Forced Enemy

Military veteran turned Keeper Operative, Ronan O’Reilly is as loyal as they come. When his friend goes MIA while serving, the hunt for answers collides his path with the woman he loved...who didn’t choose him.

Escaped captive, Daily finds herself caught once again. This time between the pain of the past and a future without her missing baby... a child no one believes exists. Except for Ronan.

But he has questions of his own— like where has she been and why everyone close to her is either missing or dead. Daily’s answers don’t add up, and the suspicion surrounding her grows. 

Ronan is torn between instinct and training, between doing the right thing and crossing a dangerous line. Nothing is as it seems... and each step closer to the truth, takes them through a landmine of lies.

This mission is personal... And deadly.

It was quite a page turner and impossible to figure out.

A must read for anyone that enjoys a great mystery packed with action.

Oh my what a read! This book was crazy. I loved it!

Blew me away. What a shocker! Loved this book!!!

This is another grand slam story in The Keepers series! Each book just keeps getting better and incredibly more intricate!!

St Klaire is a master of intrigue and suspense while giving each character emotions, and heartfelt moments.

Excellent mystery writer, excellent read!

Geez Louise, What A Ride!!!

Stephanie St. Klaire keeps the blood pumping and the adrenaline flowing!!

A nonstop thriller!!!

As the climax ramps up, try not to get whiplash with the twists and turns in this high stakes drama because YOU. WILL. NOT. SEE. THE. END. COMING!

Another nail biter from Stephanie St. Klaire!!

Stephanie writes Romantic suspense so well it's scary!

Stephanie St. Klaire writes dialogue that is believable, fast paced, and gritty at times. At other times, it can be so honest and vulnerable, it can make readers cry. She knows how to get readers to care about her characters, and care about everything that happens to them.

GET THIS BOOK! It is amazing!!

This story is intense and exciting!

I love this story! I couldn’t stop reading as fast as I could, until I finished, knowing the book hangover that would be the result, but it was so worth it!

Stephanie St. Klaire is the Queen of Suspense. What a Rush!!!

Stephanie St. Klaire has a way with words that keeps me on the edge of my seat!!

Holy twisted, intense, hold-on-for-the-ride, romantic suspense!!!

Author Stephanie St. Klaire is a master at romantic suspense!

As always, this is a must read and must finish as soon as possible book! Ms. St. Klaire keeps you guessing!!!

I didn’t think it was possible to make this book edgier than the last, but Stephanie has done it and WOW!!!

It’s a page-turner that keeps you guessing. Just when you think we know whats happening, a curveball throws us for a loop.

5 Holy Cow Stars!!!

Lawd I’m gonna need a minute to settle down before I can write this review. Stephanie St. Klaire has outdone herself once again with this latest addition to the Keepers series.

St. Klaire's diabolical mind has written another fabulous story of greed, murder, despair, and confusion tempered with faith, family, friendship and love!!!

This tangled love story has a little of everything: love, heat, suspense, edge-of-your-seat nail biting as you turn page after page!!

I absolutely love the suspense of that Stephanie brings to her books and how she mixes in that romance piece!

There are so many twists and turns in this book, keeping the pages turning and sucking you into the story!!

This one is a rollercoaster ride that’s filled with excitement and intrigue that you are sure to find hard to put down!

Once the action started, I was sucked into the book and just had to find out what happened!!

Non-stop action, twists, turns and surprises! Get ready for so much suspense!!!

This book by Stephanie St Klaire is out of this world!!! She out does herself with each book she writes!

This book has more twists and turns than a mountain road!!!

Wow…..just wow!!

Stephanie St Klaire writes romantic suspense like no one else!

Just when I think I’m getting comfortable, Stephanie St Klaire shakes things up again and just knocks me right over!

The Keepers series just keeps getting better and better! Full of drama, romance , suspense, family and so many twists and turns !! Just when I thought I had it figured out , Stephanie throws another curveball! Great addition. Can’t wait for more!!!

You are in for a spectacular read! This book has it all. And the villain...what the heck...did not see that one coming! This author just keeps getting better and better!

One of the best romantic suspense stories I’ve read!!!

Another thriller!

Just when I thought Stephanie was taking it easy on us she proved herself to be an impressive force to reckon with yet again!

