Smoked Heather Slade The Invincibles Book Five Copyright © 2020 by Heather Slade All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. ISBN: 978-1-942200-86-4 Also by Heather Slade BUTLER RANCH Prequel: Kade’s Worth Book One: Brodie Book Two: Maddox Book Three: Naughton Book Four: Mercer Book Five: Kade Butler Ranch Boxed Set: Books 1-5 with Bonus Book: Ainsley LOS CABALLEROS Coming Soon! Book One: Gabe K19 SECURITY SOLUTIONS Book One: Razor Book Two: Gunner Book Three: Mistletoe Book Four: Mantis K19 Security Solutions Boxed Set: Books 1-4 Book Five: Dutch Book Six: Striker Book Seven: Monk Book Eight: Halo Coming Soon! Book Nine: Tackle MILITARY INTELLIGENCE SECTION 6 Book One: Shiver Book Two: Wilder Book Three: Pinch Book Four: Shadow Military Intelligence Section 6 Boxed Set: Books 1-4 THE INVINCIBLES Book One: Decked Book Two: Edged Book Three: Grinded Book Four: Riled Book Five: Smoked Coming Soon! Book Six: Bucked KB WORLDS EVERYDAY HEROES Book One: Handled COCKY HERO CLUB NOVELS Book One: Undercover Agent COWBOYS OF CRESTED BUTTE Book One: Fall for Me Book Two: Dance with Me Book Three: Kiss Me Cowboy Book Four: Stay with Me Book Five: Win Me Over Cowboys of Crested Butte Boxed Set: Books 1-5 Contents Smoked Prologue Part I 1. Smoke 2. Siren 3. Smoke 4. Siren 5. Smoke 6. Siren 7. Smoke 8. Siren 9. Smoke 10. Siren 11. Smoke 12. Siren 13. Smoke 14. Siren 15. Smoke 16. Siren 17. Smoke Part II 18. Siren 19. Smoke 20. Siren 21. Smoke 22. Siren 23. Smoke 24. Siren 25. Smoke 26. Siren 27. Smoke 28. Siren 29. Smoke 30. Siren 31. Smoke 32. Siren 33. Smoke 34. Siren 35. Smoke Epilogue Want more? Handled Bucked About the Author Also by Heather Slade Smoked /smohkd/ verb to smolder, burn, singe Prologue Smoke “Siren!” I called out as I ran into the burnt-out building I’d seen her enter a few seconds before I did. “Siobhan! Where the fuck are you?” I knew why she’d run past the fire marshal and into the scorched shell of the former antique shop: she was looking for the safe that was in the back storage room of the derelict place. I also knew why she refused to answer me. “Siren!” I yelled again, staying low to the ground, hoping to get a glimpse of her through the haze of smoke. As if it were a special effect, the cloud suddenly cleared, and in front of me stood the woman I’d hated and loved equally in the months I’d known her. “Get out of here, Smoke. This is none of your concern,” she shouted. “It may not be,” I said, taking a step in her direction. “But you are. Let me help you, Siobhan.” “I was never your concern, Broderick, except to play with.” Her Irish brogue was thick, like when she was about to cry. “Please.” I took another step closer and held out my hand. Before I was near enough for her to take it, I heard a crack above us. I dove in her direction, covering her body with mine as the still-smoldering ceiling came crashing down on us both. I Two Months Earlier 1 Smoke I held my breath when the doctor came out of the double doors with a grim look on his face. “Siobhan Gallagher’s family,” the nurse with him called out. I stood and walked toward them. “That’s me.” “Your name?” “Broderick Torcher.” The doctor cleared his throat. “The surgery was successful, and Ms. Gallagher is in stable condition.” I let out the breath I’d been holding, sensing there was a “but” coming. Sure enough, his next sentence confirmed it. “There was brain trauma associated with her injuries…” I felt the bile rising in my throat. “Ms. Gallagher has suffered a series of small strokes. Some movement may have been affected, as well as her memory.” “What do you mean by ‘affected’?” “As with any stroke, when the patient first regains consciousness, the symptoms are typically at their worst. Some regain full physical and mental capacity immediately. Others, it takes longer.” “What, specifically, has been affected?” “We don’t know fully as she’s only regained consciousness intermittently.” I took another deep breath, restraining myself from grabbing the man by the throat, putting his back to the wall, and insisting he answer my fucking question. Instead, I spoke slowly. “For the third time, what…did…you…mean…by…affected?” “Ms. Gallagher was having difficulty controlling movement on the left side of her body. We expect this to improve relatively quickly.” “You said physical and mental.” “The patient was experiencing confusion—” My patience was gone. “What kind of confusion?” I growled at the man. “As I said, for now, much of her condition is unknown.” “You’re not answering my questions.” I was trained to recognize when people were hiding something, and this man sure as shit was. If this doc thought he could get anything over on me, he was in for a rude awakening when he experienced my ire in full force. “It would be premature to give you any definitive answers regarding her symptoms.” I rubbed the back of my neck, wishing I could turn around, walk out of the hospital, and never look back. “What is the nature of your relationship with Ms. Gallagher?” he asked. “Work colleagues.” The doctor raised his brow and looked at the nurse, who opened the folder she had in her hand and shuffled through the papers inside. She gave him a sheet containing the information I assumed he was looking for. “You’re listed as having her medical power of attorney.” “That’s right.” The reason why was none of his business. “It’s unlikely she’ll remember you.” “Excuse me?” “As I said, Ms. Gallagher has only regained consciousness for short amounts of time.” “And yet you predict she won’t remember me?” “We have reason to believe her memory has been affected.” He studied me for a moment. “Do you have any other questions?” A thousand, at least, but his track record at answering any I’d asked so far was zilch. I shook my head. “You may see her now. If you’d like, the nurse can escort you to her room.” If I’d like? There’s nothing I’d like less. However, this wasn’t something I could walk away from. Siren wasn’t someone I could walk away from. The nurse waved her arm for me to follow. “Hold up,” I said, motioning to where I left a book and a cup of coffee near where I’d been sitting. She folded her arms and drummed the fingers of one hand. I’d been sitting here for seven
