Never Surrender: A MacKenzie Family Novella (The MacKenzie Family) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Book Description

  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

  Epilogue

  Never Surrender

  By Kaylea Cross

  A MacKenzie Family Novella

  Introduction by Liliana Hart

  Never Surrender

  A MacKenzie Family Novella

  Copyright 2017 Kaylea Cross

  ISBN: 978-1-942299-83-7

  Introduction copyright 2017 Liliana Hart

  Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

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

  Book Description

  Never Surrender

  By Kaylea Cross

  New York Times bestselling author Kaylea Cross dives into Liliana Hart’s MacKenzie family with NEVER SURRENDER…

  As the Bagram crew assembles at a guest ranch in Montana to celebrate the wedding of two of its own, everyone expects a fun week-long vacation enjoying some much-needed downtime together. But in the picturesque foothills bordering the ranch, a hidden danger lurks.

  When the guys stumble upon evidence of a domestic terrorist cell during the bachelor party, it puts everyone directly in the crosshairs of a lethal enemy determined to remain unseen, unleashing a wave of danger every bit as deadly as what they faced back overseas. Then a shocking revelation from the past comes to light, and it may be the key to winning the fight. Now they must come together as a team to eliminate the threat, before they wind up gathered for a funeral instead of a wedding.

  About Kaylea Cross

  NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast, and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC, with her husband and family.

  You can visit Kaylea at www.kayleacross.com. If you would like to be notified of future releases, please join her newsletter. Direct link: http://kayleacross.com/v2/newsletter/

  Also by Kaylea Cross

  Click to purchase

  ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

  DEA FAST Series

  Falling Fast

  Colebrook Siblings Trilogy

  Brody’s Vow

  Wyatt’s Stand

  Easton’s Claim

  Hostage Rescue Team Series

  Marked

  Targeted

  Hunted

  Disavowed

  Avenged

  Exposed

  Seized

  Wanted

  Betrayed

  Reclaimed

  Titanium Security Series

  Ignited

  Singed

  Burned

  Extinguished

  Rekindled

  Blindsided: A Titanium Security novella

  Bagram Special Ops Series

  Deadly Descent

  Tactical Strike

  Lethal Pursuit

  Danger Close

  Collateral Damage

  Never Surrender (a MacKenzie Family novella)

  Suspense Series

  Out of Her League

  Cover of Darkness

  No Turning Back

  Relentless

  Absolution

  PARANORMAL ROMANCE

  Empowered Series

  Darkest Caress

  HISTORICAL ROMANCE

  The Vacant Chair

  EROTIC ROMANCE (writing as Callie Croix)

  Deacon’s Touch

  Dillon’s Claim

  No Holds Barred

  Touch Me

  Let Me In

  Covert Seduction

  Author’s Note

  Dear readers,

  I’m so darn excited to be part of Liliana Hart’s MacKenzie family, and to catch up with the Bagram crew! Writing this novella felt like I was visiting with old friends, a very cool feeling for an author. I’ve missed these amazing guys and gals a lot.

  Hope you enjoy this one. Get ready, because in addition to all the action, Ace’s grandma has plenty of antics and shenanigans up her sleeve.

  Happy reading!

  Kaylea Cross

  Author Acknowledgments

  A huge thank you to Liliana Hart for inviting me to be a part of her MacKenzie World, and to the editing and marketing team behind this project.

  And to my own personal editing team, for all their hard work behind the scenes. Thank you so much!

  Finally, to my own dearly departed grandmother, a character in real life. This story wouldn’t have been half as much fun without you in it.

  Dedication

  This one’s for all my Bagram fans. I’ve missed these guys and gals so much! Our men and women in uniform are incredible, aren’t they?

  And, for Grandma C. You were such a character in real life, and I have a feeling you’d be tickled to see your likeness in the pages of my stories. Not surprisingly, you stole the show as much in this story as you did in real life.

  Also, just so you know, we did indeed play Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire at your memorial service, as requested. You’re welcome. Every time I hear that song, I think of you and smile.

  Hope it’s not too hot down there, and that there’s a healthy reserve of rye. xo

  An Introduction to the Mackenzie Family World

  Dear Readers,

  I’m thrilled to announce the MacKenzie Family World is returning! I asked five of my favorite authors to create their own characters and put them into the world you all know and love. These amazing authors revisited Surrender, Montana, and through their imagination you’ll get to meet new characters, while reuniting with some of your favorites.

