Redeeming Luke

Redeeming Luke:

You met them in the McKenzie Ridge Series, get to know them in Brother's Keeper...

This broody bunch of Irish Alpha's with heart are the brother's you want on your side when things go wrong... 

Five brothers. One mission. Justice.

Luke O’Reilly has seen it all, done it all, and lived through it all. When a career ending injury forces him to retire from the military, he struggles to adapt. Luke was born to be a soldier, not conform to the nine-to-five mediocrity of everyday life. He needs to protect and serve like he needs his next breath.

Angry, with a bitter taste of civilian life, he finds himself searching for purpose in dangerous operatives through the family business that is Brother’s Keeper Security. Working alongside his brothers, protecting them and those they love, gives him satisfaction. But he still wants more – needs more – and struggles to find it. That is, until the one thing he didn’t think he was searching for, lands on his doorstep. Literally.

Daisy King lives life on her own terms, just the way she likes it. A free spirit, until she finds herself in the protective clutches of Brother’s Keeper, one frustrating brother in particular. As the key witness to a high-profile murder, the stakes turn dangerous and take an unpredictable twist leaving her once simple life an existence she’ll never reclaim.

In a true tug of war between good and evil, Luke fights to overcome his past, to protect his future. Can Luke and Daisy save each other and find a happily ever after?

Or, does murder and mayhem prevail, robbing Daisy of her freedom and sentencing Luke to a life alone?

“The book just took my breath away”

“Without a doubt the story is a solid 5 star.”

“The author gives you an action pack read with humor, romance, sorrow, pain, longing, suspense, needs and some very passionate scenes, with delightful twists and turns you are going to love.”

“There is action, thrills, as few heart stopping moments.”

“Grabbed my attention from the first page until the end. I totally loved this from start to finish.”

“The plot of this story is action packed. It had twists & turns & just when you thought everything was smooth sailing, it twisted again!”

“The story grabbed my attention from the first page & I dove in. When I finally looked up, I had just read the last word! “

“This author can't cease to amaze me! Her versatility and talent is completely displayed in this book, which draws you to it and catches you from the very beginning and holds you throughout and even when you reach the end, it's very difficult to let go.”

“In true Stephanie St. Klaire form, you're never really sure who you can trust and who all of the players are. “

“The story was exciting and frightening and sexy.”

“I found myself holding my breath and stifling tears.”

“So worth the five stars and more…”

“Ms. St. Klaire is on a roll!! I love these O’Reilly brothers…”

“This story is told in a way that love, forgiveness and acceptance rule the day.”

“It has incredible nail-biting anticipation until the very end!
By far the best yet! “

“I am in love with the world Stephanie St. Klaire has created and look forward to going back again and again.”

“This is my favorite book to date by Stephanie St Klaire.”

“A well written, well-researched story that will keep you on your toes while biting your nails. A true romantic suspense story. I highly recommend it.”

“Fantastic story! It was an emotionally charged story from the very beginning.”

“If you love good, romantic suspense you need to pick up a copy of this book, it is spectacular.”

“Ms. St. Klaire does it again, another emotional, fun and intriguing story.”

“This is a can't put down page turner full of laughs, tears,intrigue,missing people, redemption and love.”

“Another Great read by Stephanie St. Klaire. How can one person keep getting better and better, like she does. But boy does she!”

“Full of mystery, suspense, danger, angst, humor, a great storyline, romance and twists that kept me turning the pages.”

“If you like books with suspense, danger, and lots of romance this book is for you.”

“AWESOME!! EXCITING AND NAIL BITING!!”

“Who needs a TV to watch action thrillers when I have the Brother's Keeper series on my kindle?”

“Each book in this series has had me on the edge of my seat engrossed in the mystery that is trying to destroy them or someone they love.”

“Like all great TV series, this book has the most amazing recurring characters.”

“Absolutely loved this emotional exciting tale.”

“5 Forever Stars…”

“St. Klaire proves once again why she is my favorite go to for romantic suspense.”

“From page one she keeps you on the edge of your seat. This story is so chock full of action, suspense, humor, family and last, but not least, lots of love.”

“I really need someone to turn Brother’s Keeper and the McKenzie Ridge series into either a movie, or a TV show, pronto!”

“As with the rest of Ms St Klaire’s books, you will not want to put this book down!”

“Stephanie St Klaire has a way with intrigue, romance and humor.”

“Stephanie had me hook, line and sinker! My eyes were glued from page one!”

“I loved this book so much! I devoured the entire thing in one sitting. Once I started, I just couldn't stop.”

“Everything I love in a book; comedy, romance, friendship, angst, suspense and plenty of surprises.”

“I felt like I was right there in the story with them. This was one of those book where it was so good, you just didn't want it to end. Absolutely 5 stars all the way!”

“Love, political intrigue, super secret tech stuff, suspense, budding relationships, and emotional healing are all part of this wonderful ride.”

