by Jami Alden
“You don’t buy that bullshit any more than I do.”
“Let’s move,” Ben said. “And I’m driving. You drive like a grandma.”
Jack didn’t budge. “The system is wired now to call Gemini headquarters and my cell phone if the alarm trips. I’ll get here as fast as I can, but if I can’t someone else will. And if anything else happens, you call me immediately. I’ll have my phone on and with me at all times.”
Talia rolled her eyes. “It was probably just some dumb kid looking to steal beer—”
“Immediately,” Jack bit out. “And if I don’t answer, you call Danny, Derek, or Ethan directly.”
“Or me!” Ben interjected.
“Not Ben,” Jack said with a smile so slight she wondered if she was imagining it. “He’s an asshole.”
Did the iceman just make a joke? “I promise,” she conceded. “But don’t expect to hear from me. And I won’t expect to hear from you,” she said. But she couldn’t ignore the hollow feeling that washed over her as she watched Jack and Ben climb into the car and drive away.
It was stupid, she told herself as she walked back into the house, the way seeing him left her with that strange, hollow ache. A faint yearning for him to stick around, for her to unglue her tongue and figure out what to say instead of her halfhearted efforts to push him away. A wish that maybe they could have… something.
Right, like that was possible, she thought, and gave herself a mental kick. What she and Jack had, so oddly intimate yet so excruciatingly uncomfortable, could never be untangled enough to go anywhere good.
She drove Rosario back to campus and contemplated what to do for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe she should see if Susie was up for a movie, she thought, then quickly dismissed the idea. Talia was in a weird, melancholy mood and had no business inflicting herself on anyone.
Besides, she had only a few hours to kill before she had to work. Maybe she’d do some laundry. The house phone rang, cutting off her mental meanderings. She started to ignore it—anyone she knew would have called her cell. She picked up the handset to turn the ringer off, hesitating when she saw the number on the caller ID display.
Wireless caller. Her brow furrowed as she recognized the Washington State area code and Seattle exchange.
Without thought, her thumb pressed the TALK button. “Hello?”
“Talia Vega?” an unfamiliar male voice asked.
“Who’s calling?”
“Is this Talia Vega?” he repeated.
Her grip on the phone tightened. “Who wants to know?”
The phone went dead.
Cold sweat filmed her forehead. They’d found her. Just like that, she was back down in that black hole of panic and fear, leaving the safe house only when necessary. Breath held, constantly looking over her shoulder, dreading the moment when he or one of his lackeys would snatch her from her bed or, worse, take Rosario and use her as bait to flush Talia out.
No, stop. She took a deep breath, reminded herself that David was dead, his organization blown to smithereens. There was no more “they.” No one had bothered to come after her in nearly two years. Why would they now?
But whoever called knew her name, knew her phone number.
It wasn’t like she was in hiding, the rational, calming part of her brain argued. She’d kept her information unlisted, but she knew there were ways to find out that sort of thing if someone was motivated enough.
That last thought wasn’t at all comforting. She picked up the phone and brought the number up on the caller ID. She knew it was overkill, but she could call someone back at Gemini’s office and have them trace it. She didn’t want to bother Jack—
The phone rang in her hand. It was him again.
“What do you want?” she asked sharply.
“Talia Vega?”
She didn’t answer.
“Sorry about before. I went through a canyon and my cell dropped the call. I’m trying to get in touch with Talia Vega. Can you at least tell me if I have the right number?”
“And I’ll ask you again,” she said, irritation doing its part to chase away some of the fear, “who wants to know?”
“My name is Greg Fitzhugh,” he said. “I’m working on a book for Seattle Magazine about the fallout from the Grayson-Maxwell scandal—”
“I have nothing to say on the matter.”
“Please,” he said, “if it hadn’t been for you, no one would have ever connected him to Karev’s operation,” he said.
Talia wasn’t sure if he was genuinely impressed or just kissing her ass.
“If it weren’t for you helping Deputy PA Slater, the corruption would have gone unchecked, and none of those people would have been arrested.”
Her fingers started to go numb at the tips. The last thing she wanted to do was remind all of those people of her existence and, worse, make it seem like she was bragging about her part in bringing them down. Hell, at one time she’d been as knee-deep in the shit as the rest of them. She had nothing to brag about.
“I know you took a bit of a beating in the press before,” he said at her continued silence, “but you don’t have to worry about how you’ll be portrayed.”
What, like they could somehow turn the mistress of a notorious criminal—who, among other things, had twisted her testimony to help send an innocent man to death row and stood numbly by while half a dozen women were butchered—into a heroine for justice? “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
She hung up and immediately unplugged the phone in case Greg Fitzhugh decided to call back, then realized she’d forgotten to ask him where he’d gotten the number.
You should have changed your name. Not for the first time, Talia questioned her decision not to change her identity. Jack assured her that as long as they held up their cover stories, he could create a cover for them that was all but bulletproof.
