Claim & Protect Read online

  Claim & Protect

  By Rhenna Morgan

  Live hard, f*ck harder and follow only their own rules. Those are the cornerstones the six men of the Haven Brotherhood live and bleed by, refusing to conform to society’s expectations, taking what they want and always watching each other’s backs.

  Trevor Raines lives on the edge of legal. A good guy doing bad things to save lives, the only rules he follows are the Brotherhood’s, and there’s nothing in the world that will change that. Until Natalie Jordan walks into his life...

  Natalie’s only interest is in making a fresh start. She’s a woman with a plan, and the plan doesn’t include a man with secrets, no matter how kind—or intoxicating—he is. But this cowboy is determined to break down her walls, keep her safe and make her his.

  Trevor had no interest in settling down, but there’s something entirely too appealing about the woman he can’t stay away from. There’s only one thing to do—change his plans...and hers. When Natalie’s ex resurfaces to threaten her new life, Trevor will move heaven and earth to make sure the bastard can’t hurt her again. Except saving Natalie means outing his own secrets—and it could mean losing her forever...

  This book is approximately 104,000 words

  Edited by Angela James

  Dear Reader,

  I love the summer. I hoard most of my vacation for the summer months because I live near the ocean, so I like to spend my time at the beach, Jet Skiing, drinking frozen tropical drinks and, of course, reading. I always try to stockpile books I’m looking forward to for these lazy days. If you’re like me and you want to always make sure you have something great to read on vacation, I have some books you’ll want to check out!

  Rhenna Morgan is back with her badass good guys of the Haven Brotherhood in Claim & Protect. Natalie’s only interest is in making a fresh start. She’s a woman with a plan and the plan doesn’t include a man with secrets, no matter how sexy he is. Trevor had no interest in settling down, but there’s something entirely too appealing about this woman he can’t stay away from. There’s only one thing to do—change his plans...and hers. Jump into this series now, or go back and read Rough & Tumble and Wild & Sweet—you’re going to want to read them all once you read one!

  Readers loved male/male romance Off Base by Annabeth Albert, and now she’s got a new book in the Out of Uniform series. After a mission strands them in the jungle, two best friends and fellow SEALs must confront their long-buried passion for each other and decide if they have something worth fighting for back home. Buy On Point today.

  Julie Hall is an unintentional corpse magnet who can find the dead. Three girls are still missing. The killer is still out there. And when the killer turns his sights toward her, even her growing relationship with the protective Agent Garrett may not be enough to save her. If you’re a mystery fan, you need to read A Grave Calling from Wendy Roberts, a book that made our entire acquisitions team say “I love it!”

  Everyone gets a happy ending as Jade A. Waters brings her erotic romance trilogy to a sexy conclusion, following The Assignment and The Discipline. In The Reward, Maya Clery and Dean Sova’s passionate exploration has gotten as hot as their love has grown deep. But once they move in together, their dynamic is tested with dangerous connections to the distant past in a story of desire, empowerment and the strength only found in a lover’s arms.

  Easygoing mechanic Bryan doesn’t believe in soul mates, much less dragons, but he’s confronted with both when rescue diver Deke comes into his life. When Deke shifts for him, Bryan decides he must be dead. After all, that’s much easier to believe than the truth. Let yourself be Seduced by the Tide along with Bryan and Deke in Sean Michael’s latest male/male erotic paranormal romance.

  Speaking of erotic, have you picked up one of Brianna Hale’s naughty novellas yet? In her newest, Princess Brat, tantrums, tricks and insults won’t get Adrienne’s bodyguard off her back, and she’s about to find out what happens to bratty little girls who provoke a Dom—they get put over daddy’s knee. Looking for another novella to spice up your life? Little Dancer, Brianna’s debut erotic romance, will heat things up.

  Kerry Adrienne returns to the world of the Shifter Wars with Taming the Lion. The battle between the lions and bears decimates Deep Creek, and one of the heirs to the lions’ throne is saved from death by a beautiful bear medic who’s torn between her allegiance to her den and her attraction and obligation to the wounded lion. Want to start at the beginning? Pick up Waking the Bear, available now.

  Here at Carina Press, we love a good heist or caper romance, so we decided to publish Caught in the Act: A Jewel Heist Romance Anthology, containing three charming and seductive heist novellas. In “Hoodwinked Hearts” by Ainslie Paton, two thieves collide in a high-stakes dirty double cross that would be strictly business...except Cleve Jones and Aria Harp were childhood sweethearts before betrayal broke them. Can they steal each other’s hearts again?

  The one thing reluctant debutante Anastasia Staffordshire wants most in the world is the diamond that bears her family’s name. Standing in her way is sexy head of security and lifelong crush Jake Hoffman. Her plans to seduce the diamond out from under him never included his dominant personality or her feelings getting in the way. “Rough Edges” by Emma Sinclair will capture your imagination.

