Thisisaworkoffiction Names,characters,businesses,places,eventsandincidentsareeithertheproductsoftheauthor’simaginationorusedinafictitiousmanner Any resemblancetoactualpersons,livingordead,oractualeventsispurelycoincidental
Motivated by a sense of justice and driven by her own personal tragedy, SamKnight creates KnightGuard Security an organizationcomposedofex-cops,retiredmilitaryheroes,andspecial-opsveterans,alldedicatedtosafeguardingothers. Usingtheskillstheylearned,andarmedwithcourageandresilienceinthefaceoflife’sgreatestchallenges,eachwillrisk italltohelpcourageouswomeninperilwhilediscoveringthetransformativepoweroflove. Recurringthemesofcourage,redemption,andsecondchancesareinterwoventhroughouteachbook.
The deeply detailed storyline is packed with intrigue, danger and romance. Reviewer P
This bookwas a nail-biter!Iloved the storyand Icould notputthe bookdown. Thecharactersarewonderfulandrealistic.ThisauthorisnewtomebutIwillbe readingmorefromher Reviewer
Sexyandexciting.
Loved this book. Best one of the three that I have read. Sexy, exciting and suspensefulfromstarttofinish. Reviewer
I'vereadall thebooksinthisseriesandIhonestlylovedeveryoneofthem!Lila Ferrari has the abilityto keep the reader enthralled bykeepingthe storymoving alongandmakingyouwanttokeepreadingandwantingtogettothenextpageas fastaspossible. Reviewer
Ifoundthistobeasuperbstorylinethatgrabsyourightfromthestartkeepingyou engrossedandonedgethroughoutthewholebook!Greatcharactersthatwillkeep your interest extremely well The chemistry, sweetness, and twists in plot kept thingsinteresting. Reviewer
PRAISE FOR EVIDENCEOFSECRETS
EvidenceofRevengeisthefifthbookintheKnightGuardSecurityseries Ireally enjoyed this book and reading more about Sam and Mark. Can they keep their relationshipgoingstrongorwilldangertearthemapart? Reviewer
This is a fast paced, full suspense and drama. Logan and Maddie are total opposites but their attraction is strong. Great plot and wonderful characters. Reviewer
As theyseektofindtheir place inthis new worldanduse skills acquiredinthe military,theywill honor anddefendthe mostvulnerableclientswhohavenoresourcestoprotectthemselves.
Thiswasareallygoodbook.Thecharacterswerelikeableanditwasniceto see the author extend the general “soldier has PTSD” trope Plot was great and this book was a good setup for future books without going overboard on back story. Reviewer
Chase is definitely an awesome character and reading about how the BrotherhoodAllianceisbeingbuilttohelpothersfromscratchisfun.Ilovedthis storyasmuchasthefirstaboutJoyChase'ssister.Greatseries! Reviewer
Astoryofresilience.Naomihasbeenthroughhellandsurvivedandislearningto thrive again after a traumatic experience The hits keep coming at her and she continues to push forward. Chase wants to stand by her and be her rock. An emotionaljourney. Reviewer
This was nice surprise, new author for me. The bookhas a lotgoingfor it. The charactersarewonderfulandrelatable Youwanttogohangoutwiththemforthe afternoon. The story line runs like a roller coaster. You really should read this book Youknowyouwantto Reviewer
This is a well writtenstorywhichhas loss, grief, suspense, danger, intrigue, healing,twists,andlove,whichleads toa thrillingandaddictive page turner. Reviewer
Protecting Isabelle by Lila Ferrari is a good, and enjoyable special forces operationalpha strongwomanopposites attractmilitaryromantic suspense read. The storyhas a greatentertainingworld buildingstoryline This storyis a well written read. The characters are great, were developed, and they have great chemistry Reviewer
Lastly,manythanks toChris Kridler fromSkyDiaryProductions for editingthedrafts,maintainingthestory’s focus,and designinganamazingcover.
I'mgratefultothosewhotookthetimetomybooks;itreallyhelpsnew authorsgetrecognition Ican'texpresshow much thatmeanstome.
Anyerrors,blunders,orinaccuraciesmadeareallmine
EVIDENCE OF TRUTH
COURAGE,REDEMPTION,SECOND CHANCES
KindergartenteacherAnneWalkerdreamsofafamilyofherown.She’sbeenonlotsofdates,butnoonehasmetherstringent criteria ofthe perfectman someone who is trustworthy, intelligent, protective, wants kids, loves cats, has a good sense of humor,andissexyashell.
When Anne foils a child abduction from the schoolyard, her life is threatened KnightGuard Security assigns Killian Caswelltoprotecther.
