Fearless: A Salvation Society Novel Read online

  Fearless

  Chelle Bliss

  Contents

  Letter to the Reader

  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

  Epilogue

  The Salvation Society

  Acknowledgments

  Books by Chelle Bliss

  About the Author

  This book was inspired by the Salvation Series written by Corinne Michaels. It is an original work that is published through The Salvation Society.

  Copyright@ 2020 Chelle Bliss

  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. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

  All Rights Reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic format without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Editor:

  Lisa A. Hollett

  Proofreader:

  Deaton Author Services

  Cover Designer:

  © Lori Jackson

  Cover Photo:

  © Wander Aguilar

  Letter to the Reader

  Dear Reader,

  I’m so excited for you to dive into Fearless. I’ve loved Corinne’s words and characters for years and I jumped at the chance to have her world collide with mine.

  I’m obsessed with writing crazy, sometimes over the top alphas and loving, nosey Italian families. Fearless is no different.

  I hope while reading Fearless you fall just as much in love with the Gallos as I already am. I had so much fun writing this book with Makenna and Austin. They kept me busy during a time I needed an escape.

  Inside this book you’ll meet the Gallos from my Men of Inked series. There are multiple generations and so many cousins your head will spin. The Gallos have been my safe and happy place for years.

  Now turn the page and dive right in. Mark and Charlie’s daughter is waiting…

  Love Always,

  Chelle Bliss

  Chapter One

  Makenna

  Nineteen years under my parents’ roof, four mediocre years studying history in college, months at boot camp, and then A school had me craving freedom and fun.

  “Are you settled in?” my dad asked as I walked out of my building.

  “Totally settled.” I glanced around, watching as hordes of people headed toward the mess hall.

  “Allison there?”

  “She’s somewhere, but I was just heading to dinner,” I lied, knowing I was going the opposite direction.

  “When in doubt, always go for the salad. It’s the least likely thing to kill you.”

  “Got it.” I tucked my hand into the pocket of my coat, fishing out my car keys. “Trust me, Dad. I’ve memorized everything you told me.”

  He sighed on the other end of the phone. “I should’ve pulled some strings and had you stationed closer.”

  “I have to do this on my own,” I told him, stalking toward the crowded parking lot. “I want to do this on my own. Promise me you won’t get involved, Twilight?” I used his call sign, something I’d heard him called a million times by his friends.

  “I won’t, sunshine. I swear.”

  “I’m in no way a ray of sunshine, Daddy. Maybe to you, but no one else.”

  “Got a nickname yet? Chaos would be a great one for you.”

  I chuckled, knowing he was right. I was like a ball of chaos, too wild to be caged, too unwieldy to be anything else. “Nope,” I lied again. “Just Dixon or Mak. You know how it is when you’re new.”

  “You’ll find your place, sweetheart. When’s duty start?”

  “I have a few days to settle in.”

  “Everything is hurry up and wait. I’d like to say it gets better, but it doesn’t.”

  My dad loved talking about the navy. He wasn’t just a regular sailor. Nope. My dad was the elite. The crème de la crème. A navy SEAL through and through.

  I had no plans to break the proverbial glass ceiling, trying to be one of the first female SEALs ever. I was happy to find my place as a quartermaster without the pressure of saving lives and risking my own on a daily basis.

  “Mak.” Blondie, my best friend from boot camp, waved across the parking lot, leaning against my car. “Get your ass moving. We’re losin’ daylight.”

  “I got to go, Dad. I’m here. I’m safe. I’m ready.”

  “Okay. Okay. I’m so proud of you. You know that, right?”

  “I do.” I waved back at Blondie when he didn’t stop glaring at me because I wasn’t moving fast enough. “I love you, Daddy.”

  “Love you too. Give ’em hell.”

  “That’s the plan. I’ll call soon.”

  “Tomorrow?” he asked.

  “I’ll text you tomorrow.”

  “Fuck,” he huffed. “A text is fine.”

  “Go spend time with Mom or Cullen, Dad. I’m heading to the world-famous salad bar you’ve been raving about for years,” I said sarcastically.

  Dad chuckled. “Later, kid.”

  “Bye, Dad.”

  “Well, Jesus. If you moved any slower, we’ll get there tomorrow,” Blondie said as I jammed my phone into the back pocket of my jeans.

  “What’s the hurry? It’s not even five.”

  Blondie ran his hand over his cropped blond hair, always looking exasperated. “It’s our first night without curfew, and I’m not wasting it.”

  If Blondie and I hadn’t become best friends at A school, I’d find him attractive. But there was something about him that made him feel more like my brother than possible boyfriend material. His blue eyes and full lips made most of the girls swoon, but I just didn’t see him the same way.

  I clicked to open the locks to my Jeep, wanting nothing more than some time off base. “Where are we going anyway?”

  He settled into the passenger seat, looking like a giant folded up, with his knees almost touching his chest. “I found the perfect spot down by the ocean.”

  “It’s the Gulf, not the ocean,” I corrected, sliding the key into the ignition.

  “Um, it’s still an ocean.”

  I glanced over at him, unable to keep the judgment from my face. “Listen, the Atlantic is the ocean. The Gulf is the…”

  “Gulf?” he teased. “It’s still endless blue water, babe.”

  “You’re a goofball.”

  “You try growing up in a cornfield in Indiana. I’m sorry I wasn’t a spoiled little girl from Virginia where the ocean was in my backyard.”

  I backed out, ignoring his comment. “Where am I going?”

  “The Rusty Knuckle.”

  I gaped at him as I shifted my Jeep into drive, keeping my foot firmly planted on the brake. “The what?”

  “Rusty Knuckle. Supposed to be the hottest bar on the beach.”

  “Sounds like it.” I laughed. “Why there? I heard the Seagull is so much better.”

  Blondie blanched and pulled on his tank top, the same one he always wore because it showed off his muscles. “Because the Seagull isn’t a biker bar.”