Checkmate Series by Emilia Finn

How do you protect the girl, when the most dangerous threat in her life is you? Kane Bishop is a professional enforcer, smuggler, all-around law breaker, and the latest resident of a tiny town hidden by mountains and forest. His job is to keep his kingpin boss safe and off the local law enforcement's radar... moreHow do you protect the girl, when the most dangerous threat in her life is you? Kane Bishop is a professional enforcer, smuggler, all-around law breaker, and the latest resident of a tiny town hidden by mountains and forest. His job is to keep his kingpin boss safe and off the local law enforcement's radar. But when Jessica Lenaghan - immediate family to the police that just won't mind their own damn business - steps into Kane's world, his protective instincts take a wild one-eighty and his focus shifts to someone other than the man he works for. Jess is months away from sitting the bar exam, but she has a point to prove: she doesn't always have to be the good, dependable girl in the family. But dipping her toes into Kane's world turns into something she never anticipated. When drugs, guns, and wh*res are involved, all bets are off. Join the crew on a nail-biting ride of adrenaline, murder, and one good-girl shooting at her bad-boy because he annoyed her one too many times. SHELTER is book 1 in The Checkmate Series, and can be read as a complete Standalone. less

Every sunrise demands a sunset. When the most important person in your world is hurt, a man learns who he is right down at the core. Will he protect her? Can he do what needs to be done to make it better? Is he willing to take it as far as it needs to go, or is he a p*ssy that talks a big game but has no guts? And if he chooses the second, then did he truly love her at all? No. The answer is no, because a man that loves with his whole heart won’t be stopped. There is no line... moreEvery sunrise demands a sunset. When the most important person in your world is hurt, a man learns who he is right down at the core. Will he protect her? Can he do what needs to be done to make it better? Is he willing to take it as far as it needs to go, or is he a p*ssy that talks a big game but has no guts? And if he chooses the second, then did he truly love her at all? No. The answer is no, because a man that loves with his whole heart won’t be stopped. There is no line. There’s no ‘too far’. There’s just her. And her pain is his responsibility to fix, even if she’ll never know it was he who stepped in. Till The Sun Dies is book 2 in the Checkmate Series and includes dark topics. Reader discretion is advised. less

Die a hero. Forever remain a hero. Junior, baby-faced, rookie – Riley Cruz has heard it all. The youngest police recruit in town, Riley is thirty-one years old, but is constantly overlooked because of his youthful features and habit to keep his mouth shut when everyone else is loud. But not everything is as it seems. Not everyone is as innocent as they appear... moreDie a hero. Forever remain a hero. Junior, baby-faced, rookie – Riley Cruz has heard it all. The youngest police recruit in town, Riley is thirty-one years old, but is constantly overlooked because of his youthful features and habit to keep his mouth shut when everyone else is loud. But not everything is as it seems. Not everyone is as innocent as they appear. Recruited by big players in the law enforcement world and reluctantly thrust onto a team of agents that skirt the edge of what is legal, the innocent cop has to straddle a line between cops and agents, right and wrong, and might possess the darkest secrets of them all. Riley’s had his eyes on a certain raven-haired beauty since day one, but Andi Conner is a wild horse, apt to run at any moment, and scared of anything that requires more commitment than a one-night-stand. Riley has to juggle each portion of his life – cops, agents, Andi – and keep them all separate, but when it all blows up, he might just lose everything. Castling The Rook is part of a duet featuring Andi Conner and Riley Cruz. This is part one. Part two is titled Playing For Keeps. less

Life is all about choices, right? Everything we do, from brushing our teeth in the morning, until we climb into bed at night, is a series of choices. Sometimes we make bad choices, sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re made under duress, and sometimes they’re the lesser of two evils kind. Sometimes there’s no choice at all, but you’re still forced to do something , because the world refuses to slow for you... moreLife is all about choices, right? Everything we do, from brushing our teeth in the morning, until we climb into bed at night, is a series of choices. Sometimes we make bad choices, sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re made under duress, and sometimes they’re the lesser of two evils kind. Sometimes there’s no choice at all, but you’re still forced to do something , because the world refuses to slow for you. And sometimes, the one perfect choice stands right in front of you in a cop’s uniform and he asks you to feel what he feels. But if you're proud like me, even when you know the right choice, the wrong words slide off your tongue and begin a chain reaction that can't ever be undone. Playing For Keeps is the conclusion to a Checkmate duet featuring Andi Conner and Riley Cruz. The first part is titled Castling The Rook and should be read first. less