Killian’s sole reliable familywas the military. Haunted bymemories ofhis abusive father and long-sufferingmother, he can’timaginemakingacommitmenttoanyone until Annechallengeseverythinghebelievesabouthimself.Hedoesn’twant kids,hates cats,anddoesn’thave a sense ofhumor,buthe is protective,trustworthy,intelligentandeasyonthe eyes.Is that enoughforher?
As their connectiondeepens, a sinister figure emerges and threatens their relationship. CanKillianshield Anne fromthe threatbeforetheylosetheirchanceathappiness?
Evidence of Truth is a stand-alone book with a HEA, but it’s recommended you read the books in order to get maximum enjoyment
The painful memory of her boyfriend the father of her unborn child flipping her the bird, getting into his car, then drivingoutofherlifeplayedonrepeatinherheadlikeabadmovie Thepainofabandonmentpiercedherheart Helefther cryingintheparkinglot.
Although they’d dated for a year, they never discussed a future together. Anne always assumed marriage was a given. Instead,Jasoncheatedandlied,andnowthedouchebagleftherpregnant.
Inretrospect,therehadbeentoomanyredflags Jasondidn’thaveafull-timejoborhisownapartment.Hewasamama’sboy,livingoffhisparentsintheirbasement. Sheoverlookeditinitiallybecauseheclaimedtobesavingmoney for them Now sheknew whyshesplitthebill with himwhentheywentout. Ha!Whatacrock.Helied.Annesawthatnow. Whatdidtrustinghimtotellthetruthsayabouther?
Evenwithgrantsandherwork,shebarelymadeenoughtocoverhertuition,board,andbooks.Moneywouldbetight.With ababycoming,she’dhavetofindafull-timejob.Herpart-timeemploymentwiththelittleconveniencestoredownthestreet wouldn’tcoverherexpenses,letalonethehospitalbill,abiggerapartment,daycare,diapers,or or
Oh God.Anne’sstomachchurned,andshevomitedagain.Gettingpregnantbeforeshegraduatedwasnotpartofherlongterm plan Hell, it wasn’t even part of her short-term plan She dreamed of finishing her master’s degree and teaching kindergartenhereinFlorida.Shewasatalosswhethershecouldachieveit.
Annestaredatherdisheveledreflectioninthemirror.Herblondhairlookedstringyandunkempt.Thedarkcirclesunder her eyes made her look like a raccoon. Nothing could be done about that. She splashed her face withwater, gargled with mouthwash,andgotbackinbed,allthewhilecryingbig,uglycrocodiletears.
Maybe she was a sucker for a goodpickupline anda cute guy However,she wantedwhather mother andsister had A loyal man. Amanshe could trustand who told the truth. Someone who puther firstand could make her laugh. Was thattoo muchtoask?
Anne took a deep breath. Her life plan needed a major adjustment. She would have this baby. She would secure her teacher’scertificate,findajob,savealittlemoney,andeventuallymarrytherightguywholovedherandwantedchildren someoneshecouldtrust
The roomshe’d lovinglydecorated now looked garishand sad not unlike the wayshe felt. Aneerie silence replaced echoesoflaughter.Sheglancedatapictureofherparentsholdingherontheirsecondanniversary.Theirsmilesandlooksof lovetoldastory astoryofloveandtrust,oneshe’dneverhavenow
Anne reached outwithtremblinghands to grab the lastKleenex. She stared atthe emptybox emptylike her life and tosseditontheground Sheblewhernoseandwasrepulsedbythesoundsofwetsnot Flingingthedisgustingtissueintothe wastebasketalongwiththethousandothertissues,shewipedthetearsawayandlookedatherwatch.
Great Nowshe’dbelateforclass nomoretimetofeelsorryforherself
Anne groaned as she dragged herself up for another trip to the bathroom, this time to shower, brush her teeth, and get dressed. She pulled onher favorite blackleggings and a blue-striped top. The outfitalways made her thinkcheerythoughts. However,theoutfitwouldn’tfitherinanothercoupleofmonths Anneaddednewclothestohergrowinglistoffutureneeds Shepiledherhairintoamessybunandaddedatouchofmascaraandlipgloss,thenfingeredtheantiquerubynecklaceher mothergaveherwhenshegraduatedcollege
nowisnottheendoftheworld.We’llgetthroughthis.Yourmomisstrong.” Mom? Anneclosedher eyesandhuggedher chest.Her heartraced. Oh God! She was going to be a mother Sherocked backandforthonherheels,thengaveherselfamentalslap Suck it up, buttercup Thiswasnowherlife “Oh,” she huffed. She couldn’t forget she needed to have a conversation with her parents before too long. No sense surprisingtheminsevenmonthswithababyinherarms Gah Annewasnotlookingforwardtohavingthatconversation Classwasinahalfhour.
