Gold Team Series by Riley Edwards, Operation Alpha

Tatiana Jones is no stranger to the battlefield. One look at her scarred flesh tells the tales of her time in captivity. But it’s not only her skin the bears the marks her failures, doubt and a healthy dose cynicism now clouds her vision. She has also mastered the fine art of deception. In her line of work it is a necessity. 
 Former Navy SEAL Brooks Miller is living the good life working as a mercenary... moreTatiana Jones is no stranger to the battlefield. One look at her scarred flesh tells the tales of her time in captivity. But it’s not only her skin the bears the marks her failures, doubt and a healthy dose cynicism now clouds her vision. She has also mastered the fine art of deception. In her line of work it is a necessity. 
 Former Navy SEAL Brooks Miller is living the good life working as a mercenary. Employed by the highly sought-after Z Corps, a private, special-ops company, there are no shortage of contracts sending him around the world. He lives wild and free with nothing tying him down—just the way he likes it. 
 When the Gold Team’s latest mission takes them to Bahrain, Brooks thinks it will be a quick in and out. That’s until he walks into a shitstorm and comes face to face with the woman who’s about to turn his world upside down. There was something working behind her intelligent eyes, and it looked a lot like pain. Not the physical kind, the emotional aftermath of heartache. And when she tries to hide behind snark and sass he decides on the spot he wants to know more.
 Tatiana doesn’t have time for games. She’s on the hunt for the man who left her life in ruins. Brooks has something else in mind, something more, something far more permanent than the no strings fun Tatiana is offering. He had her right where he wanted her until the hunters become the prey and their world explodes. It will take more than the Gold Team to bring down a Saudi Prince out for blood. Their only hope is the one and only, king of all things cyber, John “Tex” Keegan. Can Tex get search and rescue team to them in time, or will it be a recovery mission? 
*Brooks: Book 1 in the all new Gold Team series features Susan Stoker’s new Legacy SEALs. * less

There had been a time, I’d been happy—blissfully happy—then a single act of brutality tore Thaddeus Bench from my life. But not from my heart. I never thought I’d see him again. But I did. In a cantina in Mexico. And when he looked over at me with so much hatred in his stare, it pulverized what was left of my heart. Emerson Pierce was my own personal hell. The agony of her betrayal still as sharp as it was the day I’d come home and found her gone... moreThere had been a time, I’d been happy—blissfully happy—then a single act of brutality tore Thaddeus Bench from my life. But not from my heart. I never thought I’d see him again. But I did. In a cantina in Mexico. And when he looked over at me with so much hatred in his stare, it pulverized what was left of my heart. Emerson Pierce was my own personal hell. The agony of her betrayal still as sharp as it was the day I’d come home and found her gone. I’d spent years doing whatever I could not to think about her. To stop myself from wondering where she was and why she’d left me. Now my team needs answers from her to stop a criminal mastermind and I can’t trust a damn thing that comes out of her pretty mouth. Emerson’s no longer the sweet girl I fell for, she’s the girlfriend of a notorious drug runner and dog fighter. Or at least that’s what I thought until her lies unravel and the truth explodes. Nothing about Emerson was what it seemed. Nothing about our latest mission was easy. But one thing is for sure...I will save Emerson Pierce, even from herself. less

Anaya Baker knows pain—she got her first taste when she was orphaned and put into foster care. Then it was forever embedded into her soul when she was sold to a sex trafficking ring. Nearly two decades later the stench still clings to her. It coats her skin and burns her gut. Since being rescued, Anaya has dedicated her life to helping others, yet no amount of good she’s done has lessened her anguish... moreAnaya Baker knows pain—she got her first taste when she was orphaned and put into foster care. Then it was forever embedded into her soul when she was sold to a sex trafficking ring. Nearly two decades later the stench still clings to her. It coats her skin and burns her gut. Since being rescued, Anaya has dedicated her life to helping others, yet no amount of good she’s done has lessened her anguish. While on an assignment with the Peace Corps she learns of brothel posing as an orphanage and she cannot turn her back. Not even the civil unrest or the death of her friend will stop her. Anaya has one mission: save the young girls for the horrors she herself had suffered. Kyle Smith couldn’t say no. Not when the beautiful woman with haunted eyes asked him and his teammate to escort her to a remote island to save a bunch of children. Her plan was crazy. The island was overrun with rebels and the unrest was at an all-time high. There was no stopping the woman, she was resolute and Kyle was just as determined to keep her safe. His personal life was in turmoil, his team at war from with a high-power criminal syndicate. He had no business falling in love—but was helpless against her bravery and strength. He tumbled head first and now he had to let her go. But when the threat closes in and one of their lives hangs in the balance, Kyle has to make a choice. And the wrong one could mean death. less

What happens when a woman who’s done the unthinkable needs protection—can a man who’s lost his belief in humanity keep her safe? Max Brown doesn’t trust anyone but his team. The former SEAL learned early in life that people let you down—they lie, they steal, and they lie some more. Love is a word that is used to manipulate. Family is meaningless. Max is an island and he prefers it that way. A woman who needs a safe harbor—but is undeserving... moreWhat happens when a woman who’s done the unthinkable needs protection—can a man who’s lost his belief in humanity keep her safe? Max Brown doesn’t trust anyone but his team. The former SEAL learned early in life that people let you down—they lie, they steal, and they lie some more. Love is a word that is used to manipulate. Family is meaningless. Max is an island and he prefers it that way. A woman who needs a safe harbor—but is undeserving. Cyber genius, John “Tex” Keegan rescued Eva Dawson, a single mother who was forced to do something inconceivable to save her children. Tex somehow sees the good in her when no one else does. She is redeemable. Now, just when she’s getting her life back together someone wants her dead. Tex calls in the Gold Team to help—specifically Max Brown, the man with a past that mirrors that of Eva’s. A past that clouds the present. Tex has a plan—he always does. But neither the protector nor woman who’s been marked for death make it easy. Neither of them trust and both will fight to stay in control. If Tex can keep them both alive long enough, he knows the duo is the perfect pair—each of them will be what the other needs to heal the sins of the past. less

Declan Crenshaw went from orphan, to Special Forces soldier, to the CIA’s golden child. Life was perfect—almost. He shouldn’t have pushed his luck and simply enjoyed the bounty fate had given him—a beautiful wife, sweet baby girl, and more love than he ever dreamed he’d know. Until a threat he never saw coming obliterated his world. His wife and child murdered. His soul shattered, he was left hollow. With his morality stripped away, he became the perfect black ops mercenary—soulless... moreDeclan Crenshaw went from orphan, to Special Forces soldier, to the CIA’s golden child. Life was perfect—almost. He shouldn’t have pushed his luck and simply enjoyed the bounty fate had given him—a beautiful wife, sweet baby girl, and more love than he ever dreamed he’d know. Until a threat he never saw coming obliterated his world. His wife and child murdered. His soul shattered, he was left hollow. With his morality stripped away, he became the perfect black ops mercenary—soulless.Autumn Pierce had been normal, happy, average. Until she was kidnapped and sold into the world of sex trafficking. Even rescued, she was forever changed. Gone was the smiling teenager and in her place emerged a woman hellbent on revenge. Years later, Autumn remains a deadly mercenary in a never-ending game of chess. It’s kill or be killed—which isn’t an issue for a woman who’s already dead inside.With pasts that mirror each other’s, Declan and Autumn have more than defeating a common enemy on the line. Two broken souls with one last chance to be whole. less