Happy #TeaserTuesday!
Off the Grid goes on sale in FOUR WEEKS!! Woohoo! Leo and McKenzie completely stole my heart while I was writing this book, and I just know the same thing will happen to you! I'm ready for everyone to be as excited about their love story as I am, which is why...
I'm revealing the entire first chapter today!
When my first beta reader finished the book, she told me, "I loved it so much that I immediately went to Amazon and got the first two books in the series. Well done! =)" 💖💖💖There's no greater compliment than that! If you've already started this series, I think you love this final book. And if you haven't, I hope you give it a try!
Off the Grid goes on sale on April 8th, 2019! If you want to pre-order your copy, just head to Amazon.
Hope you enjoy the preview!
***
Agent Leo Alvarez stared out the window and across
the tarmac at the sinister gray clouds looming on the horizon.
I will not allow a little rain to ruin my first
vacation in months, he decided,
refusing to let any worry or anger bubble to the surface. Instead, he leaned
back in his cushy chair and took another sip of the red wine he’d grabbed for
free at the bar a few feet away. Business class was great—well worth the
splurge. He hadn’t flown anything besides coach, well, ever, but this lounge
thing? He could get used to this. There was free booze, free food, and free
newspapers, not that he’d read the one draped across his lap too carefully. He was on vacation, after all. But he’d
wanted to skim the headlines.
Fifty-Seven Arrested in Second-Largest Mob Roundup in
History.
Famed Art Thief Robert Carter Finally Brought to
Justice.
Wanted Felon Thaddeus Ryder on the Loose with a
Twenty-Million-Dollar Degas.
Yada, yada, yada.
Leo knew the details by
heart—heck, he’d lived them. He and his partner, Nate Parker, were agents in
the Organized Crime Unit of the FBI, and they’d been working on infiltrating
the Russian mob for nearly four years. Two years ago, they’d caught their big
break on the case that would eventually lead to all these arrests. One of their
undercover agents sent word of stolen art being used as collateral in an arms
deal their team had been tracking. The painting led them to Robert Carter, an
infamous art thief who’d been evading the Feds for nearly half a century. Two
weeks ago, Nate had managed to turn Carter’s daughter, Jolene, into an
informant in exchange for a plea deal. The Russians had somehow gotten word,
which sent him and Nate racing down to the Caribbean to save their lead. After
a high-speed boat chase, a shoot-out on a private island, and a massive
explosion, they’d finally gotten what they’d been after all these
years—evidence to use against the Russian mafia in court. Jo gave them access
to all her father’s files, and though it wasn’t airtight, it was more than enough
to begin making arrests. Fifty-seven arrests, to be exact.
During the shoot-out, Nate
had taken a bullet to the calf, and was off on medical leave for a few weeks.
Despite his partner’s absence, Leo had tried to stick around the office to help
with the paperwork, but his boss practically shooed him out the door with a pat
on the back. You deserve a vacation,
Alvarez. And I don’t say that lightly. Now get the hell out of my office before
I change my mind.
Leo had done just that,
booking a flight to Hawaii before he had time to second-guess. Because, well,
the boss was right—he damn well did deserve a break. The beach, the surf, and a
Mai Tai or two sounded as close to heaven as a guy like him could possibly get.
His little brother, Manuel, agreed to meet him out there for a few days. Manny
lived in San Francisco, so a hop over to Hawaii was practically nothing for
him, and he was headed to Hong Kong for business next week, so the timing was
sort of perfect. Leo couldn’t wait to greet him with a forearm around the neck
and a knuckle scrub to the top of his head. Little Manny Alvarez may be a hotshot
tech executive now, but before he’d founded the start-up that made him
millions, he was a scrawny street kid. To Leo, he’d always be the little
brother who needed protecting, no matter how old or how rich he got.
The phone in Leo’s pocket
vibrated, pulling his thoughts from the past and the ever-darkening sky
outside. He jolted, then slid the phone out to read the name across the screen.
With a sigh, he answered.
“Don’t even think about it, Parker.”
“Leo,” his partner said
slowly, apology already heavy in his voice.
I’m not going to like this. Not one little bit. “Do you know where I am?”
“The airport.”
“Do you know where I’m
going?”
“That’s what I’m calling you
about.”
“I’m going to Honolulu,
Parker. It’s six thirty in the morning, my flight leaves in half an hour, and I
didn’t sleep at all last night so I could finalize all my reports before I
left.”
“I know, but—”
“Vacation, Parker. A
much-needed vacation. I’ve already bought a packet of Twizzlers and a bag of
chocolate-covered almonds for the trip. I spent twenty minutes reading through
the in-flight entertainment, picking out the movies I want to watch. Do you
know you get a personal TV in business class? And free liquor? And food? And a
seat that goes completely flat? Don’t take this away from me, Parker. Not now.
Not after I saved your ass on that Caribbean island, and helped you get Jo a
plea deal, and convinced the guys that your relationship with her was completely
legal and not at all a violation of the code of ethics.”
“I know.” A heavy sigh came
through the line.
Leo knew that sigh.
He loathed that sigh.
