by Jory Strong
She nodded, gave Grace a fierce hug. “Thanks. I’ll be in touch, when I can.”
Grace hugged her back. “I’ll invite you to one of our poker games.”
Avery left.
“I’m Ellisson,” the agent said, giving Grace a hard look. “You were told to steer clear, but considering this fuckup isn’t your fault and you kept Avery alive, I’ll make sure you get a pass. Chandler and I are taking charge of the situation. Leave. We’ll debrief you at a later time.”
Relief swept into Grace. Her eyes met Mace’s then Cade’s. Heat and need roared into existence. And she couldn’t get to them fast enough, though it was only when they were out of the alley, out of sight from the agents, that they came together, her arms around them, theirs around her.
She lifted her face, lips parted, her heart wide open. They were fantasy. They were reality. They were all hers.
Cade’s mouth claimed hers first, then Mace’s. The two of them alternating, their kisses merging one into another, tasting of desperation and fear that only slowly gave way to anticipation.
“I love you both,” she said. “Totally. Completely. For all time.”
Mace rubbed his cheek against hers. “It’s a damn good thing, considering that’s how we feel about you. I didn’t say it before, but, if you need the words, they’re yours anytime you want them. I love you. You’re my one.”
Her heart swelled. Cade collared her with his hand, sending shivery pleasure through her. “Time to get you back home,” he said.
She smiled, lighthearted, high on love. “Should we race? The Beetle gets a head start?”
Their growled answers of fuck no only lit her up further on the inside.
She could deal with their being protective. And after witnessing her being able to handle herself in a dangerous situation, hopefully it’d be easier for them to deal with her working for Crime Tells—not that they wouldn’t find reasons to help her with her cases.
She laughed. She looked forward to it.
It never hurt to have a couple of Marines as backup.
Thank you!
Thanks for reading Cade’s Dare. I hope you enjoyed it!
Reviews and ratings are more important now than ever. They help other readers find books. I’d appreciate it if you’d take a moment to review and rate Cade’s Dare.
I love connecting with readers! Visit my website at http://www.jorystrong.com (where you can also sign up to receive Book Alerts) or contact me at [email protected]. I can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Some of my other works are…
Inked Magic and the sequel, Inked Destiny: A ménage set in modern-day San Francisco where a changeling tattoo artist has come to the attention of two very compelling men, the son of a mob boss and an Elven lord.
Ghostland series: Set in a post-apocalyptic world where supernatural beings no longer hide their existence, and where angels and Djinn are heading for the ultimate battle over who will control Earth.
Supernatural Bonds series: Witches, Weres, faeries, elves, dragons, Drui and demons, there’s something for everyone as each heroine meets her perfect hero—or heroes.
Fallon Mates series: To avoid extinction, there’s only one hope for the winged inhabitants of the planet Belizair. Come to Earth and claim the perfect, genetically-matched mate, the catch—it has to be done in pairs, a feather-winged Amato must share a lover with a suede, bat-winged Vesti.
Crime Tells: Where mystery, family, and finding love while working as private investigators come together in a contemporary world.
And there are more, stand-alone stories. Information on them can be found at: http://www.jorystrong.com and also at my Amazon Author Page.
Other Crime Tells World Stories
Lyric’s Cop (Crime Tells 1)
Solving a case about pilfered pooches is pretty tame work for a vice cop, but when the victim is your grandmother, well…the police take care of their own. Trouble is, one look at Lyric Montgomery, the PI his grandmother has hired to recover her stolen dachshunds, and Kieran Burke knows he’s got a problem. He’s never been turned on so fast—or so attracted to a hellion with a reputation for breaking the law.
Lyric Montgomery can’t believe she’s falling for a cop. She’s always had a little problem staying inside the lines, and Kieran is definitely a complication she doesn’t need. But his dominant, I’m-in-control attitude tempts her like fire tempts a pyromaniac.
Kieran may lay down the rules, but he quickly finds out that for Lyric, breaking them is half the fun, especially when it drives him crazy and evokes his special brand of “punishment”.
