Love is the most dangerous territory of all
Every day, bodyguard Owen Jackson puts his life on the lineand keeps his feelings for Penny Sandoval locked away. Assigned to protect Pennys father, a presidential candidate, Owen cant get emotionally involved. That is, until Penny and her young son, Cruz, are abducted and taken deep into the California badlands.
Owen knows the bleak territory from his childhood. Worse, he knows the gang leader making ransom demandshis own brother, Shane. When a terrified Penny escapes into the desert with Cruz, Owen has to save her: from the elements and from the gang in close pursuit. Owen has hidden the darkness in his past from Penny. Now his only chance of keeping her alive is to let her see the man he really iseven if it means losing the only woman hell ever want.
Praise for
JILL
SORENSON
Sorenson makes her characters realistic, flawed, and appealing. Deftly handled violent action and red herrings rush this thriller to a believable ending.
Publishers Weekly on The Edge of Night
Taut with emotion, suspense and danger. Sorenson expertly weaves the two stories into a heart-wrenching conclusion.
RT Book Reviews on The Edge of Night
One of the best books of the yearnonstop, heart-pounding excitement.
RT Book Reviews on Stranded with Her Ex, Top Pick! 4.5 stars
(A) high tension romantic thriller...culminating in a page-turning climax. Despite the mystery, the real tension comes from the emotional relationships, full of explosive sex and terrible secrets.
Publishers Weekly on Crash into Me
It was definitely hot. Sooo hot. Jill Sorenson is my new favorite romantic-suspense author!
USA TODAY bestselling author Victoria Dahl on Crash into Me
Badlands
Jill Sorenson
www.millsandboon.co.uk
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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
EXCERPT
CHAPTER ONE
PENNY STILL HAD NIGHTMARES about the earthquake.
Whenever she felt trapped, she thought of that horrible stretch of days. Eight months pregnant, buried under a massive pile of concrete, no fresh air or sunlight. Shed never take freedom for granted again.
Almost done, the makeup artist said, aware that Penny was growing restless. Purse your lips.
Penny made a dutiful moue, hoping the color wouldnt draw more attention to her mouth. She already had full lips and a wide smile. When she wore bright lipstick, it was like a neon sign on her face.
The chaos in the makeup room, along with her inability to move, increased her anxiety. Her mother was getting her hair styled in a chair nearby. Her sister, Raven, had shown up late. She was standing by the door, text-messaging her boyfriend on her iPhone. She seemed annoyed that she had to wait until Penny was finished.
Her youngest sister, Leslie, was trying to distract Cruz with a book. He didnt want to sit still in this cramped environment any more than Penny did. She hoped he wouldnt cause a scene during one of the speeches. In less than an hour, shed introduce her mother in front of a huge audience at the San Diego Convention Center.
Millions would be watching from home.
Done. You look beautiful.
Thanks, she said, barely glancing at her reflection. She got up from the chair just as Cruz wiggled free from Leslies embrace and grabbed a mascara wand. Not so fast, she said, prying it from his little fingers.
Mommy! I want to paint.
Lets go for a walk, she said, putting the contraband out of reach. She shrugged out of the styling cape and grasped Cruzs hand. As she led him toward the exit, she smoothed the front of her jungle-print dress. It was green-swirled chiffon with a gathered waist and a halter top. The daring style wasnt typical for political conventions, but that was kind of the point. Shed been recruited to entice a younger, less rigid crop of voters.
Owen Jackson was standing by the door. Hed been a member of her fathers security team for about six months. Now that Jorge Sandoval had Secret Service protection, Owen had been relegated to guarding Penny and her five-year-old son, Cruz.
Owen skimmed her body with the barest hint of interest before he moved on to Cruz. Whats up, little man?
Its boring here.
Owens brows rose. This place? Its a circus.
Cruz studied a trio of men in suits passing by, as if searching for elephants. The convention centers main floor had an arched canvas ceiling that resembled a dozen circus tents, or maybe the sails of a thousand ships. It was full of interesting architectural shapes and bustling with people. Penny might have given him a tour if she wasnt worried about being recognized and accosted by reporters.
Is there any space he can play? she asked.
Right this way, Owen said, leading them down the hall. He touched the communication device at his collar, relaying the details of their location change.
Tonight her father would be awarded the official nomination at the Republican National Convention. No Hispanic-American had ever won this honor. It was the most important evening of his life. His performance would have a direct effect on the outcome of the November election. The entire nation was watching.
Penny felt like throwing up.
Shed promised to attend for her fathers sake, but she didnt care for the public scrutiny. Her status as an unwed mother hadnt gone unnoticed by her fathers conservative base. He was known for family values. Over the past few weeks, speculation about Cruzs parentage had run rampant. Religious groups had criticized her for having loose morals. Pro-life activists claimed her son was the product of rape.