Suddenly, the storm clouds on
the horizon weren’t what had his heart plummeting. He downed the little bit of
red wine he had left and rubbed his palm over his face. I’m going to regret this. I already do. He sighed. “All right. What
is it?”
“It’s Jo.”
Of course it’s Jo, Leo thought, shaking his head. For the past month, every aspect of their
lives had been about Jo. First, she’d been their target during their stakeout
in the Caribbean to get information about the heist she, her father, and her
partner, Thad Ryder, were planning. Then, she’d been their lead as they spent a
week following her around New York City, trying to uncover her plan and turn
her loyalties. Now, she was their informant, giving them everything she could
against the Russians and helping them answer the only question left in the
case—where exactly Ryder and the twenty-million-dollar Degas she’d helped him
steal had gone.
It wasn’t that Leo didn’t
like Jo—he did. She was bubbly and fun, smart and savvy, and watching her turn
his buttoned-up partner into a lovesick puppy had been entertaining as hell,
but…
Hawaii, he
thought longingly. And Mai Tais. And a
few days with my little bro, who I haven’t seen in, God, I don’t even know how
long.
Leo squeezed the phone in his
hand and sighed as the dream slipped away. Nate was his partner and his best
friend. They’d saved each other’s lives on more than one occasion. If he was
calling, it meant something serious was going down, and Leo needed to hear him
out.
“What about Jo?”
“Not Jo, so much as her
friend.”
He scrunched his brows
together in surprise. “Her friend? Who? How is she connected?”
“Her name is McKenzie Harper.
Age twenty-five. Professional pastry chef. Lives on the Upper East Side of
Manhattan, blonde and about five—”
“Yeah, yeah, you can skip the
rundown. What’s going on?”
“This morning, Jo told me
someone hacked into her personal computer. She ran a trace on the IP address
but it was scattered. There’s no way to know for sure, but she thinks it was
the Russians hacking into her messages, looking for contact from Ryder. We both
know they’re trying to permanently silence the asshole before we can find him.”
Leo frowned and nodded. Jo’s
partner, Thad Ryder, was the only person left who could positively ID the
Russians her father had been working with and who could provide eyewitness
testimony to their crimes in a court of law. The Feds were after him to offer a
plea. The Russians were after him to offer a bullet to the head. It was a race
against time to see who found him first. But Leo and Nate had been taken off
the case due to Nate’s less-than-professional relationship with Jo, which was
fine with Leo. Because…Hawaii.
“Anyway, they were nosing
around her chat with two of her online friends, McKenzie and a girl named
Addison. Jo tried calling them both, but no answer. I called the local
precincts and there’s been a missing person’s report filed for Addison.
Apparently, her boss arrived at her place of work this morning to find a dead
body, bullet casings, and a whole lot of blood. We think she was possibly
approached by Ryder as a way to contact Jo, but the Russians got wind and interfered.
As of right now, we’re working on two theories—Ryder kidnapped her to get to
Jo, or she was taken by the Russians to use as collateral.”
“And McKenzie?” Leo asked,
though he had a sneaking suspicion of what was coming next.
“No word.”
There was a pause. The
silence stretched, full of hesitation on one end and stubborn denial on the
other.
Leo caved first. “You want me
to go to New York?”
“I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t
important,” Nate pushed forward, taking the opening. “I tried the boss first,
but he doesn’t want to waste an agent on a hunch, not when this police report
about Addison down in South Carolina might be a lead on Ryder. He told me to
call the NYPD. They’re on their way to stake out her apartment. And they’re
good. I know they’re good. They’re one of the best police forces in the
country, but—”
“They’re not me,” Leo
finished, not bragging, just being honest. Before joining the Feds, he’d been a
marine. And before that, the streets in the less-than-desirable neighborhood
where he’d grown up had done their part to train him. More importantly, Nate
trusted him. Which meant Jo trusted him. Which meant he was the only one either
of them would trust with one of her dearest friends.
“They’re not you,” Nate
echoed.
“Okay.” Leo hardly believed
his ears as the word slipped through his lips. Then again, he did. He’d always
had a hard time saying no to the people he cared about, especially when they
needed his help. It had never seemed like a character flaw until right now,
with the sands from those Hawaiian beaches slipping through his fingers. Why, why, why did I answer the phone?
“I’d go myself, but I’m still
on crutches dealing with this damn leg injury, and— Okay?”
“You heard me.”
“Thank you, Leo,” Nate rushed
to say, gratitude heavy in his Boy Scout voice. “Really, thank you. I know how
much this trip with your brother meant to you, how much you need a vacation—”
“I said okay, Parker,” Leo
cut in, shaking his head as his partner laid it on thick. “I never said I was
happy about it.”
Nate snorted over the line.
“I owe you for this, Leo. Anything you want, just tell me.”
“Oh, anything I want? How
generous.” Leo grinned. He didn’t need anything. This was what partners did for
each other, what friends did, but he couldn’t help pushing when Nate left him
such an easy opening.
“Anything, Leo. Name it.”
“How about a new partner?”
“Very funny.”
