06 Double Danger (36 page)

Too high, if he had to call it.

But it was what it was, and there was nothing he could do to change the past. Best to focus on the future. And on the moment, the things that made it all worthwhile: baseball, beer, burgers, and good friends.

“Where’s Harrison?” Nash asked, taking a sip from a bottle of Shiner Bock. The beer, a Texas import, was a favorite. And Harrison, recently back from a job consulting with drug enforcement agents about an operation on the Mexican border, had brought Avery a case. “I thought he was supposed to be here.”

“He is.” Drake nodded. “But he also just got back from almost a month on an operation. And if Hannah is anything like Madeline, let’s just say absence really does make the heart…” he trailed off, waggling his eyebrows for effect.

“Jesus, Drake.” Nash blew out a disgusted breath. “Do you ever think of anything besides sex?”

“Yeah. Baseball and beer.” Drake grinned, lifting his bottle. “The trifecta, of course being all three at once.”

“Good luck with that,” Nash snorted, shaking his head.

Avery watched his friends, suddenly feeling too damned old. This business had a way of sucking the life right out of you, particularly when they were dealing with the Consortium. He took another sip of his beer, turning his attention to the TV. The first Angels batter was up to face C.C. Sabathia on the mound for the Yankees.

Behind them, the doorbell rang.

“Harrison,” Nash said, shooting a sideways glance at Drake as he bit into a burger. “Told you he’d be here.”

“It’s open,” Avery called. C.C. threw a curveball for strike three.

“Sorry I’m late,” Harrison said, something in his expression sending alarm bells jangling. “I was working and sort of got sidetracked.” He held up a mangled-looking black box, his eyes telegraphing regret.

“Dude, you’re not supposed to be working,” Drake protested. “The Angels are playing the Yankees. Where I’m from that’s almost sacrosanct.”

“Big word, Drake,” Nash said, turning to look at Harrison, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the black box in Harrison’s hand.

Apparently Avery wasn’t the only one to sense that something was up.

Never late for the party, Drake swiveled around, looked first at Harrison, then at Avery, and then back at Harrison again, the game forgotten. “You’ve pulled something off the drive.”

The mangled hard drive had been recovered in an abandoned terrorist encampment in Afghanistan. A-Tac had received intel about the possibility of a Consortium-funded operation, but when they’d arrived, the camp had been abandoned, everything of consequence removed or destroyed.

Except for a notebook that had helped them stop an assassination attempt. And the remains of the hard drive. Avery hadn’t doubted for a minute that if there was recoverable information, Harrison would find it. But he’d also been fairly certain that there wouldn’t be anything left to find.

Clearly, he’d been wrong.

“I’m sorry,” Harrison said. “I know the timing sucks.” As if to underscore the sentiment, the solid swack of bat meeting ball echoed through the room, but nobody
turned to look. Not even Drake. “But you’re going to want to see this.”

Harrison’s gaze locked with Avery’s, and suddenly he wasn’t all that certain he wanted to know. But there was nothing to be gained in putting off the inevitable. Whatever the Consortium had in store for them next, he was ready.

“Okay then,” Avery said, switching the TV off with the remote, then pushing the burgers out of the way as they all gathered around the table, “what have you got?”

“It’s a little startling.” Harrison paused, clearly searching for the right words. “And kind of personal.” His gaze met Avery’s. “You might want to hear this on your own.”

Avery shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. “We’re all family here. So tell us what you’ve found.”

Harrison hooked the box up to his laptop and hit a key. A woman’s face filled the screen. Her dark hair curled around her face, brown eyes glittering with some unshared emotion, her generous mouth giving nothing away.

Avery’s heart stopped. His breath stuck in his throat. And he felt as if someone had just kicked him in the gut.

She was dressed in fatigues, standing next to a bearded man leaning against a desk, his hand resting intimately on her knee. “Sweet Jesus,” Avery said, the words strangled. “This was on the backup drive we found in Afghanistan?”

“Yeah.” Harrison nodded, his face filled with worry. “I was just as surprised as you are.”

“Is that?” Drake said, turning to Nash, who was staring open-mouthed at the photograph.

“Yeah.” Nash nodded. “Martin Shrum. Avery’s old
partner. From before A-Tac days. And Evangeline, Avery’s wife. But I thought she was—”

“Dead,” Avery finished, emotion cutting through him as he caressed the ring he wore on his little finger. “She is. For almost fourteen years now.”

“Yeah, well, Avery, there’s more.” Harrison clicked the picture so that it zoomed in and then moved it so that they could better see the desk behind the two people. “Look at the wall.” He enlarged the picture again.

“It’s a calendar,” Drake said, stating the obvious.

