Rescuing Isabelle Read online

  Rescuing Isabelle

  Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists BRAVO Team, Book 2

  Ellie Masters

  JEM Publishing

  Copyright © 2022 Ellie Masters

  Rescuing Isabelle

  All rights reserved.

  * * *

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this ebook ONLY. No part of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned, transmitted, or distributed in any printed, mechanical, or electronic form without prior written permission from Ellie Masters or JEM Publishing except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

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  Image/art disclaimer: Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.

  * * *

  Editor: Erin Toland

  Proofreader: Roxane Leblanc

  Published in the United States of America

  JEM Publishing

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, businesses, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN:978-1-952625-40-4

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my one and only—my amazing and wonderful husband.

  * * *

  Without your care and support, my writing would not have made it this far.

  * * *

  You pushed me when I needed to be pushed.

  * * *

  You supported me when I felt discouraged.

  * * *

  You believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.

  * * *

  If it weren’t for you, this book never would have come to life.

  Also by Ellie Masters

  The LIGHTER SIDE

  Ellie Masters is the lighter side of the Jet & Ellie Masters writing duo! You will find Contemporary Romance, Military Romance, Romantic Suspense, Billionaire Romance, and Rock Star Romance in Ellie’s Works.

  YOU CAN FIND ELLIE’S BOOKS HERE:

  ELLIEMASTERS.COM/BOOKS

  * * *

  Military Romance

  Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists

  Rescuing Melissa

  (Get a FREE copy of Rescuing Melissa

  when you join Ellie’s Newsletter)

  * * *

  Alpha Team

  Rescuing Zoe

  Rescuing Moira

  Rescuing Eve

  Rescuing Lily

  Rescuing Jinx

  Rescuing Maria

  * * *

  Bravo Team

  Rescuing Angie

  Rescuing Isabelle

  * * *

  Military Romance

  Guardian Personal Protection Specialists

  Sybil’s Protector

  * * *

  The One I Want Series

  (Small Town, Military Heroes)

  By Jet & Ellie Masters

  each book in this series can be read as a standalone and is about a different couple with an HEA.

  Saving Ariel

  Saving Brie

  Saving Cate

  Saving Dani

  Saving Jen

  Saving Abby

  * * *

  Rockstar Romance

  The Angel Fire Rock Romance Series

  each book in this series can be read as a standalone and is about a different couple with an HEA. It is recommended they are read in order.

  Ashes to New (prequel)

  Heart’s Insanity (book 1)

  Heart’s Desire (book 2)

  Heart’s Collide (book 3)

  Hearts Divided (book 4)

  Hearts Entwined (book5)

  Forest’s FALL (book 6)

  Hearts The Last Beat (book7)

  * * *

  Contemporary Romance

  Firestorm

  (Kristy Bromberg’s Everyday Heroes World)

  * * *

  Billionaire Romance

  Billionaire Boys Club

  Hawke

  Richard

  Brody

  * * *

  Contemporary Romance

  Cocky Captain

  (Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward’s Cocky Hero World)

  * * *

  Romantic Suspense

  each book is a standalone novel.

  The Starling

  * * *

  ~AND~

  * * *

  Science Fiction

  * * *

  Ellie Masters writing as L.A. Warren

  Vendel Rising: a Science Fiction Serialized Novel

  To My Readers

  This book is a work of fiction. It does not exist in the real world and should not be construed as reality. As in most romantic fiction, I’ve taken liberties. I’ve compressed the romance into a sliver of time. I’ve allowed these characters to develop strong bonds of trust over a matter of days.

  This does not happen in real life where you, my amazing readers, live. Take more time in your romance and learn who you’re giving a piece of your heart to. I urge you to move with caution. Always protect yourself.

  Contents

  1. Izzy

  2. Booker

  3. Booker

  4. Izzy

  5. Booker

  6. Izzy

  7. Booker

  8. Izzy

  9. Izzy

  10. Booker

  11. Izzy

  12. Booker

  13. Izzy

  14. Izzy

  15. Booker

  16. Izzy

  17. Booker

  18. Izzy

  19. Booker

  20. Izzy

  21. Booker

  22. Izzy

  23. Izzy

  24. Booker

  25. Izzy

  26. Booker

  27. Izzy

  28. Izzy

  29. Booker

  30. Izzy

  31. Booker

  32. Izzy

  33. Booker

  34. Izzy

  35. Booker

  36. Izzy

  37. Booker

  38. Booker

  Untitled

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  ELLZ BELLZ

  Also by Ellie Masters

  About the Author

  Connect with Ellie Masters

  Final Thoughts

  The End

  One

  Izzy

  Somedays, I want to pinch myself, because this kind of life never happens to a girl like me.

