Fighting for Esme

FIGHTING FOR ESME BROTHERHOOD PROTECTORS WORLD TEAM FALCO BOOK ONE JEN TALTY CONTENTS Brotherhood Protectors Brotherhood Protectors World Fighting for Esme A Note from Jen Talty 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 Fighting for Charli Prologue Also by Jen Talty About Jen Talty Brotherhood Protectors About Elle James Copyright © 2023, Jen Talty 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. 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 ESME TEAM FALCO BOOK 1 USA Today Bestselling Author JEN TALTY A NOTE FROM JEN TALTY I’d first like to thank Leanne Tyler, Stacey Wilk, Deanna L. Rowley, and Kris Norris for daring to jump into the fire with me. These four women are incredibly talented, and I’m honored to be working with them on this amazing project. I’d also like to thank Elle James for opening her spectacular world and letting us play in it. One of my favorite things to do is work with other writers on projects like this. Being an author can be lonely. We spend hours at our desks with people who don’t exist. So, plotting and sharing characters with a group is exciting, and when I find a group that is as awesome as this one, I can’t wait to do it all again. The five of us enjoyed creating five brothers with a unique set of circumstances and sharing their history in each of our books. After you read mine, please, continue with the rest of the series and enjoy each Falco brother as they overcome the pains of the past and find hope in a new future. You can learn more about Sparrow and Stone and their story by reading Defending Sparrow. And to find out about Clint and Avery’s romance, check out Defending Avery by Regan Black. Happy reading! To all firefighters, especially those who came to my home one spring day in 1998 when my home was struck by lightning. Thank you for your dedication, your selflessness, and your bravery. CHAPTER 1 Troy Falco took a handful of dry dirt and dropped it over the casket. The chunks of earth hit the wood like large rain pellets hurling from the heavens. He glanced over his shoulder at his four brothers and choked on the thick emotion that bubbled up from his gut. He’d spent a lifetime fighting for this moment. Trent, his twin, gave him a nod as he shifted his stance as if to tell him he’d done all the right things over the years. That all the sacrifice and all the pain each of them had endured had been worth it because it brought them to this juncture. Trent had regularly reminded Troy that he had been the one constant through all the ups and downs and years of the Falco brothers not being a cohesive unit, and how each one of them appreciated Troy’s battles. Today, despite their father, they were finally a family. It amazed Troy what he could pull from a shake of the head. While he couldn’t read his twin’s thoughts, he knew how Trent’s brain worked and what was in his heart and soul. He felt it deep in his core. He couldn’t describe how the emotions came to him, or how each of his brothers' feelings touched him deeply, but no matter where in the world they were, the Falco boys were always connected. Not even their father could break that bond. A big puffy white cloud floated across the bright blue sky, casting a giant shadow over only