As the trail heats up, it isn’t the only thing burning hot enough to melt steel. Bad boy Kieran finds the only way to keep his sexy little pet detective safe may be tying her to his bed—permanently.
Cady’s Cowboy (Crime Tells 2)
When Sheriff Kix Branaman comes to the aid of a friend who has been suspended from the racetrack because her horses tested positive for cocaine, the last thing he expects to do is fall for a private investigator on the case. But one look at Cady Montgomery has him just about ready to hand her the rope to hog-tie him. And when she tells him to “tone down the randy ol’ cowboy routine” and keep things professional…well, that’s like waving a flag at an excited bull.
As soon as Cady Montgomery sees the sheriff from Texas, she knows that he’s trouble with a capital H for heartbreak. Lean, lanky, and gorgeous, he might as well have stepped out of a “Sexy Cowboys of the West” calendar. She’d like to keep her mind on the case, her heart out of risk, and her hormones under control. But that’s going to be hard to do around Kix—especially when his sense of humor and cowboy charm make her want to wrap her body around his and take the ride of a lifetime.
Calista’s Men (Crime Tells 3)
“Have you ever wondered what it would be like with a woman we actually cared about? One who belonged just to us? One who wanted more from us than a good time… A woman we could have together or separately. One who saw us as individuals who came as a package deal? One who was waiting for us at the end of the day?”
“No.”
“No?”
“I like them easy and I like to share them with you. End of story, Benito.”
Getting involved with any woman, much less one who might ultimately drive a wedge between him and Benito, is the last thing Dante needs, especially now, when his life is already in turmoil. The wealthy, influential family of a murder suspect he killed in the line of duty is portraying him as a trigger-happy vigilante, putting his career and reputation on the line.
But as soon as he sees Calista Burke—and witnesses Benito’s identical reaction to her—he knows the stakes have just gotten higher and a lifetime of never risking his heart is about to be put to the test.
Cole’s Gamble (Crime Tells 4)
Cole Maguire doesn’t have any trouble getting women into his bed—or kicking them out of it. He’s always shuffled through them as if they were cards in a deck. But now he’s on the run, trying to avoid Renata Reynolds and his grandmother’s prediction of a wedding in his future.
Renata has fantasized about Cole for months. She prides herself on being smart enough to stay away from him. He’s white, she’s black. Dating is tricky enough without risking additional complications. And besides, Cole’s a player whose name is spelled heartbreak as far as she’s concerned.
Little does she know when she discovers a murder victim during a competitive trail ride that Cole’s grandmother is about to meddle and call in a bet. He’s assigned the murder to solve. Renata’s given the story to write. And close proximity does the rest.
Cole gambles he can walk away from Renata unattached and unaffected. Renata gambles she can enjoy the fantasy without falling in love. And both of them soon discover, losing a bet can be so much better than winning.
Healing Seduction (connected story)
For years Lucca and Quade have shared women and enjoyed games of sexual dominance. While she was marri
ed, Kiera was off-limits, even in their fantasies. Now that she’s single, guilt and loyalty keep them from acting on their desire.
At twenty-six, Kiera has been a widow for almost as long as she was a wife. Before pain and loss stripped her bare and changed her, she’d never craved the things Lucca and Quade want in the bedroom. Now she does. She knows they love her. But for them to have a future together, she needs to break through their emotional barriers.
Unknown to them, she’s got a plan. And if it works, Quade and Lucca won’t be able to resist her healing seduction.
Excerpt from Inked Magic
Fog turned the cemetery into shades of black and gray. It lay on those gathered around the grave, a wet, heavy shroud muting the sounds of grieving as the priest spoke his final words and mourners moved toward the immediate family.
Cathal didn’t cross to offer his condolences though his mother did, resplendent in designer black and tasteful jewelry. He remained in place even as his father and uncle departed without a word.
They glided through the fog like a pair of ravens, black coats shiny with moisture. Harbingers of death, he thought, knowing that scattered among the mourners were police as well as FBI and ATF agents.
He lingered, trying to recall the dead girl’s face, to dredge up personal memories of Caitlyn, something beyond the smiling photographs present in the funeral home. He failed. All that came to him were thoughts of his cousin, Brianna, and with it, guilt over how seldom their lives intersected.
