Blog Tour!! Deep Haven by T.K. Tuitt
Thunder McLeod lives
his life by one code: live today for tomorrow is never guaranteed. Ex-Special
Ops with a dark cloud hanging over his life and a dark past he can’t seem to
shake, Thunder has given up on ever finding true happiness after losing something
precious. Then he receives the call that will forever change his desolate,
guarded existence. His company ‘McLeod Security Firm’ is called in, all hands
on deck, to keep flying bullets away from his newest client -the woman that
will change everything about his life.
Ivy Snow, computer
genius extraordinaire, needs a new change of scenery away from her birth
country, England. Living a lonely existence, she decides a change is
inevitable. Always fascinated by the charm of the US, she gathers the courage
to move there permanently, settling in Blue River, a small town in Montana.
There, she finds
solace until her secret weapon is uncovered by a dangerous criminal who will
stop at nothing to get his hands on her creation. Then she meets her new
protector.
Thunder’s determined
more than ever to keep Ivy safe and secure. Ivy, not accustomed to a man like
Thunder, must fight to stay alive and unravel the most beautiful man she’s ever
had the fortune of meeting.
One soul shattering
mistake may cost Thunder the one thing he would give his life for. Can Ivy save
Thunder from the thing that haunts him to this day?
This is book one in
the ‘Secure Me series’.
**Recommended for
ages 18+**
Chapter One
“What the bloody
hell?” I whispered, fear spiking through me. Something had woken me suddenly
from sleep. Feeling groggy and not in the mood for any jaywalkers, I listened
closely, then it happened again.
Another crash coming
from the living room had me reaching for my mobile phone on the night stand
next to my bed. Dialling 911 quickly, I listened for the operator, fear rolling
off me in waves.
“9-1-1, what is your
emergency?” asked the female operator.
“Hello, my name is
Ivy Snow and I think someone’s breaking into my home.”
I was shaking so
badly at this point, the tremor could be heard in my voice.
Just when I needed a
superhero, where was Superman when you needed him?
“What is your
address ma’am?”
“1264 Paradise
Lane.”
“Oh no, I think
someone’s trashing my house. I can hear stuff getting smashed.” I whispered.
I’m now beyond frightened. I am petrified.
I lived alone. Not a
good thing for a single woman. Living in the middle of nowhere, in a ranch
style house in Blue River, Montana, I’m now thinking I should have bought a
place closer to town. I like my solitude but it might have just cost me my
life.
“Ok ma’am, are you
able to leave without getting caught?”
“N-no.” I whispered,
now visibly shaking.
“Ivy, can you find
someplace to hide? Officers have been dispatched to your address. They should
arrive there soon. Get to safety as soon and as quickly as you can. Try not to
make any sounds to alert any attention to your bedroom.
“I can hide in my
bath, it has a lock.” Getting up and out of the bed, I moved as fast as my
shaking legs could carry me, hoping against hope that my movements would not
alert whoever was in my home to the fact that I was indeed awake.
Reaching the
bathroom, I silently entered and lifted the door, softly closing and locking it
behind me. Remembering the trick I always used back home when I was a little
girl. I hated when doors creaked, so I taught myself that handy little trick. I
just hoped it would save me now.
I was terrified, I feel like my heart had
moved out of my chest and was now beating in my ear. Moving towards the corner
near the faucet, I crawled into the little space under it and curled myself
into a human ball; knees up and folded close to my boobs. I was praying the
police would get here soon.
“Ivy, are you still
with me?” the operator asked me.
“Uh....yes but I am
shit scared.” I whispered down the line.
“What’s your name?”
I asked her, trying to help keep myself from dying of fright.
“My name is Louise.”
she responded.
“Uh...it’s...uh...nice
to meet you Louise.” I was now stuttering.
“Don’t worry, Ivy,
the officers should be with you shortly. Just keep talking to me until they
arrive.”
“Uh...thank you.” I
again whispered.
“My pleasure Ivy, I
love your accent by the way.” She continued. My guess is to try and distract
me, but it seemed like every time I spoke since arriving in America, that was
all I heard. The British accent is loved over here for sure.
