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The Bounty Hunters – The Marino Bros. #5
Protecting Beauty
***This book was previously published in Amazon Kindle Worlds*** John “Tex” Keegan thought his Clearwater vacation would be nothing but smooth sailing, cocktails, and baby making with his wife, Melody. But not even a week into his belated honeymoon, the past hurtles to the present to haunt him. And, the ghosts won't let go. Tex is taken back in time to a dark place, a time before he lost his leg, and before he became a Navy Seal. A time when a young Beauty suffered on his watch. And she wasn't alone. There were others. So many needless victims on his watch.
Katarina Marino has moved on with her life. Orphaned, a ward of the state, kidnapped, a sex slave, and preyed upon by a serial killer, she has been to hell and back. Though she survived it all, her past may threaten her future once more.
SEAL of Protection by Susan Stoker meets The Bounty Hunters by MJ Nightingale. What will happen when these two worlds collide? Retired Navy Seal, and former FBI agent Tex Keegan will come across his first case, the case that soured him on the slow wheels of justice, and tortured him for over a decade, making him the man he has become. Living through it again is something he never wanted to do.
Susan Stoker’s Special Operation Alpha presents Protecting Beauty, and a Bounty Hunters Novella.
98 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 22, 2018
246 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
September 8, 2016
Being a Susan Stoker fan, I was so happy to find out her heroes were entwined in these Kindle World stories.
John "Tex" Keegan was the hero from Susan Stoker's "Saving Melody". He was a former navy seal who had lost his leg in combat. He had a cameo in just about every Susan Stoker book. Amazing character. I was so excited to see this story focused on him and Melody.
Catarina was a woman who John had once saved years before when he was FBI. He felt so much guilt for the amount of time it took them to save her that it changed the course of his life.
A chance encounter while vacationing with his wife, Melody, allowed Tex to get the closure he needed for so long.
This was a really great story but I felt like I was missing a lot of info. MJ Nightingale's Marino Brothers series set the stage for this short story. Although this story focused on mainly on Tex and Catarina, it was a spin off of book 4 in that series. The first part of the book was A LOT of backstory bringing us up to speed. Then there was a really sweet and emotional part that saved the book for me. The last part of the book had a lot of the Marino family in it, which I knew nothing about. I felt lost when they were mentioning names of characters I had no knowledge of.
There was however a sweet little epilogue for Tex and Melody so that pleased me. It was great to visit one of my favorite couples. This was a completely safe read with absolutely no cheating or ow/om drama.
John "Tex" Keegan was the hero from Susan Stoker's "Saving Melody". He was a former navy seal who had lost his leg in combat. He had a cameo in just about every Susan Stoker book. Amazing character. I was so excited to see this story focused on him and Melody.
Catarina was a woman who John had once saved years before when he was FBI. He felt so much guilt for the amount of time it took them to save her that it changed the course of his life.
A chance encounter while vacationing with his wife, Melody, allowed Tex to get the closure he needed for so long.
This was a really great story but I felt like I was missing a lot of info. MJ Nightingale's Marino Brothers series set the stage for this short story. Although this story focused on mainly on Tex and Catarina, it was a spin off of book 4 in that series. The first part of the book was A LOT of backstory bringing us up to speed. Then there was a really sweet and emotional part that saved the book for me. The last part of the book had a lot of the Marino family in it, which I knew nothing about. I felt lost when they were mentioning names of characters I had no knowledge of.
There was however a sweet little epilogue for Tex and Melody so that pleased me. It was great to visit one of my favorite couples. This was a completely safe read with absolutely no cheating or ow/om drama.
Read
February 7, 2017All the background on the Marino Brothers is thrown at you is disconcerting. Loved how they helped Tex.
February 26, 2020
Protecting Beauty
Protecting Beauty is a good addition to Stoker's Special Forces Operation Alpha worlds. I enjoyed this story...Tex is one of my favorite characters and I am so glad this story centered around him. MJ did a great job of bringing Cat's story to light and giving Tex's his due. Happy Reading!!
