Review: Cabin 1 (Steele Shadows Security 1) by Amanda McKinney

Title: Cabin 1

Series: Steele Shadows Security 1

Author: Amanda McKinney

Release Date: September 26, 2019 (ARC Version)

Published By: HH Tisevich

Category: Contemporary – Romance – Suspense

Type: Digital – Paperback

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Amanda McKinney Website

Rating: 

Heat: 

Blurb: 

Hidden deep in the remote mountains of Berry Springs is a private security firm where some go to escape, and others find exactly what they’ve been looking for.

Welcome to Cabin 1, Cabin 2, Cabin 3…

Cocky, reckless, and die-hard playboy are just a few of the names Gage Steele has been called since he and his brothers left the Marines and moved back to the small, southern town of Berry Springs to take over their father’s personal security firm. On the one-year anniversary of his father’s death, Gage had only two things in mind—endless whiskey and endless women, but what he got was a battered, bruised spitfire stumbling through woods in the middle of the night.

Newly-appointed prosecutor and unapologetic workaholic, Niki Avery has spent her life working toward one goal—never to have to depend on anyone but herself… until the day she gets brutally attacked on the side of the road. Stripped of her Louis Vuitton and her dignity, the fiercely independent ADA must submit to being under the watchful eye of a former Marine, a loose cannon with a temper as scorching as his ruggedly handsome good looks.

As cracks begin to show in the Steele family, including newly discovered evidence that their father’s death was no accident, Gage wrestles with his growing feelings for his client, knowing not only that Niki is off-limits, but together, they were like gasoline and fire—an explosion he wanted nothing more than to ignite in the bedroom. But when a pair of bloody body parts show up at the compound, it becomes clear that Niki’s attacker hasn’t given up and Gage realizes he’ll do anything to keep her safe… even as his own family is spiraling out of control.

Cabin 1 is the first book in the 3-part Berry Springs spinoff series, STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY—Think of it as Berry Springs' darker, grittier, steamier, BAD BOY brother. Please note: You do not need to read the Berry Springs Series first.

 By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age.

If you are under the age of 18, please exit this site.

Favorite Lines:

All I knew was that I felt like I’d been bent over and taken it up the ass. Fuck me, I liked it.  ~  Gage

Men like Gage had heartbreaker written all over their gorgeous, ruggedly handsome faces. No, I didn’t date men like Gage…no matter how many butterflies he gave me.  ~  Niki

“I’ve never met a woman who made my head spin like a top in a hurricaine. Who makes me act like a crazed jealous lunatic because I can’t bear the thought of her being with anyone else. Who I’d step in front of a fucking bullet for.”  ~  Gage

Niki Avery had single-handedly stripped me of the armor I’d built around muself over the last year. Hell, maybe my whole life.  ~  Gage

Vocabulary Word:

Quantum

noun

quan·​tum | \ ˈkwän-təm  \

plural quanta\ ˈkwän-​tə  \

Definition of quantum

1a: QUANTITY, AMOUNT

b: PORTION, PART

c: gross quantity : BULK

2a: any of the very small increments or parcels into which many forms of energy are subdivided

b: any of the small subdivisions of a quantized physical magnitude (such as magnetic moment)

 adjective

Definition of quantum

1: LARGE, SIGNIFICANTa quantum improvement

2: of, relating to, or employing the principles of quantum mechanics quantum physics

Excerpt:

          One thing at a time. Fix one thing at a time. 

          The luxury slippers that my new best friend—aka Celeste—had left for me slid along the hardwood floors, squeezing my aching feet like a warm hug. Her ‘welcome bag’didn’t disappoint. Inside were several changes of clothes—all the correct sizes—including a gray Steele Shadows T-shirt made of the softest cotton I’d ever felt, and flannel bottoms, thick and cozy, both I had slipped into the moment Gage had left. Also inside the bag was an impressive selection of makeup, hair products, a journal, and a jumbo bag of M& M’s…the necessities for any woman on the run. 