Eighteen months ago, my world was tossed upside down amid horrified screams and merciless hellfire. I was thrown into the flames to burn alive, but now I stand on the other side, invincible, untouchable, and un-f*cking-beatable. Today, the ID in my wallet says John D. Hamilton. It’s the name I go by, the name the beautiful brunette sitting alone in Ginnie’s diner knows me as. I was an undercover cop, once. A decorated agent who slid from my throne and descended into a world of pain and darkness... moreEighteen months ago, my world was tossed upside down amid horrified screams and merciless hellfire. I was thrown into the flames to burn alive, but now I stand on the other side, invincible, untouchable, and un-f*cking-beatable. Today, the ID in my wallet says John D. Hamilton. It’s the name I go by, the name the beautiful brunette sitting alone in Ginnie’s diner knows me as. I was an undercover cop, once. A decorated agent who slid from my throne and descended into a world of pain and darkness. Then came Sophia Solomon, the light in my dark, the miracle who walks past my door and lends a little warmth in the dead of winter. Sophia‘s beauty steals the breath from my lungs. She draws me in just by existing, but she doesn’t know my secrets. I wasn’t born with the first name John, but then again, I wasn’t born a cocaine addict either, but here we are and both are true. Now I’m on a mission to find the man that had me killed. Rise Of The King is a Checkmate Series suspenseful romance. It’s a compete standalone and has no cliffhanger. New readers can start here. But beware, not everything is as it seems. less

Sacrifices are never ideal, but to win the game, sometimes the knight must fall. Katrina Blair is a single mom to a daredevil teen, which means she has no time for fruitless endeavours such as dating. Why? Because men are all the same: liars, thieves, and unreliable a**holes. Pregnant at fifteen and deserted by the father long before their son was born, Katrina learned her lessons early in life and has built an impenetrable wall that keeps the weak away... moreSacrifices are never ideal, but to win the game, sometimes the knight must fall. Katrina Blair is a single mom to a daredevil teen, which means she has no time for fruitless endeavours such as dating. Why? Because men are all the same: liars, thieves, and unreliable a**holes. Pregnant at fifteen and deserted by the father long before their son was born, Katrina learned her lessons early in life and has built an impenetrable wall that keeps the weak away. But Eric DeWhit isn’t weak, and he’s been lingering on Katrina’s side of the diner an awful lot lately. Eric’s former life as an undercover agent is not open for discussion, so he chooses lame jokes instead, and lets them flow as regularly as Katrina’s coffee pot. Her sneaking glances under lowered lashes assures him that she’s attracted too, but every time he asks for anything more than a burger and fries, he’s shot down with a stern “No. ”. Katrina is set in her ways and insists on maintaining the strict rules that have gotten her through fifteen hard years, but she’s about to find out there’s an exception to every rule, and Eric might be hers. less

To win, is to win it all. But to lose, means you're all alone. Spencer Serrano is seven feet of f*cked up. He’s crude, flirtatious, and far more dangerous than his stupid jokes imply. Abigail Rosa lives her life inside a bubble, placed there by those who love her, kept there by the respect she has for them. She knows they mean well, but the day Spence visits her shop with his filthy mouth and lack of manners, is the day her world is flipped upside down... moreTo win, is to win it all. But to lose, means you're all alone. Spencer Serrano is seven feet of f*cked up. He’s crude, flirtatious, and far more dangerous than his stupid jokes imply. Abigail Rosa lives her life inside a bubble, placed there by those who love her, kept there by the respect she has for them. She knows they mean well, but the day Spence visits her shop with his filthy mouth and lack of manners, is the day her world is flipped upside down. Abigail isn’t inclined to give the giant jerk a minute of her time, but he’s determined to conquer her in every way. Just as he’s beginning to make progress, Checkmate alarms are raised. #Jericho. Spence only plays games he knows he’ll win, but this one might be unwinnable. Together, they must fight for life—for a future. The loser will end up alone. But the Winner Takes All. This is a Checkmate Series standalone with laugh out loud funnies, fan your face chemistry, ugly cry emotions, all of the side cast we’ve grown to crave, and of course, the danger that we love to hate. Jump back into the rich and colourful world that Emilia creates, and fall in love all over again. . less

Bishop men are nothing but a plague on this planet, a disease that needs eradication before it spreads. They’re murderers. Liars. Thieves. The day I met Colum Bishop, I thought my life was finally turning around. I was led to believe he would be our saviour. He was supposed to be our hero, a long awaited reprieve from the hardships life insisted on throwing at my mom and me. But in reality, he was the beginning of the very end. Instead of accepting us, he destroyed us... moreBishop men are nothing but a plague on this planet, a disease that needs eradication before it spreads. They’re murderers. Liars. Thieves. The day I met Colum Bishop, I thought my life was finally turning around. I was led to believe he would be our saviour. He was supposed to be our hero, a long awaited reprieve from the hardships life insisted on throwing at my mom and me. But in reality, he was the beginning of the very end. Instead of accepting us, he destroyed us. Instead of saving us, he had us murdered. But before my final moments, I met a girl. My only ally in a savage war that would eventually end my life. Elizabeth Tate was the first and last thought that passed through my mind as I lay in an alleyway and finally closed my eyes. It’s ironic, really, that my name is Gunner Bishop. That makes me his heir, I suppose. But the Bishop kingdom is nothing to aspire toward. I was born to be great, but my name makes it impossible. I was born to lead, but my father made sure I wouldn’t grow to lead him. I have just two more Bishops to take care of, and then I can rest knowing my mother’s death wasn’t in vain. From a child in alleyway, I must shed and eradicate the filth my name implies, then I’ll emerge amongst the flames and rule the empire I was destined to lead. I truly hope Libby’s loyalties are not with the man she calls Uncle. Checkmate is the 8th and final instalment in the Checkmate Series. Please note, reader discretion is advised. Book includes scenes of violence and sexual assault. less