Protecting Beauty is a good addition to Stoker's Special Forces Operation Alpha worlds. I enjoyed this story...Tex is one of my favorite characters and I am so glad this story centered around him. MJ did a great job of bringing Cat's story to light and giving Tex's his due. Happy Reading!!
July 30, 2016
Wow anyone who has read susan customer's rescue teams books must read this. This book gives you an in-depth look at Tex. Great tear dropping book. Loved it.
January 12, 2023
Protecting Beauty is by MJ Nightengale. MJ worked with Susan Stoker and with Susan’s permission used some of her characters in her book.
John “Tex” Keegan was on vacation with his wife Melody in Florida. He was a retired Navy SEAL and a former FBI agent who had to retire due to losing a leg on a mission with the SEALs. For years, he isolated himself behind his computers and created a massive intelligence base from which he helped current SEALs and his friends locate people who were harassing or bothering them in other ways. He had met Melody in a chat room and when she suddenly disappeared and cut all her internet ties had tracked her down and saved her from a stalker. They fell in love and married. They adopted an Iranian refugee girl who had lost her arm. They had left her in California with friends. Currently they had rented a sailboat and were sailing through the islands.
They saw a couple on a balcony of one of the houses and at first just admired them and the love they radiated. Then Tex realized the lady was formerly Catarina Stone, a girl he had helped rescue from a sex trafficking ring when he was with the FBI years ago. He had quit the FBI after that case because he had to sit and watch while she and other boys and girls were abused continually while the FBI gathered enough information to get he top men of the organization. It killed him to listen while these children were forced to be sex toys for rent. He had wondered over the years about Catarina and what had happened to her. Now he wondered if she was really happy or if she was still being used by men.
As he pondered, Melody decided to do something more practical. She learned who the couple was and approached the wife for a meeting. She got the meeting but with the husband too. Was she really the girl that Tex thought she was and how would she react knowing he was so close?
John “Tex” Keegan was on vacation with his wife Melody in Florida. He was a retired Navy SEAL and a former FBI agent who had to retire due to losing a leg on a mission with the SEALs. For years, he isolated himself behind his computers and created a massive intelligence base from which he helped current SEALs and his friends locate people who were harassing or bothering them in other ways. He had met Melody in a chat room and when she suddenly disappeared and cut all her internet ties had tracked her down and saved her from a stalker. They fell in love and married. They adopted an Iranian refugee girl who had lost her arm. They had left her in California with friends. Currently they had rented a sailboat and were sailing through the islands.
They saw a couple on a balcony of one of the houses and at first just admired them and the love they radiated. Then Tex realized the lady was formerly Catarina Stone, a girl he had helped rescue from a sex trafficking ring when he was with the FBI years ago. He had quit the FBI after that case because he had to sit and watch while she and other boys and girls were abused continually while the FBI gathered enough information to get he top men of the organization. It killed him to listen while these children were forced to be sex toys for rent. He had wondered over the years about Catarina and what had happened to her. Now he wondered if she was really happy or if she was still being used by men.
As he pondered, Melody decided to do something more practical. She learned who the couple was and approached the wife for a meeting. She got the meeting but with the husband too. Was she really the girl that Tex thought she was and how would she react knowing he was so close?
June 29, 2020
I finished rereading Tex and Melody's story and saw this book on a book list at the back of Ms. Stoker's book "Protecting Melody". I love Tex and well I wanted to read more about him and read the blub and decided to take a chance.
I loved this book. It picks up about two years after Melody and John "Tex" Keegan were married. They are on a long overdue honeymoon and vacation. He happens to see a woman from his past that has haunted him since before he was a SEAL. She is actually the reason he becomes a SEAL. Melody will do anything to see that he guilt is put to rest and the outcome of this story was so touching that it brought me to tears.
