Rook and Ronin

Rook Walsh appeared out of nowhere like a dark angel sent to steal my soul. And I could just tell that she was broken, and beaten, and scared. So I made her an offer of a lifetime. She needed a job and I needed a certain "type" of girl for a modeling contract worth millions of dollars called Tragic. I was warned to keep my hands to myself. I was warned not to get involved. I was warned not to ruin her. (The way I ruined the last one.) But I don’t take orders - I give them.

Rook Walsh appeared out of nowhere like a dark angel sent to steal my soul. And I could just tell that she was broken, and beaten, and scared. So I made her an offer of a lifetime. She needed a job, and I needed a certain "type" of girl for a modeling contract worth millions of dollars called Tragic. I was warned to keep my hands to myself. I was warned not to get involved. I was warned not to ruin her. (The way I ruined the last one.) But I don’t take orders - I give them.

I get it. Stripping naked and letting your boyfriend’s best friend paint your body in order to sell custom motorcycles isn’t the ideal way to start a brand-new relationship. Add in a TV reality show, another best friend who seems determined to make me notice him, and the little fact that in order to get paid I will have to strut my stuff in public wearing nothing but body paint. Yeah. There’s not a chance in hell that Ronin is going to be okay with all this.

I’m chasing a dream here. And I’m so close to having everything I ever wanted. But I can’t start over when I’m still on the run. Before I can become the girl I want to be, I’ll need to deal with the girl I left behind.

Ford Aston is not too picky about what he wants out of Christmas. He's not into this holiday - like at all. He doesn't do presents or family dinners or parties or church. He does pets. And he's got one lined up for Christmas Eve. In fact it's the highlight of his day. And if he can get through drop-in visits, nosy 12-year-olds, an inappropriate conversation with his best friend's girlfriend, dinner with a family that's not his, and a party at his mother's house - well, he might just get home in time to enjoy himself with a stranger and make it all okay.

I love Ron "the Bomb", and her safety is the only thing I care about. But life is a tricky bastard, and conning criminals for the better part of 10 years brings its own set of problems. Veronica "the Bombshell" Vaughn has put up with my crap for years. And where has it gotten her? A big fat nowhere. Veronica is done sitting at home, pining over a man she can’t have. She’s tired of being ignored, and she’s coming out swinging. Now there’s another man in town with his eye on her. He’s got secrets, too, and he’s more than willing to share.

Twenty-eight-year-old James Fenici has been an assassin since he was 16. He's amassed debts and favors from countless Company brothers and participated in hundreds of Company jobs. But there are not enough favors in the world to clear his debt and make him worthy of the only girl he's ever wanted. Eighteen-year-old Harper Tate is the girl who doesn't exist. Born and raised on a mega-yacht in a tropical paradise, she was destined to be a secret until now. Now she must choose between two Company men.

He's empty, inhuman, dishonest, and cruel. She's never wanted anyone more. Sydney has lived in fear for eight years after freelance assassin, Merc, failed to rescue her from a cult-like militia group. Left in the hands of a sadistic man, she did whatever it took to survive. But Merc's last words gave her hope. Hope he'd be back to finish the job. After Merc is betrayed by her father, Sydney becomes his target. He wields sex, drugs, lies, and love like weapons.

Sasha Cherlin died the night she let Nick Tate walk out on her for a life of crime. Her very essence was destroyed when they broke their promise to one another. Nick Tate made his choice with her future in mind. He loved Sasha enough to know that leaving her behind was the only way to keep her safe. Special Agent Jax Barlow understands the bond of love and he plans to use it to get justice. Nick and Sasha will do anything to rewrite their past. He's counting on that to bring them down.

Life in Rook and Ronin's world has been bliss for 15 years. Rook, Veronica, and Ashleigh are still BFFs raising their kids together. Ronin, Spencer, and Ford have managed to go legit and stay out of trouble. And they have a pack of kids running around the 8,000-square-foot Vail mansion they all share for the holidays - begging for gifts and fun and love. But every happily ever after has problems. Join the whole Rook and Ronin gang for a Team Christmas you will never forget.