Invincible (World of Danger Book 1) Read online

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2019 Beth D. Carter

  ISBN: 978-1-77339-953-9

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: CA Clauson

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  My deepest thanks and appreciation to Stacey at Evernight. Thanks to all my readers, I am humbled you want to read the stories floating around in my head.

  INVINCIBLE

  World of Danger, 1

  Beth D. Carter

  Copyright © 2019

  Prologue

  Lee kissed the top of Lidah’s head, holding her tight in his embrace. In a few minutes he’d have to release her and let the night end, so he closed his eyes to savor the moment. Their naked limbs entwined, soft skin sliding against his hairy legs. Her taut nipples were hard little berries pressed into his chest. The moments before already playing through his head as the best moments of his life. Something felt so right with her snuggled against his body, and it made his heart thump with a mixture of excitement and contentment.

  “I have to go,” she murmured. “Curfew.”

  “I know,” he said, sighing. He kissed her forehead near the hairline. “I wish you didn’t have to leave me.”

  She pulled back only far enough to look up at him. “I’m not leaving you. I’ll still be here in the morning, waiting for you at school.”

  Their gazes met. Locked. Tingles shot up and down his spine, through his belly, creating a riot of emotional happiness. “You my girl now?”

  She smiled softly, love shining in her dark eyes. “I’ve always been your girl, Lee. Ever since you moved to Cleavon and I first laid eyes on you.”

  His cock hardened once more, wanting her all over again. He didn’t think he’d ever get enough of her. “I love you, Lidah.”

  “And I love you.”

  He kissed her. Long, hard, deep. With a groan of reluctance, he let her go, rolling out of bed and reached for his suit. They’d had the perfect night. School dance, romance, slow dancing all night long. It had led to them finding a hotel away from their small town to cement their feelings for one another. Graduation loomed only three months away and he couldn’t wait so they could start a life together, because he fully intended to ask her to marry him as soon as their graduation hats flew into the air.

  They dressed in between kisses and laughter. He had been her first and she had been his, and he’d taken his time to make sure she’d been aroused to minimize the pain he knew she’d have. With his heart full and plans for a happy-ever-after running through his mind, he drove back to their hometown of Cleavon, Kentucky. They arrived in front of her house at exactly ten o’clock, the magic number of her curfew. Aware that her parents watched from behind the living room curtains, he hugged her and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Then he slipped off his class ring and held it out to her.

  “Will you wear my ring?”

  Her beautiful face lit up with joy. “Yes! Oh, yes!”

  Lee slipped it on her index finger since it was a little bigger than her dainty digits, then pulled her in for another tight hug. “It’s you and me, Lidah. Forever.”

  “Forever.”

  With a wave her to her parents standing at the window, he walked back to his car. It took all the strength he had to drive away, and all his willpower not to turn back around. All of a sudden, the evening switched from being the best night of his life, to a tiny little wiggle of … something … unsettling. Lidah’s happy face turned dark. Sad and tear stained. He blinked, and the image was gone, but the unease stayed with him, growing with every mile his car traveled back to his house. The vision urged him to go back to her, that all wasn’t right, but thinking he was being paranoid, he ignored it. The last thing he wanted to turn into was a stalker. However, the second his house came into view he knew his instinct had nothing to do with Lidah.

  The two-story farmhouse sat dark. Not one single light was on, including the small signal light over the door, which meant to stay away. Danger. Or trouble. Either way, the warning his father implemented as a just-in-case scenario rang in his head, to leave if the light over the door was ever off. Yet he also knew he couldn’t leave his dad behind to face the threat alone. He was eighteen now, and had been trained well by his Special Ops parents to defend himself if the need should arise. His mother had died on a mission, forcing his dad to retire early and raise their only child, but it hadn’t stopped him from teaching Lee everything he knew. Shutting off his car engine, he reached into the glove box and grabbed the Glock he kept hidden there. All thoughts of Lidah and their special night together fled his mind, and now he focused on helping his father. Turning off the dome light before exiting the car, he kept to the shadows and circled the perimeter, keeping in the tree line to shield his presence to whoever waited inside.

  Knowing the old house so well, he was able to bypass the boards on the back porch that creaked under a footfall. He found the spare key in the hiding place and eased the door open. Silence greeted him, but a faint whiff of clove lingered in the air. Keeping low, he stayed in the shadows, treading carefully. Finally, he peaked around the mudroom door into the kitchen and saw his father tied up in a chair, head hanging down. Wetness coated his body and Lee realized it had to be blood. His stomach twisted, but he pushed the fear and worry down. Now wasn’t the time for his emotions to get the better of him, because at that moment, he heard footsteps walking toward the kitchen. Three voices carried a low conversation.

  “I heard a car,” one man muttered harshly.

  “I don’t see nothing,” the other man replied.

  “Where’s the kid?” asked the third. “I tell you, it was probably him.”