Everything in her had rebelled at the idea. David Maxwell had nearly taken everything from them. She wasn’t going to let him take their identities. Most importantly, it wasn’t fair to force Rosie to live this lie with her.
And deep in her heart, Talia didn’t feel like she deserved to disappear into anonymity. Her own bad choices had gotten her into trouble, and part of her penance was living with that truth. For better or worse.
This, she supposed, was the worse part.
Nothing to do but move past it. What was done was done, and unless she wanted to turn her and Rosie’s lives upside down all over again, she had to accept reality: If a person was motivated to find Talia Vega, there wasn’t much to keep them from tracking her down.
THE DISH
Where Authors Give You the Inside Scoop
From the desk of Debra Webb
Dear Reader,
I can’t believe we’ve already dug into case five of the Faces of Evil—REVENGE.
Things are heating up here in the South just as they are in REVENGE. The South is known for its storytelling. I can remember sitting on the front porch in an old rocking chair and listening to my grandmother tell stories. She was an amazing storyteller. Most of her tales were ones that had been handed down by friends and family for generations. Many were true, though they had changed through the years as each person who told them added his or her own twist. Others were, I genuinely hope, absolute fiction. It would be scary if some of those old tales were true.
Certain elements were a constant in my grandmother’s tales. Secrets and loyalty. You know the adage, “blood is thicker than water.” Keeping family secrets can sometimes turn deadly and in her stories it often did. Then there were those dark secrets kept between friends. Those rarely ended well for anyone.
Jess Harris and Dan Burnett know a little something about secrets and I dare say in the next two cases, REVENGE and the one to follow, Ruthless, they will understand that not only is blood thicker than water but the blood is where the darkness lurks. In the coming cases Jess will need Dan more than ever. You’re also going to meet a new and very interesting char
acter, Buddy Corlew, who’s a part of Jess’s past.
Enjoy the summer! Long days of gardening or romping on the beach. But spend your nights with Jess and Dan as they explore yet another case in the Faces of Evil. I promise you’ll be glad you did.
I hope you’ll stop by www.thefacesofevil.com and visit with me. There’s a weekly briefing each Friday where I talk about what’s going on in my world and with the characters as I write the next story. You can sign up as a person of interest and you might just end up a suspect! We love giving away prizes, too, so do stop by.
Enjoy the story and be sure to look for Ruthless next month!
Cheers!
From the desk of Katie Lane
Dear Reader,
One of the highlights of my childhood was the New Mexico State Fair. Every year, my daddy would give me a whole ten dollars to spend there. Since I learned early on what would happen if you gorged on turkey legs and candy apples before you hopped on the Tilt-a-Whirl, I always went to the midway first. After a couple hours of tummy-tingling thrills, my friends and I would grab some food and head over to the coliseum to watch the cowboys practice for that night’s rodeo.
Sitting in the box seats high above the arena, I would imagine that I was a princess and the cowboys were princes performing great feats of agility and strength in order to win my hand in marriage. Of course, I was never interested in the most talented cowboys. My favorites were the ones who got bucked off the broncos or bulls before the buzzer and still jumped to their feet with a smile on their face and a hat-wave to the crowd.
It was in this arena of horse manure and testosterone that a seed was planted. A good forty years later, I’m happy to announce that my rodeo Prince Charming has come to fruition in my newest contemporary romance, FLIRTING WITH TEXAS.
Beauregard Cates is a cowboy with the type of smile and good looks that make most gals hear wedding bells. But after suffering through a life-threatening illness, he has no desire to be tied down and spends most of his time traveling around the world… until he ends up on a runaway Central Park carriage ride with a sassy blonde from Texas.
Jenna Jay Scroggs is a waitress who will go to any length to right the injustices of the world. Yet no matter how busy her life is in New York City, Jenna can’t ignore the sweet-talkin’, silver-haired cowboy who reminds her of everything she left behind. And when her hometown of Bramble gets involved, Beau and Jenna will soon be forced on a tummy-tingling ride of their own that will lead them right back to Texas and a once-upon-a-time kind of love.
I hope y’all will join me for the ride. (With or without a big ol’ turkey leg.)
Much Love,
From the desk of Erin Kern
Dear Reader,
A few months ago, my editor put me on assignment to interview Avery Price. Little did I know that Avery would end up being the heroine of my latest book, LOOKING FOR TROUBLE. I got such a kick out of following her journey that led her to Trouble, Wyoming, and into the arms of Noah McDermott, that I jumped at the opportunity to revisit with her. What better way to spend my afternoon than having a heart-to-heart with the woman who started it all?
We settle on the patio of her home in the breathtaking Wyoming foothills. After getting seated, Avery pours me a glass of homemade lemonade.
ME: Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me. I know how much you value your privacy.
AVERY: (Takes a sip of lemonade, then sets her drink down.) Privacy is overrated. And I should be thanking you for making the drive out here.
