Free The Embattled Road (Lost and Found Series) by JM Madden

gave away for adoption twenty-three years ago. We’ll get meatier contracts eventually, but we have to start with small stuff first.”
    The doors dinged and they exited the elevator to stand in an empty reception area. A broad door was open to the right of reception. They walked through into an expansive office with a small kitchenette in one corner. “This will be my office.”
    “So, where’s the furniture?” John asked.
    Duncan grinned at him. “Well, we have to go get it. Probably tonight and tomorrow.”
    “We’ve got customers coming in two days and the furniture hasn’t been delivered yet?” John rolled out to reception and down the hallway where the other offices were located, sticking his head in each one. Chad and Duncan followed along. “Is there any equipment at all?”
    “Well,” Duncan admitted, “I haven’t actually bought any furniture yet. Or equipment.”
    Chad’s dark brows shot to his hairline and his jaw fell open. John, on the other hand, looked furious. “You haven’t bought a god damn piece of anything yet? What the hell have you been doing out here?”
    Duncan smiled at him, not disturbed by his anger at all. “Well, I’ve been closing escrow on the building, filing the proper business paperwork for the state of Colorado, getting your forms to be certified as investigators by the state, opening a bank account, making contacts and placing ads. Oh.” He reached into his breast pocket for a slip of paper, handing it to John. “And looking for handicapped accessible apartments.”
    The heavy frown slipped away from John’s face. “Fuck handicapped.”
    Chad laughed out loud and slapped him on the back. “Oh, Gunny. You’ve never served under First Sergeant Wilde, so you have no idea what you’re in for.”
    Duncan pointed at a box against the hallway wall. “I did have some letterhead printed up.”
    Chad crossed to it and flipped up the lid. He pulled out an invoice. “LNF? What does that stand for?”
    “Lost and Found Investigative Services.”
    They all shared a long look. They didn’t need an explanation on the title. They’d all been lost and found. With each other.
    “Sounds good to me,” Chad said.
    “Yeah, I guess it’s all right.”
    But the look on John’s face said otherwise.
    “What, John?”
    The other man shrugged. “It’s just cheesy. I mean, LNF, really? You name anything else around here, Duncan, as your partner, I want a damn say…”
    Duncan held up a hand to interrupt him. “We’re working with the public, John. We can’t use the word ‘fuck’ in anything. Why the hell do you think I kept controlling interest?” He grinned at the two laughing men, genuinely excited at the prospects before them.
    It wouldn’t be easy building a business with men like them, but he couldn’t imagine tackling it with anybody else. The way he saw it, fate had thrown the three of them together for a reason. It would just take time, a willingness to learn and dogged Marine determination.
    Many would say that success would be next to impossible, but then they’d already returned from impossible. “Let’s go shopping boys. We’ve got a lot to do.”
     
     
    *****
     

Note from the Author~
     
    I sincerely hope you enjoyed the beginning of Duncan, John and Chad’s stories. I would appreciate it if you would:
    LEND IT- to friends and family. It is lending enabled.
    REVIEW IT- at the site you purchased it from. Positive reader reviews have a huge impact on the success of a book.
    RECOMMEND IT- to anybody you think would enjoy it.
     
     
    A portion of the proceeds of this book will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. If you would like to make a personal donation, you can find information at http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
     
    Thank you so much for reading.
     
     

And finally, a sneak peek at
    Embattled Hearts,
    John’s story. Enjoy!
     
     
    Chapter One
     
    Shannon looked down at her rear tire incredulously. “Are you serious? Why today,