          As I walked to the kitchen, I scanned the thick log walls, the nature paintings that hung on them, the antique light fixtures, and wondered how many people had spent evenings inside that exact cabin. What path had their lives taken to lead them to that point? Was it safe to assume everyone had been attacked in one way or another? If not physically, perhaps emotionally? They’d been brought there to sort out the pieces of their lives while someone, or something, threatened to take it away? 

          It was a haunting thought. 

          Less haunting than realizing I had become one of them. 

          The thought was like a shot of espresso to my system, jolting me into the same vibrating anxiety I’d felt before exhaustion had gripped me and pulled me under, if only for a few hours. 

          No way was I going back to sleep. 

          I yanked open the fridge, stocked with fresh fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, and in the freezer, pizzas, ice cream, and a stack of organic insta-dinners. I grabbed an apple, stick of cheese, and decaffeinated soda—something light, something to fill the void in my stomach. I leaned against the counter and nibbled, my gaze drifting outside where the full moon washed over the mountains. A cluster of lights twinkled through the trees. The main house. 

          Gage. 

          He was awake. Apparently, the whole house was. 

          A ripple of butterflies swept through my empty stomach at the mere thought of the man. Of his touch on my legs, the tip of his finger on my face, that damn look in his eyes that sent every sexual sensor zipping to attention. 

          I’d heard about the Steele brothers—real bad boys, tough as nails, and even tougher to tame. Former Marines who’d recently left the military to take over their father’s business after he’d passed away. Rumor was they rarely left their compound, except to go to the local bar, a trip that more often than not ended in a fist fight…and except to take home the random women they’d picked up during the occasion. Rumor was they were decidedly—not tragically—single. Very single, playboys, each having many women, but never letting one get too close. 

          Each willing to die for the other. 

          Rumor was, the Steele family was thick as thieves. 

          I wondered what Gage was doing. Finishing that beer? Watching television? Snuggling with a busty blonde? 

          Keeping my focus on the house in the distance, I pushed out the back door onto the deck. A series of angry beeps whirled through the silence, reminding me to grab the security remote and type in the code Gage had written down on a post-it before he’d left. His handwriting, by the way, was as aggressive and sharp as every word that came out of his mouth. Quick slashes of letters as if it pained him to even take the second to write it. 

          The heavy wooden door closed behind me. A porch swing surrounded by candles and yellow and orange mums swayed in the cool air, its shadow dancing along the deck floor. Dead leaves tumbled across my slippers. The night was quiet, eerily so. 

          Taking a deep breath, I walked to the railing. My hand mindlessly drifted to the security necklace around my neck, and I lightly rubbed the SOS button on the back. 

          Another deep breath, inhaling the fresh, clean mountain air, then I leaned my elbows against the railing and stared at the castle on the hill. 

          What would it be like to live like that? To have everything in the world at your fingertips, or at least the money to get it there. To be impossibly handsome, rich, powerful…lethal. My thoughts drifted again to his hands on my legs, slowly cleaning my wounds. Slowly igniting a fire inside me. 

          I felt a tingle below, heat, an unfamiliar need beginning to warm my skin. 

          I looked at the number he’d taped to the back of the remote. His number. 

          I glanced back at the wireless phone sitting on the coffee table. Maybe—

          Crack! 

          My heart slammed against my ribcage as a bullet whizzed past my head, so close my hair flew up with the break of wind. Panic shot through me like lightning as I lunged to the side, diving onto the deck floor. 

          Another crack, sounding like a bomb exploding in the distance. A flower pot shattered inches from my head. Dirt flew everywhere, all over me, as bullets pinged off the windows behind me. I desperately grabbed for my necklace, which had twisted around my neck, dangling somewhere down my back. 

          I couldn’t scream, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. I was in complete terror as my head spun like a top. 

          The rope of the necklace burned my skin as I yanked it around my neck to find the button. 