I hear another crash
and nearly jump clean out of my skin. Clapping my free hand over my mouth to
hold in the scream that was suddenly bubbling up in my throat, I huddle further
into the wall and wait while Louise stayed on the line with me. It felt like
I’d been waiting for hours. As the minutes ticked by my fear climbed the scare
chart. I didn't know why someone was in my home and smashing it to smithereens
but I was alone and scared to death, with just an operator on the phone as my
only hope.
Then I heard the
sirens. Then I released the breath I didn’t realise I was holding.
Relief floods my
whole body.
“I-I can hear them
Louise. I can hear the sirens getting closer.” I breathed down the phone.
“Ok Ivy. Just stay
calm and don’t move until you hear the officers identify themselves.” She said.
Her calmness amazed me. How can she listen to someone be terrified and stay so
calm? I would freak out on their behalf.
Again, it felt like
I was waiting ages before I heard the officer shout ‘all clear’ and there’s a
knock on the bathroom door.
“Hello, is anyone in
there? Can you hear me? Are you ok in there? My name is Officer Steven
Harrison. You can come out now.” I heard him explain.
Uncurling myself and
standing up on my now shaking legs, I walked unsteadily towards the door. Still
too frightened to open it I ask through the heavy wood, “How do I know you’re
the old bill?”
“Ma’am, I don’t
understand what you mean. Who’s the old bill?”
Bloody hell.
“Sorry, I meant the
police.” I corrected myself.
“Gotcha, I’ll just
hold up our badges so you can see them.” he offered kindly.
“As I said before,
I’m Officer Steven Harrison and my partner, Officer Maria McLeod is with me
also.”
“Ma’am, it is safe
for you to come on out now.” This time, it’s a female voice that speaks up.
Hesitantly, I opened
the door and peeped through the split to see the officers standing on either
side of it. They looked legit to me but I wouldn’t know a fake from a genuine
since I had never paid attention to the old bill before.
Walking further out,
I step forward and head towards my living room, but Officer McLeod puts up a
hand to stop me from going any further. “Ma’am I can’t allow you entrance in
there right now. Your living room has glass and broken stuff everywhere.”
“My name is
Ivy...Ivy Snow.” I informed her. I needed them to stop calling me ‘ma’am’. I’m
not my grandmother, God rest her soul.
“Ivy, can you put
some shoes on, and then we can walk you outside.” Officer Harrison said, the
authority in his voice was, hard to mistake.
Then I looked down
at my bare feet with my pretty coral nail polish and stare at them for a while.
The shock and me
being scared shitless, is the only explanation I can offer up for my weird
lapse into silence for such a long stretch of time.
“Ivy?” Officer McLeod calls me, penetrating
the daze I felt clearing. “Are you ok? Were you hurt?” she asked.
Shaking my head, I
turned and walked back into my bedroom and head towards my massive walk in
cupboard to retrieve my comfy bootys and push my feet into them. One of the
many comforts I had that came with me from England. I waited for the officers
to lead the way and I follow a few feet behind them, reluctant to face what’s
up ahead.
Upon reaching the
living room, I gasped out loud as I take in the ruin around me.
My house was
completely wrecked.
My huge tv set hung
lopsidedly from the wall, its screen smashed to pieces, so were the two vases
my grandmother had given to me. My sofas were ripped to shreds, picture frames
stomped on; glass from the many frames completely; layered the floor.
My house was in
total shambles.
I stopped and slowly turned around and around,
not believing what my eyes were showing me. Then I looked up at my feature wall
and froze. The message written in blood red put the fear of all fears in me.
Hand it over or die
bitch.
No way. No bloody
way. They found out about me? But how? This was not good, not at all.
T.K. Tuitt currently
resides in England. She’s mother to a teenage boy. She’s an avid reader of
romance and a huge paranormal fan. Her love of reading stems from watching her
great grandfather reading through his huge collection of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys
books, while her great grandmother taught her to read.
She loves to listen
to music while writing (more oldies but goldies with some current songs thrown
in the mix), baking and cooking is a passion huge part of her life and was
developed as a small child watching the adults cook and bake up a storm, she
also enjoys searching Google to find the latest cars (mostly sports) and her
unhealthy addiction to tv shows and movies keeps her indoors most of the time.
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