BY HER SIDE

BY HER SIDE                                                   LIZZY CHANDLER

She would trust him with her life. But can either of them trust their hearts? 

Rory Sutton Whitfield isn’t a princess, even though her wealthy family insists on treating her like one. Fresh from her travels and finally achieving the independence she craves, the last thing she wants is to become swept up in family problems. But her half-brother has disappeared and her grandfather insists on hiring a bodyguard for her. Rory won’t be controlled by anyone, especially not a taciturn detective like Vince Maroney, a man of few words who nonetheless arouses disturbing emotions.

Vince Maroney has learned his lesson about playing the hero; he stepped up once and it cost him everything. But when he saves the granddaughter of one of Sydney’s wealthiest men, he finds himself embroiled in events beyond his control. Rory is beautiful, smart, independent. But her family is all secrets and lies, money papered over injustices. Rory makes him feel things he thought long dead, but the pains of the past create distance, and she comes from a completely different world. How can one of Sydney’s pampered princesses ever find common ground with her reluctant bodyguard?
BY HER SIDE

     What an interesting read.  This is not the typical type of love story I read but it was very enjoyable.  This was a mystery romance.  You see Rory Sutton Whitfield has lived out of Sydney, Australia for several years traveling the world. Trying to prove to prove to her overprotective family (mainly her grandfather (Pa) Edward Sutton) that she was not a princess.  Being wealth or should I say coming from a wealthy family had it’s a drawback too.  Or at least that was Rory’s take on it.

     Traveling for her helped her connect with down to earth, everyday people, and even help those in need.  She collected items along the way in hopes of moving home to move back into a home she bought all by herself while going to college and opening a collectable store.

     Her grandfather meets her at the airport with the limo which for once she didn’t mind since she was bone tired.  She asked about Jamie her have brother.  Saying she hadn’t heard from him and usually he would reach out once she would call him.  Her grandfather said he was probably on a climb not to worry.  She said yeah but even then he was using his Multi-Media to keep up with everyone but nothing.   Her grandfather looked sheepish.

     He then said he need to stop by work for a quick minute if that was okay.  She said okay.  Then he said that he was the reason the Jamie was out of the office.  That he and Jamie had words after a board meeting.  He got mad words were said.  When they got to the Sutton Building Rory gets and goes to open her grandfather’s door but he makes a face and she steps back.

     She’s looking around when she sees this big, tall, broad-shouldered man with dark hair coming out of the alley.  She notices the black t-shirt, faded jeans and biker boots.  Most of all she notices his purposeful stride as he hits the pavement.  While she was gone.  Excitement like a current charged through her body.  They are strong, determined, and sexy as hell, and most of all heartbreakers that she didn’t miss.

     When she heard the roar of a load engine and screeching tires.  She turns to see a white hatchback accelerating down the street, she froze.  It was going straight for her.  The guy she had been watching yelled to her to watch out.  When all of a sudden his arm hooked around her waist and yanked her behind the limo.  She fell onto him, knocking him over with her landing on top of him.

     She scrambled to the car her Pa was sitting rigid in the back seat.  The hatchback had side swiped the limo shearing of the door.  He Pa was clutching his chest, eyes closed, grey coloring, sweating forehead and shock.  No sign of injury.  The bent to listen to his heart then got his phone out called an ambulance.  The stranger wasn’t any stranger it turns out he is…

     Detective Sergeant Vince Maroney and he realized that he needed to start working on this man or he stood no chance of making on this man or he stood no chance of making it until the ambulance got there.  He asked a bystander to help him get him out of the limo.  He was able to start CPR when the unit got there to get a heartbeat.  Then the pretty blonde girl who was in shock and the old guys granddaughter got in the ambulance with him.

     One of his buddy’s was working the scene and said, “You know who that was right?  Sutton!  Like the Sutton old man Sutton and his granddaughter.”  Just his luck the people he needed or wanted to hate.  You see his wife soon to be ex worked for them but was killed in a car accident doing an errand for them.  In fact he had been on his way to collect her remains from her office.

     He needed to know the old guy made it.  So he goes to the hospital.  He was to yes.  It wasn’t enough he needed to see if she was okay, he was lying to himself there was something about her.  He goes to the waiting room when he sees her she is excited to see him when the shake hands in greeting, electric shock happens.  The nurse comes and says he’s being moved from ICU to regular room she will take her to him.  She grabs his arm and drags him along.  She knows her Pa will want to thank him.  She also knows she can’t face this alone and she feels a connection with him and she needs his quiet strength. So he goes with her.

     After a while she is asked to leave them both alone and come back when the detective comes to get her.  She’s then told when she comes back she will have 24 hour protection because it looks like the accident was deliberate.  She is not happy because once again her family is trying to manage her.  She sees what a toll it is taking on her Pa so she agrees.  Vince is not happy because he is not a bodyguard and his ties to Gina’s death he believes.  So he makes arrangements with a security team.

     See how this story unfolds.  How these two most unlikely people use their unique ways of thinking to forge ahead to figure out what is happening.  Not always with suspense, sometimes with humor, and romance.  I give this 5 stars.

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