This was well written and I enjoyed getting a glimpse into Ms. Nightingale's charachters. They seem like a fun rowdy bunch and they each had their own adrous danger filled road to love. I plan to read Ms. Nightingale's two other stories that are about Ms. Stoker's characters and then read the series that she wrote about Beauty and her husband and his family.
I loved this book. It picks up about two years after Melody and John "Tex" Keegan were married. They are on a long overdue honeymoon and vacation. He happens to see a woman from his past that has haunted him since before he was a SEAL. She is actually the reason he becomes a SEAL. Melody will do anything to see that he guilt is put to rest and the outcome of this story was so touching that it brought me to tears.
This was well written and I enjoyed getting a glimpse into Ms. Nightingale's charachters. They seem like a fun rowdy bunch and they each had their own adrous danger filled road to love. I plan to read Ms. Nightingale's two other stories that are about Ms. Stoker's characters and then read the series that she wrote about Beauty and her husband and his family.
June 19, 2017
Tex His Past Life Before The Navy Seals
MJ Nightingal in my opinion you have done Susan Stoker fans proud. Tex Keegan and Melody are on vacation in Florida when Tex's past life comes to the front. This past life is the reason he joined the Navy and Seals Ted on his 2nd tour in Iraq had his leg amputated after an IED explosion. He has been haunted that he was unable to save the children and older ones from the sex slave trade. Especially Catrina (CAT) who really haunted Tex now his mission was to make sure CAT is happy. Have a box of Tissues ready for the ending of this outstanding story. MJ Nightingale this story means a lot to me I am a below the knee amputee caused by Agent Orange in Vietnam. I truly loved this story and have purchased book 1 Beautiful Bounty a Marino Brothers series and plan on reading all 4. And I Believe you did Susan Proud
MJ Nightingal in my opinion you have done Susan Stoker fans proud. Tex Keegan and Melody are on vacation in Florida when Tex's past life comes to the front. This past life is the reason he joined the Navy and Seals Ted on his 2nd tour in Iraq had his leg amputated after an IED explosion. He has been haunted that he was unable to save the children and older ones from the sex slave trade. Especially Catrina (CAT) who really haunted Tex now his mission was to make sure CAT is happy. Have a box of Tissues ready for the ending of this outstanding story. MJ Nightingale this story means a lot to me I am a below the knee amputee caused by Agent Orange in Vietnam. I truly loved this story and have purchased book 1 Beautiful Bounty a Marino Brothers series and plan on reading all 4. And I Believe you did Susan Proud
November 28, 2023
Great update on Ted and Melody. I loved this book
Tex and Melody finally take a honeymoon after two years to try to relax and make a baby. They are in Florida and Tex sees someone he never forgot and never expected to see again. Seeing her brings up all the guilt and regrets he had from his days in the FBI and his last case that caused him to quit and become a SEAL. When Melody secretly arranges for them to meet, will he finally be able to pur the guilt and regrets forest for good? How do Melody and Cat arrange for the meeting and how will Tex react?
Tex and Melody finally take a honeymoon after two years to try to relax and make a baby. They are in Florida and Tex sees someone he never forgot and never expected to see again. Seeing her brings up all the guilt and regrets he had from his days in the FBI and his last case that caused him to quit and become a SEAL. When Melody secretly arranges for them to meet, will he finally be able to pur the guilt and regrets forest for good? How do Melody and Cat arrange for the meeting and how will Tex react?
July 8, 2018
I'm a fan!
Discovering MJ Nightingale was by far the highlight of my search for best new author. The fact that she did justice to Tex, one of my favorite characters, will definitely make it easy for me to follow her books.
The best part of the story? Chapter 10. It gutted me. I cried for Tex, I felt proud of him, and I cheered to see him finally happy.
Follow MJ Nightingale, folks, you won't regret it!
Discovering MJ Nightingale was by far the highlight of my search for best new author. The fact that she did justice to Tex, one of my favorite characters, will definitely make it easy for me to follow her books.
The best part of the story? Chapter 10. It gutted me. I cried for Tex, I felt proud of him, and I cheered to see him finally happy.