          Another shot, splitting the wood railing in front of my forehead, and I knew the shooter had me solidly in his sights now. 

          I was screwed. He’d come back for me, and he was going to finish the job. 

          I braced for impact just as a body flew through the air, barreling me into the corner a split-second before the bullet pierced my forehead. 

          Gage. 

          Gasping for breath, I was pinned underneath him, every inch of his body covering mine. He was yelling to someone, or into something perhaps. I couldn’t make out the words. 

          I cranked my head to the side and blinked, clearing my blurred vision as my eyes darted around the deck floor. 

          And my stomach rolled like a wave. 

          Beneath spikey hair matted with leaves and dried blood, a pair of frozen eyes stared lifelessly into my soul, a tongue hanging grotesquely out of a grayish-blue mouth, opened slightly as if he was trying to tell me something. And just below that, bloody strings of skin dangled from the decapitated head of Ian Lee.

Highlight:

          “Listen.”I held up a hand. “Thank you. Thank you for taking me in from the woods, thank you for protecting me, and thank you for just saving my life—”

          “Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?”

          “But you should know that along with not following directions, another one of my charming qualities is that I’m not a fan of being bossed around…”I paused. “Whether being indebted to you, or not.”

          He stared with an expression I couldn’t quite read. Then, closed the distance between us, stopping inches from my face, trailing from my eyes, down my cheeks, to my lips, to my hair. I froze in place, my body’s response to the proximity of him. To the demanding presence of him. To the alpha of him. How many women did he have that effect on, I wondered. 

          He reached up and slowly pulled a flower petal out of my hair, running it along my earlobe, the touch of his fingertip like electric silk along my neck. 

          “Niki,” his voice low, quiet, ever-demanding of my full attention. “If you were in my debt, believe me, you’d know it.”

          My heart skipped a beat, and for a split second, I found myself wishing I were in his debt. His servant. His, to do with what he pleased. His, to ravage. 

          His, his, his. 

          I stepped back, not because he had inched even closer, but because I feared I wouldn’t be able to control my next move. “We need to talk…”I repeated his own comment in an attempt to cool the heat scorching the earth between us. 

          He blinked as if he hadn’t heard a word out of my mouth. 

          “Yes,” he finally said. “We do need to talk.”Then, with a twinkle in his grey eyes and a small curve on his lips, he said, “Miss Avery, ma’am, may I please ask you to take a seat while we have this discussion?”

          My eye roll was so dramatic I felt it in my already stabbing headache. I looked at the couch—the last place I needed to be next to this man. Then, at the kitchen. “Actually, I could use a drink.”

          “Music to my ears. There’s whiskey in the cabinet above the fridge.”

          I looked up at the small cupboard I hadn’t even noticed. 

          “We like to keep it out of reach of clients who aren’t regular drinkers, but available for those who need it.”

          “And know where to look, apparently.”I extended onto my tiptoes. 

          “I’ll get it.”He breezed past me, that damn mixture of pine and fresh soap tickling my nose again. It was as if the guy knew every trick in the book to knock a woman off her game. 

          With two fingers of whiskey and one of those big fancy ice cubes in a short glass, I leaned against the cabinet while Gage watched me with his assessing gaze. Endless questions, endless suspicions, endless heat. 

          He sipped, straight from the bottle. “So what just happened changes things.”

          “Uh, yeah.”

          “Haddix is of the impression your attack was random.”

          “Yeah, I caught that.”I sipped. “You don’t believe that.”

          “No, ma’am.”

          “You didn’t believe it before someone tried to gun me down after leaving a severed head outside my door.”

          “Right.”

          “Why?”

          “The fact he chased you through the woods after everything, after you killed his buddy…that’s not the behavior of a random attack.”

           I’d thought the same thing a hundred times. 

          “If he was concerned about you being able to ID him, he would have run, regardless. Maybe taken a few shots, but then got the hell out of there. He wouldn’t have stalked you through the woods while his buddy was dead on the side of the road. Scenario one, your attack was planned, and the job wasn’t finished. He came back right now to get it done. It’s personal.”

