Description Patriot Oath by Lloyd Lofthouse
AND HE THOUGHT BEING IN THE MARINES WAS TOUGH … After twenty-four years, Special Forces legend Josh Kavanagh has retired from the military. But now that he’s home, he’s finding that everyone has a different understanding of his motivations, and realizes that there are some wounds no amount of time can heal. Josh’s traumatized sister, Suki, thinks her big brother is a hero and has come home to punish her rapist, the youngest son of a ruthless, crooked billionaire who lives to get revenge on anyone he sees as a threat to his family, wealth, and power. Josh’s childhood sweetheart, Rachel, hopes he’s returning for her—the fierce girl he left behind when he joined the military. But Rachel doesn’t know about Mia, the woman in France … And Josh isn’t coming home alone. The Oath Group, an elite force of private military contractors, is already in Montana waiting for their commander to arrive. The DOD and CIA don’t want President Trump to know they hired Josh’s Oath Group to examine dangerous white supremacist militias that are threatening the U.S. Constitution. That covert black-ops military operation is starting in Idaho and Montana. Josh and his teams have to get the job done while preserving their anonymity—and their lives. NOTE: this novel grew out of a prompt in a VA Vet Center PTSD support group that focuses on writing as a form of therapy. Everyone in that group was a combat veteran that included Marines, Special Forces, medics, combat photographers, et al. The combat vets in that group heard the entire novel as it was written chapter-by-chapter, starting in March 2018.Excerpt Patriot Oath by Lloyd Lofthouse
This excerpt appears in Chapter 6 starting on page 34 in the paperback
When he walked into the dining room, he saw one empty chair at the table. It was between his mother and Rachel. His first thought was to retreat and find a place in one of the barns where he could be alone.
Then he saw Suki on the other side of the table across from that godawful uninhabited chair. Even after all these years, Josh recognized her because of her smoky, hazel-brown eyes. No one else in the family had eyes like that, but Mia did. His sister was sitting between a couple closer to her age. He focused on her and didn’t pay much attention to them. She noticed him, and her dull expression was transformed. Getting up, she hurried around the table and rescued him.
Once she was in his arms, he heard his voice say, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to protect you, Suki. I’m back, and I’m going to help make everything better.” Why the hell had he made a promise like that? He should’ve treated this coming home thing like another military operation. Then he’d have planned in detail everything he did and said.
He stared at the top of her curly, silver-streaked, dyed pink, shoulder-length hair, and couldn’t remember the real color. Then he noticed the clatter and chatter around the table had ceased.
Everyone was watching, and he felt the sphincters guarding his arse tighten. The next few seconds stretched like hours.
His dad’s gravelly voice got the second hand moving again. “She hasn’t moved that fast or hugged anyone since …"” With a stunned expression, his mouth came to an abrupt stop.
“Actually, Dad,” Sammy said, “she hasn’t done much at all except lose weight and worry us that she’s going to turn to dust and blow away.”
His dad had shaved off his beard but still had the waxed handlebar mustache. Then Josh sensed his sister watching him. He tilted his face down because she was a foot shorter than him.
Seeing her striking eyes up close triggered memories of his lost lover Mia and caused an empty pit to sprout in his chest. It had been several months since he’d been with Mia, and Rachel was the only other woman he’d loved with an epic passion. He figured once he and Rachel were together again, he’d start to mend.
“I’m glad you came home,” his sister said in a frail voice, with undertones of hope. Her eyes were swimming in tears, triggering a lump in his throat. When she didn’t let go, Mia’s image faded and slipped out of his head.
Then Grandma Clay wrapped her arms around both of them and whispered in his ear, “She only talks to Mel, and she looks like she’s in a trance when he isn’t around. The first time I helped feed her, it took me an hour to get her to finish a bowl of vegetable broth.”
Josh spotted three pies on the table and said, “Suki, no one makes apple pie better than Mom. I’ve dreamed about them, but I will not eat any unless you do, too.”
“Since my misfortune happened,” she said, “I prayed every night that you’d come home.” Her lower lip trembled, and her face looked like it was ready to collapse.
Josh felt a rush of anger but managed to hide it. Is that what their mother had told her, that being raped was a misfortune? The Bible didn’t treat women kindly. According to Ephesians, a rape victim had to be stoned to death if the young woman did not cry for help. But, Josh thought, what if she was drugged or there was no one to hear her?
Review Patriot Oath by Lloyd Lofthouse
Guest Review by KatyAfter 24 years in the Marines, Josh Kavanagh has
finally decided to come home. But not because he is homesick or misses his
family.
Josh's little sister, Suki was only 2 years old when
he joined the Marines and left home. Now a 26-year-old woman, Suki has recently
suffered a rape and received no justice from the courts.
Suki's rapist is a rich young man who used his
father's money to evade punishment and this has caused Suki a great deal of
suffering. In order to help his sister, Josh decides to take the law into his
own hands, and punish her rapist himself.But to do so, he must return to the
home in Montana that he left 24 years earlier, and the life that he abandoned.
Since leaving his parents farm, Josh has become a
decorated Marine, who is now in charge of a group of private military
contractors called 'The Oath Group,' that were hired to look into dangerous
white supremacist groups on American soil. But after coming back home, will
Josh be able to return to his military life? Will he find justice for his
sister and be able to mend fences with the girlfriend that he left behind all
those years ago?
These are questions that you will have to read 'The
Patriot Oath' to find out, but I can promise you that you won't regret it!
This book is hard to categorize, as it covers a lot of
different genres and promises something for everyone, but if you enjoy a good
thriller with a little bit of romance, this is the book for you!
This is an easy book to give 5 stars, as I enjoyed
every page and I can recommend it whole-heartedly. I can't wait to see what
Lloyd Lofthouse comes out with next!
About Lloyd Lofthouse
Multiple award winning author, Lloyd Lofthouse is a former U.S. Marine and combat vet with a BA in journalism and an MFA, with a focus on writing. He’s the author of the award-winning novels My Splendid Concubine, Running with the Enemy, The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova, and the memoir Crazy is Normal, a classroom exposé. His short story, A Night at the Well of Purity was named a finalist in the 2007 Chicago Literary Awards.
Websites: http://lloydlofthouse.org/ & https://thesoulfulveteran.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lflwriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lloyd-Lofthouse-168775989838050/
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I'm so glad you enjoyed 'The Patriot Oath' Katy! Thanks for hosting Kathleen!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome!
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