Dagger of Danger

by Alexandra Maxwell

  Dagger of DANGER

  WHITESTONE ALPHA AGENT SERIES BOOK 3

  Alexandra Maxwell

  Copyright © 2020 by Alexandra Maxwell

  www.romancesisters.com

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names of characters and incidences portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  The author has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracies of the URLs for external or third-party Internet websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee any content on such website.

  This book is written for the romance genre and contains some explicit scenes and /or language. It is intended for those 18 and over.

  For my Readers

  You are the reason I write!

  Preface

  The Dagger Series is a sexy, smart action adventure ALPHA MALE romance series where danger lurks, sparks fly and things get HOT.

  I am including a Prologue to give you dear readers a brief introduction in case you didn’t read Book 1 or Book 2. I don’t spill all the juicy bits or talk about every character in the Prologue. For that, you’ll have to read the books.

  To make things easy for you to get up to speed, take a look at my FREE GIFT TO YOU AT THE BACK OF THIS BOOK. It’s a downloadable and free copy of Dagger of LUST. I also specially priced Dagger of DESIRE, Book 2 to make it extra easy to stay with the adventure.

  Dear Readers, We are all in this awesome love boat of life. I am thrilled we are taking this ride together. Don’t we all want big, delicious love that lasts?

  I invite you to visit me at RomanceSisters.com and my Facebook page. I will share all kinds of goodies. (You’ll find the links on the About the Author page.)

  Stay in touch. I am always cooking up mischief for you!

  Alexandra Maxwell

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  About the Author

  Also by Alexandra Maxwell

  Meet Kara Maxwell

  A FREE GIFT from Alexandra Maxwell

  By Kara Maxwell

  Prologue

  Things are getting messier, more complicated and sexier by the minute. Danger keeps coming for Ben and Tara as they try to stop the mysterious stranger willing to end their lives for the treasure they’re carrying.

  Quick recap: Tara Samuels, the gorgeous museum curator, is sent on a mission by her boss Dr. Barrett to pick up and deliver some very valuable artifacts, an ancient Egyptian dagger and scabbard (cover) for an upcoming major exhibit. The Museum of Vintage Arts (MoVA) hired the Whitestone Agency. Benjamin Reynolds, 6’2 of solid yumminess, is assigned to the case. Hunk-a-liscious Tate Calhoun, Ben's best buddy, and fellow Whitestone agent, is sent in to give Ben support. Well….

  Tate gets hurt, Tara gets hurt, Ben gets hurt, and all because of their continued underestimation of the man on a quest to steal the priceless artifacts.

  There’s a target on their backs, but the hope of love and a job well done push him to keep going, no matter the cost. With his senses heightened and expecting the unexpected, Ben believes he is finally a step ahead of who is after them.

  Why can’t Tara shake the feeling that falling for Ben is going to be the most important assignment of her life? Is she ready for real love?

  WHY CAN’T THEY GET AWAY FROM THE DANGER?

  WARNING: BOOK 1 AND BOOK 2 CONTAIN JUICY SCENES AND SO DOES BOOK 3. BUCKLE UP FOR THE RIDE!

  1

  Ben rose after being hit seconds later to see the culprit escaping up the stairs. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he was headed toward Tara. He had to stop him.

  Tate groaned as he opened his eyes and rubbed the back of his head, “What the hell?”

  "How bad are you hurt? I saw the guy who did this.."

  "Go get him, I'll be fine," Tate pushed Ben away who shot to his feet and took the stairs two at a time to get to the next landing. He raced down the hall to see the door to his room, kicked in. The scream from Tara's room seconds later forced him to kick down her door in time to see a masked man snatching the case off the table.

  “HEY!” Ben shouted to draw the guy’s attention away from moving toward the adjacent room. “Get down!”

  Tara ducked, and Ben charged into the room with the masked assailant moving awkwardly toward his suite. He could tell they hadn't thought this attack through. The case with both artifacts inside was entirely too big for any one person to try and retrieve it like a smash and grab. The thief made it into the hallway with Ben chasing him down with caution, unsure if he had anyone else working with him. He doubted it.

  Before the guy made it to the other staircase, Ben shot above his head, hitting the lit EXIT sign hanging over the door's frame. He ducked and dropped the case.

  “Stop right there!” Ben shouted.

  Ben saw the thief's eyes darting between his gun, the case, and the door. The sound of Tate grumbling and cursing down the hall broke Ben's focus for a split second, letting the guy in the mask kick the case at Ben. Ben dodged the trunk but watched assailant dart through the exit.

  “Check on Tara!” Ben called to Tate before chasing after the man who’d gotten them out of bed before dawn.

  He didn’t wait for Tate to respond, although a sense of relief washed over him to see his friend and colleague walking on his own. The echoes of two men hurdling down flights of stairs bounced off the walls as Ben tried his best to catch up. There weren’t any cops there yet, but he heard the sirens in the distance.