          “Agreed on all counts.”I gripped the cold, sweating glass. “And what’s scenario two?”

          “Niki…” a tone that resembled my father’s. A tone I didn’t much care for. “Are you sure you didn’t know them? Or, maybe—”

          “Or, maybe what?”I snapped. 

          “Maybe…things got a bit out of hand tonight and you ran.”

          The instant rage that bubbled up was unprecedented. I’d never been so mad, so quickly in my entire life. Not only because of the accusation that I was lying, because of the gall of it, from him. What the hell did I owe this guy? Absolutely nothing. He said it himself he’d just been doing his job. 

          “Scenario two is that I’m lying, right? That you don’t believe me.”Hand trembling, I set down my drink. 

           His expression didn’t break. He simply stared back at me. Demanding, demanding, demanding. 

          I was irate. I crossed my arms over my chest. “I know you, Gage Steele—”

          “You don’t know shit about me.”The venom was back. 

          “I know plenty about you.”I bowed up for the fight, more than ready. “A spoiled rich kid who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Having more than enough, more than needed. More than any kid should have. Always getting your way, always looking down on others from your castle in the sky. I’d say you pitied those less fortunate than you, but having met you now, I don’t think that’s the case. I think you simply didn’t even notice. I think you couldn’t give a damn about others, or their situation in life. This is all a job to you. You don’t care about your clients. No, Gage, you don’t know me.”

          His jaw clenched, the only movement in the statue standing across of me. 

          I continued and began pacing the room like a tiger about to escape its cage. “How dare you insinuate that I’m lying about something like sexual assault? Do you know how many similar cases I’ve studied and worked on? You think I’m a liar because of my Dad. Let’s get one thing straight, Gage—I am not my father. I am not my family. I’ve spent my entire life running away from the way I was raised. Worked my ass off. And for you to think I’d throw it all away for what? Some sort of pity party? For attention? I hate attention, Gage. It’s my biggest challenge in my job. I don’t like standing up in front of people, all eyes on me.”

          “Why do you do it then?”

          I stopped on a dime. “Because I believe in it. I’m part of helping people dig their way out of the darkest times in their lives. I want to help them. Get them justice.”I paused, cocked my head. “Do you believe in right and wrong? Evil and good? Or is life just a whirling tornado, let us fall where we may.”

          “I believe we make our own luck.”

          “Wrong. Sometimes shit happens. Sometimes life happens and throws you down a path you never expected. What’s next? You deal with it. And what helps? Having the best team of people around you.”I jerked my drink off the counter punctuating my last sentence. “And for you to think I’ve worked up some story…like my Dad.”My voice cracked, the sting of tears heating my eyes. I will them away. “You owe me an apology.”When he didn’t, I snorted and shook my head. “Ah, screw it.”I slammed down my drink, turned my back to him and began walking out of the kitchen. “I don’t need this bullshit right now. I’m getting out of here—”

          My body jerked back with the force of his grab. I was spun around like a rag doll and met with a gaze so intense, my heart leapt into my throat. 

          The grip on my shoulders tightened as he leaned down and crushed his lips onto mine. I was shocked, stunned, once again frozen where I stood, completely under his command, his dominance, exactly how he wanted it. His tongue met mine, a warm tingle of whiskey. My knees buckled, my stomach swam with emotions. 

          I submitted. 

          Dammit, I submitted. 

          Melting into his kiss, I was backed up, stumbling. He effortlessly caught me and pinned me against the wall with a force that knocked the air out of my lungs. 

          A picture dropped and shattered on the floor. 

          His grip released, his hands softly cupping my face, kissing, kissing, kissing, until what seemed like only seconds later, he pulled away. 

          My eyes didn’t immediately open. I didn’t want them to. I wanted to stay in that moment for the rest of my life. My breath was fast, my heartbeat faster. 

          I finally opened my eyes, to meet his, his chest rising and falling just as heavily as my own. 

