The Damaged Heroes Collection [Box Set #1: The Damaged Heroes Collection] (BookStrand Publishing Mainstream) Read online

  The Damaged Heroes Collection

  Murphy’s Law : Free Falling : All the Right Reasons : Faith of the Heart : Twist of Fate

  In Murphy's Law, Seth Remington had a fortune at his fingertips, but Katie Murphy can give him something money can’t buy. In Free Falling, although Ross Kennedy never learned to enjoy life, he may have found his dream woman after being stranded in a blizzard. In All the Right Reasons, Lucas Mitchell returned home from Iraq a bitter and changed man, but Joy Kovacs could give him something to believe in again. In Faith of the Heart, when Joshua Miller turns his back on life, it’s going to take a determined faith healer to lead him back to love. In Twist of Fate, James Williams is drifting apart from his wife, and they must rediscover their bond after an unexpected supernatural event.

  With faith and a little help from fate, can they all change their lives and find happily ever after?

  Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Time Travel, Western/Cowboys

  Length: 512,294 words

  THE DAMAGED HEROES COLLECTION

  Murphy’s Law

  Free Falling

  All the Right Reasons

  Faith of the Heart

  Twist of Fate

  Sandy James

  ROMANCE

  www.BookStrand.com

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  A SIREN-BOOKSTRAND TITLE

  IMPRINT: Romance

  THE DAMAGED HEROES COLLECTION

  Murphy’s Law - Copyright © 2009

  Free Falling - Copyright © 2009

  All the Right Reasons - Copyright © 2009

  Faith of the Heart - Copyright © 2009

  Twist of Fate - Copyright © 2011

  Copyright © 2009 by Sandy James

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-480-7

  First E-book Publication: February 2009

  Cover design by Jinger Heaston

  Print cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATIONS

  Murphy’s Law

  This one's for Judie Aitken with much love.

  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a mentor and a friend.

  Free Falling

  To Laura and Kevin. I love you both with all my heart, and I thank you for teaching me to never be afraid to try.

  All the Right Reasons

  To my mother and father – This one is for both of you with my gratitude and love. Thank you for everything you’ve done to make me the person I am today.

  Faith of the Heart

  To my sister Susan – The one who shares my past, encourages me every step of the way, and keeps me sane. Love you lots and lots!

  Twist of Fate

  I have been blessed with the best in-laws a person could ever have. So…Janet and M.R.—this one is for you with much love.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedications

  Murphy's Law Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Epilogue

  Free Falling Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  All the Right Reasons Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Faith of the Heart Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18
/>   Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Twist of Fate Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Damaged Heroes 1

  Murphy’s Law

  Seth Remington had a fortune at his fingertips, but something was missing in his life. Purpose.

  Knowing he has one last chance to redeem his son, terminally ill Sterling Remington rewrites his will. To earn his inheritance, his son Seth must labor as a groom for a horse trainer.

  Katie Murphy's orderly existence is turned upside down by Sterling Remington's will. Raised on hard work and dedicated to her harness racing stable, Katie agrees to take Seth on as a groom. How can she ever fulfill the challenge of instilling a work ethic in Seth and still keep her faltering stable running?

  Kept at arm's length by the strict terms of Sterling's will, Seth and Katie are forced to struggle with their growing attraction until a devastating racing accident forces them to take a hard look at their relationship. How much is he willing to risk for her love?

  Genre: Contemporary/Women’s Fiction

  Length: 116,784 words

  MURPHY’S LAW

  Damaged Heroes Book 1

  SANDY JAMES

  Copyright © 2009

  ...the only redemption is when a person puts himself aside

  to feel deeply for another person.—Tennessee Williams

  Chapter 1

  “Unreasonable old bastard.”

  Seth Remington would never understand his father. Just because the Old Man thrived on working eighteen-hour days didn’t mean his son should have to follow in his footsteps. Remington Computers had done just fine without Seth’s involvement, and he had no damned desire to enter the corporate world now.

  “C’mon, Baby,” he encouraged his pristine Porsche Cayman as he pressed harder on the accelerator. He needed the rush that came when the speedometer hit the century mark. Seth eased the car between lanes, weaving through the sparse traffic crawling along the highway, obeying the ridiculous speed limit. He craved the excitement that came with each mile marker he left in his wake. Driving the Cayman was like flying, and God, he was addicted to the thrill.

  Thoughts of the looming deadline entered his mind, making his neck muscles tense again. His father had given him one more month to sow his wild oats. After that, Seth’s future mapped out like some yuppie wet dream. The job. The marriage. Grinding his teeth at the mere thought of riding a desk and wearing a tie like all of the other corporate monkeys, Seth reached for the Bose stereo and cranked Metallica’s “Fuel” louder. But even the thrumming beat of the heavy metal music couldn’t drown out his thoughts.

  I’m not like everyone else. I’m different.

  The idea of marriage wasn’t much more consoling than the notion of working. Seth had chosen the pick of the litter when he proposed to Kirsten Scott, but even her sophisticated good looks and regal bearing gave him no comfort. Marriage was nothing more than a way to appease his father, a way to beget an heir to the dynasty. The simple truth was he didn’t love her. Had he ever really loved any woman? No, that emotion was completely foreign.

  I need to fly!