  “A fucking dance, I told you! Now, shut the fuck up so we can finish this job.”

  “The job was to find out the info, not torture the man to death. Now we ain’t got nothing to bring back.”

  Lee looked back at his father’s body, concentrating on his chest, and for a split-second grief overwhelmed him because he didn’t see it move. Hoping that his father was playing possum, he pushed aside the crippling pain to exact revenge. Whether or not his father lived, he would make the motherfuckers pay. Taking a deep breath, counting to three in his head, he flipped off the safety on his gun. Waiting until the right moment, he rose and fired.

  The deafening blast of the pistol ricocheted throughout the small kitchen. The small man, the one who had heard his car, didn’t make a sound as the bullet impacted his sternum. He was dead before he hit the ground. Lee quickly ducked and grabbed the cast iron skillet off the stove. The last man immediately ducked out of sight. Lee did as well, knowing where he stood his back was protected from any surprises. The seconds ticked by and sweat dripped down his back. Adrenaline spiked through his blood, and he let his intuition open up. He sensed, rather than saw, a movement to his right and he ducked at the right time as a bullet blasted into the wall where his head had been.

  He returned fire, knowing he was shooting blind, but it gave him enough cover to rush to his next line of defense. Another bullet whizzed by and he knew he was outgunned since he couldn’t see anything in the dark. The shadows might help him hide, but it also helped the bad guy. Letting his instinct take o
ver, he managed to charge into the killer, knocking the gun out of the man’s hand as they crashed into the bar area. Liquor bottles flew, smashing onto the ground. He half rose, turned, and smashed the skillet on the man’s head, ignoring the crunch. Then the third man hit Lee’s wrist, disabling his hand. The gun went flying. Without the firepower, all he had were his fists. They grappled with one another, both fighting hard, and it wasn’t long before Lee realized the killer was more skilled than he was. He would lose, and if he lost, he wouldn’t be able to exact revenge against the person who ordered the hit on his father. Whoever the person was, Lee was determined to find out answers.

  The man delivered one hard blow after the other, until blood poured from Lee’s nose and busted lip. It was more than just punching as the man delivered martial arts moves that Lee didn’t know how to defend himself against. So, when one kick had him crashing against the kitchen counter, Lee grabbed a butcher knife and threw it in the vicinity of the man. It found it’s mark, burying into the man’s thigh muscle. He let out a grunt of pain, pausing long enough for Lee to jump on him and wrestle the gun away. He pointed it at the man’s head.

  “Who are you working for?” he demanded.

  “I don’t know,” the man said.

  Lee pistol whipped him across the jaw. “Who!”

  The man smiled, blood staining his broken teeth. “You should know how this works. I don’t have any information to give you except to say this wasn’t about your dad. Someone wants info on a man named Harlan. Now fuck off.”

  Instead, Lee put the gun to the man’s forehead and pulled the trigger. The man’s head blew out the back, killing him instantly. Rising, he hurried to his dad’s side. Cupping his face, he lifted his father’s head and looked into his lifeless eyes. Despair crashed through Lee’s soul.

  Suddenly, lights flooded through the dark house, coming from an outside source. Thinking this was another attack, Lee crouched low and gripped the gun tightly. The door practically exploded and several figures dressed all in black filed in. Lee dropped his weapon and raised his hands, knowing he was outnumbered. A tall man, with distinguished silver hair entered after them, and his laser precise gaze took in the scene in an instant.

  “Lee?”

  Slowly, Lee stood, keeping his hands raised. “Yes.”

  “I’m Director Joseph Harlan,” he said, introducing himself. “Your father worked for me.”

  “You’re the man they wanted info on.”

  “Yes,” Harlan replied.

  “They murdered my father because of you.”

  “Yes.”

  “God damn you to hell. Who are you?”

  “I’m the man that makes sure bad guys like these fuckers don’t win.” Harlan took a step closer. “Your father may have retired, but his secrets never did.”

  “They tortured him to find out about you.”

  “I know. And you should be proud that you’ve avenged your father. Now it’s time to come with me.”

  Lee shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere with you, asshole.”

  “Listen. You hate me, good. So does my son, JD. But this isn’t about family loyalty or revenge. Whoever sent these goons after your father won’t stop. There’ll be more and more, and soon, all you love will pay the price. Do you understand my meaning?”

  “I have nothing to do with that life!”

  “It doesn’t matter, Lee. As far as you may run, they’ll always be one step behind you.”

  The full impact of what Joseph Harlan meant hit him, knocking the breath from his lungs. Making his heart ache because he meant Lidah. The situation unfolding around him lent truth to what Harlan said, and because of who he was, Lidah was in danger. In that moment, he hated his father and the Special Ops that had taken his whole past—and now his future—away in a matter of minutes.

  “God damn it,” he whispered.

  “Do you understand, Lee?”