          “Apologize,” I demanded in a breathless whisper. 

          “No shot in hell,” he whispered back, like he was about to devour every inch of me. 

          I stepped forward. Calmly, coolly, the opposite of the storm that was—is—Gage Steele. Closing in the inches between us, I pushed up to my tiptoes, grabbed a fistful of his shirt and kissed him again. Softly. Slowly. He didn’t move, didn’t touch, just kissed me back. 

          My tongue explored his mouth, then ran along his lower lip. 

          “Apologize,” I whispered against his lips. I could feel his heart beating through his chest. 

          “No.”He huskily whispered back. 

          I didn’t move, simply angled my face so that my lips touched the corner of his mouth, the tip of my nose against his check. 

          “Apologize,” I repeated. 

          “I’m sorry,” he said.

Review: 

Niki has just survived a brutal attack. Blind-sided out of nowhere and set up by two masked men, she narrowly escapes and sets off into the woods. It’s by sheer will to survive that she makes it as far as she does and sheer luck that she stumbles onto the grounds of the elite Steele Shadows Security family. Knowing absolutely nothing about her attackers, if it was random or planned, and if they took off with all of her information from her vehicle, she stays put and under the protection of the Steele brothers. Technically under the protection of Gage, the super-hot brother she is strongly attracted to, despite his gruff demeanor. Sure, she’s narrowly escaped with her life, but the need to feel alive is also difficult to deny after such an experience. Besides the magnetic attraction, Gage is determined to protect her at whatever cost and together they fill in several blanks, which ultimately leads them toward the villain. But will they piece it together quick enough, or will Niki get caught in the crossfire before Gage can save her? And with as much as Gage is dealing with outside of this protection detail, could he be anything more to Niki than a fling? So many questions and so few answers.

Gage has been in a tailspin for the last year. Well, all of his family has. The brothers all returned home from service after the news of their father’s death made it to them. Each of them has been dealing in their own way and neither in the right way. Gage’s vice has been booze and women and his reputation around town says nothing different. When Niki is thrust in his lap, he isn’t sure he can believe her given her own family history, but he wants to trust that she’s being truthful. He feels it in his gut despite his brothers warning him to be cautious. They also warn not to hook up with their new client, but Gage is attracted to Niki in a way he never thought he would be. How do you deny that kind of pull? Between dealing with the anniversary of his father’s death, trying to find out who wants Niki dead and keep her safe, and wrapping his head around the fact that his brother has uncovered information that makes his father’s death look more like a murder, Gage is about at his limit. If he can’t get a step ahead of the threats on Niki’s life and he ends up losing her, it’s doubtful he will recover. One more blow will likely do him in. He only has one choice. Fight and win.

What. The. Hell. Just. Happened??????? OMG! Where to begin … So I don’t remember getting this book or requesting it or anything. But I actually follow this author on Insta and always liked her posts. I started looking into her books and came across Cabin 1. It was then I discovered that I had it and was actually qued up to read it in about 5 more books or so. Well, that wasn’t working, so I moved it to the top. As my first experience with Ms. McKinney, I have to say I was spellbound. This book takes off and never quits – leaving the reader gasping at the gut-wrenching cliffhanger. Yes, folks. There is a cliffhanger. Gasp! Right? I do despise them after all. But damn if this one didn’t drag me in and make me foam at the mouth to find out what is happening next. For a first book in series, a lot is covered. Much is revealed while much more is assumed, yet remains unsubstantiated. The Steele brothers are all introduced, along with their pretty cool step-mother. The boys have been through the ringer in the last year and each has been flailing through life, trying to get their bearings after a devastating blow in the form of their father’s unexpected death. They each have their own way to cope and neither has it figured out just yet. Having left their military lives to pick up the pieces at home, finding their way has been difficult and still remains a work in progress. Gage is the first brother we will be dealing with in CABIN 1 and falls into the responsibility of protecting Niki. But Niki has about as good a reputation in town as Gage does, so initially, trust isn’t something freely given. Even though Gage wants to believe her, given her family connection, his brothers manage to plant that seed of doubt. But Niki is no wilting flower and despite surviving, and narrowly escaping what should have been her rape and murder, Niki continues to fight back. She’s been clawing back from her childhood since day 1, so the fight instinct has always been much higher than the flight instinct. Gage is pole-axed by the spirited beauty and despite the fact that he could be putting his career on the line, he falls to Niki’s charms. Not one to be led easily astray, there is something about the tantalizing vixen that draws him in. And Niki is just as affected by Gage. She’s had a couple of relationships, but nothing that has sparked the fierce desire she and Gage immediately feel. Even though she’s likely the target of an evil piece of crap, she cannot deny the desire she feels for Gage. Together they work out small details that gradually point them in the direction of the criminal, but as they get closer to the truth, the danger makes its way even closer to Niki. And through all of this, Gage is trying to support, yet remains unconvinced that his brother Phoenix has uncovered what might be the true reason for their father’s death – murder. So yeah … A LOT happening.

