THE PROTECTED - Shiloh Walker
FBI Psychics , Book 4
Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-26443-0
September 2013
Romantic Suspense

Orlando, Florida - Present Day

The last place Vaughnne MacMeans wants to be is Orlando, but her boss, Special Agent in Charge Taylor Jones, assures her that it'll be a simple babysitting assignment.  A teenage boy and the man he travels with have trouble heading their way, and Vaughnne just has to watch over them.  From the moment she meets Gus Hernandez and the boy with him, Alex, she knows nothing will be simple with the two of them.  Alex is gifted with a psychic gift so strong that it's all but sending a neon message to the world, and the fear in his eyes is devastating.  Gus is just as devastating in his own way; Vaughnne has never met a man so sexy and compelling.  Or as dangerous.

Gus will do whatever it takes to keep Alex safe no matter the cost, even if it means spending the rest of his life hiding and running.  Though both of them are aware of the necessity of the life they live, Alex is now a teenager and starting to chafe against the restrictions, and Gus hates that there is nothing they can do to change it.  He's done his best to keep them clear of entanglements, but their new neighbor tests Gus's resolve like no one has ever done.  Thanks to Alex's gift, Gus doesn't see Vaughnne as a threat to their safety, but his long-buried sex drive is a different story.

The people hunting Alex are also willing to do anything to find him, even employ other psychics against them.  When trouble comes knocking, Gus will face one of the toughest decision of his life – keep going alone, or trust Vaughnne to help him with the most precious thing in his life.

THE PROTECTED is the latest thrilling novel in the FBI Psychics series, and fans will recognize more than a few faces.  Vaughnne's search for her missing sister ended in tragedy in the previous novel, THE REUNITED, and returning to Orlando, where she learned of her sister's death, is not something she's looking forward to.  She knows immediately that this assignment is going to be complicated, and her attraction to Gus is only the tip of it.  Gus has suppressed his own needs to care for Alex, and Vaughnne's presence reinforces just how long he's been doing that.  But with dangerous people hunting Alex, Vaughnne and Gus aren't going to be exploring the attraction between them too soon.

Other characters who play a part in this novel are, of course, Taylor Jones, the SAC of Vaughnne's FBI unit, as well as Nalini, a freelancer who occasionally works with the FBI, and Tucker, who was introduced in the last book and will hopefully soon have his own novel.  Though they don't exactly work together as a team, they are all working towards the same goal and will need each other to protect Alex.  Exciting suspense blends with a scintillating romance in THE PROTECTED, creating a captivating tale.

Jennifer Bishop