CHAPTER 1:
“What do we have on Daily Thorne so far?” Ronan asked.
“Other than she’s still missing?” Ryker replied, his words laced in sarcasm. “Nothing.”
Killion intervened, noting a subtle tension between the two brothers – twin brothers. “That isn’t entirely true. I’m beginning to suspect that the message regarding her disappearance was from her husband, Trevor.”
“Ex-husband,” Ronan corrected. “Ex.”
“Right. Ex-husband,” Killion confirmed.
“Does it matter that he’s her ex?” Ryker’s sharp tone was out of character, especially directed at his own brother.
Killion stood between the two and pointed at the large screens on the wall filled with intel they’d collected in order to redirect their attention to the case and away from each other. The team was staged in the Lair – a war room-like conference room decked with wall-to-wall screens, servers, and other devices that granted them a glimpse into just about anything anywhere. Killion put his skills to work here in his domain, cracking just about anything he needed – whether accessing information legally or hacking to find answers illegally. He was the brains of the operation, the IT specialist, and a damn genius with all of his state-of-the-art technology.
He was also their cousin. Ronan and Ryker O’Reilly didn’t look like twins, but they acted like the same damn person, completing each other’s thoughts and always a step ahead of the rest. Until now. They seemed at odds like there was a rift between them. It wasn’t obvious to anyone on the outside, but anyone who truly knew them felt the barely-there tension.
“Trevor Thorne, Daily’s husband…” Killion paused to correct himself once again. “Ex-husband…”
Ronan nodded as if approving of the declaration of their friend's marital status.
Killion continued. “Trevor is still MIA. Not a single trace. I’ve gone as far as creeping into the back doors of the DOJ and DOD databases looking for their off-books operations, digging for intel to see if I could get a hit, and there isn’t anything out there.”
“Isn’t that illegal?” Ryker snickered.
“We’ve been over this, cousin. It’s only illegal if I get caught. We designed their software here at BK Security, and Liam and I intentionally left these back doors in place that only we could find and use if needed. I’ll leave out the part about Homeland, CIA, and the rest of the feds he may have been contracted with.” Killion was referring to Liam, another O’Reilly cousin and one of the owners and founders of BK Security. The two, Liam and Killion, headed up the cyber security division and shared the same traits regarding their abilities with technology.
“The less we know, the less incriminating,” Ronan said. “Got it.”
“Exactly. Not that I anticipate being infiltrated. Anyway, that anonymous message about Daily came in on our backroom server – that’s the one that only our people know about and where we communicate when operatives are off grid. That narrowed down the pool of potential informants. There aren’t many people outside of our company with knowledge or access. Trevor is one of them.”
Ronan shrugged off Killion’s obvious statements. “He’s run dark ops with us before and collabed with us while working with different agencies. He would have been made aware of that server and know how to access it. But why would he access that server? Unless he’s running a mission with our own deep team that we don’t know about?”
Killion shook his head, hesitant to respond with anything more than necessary. He didn’t want to compromise the team in his presence or any deep cover ops that BK Security was contracted for and very few in the company were privy to. “I can tell you he isn’t running any covert ops with us at the moment. In fact, I don’t know where he is or who he’s contracting with right now, which is concerning. We keep close tabs on everyone active within BK and otherwise to make sure everything stays clean, and I lost him some time ago. If he’s working, he’s in deep. So deep even I can’t find him.”
“Which is possible and a reason to use that server as a point of contact. Also, a reason to stay anonymous while doing so,” Gannon added. “We’ve all used it anonymously before.”
“Not all of us.” CT snickered. “I never did that dark shit you guys did – at least not since being released back to civilian life.”
“Don’t feel left out, brother,” Killion said to his comrade. “You may not have run anything like this since joining the team here full time, but we always had tabs on you while you were enlisted and even while working local PD and running as an asset for BK. You aren’t missing out on anything.”
Toby Gannon and CT – referred to by his team as Charlie Tango – were BK Security agents and operatives with a long history of serving with the O’Reillys and many others within the organization.
“Don’t count yourself lucky yet,” Gannon said. “You never know what’s coming down the pipeline and what you’ll be tasked with next.”