Follow MJ Nightingale, folks, you won't regret it!
June 22, 2022
Loved it
This is the first book I've read by this author and if the rest of her books are like this, then I've got lots of reading in front of me.
This book was special, in that I'm a Susan Stokes fan and when I discovered that MJ had written about Tex, I just had to read it.
Wow - tears poured from me. I always knew Rec was the best, but to read now he became what he does now, was brilliant.
This is the first book I've read by this author and if the rest of her books are like this, then I've got lots of reading in front of me.
This book was special, in that I'm a Susan Stokes fan and when I discovered that MJ had written about Tex, I just had to read it.
Wow - tears poured from me. I always knew Rec was the best, but to read now he became what he does now, was brilliant.
May 25, 2021
Fantastic
I Loved this story, I could not stop reading it. I Loved the deep connection between Texas and Melody and how they could read each other and know them so well. It had me crying w h ending Tex was getting the recognition for the people he had saved and how much they cared to show him.
I Loved this story, I could not stop reading it. I Loved the deep connection between Texas and Melody and how they could read each other and know them so well. It had me crying w h ending Tex was getting the recognition for the people he had saved and how much they cared to show him.
June 27, 2022
I was excited to read a book about Tex and Melody, but this wasn’t what I had hoped for. There was no Feelz, the dialogue was dry and I started skipping ahead to get to the action. The sex scene were dull and consisted of deciding he wanted sex and then sticking it in, no foreplay and definitely no getting her ready.
Overall, I like the idea of honoring Tex but the execution was a dull read.
Overall, I like the idea of honoring Tex but the execution was a dull read.
August 22, 2018
Totally Enjoyable
This book did a great job of tying up Tex's story, and giving a view of the future. It's not easy for an author to use characters from another author , but this was well done.
. Now onto The Bounty Hunter series.
This book did a great job of tying up Tex's story, and giving a view of the future. It's not easy for an author to use characters from another author , but this was well done.
. Now onto The Bounty Hunter series.
December 8, 2018
Beautiful
I love the book, so beautifully done. I could not put it down. To have a story about Tex and what he did before becoming a SEAL, it was great but not only that, it was how it brought others together. Thank you a beautiful read.
I love the book, so beautifully done. I could not put it down. To have a story about Tex and what he did before becoming a SEAL, it was great but not only that, it was how it brought others together. Thank you a beautiful read.
January 23, 2021
it was a nice book with a sweet storyline .... nice mention of Author Susan Stoker as one of the characters too.
It was a bit too short for me page wise and there was room for the story to expand. however I will consider reading some of the other books that the Marino Brothers are in.
It was a bit too short for me page wise and there was room for the story to expand. however I will consider reading some of the other books that the Marino Brothers are in.
August 2, 2022
I had seen this book and bought it in 2020. I kept wondering about Tex’s whole story. I forgot about this book. Came across it again on Facebook last night. Glad I did. It gives a real perspective of who Rex is and why. A myst read
November 24, 2022
OMG
I'm not sure I can find the words that will do this book justice. It flows seamlessly with Susan's book Protecting Melody. It's an absolutely great, excellently written story. I'm so glad that I stumbled on to this author. My reading list just got longer.
I'm not sure I can find the words that will do this book justice. It flows seamlessly with Susan's book Protecting Melody. It's an absolutely great, excellently written story. I'm so glad that I stumbled on to this author. My reading list just got longer.
June 13, 2017
WOW
Heartwarming, heartbreaking and overall a beautiful addition to the Susan Stoker universe - and proving once again, Tex knows EVERYONE!
Heartwarming, heartbreaking and overall a beautiful addition to the Susan Stoker universe - and proving once again, Tex knows EVERYONE!
April 15, 2018
I enjoyed this longer glimpse into Tex and Melody.
KW
KW
July 4, 2018
Loved it
October 23, 2018
Wonderful!!
I loved how just one person can give you HOPE!!!
I would recommend this to anyone who likes a follow up with certain characters.
