A
Marine captain tortured by the death of his men in Iraq returns home and falls
in love with the sister of one of the slain, who blames him for the massacre
that killed her brother. SEMPER MINE, is a standalone novel in
the Sons of War contemporary military romance series.
Want to get to know Lizzy better? Check out this
exclusive interview!
Semper Mine (A Sons of War Novel) by Lizzy Ford
“A freak accident landed both
of the Khavalov twins under my command, just before a routine mission turned
into a nightmare. I brought home one twin in a coffin and the other in a coma
missing his leg. I did everything right – and still people died. I can’t forget
that night or how many lives it changed, including mine.
It’s natural for their sister,
Katya, to blame me. I made one decision in the middle of a firefight, and it
shattered her sheltered world. I’m the ice to her fire, and when we first meet,
it’s not pretty. I don’t fear war or death, and I am definitely not going to
let a beautiful woman with a quick temper and broken heart scare me off,
either. I know she’s hurting, and I’m determined to make sure she’s okay. It’s
the least I can do for the twins.
I may have failed them that
night, but I won’t fail her. What I’m not counting on: the feelings she ignites
within me.” – Captain Sawyer Mathis
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Excerpt
Grommets on the Outside
Captain
Mathis is across the room, hands on hips, watching. Impossible to read as
usual, though one eyebrow is up in either accusation or inquisition. He nods
his head to the side in a silent command for me to join him.
I
have no idea where this guy gets off thinking he can boss me around. It might
work
with
his men, but not with me.
I go
outside instead, feeling claustrophobic.
Maybe
being here is a mistake. I want to think it’s for Petr and Mikael – and it is –
but
there’s
another reason I feel compelled to stay. I think there’s a piece of me that
needs this,too, though I’m not sure why, when this is totally not my scene.
Tossing
my head back, I gaze at the late afternoon sky, so blue and beautiful. The
forest calms me, and I shake out my shoulders.
“Is
there anyone here you don’t have a problem with?” Captain Mathis asks from
behind
me.
“We’ll
find out, won’t we?”
He’s
quiet. I have a feeling he’s not entirely certain what to say in response.
After
a minute, he circles and stops in front of me, reaching for my belt. Not
expecting
the
sudden proximity, I freeze where I’d normally move or push him out of my space.
He
smells
lightly of coconuts once more, and I find myself staring at the width of his
chest and the shapely arms and shoulders. His brown eyes are the shade of dark
chocolate, his skin rendered golden by the sun and his hair kept in a neat
high-and-tight. His heated strength is different than that of my brother’s.
I
notice his body, how close he is to me, the way his roped forearm muscles shift
with the movement of the long fingers unsnapping my belt. I’ve never paid any
attention to my brothers like this.
“Grommets on the outside,” he instructs me. He
steps closer to pull the belt out and
twist
it before settling it again at my waist. Snapping it into place, he drops his
hands but
remains
a little too close for my comfort.
“Thanks,”
I murmur.
In a
manner of seconds, I’ve forgotten why I hate him and Brianna. It’s uncanny, as
if my senses overtake conscious thought when he’s around.
“Your
brother’s old enough to fight his own battles.”
Anger
stirs, and I look up at him. “I know that!”
Captain
Mathis is calm, always so calm. I wonder what it feels like not to experience
emotions
the way I do.
“So
you’re just picking fights today?” he asks.
“None
of your damn business!”
“For
this week, it is,” he says firmly. “We’re a team. If you’re going to be picking
fights all
week,
I’d like to know.”
“Why?
So you can trade me?” I challenge, crossing my arms. Being so close to him is a
little
too intense right now. I step back self-consciously.
“So I
can make sure I have your back, if it elevates,” he responds. “It’s what teams
do.
Take
care of their own.”
“Except
for Mikael.” I can’t help it. I’m feeling furious with the handsome man before
me
once more.
Captain
Mathis doesn’t even blink. If anything, he seems to grow colder. “Whatever you
think
you know about me, I will have your back, because that’s the way this works.”
It’s
not what I’m expecting to hear. He has a way of either infuriating me or
deflating my
anger.
The weird tension stretches between us, the one that manages to replace thought
with a physical awareness of his body.
About Lizzy Ford:
Lizzy Ford is the author of over thirty books written
for young adult and adult romance
readers, to include the internationally bestselling “Rhyn Trilogy,” “Witchling
Series” and the “War of Gods” series. Lizzy has focused on keeping her readers
happy by producing brilliant, gritty romances that remind people why true love
is a trial worth enduring. Lizzy’s books can be found on every major ereader
library, to include: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Sony and
Smashwords. She lives in southern Arizona with her husband, three dogs and a
cat.
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