Although the way her luck was going, Anne figured next week could bring worse news. Despite the setback, she was determinedtomoveforward,prepareagoodlifeforherbaby,andhopefully,thenexttime,bewiseriforwhenshedatedagain andnottakeanycrapfromaman
CHAPTER TWO
KillianCaswell meltedintotheshadowsandstilledhisbreath.Other membersofhisSEALteamfannedoutaroundthe one-story wooden building where an American hostage was being held captive Sweat trickled down his back The muggynight air wrapped around himlike a wet blanket. But Killianwas thankful theyweren’t inthis small African nationintherainyseason.
Loweringhis night-visiongoggles, he scanned the darkness surroundingthem No lights were visible inthe surrounding houses,andnostreetlightslitthedirtroad,pollutingthescene.Starstwinkledintheinkynightsky.
Theother four menintheir grouphadtakencover behindthewoodenstructure,nestledamidstacluster ofseveral small housesinthemiddleofavillageinthemiddleofbumfucknowhere
Occasionally, a dog’s barkpierced the stillness. Otherwise, the nightwas quiet almosttoo quiet. There were no night creatureshowlingorhissing.Nobatsorowlsflewoverhead,andnoonewasstirring,almostasifthevillagewereholdingits breath waiting
He heard the staccato pop, pop, pop of gunfire as Doc, Stinger, Chef and Blade cleared the rear. Intel suggested ten insurgentshidinginthefour-bedroomstructure,butwhoknewhowmanythereactuallywere?
Bones veeredlefttothe backbedroom.Thatleftthe small bedroomonthe rightfor Killiantoinvestigate.He cautiously pushedopenthe door The window was coveredover,darkeningthe room,whichsmelledlike pee andfear Inthe dimness, Killiansawtheoutlineofapersononacotlyingontheirback.
Agray-hairedwomanseatedatthereceptiondeskinthemiddleofthebrickbuildinggreetedKillianwithabroadsmileas hewalkedintotheofficesofKnightGuardSecurityinBlackPointe,Florida.HetoldMarcia,whosenamewasontheplacard, hewastheretoseeSamKnight Shepointedhimtowardsthefrontofthebuilding,tellinghimSamexpectedhim Killianinhaled, exhaled, and repeated. He was bothnervous and excited to be workingfor KnightGuard Security. After leavingtheservicesixmonthsago,he’dbeensearchingforhisplaceintheworld
Markhad mentioned Joe worked here. He glanced athis old friend. For a stoic man, Joe looked content, almosthappy. AlthoughhisdarkbrownhairwaslongerthanKillianremembered,heremainedasbuffasever.
“Well, you’ve come to the rightplace.” Joe glanced around the office and thenatKillian. “Samoffers a combinationof paidandunpaidsecurityjobs.Plus,wedoprobonoworkatashelterforabusedwomen.KnightGuardalsooffersself-defense lessonstowomenandkidsattheshelter.”
Itamazedhimthatthepetitewomanoversawsomanyalphamen.Hewonderedwhatkepteveryoneworkingthereandhow shemaintainedcontrol Butthenagain,allhe’dheardweregoodthingsabouther He knew fromChase “Mad Dog” Maddox, who ranthe Brotherhood Alliance inHaywood Lake, Samtookno prisoners andwasloyal toher friendsandco-workers Notunlikebeingintheservicewheresomeonehadyour sixanddemandedthe securityforce be professional. He also heard rumors she was adeptatkrav maga and who knew whatelse, plus she wasn’t afraidtopullthetriggerifarescuewarrantedit
The nexthour wentbyquickly, and Killianwas evenmore impressed withKnightGuard Security’s workand how much timeandmoneywasgivenbacktothecommunity.AlthoughSamdidn’tcomerightoutandsayit,itsoundedliketheemployees werefriendsandconsideredeachotherfamily.
Samaskedifhehadquestions,whichhedidn’t.
“Haveyoufoundaplacetolive?”
Henodded
He’dfoundanicetwo-bedroomcondounitonthefourthfloorofanewlybuiltbuildingclosetotheRiverwalk.Itwasthe first place he’d ever bought, and the good news was he didn’t need a roommate The salaries were quite generous at KnightGuard.Samclaimedshegotthebestandwantedtokeepitthatway.
KillianandBenspentanhourtalkingtotheotheremployees.HefollowedBentothebackofthehugewarehousetotour thetrainingroom,whichimpressedthehelloutofhim Hesawasmallringatoneend,withtwomensparring Everymachine someone could wish for or use was spread around. At one end of the room were lockers, showers, and a big kitchen. KnightGuardSecuritywasanimpressiveoperation
Killianthoughtaboutthat.“Soyou’resayingworkingatKnightGuardSecurityissomethingliketheloveboat?” Benshookhis head and chuckled. “No, it’s nota free-for-all. I’mjustsayinga few ofus here metour significantother whileguardingthem.”