“Thanks for the warning, man.” CT chuckled. “I’m content with where I am for now, though.”
“Don’t be invitin’ that mojo into your circle, man,” Wit interjected. “You’re just askin’ for it when you put it out in the universe like that. Manifest the good shit, not the crazy, my friend.”
“Manifest? The universe? Mojo?” Ronan questioned. “Are you serious? That sounds like some hippie-dippy shit. You okay, cowboy?”
“Finer than a bullfrog’s pucker in a puddle of mud. Just sayin’ the universe is always listenin’. We reap what we sow and what we say.” Wit extended his arms and shrugged. “I’m just sayin’, we create our own destiny and control the factors surrounding it. That there is how fate is born. I don’t make the rules, friends. I just follow them.”
“Jesus.” Rip rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. “He’s been reading those self-help books again. C’mon, man, you were shot. Okay? Part of the job. You survived. Move on.”
“I was shot more than once, and it was pretty traumatic for me this time. I saw the light, brother. I’m just here to share good vibes and be light in a mostly dark space, given what we see.”
“Can you just get back to that yeehaw bullshit already?” Rip wasn’t a fan of Wit’s newfound Zen, but then Rip wasn’t a fan of most anything. “I think I preferred it.”
“Aw, you’re coming around, big guy. But I’m sensing some bottled-up aggression. How ’bout we talk about it over some soup?” Wit landed a hand on Rip’s shoulder.
“How about we don’t.” Rip brushed away Wit’s grip. “And agree that if you touch me again, I’ll manifest the next bullet you receive straight to the ass and see if that knocks some sense back into you.”
“I’m sensing some deep-rooted aggression. I know you like me, deep down. How is your relationship with your mother?” Wit asked as straight-faced as he could manage.
“Ro?” Rip hollered. “Call him off.”
The group began to chuckle at Wit’s humor. Everyone but Rip.
Ronan broke the distraction. “Wit, for the sake of Rip’s sanity…and I guess delicate feelings, can you just leave it alone and leave the bullshit at the door?”
“Oh, I’m just messin’ with him.” Wit reached over and tossled what little hair Rip had on the top of his mostly shaven head. “I’m just trying to lighten this boy up. That stick up his ass has got to be uncomfortable, and I thought a good laugh would do him good since he doesn’t like soup.”
Rip leaned in and offered a look that cried meet your maker. “You think I have a stick up my ass now? Wait until you piss me off.”
“Whoa. So, this is happy Rip. Got it.” Wit wheeled his chair away. “Alright then.”
“Can we get back to the case?” Ronan looked back and forth between the two.
“Sure, boss. I’ll just lend Merry Sunshine here one of my books. Self-help is best navigated independently anyway.” Wit winked at Rip and turned his attention back to the issue at hand. “So, what else do we know about this case? All I keep gathering is we’re running a little blind here?”
Killion nodded and took the floor. “Our gathered intel suggests a possible pregnancy. Her bank statements listed a clinic in Deception Pass, and her online orders included prenatal vitamins and various baby…stuff.”
“Pregnant?” Ronan asked. “Why wouldn’t she say anything?”
“Maybe it’s none of your business, brother,” Ryker replied. “Why would she call you and tell you that? When’s the last time any of us spoke to her?”
“It’s been a while, but…” Ronan sat in a nearby chair and propped his elbows on his knees. He ran his fingers through his hair, realizing just how long. “I guess I just thought one of us would have heard. They were like family.”
“Until they weren’t,” Ryker said. “You never did say why you weren’t as tight with her or Trevor as you used to be.”
“I was just trying to stay neutral when they were going through the divorce – not picking sides. We had eyes on her whenever Trevor would leave, but we’ve been distracted and lost track while getting ready to move the Deception Pass operation here to Portland for the company merger.”
“We’ve had some tough cases lately. The merger is a big adjustment. Definitely been distracted.” Killion was trying to keep the group on topic and tensions low while he figured out what was going on between the two brothers. “Trevor can handle himself. He’s like one of us. Daily was married to the life and grew up the daughter of a general who we all know ranks beyond military duty. She isn’t fragile.”
“Or is she? She isn’t a trained soldier with the kind of resources any of us have. Just because she’s spent her life around it doesn’t mean she’s safe,” Ronan added. “I think we all know that the very reasons you’ve listed that may deem her safe can equally put her in danger. She is an easy target if anyone close to her has an enemy looking for revenge and knows she’s a viable pawn to play.”