All of this occurs within the space of a few days and at just over 200 pages, there isn’t a ton of time to dig any deeper into any of the content we are presented with. That said, what is given works. While it seems like a lot to take in at the beginning, it ends up being a good amount of information. And the threads that remain untethered, searching for purchase, help to propel the reader into the next book. I, for sure, feel a need to continue with this series and find out more about what is going on. It’s clear that the Steel Patriarch was a mastermind at security and also clearly dove into some nefarious crap that pissed off the wrong person. The question will be if the brothers and heirs to the legacy will be able to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the unidentified murderer, or if they will have to sweep the discovery under the rug in an effort to protect what is left of their family and security business. You guys! Are you reading all of this? All of this within a couple a hundred pages? Holy crap! I’m still trying to recover from this rollercoaster. And dang if the wickedly seductive passion wasn’t something to experience. There is only one scene, but it’s fantastic. Also, with the militant background these boys have come from and their grief still very real and raw – so is the language. This isn’t a book – and more than likely not a series – for those who like fluff, sweet romance, and everything wrapped up into a pretty ribbon. You will NOT find that here. Instead, you will be taken on a crazy wild ride, constantly in motion, never knowing what is going to happen next. The level of suspense was perfect! Not quite nail-biting, but enough to keep me quickly thumbing through to each next page. In fact, for a good portion of the book, I was suspecting a completely different antagonist to surface. And while not much was revealed about the other brothers, I can see the makings of some great characters shaping up. Did I mention that Gage is a twin? Fun times. Gage and Axel. Yum! The two other brothers, Gunner and Phoenix, complete this rough and ready bunch of smoking hot men I’d love to have as my security detail.

If I were to have a complaint, it would be that this book feels just a bit incomplete. I don’t mean with the ending. I totally get that the book had to end somewhere to pave the way for the next installment and now that I have read it, it ended at a great point in which to pick things back up. But I feel like there should have been more in the beginning. Just a bit more about Niki and a whole lot more about Mr. Steele himself. I mean what the heck did he get himself into and how did he go about building his security empire? I was thinking it felt like there was a missing prologue, but now I’m thinking there could easily be a novella prologue that would help to shape this story up even more. Maybe just a bit about the security firm itself, but even more so about the information he was trying to uncover in his last few weeks of life, then ending with the boys being notified with his death. Does that make sense? Maybe at some point that missing piece will come to life. I would love it if it did. And then, of course, the wrap up is rather quick in regards to Niki’s attacker. But again, only around 200 pages here, so keeping that in mind, I feel like Ms. McKinney did a good job in bringing about (at least this aspect) to a satisfying closure. But either way, I still enjoyed every minute spent within this book and look forward to each new book. For a fast-paced, jaw-dropping, thrilling read, this is the place to be! But make sure you have CABIN 2 cued up to jump into next because Axel is up next!

Kindle version provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.