Buck, page 1
BUCK
GEMS OF WOLFE ISLAND FOUR
WOLFES OF MANHATTAN TEN
HELEN HARDT
CONTENTS
Buck
Dedication
Also By Helen Hardt
Praise For Helen Hardt
Warning
Prologue
1. Buck
2. Aspen
3. Buck
4. Aspen
5. Buck
6. Aspen
7. Buck
8. Aspen
9. Buck
10. Aspen
11. Buck
12. Aspen
13. Buck
14. Aspen
15. Buck
16. Aspen
17. Buck
18. Aspen
19. Buck
20. Aspen
21. Buck
22. Aspen
23. Buck
24. Aspen
25. Buck
26. Aspen
27. Buck
28. Aspen
29. Buck
30. Aspen
31. Buck
32. Aspen
33. Buck
34. Aspen
35. Buck
36. Aspen
37. Buck
38. Aspen
39. Buck
40. Aspen
41. Buck
42. Aspen
43. Buck
44. Aspen
45. Buck
46. Aspen
47. Buck
Epilogue
Excerpt from Scarred
A Note From Helen
Acknowledgments
About the Author
BUCK
GEMS OF WOLFE ISLAND FOUR
Wolfes of Manhattan Ten
Helen Hardt
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This book is an original publication of Helen Hardt
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.
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Copyright © 2022 Helen Hardt, LLC dba Hardt & Sons
Cover Design: The Killion Group, Inc.
Edited by Eric J. McConnell
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All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic format without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
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Paperback ISBN: 978-1-952841-13-2
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PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
For Mare.
Shunta.
ALSO BY HELEN HARDT
Follow Me Series:
Follow Me Darkly
Follow Me Under
Follow Me Always
Darkly
* * *
Wolfes of Manhattan
Rebel
Recluse
Runaway
Rake
Reckoning
* * *
Billionaire Island (Wolfes continuation)
Escape
* * *
Gems of Wolfe Island (Wolfes continuation)
Moonstone
Raven
Garnet
Buck
* * *
Steel Brothers Saga:
Trilogy One—Talon and Jade
Craving
Obsession
Possession
Trilogy Two—Jonah and Melanie
Melt
Burn
Surrender
Trilogy Three—Ryan and Ruby
Shattered
Twisted
Unraveled
Trilogy Four—Bryce and Marjorie
Breathless
Ravenous
Insatiable
Trilogy Five—Brad and Daphne
Fate
Legacy
Descent
Trilogy Six—Dale and Ashley
Awakened
Cherished
Freed
Trilogy Seven—Donny and Callie
Spark
Flame
Blaze
Trilogy Eight—Brock and Rory
Smolder
Flare
Scorch
* * *
Blood Bond Saga:
Unchained
Unhinged
Undaunted
Unmasked
Undefeated
* * *
Sex and the Season:
Lily and the Duke
Rose in Bloom
Lady Alexandra’s Lover
Sophie’s Voice
* * *
Temptation Saga:
Tempting Dusty
Teasing Annie
Taking Catie
Taming Angelina
Treasuring Amber
Trusting Sydney
Tantalizing Maria
* * *
Standalone Novels and Novellas
Reunited
* * *
Misadventures:
Misadventures of a Good Wife (with Meredith Wild)
Misadventures with a Rockstar
* * *
The Cougar Chronicles:
The Cowboy and the Cougar
Calendar Boy
* * *
Daughters of the Prairie:
The Outlaw’s Angel
Lessons of the Heart
Song of the Raven
* * *
Collections:
Destination Desire
Her Two Lovers
* * *
Non-Fiction:
got style?
PRAISE FOR HELEN HARDT
WOLFES OF MANHATTAN
* * *
“It's hot, it's intense, and the plot starts off thick and had me completely spellbound from page one.”
~The Sassy Nerd Blog
* * *
“Helen Hardt…is a master at her craft.”
~K. Ogburn, Amazon
* * *
“Move over Steel brothers… Rock is everything!”
~Barbara Conklin-Jaros, Amazon
* * *
“Helen has done it again. She winds you up and weaves a web of intrigue.”
~Vicki Smith, Amazon
* * *
FOLLOW ME SERIES
* * *
“Hardt spins erotic gold...”
~Publishers Weekly
* * *
“22 Best Erotic Novels to Read”
~Marie Claire Magazine
* * *
“Intensely erotic and wildly emotional...”
~New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones
* * *
“With an edgy, enigmatic hero and loads of sexual tension, Helen Hardt's fast-paced Follow Me Darkly had me turning pages late into the night!”
~New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner
* * *
“Christian, Gideon, and now...Braden Black.”
~Books, Wine, and Besties
* * *
“A tour de force where the reader will be pulled in as if they're being seduced by Braden Black, taken for a wild ride, and left wanting more.”
~USA Today Bestselling Author Julie Morgan
* * *
“Hot. Sexy. Intriguing. Page-Turner. Helen Hardt checks all the boxes with Follow Me Darkly!”
~International Bestselling Author Victoria Blue
* * *
STEEL BROTHERS SAGA
* * *
“Craving is the jaw-dropping book you need to read!”
~New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones
* * *
"Completely raw and addictive."
~#1 New York Times bestselling author Meredith Wild
* * *
“Talon has hit my top five list…up there next to Jamie Fraser and Gideon Cross.”
~USA Today bestselling author Angel Payne
* * *
“Talon and Jade’s instant chemistry heats up the pages...”
~RT Book Reviews
* * *
“Sorry Christian and Gideon, there’s a new heartthrob for you to contend with. Meet Talon. Talon Steel.”
~Booktopia
* * *
“Such a beautiful torment—the waiting, the anticipation, the relief that only comes briefly before more questions arise, and the wait begins again… Check. Mate. Ms. Hardt…”
~Bare Naked Words
* * *
“Made my heart stop in my chest. Helen has given us such a heartbreakingly beautiful series.”
