Want A Bonus Scene From Defend Me? Make sure you sign up for The List at the end of this book, and we’ll send it to you. Not only will you get your scene, but also access to our no-spam newsletter including exclusive news and updates, sneak peaks at the latest book, and giveaways just for The List. Defend Me Grahame Claire Defend Me (Free, Book Three) Grahame Claire Copyright © 2020 Grahame Claire All rights reserved. No part of this book can be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the author. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Editing And Proofreading: Marion Archer, Marion Making Manuscripts Karen Lawson and Janet Hitchcock, The Proof is in the Reading Cover Design: Hang Le, By Hang Le Ebook ISBN: 978-1-951878-04-7 For those who the pain is too much. Contents Prologue 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 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Epilogue Enjoy this book? Bonus Scene Book Stuff Acknowledgments Also by Grahame Claire About the Author Prologue Marlow The balloons slipped from my fingers at the sound of a fist on the door. He was home. And apparently following his crazy wife’s instructions to knock when he arrived. I batted the strings out of the way, ducked beneath the Welcome Home banner, and flew to the foyer. “I can’t believe you did what I asked,” I said, breathless as I threw open the door. My face fell. A uniformed officer stood on the porch, a folded flag in hand. “No.” I clutched my stomach. “No. No, no, no, no, no.” My knees hit the hardwood floor. The world became blurry. “Jack,” I screamed until his name was nothing more than a hoarse whisper. “The Secretary of the Army regrets to inform you—” “Shut up.” I beat my fists on his thighs. “Shut up.” “I’m sorry, ma’am.” I wilted, dropping my forehead to the floor. “Jack. Why did you have to be a hero?” Chapter One Marlow I wheeled the stroller to a stop. “You ready for this, little man?” I touched my son’s chubby cheek, his answer a toothy grin. “No pressure, but this will probably come down to you.” Drool hit my thumb. “Guess that means you’re up for the challenge.” I wiped my hand on my sweater, gripped the handle of the stroller with one hand, and opened the old metal door with the other. A loud creak announce my arrival. I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the dim light inside. Somewhere in the distance the sound of a drill pierced my ears, followed by the bang of a hammer. This place was a mess. And much bigger than I’d anticipated. The stroller left tracks as I pushed it across the dusty concrete. Two faces stared at me from behind the worn reception desk. “How!” My son punched his tiny fist in the air, already doing his part to charm them. “How, buddy.” My chest squeezed as my brother’s expression softened. You’ve got this, Marlow. I gathered my courage and straightened my spine. “I was wrong.” That was a lot harder to say than I thought it would be. “Yeah, you were,” he said. That was fair. Not the warm forgiveness I’d been hoping for. Then again, I didn’t deserve it. “I didn’t mean—” I looked away, all the words I needed to say jumbled in my head. Finally, I figured some out. “I love you.” He crossed his arms. Definitely not the response I’d been looking for. “I love you too.” The phrase was spoken tightly, framed by his hurt. Hurt that I’d caused. “I just needed—” I closed my eyes. I was screwing this up royally. “Never mind.” I forced myself to look at him, so he could see I was telling the truth. “I’m not speaking to her anymore.” His face was like a stone. “Only time will prove that.” “I swear I didn’t tell her about the wedding,” I said, almost pleading. “I know I’m the reason for our problems.” Even now, I was so incredibly angry at myself for choosing to believe our mother’s lies. How she pretended to love me, want me, yet was screwing up everyone else’s lives. And eventually my own too. My brother appeared stunned. I rarely apologized. “I said my fair share of awful things too.” We looked at one another for a long time and came to a silent truce, just like we’d done as kids. It gave me the courage to do what I’d come here to do. “Heard you were in the market for a receptionist.” She glanced down at Blake. “How about two for the price of one?” Holt blinked at me. Baker’s lips parted. He looked at his girlfriend, and she lifted her shoulder in a helpless shrug. I clamped my mouth shut. I tossed him the ball, now it was up to him. “You want to work here? For me?” He spoke as if it were the first time, each word a test. I brushed imaginary lint off the canopy of the stroller. “You’re starting a new business. You need cheap labor, right?” “You already have a job. Why would you give up steady income when you have Blake—” “I got fired,” I barked as shame filled me. He stared at me in horror. I couldn’t even look at Baker’s reaction. I’d worked hard to become a medical transcriptionist. It had been way easier to blow it. “What happened?” Holt asked carefully. I straightened. “After . . . I couldn’t handle it.” I’d forced myself to go back to
