Reaching High

Reaching High (Madelon Smid)

RG Gribbs stoic head of Safeguard Security International gives little away – not his emotions, thoughts or next action. A retired Ranger he is a warrior to the core. His loyalty is to his country and Jake Ingles, billionaire whom he sees as his saviour. For eight years RG heads up Jake’s security, even as his own company and influence grow. Humbly, quietly he pays back what he considers his debt to society by serving the U.S. Reserves, Jake, and his family and friends. Asking nothing for himself, he creates a Foundation to support the soldiers and families dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. His life has a pattern, quiet service with no distractions. So when Jake cuts him loose, saying he needs to get a life of his own, he flounders, caught without a plan.

Tè Zhang trained under the Honk Kong police and secret service, determined to take down Wang, the man who murdered her father and step-mother. When she signs up with Safeguard Security, Gribbs sends her out on a high profile case that catches the attention of Wang, who has been looking for Tè and her half-brother, Anton, for years. Now Wang comes after her.

Protecting one of his soldiers takes precedence, but RG acknowledges Tè isn’t just another employee. The delicate, lethal, highly skilled woman, so far beyond his poor boy Texan roots, has captured his attention and his heart. He suggests the only way to keep Tè safe is to capture Wang and they mount an attack on Wang’s compound in the Gulf Islands. When he tries to keep her out of the action they exchange destructive words that tear them apart. Tè takes part in the invasion and is badly wounded. RG never leaves her side, until Anton forces him away.

Weeks go by, while heartbroken RG has left her, Tè recuperates at her brother’s compound in Hong Kong. Feeling unworthy of her love, because he didn’t keep her safe, RG works tirelessly to track down the escaped Wang and bring him to justice. When he hears that Wang has been sighted in Hong Kong, he contacts Anton and they lay a trap. Wang eludes them. But Tè and RG are back in the same room and no villain, wound or sense of humility can overpower their love. They plan a wedding in Vancouver, where their friends gather to celebrate.

Tè, RG and their friends have destroyed Wang’s mighty empire, taking it apart financially, exposing the corruption to the law and forcing him into hiding. Filled with hate, Wang captures Tè on her way to her bridal shower. Standing alone against a lifelong foe she must fight or die. When RG finds her, he embraces the warrior in her, knowing they will bring all their willpower and expertise to keeping each other and their love safe.