“Didyou?”Killianasked “Yeah.Mywife,Marlee,witnessedherCEOmurderherbossandwasontherunwhenImether.It’safunnystoryImight share sometime” Ben smiled and paused “As for Joe, and I’m not talking out of turn here, he married his high school sweetheartClaire,andtheyjusthadababy.Theylosttouchwitheachother until Claireranawayfromanabusivesituation. Unknowingly,Joewasassignedtoguardher.Andthatiswhattheycallserendipity,myfriend.” Holyshit!
He’d knownJoe for a while, and Joe never mentioned a highschool sweetheartor anysweetheart. Now thathe thought aboutit,Joeappearedhappy Marriageseemedtoagreewithhim Killiantookadeepbreath.
Thefirstbellrang,andAnne’sheartswelledassheheardthehigh-pitchedvoicesoflittlepeopleechoingdownthehall.It was Friday,the startofanother school dayandthe lastdaybefore the weekend Teachingkindergartenwas everything she hoped itwould be, especiallythe pleasure ofencouraginglittle minds to explore the world theylived in, and she enjoyedtheirsuccesses.
Shetookonelastlookatthecheerfulclassroom
The large roomwas thoughtfullydivided into sections. There was one wall ofwindows lettinglots ofnatural light. The other walls were painted brightprimarycolors ofred, yellow, and blue Alongone wall were shelves for toys, and below werecubbiesforstorage.
In one section of the room, a large round blue rug decorated with colorful animals was placed in front of bookcases surrounded by beanbag chairs for the kiddos to relax and read. Afew small, multicolored tables and chairs were placed around the room. Daily lessons were listed on the whiteboard. Anne smiled. The roomwas comfortable and designed for learning
However,she definitelyhadSam’s personality actfirst,talklater,andtake noprisoners.Notonlythat,butshe hadthe same red hair as Sam, so she looked like a mini-Sam Anne remembered Samtellingher thatred hair raninMark’s family, althoughhisimmediatefamilyhaddarkhair.
AlexhadbeeninAnne’skindergartenclasslastyear
Shewasadelight.Unfortunately,Alexspentalotoftimeintheprincipal’sofficeforhittingbullieswhowereharassingher friends. Samand Markwere teachingAlexthat standingup for what was right was commendable, but violence wasn’t the answer Itwasworking kindof Oh,crap.
Grace had told her stories ofSam’s childhood How she spentmanya lunchhour inthe principal’s office for protecting otherkidswhowerebeingpickedon.Samwasstillprotectingthevulnerable.
She staredatone wall where she hungthe students’artfroma previous project.Itwas filledwithself-portraits the kids drew.Theywereahoot.Noneresembledthekids,buttheportraitsweresocreativeandfun.Thatwasanotherreasonshewent intoteaching tobolsterself-confidenceinkids.
The curriculum for today was identifying colors, practicing printing their names, and starting seedlings for a science project Allthatwasjustbeforelunch Theafternoonwouldconsistofreadingfromanewbook,thekidsmakingmasksoftheir favoriteanimal,somesimplemath,andplayingagameiftimeallows.Teachingwaseverythingsheimaginedittobe,andAnne wasgratefulshedidn’tletherself-doubtyearsagodestroyhervision
Theotherboywouldcomeinsoonwithhisfostermother Annewasalwaysconcernedwhenfosterkidscamein Usually, the foster parents provided for them, butsometimes theydidn’t, so she always keptextra supplies inher deskas well as a backpackandsnacks,ifneeded Shefirmlybelievednochildshouldeverbeembarrassedbyhavinglessthantheothers
Annewasconcernedaboutthehusbandcausingproblems,butsecuritycouldhandleit.Asfor thefoster child,theycame withtheir ownsetofproblems, whichshe tried to handle discreetly. Butshe was always concerned thatparts oftheir past wouldinterferewiththekids’learning
Justa shorttime ago, a foster parenthad to deal withthe biological mom, who lostthe rightto have her child athome becauseshewasabusingdrugs
Whenthepolicearrived,thetwomomswerescreaming,thechildwascrying,andAnnefeltterribleforalltheparties She wouldhavetokeephereyesopenforthreats.Oneneverknewwhenorwheretheywouldcome.
She couldn’timagine never seeingher childagain.Ithadtobe extremelypainful.ButAnne believedifyoudiddrugs or screwedupyourlife,youshouldn’tberesponsibleforkidsuntilyoucleanedupyouract
After instructingthe boyto find a cubby, the principal asked Anne ifshe had questions She didn’t The mother left, and Annewalkedovertotheboytoensurehewassettled.
Another manto talkto, to getto know. Another manto discover iftheyhad commoninterests and whether theyclicked. Moreimportantly,Annewaslookingforamanwhowastruthfulandoneshecouldtrust.Someonewhowouldhaveherback.
