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The world needed warriors who could fight the good fight, and Jonas Slowman, Navajo name “The Shadow,” was the best of the best.
Gun in one hand, Emily’s hand in the other, Jonas continued his progress along the wooded side of the road in pursuit of a lead. Between his ranger training in the military and his experience with the Brotherhood of Warriors, he knew all the tricks of the trade. But one moment’s distraction could result in lethal consequences. Jonas knew how to stay alive, and that’s why he was here now instead of in a cemetery on the Navajo Nation. Without focus, he and Emily would be nothing more than the walking dead. That, more than anything, confirmed for him that there was no place for love in his life. It softened a man and muddied his objectivity. And he had to keep Emily safe.
Dear Reader,
Several years ago I began to experience a loss of vision. Those months were without a doubt the most terrifying of my life. Like the heroine, I told no one at first, but eventually David, my husband, guessed what was going on. Throughout that difficult time David stood beside me. It was his love that bolstered my courage whenever it sagged.
For the purposes of this story I’ve chosen to mirror some of the symptoms I experienced and the issues I confronted, hoping to give you a more intimate glimpse into my life at the time. The terror, the feelings of isolation, the desperate need to plan for the unknown, are all part of my heroine Emily’s story, too.
Emily has her project—constructing an inn—to keep her hopes alive. I had my writing. Bringing these stories to you kept me focused and eventually saw me through that period in my life.
I’ve recovered my sight, but the lessons I learned during those days will remain with me forever. I now know that there’s no greater blessing than a love that neither time nor circumstance can stem.
With that in mind, I bring you The Shadow.
Aimée Thurlo
The Shadow
Aimée Thurlo
MILLS & BOON
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To Peg, because between the both of us,
we give new meaning to mi casa es tu casa.
And Deb Hetrick who always has something nice to say.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aimée Thurlo is a nationally known bestselling author. She’s the winner of a Career Achievement Award by RT Book Reviews, the New Mexico Book Award in contemporary fiction and a Willa Cather Award in the same category. She’s published in twenty countries worldwide.
She also cowrites the bestselling Ella Clah mainstream mystery series praised in the New York Times Book Review.
Aimée was born in Havana, Cuba, and lives with her husband of thirty-nine years in Corrales, New Mexico. Her husband, David, was raised on the Navajo Indian Reservation.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Jonas Slowman —He had the power to make things happen, but what he wanted most was out of his reach.
Emily Atkins —Her hopes and dreams for the future demanded she stay strong. Yet the warrior who fought beside her was her greatest weakness.
Dinétsoh —The trusted member of the Brotherhood had disappeared with a fortune in bearer bonds that Emily desperately needed.
Robert Jefferson —A real estate lawyer about to make the deal of his life—if he lived long enough to collect.
Grant Woods —He wanted the Atkins property, and wasn’t prepared to take no for an answer.
Jen Caldwell —Not so innocent, the legal assistant was in a position to know everything…or so she thought.
Sam Carpenter —He was Grant Woods’ handyman, but who was he really working for?
Contents
Prologue
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
Prologue
Dinétsoh gripped the heavy briefcase tightly with his uninjured hand as he tried to figure out what to do next. He couldn’t afford to lose those bearer bonds; anyone could cash them in. The Navajo Nation needed the funds to buy the land where their ancestral refuge had been hidden—then rediscovered, less than ten years ago.
He checked the makeshift bandage on his wounded arm as he stopped behind a tall juniper to catch his breath. The bullet from the high-powered rifle had passed through his arm cleanly, leaving two gaping holes in his biceps. The improvised bandage had temporarily stemmed the flow
