Fighting for Tessa

FIGHTING FOR TESSA BROTHERHOOD PROTECTORS WORLD TEAM FALCO BOOK THREE STACEY WILK CONTENTS Brotherhood Protectors Brotherhood Protectors World Fighting for Tessa Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Fighting For Fiona Also by Stacey Wilk About the Author Brotherhood Protectors About Elle James Copyright © 2023, Stacey Wilk This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental. © 2023 Twisted Page Press, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this book may be used, stored, reproduced or transmitted without written permission from the publisher except for brief quotations for review purposes as permitted by law. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy. To two of my favorite readers, Colleen and Jayne. BROTHERHOOD PROTECTORS ORIGINAL SERIES BY ELLE JAMES Brotherhood Protectors Yellowstone Saving Kyla (#1) Saving Chelsea (#2) Saving Amanda (#3) Saving Liliana (#4) Saving Breely (#5) Saving Savvie (#6) Brotherhood Protectors Colorado SEAL Salvation (#1) Rocky Mountain Rescue (#2) Ranger Redemption (#3) Tactical Takeover (#4) Colorado Conspiracy (#5) Rocky Mountain Madness (#6) Free Fall (#7) Colorado Cold Case (#8) Fool’s Folly (#9) Brotherhood Protectors Series Montana SEAL (#1) Bride Protector SEAL (#2) Montana D-Force (#3) Cowboy D-Force (#4) Montana Ranger (#5) Montana Dog Soldier (#6) Montana SEAL Daddy (#7) Montana Ranger’s Wedding Vow (#8) Montana SEAL Undercover Daddy (#9) Cape Cod SEAL Rescue (#10) Montana SEAL Friendly Fire (#11) Montana SEAL’s Mail-Order Bride (#12) SEAL Justice (#13) Ranger Creed (#14) Delta Force Rescue (#15) Dog Days of Christmas (#16) Montana Rescue (#17) Montana Ranger Returns (#18) BROTHERHOOD PROTECTORS WORLD ORIGINAL SERIES BY ELLE JAMES Brotherhood Protectors Colorado World Team Falco Fighting for Esme - Jen Talty Fighting for Charli - Leanne Tyler Fighting for Tessa - Stacey Wilk Fighting for Fiona - Kris Norris Fighting for Kora - Deanna L. Rowley Athena Project Beck’s Six - Desiree Holt Victoria’s Six - Delilah Devlin Cygny’s Six - Reina Torres Fay’s Six - Jen Talty Melody’s Six - Regan Black Team Trojan Defending Sophie - Desiree Holt Defending Evangeline - Delilah Devlin Defending Casey - Reina Torres Defending Sparrow - Jen Talty Defending Avery - Regan Black Brotherhood Protectors Yellowstone World Team Wolf Guarding Harper - Desiree Holt Guarding Hannah - Delilah Devlin Guarding Eris - Reina Torres Guarding Payton - Jen Talty Guarding Leah - Regan Black FIGHTING FOR TESSA TEAM FALCO BOOK 3 Stacey Wilk CHAPTER 1 She had never meant to stay this long. Tessa Callahan ripped off another page of her calendar, revealing a pretty picture of a sunset over a lush green field. August stared back at her. Six months. And her heart was still broken. The cabin at the top of Gray Peak had been home since that cold winter day when she had packed her bags and left her little apartment she had shared with her ex. She had expected this new setting to bring her clarity. Instead, it kept her lonely. Wow. She seriously needed to stop licking her wounds and return to real life. It may be August with its long days and warm afternoons, and its romantic notions tied up in her fantasy that summer was about love, but she wasn’t ready to climb down off the Gray Peak mountain. She had wanted to get over the heartbreak first. She had wanted to get over him. No amount of pushing those thoughts away had worked. Even the view of the treetops out her living room window couldn’t soothe her. She didn’t dare get too close to the reason why she was still running from her problems. It might stab her. She slapped her hands on her thighs. That was enough wallowing over Heath Falco for one day. She had to get to work. She was certain whatever mountain he was on, he was working too and not thinking about her at all. Ah, the core of their problem. Or more accurately—hers. Her first violin student of the day would arrive soon. Tessa had set up a practice area in the living room when she birthed the brainstorm of an idea to teach violin lessons to local children. If she couldn’t play anymore, teaching seemed like the next best alternative. The light from the sliding doors always made the room feel warm and inviting. She needed her violin students to be relaxed while they worked in order to get better. Playing tense only made squealing sounds come out of the instrument, the student, and sometimes even her. The knock on the door startled her. Her student, Lori, was early. Tessa hadn’t had her second cup of coffee and needed it. At least she had showered and pulled on jeans and what else—a black short sleeve shirt. Every violinist’s wardrobe was mostly black. Well, it appeared as if more coffee would have to wait. She opened the door to the cool morning and two people. Neither of them Lori. “Can I help you?” She never received visitors. Her house was up a dirt driveway and secluded from the road by trees. Unless someone was coming here for a reason, no one would stumble upon her by accident. That was her motivation when she had chosen to stay in this log cabin in the first place. She didn’t want to see anyone. At least anyone who would ask her