Troubled by the rumors, Penny had agreed to a single on-air interview. She hadnt named and shamed Tyler, her sons father, but shed been candid in her other responses. Shed even confessed that her parents had ordered her to leave their home when she was pregnant. Then shed told the extraordinary story of Cruzs birthdays after the San Diego earthquake.
The public reaction to the interview had been overwhelmingly positive. Young people found her relatable. Everyone loved survivor stories. When her father had stood by her, expressing regret over his actions during her pregnancy, his approval ratings with women had soared.
It was just the boost he needed.
Although Penny hadnt wanted to get involved in the campaign, she felt obligated to make one last appearance on his behalf. It was the least she could do after hed given her his unconditional support.
She followed Owen to a small outdoor terrace that offered a spectacular view of the San Diego Bay. It was closed in, with walls on both sides and a Plexiglas barrier in lieu of a guardrail. At sunset, the surface of the ocean rippled with golden highlights. Cruzs eyes lit up when he saw the fountain in the middle of the terrace. Water bubbled from the top of a stone pillar, cascading down its smooth facade.
Let me take off your jacket, she said.
He endured the three-second delay with impatience, his little body leaning toward the fountain. As soon as he broke loose, he raced to the fountains edge. She watched him play for a moment, her arms crossed over her chest. He gathered leaves from a nearby plant to make an armada of floating ships, sinking them with pebble bombs.
Focusing on Cruz helped her regain a sense of calm. He meant everything to her. Strangers said they looked alike, but his tawny-brown hair came straight from Tyler. It was thick and tended to curl at the ends, brushing the collar of his shirt. Sometimes, when his hair was freshly washed, she hugged him close and buried her face in it. Her love for him was boundless, almost frightening in its intensity.
Shed die without him.
Taking a deep breath, she moved her gaze to Owen. He was a tall, unobtrusive statue beside her. Away from the crowds, he didnt need to be on high alert. His manner wasnt exactly relaxed, but he seemed...present. As if he wouldnt choose to be anywhere else.
His appearance never varied: smooth-shaven jaw, close-cropped blond hair, inexpensive black suit. She knew from experience that there were hidden depths to his pale blue eyes, dark secrets lurking beneath his ill-fitted jacket and white button-down shirt. The faint scars on his neck and hand, remnants from laser-removed tattoos, told a very different tale than his clean-cut image implied.
Cruz thought Owen was some kind of secret superhero. Shed told him that Owen had rescued them during the earthquake, and helped track down criminals in Sierra National Park. Her son had started making up elaborate stories of Owens other assorted feats.
She wondered if Owen was aware of the latest rumors. A tabloid reporter had linked them romantically, suggesting he was Cruzs father. Which was impossible, because hed been incarcerated at the time of Cruzs conception.
My sister wants to pitch a family reality show to the cable networks, she said. Keeping up with the Kardashians meets The West Wing.
He arched a brow. Sounds like your dads worst nightmare.
Mine, too.
The White House would never allow that kind of filming.
Do you think hell win?
Yes, he said after a pause.
The polls were even, but her father was gaining ground. He had momentum. If he continued to perform well, he could be the nations first Hispanic president. The thought made her heart swell with pride.
Would you move to Washington, D.C.? he asked.
No. Cruz is starting kindergarten next week, and I dont want to leave Palos Verdes.
Owen nodded, scanning the space between Cruz and the door again. Owen was often too engaged in his duties to carry on a real conversation. At this secure location, she didnt think that was a problem. Since accepting the role of bodyguard, hed put up a wall between them. He was polite and distant, as if they had no personal history. As if hed never kissed her, or assisted her in childbirth, or been her unlikely confidant.
Their interactions had become stilted.
Maybe he wasnt interested in furthering their relationship. If he was, he wouldnt have been so eager to work for her father. He had a college degree and firefighter training. Instead of applying to the LAFD, as planned, hed settled for this.
Shed settled, too. Over the past five years, shed been a dutiful daughter, grateful to her parents for welcoming her and Cruz back home. Theyd taken care of her financial needs and spoiled Cruz rotten. Between getting her degree and being a single mother, shed been too busy to disappoint them.
Theyd never approve of her dating someone like Owen.
She fell into a contemplative silence as the sun set over the bay. It felt odd to be back in San Diego with Owen again. Before the earthquake, Penny had lived here for several months with her aunt, who had died in the freeway collapse. The convention center was less than five miles from the interchange, which marked the epicenter. Most of the damage had been repaired years ago. The city showed no signs of its former devastation.
Owen fashioned a paper plane out of a discarded advertisement for the convention and handed it to Cruz. Instead of launching it off the balcony, Cruz ran around in circles, lifting the jet high overhead.
The clinic offered me a part-time position, she said. Im going to be their new community health educator.
He looked impressed. Congratulations.
She thanked him with a nod. Although shed done a lot of volunteer work during her final semester of college, this would be her first paid job. She was freshly graduated, ready to make a difference.