  Now, if I could only get my four, overprotective, overbearing, and overly paternalistic brothers to back off, this could be the perfect life.

  Perfect except for the whole abduction-in-the-jungles-of-Nicaragua bit and the subsequent running for-my-life thing.

  Except my brothers will not get off my case about it. They demand I go home.

  Where it’s safe.

  Safe feels a whole hell of a lot like oppressively smothering. I love my brothers, but they can be way over the top when it comes to their baby sister
.

  However, I’ve successfully put them off.

  At least for a bit.

  That trip home needs to happen, but I’m going to stonewall them for a little bit more.

  I’m not ready to step away, especially when it comes to days like today.

  And my view?

  It’s one in a million.

  “Whatcha thinking, Izzy?” My best friend in the whole wide world, my abduction-and-running-for-my-life-buddy, Angie, gives me the eye.

  She knows exactly what I’m thinking.

  Hell, every female within sight of the spectacle in front of us is thinking the same damn thing.

  That’s due to the six mighty fine Guardians flexing their muscles in a virile display of jaw-dropping, fantasy-inducing, testosterone-infused masculinity.

  And my dirty mind is overflowing with all kinds of wicked fantasies.

  “I’m not thinking anything you’re not.” I cross my arms and give her a look. “Your mouth is open, and you’re drooling.” I call her out for calling me out.

  Angie likes to think, since she’s got a ring on her finger, that she’s above ogling the drool-worthy display, but she’s totally guilty of checking out not just her beau, Brady, but all the men of Bravo team.

  Just.

  Like.

  Me.

  Her heart may belong to Brady Malone, but she watches them all.

  “Oh yes, you are.” She reaches over and pinches me. “And if I’m drooling, you’re foaming at the mouth. You so want a piece of Booker Holloway.” She pinches me.

  “Hey, stop that.” I yank away and rub at my skin. “That hurt.”

  “Not until you admit you’ve got an eye for Bravo Two.” Her light hazel eyes twinkle with amusement. Yeah, she’s having fun with me.

  “I won’t.”

  But the thing is…she’s totally right. I’ve got a major lady boner for Booker Holloway, especially after what the women of Alpha team told me about how he made ends meet before he became a Guardian.

  Before he became a US Navy SEAL.

  It’s deliciously naughty.

  My man is an ex-exotic dancer—was an exotic dancer. Evidently he doesn’t do that anymore.

  Bummer.

  Although, he supposedly taught the men of Alpha team how to bump and grind on their women.

  In Vegas, no less.

  But that’s a different story.

  “You don’t have to say it because it’s scrawled all over your face.” Angie makes a circle in front of my face, then preens in victory because she knows she’s right.

  Booker used to star in an all male review on the strip in Vegas. He’s got the moves and the body for it. I don’t doubt it for a second. Not that I didn’t due my due diligence and confirm for myself.

  I’ve got the pictures and the proof; after a little detective work and an assist from Mitzy, the technical lead for Guardian HRS. I call her a wizard, because that woman is amazing. She makes me feel like an underachiever.

  Which I’m totally not.

  Straight A’s in high school were followed by straight A’s in undergrad, and those continued in Pharmacy school, where I graduated…with honors.

  I’m a valedictorian three times over. I thought that was pretty bad ass until I met Mitzy. I’ve come to realize, I’m merely ordinary; at least when I try to measure myself up against the talent hired on at Guardian HRS.

  “I hate you.” I tighten my arms and hunch inward.

  I hate that Angie’s right, but there’s no denying the truth. The scariest thing is I think he may like me too.

  “Want me to ask Brady if Booker’s into you?”

  “No!” That makes me cringe.

  Isn’t it funny how no matter how old we get, we never leave the schoolyard? Here I am, pining over a boy, thinking he might like me, but too chickenshit to get off my ass and find out.

  “Hey, lunch break is almost over.” Angie starts packing up the remnants of her meal. “We’ve have to get back to orientation.”

  Our new employer definitely offered us one sweet deal. Two actually. One for each of us. They hired me on as a pharmacist. I’ll be working at Guardian HQ’s onsite hospital during my initial onboarding, but then I’ll shift to the pharmacy at the Facility where Guardian HRS is looking to expand.

  Angie got the same offer…to work for Guardian HRS, that is. She’s not a pharmacist, but rather an ophthalmologist. She’ll remain at the onsite hospital, joining their current Ophtho team.

  “What if we fake tummy aches? Tell them we need fresh air to recover?” My gaze turns back to the men scaling the sixty-foot wall in front of us. Bravo team is a little over two thirds of the way to their objective.

  “I think that’ll go over like a ton of bricks. Come on. You can watch them tomorrow too.”

  Bravo team is in between assignments, which means they fill their days working various scenarios and honing their skills. As for Bravo team, my bestie is currently engaged to Brady; the man who single-handedly rescued us from the Coralos cartel after they abducted our entire medical team.

  He’s the lead for Bravo team. They call him Bravo One.

  Booker’s Bravo Two. Then there’s the rest of the team: Rafe, Hayes, Alec, and Zeb.

  The whole team looks like they’re carved out of granite; all hard lines and rough edges, perfect specimens of the male form.

  “Le sigh.” I lean back and press the back of my hand over my forehead in a dramatic gesture. “They’re all stinking hot.”

  “But you have the hots for one.” Angie giggles. “And from the looks he gives you, the feeling has to be reciprocated. I could ask Brady to look into it.”

  “No! Don’t you dare. And I’m not into Booker. He’s an over-protective, over-bearing ass.” My lips twist, turning my smile into a frown. “That man is flawed, with a capital F, as in over-bearing, over-protective, and over-everything. He’s just like my brothers, and you see how I react to their demands.”

  “I do, and you love that about Booker.” She continues to tidy up our picnic spot. “It’s what draws you to him.”

  “Does not.”

  “You can’t lie to me.” She turns her attention back to the rock wall the men scale as a part of one of their training exercises. “The air sizzles when the two of you get close.”

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about, and as far as sizzle, look who’s talking? You and Brady are like lightning with the way you make the air crackle.” I lean back and tilt my head, getting a really fabulous look at the way Booker’s ass fills out his pants. He traverses an overhead reverse incline with a full ruck on his back.

  The man reaches out with those powerful arms. Those deft fingers feel around for a blind grip. Once he’s set, his body swings out into open space. I can’t help but gasp, worried he might fall the fifty feet between him and the ground.

  But he doesn’t.

  Booker uses the momentum of his body to his advantage. He hooks a boot on a rock overhead, then hand over hand, pulls himself up the rock face. That gives me plenty of time to admire the way he fills out those black tactical pants of his.

  The man has a mighty fine ass, and from what little I’ve seen of the front package, there are delights there to be had as well.

  Yep, my mind is totally in the gutter. As for the gutter, Angie leads me into a trap.

  “I bet you’d kill for Booker to get bossy with you.”

  “Shut up.” I smack her in the arm, but the heat in my cheeks tells the truth.

  Can’t help it. I love a man who knows what he wants. When he goes after it with single-minded determination, I turn into a swoony puddle of goo.

  It’s true. I like a man who knows how to take charge, but only in the bedroom, and only when I’m in the mood. Meaning, that overprotective shit better not flow into any other part of my life.

  The problem with Booker is he’s not the kind of man who knows how to turn off his natural protectiveness. His take charge attitude is a 24/7 kind of thing as well.


  And I don’t respond well to that; except the bedroom.

  With my cheeks aflame, I gather my trash and pack up the rest of my lunch.

  “I really hate you.”

  “You love me far too much to hate me.”

  “I do.” I tilt my head back, wanting one last view of the spectacle that is Bravo team.

  They’re near the top of the sixty-foot artificial rock wall. Not aware of the specific objective of this training exercise, I don’t know if they did well or failed. Knowing the way Brady leads his team, and how Booker backs him up, I bet they busted expectations.