I loved how just one person can give you HOPE!!!
I would recommend this to anyone who likes a follow up with certain characters.
July 4, 2019
Loved that this story expanded on Tex’s background but it was truly the ending that made it worth reading. Happy to see that he got his due.
March 17, 2020
Nice story
I liked the story. It was a little bit slow but shows potential. Needed something more to really capture the audience and draw them in.
I liked the story. It was a little bit slow but shows potential. Needed something more to really capture the audience and draw them in.
January 21, 2021
Wow!
I cannot believe I didn’t know about this story before. I love Tex! It was wonderful getting another glimpse into his life. Great story.
I cannot believe I didn’t know about this story before. I love Tex! It was wonderful getting another glimpse into his life. Great story.
August 4, 2021
I loved this story from a new to me author
Knowing that Susan Stoker's amazing Rex was in this story made me select it, but I enjoyed the other characters and the story.
Knowing that Susan Stoker's amazing Rex was in this story made me select it, but I enjoyed the other characters and the story.
November 8, 2021
DNF 36%
August 17, 2022
My rating: 4-1/2 stars
November 19, 2023
WOW
So very good……have some Kleenex nearby though. Beautifully written! What a tribute to honor the strength of Tex and survivors of all kinds.
So very good……have some Kleenex nearby though. Beautifully written! What a tribute to honor the strength of Tex and survivors of all kinds.
September 25, 2017
I loved this book! I almost cried!
August 14, 2016
Very good story of the Kindle Worlds Special Forces group. "Tex" Keegan is now the saving grace for a group of SEALs and their families, keeping them safe wherever they are. He is haunted by the fact that there was a time when he failed to save, or so he thinks. Tex and his wife Melody have gone on a vacation alone, leaving their daughter and their dog with friends.
While tying their rented boat up at a slip in Clearwater, they notice a woman doing yoga exercises on a balcony of a beautiful house nearby. Tex is shocked that he recognizes the woman. She is Cat, a woman who as a child was kidnapped and sold into slavery by a brutal group. As an FBI agent, Tex was tasked to listen in on the conversations in the rooms of the children - both boys and girls - who were used as sex slaves there.
Tex was unable to work as quickly as he wanted to end this hell for the children, and it made him leave the Bureau and enlist in the Navy to become a SEAL. Even these years later and knowing that the children and many others were rescued, does not assuage his feelings of guilt - it wasn't fast enough.
When he sees Cat, beautiful, pregnant and clearly in love with the man in the house, Tex still feels guilty. Here is where Nightingale does such a good job portraying how well Tex and Mel understand each other, and how much this bothers Tex. Mel also sees that Cat is a survivor. She undertakes a mission of her own to make Tex see how much he did for that young girl and all the others. The solution that they all arrive at is beautiful.
This one actually brought tears to my eyes. It also made me look for the Marino Brothers stories by the author!
While tying their rented boat up at a slip in Clearwater, they notice a woman doing yoga exercises on a balcony of a beautiful house nearby. Tex is shocked that he recognizes the woman. She is Cat, a woman who as a child was kidnapped and sold into slavery by a brutal group. As an FBI agent, Tex was tasked to listen in on the conversations in the rooms of the children - both boys and girls - who were used as sex slaves there.
Tex was unable to work as quickly as he wanted to end this hell for the children, and it made him leave the Bureau and enlist in the Navy to become a SEAL. Even these years later and knowing that the children and many others were rescued, does not assuage his feelings of guilt - it wasn't fast enough.
When he sees Cat, beautiful, pregnant and clearly in love with the man in the house, Tex still feels guilty. Here is where Nightingale does such a good job portraying how well Tex and Mel understand each other, and how much this bothers Tex. Mel also sees that Cat is a survivor. She undertakes a mission of her own to make Tex see how much he did for that young girl and all the others. The solution that they all arrive at is beautiful.
This one actually brought tears to my eyes. It also made me look for the Marino Brothers stories by the author!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews