Damaged

The Protectors, Book 14

By: Sloane Kennedy

Narrated by: Michael Dean

Dalton

Some scars run deeper than others....

I understood pain and Id learned to live with it. My little house and my cabin cruiser that faithfully let me explore every part of Chesapeake Bay were enough for me and had been for a long time. I liked being alone and I was good at it.

I should have driven past him like everyone else. It shouldn't have mattered that his drenched clothes clinging to his slim body and his slow but determined pace as he put one foot in front of the other called out to me in a way I never would have expected.

The plan was to pick him up and hand him back over to the friend we had in common, nothing more.

That was the plan, but the funny thing about plans is they rarely go the way they're supposed to.

Silver

Never looking at the past is the key to surviving it....

After a lifetime of captivity with a cruel owner who'd purchased me for a bag of drugs and then stolen everything from me, I was finally free. I didn't care that I didn't have a penny to my name. I knew how to earn money. It didn't matter if I was on my knees or bent over whatever was convenient, I just needed to get enough so I could know what it was like to truly be free.

And then he appeared. A familiar face among the harsh torrents of rain and cruel asphalt beneath my feet. He was the last thing my exhausted, battered body needed, and yet somehow I knew he wasn't.

The ride was only supposed to get me to the closest bus station so I could start earning some cash, but by the time wed gotten to his house after he'd purchased my services for the entire night, I'd already started to see the man beneath the scars.

Scars like mine.

One night. That was all it should have been before beginning my life of freedom. So then why did I feel like a captive again after just a few hours with him? A very willing captive whose freedom didn't seem quite as important as before.

©2024 SK Publishing, LLC (P)2024 SK Publishing, LLC

A Balm for Pain

Silver and Dalton both lived through and still carry so much pain, and finding relief in each other was a surprise to both men. I loved witnessing these two learn to trust each other as their love grew.

Fantastic!

Only Sloane can write this! Absolutely phenomenal! I cried my eyes out, I was so angry, then so happy, and then angry again! Such an emotional roller coaster that only Sloane can deliver! And then we pair this incredible story with Michael Dean’s talent and we get 100% of awesomeness! Thank you!

Loved it

I loved all the books in this mega series, but I didnt want this book to end

6 Stars ✨

There are very few authors I will put my trust in when it comes to books with angst, but Sloane Kennedy is the one I trust the most. And let me tell you, that trust was not misplaced here. Damaged was masterfully told as it ripped my heart out and put the pieces back together. The title was perfectly apt for what the characters had been through in their lives, and as their story unfolded, I came to see just how damaged they had been by their circumstances. The trauma they both suffered at the hands of others, in very different forms, was not easily overcome and they had to work so hard for their HEA. Knowing they would get there made all the turmoil worth it.

As with the rest of this series, I waited to read it until the audiobook was available. Michael Dean did an exceptional job portraying Dalton and Silver and the wide range of emotions they felt throughout the course of their story. Had my schedule permitted, I would have loved to have listened to this in one sitting because I was completely ensnared. The amount of suspense was not as high as in other books in the series, but the depth of emotion was off the charts.

Having only recently gotten caught up on the Protectors series, I know I didn’t have to wait as long for this book as many others. It wouldn’t have mattered how long the wait was, though, because this book was absolutely worth waiting for. While some things would make more sense if you’ve read the rest of the series, I do believe enough background information was given to enjoy the book as a standalone.

So much potential but no flow

Overall the storyline and plot are great. But so much goes on that it almost would have been better if it was two books… important stuff was glazed over and then all of a sudden something else was happening. Also there were abrupt time jumps and you had to figure out what was happening. I also didn’t really feel the chemistry between the MMC’s. It was more insta love without much build up and that’s not my cup of tea. Narration was 10/10 though 👌🏻