Going Dark Read online

  Praise for Monica McCarty and Her Novels

  “McCarty’s gift lies in writing strong characters into wildly entertaining and often unexpected scenarios.”

  —The Washington Post

  “A master storyteller . . . McCarty breathes life into her memorable characters as they face dangerous adventures. The fresh plots, infused with romance and passion, are also brimming with history and drama.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “McCarty creates an enjoyable romance with torrid chemistry, appealing characters, and believable historical situations.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “McCarty sets up the story well and she creates multifaceted characters. . . . The love scenes are steamy and entertaining.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Monica McCarty is a master of blending fact and fiction.”

  —Romance Junkies

  “Strong, intricate plotting and believable characters keep the pages turning.”

  —Library Journal (starred review)

  “A mixture of passion, history, and great wit to create a tale to captivate your senses! To die for!”

  —Addicted to Romance

  “Heart-wrenching . . . made a lasting impression on me.”

  —Under the Covers Book Blog

  “Monica McCarty is an absolutely superior author! Her Highland Guard series has to be one of the absolute best Highland series out there! Fun, fast paced, fact driven, and totally fantastic!”

  —Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy

  “A powerful tale of love, woe, hardship, and the power of true love . . . a must read!”

  —My Book Addiction Reviews

  Also by Monica McCarty

  The Highland Guard

  THE GHOST

  THE ROCK

  THE ROGUE (novella)

  THE STRIKER

  THE ARROW

  THE KNIGHT (novella)

  THE RAIDER

  THE HUNTER

  THE RECRUIT

  THE SAINT

  THE VIPER

  THE RANGER

  THE HAWK

  THE CHIEF

  The Campbell Trilogy

  HIGHLAND SCOUNDREL

  HIGHLAND OUTLAW

  HIGHLAND WARRIOR

  The MacLeods of Skye Trilogy

  HIGHLANDER UNCHAINED

  HIGHLANDER UNMASKED

  HIGHLANDER UNTAMED

  A JOVE BOOK

  Published by Berkley

  An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

  Copyright © 2017 by Monica McCarty

  Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.

  A JOVE BOOK and BERKLEY are registered trademarks and the B colophon is a trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.

  Ebook ISBN 9780399587719

  First Printing: September 2017

  Cover art: man © Claudio Marinesco; fire © Dmitry Pistrov

  Cover design by Rita Frangie

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Version_1

  To Veronica, my Scotland travel partner in crime who helped this story come to life on our second cruise through the Hebrides. When is #3 again?

  Contents

  Praise for Monica McCarty and Her Novels

  Also by Monica McCarty

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Special Preview of Off the Grid

  Acknowledgments

  When I decided to write a contemporary series after twenty-two historical romances, it would have been a lot more daunting had it not been for the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response of my agent, Annelise Robey, and my new editor at Penguin, Cindy Hwang. Ironically, Cindy was one of the first editors I met when I joined RWA about fifteen years ago. Our paths have crossed many times over those years, and it is so nice to finally have the chance to work together. Thank you both for your confidence, excitement, and support in getting this series off the ground and running. Here’s to #2!

  I have had an impressive run of covers, but Going Dark just might be my favorite to date. A huge thanks to the art department for all the hard work they put into getting this one just right. And thanks to production and my fabulous copy editor for helping me keep the secret of my horrendous spelling, tendency to capitalize everything, and the occasional gerund. I do know the rule—I swear.

  I also want to thank the 2016 Kiawah gang—Ally Carter, Sarah MacLean, and Louisa White—for helping me get this proposal written last spring, and for all of your collective wisdom about this crazy business.

  Jami Alden read my first book—what became Highlander Untamed—about fifteen years ago, and she has been the first reader of every book since then. She knows me, my audience, and my writing style better than anyone, and I wait on the proverbial pins and needles for her always insightful comments and feedback. She can never leave me. Seriously.

  Veronica Wolff pulled double duty on this book for me. Not only did she accompany me all the way to Scotland to help this book come to life; she also provided that final last-minute-assurance read to make sure I hit a few things just right.

  On the latest Scotland trip, Veronica and I also had a chance to reconnect with the tour guide from our first Scottish adventure way back in 2008, Iain Watson, who came out of tour guide retirement for a special trip around the Highlands. It was my luck that Iain’s new job is as an officer with Scotland’s Ministry Defense Police, which as it happened became pertinent for this book. A huge thanks to Iain for the fabulous tour and the quick responses to my questions.

  And finally, when I put out the word on Facebook asking whether anyone