“I’ve been eying a new
Harley…”
“Leo.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll settle for
a business-class seat to Hawaii, leaving from JFK tomorrow night, assuming all
goes well.”
Nate sighed. “I’ll see what I
can do.”
Leo turned and scanned the
board over his shoulder. “So will I. There’s a shuttle to New York that’s
boarding now. I’d better go if I want to catch it.”
“Thank you.”
“Enough, or you’ll give me an
even bigger ego than I already have. Don’t worry about the flights—that was a
joke. I’ll figure it out later after I have McKenzie secure. Just tell Jo I
expect some cupcakes or brownies, anything gooey and chocolatey really, as soon
as I get back to DC.”
“Th—”
Leo hung up and shoved the
phone back into his pocket. He hated being thanked for things he felt were
common decency to do. Given the choice between a vacation and saving an
innocent life, well, there was no contest. If he chose Hawaii only to find out
that something serious had happened to Jo’s friend, he’d never forgive himself.
Leo had waited months for a break. He could wait a few days more. Manny would
understand. It was hardly the first time his job had come between him and his
family, and it wouldn’t be the last. Life as a Fed was unpredictable, to say
the least.
Leo slung his bag over his
shoulder and ran across the business-class lounge, ignoring the not-so-subtle
looks from the people around him. He burst through the doors and kept going,
not pausing until he reached the gate he’d seen on the board, the one flashing final call to New York.
“I need to get on this
flight, now,” he said as he barreled into the information desk.
The attendant kept a pleasant
smile on her face, unfazed. She probably dealt with more crazy in a day than
most people did in a lifetime. “Of course, sir. If you give me your ticket, I’d
be happy to scan it.”
Leo flashed her a grin and
held up his finger. “About that…”
“You don’t have a ticket,
sir?” The attendant’s lips twitched, but she kept that slightly
dead-in-the-eyes yet accommodating expression plastered to her face.
Oh, she’s good, he thought. I’m going to have to
be better.
“I do have a ticket,” he answered smoothly, and
forced the frustration down as he brought his most debonair expression to his
face. “It just happens to be to Honolulu. But there’s been a change of plans,
and I need to get to New York as soon as possible. Please.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” she replied
calmly. “This flight is full, but I’d be happy to get you on the next available
one leaving in…” She looked down and quickly clicked a few buttons on her
keyboard. “About two hours.”
“That’s wonderful of you.
Thank you so much for the help. Really, I mean it,” he said, holding her gaze.
The edges of her lips twitched appreciatively. He’d learned in his life a
little kindness could go a long way, especially when mixed with
flirtation—hell, he could only imagine the amount of mistreatment she
experienced on a daily basis from stressed travelers. But sometimes, he had no
choice but to play the federal-agent trump card. Abuse of power wasn’t his
typical modus operandi, but if those storm clouds he’d been watching from the
business-class lounge were any indication, this airport wouldn’t be functioning
in two hours. If McKenzie’s life was really on the line, he couldn’t afford to
wait. “But I’m afraid I have to get on this
flight, right now. It’s a matter of national security.”
Her eyes popped wide.
Leo leaned in before she got
too alarmed and darted his gaze left, then right, as though what he was about
to say were some incredible secret. Then he slipped his badge out from his
backpack and casually slid it across the desk. By the time he met her gaze
again, curiosity lit those dark brown eyes. She leaned closer, lured by his
voice and his words. He almost had her.
“I’m Special Agent Leo
Alvarez with the FBI, and I’m needed in New York as soon as possible. There’s
been an incident. It hasn’t hit the news yet, but I need to be there before it
does.” Not a lie, technically, just a very, very exaggerated version of the
truth. “And I need you to help me. Please.”
The attendant glanced around
before she spoke to make sure no one else was listening, as though the two of
them were in cahoots. “What happened?”
He shook his head slightly
and grabbed his badge, then stuffed it back into his bag. “I’m not at liberty
to say, but trust me, you want me in New York.”
“Well…” She stood straight,
looking down at her screen, then up at him, then down again. “I could call my
manager, quickly. Maybe there’s something she can do…”
“That’s all I’m asking,” he
said, letting gratitude give weight to his words. “Thank you. And your country
thanks you too.”
He was laying it on thick,
but hey—it worked. Ten minutes later, someone offered up their seat for a
five-hundred-dollar credit, and Leo took the man’s place. While the flight
attendants prepared the cabin for boarding, he pulled out his cell phone and
dialed. There was one more call he had to make.
“Leo?” A muffled, sleepy
voice crackled over the line.
He sighed. “Hey, Manny.”
“You do know it’s like four
o’clock in the morning on the West Coast, right?”
“I know. Sorry, little bro.” No turning back now. He scrubbed the
sleep from his eyes and pressed on. Goodbye,
Hawaii. Goodbye, vacation. Hello, frigging New York. “There’s been a change
of plans…”
***
Thanks for reading!
Click here to read the second chapter, which introduces our leading lady, McKenzie!
For now, you can check out Off the Grid on Amazon for more info!
Click here to read the second chapter, which introduces our leading lady, McKenzie!
For now, you can check out Off the Grid on Amazon for more info!
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