  And professional jewel thief Adam Patrick Henry and disgraced technology genius Jessica Hughes team up—temporarily—to foil a diamond-smuggling plot, but their sizzling attraction might be even more dangerous than the heist in “Strange Tango” by Michelle Dayton. Check out all three of these fun novellas in June.

  Pick up one of our June releases—or check out our extensive backlist for a new favorite to fall in love with this summer.

  As always, until next month, my fellow book lovers, here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.

  Happy reading!

  Angela James

  Editorial Director, Carina Press

  Dedication

  To Stephanie. I am so honored and blessed to have you in my life. You said you wanted Trevor, and while I can’t take him away from Natalie, I can at least give him to you this way. Thank you for everything.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Rhenna Morgan

  About the Author

  Excerpt from Tempted & Taken by Rhenna Morgan

 
Chapter One

  Any bar owner in Dallas’s Deep Ellum district would be tickled shitless with a light crowd on a dreary, October weeknight. But seeing more than half the tables of his own pub occupied and both bartenders knocking out nonstop drink orders—that was a thing of beauty.

  Not too shabby for a college dropout. But then, if there was one thing Trevor Raines had learned from his brothers in the last ten years, it was that the right focus and a little ingenuity made anything attainable.

  Beside him, Jace Kennedy leaned into the brotherhood’s reserved table and motioned with Scotch in hand at Trevor’s newest waitress across the room. “That one’s a hustler.”

  Trevor followed his gaze in time to witness said hustler sidle up to one of the oversized corner booths with a drink-laden tray balanced on one palm. She was a little thing, five-foot-one at best and couldn’t weigh more than a buck-twenty sopping wet, but she had a smokin’ curvy body to go with her girl-next-door charm, a combination he’d known right away would be a hit with the men. Normally, that kind of combo would’ve made hiring her a no-brainer—even with her lack of experience. But for some reason, the idea of men hitting on Natalie Jordan nonstop had tweaked him hard enough he’d damned near turned her down.

  “Just hired her a few weeks ago,” he said. “Basically told me she’d be the best waitress I ever had if I gave her a chance.” It had been the desperation behind her vow that had tipped the scales and made him offer the position. So far, she’d made good on her claim. In fact, for a woman who’d never taken a drink order in her life, she’d acclimated to her new job a whole lot better than he’d anticipated.

  “Gotta love a woman with spunk,” Jace said.

  Another of their Haven brothers, Zeke Dugan, nursed his Bohemia Weiss and studied Natalie over the rim. “She looks familiar.”

  “Wouldn’t surprise me,” Trevor said. “Since I was just hiring for a waitress, Knox only ran a cursory background check. He still turned up an expired RN license she hadn’t put on her application. Was a long time ago though.”

  Zeke nodded. “Yeah, that’s gotta be it. But she didn’t work down in trauma with me. I’d remember that swagger.”

  Zeke’s fiancée, Gabe, looked up from the wedding magazine anchored between her and Jace’s wife, Viv, and smacked him on the shoulder. “You’re weeks away from being a married man. You’re not supposed to appreciate another woman’s swagger anymore.”

  “Didn’t say I appreciated it, gatinha. I said I’d have remembered it.” He snatched her hand before Viv could drag her back into all things wedding dresses and cakes, kissed her knuckles, and grinned. “I’ll take your leisurely strut to a power walk any day.”

  Trevor reclined against his seat back and considered his newest hire while she worked, an act he’d caught himself doing a little more often than he’d like to admit with her being an employee. Defining the way Natalie moved as a power walk was a little harsh. Yeah, she got from point A to point B without a whole lot of dillydallying, but it didn’t diminish the subtle sway of her hips or the way her body flowed from one task to another. Fluid and smooth like a full river after a heavy rain.

  Done with handing out drinks, Natalie wove through her section, eyes sharp and checking for needed refills. The soft mini lights strung across the ceiling cast her pixie features in an easy glow, and the standard-issue tank top with The Den’s logo showcased one helluva rack. One he’d already caught a whole host of men eyeballing, and that made him seriously consider outfitting her in an oversized T-shirt.

  She’d just about made it back to the arched opening that led to the main bar when she slid her phone out of her back pocket, checked the screen, and hurried out of sight.

  “Damn it,” he murmured before he knocked back the last of his beer.

  “There a problem?” Jace asked.

  Probably. Despite how good she’d worked out on the floor and the pure joy of watching her move, there were some bad habits he couldn’t overlook. “Fucking cell phones. I told her they’re off-limits while she’s working and I’ve busted her with the thing twice tonight.”

  “Could just be checking the time,” Zeke said. “And if she’s taking care of her people, what’s the harm?”

  “If you were with a patient, would you text?”

  Zeke chuckled. “Point taken. But then I don’t have time to text when someone’s bleeding out all over the ER’s floor.”