  These stories are hot, hot, hot and packed with action and adventure—exactly what you’d expect from a MacKenzie story. It was pure pleasure for me to read each and every one of them and see my world through someone else’s eyes. They definitely did the series justice, and I hope you discover five new authors to put on your auto-buy list.

  Make sure you check out Spies and Stilettos, a brand new, full-length MacKenzie novel written by me. This will be the final installment of the MacKenzie series, featuring Brady Scott and Elena Nayal. After eighteen books of my own and ten books written by other bestselling authors in the MacKenzie World, it’s going to be difficult to say goodbye to a family I know as well as my own. Thank you for falling in love with the MacKenzies.

  So grab a glass of wine, pour a bubble bath, and prepare to Surrender.

  Love Always,

  Liliana Hart

  Available now! Click to purchase.

  Spies & Stilettos by Liliana Hart

  Trouble Maker by Liliana Hart<
br />
  Rush by Robin Covington

  Never Surrender by Kaylea Cross

  Avenged by Jay Crownover

  Bullet Proof by Avery Flynn

  Delta: Rescue by Cristin Harber

  Hot Witness by Lynn Raye Harris

  Deep Trouble by Kimberly Kincaid

  Wicked Hot by Gennita Low

  Desire & Ice by Christopher Rice

  Hollow Point by Lili St. Germain

  Table of Contents

  Book Description

  About Kaylea Cross

  Also by Kaylea Cross

  Author’s Note

  Author Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  An introduction to the MacKenzie Family World by Liliana Hart

  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

  Epilogue

  Discover the Liliana Hart MacKenzie Family Collection

  Discover the World of 1001 Dark Nights

  An excerpt from Fast Kill by Kaylea Cross

  Special Thanks

  Chapter One

  Candace “Ace” Wentworth strode into the lobby of the grand resort’s main building like she owned the place, which she guessed she kind of did. In a roundabout way, anyhow.

  She could barely contain her excitement at being here again, because this was going to be a big week. Her husband was still overseas at Bagram, but in about fifteen minutes she’d be reunited with two of her former roommates from her deployments there—including her bestie, Maya—for the first time in a year.

  Life might have taken all five of them in different directions, but they still kept in touch. Their time at Bagram and the things that had happened there had forged bonds that no amount of time and distance could break. Weddings had a way of bringing old friends together, and this particular one was going to be magical.

  It felt good to be back here again, the first time since she’d enlisted. Located just outside the town of Surrender, Montana, The Hills resort was an exclusive property consisting of a sprawling collection of huge log cabin-style buildings built near the end of the nineteenth century. Ten years ago the owners—her grandmother included—had completely refurbished everything, restoring each building and the grounds to their original Gilded Age splendor.

  Soft piano music drifted through the luxurious expanse of the lobby as she walked across the gleaming wide plank flooring, her high heels clicking softly. A warm glow from antique light fixtures more than a hundred and twenty-years old mixed with the natural evening light streaming through the wide, tall windows covering the exterior walls. Beyond them, pastures rolled like a green and gold carpet away from the buildings as far as the eye could see, the huge glass panes framing a breathtaking view of the surrounding hills and ranchland.

  On the far side of the lobby, she turned left and followed the thick rug lining the center of the hallway that led toward the lounge, an exquisite room with wood-paneled walls and ceilings. It looked like the kind of masculine study that one of the Vanderbilts might have built at the end of the 1800s.

  As expected, it wasn’t hard to find her grandmother.

  Candace spotted her instantly over at the long, polished bar in the corner of the room. The legendary Ruby Bradford sat on a high barstool nursing a rye, a cigarette dangling from the fingers of her other hand. Unfiltered, of course, because what would be the point of suddenly switching to filtered ones after all these years?

  Given that it was almost seven, Candace guessed it was likely her grandma’s fourth or fifth “drinky-poo” of the day. If not more.

  “Hey there,” she said.

  Her grandma turned on the stool, exposing the length of her stocking-clad calves below the hem of her knee-length skirt, and raised an eyebrow. “Well, look who it is: my Candy Cane.” She lifted an arm by way of invitation and Candace leaned down to hug her, trying not to cough at the cloud of smoke surrounding them.

  “Good to see you.” She pulled away and sat on the next stool. “I guess this means the nonsmoking thing doesn’t apply to you?” she said in a wry voice.

