The Protected Secret

The Protected SecretGriffin Security & Protection Book 2Aria Ray, Sarina Hart © 2023 Aria Ray, Sarina Hart All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events, or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the author’s imagination.Please note that this work is intended only for adults over the age of 18 and all characters represented are 18 and above.Kindle EditionIf you'd like to be notified of updates, teasers, and promotions, subscribe to Aria’s newsletter or follow her on Facebook. Table of ContentsAbout the BookChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter FiveChapter SixChapter SevenChapter EightChapter NineChapter TenChapter ElevenChapter TwelveChapter ThirteenChapter FourteenChapter FifteenChapter SixteenChapter SeventeenChapter EighteenChapter NineteenChapter TwentyChapter Twenty-OneChapter Twenty-TwoChapter Twenty-ThreeChapter Twenty-FourChapter Twenty-FiveChapter Twenty-SixEpilogueAlso by Aria RayConnect with Aria Ray:About the Author About the BookA thief, a hero, and a secret stolen. Will Zac protect the woman he loves, despite the fact that he has been assigned to hunt her down? All Belle wanted was justice. But when armed men break into her home, she realizes just how high the price might be. Forced into hiding, she has two things at stake: carrying out her plan and surviving to see justice served. That is until she meets her neighbor, Tony. Fascinating, protective, and devilishly handsome, he is everything Belle ever wanted in a man – and keeping her distance and identity hidden becomes harder by the day. Hired by his father Admiral Prescott to retrieve stolen top-secret military files, Zac is prepared for anything that might get in his way. Except for the most beautiful woman he ever met: Belle. His target. And a thief who took the files. Her involvement in the case is undoubted, and Zac has to pretend to be her friendly neighbor Tony to gain her trust and find the stolen documents. As their connection deepens, Zac and Belle find themselves torn between their feelings and duty. Soon, they must choose which side to fight for and whether their love is worth risking it all for. But when the truth about the stolen files is finally revealed, can they find a way to be together, or will their secrets tear them apart? The Protected Secret is the second book in the "Griffin Security & Protection” romance series.Each book in the series is a standalone with a guaranteed happily ever after for the couple, though it is recommended to read them in order for maximum enjoyment. Also in “Griffin Security & Protection” Series: The Hunted Surrogate (Book 1) The Protected Secret (Book 2) The Unknown Child (Book 3) Chapter OneZacI stared at the phone in my hand, eyes looking almost blankly at the words I’d typed to Shane.I don’t want to come today.And then I sent it off before flopping back onto my couch and staring out the window of my high-rise condo, thinking about Memorial Day.Today was always tough for me. Then again this day wasn’t easy for any of us at Onyx Security & Protection Services. We’d all served our country in some capacity, which meant all of us had at least one fallen brother. An entire day dedicated to mourning the loss of brothers and sisters lost in the fight for freedom.Most people just saw the holiday as a day off from work, a day to kick off barbecue season, but for me it was a day to remember all I had lost. Not just the brothers I’d served with on mission after mission, putting our lives on the line in the name of the United States of America, but I’d also lost my flesh and blood brother, and it was a pain I couldn’t stop, not today or any other day. The sound of my phone ringing pulled me from my thoughts. It was Shane. I stared at his name flashing across my screen for a long moment before answering. “Shane.”“Zac, I thought you might avoid me today.” Shane and I had both lost too many to count and he knew how much I hated the circus surrounding this holiday.“Is it so wrong that I prefer to mourn in peace?” And by peace I meant with a giant bottle of bourbon and a thick, juicy steak.“Not wrong, no. But you said you’d come today.” There was no judgment in his tone, only disappointment. After all the shit we’d gone through to find out who killed a brother who had made it back from the hell of the desert, he was disappointed I wouldn’t be at the dedication ceremony honoring Tom Jenkins.I sighed. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t be there, just that I don’t want to be there.”Shane chuckled. “Well, I’d rather be tossing back an Irish whiskey with Tom, but this is all I have.”“I’m leaving the house now,” I told him as I hefted my body off the couch. I was already showered, dressed and ready, I just… I don’t know. Felt shit.I scanned the hallway for my keycard that allowed me access to the building and my apartment, and grabbed my wallet. “Where should I meet you?”“We’re all meeting up at the south entrance of the park in twenty minutes. Willow and I are already here and parking is a shitshow, so be prepared to walk.”“Damn,” I said in mock disappointment. “I already did my five miles this morning.”“Smart ass. See you soon,” he said with a laugh, and hung up.I used the keycard to lock my door and headed down towards the elevator, passing the only other unit on this floor. I could have chosen one of the penthouse condos, but there was no way in hell I wanted an elevator that opened up into my dwelling. That was too big a security risk, and after everything with Tom and Ella, I wouldn’t risk it.Inside the