~Tina, Bookalicious Babes
* * *
BLOOD BOND SAGA
* * *
“An enthralling and rousing vampire tale that will leave readers waiting for the sequel.”
~Kirkus Reviews
* * *
"Dangerous and sexy. A new favorite!"
~New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Day
* * *
“A dark, intoxicating tale.”
~Library Journal
* * *
“Helen dives into the paranormal world of vampires and makes it her own.”
~Tina, Bookalicious Babes
* * *
“Throw out everything you know about vampires—except for that blood thirst we all love and lust after in these stunning heroes—and expect to be swept up in a sensual story that twists and turns in so many wonderfully jaw-dropping ways.”
~Angel Payne, USA Today bestselling author
WARNING
The Gems of Wolfe Island series contains adult language and scenes, including flashbacks of physical and sexual abuse. Please take note.
PROLOGUE
ASPEN
Katelyn sits, quiet, stroking Jed’s soft head. Luke left an hour ago to fetch Edgar.
I can hardly look at my friend. My request put her fiancé in danger.
Another hour passes.
Then another.
Katelyn will never speak to me again if Luke doesn’t come back.
Neither of us can sleep, neither of us can eat.
It’s after midnight now, and—
The back door opens, and a barking Edgar runs toward me. He and Jed check each other out.
I heave a sigh of relief, as Katelyn launches herself into Luke’s arms.
“What took you so long? I’ve been so worried.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t want to worry you, but I took advantage of the time I had to case the place.”
“No one saw you today?”
“No, I was very careful. I parked two blocks away and sneaked in the back. It was dark, and I made sure no one was around.”
“Thank God,” Katelyn nuzzles her head in Luke’s shoulder.
I want to ask him what he found. I want to ask who might have done this to Buck.
But I stay quiet, let him and Katelyn have their time right now.
I take Edgar into the kitchen to get him some water. I find Jed’s kibble and give Edgar a small portion. “Tomorrow I’ll go to the store and get you some treats, okay?”
He ignores me as he guzzles down the food.
Luke comes in the kitchen to find me. “We need to talk, Aspen.”
My stomach drops.
“No. Is it Buck? He’s okay. Please tell me he’s okay.”
“Yes, Buck is okay. I got an update from my contact. He’s sleeping soundly and his vitals are strong.”
“Thank God.” A sigh of relief whooshes out of me like a gust of wind.
“No, we need to talk about what I found at Gloria’s house.”
I nod. I’m exhausted, but I won’t be able to sleep anyway. “Tell me.”
He takes me to the family room, and I sit down on the couch. Katelyn sits next to me, and Luke sits on her other side, turning to face both of us.
“When I got to the house, the bodies—”
I wince.
“I mean Gloria and her husband… They weren’t there.”
I drop my jaw.
“Sometime between the time I got Buck out of there and took him to the hospital and when I went back to pick up Edgar, someone moved the bodies.”
“What does that mean?” Katelyn asks.
“It means someone took away the evidence. The place was clean. There was absolutely no evidence of blood anywhere.”
“But there was so much blood on the bed, and some of it had seeped onto the carpet.”
“Cleaners,” Luke says. “Professional cleaners. They can get blood out of anything. There is absolutely no evidence that anyone died in that room or anywhere in the house.”
“That’s why you were gone so long,” Katelyn said.
“Yes. I told you I wanted to case the place. Cleaners had been there, so I had to look even more thoroughly. See if I could find anything they might’ve missed.”
“But you didn’t find anything,” I say.
“No, I didn’t.”
“But Edgar was still there.”
“He was outside. Whoever had been there put him outside.”
“But he was inside when you left with Buck, right?” I ask.
“Yes. He was. And I left him inside with a full bowl of water and a full bowl of food.”
Luke goes up a notch in my mind then. He didn’t rescue Edgar while he was there, but he did make sure he wouldn’t starve for the next few days.
“What does it all mean?” Katelyn asks.
“It means were dealing with professionals. Someone with a lot of money and a lot of clout had Gloria and Brian taken care of.”
“Who?” I ask. “Who would’ve done this?”
“I don’t know. But I will find out. For you and for Buck. I owe him.”
Katelyn is rigid next to me, and I know exactly what she’s thinking.
She loves me, and she cares about Buck because I care about him. She cares about Buck because he helped her when they were both being held by the drug lord.
But her first loyalty is to her fiancé, to Luke.
She doesn’t want him in danger.
And now…he’s going to be in danger.
Because of me.
I don’t know what to say. I could tell Luke to stay out of it. That once Buck is released from the hospital, we’ll go back to Manhattan and forget all about this.
But I can’t.
Someone tried to harm Buck. Someone killed Gloria and her husband.
And it’s all because of me.
This is my fault.
I need Luke’s help. I need Luke’s help to put a stop to all of it.
“Katelyn…” I begin.
She turns to me, swallows back a sob. “No, Aspen. Don’t go there.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What happened to you and what happened to me. None of it is our fault.”
“I understand that. But I’ll let this go. I’ll let it go for you. For Luke. Buck and I can go back to Manhattan. I don’t need to know who was behind this. All I really need is to get on with my life.”
Katelyn gazes at me. She wants to take me up on my offer. I can tell, but she won’t.
She won’t because she meets her fiancé’s gaze.
And his blue eyes—they tell a different story.
He will not let this go. His reasons are somewhat of a mystery to me, but they strengthen my resolve.
I harden. I harden into a freaking statue.
Buck could have been killed. Gloria and Brian were killed.
Whoever sealed my fate those years ago is still out there. I will track them down. Not only for me, but for the man I love.
Yes, the man I love.
