there’s no going back… Strong Hold (Redemption #5) by Sarah Castille

“Powerful. Gritty. And sexy beyond belief. Sarah is a true master!”–Opal Carew, New York Times bestselling author of His to Claim

“Emotionally charged, amazingly sexy, and flat out fantastic.” —Fresh Fiction for Full Contact

Description:

Release Date: July 3rd, 2018

“Shayla?”

For the longest moment Zack’s brain couldn’t process the sight in front of him.

Seven years, ten months and twenty-seven days. That was how long it had been since he’d seen her. That was how long it had been since he’d lived a life without regret.

Fight promoter Zack Grayson is on the prowl for a rising star. As the top recruiter of a prestigious MMA promotion company, he wants to take someone where he was never able to go: the top of the professional league. He didn’t expect that someone to be the woman he loved…and left.

Top-ranked MMA amateur fighter Shayla “Shilla the Killa” Tyler built walls around her heart when Zack left her seven years ago–and again when her husband turned violent. Now, seeing Zack is nearly enough to send those walls crumbling. But she can’t risk the exposure of the limelight, and she definitely can’t risk another heartbreak.

As Shayla and Zack grow closer, though, business turns personal. And once their passion unleashes, there’s no going back…

Redemption Series: 

Against the Ropes (Book 1) ** In Your Corner (Book 2) ** Full Contact (Book 3) ** Fighting Attraction (Book 4) ** Strong Hold (Book 5)

“Castille continues to introduce characters who are both intense and vulnerable. The females are more than a match for the men in their lives, and these guys are worth their efforts.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars for Full Contact

EXCERPT

With a loud thud, the Acura door flies open. Zack bursts out of the vehicle and stalks across the grass. He is wearing his fight shorts, running shoes, and nothing else.

“Good Lord.” Cheryl grabs my wrist, squeezes tight. “I hope you’ve got some ropes, because you’re gonna have to tie me down. That piece of man candy needs some licking, and my tongue is already wet.”

I have to admit, half-naked Zack is magnificent, all broad shoulders, taut pecs, and sculpted abs, that faint dusting of hair arrowing down to where my gaze shouldn’t go when I’m in uniform and on the job. His muscles ripple as he walks, tat sleeve gleaming under the parking lot lights, hard thighs eating up the distance between us. He is breathtaking. Beautiful.

But for some reason, he doesn’t seem happy to see me.

“Where are they?” Zack swivels his head from side to side, checking out the parking lot.

Puzzled, I frown. “Who?”

“The men who attacked you.”

“They didn’t attack me. They were trying to get away and—”

“One of them is on his way to jail,” Cheryl says in a placating tone. “I’m sure by now the police will have apprehended the other one. They aren’t a threat anymore. Your girl is safe.”

Zack’s eyes narrow. “Did anyone check the building? The grounds? Vehicles in the parking lot? Are you sure there aren’t any more? Is Symbian putting on extra security?”

“Seriously?” I give an exasperated sigh. “I don’t need help to do my job.”

“Yes to all your questions.” A betraying Cheryl shoots me a grin. “And as soon as our replacements arrive, we’re off duty.”

Zack grunts his approval, and his gaze returns to me. “You’re hurt.”

I touch the bandage on my temple and shrug. “Just a few cuts and bruises. I’ve had worse at the gym. I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.” He cups my jaw, turning my face so he can inspect my injuries. “Dammit. Why didn’t you call me?”

“I was kinda busy chasing a couple of bad guys across the yard and giving them a beat down.” I pull my hand away. “This is my job, Zack. I’m perfectly capable of handling a couple of thieves.”

“She has a gun,” Cheryl adds. “And a Taser. But she didn’t need to use them. Not even when they turned on her. You should have seen it. Two massive dudes bearing down on our very own Shayla.”

Zack’s lips thin, and his face darkens. For a moment, I fear he might lose control.

“Cheryl…” I warn, but Cheryl is on a roll, and nothing is going to stop her.

“It was like David and two humungous Goliaths. They were three times her size and at least twice her weight. I thought for sure they’d rip her to pieces. I had my gun ready in case they knocked her out—or worse.”

“Cheryl!”

“Aaargh.” Zack roars his frustration and stalks across the parking lot, his chest heaving.

“Too much?” Cheryl asks with mock innocence.

“Way too much. Even after the gross exaggeration of their appearance, I thought he’d hold it together until you said ‘worse.’”

She leans against the railing and laughs. “I was checking to see if he’s really into you. News flash. He is. Also, he seems to be a very protective sort. Protective can be good or bad, depending on how much bossing around you can take.”

“Not much.”

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About the author:

Sarah Castille is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Redemption Series, Ruin & Revenge Series, Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club series, and Legal Heat series. A recovering lawyer with a fondness for dirty-talking alpha males, she now is a full-time writer, who lives on Vancouver Island. Sarah’s books have been listed as Publisher’s Weekly’s Top Ten Picks and Best Summer Reads, and Amazon’s Best Romance Books of the Year, and have won numerous reader’s choice awards including the Holt Medallion.

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