  Ben crashed through the door leading to the ground floor, hoping it led into the lobby, but no such luck. He was greeted by the cool breeze of the early morning and sounds of the intruder speeding away in a car he didn't see. Anger and rage fill him down to the bone. None of this should have happened.

  After holstering his weapon, Ben found himself heading back to the room to get his credentials after stopping at the hotel manager’s office regarding the break-in. It was a lot easier explaining to cops why he fired into a wall when he had all of his licenses and gun permits on hand. When he arrived at the suite, Tara sat on the bed with her knees drawn into her chest. The case with the artifacts sat secured on the table, and Tate stood just outside the shattered door with his arm folded as if guarding his ribs.

  “What the hell happened tonight?” Ben asked him.

  “Where is he?” Tate asked through gritted teeth.

  “I’m calling you an ambulance.”

  “No, where is that asshole?” Tate asked again with anger and pain radiating through every syllable.

  "Got away," Ben frowned, "I need to get my wallet and stuff for when the cops get here. I have the manager coming up to survey the damage, and I had them send the security footage to Rork. How’s she doing?”

  “Shaken up,” he huffed. “Hasn’t said a word to me.”

  “She’s the reason I came looking for you,” Ben admitted.

  “Yeah? Why?”

  Ben was frustrated, “She heard you stop snoring and got worried. Why didn’t you tell me or signal to me that something was going on?”

  "Because there wasn't. I woke up because something nagged at me. Could've been anxiety or indigestion. We'd already swe
pt the floor," Tate tried to shrug, but he was clearly masking his pain."I didn't want to get you away from her or those artifacts on a whim or a hunch. I thought I saw a shadow under the door. I peeked into the hallway but didn't see anything. I couldn't let it go, so I threw my clothes on and headed toward the staircase. I didn't see anyone, but out of nowhere, that guy gets the drop on me and pushes me down a flight of stairs. I imagined he thought I was you. I still don't understand how he just popped up out of nowhere."

  “We’ve been underestimating this guy from the start. He’s flawed, yes, but he’s always one step ahead to get away and try again. You’re going to the hospital,” Ben demanded.

  “I’m fine,” Tate grunted.

  “Really?” Ben didn’t believe him for a second, “Lift your arms above your head like you’re about to do a pullup.”

  The minute Tate's arm reached his shoulder, he grimaced in pain.

  “Exactly what I thought!” Ben snarled. “I’m calling Rork.”

  “Don’t!” Tate begged, “I don’t want him pulling me off any assignments because of this. I still have clients who need me.”

  "You're no good to any of us if you can't move, Tate. I'm calling him, and you're going to the hospital, even if I have to shoot you in the leg to get you there."

  “That’s not funny.”

  “Neither are broken ribs,” Ben nodded toward his slightly crunched torso. He walked inside the suite to see Tara still sitting on the bed. He pulled a chair in front of her to see her eyes welling with tears, but they’d yet to fall.

  “What if the artifacts are cursed? That’s a thing with Egyptians. Everything is cursed from the tombs to the buried cities and ruins.”

  Ben let his arms rest on the bed beside her, “I thought that was only a thing on TV or in the movies. I’d probably spread a rumor like that too if people kept digging through my ancestors’ graves.”

  Tara finally locked eyes with Ben, “Is Tate? Is he okay?”

  “He got banged up a bit, but we should have listened to you. We should have left as soon as Tate told me the guy was here. I thought he was right and that we could stop this thing before it escalated.” Ben sighed, “I need to get as much information about who wants these artifacts and how many people know they’re in transit. Maybe we can narrow down a list or something for me to get an idea of who we’re up against.”

  “Ben?” Tara’s voice softened, garnering his full attention.

  “Yeah?”

  "You're great at your job," she started.

  “Thank you?”

  "What I mean is, ever since you picked me up from the airport, you've been amazing, confident, and sure of everything. After I got attacked, I could see all of the doubt in your eyes. You're second-guessing a lot of stuff. I don't know you that well, but being in your line of work, I'm guessing that kind of hesitation isn't normal. Something's different with you. I also noticed that Tate is here. I know MoVA isn't paying for him. Do you need backup? What's going on with you? Are you okay?"

  Ben is blown away by Tara's concern for him. She read him like a newspaper. It surprised and worried him. He stroked the side of her face and let his thumb rub her chin, "Don't worry about me. Tate only came here to give me an extra set of eyes on this situation. I'm mad that he came now, especially since he got hurt. He's going to be out for a while because of me because of this. All this time, I've been getting on you to take this job more seriously when it's starting to seem like I really need to take my own advice."

  2

  Tara hated seeing Ben down on himself, doubting his every move. She shrugged the thoughts from her head as they sat in silence, waiting for the police to arrive. Her mind drifted to her vivid dreams, as Ben liked to call them, and wondered why her mind could so easily fantasize about them together amid chaos.

  The hotel manager arrived with two police officers. One poked his head inside of the room, "Ma'am, can you step out of the room, please?"

