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Once a Hero

Herc's Mercs

by Ari McKay

Ezra Levin spent years as a soldier, just as his father had wished. But after stints in the Israeli military, the Mossad, and finally as a member of Hercules Security, the man once known as “Ghost” decides to retire and pursue his own dreams of being a chef. At forty-five, he knows his yearning to have a partner and a family of his own are probably unattainable, but as a private chef for Judge Mason Whittaker and his young son, Jamie, Ezra finds some measure of fulfillment.

Unfortunately, Mason’s past as a District Attorney has made him a lot of enemies - one of whom seems to be looking for payback. When a series of unsettling events disturbs the Whittaker household, Ezra immediately steps up, wanting to protect Mason and Jamie. He calls upon his old friend, Cade Thornton, for help, as a cunning criminal plays a game of cat and mouse that endangers Mason’s life. Ezra realizes that Mason has come to mean far more to him than just an employer, and that he’s going to have to use all his old skills to stop a killer - or else he just might wind up losing the man he loves.

This book is on:
  • 2 To Be Read lists
  • 2 Read lists
Published:
Editors:
McKay

Illustrators:
Luna Madison

Cover Artists:
Luna Madison

Genres:
Action Adventure, Contemporary, Military, Suspense

Tags:
author - american, format - book, format - novel <100K, format - series, format - shared universe, potential trigger - violence, what - concept - danger, what - emotion - anxiety, what - emotion - love, what - holiday - general, what - sex - dubious consent, what - topic - crime, what - topic - politics, who - description - blue collar, who - occupation - attorney, who - occupation - bodyguard, who - occupation - chef, who - occupation - military, who - occupation - politician, who - occupation - soldier

Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 3
Romantic Content: 3
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Bisexual
Tropes: Bodyguard/Guardian Angel, Class Differences, Criminals & Outlaws
Setting: United States
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
Reviews: Aghash on Amazon wrote:

For any lover of the series, this one will fall neatly into the fold and provide with a usual doze of thrill and arousal among the pages. If you fantasize about a strong handsome gentle and clever man holding you and shielding from all evil, then look no further, the story will drug you well. It might be a touch predictable or repetitive from book to book, but then isn't that what we expect from the immortal Bodyguard spin-off?


About the Author

Ari McKay is the professional pseudonym for Arionrhod and McKay, who have been writing together for over a decade. Their collaborations encompass a wide variety of romance genres, including contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, gothic, and action/adventure. Their work includes the Blood Bathory series of paranormal novels, the Herc’s Mercs series, as well as two historical Westerns: Heart of Stone and Finding Forgiveness. When not writing, they can often be found scheming over costume designs or binge watching TV shows together.

Arionrhod is a systems engineer by day who is eagerly looking forward to (hopefully) becoming a full time writer in the not-too-distant future. Now that she is an empty-nester, she has turned her attentions to finding the perfect piece of land to build a fortress in preparation for the zombie apocalypse, and baking (and eating) far too many cakes.

McKay is an English teacher who has been writing for one reason or another most of her life. She also enjoys knitting, reading, cooking, and playing video games. She has been known to knit in public. Given she has the survival skills of a gnat, she’s relying on Arionrhod to help her survive the zombie apocalypse.