Line of Fire #1 Archer Tactical

  LINE OF FIRE

  Archer Tactical: Book 1

  A.K. Evans

  Copyright © 2020 by A.K. Evans

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Cover Artist

  Cover artwork © Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations

  www.okaycreations.com

  Editing & Proofreading

  Ellie McLove, My Brother’s Editor

  www.mybrotherseditor.net

  DEDICATION

  A new series… as always, this goes to my husband and our two boys.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Prologue

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-one

  Twenty-two

  Twenty-three

  Epilogue

  Preview of Collateral Damage

  Also by A.K. Evans

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  PROLOGUE

  KAIA

  I took a deep breath and prepared myself.

  Remain calm. Don’t let her know.

  “Hey, Parker,” I greeted my sister as I put the phone to my ear and pushed the blankets back from my body so I could get out of bed. “Does she miss me already?”

  My older sister let out a gentle chuckle.

  It felt so good to hear that from her. I’d been hearing it more often over the last year any time I spoke to her, and I was convinced there was nothing better.

  Well, until a few weeks ago.

  “She does,” Parker answered. “I don’t know how it’s possible, but somehow, this little girl knows that her aunt is no longer in the house. There’s no question about it. She misses you, Kaia. Then again, she’s not the only one.”

  Warmth spread through me. It had only been three days since I was in Rising Sun, Wyoming, but I missed them so much already. My sister, Parker, had just given birth to my niece, Wren, only three weeks ago. I had planned to be there for the delivery, but Wren decided to arrive a week ahead of schedule.

  I’d spent two weeks with Parker, her husband, Nash, and their daughter, Wren. To say I missed them now would have been putting it mildly.

  “That’s because everyone knows Auntie Kaia is good at handling the night shift,” I joked. “I could stay awake all night just watching her sleep.”

  Parker sighed. “I wish you were still here,” she said. “And I’m not just saying that because Nash and I were able to get a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep.”

  I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “I know,” I replied. “As much as I wish I could have stayed longer, I needed to get back. I still have to work.”

  “Yeah,” Parker murmured. “Well, we’re counting down the days until you come to visit again.”

  I wasn’t sure how soon I’d be able to get back out to Rising Sun, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle long periods away from them.

  “I’ll figure it out soon and let you know when I can make another trip,” I promised.

  “We can’t wait.”

  I couldn’t either. Though, as much as I wanted to visit with them again, I knew I wouldn’t have been ready to go back immediately if yesterday hadn’t happened. As quickly as the thought popped into my mind, I pushed it out. I couldn’t risk getting myself worked up while I was on the phone with Parker.

  “I’m so happy for you, Parker,” I declared, attempting to push the conversation back into positive territory. “I know we talked a little bit about it while I was there, but I think it bears repeating just how proud I am of you.”

  “I know you are,” she returned. “Sometimes, I still can’t believe this happened, you know?”

  “What do you mean? Having Wren?”

  There was a moment of silence before she answered, “Not just her—all of it. I mean, I never thought I could have this, Kaia. After everything we’ve been through, I never imagined life would ever be this good.”

  There was nothing in this world I wanted more than to know that my sister finally had everything she deserved in her life. She was a successful chiropractor. She was also married to an amazing man who loved her beyond what I ever thought was possible. And now they had their beautiful daughter. Parker was nothing short of an incredible mother, too. I knew she’d give her daughter everything, particularly all the love we never had as kids.

  That wasn’t entirely true.

  Parker and I did have love. We got it from each other. But all we had was one another, and after everything Parker had done for me when we were children, there was nobody on this earth who deserved a happy ending more than my sister did.

  “It’s long overdue,” I noted. “But at least you’ve got it. I know you’ll be forever grateful for it.”

  “You’ve got that right,” she agreed. “And even though I know you aren’t at the same place just yet, I’m certain you’re well on your way. It’s such a bummer Nolan couldn’t come out with you.”

  I swallowed hard as I sat up in the bed and swung my feet over the side of the bed. Before I stood up, I responded, “Yeah. There was no way he could take off of work for that long. Besides, if he had come out with me, I probably wouldn’t have extended my trip for that additional week.”

  “Well, in that case, I’ll just say that I’m glad you made it out and that I hope he gets to come out with you next time,” she started. “I’d love for him to meet Wren.”

  I’ll never let that happen, I thought.

  When I didn’t reply, Parker added, “Maybe once he meets her, it’ll make him start thinking about the future with you. I can’t wait to be by your side through your engagement, your wedding, and your pregnancy.”

  Not wanting to alarm her but also not wanting to make it seem like I was even remotely interested in having any of that happen, I tried to lighten my voice before I replied, “I just got this residency at Club Infinity, Parker. I’m not ready for a wedding or a baby yet.”

  “I know, I know. You’ve worked so hard to get that residency, too, so I know how important it is to you. And I’m very proud of you. But that doesn’t mean I can’t hold out just a little bit of hope that you’ll be giving me a niece or nephew of my own soon.”

  I didn’t want to dash her hopes, so I stood up from the bed and told her, “I’m sure it’ll happen when the time is right.”

  At least I wasn’t lying. Despite everything, I still wholeheartedly believed that.

  Just then, I heard Wren in the background. She was getting fussy.

  “Oh, no. She’s sad,” I declared as I started walking toward the bathroom.

  “I’m sure she’s just ready to eat again,” Parker remarked. “I should get going.”

  “Okay. Give her lots of kisses from me and tell Nash I said hello.”

  “I will. Love you, Kaia.”

  “Love you, too.”

  With that, I stepped into the bathroom and set my phone down on the ledge of the sink. Then, standing in front of the mirror, I allowed my gaze to travel up from my abdomen to my face.

  Blood had dried on the bottom corner of my lip, where it had been split open. I might have been able to clean that up and hide it pretty well, but I wasn’t sure I’d be as successful with the bruising and swelling on my cheek.

  All of it inflicted last night by Nolan.

  I wanted nothing more than to call my sister immediately after it happened, but I couldn’t. I refused. She had enough to worry about with her three-week-old baby. Not only that, but I knew what would happen if I told her.

  Parker had always been the one to jump in to protect me when our father got angry when we were little. She’d saved me enough.

  It was my turn to stand on my own and fight for myself.

  I just wasn’t sure where to start.

  But as I stared at myself in the mirror, saw the evidence of my boyfriend’s physical abuse, and thought about the precious baby my sister had just brought into the world, I made a promise to myself. I was going to make sure that when my niece grew up, she’d have an aunt who made her proud. She’d have someone she could look up to.

  And no matter what, she’d know that despite what came her way, she’d always be able to depend on me to be there for her.

  Because I’d never, never allow myself to be taken away from her.

  ONE

  KAIA

  “Hey, Kaia, can we talk before you head up?”

  I was never more grateful for the fact that I worked in a dark atmosphere than I was tonight. And at this very moment, I was even more thankful for it. Because Mateo wanted to chat.

  “Yeah, sure. What’s going on?” I responded.

  I was secretly praying that all my efforts throughout the day h
ad paid off. After getting off the phone with my sister this morning, I spent the remainder of the morning and nearly all afternoon applying ice to the side of my face. I hoped that it would help reduce the swelling. I had convinced myself I was successful and carefully applied some makeup to hide the evidence of what Nolan did to my face.

  Before I left my studio apartment to come into work tonight, which was the first time I’d left since the incident occurred, I checked and double-checked my face. I looked at it in the lighting of the bathroom, the kitchen, and even near the windows. When I got to my car, I checked again. I was sure nobody would notice unless they were looking for something.

  Luckily, Mateo wasn’t looking.

  “I know this is last minute, so I’ll understand if you can’t do it, but I was hoping you’d be able to cover me tomorrow night,” he started. “My girlfriend, Aubrey, lives a couple of hours away, but she surprised me last night and showed up at my door.”

  That was sweet. Mateo was a good dude, and I was glad his girlfriend had done something to make him happy.

  Before I could respond to him, Mateo continued, “I completely understand if you can’t do it, so please don’t feel obligated.”

  “Not at all,” I assured him. Then, and since I didn’t have any plans of my own, I confirmed, “I can totally cover you. Is Bianca cool with it?”

  Mateo nodded. “Yeah. Then again, I wasn’t exactly worried she wouldn’t be. I mean, you’re Kaia Banks. Everyone loves you.”

  Not everyone, I thought.

  Even still, I smiled at him. “You’re too kind, Mateo.”

  “You’re the best, Banks,” he replied. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Whenever you need me to cover you, just let me know,” he offered.

  I wasn’t sure I’d be in a position to need him to cover me at any point in the near future, considering this was my life now. Despite that, I said, “I appreciate that.”

  With that, I excused myself to make my way up to the second floor to meet with Bianca to go over the next month’s schedule. Once I made it to her office, I knocked on the door.

  “Come in,” she called back from behind the door.

  I opened the door and walked in.

  Bianca grinned at me. “You’re back,” she declared. “How was the trip?”

  Immediately, thoughts of my sister and her family filled my mind. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.

  “It was great,” I answered. “I had a wonderful time, and Wren is just too precious.”

  “Oh, I love her name,” Bianca marveled. “Do you have any pictures?”

  Nodding, I pulled out my phone, navigated to the photos, and held it out to Bianca. She took it from me and swiped through.

  “She’s so cute. How did you ever leave her?”

  I shrugged as I sat down in the chair. “I have no idea,” I confessed. “I never knew I could love someone as much as I love my sister, but here I am.”

  Bianca held my phone out to me and said, “Well, as much as I would have understood your need to stay longer, I’m glad you’re back.”

  “Me too,” I told her. “I enjoyed the break and the time off with my sister and her family, but I’m ready to get back to work. How did it go here?”

  “It was business as usual,” Bianca shared. “Nothing too major to report. As you know, we’ve got Dawn for Daybreak coming in a couple of weeks, and that’s huge for us. A band that big coming to this small town to play for us is a big deal. I’ve got someone else in the works right now, but there’s no guarantee.”

  “Who?” I wondered.

  Bianca’s face lit up. She opened her mouth to answer but stopped herself. “No. No, I’m going to hold on to this for just a little bit longer until it’s confirmed. I don’t want to jinx anything.”

  I rolled my eyes. It wasn’t like I had anyone I could or would tell the news to anyway. “Oh, whatever,” I replied.

  “Did you see Mateo?” she asked, quickly changing the subject.

  “Yes, he caught me before I came up,” I answered. “You’re okay with me covering for him, right?”

  Bianca gave me a look of indifference. “From a work standpoint, yes,” she confirmed. “I’d be stupid not to. But I have to admit I was hoping you’d turn him down for personal reasons.”

  My brows pulled together. “What does that mean?”

  “I thought we’d be able to get together tomorrow outside of work,” she started. “In fact, I already talked to Skylar about it, and she said she was up for it, too. We even planned and talked to the husbands, so we were all hoping you and Nolan could join us.”

  Bianca and Skylar were my closest friends. Admittedly, in my line of work, it hadn’t been hard to find people to hang with, but most of the people I’d come into contact with were merely just acquaintances. Bianca and Skylar were more than that. We got together regularly. Or regularly enough that I considered them to be my friends.

  While they were both already married, it didn’t seem to hinder their need for fun every so often. And for a while, that worked well for me, especially as I found myself needing to acclimate to my new hometown.

  I moved from Wyoming to Poppy Valley, California, just over a year ago. It was partly because I wanted a change of scenery but mostly because I knew it would be good for my career. Plus, I needed to know I could do this on my own. Be self-sufficient, take care of myself, and not depend on my sister to always be the one looking out for me.

  And I was doing it.

  It felt good to know I was capable and strong. None of what I felt had anything to do with me not liking what Parker had done for me over the years. It was more about me feeling the need to be independent while allowing her to live her life and see that she went after what she deserved.

  And now that she had it, I knew I’d made the right decision.

  Despite where things were for me now, I still didn’t regret my choice to come here. Sure, I made one foolish mistake. But I was going to learn from that and move on.

  Which is why I needed to share the truth with Bianca. Well, part of it, anyway.

  “So, obviously, you know that I’m going to be here working tomorrow night,” I began. “But I guess I need to tell you something.”

  “What’s going on?” she asked, tipping her head to the side curiously.

  I took in a deep breath before I shared, “I ended things with Nolan.”

  Bianca’s eyes widened. “What? Why? I thought you two were solid,” she countered.

  Nodding, mostly because I understood her disbelief, I explained, “Yeah, it just… it just isn’t going to work out. My trip back to see my sister solidified things.”

  “Oh, man. I’m so sorry,” Bianca lamented.

  Shaking my head, I insisted, “Don’t be. It’s okay. I’m really okay with it. I concluded that it would never really work out for us in the long run. This was truly for the best, and I’m completely at peace with my decision.”

  “Are you sure?” she pressed.

  “Yeah. Definitely.”

  Bianca’s expression turned sad. “I was really rooting for the two of you,” she shared. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll feel differently after you two have a bit of a break. It was the same for Ken and me in the beginning. We had been dating for three months and decided to take a break. Two weeks later, we realized we were being stupid and hated being without one another.”

  I wanted to tell her that this wasn’t that. Nolan and I had been together for eleven months, and I’d just had a two-week break from him. This wasn’t about uncertainty if we were meant to be together. This was all about him proving to me that he was a massive dick by putting his hands on me last night.

  Instead of sharing that with her, I said, “I love your hopeful mindset, mostly because I’m the same way about stuff like this. That said, I can promise you that Nolan and I are officially over. There is no chance for a future reconciliation.”

  Bianca sighed. I wanted to laugh. It was like I’d destroyed all of her hopes and dreams.

  “Well, then I’ll talk to Skylar, and we’ll figure out another time that the three of us can get together without Ken and Cole,” she reasoned. “Our sole mission will be to help you get over your heartbreak.”

  At her statement, I had to fight back the laughter threatening to burst forward. There was no heartbreak here. None. I wasn’t devastated. Nolan was a jerk—an ass—and I had no use for a man like him.