“I like Stephanie St. Klaire's brand of suspense. The villain is not always who you first assume or believe it to be. Plus, she has a way of immersing you into her characters' lives so you feel like a part of the family, fully invested in their HEA.”

“Loved this book from beginning to end. Ms. St. Klaire has wrote another winner with Luke.”

“The suspense was just amazing –– one you won't be able to put down.”

“The suspense was just amazing. One you won't be able to put down.”

“She creates a wonderfully woven story of romance that makes your heart throb, humor that makes you laugh out loud, suspense that makes your heart beat faster, s3x that makes body parts throb and HEA's that make you cry. St. Klaire has it all!”

“OMG! How do you describe a story that has it all?”

“Stephanie St. Klaire writes an intense, compelling, suspenseful romance.

“A heart stopping read!”

“I love a good mystery with romance and this definitely delivered!!!”

“Mystery, action, humor, healing, and hot romance.”

“Stephanie St. Klaire has given us another winner!”

“Luke is the best thing that this author has written, ever!”

“This book, like the rest of the series did not disappoint. You won't want to put this book down from page one. Stephanie hit a home run again with this story.”

“I don’t know how she does it, but each Brothers Keeper book Stephanie writes gets better and better!”

“Such a page turner.”

“Stephanie St. Klaire continues to capture my heart in Luke…”

“I love the entire world Stephanie has created in this story and I completely devoured this story. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!”

“Stephanie St. Klaire wastes no time sucking you into Luke’s story ! From line one of this book, all the way to the end, you won’t be able to put it down.”

