by Joni Hahn
“Hi, Little One.” Pulling a plastic grocery bag from behind his back, he held it out to her.
She stared at the bag, her heart pumping in anticipation. Taking it from him, she untied the loose knot and looked inside.
Memories flooded her mind as she stared at the white horse. Pulling it from the bag, she held it in front of her and smiled. With blue eyes and a mane of long, blonde curls, it had seen better days. The white coat was dirty and worn in spots, one hoof missing a shoe. She’d slept with it every night, and dragged it around at her mother’s swim practices, the park, and day school.
“I always wanted a real one.” She glanced up at him.
He sat on the bed, facing her. “I’ll get you one. We live on a ranch outside of Santa Fe and have a few horses now. We have plenty of room for one more.”
Confusion swirled with elation in her mind. “You want me to live with you?”
With a slight grin, he nodded back at the door. “Well, that one might have different plans, but you always have a home at the ranch.”
With hesitation, he covered her hand with his large palm. Warmth seeped through her system like hot coffee. Turning over her hand, she held his in a tight grip. An instant sense of security claimed her.
He beamed at her. “You’re our daughter, Monica. We’ve never stopped loving you.”
A sob caught in her chest. She heaved for breath, trying to hold it in…
Dropping her chin, she covered her eyes with her free hand. He folded her into his arms, the scents of canvas and spice eliciting a familiar sense of comfort.
“Your mother doesn’t know about you, yet. I don’t want to say anything until we get past this op. But, be prepared to get smothered.”
A smile escaped, worry in it’s wake. She’d told her sisters about her family. The Madam would waste no time finding them.
Pulling away, she said, “We have to get her to a safe place.”
He held out a hand to calm her. “I’m a former Special Forces Colonel. I got it covered.”
“You do?”
Nodding, he gave her a reassuring smile. “Yes, that’s why Austin called me to help him in Texas. D.I.R.E. was short on manpower. They sent him out with one agent and a pilot.”
He was in Texas? Austin went out with one agent and a pilot? She’d kill him herself.
“Thank you,” she said, worry and relief warring inside her. “He’s new to all of this and a complete idiot for going down there in the first place.”
His voice softened. “You couldn’t have stopped him. He’s a man in love. You had no control over what happened to you, Monica. Don’t give into the blame. I’ve been where you are and know how it feels. We’ll talk when this is all over.” He clutched her bicep. “Right now, you need to concentrate on getting well and telling us everything you know. We need every possible weapon at our disposal.”
She nodded, deep in thought. For the first time ever, a sense of hope washed over her. Maybe they could do this. With D.I.R.E., and her father’s connections, they had quite an arsenal on their side. Maybe there was a chance of her sisters finding happiness, a chance of happiness for her and Austin.
“Her vision is to change the entire world.”
Her father dismissed the statement with a wave of his hand. “If I had a dime for every time I encountered someone that wanted to take over the world, I’d be a rich man.”
The hope inside her blossomed into confidence. With her father and Austin on her side, she didn’t have to do this alone. She had help. Backup.
Love.
“What do you think are the keys to her plans?”
Monica gave her head an assured shake. “She needs Teague Hamilton and Cyrus Matheson. Both are in D.I.R.E.’s custody. But, really, she’s out for vengeance against the entire agency, so anyone associated with them isn’t safe.” She held up a finger. “But, my gut tells me there’s one wild card in all of this.”
“Who?”
“Keegan Meeks. Her decisions will decide the fate of everyone.”
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed Special Agent: Austin! Look for the epic series finale, Agent U7: Keegan, coming soon!
If you’d like to receive the latest news on The D.I.R.E. Agency and any future series, make sure to sign up for my eNewsletter. You can also contact me on my website with your comments, questions, ideas, etc. I’d love to hear from you!
Finally, if you’d be so inclined, I’d love a review of this book on the site where you made the purchase. In this ever-changing world of book publication, the success of any book is in the hands of readers. Your feedback is important! If you have a few minutes to leave your thoughts, I’d truly appreciate it.
Thanks for your support!
Joni Hahn
About the Author
By day, Joni Hahn keeps her secret decoder ring hidden while she works as a mild-mannered contemporary romance author. She believes the world can never have too many superheroes, and anxiously waits for the call when one will need help saving the world… or getting into his costume. Joni was born with a hopelessly tender heart and believes there is nothing on earth more exhilarating than falling in love. A native Texan, she thinks cowboys are the epitome of masculinity, and that country music is the other soul music.
Joni is a member of The Authors Guild, the Romance Writers of America, and its Published Authors Network. She is a member of several, local RWA chapters and has served in numerous board positions with the San Antonio Romance Authors. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, going to movies and concerts, and spending time with family and friends.
You can find Joni online at: www.jonihahn.com.
Currently available in The D.I.R.E. Agency Series:
Book 1: Agent I1: Tristan
Book 2: Agent E2: Aidan
Book 3: Agent T3: d’Artagnan
Book 4: Agent M4: Riordan
Book 5: Agent S5: Jaydan
Book 6: Agent N6: Dylan
Special Agent: Austin
Book 7: Agent U7: Keegan