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      This book is dedicated to dear friends

      Cris Gaytan Beck and Deb Leahy Dunphy, whom I think of fondly every time I see my right foot:

      You both are tattooed on my heart.

       1

      LAZARUS SECURITY WAS EXACTLY the type of well-oiled engine he could see himself willing to get his hands dirty with.

      Mace Harrison squinted into the watery early November sunlight where he stood near the back of the training center strategically located behind the building. Everything at the company was top of the line, including personnel. Situated on several acres just outside Colorado Springs, Lazarus was an extraordinary operation that in a short time was already gaining notable momentum within the private security industry.

      It was one of the reasons why he was there.

      The other was Lazarus partner Darius Folsom.

      He nodded at his old friend now.

      How far did they go back? Fifteen years, at least. To the first time Mace’s parents had shipped him and his older brother Marcus off to live with his paternal grandfather for the summer? Their military family had moved to yet another house in yet another city and he’d been young enough to need supervision, and old enough to cause trouble because he’d hated moving. And then there was his need to escape the shadow his brother cast that threatened to suffocate him. Dari and his family had lived around the block from his grandfather and he and Mace had become fast friends.

      They’d enlisted in the Marines at around the same time—by that point Mace choosing to live at his grandfather’s house, which offered him greater independence—but they hadn’t been stationed together until the past year.

      Darius Folsom had recently completed his second tour, but Mace still had a six-month stretch ahead of him. He was back home for a brief week break, investigating job opportunities, Lazarus at the top of the list.

      Of course, it was also possible he’d take on that counter-terrorism desk job he’d been offered in Washington, D.C.

      And he was purposely ignoring the fact that he was also there to accept an award he didn’t deserve and didn’t want.

      The Navy Cross …

      A small bit of metal that might as well be the size of a Humvee as far as he was concerned.

      Of course, some brave men and women went their entire lives without receiving such an honor.

      He supposed he should feel guilty for not wanting it. But considering everything … well, many had made the ultimate sacrifice and received nothing more than a military burial.

      How would his brother feel about the medal? He imagined Marcus would give him one of his trademark smirks and slap him hard on the back. “Still running after me, little bro? Think you’ll catch up? You might want to pick up the pace.”

      Of course, Mace could only guess at what he’d say. Because Marcus wasn’t there. Not anymore.

      But Mace still felt shadow hands choking him from behind, a sensation that was even stronger when he was within a hundred miles of his parents.

      A time like now.

      “So what do you think?” Dari said hesitantly, after having given him the nickel tour of Lazarus Security, apparently having noticed the darkening of his expression.

      “Impressive,” Mace said, shaking off his thoughts although he knew better than to try to rid himself of the shadow; that would be there forever. “Very impressive.”

      Darius’s grin was his response.

      “Good job, old pal.” Mace squeezed his shoulder. “This is really something. You can tell you’ve put a lot of work into it.”

      “Thanks.”

      It still amazed him that Dari drew such words close to heart. Oh, not from anyone. The big, tough Marine wasn’t easily flattered. But when it came to his friends … Amazing. “Don’t let the success go to your head,” he teased now.

      Dari laughed. “Don’t worry. This is a joint endeavor and I had very little to do with the start-up. I was too busy overseas getting my ass shot and saved by someone we both know.”

      Mace grimaced as he glanced at his friend’s leg. “You’d have made it out on your own.”

      “Maybe. Maybe not.”

      What went unsaid was that several of their team hadn’t made it out.

      And it was that incident that not only still gave Mace—and very likely Dari—nightmares, it was what had ultimately earned him that damn medal he’d be accepting at some sort of bigwig event that Saturday.

      He wondered if it wasn’t too late to hop onto the first transport out. He’d take full-on

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