  “With your attention span, you’d probably try.” Jace spun the toothpick anchored at the corner of his mouth with his tongue and focused on Trevor. “Don’t jump the gun on your new girl too quick. Could’ve been a misunderstanding on her part. If she’s doin’ all right otherwise, talk to her first. Unless you’re in a big hurry to start interviewing again?”

  “Hell no.” The last round had taken him three weeks to hire two girls. Natalie had ended up being the only one worth the effort.

  Viv straightened from the mini wedding huddle at the end of the table and slid the two-inch-thick bridal magazine right in front of Gabe. “Really? You don’t like that one? It’d look great on you.”

  Gabe dipped her chin and aimed a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me glare back at her. “I fix cars for a living and wear jeans three hundred and sixty-two days out of the year. The only thing a train is going to do for me is make sure I face-plant in front of everyone.”

  “I don’t get it,” Trev said to Zeke. “If you’re not doing a big shindig, why go through all the cake and dress nonsense? Just let me fly you to Vegas like we did for Viv and Jace.”

  Viv scowled good-naturedly across the table. “Cake and dresses are not nonsense. No matter where they get hitched, every woman gets to feel pretty on her wedding day.” Seemingly satisfied she’d gotten her point across, she licked her finger, flipped to the next page, and hunched closer to Gabe.

  Zeke lowered his voice, obviously intent on skirting any more dirty looks from the women. “Gabe doesn’t know what she wants yet. Whatever we do will be just family, but if she opts for someplace quick and fun, we’ll take you up on the ride.”

  Trevor shrugged. He still didn’t get why everyone made such a big deal out of one day when what really mattered came after. “Whatever works.”

  “Spoken like a man who’s not yet surrendered. One of these days though...” Jace grinned and sipped his Scotch.

  Trevor held up both hands. “Don’t turn your matchmaking sights on me. I’m not a qualified candidate for marriage.”

  “Don’t know why you’re so against it,” Zeke said. “Out of all of us, you’re the one who had the best relationship role models.”

  “I’d hardly call my dad a role model.”

  Zeke’s expression blanked hard and fast. “I meant Frank. You’re nothing like your biological father, flesh and blood or not.”

  Right. Because Trevor had done so well reining in his fists growing up. Didn’t mean he didn’t wish Zeke was right.

  Deftly dodging a chatty group of girls who weren’t looking where they were going, Natalie hustled to a twelve-top full of rowdy college guys and started doling out pints. If she had any clue half of them were eyeing her sweet ass, she didn’t show it. He, on the other hand, was having to fight grinding his molars to dust.

  One of Natalie’s customers reached out as she rounded the table and tried to wrap his arm around her waist.

  Trevor tensed, braced to intervene, but Natalie shifted just in time, patted the guy good-naturedly on the arm, and hurried back to the bar. Then she slid her phone free and checked the screen without breaking stride.

  Strike three.

  “I gotta go deal with this.” He stood, snatched his empty beer bottle, and motioned to everyone’s drinks. “Anyone need a refill?”

  “Nah,” Zeke said. “We’re good.”

  “Zeke and Gabe are heading out to Haven with me and Viv,”
Jace added. “The moms keep begging for a chance to weigh in on the dress.”

  Trevor shook his head. “Women.” He chin-lifted toward Zeke. “You wanna tie the knot someplace outside of Texas, the offer stands. You takin’ Gabe out in my Cessna might have made her giggle, but my G6 will make her purr.”

  “Got a rock on her finger, brother. Stop trying to sweet-talk my woman.”

  Winking at Gabe as he rounded the table, he squeezed Viv’s shoulder. “Thought you knew. The ones you can’t have are the best ones to chase.”

  Not that he’d ever chased a woman. Between his genes and long-term relationships being a pipe dream too dangerous to pursue, there’d never been a need. He ambled through the room, eyeballing the handsy bastard who’d tried to corral Natalie. Which was stupid, really. She’d handled it fine, and his manager, Ivan, wouldn’t have tolerated it for more than a nanosecond, but for some reason it pissed him off.

  Inside the main room, the gleaming honey-stained bar he’d flown in from Dublin was packed with everything from Goths to post-workday businessmen. The rock and movie memorabilia he’d paid a small fortune for hung from every wall, but gave the rest of the old-world pub décor a trendy edge. Two of the other waitresses were stationed at tables near the front but Natalie was nowhere in sight.

  He sidled up to Vicky behind the bar. “Where’s Natalie?”

  Frowning, his top-notch bartender scanned the room and tucked her bottle opener in her back pocket.

  A dark-headed guy with full sleeves and gauge earrings big enough to shoot a .44 through swiveled from his wingman. “You lookin’ for the perky little waitress with the powerhouse stride?”

  Great. Another one to keep an eye on. “Yep, that’s the one.”

  The guy nodded toward the employee entrance at the back of the bar. “She ducked out there a few minutes ago.”

  So much for Zeke’s time-checking theory. As rules went, Trevor didn’t spout a long list, and he damned sure couldn’t go bending the ones he had no matter how efficient an employee was. “Appreciate it.”