  Her grandma’s pale green eyes twinkled with the mischief she was legendary for. Ruby Bradford was one of a kind, and a force of nature. Anyone who tried to get in her way got bulldozed before they even realized what was happening. “Oh, poo. We’re the only ones in here, so it’s not like I’m bothering anyone. I just needed a quick nicotine fix. What are they gonna do, kick me out of the place I own half of?” She snorted. “I think not.” She swallowed the remaining half-inch of rye in her tumbler and signaled the bartender, who’d been at the far end polishing glasses. And probably trying to avoid the smoke. “I’ll have another, please, Elliot.”

  Candace caught the way the man tried to smother a grin as he took the glass and poured another inch of rye into it. “So, when did you get here?” Her grandma had flown in from the Hamptons, where she’d been on vacation for the past month.

  “Last night. Where’s Ryan?”

  “He’s flying in the morning of the wedding. Unless something comes up.” A strong possibility, given how busy his unit had been during this latest deployment. Combat controllers were in huge demand on the battlefield.

  The heavy feeling in her stomach returned. Things hadn’t been going the greatest between them for the last little while. It had been months since they’d last seen each other, shortly before she’d left Bagram. She missed him so damn much, she couldn’t wait for him to get here.

  Even if she was dreading the talk they had to have once he did.

  “I’m sure it’ll all be fine.” Grandma tapped her cigarette over an ashtray to knock off the ash, took another drag, then blew a stream of smoke out of the corner of her mouth—away from Candace, her attempt at a concession for her granddaughter being a nonsmoker. “The bride and groom here yet?”

  Erin was a former army nurse, and Wade, a former CIA clandestine service officer, who had met back at Bagram. Their love story was intense, and one of the most romantic Candace had ever heard of. They’d been placed in a safe house together in Virginia for their own protection, which turned out not to be safe at all. Wade had eventually killed the terrorist he’d served for several years while undercover, but had been unable to locate the dirty bomb they’d been hunting for in time. After the blast he’d pulled Erin from the rubble on his own in spite of the risk of radioactive contamination, and refused to leave her side.

  If that wasn’t romantic, Candace didn’t know what was.

  Since Erin was from Montana, when she’d approached Candace about the possibility of getting married here at the resort, Candace had been more than happy to do what she could to make it happen for her old roomie. “Yes, and one other couple as well.”

  “What about the others?” Grandma tamped out the cigarette, and Elliot discreetly removed the ashtray to behind the bar so she couldn’t light another.

  “They’ll all be here before the wedding.” Hopefully.

  “Good. I’m told the chef’s got chateaubriand on the menu at the grill tonight.” She took a sip of her drink and faced Candace. “So, you’ve got everything planned out, I assume?”

  Erin had tasked Candace with setting up a few things for everyone in the days leading up to the wedding. “Yep, got it all listed right here.” She pulled out her phone and brought it up. “Nothing too structured. A few group meals, a couple of activities planned. On Thursday us girls are going to the spa for the day, while the guys go out and do…whatever it is they plan on doing out in the mountains. The next night will be the welcome dinner, when Wade’s and Erin’s families get here.”

  Grandma made a face and swirled the rye around in her glass. “I think I’d
rather spend the day with the guys than go to the spa.”

  Candace shot her a frown and nudged her with an elbow. “Don’t be like that. It’ll be fun.” The other girls all got a giant kick out of her grandma, and Erin had insisted Candace invite her along for the day.

  She raised her eyebrows. “You ever seen a woman my age get a massage? All that loose, wrinkly skin sliding all over the place?” She grimaced and shook her head. “Bah. I’d rather go drinking and shooting with the men anytime.”

  Yeah, because the guys would love to have her high-functioning alcoholic grandmother running around with loaded firearms in the middle of their bachelor party. Good God, Grandma really was terrifying sometimes. “So then get a facial and a pedicure instead of a massage.”

  Grandma made another face, though she refrained from commenting this time.

  “There she is,” a familiar, slightly Spanish-accented female voice said from behind her.

  She swiveled on the stool and let out an excited squeal when she saw two of her roomies and their men heading toward them, Maya in the lead. “Hey!”

  Grinning from ear to ear, she rushed over and grabbed the former Air Force Security Forces officer in a crushing hug. Maya was shorter than her, but still all muscle and attitude. Always badass.

  Some things never changed, even though there was more of a feminine softness to Maya than there used to be. “It’s so good to see you guys!” Candace said.

  “We wouldn’t miss it,” Erin, the bride-to-be, joked behind Maya. Green eyes sparkling, she spread her arms wide for the next hug.

  “You look fantastic,” Candace told her, leaning back to run a hand over her shiny brown waves before shifting her gaze to the tall man behind her. “Definitely prettier than the groom.”