How do you stop a killer who is always five steps ahead? I had one job. One responsibility. Lust wasn’t a distraction that I had time for, and love was even further off the table. My career was demanding and required my undivided attention which left little time for romance. But when my sister went missing after meeting a guy from the same dating app as the beautiful—way too young for me—college student that I had been assigned to protect, everything changed. Keeping Hannah safe was my top priority, along with finding my sister. But the closer Hannah and I got, the more clouded my vision became. She was as sweet as she was innocent and things needed to stay that way. The only problem was that in order to keep her safe—she had to stay with me until the threat was handled. Living in cramped quarters, I was up close and personal with all of the reasons why I couldn’t get involved with Hannah. With chemistry so combustible it could set the world on fire, we knew we had to keep our distance. One wrong move could be fatal with her stalker constantly five steps ahead. Content Warning: This book contains language and storylines that may be bothersome for some readers and is intended for a mature audience. Violence and sexual scenes may be shown in detail as well. The reader is encouraged to reach out to the author directly if they would like to further discuss the content warning(s) for this book. Warnings for Five Steps Ahead: Stalking Violence Murder

History is repeating itself in the most horrific way. I never wanted to hurt Elena. Being my best friend’s little sister, I knew falling for her would be life-changing. Yet the first time we kissed, something shifted inside of me. I knew without a shadow of a doubt I would give my life to protect her. Then I began to notice disturbingly familiar trends. Pulling away. Distancing herself from everything and everyone. Frequent panic attacks. This was the same pattern my sister slipped into before her suicide. I thought the passion between Elena and I would be enough to pull her through. But things are happening in her mind she can’t explain, leaving me terrified for her well-being. I need to keep her safe, even as she pushes me away. Doing so means delving into the past to uncover dark truths buried deep. Can I untangle the web of lies surrounding us? Or will my failure cost Elena her life? Content Warning: This book contains language and storylines that may be bothersome for some readers and is intended for a mature audience. Violence and sexual scenes may be shown in detail as well. The reader is encouraged to reach out to the author directly if they would like to further discuss the content warning(s) for this book. Warnings for Ten Seconds Too Late: Graphic violence Sexual content Suicide- mention of, not shown in detail and not a main character Domestic violence- mention of, not shown in detail and not a main character Mental health and depression

She was my best friend’s sister. I was supposed to protect her, not fall for her. I wasn’t Prince Charming, but I wasn’t a bad guy, either. I’ve killed people. I’ve sat there patiently, knowing I would be responsible as they took their last breath. I’ve seen the horror of this world by watching the monsters that lurk in the shadows. It was my job to eliminate them, but those days are now behind me. After completing my last tour in the Marines, my life settled down. There was no more chaos, no more violence. Instead, it’s been spent quietly, enjoying the predictability of each day. Everything had been going according to plan until a beautiful woman showed up on my doorstep asking for help. But Quinn wasn’t just any woman. She was my best friend’s sister. The girl who went from messy pigtails that I used to tug on when we were kids to the gorgeous single mom who suddenly needed my help. She’s always been off limits, but now she was in my space. Constantly being around Quinn started to blur the line I had deliberately maintained all these years. I knew that Quinn had training from the FBI, but that didn’t compare to my skills as a sniper. Once she told me that her daughter was being targeted in a child trafficking ring, there was no other option than to step in and help. Except, things weren’t as simple as just keeping them safe. Whoever was after her daughter was leaving chilling messages along the way. Soon, we realized this went much deeper than just some random kidnapping attempt. This was someone who was after revenge and would stop at nothing until they got it. With two lives at stake, would I be enough to save them both?