  The snow began to fall in big, thick flakes, quickly covering the road in a layer of white. Seth found a familiar comfort in the way the Porsche responded to his slightest command, even on the slick pavement. His fingers caressed the steering wheel. Zipping around several cars slowing in his path, he felt his tension finally begin to ease.

  He took his eyes away from the road for a second as he flipped on the windshield wipers. He glanced back up, and the brake lights that suddenly appeared in front of him caught him off guard.

  “Holy shit!” Seth frantically jerked the steering wheel to the left, trying to prevent a collision with the rusty sedan sliding into his path. He jammed his foot on the brake as his mind screamed thoughts that offered absolutely no help in his precarious situation.

  The Old Man’s going to kill me. If I don’t kill myself first.

  The Porsche passed over the rumble strips on the shoulder, hit the grass and mud of the median, and began to fishtail as its speed rapidly dropped. As if watching the scene like a slow motion movie, Seth saw the approach of the large yellow barrels through the passenger window. They were the only things standing between him and the enormous concrete pier supporting the overpass. He braced for the impact, well aware of what would happen.

  In an eruption of sand and water, the containers exploded from the force of the crash. The car slammed to an abrupt halt as the front passenger fender and door disintegrated into nothing more than pieces of crumpled sheet metal.

  Airbags deployed with a bang and a shower of white powder. Seth blinked his eyes against the fine particles now filling the inside of his car. His right hand swelled, throbbing in rhythm with his rapidly beating heart. His chest hurt, but at least he could draw a full breath. No broken ribs. His right knee already felt twice its normal size as he tried to ease away from where it was wedged against the dashboard. A sharp pain sliced across his neck and shoulders as he tried to turn his head. Flipping down the visor to look in the mirror, he yanked the collar of his shirt aside and saw a bruise forming where the seatbelt had restrained him.

  He breathed a sigh of relief.

  Knowing it was only a matter of time before the police arrived, he let his aching head fall back onto the headrest and tried to relax. Things were definitely going to get crazy in a few minutes. Thank God, no one else had been hurt. The rusty sedan was probably several miles up the highway by now.

  He was in deep shit now. No way around it.

  Oh, yeah. The Old Man’s definitely going to kill me.

  * * * *

  The police cruiser rolled through the front gates. After a few moments watching the car work up the long snow-lined drive, Sterling Remington let the heavy drape fall back into place. His heart had been pounding a fast and furious rhythm since the phone call informing him of Seth’s latest accident. Marching out into the cold, he waited on the front steps for his prodigal son.

  Watching Seth ease his way out of the patrol car and carefully walk over to the marble porch, Sterling thought his son looked more than a little fragile. The usual cocky swagger had vanished.

  Sterling glared down from his lofty perch. “How bad is the Porsche?”

  “Huh?” Seth frowned then shrugged. “Can’t hear you, Pops,” he explained in a voice much louder than necessary.

  Seth slowly worked his way up the stairs, his cautious steps betraying his pain. I won’t baby him. He’d been down that path too many times with his son. Any display of emotion, relief or anger, would only start another family confrontation.

  “What’s wrong?” Sterling shouted when Seth reached his side.

  “Air bag.” Seth pointed to his ear. “Can’t hear a damn thing.”

  “Thank you,” Sterling called to the state trooper.

  “You’re welcome, sir.” The trooper had already returned to his squad car.

  Taking Seth by the elbow, Sterling helped him into the foyer, surprised his son didn’t resist his assistance. Sterling leaned in to get closer to Seth and raised his voice. “Why didn’t you go to the hospital?”

  “Didn’t want to waste my time. I’m fine. Just sore.”

  “How b
ad is the car?”

  “Totaled.”

  “How many is that?” Sterling asked, trying to control the fury quickly bubbling to the surface. All the relief he’d felt when he saw his son in one piece and not on a coroner’s slab evaporated. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to gauge Seth’s reaction.

  His son appeared more than a little proud when he tucked his thumb to his palm and held up four fingers. Then Seth folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the intricately carved oaken banister.

  “Are you ever going to grow up?” The volume of Sterling’s words had little to do with his son’s impaired hearing. He didn’t realize just how loud he’d yelled until he saw Seth flinch.

  “Love you too, Pops.”

  “What am I supposed to do with you?” Sterling had reached his boiling point. Passed it.

  Seth shrugged his answer before one of his patented smug grins crossed his face. “You could always give me my inheritance now. I’d take it and get out of your hair.”

  “You’d burn through it in six months. You’ve done absolutely nothing with your life. Nothing! I’d hoped the plans for the wedding would settle you down, but...” Judging from the shocked look on Seth’s face, he’d forgotten all about Kirsten. “You didn’t even call her to tell her about the accident?”

  Seth shook his head. “You know what, Pops? I’m going to my suite. Why don’t you call her and tattle on me? She’s more important to you than me anyway.”

  Seth withdrew slowly up the staircase to the second floor. Entirely discouraged at his son’s prospects for the future, Sterling retreated to the study, his sanctuary.

  The fire had ebbed, and the only light in the room came from the desk where he’d been reading the legal papers his friend and attorney Arthur LaGrange had sent. Heading to the oaken bar, Sterling flipped on the track lighting and then poured himself a scotch. He walked over to sit in one of the black leather chairs, stretched out his legs, and nursed his drink for a moment. The liquid burned a trail down his throat, but at least he finally felt himself relax enough to sit back and sink into the soft leather. Balancing the glass on the armrest, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.