long necks randomly popping out from between the trees. Keeping my eyes on the bush below, I unzipped my backpack and groped for my camera. Fighting for focus, I began to shoot.

  Sarah squealed. “There are like seven giraffes!”

  “No, look, there’s more!” Lara counted aloud. “Twenty-two to be precise.”

  Fan-freaking-tastic. A huge smile hijacked my lips. Click, click, click. This was why I’d come to Africa, to see these animals in their natural environments, to share my wonder with the world, and to help protect the last few places on earth where the wild still roamed.

  The landing strip was a grassy line carved onto a landscape of plains and brush. The pilot buzzed by the first time around, to clear the zebras from the runway.
Pretty surreal. Laughter bubbled up my throat. On the second try, we landed safely, despite a couple of rough bounces. The girls cheered. Okay, fine, I cheered too.

  When the plane finally stopped, I took a deep breath and combed my fingers through my hair in an effort to look presentable to the powers that be. It only took a sec. I’d gone hair-minimal for this trip, chopping off my long mane. Even then, my bangs fell right back over my brow, because that was the kind of hair I’d gotten in the hair lottery, bone-straight and dense.

  I hung the camera strap from my neck, opened the door, and unfolded from my seat. My knees cracked as I climbed down from the aircraft. I felt like hugging the poor old plane and thanking it for holding itself together long enough to get me to the reserve. But I refrained from the impulse. No need to flaunt my addled brain in public just yet.

  A pair of tan Land Rovers materialized from around the bend, rattling and sliding over a dirt track, pushing through the scattering herd of zebras as they drove our way. Not unlike the zebras, the girls took off, whipping out their cells and snapping selfies, with Cara leading the way and acting like the resident tour guide.