  “Yes!” Lee shouted. “I get it!”

  “Tonight you die. Lee McMasters no longer exists.” He turned around and began to make his way out of the house. “Follow me.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Away from Kentucky. Look, kid, there’s nothing for you here. There is nothing for you anywhere. I can give you a life.”

  “A life like my father’s?” Lee asked bitterly.

  “A life worth something. Protecting your country. Striking at the heart of traitors to this nation.”

  With one last look around the carnage, and a lingering helplessness at his father’s body, Lee set the gun on the counter and followed after Harlan. With every step, his heart broke a little more as all the dreams he had for the future shattered into dust.

  Chapter One

  Twenty-two years later

  Lee Masterson stood right behind the senator, his gaze never resting as it swept over the crowd. The rally was the last big push for votes and he’d been hired as a bodyguard when threatening letters had begun appearing at the committee home base. After the past year of working for Lincoln Cabot, he was glad for the uncomplicated position since it didn’t take subterfuge to protect a man from a potential assassination.

  Lee didn’t listen to the senator’s campaign speech. He didn’t really care about the promises being made. He was there to keep the man safe, not buy into the propaganda being spewed. The cheering crowd before them hid potential attackers and he studied each person carefully. Suddenly, an awareness crept over his skin, like goosebumps, sharpening his senses and bringing everything into a crystal-clear clarity he was all too familiar with. It was a well-known feeling, one he had garnered from working in the international scene. It meant someone watched him, probably from a scope, and it meant danger would soon strike. He studied the buildings around the pundit platform. Every window became a potential sharpshooter’s nest.

  “Base one nine,” he murmured softly, knowing the men on the other side of his ear piece would hear him immediately. “Do a building sweep. Report any movement or glare emanating from a scope.”

  “Copy,” replied a professional voice.

  Something drew his gaze to a two-story brick building located directly across the street from the crowded park. Perhaps the slight change in a window shadow as something moved behind it. He locked his gaze on whatever was behind that shadow, even though the distance prevented him from fully acknowledging who or what it was. Then a tingle vibrated up his spine, an awareness that had kept him alive time and again, and he acted quickly stepping up to the senator and interrupting him mid-sentence.

  “Come with me, now,” he ordered.

  “What?” the senator asked, slightly confused. “What’s going—”

  He never finished the question. Lee yanked him down behind the bulletproof barricade a second before rapid gunfire hit the partition. People screamed and scattered like ants, running in chaotic directions, ducking as if that would minimize them as target practice. Only Lee knew this wasn’t any type of random shooter. The precise angle of the bullets where they impacted bespoke of someone with knowledge and practice.

  “W-what the hell?” the senator cried, clearly shaken.

  “Someone tried to kill you,” Lee told him unemotionally. “Base one nine, shots fired. Pull the senator from the safety net.”

  “Copy.”

  Two police officers hurried over to them, obviously receiving their orders to ferret the senator out of harm’s way. Lee instructed the politician to keep his head down, watching as he was led off the platform, surrounded my men who were willing to sacrifice their own lives. Lee rose and went the opposite way. The crowd had pretty much dissipated, making his trek across the street to the brick building a lot easier. He didn’t worry about being shot because he knew the assassin had already dispersed. The nagging little tingle had disappeared as soon as the target, the senator, had been missed.

  The building was some sort of refurbished warehouse boasting of a dot com company complete with a coffee bar and mini-gym. Something for the millennials to utilize
as they worked on their laptops. The front door was locked, but around back he saw the lock had been picked, leaving a clear invitation to enter. He climbed the stairs and headed to the room where the shot had to have been placed, although now it was just another empty room. An herbal scent lingered and as he walked toward the bank of windows, slightly nutty and reminding him of Thanksgiving for some reason. It took him a moment to realize what he smelled was cloves. The scent more than familiar, although he couldn’t seem to place his memory on why.

  ****

  Twenty-four hours later

  Lee punched his code into his home security system and deactivated the alarm. As he opened the door, lights immediately lit up the dim hallway. He set down his small travel bag and loosened the tie strangling his neck.

  “Welcome home, Lee.”

  “Hello, Lidah,” he replied to the computer system that ran his household. She was his only companion and he preferred it that way. Human companionship was far too complicated.

  “You’ve been gone a long time.”

  “Yeah,” he said with a tired sigh. “Business.”

  He headed into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge, popping the top before making his way to the living room. The cool marble tile gave way to plush, cream colored carpet and he sank down into his comfortable, cushiony sofa before toeing off his shoes and propping his feet up on the coffee table. The sparse decoration fit his lifestyle, since he was constantly on the move. He took a long swig of beer and leaned his head back. Exhaustion descended over him and he closed his eyes. The thought of how much longer he could continue in his line of work was an abstract concept that solidified with every job completed. The simple fact was he was getting far too old for the same old shit.