ME: It’s nice to get out of the city every once in a while. Plus it’s beautiful out here. I can see why you chose this place.
AVERY: I’d say it chose me. (Her lips tilt up in a wry little smile.) I actually didn’t plan on staying here at first. But anonymity is something anyone can find here.
ME: Is that why you left Denver?
AVERY: (Pauses a moment.) If I wore a pair of heels that were too high, it got commented on in the society pages. No one cares about that kind of thing here. It’s refreshing to be able to be my own person.
ME: That’s definitely a tempting way of life. Your family must miss you terribly, though. Are you planning on being an active part in your father’s campaign?
AVERY: I’ll always support my father no matter what he does, which he’s almost always successful at. No matter what happens with the race, he’ll always have the support of his children. But I’ve had my fill of the public eye. That life suits my parents and brother just fine. I think I’ll leave the campaigning to them.
ME: That’s right. Your brother, Landon Price, is one of the biggest real estate developers in Denver. Are you two close?
AVERY: We grew up pretty sheltered so the two of us were really all the other had. I’d say we’re closer than your average brother and sister.
ME: Do you think your brother will be moving up here with you any time soon?
AVERY: (She chuckles before answering.) Even though we’re very close, my brother and I are very different people. He lives and breathes city life. Plus my parents aren’t nearly as concerned with his activities as they are mine.
ME: Meaning?
AVERY: (Pauses before answering.) Maybe because he has a different set of genitals? (Laughs.) Who knows? For some reason they focus all their energy on me.
ME: Is that the reason you’re not active in your father’s business? Is this a rebellion?
AVERY: I wouldn’t really say it’s a rebellion. I made a decision that I thought best suited me. The corporate life isn’t for me, anyway. I doubt I’d have anything valuable to offer. My father has enough VPs and advisers.
ME: (I smile as I take my first sip of lemonade.) I’ve got to say, you are a lot more down to earth than I expected. And there are a lot of girls in this country who wished they were in your shoes.
AVERY: (She lifts a thin shoulder beneath her linen top.) Everybody always thinks the grass is greener on the other side. Growing up in the public eye isn’t for everyone. I’ve developed thick skin over the years. But I wouldn’t change my life for anything.
ME: Well, I certainly appreciate you granting me this interview. Good luck with your father’s campaign.
AVERY: Thank you. I’m going to grab a copy of the magazine when the article is printed.
From the desk of Jami Alden
Dear Reader,
As I look back on the books I’ve written over the course of my career, I’m struck by two things:
1) I have a very twisted, sinister imagination, if my villains are anything to go by!
2) I love reunion romances.
Now in real life, if you ran into someone who was still hung up on her high school boyfriend and who held on to that person (consciously or not) as the one true love of her life, you might think she had a screw loose. Unless you’ve ended up with your high school or college sweetheart, most of us grow up and look back at those we dated in our youth—hopefully with fondness but sometimes with less affection. But rarely do we find ourselves pining for that boy we went to senior prom with.
So I wondered, why do I love this premise so much in romance? Well, I think I may have figured it out. In real life, for most of us, those early relationships run their natural course and fizzle out with little more than a whimper and a gasp.
But in romance novels, those relationships that start out with unbridled intensity end with drama and more drama and leave a wagonload of unfinished business for our hero and heroine. It’s that lingering intensity, combined with the weight of unfinished business, that draw our hero and heroine together after so many years. So when they finally find themselves back in the same room together, the attraction is as undeniable as gravity.
When I was coming up with the story for GUILTY AS SIN, I found myself fascinated by the history between my hero, Tommy Ibarra, and my heroine, Kate Beckett. Caught up in the giddy turmoil of first love, they were torn apart amid the most excruciating and tragic circumstances I, as a parent, could ever imagine.
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sp; And yet, that intensity and unfinished business lingered. So when they’re brought back together, there’s no force on Earth that can keep them apart. Still, to say their road to true love is a rocky one is a huge understatement. But I hope in the end that you feel as I do. That after everything Tommy and Kate went through, they’ve more than earned their happily ever after.
Happy Reading!
ALSO BY JAMI ALDEN
Beg for Mercy
Hide from Evil
Run from Fear
Praise for
Jami Alden’s Novels
Run from Fear
“Alden’s each and every well-placed word demonstrates to readers what a superior storyteller of suspense she is. Her latest has a solid plot, a strong battle-tested heroine, and tension to the extreme. This is one story that will have readers turning pages well into the night.”
—RT Book Reviews
“A tense suspense and a captivating romance make Run from Fear an exciting read.”
—RomRevToday.com
“Alden has written another gripping romantic suspense in Run from Fear. The storyline is intriguing and fast-paced.”
—BookLoons.com
“A pulse-pumping, taut thriller that grips readers from the first threat to the final confrontation. The lead couple is an interesting pairing as both have survived the baptism of fire. The support cast augments a terrific, tense tale.”