CHAPTER 1:
With her hand covering her mouth to quiet her heavy, quivering breaths and contain the scream edging to get out, Daisy made a decision. Run. It was now or never.
With the sound of leather-clad footsteps clicking against the glaring marble floor fading, it was time to go. There had to have been half a dozen men, but they had disappeared into the crowd at the senator’s mansion, leaving the hallway eerily silent.
Peering around the recessed mahogany doorway, Daisy held her breath, needing to confirm the men were indeed gone. Noting the coast was clear, her attention shifted to the half-open door a few feet away, where events that would change her life forever took place. Murder.
She couldn’t shake the image of Senator Antonio Martinez’s face when he realized his time on earth was done. She read that expression like a book. A gun was raised, and his face paled as his eyes grew wide, losing their color. His jaw had dropped just as the barely-there sound of a bullet cut the air in a high-pitched whoosh before piercing the senator in the middle of his forehead.
What originally had been a quick trip to the staff bathroom before switching gears from filling wine glasses to singing as the evening entertainment quickly turned her into a witness to the most heinous experience of her life. She watched a man take his last breath. The worst part: she didn’t know who killed him.
Flanking Senator Martinez on either side, she recalled two men, both Hispanic with thick, heavy accents and faces that would forever be engrained in her memory. Daisy didn’t recognize them, and identifying the rest would be nearly impossible as they stood with their backs to the door while the shouting match that had caught her attention to begin with ensued. That voice, though – she’d never forget the sound of the man’s voice who pulled the trigger.
“You chose the wrong side, Senator,” the man said in a deep baritone that carried a subtle Southern twang. “It pains me to do this, but I’m sure you understand.”
A chill raced down her spine. The choice of words was as evil as the deed. Patronizing and sympathetic yet accusing. Like the senator forced the hand of his murderer, leaving him no choice but to take his life. There she stood, in the doorway across from the man’s final resting place, searching for courage. Silently, she counted to three, then five, and on ten, she launched, sprinting for the heavy craftsman door facilitating her escape.
Just as she reached it, a sound came from behind her. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she saw a man standing in the doorway of the dead senator’s office, looking right at her. She saw him move but didn’t stick around to see where or why. She ran, faster than she knew she could. Across the lush, meticulously landscaped grounds, disappearing in the shadows just beyond the expansive lawn. When she heard the door across the property open, she knew he was coming for her.
It had paid off, coming in early and helping her best friend, Cally Stark, set up the party. The senator’s assistant had given them a tour of the grounds so they would know where to set up, where to stage their staff, and every staff entrance on and off the property. Ducking behind the arborvitaes, thick from age, she forced herself through the bulky branches and spiderwebs, seeking her escape.
Daisy found the wrought-iron spindles posing as a barrier between the tall brick pillars. As petite as she was, she couldn’t get through the narrow poles, so she climbed, using the wall of arborvitae as leverage to hoist herself over. It wasn’t graceful, but it was effective. Short of her black dress ripping as it caught on a part of the fence, she came out with barely a scratch or bruise.
Quick to regain her bearings, she ran west. The staff had been instructed to park several blocks away from the home where the valet was stowing the guest vehicles. An attendant with a golf cart shuffled staffers and valets back and forth to the mansion. Going over it in her head, Daisy formulated a plan: get to her old rusted Honda, say a little prayer it started on the first try, get the hell out of there undetected, sans headlights, and never look back.
It was at that moment she realized everything really did happen for a reason. Like the day the key broke off in her ignition, leaving it ever ready to start with a quick turn. Reasons for the senator’s murder and her presence during such would go undecided. Besides, how was there purpose and reason in murder?
Catering trucks and service vehicles lining the street indicated she’d almost made it to the rows and rows of parked cars. Lungs burning and feet aching, it was only then she realized she had lost her shoes at some point, and those dewy little droplets hitting her chest were from the endless flow of tears racing down her face. Only a few more feet.
I can do it, she told herself.
With the old primer gray Honda staring back at her from the front row parking spot she’d snagged, relief settled in. The street was dimly lit, but the lot was dark and easy to disappear in should she have car trouble
Just as she approached a black florist van to her right, the side door slid open, and a man dressed head-to-toe in black grabbed her in one fierce swoop. With one hand around her waist and the other covering her mouth, he pulled her in quickly. Daisy struggled to fight him, to get away, but he was too strong. After tossing her to the far side of the van, the man slammed the door shut, sealing her fate.
“Wh-Who are you? Please…I didn’t see anything. Just let me go,” Daisy bargained, her voice barely audible. “I w-won’t tell anyone.”
“Won’t tell anyone? You just said you didn’t see anything.”
“Right!” she chirped. “I-I didn’t. Not a thing. I wasn’t even here tonight. I was home with my dog. And you’re really big…and scary.”
She paused, eyes filling with more emotion as her new reality sank in. “My dog. Oh, my God. My dog. She’s at my house…locked in. I-I’m never going to see her again, am I?”
Fresh tears quickly turned to hysterical sobs. “Sh-She’s going to think I abandoned her. Just like her last owner. I rescued her.”
The man tilted his head, casting an odd look at Daisy, unsure how to address her emotional outburst. “Look…”
“No. You look. She’s special. You may be big and scary, but surely you have a heart. She’s…high strung. Anxious,” she cried. “She needs me, or someone who will be understanding and patient with her.”
“I wonder where she gets it,” the man said over his shoulder to a blond woman in the driver's seat.
“What’s wrong with her?” the blonde asked. “Is this one crazy or something?”
“Shock?” the man responded with a shrug. “Some people act…odd when exposed to certain…trauma.”
“And my gran. Oh my God, I’m going to die before my gran. This is going to kill her.” Fear had a way of making a person so frantic, they focused on less significant things like what one’s dog would think of them when they didn’t come home from their eventual murder.
“You just killed an old lady. You’re going to kill me, then she and my dog will have no one…so she’ll die too. Eventually!”
“We’d never kill an old lady,” the blonde defended. “Not on purpose.”
“If you’d just…” Again, the man was unsuccessful at getting a word in edgewise.
“I can’t believe this is happening. This is my life? Of course it is. Well, the end of it. I’m going to die, at the hands of a…a…florist?”
While the man reached behind him, rifling through a black duffel bag on the seat next to him, the blonde went for the glove compartment and pulled out a gun.
“This is it. Okay, this is it. A gun. Big scary guy – you’ll probably be the one to do it. I thought maybe a brick around my ankles and a deep lake or some long-drawn-out torture like you see in the movies. But a gun? Quick and easy, not so clean, but gets the job done in a hurry and I won’t…suffer,” Daisy continued to rant, eyes focused on the blonde and her gun. “It never fails. I had to pee. I hadn’t had anything to drink, I’d already been several times, but once it was time to get on stage and sing…I had to pee. How was I supposed to know across from the staff restroom – because heaven forbid we pee with rich people – there would be a…a…murder. Oh, my God, I still have to pee.”
A sharp pain in the side of her neck seemed to be the only thing to silence Daisy. Grasping at the site, she turned to see the big scary man holding an empty hypodermic needle.
“Lethal injection. Poison. Makes…sense.” And that was when the world went black for Daisy King.
“Jesus, what were you thinking grabbing the gun?” the man said to the blonde.
“You went for the needle! You saw how she was acting. Can you imagine what would’ve happened if she’d seen that thing? I did you a favor. That needle wasn’t going in without the distraction. You’re welcome. Now, can we get out of here?” she fired back while pulling her seat belt across her lap.
“Time to call the boys. Make sure they got out of the mansion,” he said, grabbing his phone from his pocket.
“Hey, honey,” the man said into the phone, earning a snicker from his partner. In their line of work, they learned quickly that you never knew who was listening – or how. It was their own special kind of smart-ass code. “It’s Big Daddy. Did you guys get on the road okay?”
After a long pause, he nodded as if the other party could see him. “Okay, sounds good. You’ll want to stop and pick up Grandma and the dog. Can’t leave them behind.”
By Grandma and the dog, he meant Daisy’s Grandma and dog. It seemed he did have a heart. Or he just didn’t leave loose ends. It was time to clean up the mess that had been made and make it look like none of them were ever there, including Daisy.
“All right, meet you at the river house,” he said, indicating their rendezvous point. “Bye, honey.”
“My brother is going to hate you for that.” The woman chuckled.
“Your brother is the one who let her get away.” He nodded to an unconscious Daisy. “He gets to take care of the old lady and the dog.”