Protecting the Innocent

Prepare for edge-of-your-seat suspense in this Thriller Short.

In this Thriller Short, bestselling author Simon Wood brings his thirst for risk into play with an unusual tale of love.

Nick, stubbornly love struck, is getting ready to take his relationship with Melanie Lassen to the next level by proposing to her. But when Melanie’s brother, Jamie, learns of Nick’s marriage plans, he warns him to break it off and never see her again – or else.

Despite Jamie’s pointed and repeated threats on his life, Nick is undeterred and goes on the offensive. His sleuthing uncovers a dark secret about Jamie that he uses as the ante in a high-stakes game of poker – one where both men’s lives are at risk.

Originally published in THRILLER 2 (2009), edited by No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Clive Cussler.