In the span of a year Brianna had lost her mother and brother.
And now this.
Drugs and gang rape and the death of a friend.
Insanity and murder, if not by intention, then by end result.
He should have made more time for her. He should have . . .
With an acknowledgment of failure, he left the gravesite, returning to the long line of automobiles parked against the curb, transport back to everyday life.
Two heavily muscled men emerged from the gloom as his father and uncle neared identical dark-windowed Mercedes. The men opened back doors, then stood, waiting at attention like the soldiers they were.
Words passed between the brothers. Icy intensity rather than heated argument, accompanied by a glance in his direction before his uncle climbed into a car and was driven away.
A sense of foreboding settled around him but he didn’t slow his footsteps or refuse when his father indicated with a wave that he was to get into the back of the remaining Mercedes. He surrendered his cell phone, a precaution against being listened in on by the authorities, then got into the car.
The doors closed, walling off sound and the possibility of being overheard. His father’s eyes locked onto his. “The animals responsible for this can’t go unpunished.”
Despite knowing his father’s idea of justice involved a shot to the back of the head and an unmarked grave, he said, “I agree.”
“Good.”
The tension left his father. “Good,” he repeated. “A source passed on a name at the funeral. There’s an artist who can help us identify the guilty parties. But there’s a complication.”
The sense of foreboding deepened. “What complication?”
“She might be related to a cop. The guy who passed on the name didn’t know whether it was true or not. All he could say for sure was that she’s got a freaky way with victims.”
“So call in a favor. Have a case file opened. There’s enough about what happened to Brianna and Caitlyn to force an investigation. Let the police make arrangements with the artist. Let them handle it officially and prosecute the guilty parties.”
His father tilted his head toward the empty parking place in front of the Mercedes. “This is personal business. Something your uncle and I need to take care of ourselves. The sooner the better. If you were around more—and I’m not saying you should be, I understand your reasons and I respect your decision—then you’d know Denis isn’t thinking straight. First losing Margo then Brian. Now this.
“He’s hurting. And a man in that much pain is capable of striking out, damn the consequences. That’s why I’m asking you to run interference here, to minimize the collateral damage by approaching this woman. Pull the right strings to get her to visit Brianna and come up with pictures of the responsible parties.
“Maybe it’ll be simple. Cash for services rendered. Maybe she wants to be a rock star and you can make it happen for her. Maybe she’s lonely and you can convince her between the sheets. Show her a little love so she’ll want to help out here and be willing to keep quiet about it afterwards. If you set your mind to it, you can get it done.”
“And if I don’t? If I can’t?”
His father shrugged. “Then my conscience is clear. I’ve tried to do the right thing, walk the line as much as I can given the situation. But I’m not going to stand between Denis and the animals responsible for drugging and raping his baby girl. I’m not going to turn my back on family. Justice will be served on behalf of those two girls, regardless of whether you involve yourself in this matter or not.”
Cathal curled his hand into a fist and fought the urge to answer the verbal jab. He looked beyond his father, at the mourners moving through the fog, leaving Caitlyn to be lowered into her grave.
After a lifetime of keeping his distance, of staying clear of his father and uncle’s business, he wondered if he was about to take the first step on a slippery slope that ended in prison or violent death for most of those who took it.
“How much time do I have to convince her?”
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Sue-Ellen Gower for helping me make this the best story it could be!
About the Author
I’ve been writing since childhood and have never outgrown being a daydreamer. When I’m not hunched over my computer, lost in the muse and conjuring up new heroes and heroines, I can usually be found reading, riding horses, or walking dogs.
My stories have won numerous awards, as well as been national best sellers. I live in California with my husband and a menagerie of pets.
I love connecting with readers! Visit my website at http://www.jorystrong.com or contact me at [email protected]. I can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cade’s Dare
Copyright © 2014 by Valerie Christenson
Edited by Sue-Ellen Gower
Cover design by Rae Monet, Inc. Design
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
Excerpt of Inked Magic copyright © 2012 by Valerie Christenson
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Thank you!
Other Crime Tells World Stories
Excerpt from Inked Magic
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
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