Avery’s blood ran cold, his eyes reading the date, his mind trying to process the seemingly impossible.

“Holy shit,” Drake continued, his incredulity only adding to the surrealistic horror of the moment. “It’s dated December of last year.”

Dark Deceptions

Dangerous Desires

Desperate Deeds

Daring
(novella)

Deep Disclosure

Deadly Dance

“What an intense and thrilling read!”

—USAToday.com

“Davis brings in the suspense and romance in good, equal doses.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“A dynamic suspense that fans will surely enjoy.”

—RomRevToday.com

“A great addition to this exciting series. Ms. Davis keeps each book fresh and new. This is a wonderful series and one I recommend to anybody who loves action with their romance.”

—NightOwlReviews.com

“The bullets are flying in this fast-paced, high-octane, romantic adventure. Don’t miss
Deep Disclosure
—it’s Dee Davis at her best!”

—Brenda Novak,
New York Times
bestselling author of
In Seconds

“Davis creates a compelling, entertaining story line, action-packed and full of mystery, suspense, and an unlikely romance. Readers will not be able to put it down; this is a real page-turner.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Dee Davis brings a pulse-pounding tale of romantic suspense in
Deep Disclosure
… This is the latest in Davis’s series about hunky special operatives and the danger surrounding them, and they all continue to bring in the heat and the action.”

—
Parkersburg News and Sentinel
(WV)

“Delightful… The perfect weekend or vacation read. The fast-paced story takes you through an intriguing game of cat and mouse as protagonists solve the crime, save the world, and, of course, fall in love.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Five Stars, Top Pick! This series is fast-paced and action-packed. This book is a keeper. I, for one, cannot wait to see what Ms. Davis will bring us next.”

—NightOwlReviews.com

“Rich in dialogue [with] a strong heroine and intricate plot. Full of twists, turns, and near-death encounters, readers will consume this quickly and want more.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Danger, deception, and desire are the main literary ingredients in Davis’s high-adrenaline, highly addictive novel of romantic suspense.”

—
Chicago Tribune

“
Dangerous Desires’
pace is perfect, the dialogue clever, and the plotlines are surprising, captivating, and brilliant.”

—ReadertoReader.com

“High-stakes action and high-impact romance… Dee Davis leaves me breathless.”

—Roxanne St. Claire,
New York Times
bestselling author

“Dee Davis always keeps me on edge from start to finish! I read this book in one sitting… a keeper!”

—FreshFiction.com

“Dee Davis sure knows how to nail a romantic suspense. Packed full of tension, action, and romance, this book is a page-turner from beginning to end.”

—BookPleasures.com

Dear Reader,

Have you ever pulled up to a stoplight and looked over to see the person in the car next to you singing like they’re auditioning for
American Idol
? They’re boppin’ their head and thumpin’ the steering wheel like some crazy loon. Well, I’m one of those crazy loons. I love to sing. I’m not any good at it, but that doesn’t stop me. I sing in the shower. I sing while cooking dinner and cleaning house. And I sing along with the car radio at the top of my lungs. Singing calms my nerves, boosts my energy, and inspires me, which is exactly how my new Deep in the Heart of Texas novel came about.

One morning, I woke up with the theme song to the musical
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
rolling around in my head. You know the one I’m talking about: “It’s just a little bitty pissant country place…” The song stayed with me for the rest of the day, along with the image of a bunch of fun-loving women singing and dancing about “nothin’ dirty going on.” A hundred verses later, about the time my husband was ready to pull out the duct tape, I had an exciting idea for my new novel.

My editor wasn’t quite as excited.

“A what?” she asked, and she stared at me exactly like the people who catch me singing at a stoplight.

She relaxed when I explained that it wasn’t a functioning house of ill repute. The last rooster flew the coop years ago. Now Miss Hattie’s Henhouse is nothing more than a dilapidated old mansion with three old women living in it. Three old women who have big plans to bring Miss Hattie’s back to its former glory. The only thing that stands in their way is a virginal librarian who holds the deed to the house and a smokin’ hot cowboy who is bent on revenge for his great-grandfather’s murder.

Yes, there will be singing, dancing, and just a wee bit of “dirty going on.” And of course, all the folks of Bramble, Texas, will be back to make sure their librarian gets a happy ending.

I hope you’ll join me there!

Best wishes,

Dear Reader,

What happens when a self-reliant Highland lass possessing extraordinary “gifts” meets a huge, shaggy warrior wounded in body and spirit, to whom she is strongly attracted, until she learns that he is immune to her gifts and that her father believes the man is the perfect husband for her?

What if the warrior is a prisoner of her father’s worst enemy, who escaped after learning of a dire threat to the young King of Scots, recently returned from years of English captivity and struggling to take command of his unruly realm?