  Tara joined everyone else while the police officers looked through both suites. The hotel manager looked irritated as he stood there with his arms folded across his chest. Tate looked beat up and worn down with the gash on his head, and his arm shielding his side. She could feel the tension between Tate and the manager.

  “If you’d let me see the footage when I initially asked when I arrived, we would have a whole lot more information right now.”

  The manager sighed and remained irritable, "As I told you before, Sir, if there hasn't been a crime committed, we're not in the habit of letting guests view the footage. If you'd gone through the proper channels to request the tapes, there wouldn't be any issues at all. I already let the police see it. You two are private citizens as far as I'm concerned. If there's no subpoena and identification in your hand, then I'm not allowed to show you anything. The man you instructed me to send the footage to, on the other hand, has been more than helpful with providing the necessary documents to review it. What he does with it is up to him."

  The police officers stepped outside, both scratching their heads. Tara tried to very poorly to hold back laughter while one officer spoke to them, “We searched the rooms. How many thieves were there?”

  “One, from what I could tell,” Ben answered. “Did you look at the security tapes? Can we get this guy’s picture blasted everywhere?”

  “Now hold on a minute,” the other officer spoke up with a little more confidence, “Did you say that nothing was actually taken?”

  “That’s correct. This guy is a menace. We need all of the help local PD can provide,” Tate jumped in with pain searing through his voice.

  “So, you want us to just send a picture of a guy who kicked down a door, probably looking for her and just ruin the reputation of a law-abiding citizen who’s just heartbroken?”

  Tara couldn't believe what she just heard. She raised an eyebrow looking to Ben and Tate, who were equally stunned. She refused to let these officers diminish the events of the night, "That's not what happened! Tate heard a noise and went to check it out. Ben went to check on him, and they were both attacked. This guy then kicks down the door of his suite and breaks into mine. He actually tried to steal that large case on the table. If Ben hadn't come back so quickly, he would have."

  "Calm down, Ma'am," the officer told her, "We're not disputing the sequence of events here, we're just giving you some other scenarios that play out often, similar to this. You were in a lover's squabble with your old man because you been seeing one of these guys here. He comes here to get the love of his life back only to find her in a room with two dudes who look like them. I'd be pretty worried about my wife being cooped up in a room with fellas who looked like this. He breaks down the doors, but your guy here chases him off and fires a warning shot in an occupied establishment, which is against the law, and follows him out. Your husband or whoever gets away. That sounds awfully similar to what happened between Arlene and Ray a few weeks back. We'll file this as a domestic violence disturbance with a possible breaking and entering. You guys are gonna be responsible for replacing all these doors you like kicking down so much. Other than that, call us before you shoot at the guy next time."

  "I can't believe this load of crock!" Tara shouted at the officers, "That's not what's going on here! I am Tara Samuels! I'm a curator for the Museum of Vintage Arts in New York City. A man broke into my suites and tried to steal the artifacts I'm transporting, and you're reducing it to a lover's quarrel?! Aren't you going to dust for fingerprints? Can't you review the footage to see where this guy went? Get a shot of his plate or something and track him down and bring him in."

  "Ma'am, this isn't TV,” the officer chuckled, “There's no complicated conspiracy to steal your treasure." He actually air quoted treasure, which made Tara want to get violent.

  Ben stepped in front of her to stop her from charging at the officers. “Fine. We’ll take care of the damages to the room and review the footage with our boss. If you happen to come across anything you’d like to share with us, please let us k
now.”

  The officers exchanged contact information with Ben while Tate resorted to leaning against the wall. Once they left, they squared things away with the hotel manager and headed back inside the room.

  “Let’s just get out of here,” Ben sighed, “Let’s get our stuff together. Tate, go wait in the car, we’ll see if we can stop at one of those urgent care centers or an Emergency Room to get you looked at.”

  Tate’s skin appeared dewy as he held his eyes closed and continued to guard his ribs. He held his hand out to protest, “No. Just call Rork and tell him I need to get to Doc. You two still have to bring those artifacts to New York and don’t need me slowing you down. We’ll be waiting for hours for me to be seen when you guys could be on the road. Coordinate it with him.”

  Ben sighed and called his boss on the phone. After a full recap of the night's events with an explanation of why he had to usurp Local PD's authority with the hotel manager for security footage, Rork organized a car to come for Tate so Tara and Ben could continue on their way.

  Tara watched as Tate was driven away, and Ben ushered her toward their rental. She looked at him intensely as he searched every square inch of the vehicle before loading their stuff inside and giving her the okay for her to get inside.

  “I can drive,” she volunteered, “You must be exhausted.”

  Ben stared at her, remembering her words that she didn't want to be babied. Tate laughed that he'd never let her drive. In his mind, it never crossed it that she'd want to. He was the security professional; he could protect Tara and his client a lot better when he was in control. He didn't want to treat this as an ordinary road trip.