Operation Alpha

by Justine Davis

  A new Cutter’s Code hero meets his match!

  After a series of his ex-girlfriends die mysteriously, tracker and tech expert Liam Burnett vows to steer clear of romantic entanglements. But when he’s assigned to work with Ria Connelly, unwanted feelings ambush Liam. And though he warns Ria that he’s not looking for anything serious, the outwardly cheery bachelor can’t help but fall for the beautiful teacher...

  With Cutter, the uncannily brilliant dog, the two collaborate to help a troubled student. Their discoveries of scandalous secrets provoke extreme danger. Only when a killer threatens Ria does Liam finally rethink his reluctance to care—­he must protect her at all costs. Could she be the one who breaks the girlfriend “jinx”?

  “So, Liam, you really were the problem child.”

  “That I was.”

  “Your parents must be relieved.”

  “They are. And I’m sorry I gave them so much trouble. They’re good, good people. It wasn’t their fault. Sometimes if you’re good at something, it can get you in trouble. You follow the path because it’s easy for you, and sometimes you’re in over your head before you realize it.”

  He understood then that he’d been sitting here sharing his life story with her easily, without even thinking about it. How had Ria managed that? She’d given him one tiny bit of her own history, and suddenly he was pouring his own out by the bucket? When what he’d meant to do was get that distance between them?

  “I’m surprised that Dylan didn’t pour his soul out to you on request,” he said with a grimace.

  “I can have that effect,” she said with a laugh. “It’s my honest face.”

  Yeah, your face is honest. Among other things. Like beautiful. Fascinating.

  Trouble.

  * * *

  Be sure to check out the rest of the books in this miniseries.

  Cutter’s Code: A clever and mysterious canine helps a group of secret operatives crack the case.

  * * *

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  think of Harlequin Romantic Suspense!

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  Dear Reader,

  When you’ve been through some battles of your own, you tend to be more aware of how dealing with adversity works. In my case, it made me very aware of the truth of the old saying “Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”

  This was brought home to me once more in the writing of Operation Alpha. Because Liam Burnett, that laid-back, ever-cheerful Texas guy, had always seemed just that to me. It wasn’t until I got into his story that I found, somewhat to my surprise, that there was a great deal I didn’t know about him. That nobody knew about him. And it took the persistence of a good, loving woman and a certain very, very determined dog to get him to face the past he hid behind that carefree facade.

  Happy reading!

  Justine

  OPERATION ALPHA

  Justine Davis

  Justine Davis lives on Puget Sound in Washington State, watching big ships and the occasional submarine go by and sharing the neighborhood with assorted wildlife, including a pair of bald eagles, deer, a bear or two and a tailless raccoon. In the few hours when she’s not planning, plotting or writing her next book, her favorite things are photography, knitting her way through a huge yarn stash and driving her restored 1967 Corvette roadster—top down, of course.

  Connect with Justine at her website, justinedavis.com, at Twitter.com/justine_d_davis, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/justinedaredavis.

  Books by Justine Davis

  Harlequin Romantic Suspense

  Cutter’s Code

  Operation Midnight

  Operation Reunion

  Operation Blind Date

  Operation Unleashed

  Operation Power Play

  Operation Homecoming

  Operation Soldier Next Door

  Operation Alpha

  The Coltons of Texas

  Colton Family Rescue

  Redstone, Incorporated

  Just Another Day in Paradise

  One of These Nights

  In His Sights

  Second-Chance Hero

  Dark Reunion

  Deadly Temptation

  Her Best Friend’s Husband

  The Best Revenge

  Redstone Ever After

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com,

  or justinedavis.com, for more titles.

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  The biggest love sometimes comes in the smallest packages...

  Dexter was a Chihuahua, black with a little white on his neck. He came to us from a puppy mill, although we didn’t know that until later. Despite that start in life, he was such a loving dog in so many ways. He was always giving hugs and kisses. He particularly loved being on his dad’s lap. There is a big picture of him sleeping on his dad’s lap in our living room. When we would watch TV in the dining room, he would want up and then put his head on the table and fall asleep until Dad moved. Many times we stayed there watching TV until late so we wouldn’t disturb him. If he was left in the car even for a few minutes, and whoever was in the car with him told him that Mom or Dad was coming, he would whine so loud you could hear him before you got there.

  We were blessed with Dexter’s light in our lives for twelve years. When the end came, we wrapped him in the baby blanket I made him to lay him to rest. There is a marker and a heart made of stones in the backyard, with wildflowers planted around it so every summer Dexter has wildflowers, and a solar cross so he always has light.

  We miss him still, and he will never be forgotten.

  Peggy, Tim and DeeDee

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Excerpt from Tough Justice: Countdown (Part 1 of 8) by Carla Cassidy

  Excerpt from Last Chance Hero by Melinda Di Lorenzo

  Chapter 1

  “Hi, Mr. Foxworth.”

  Quinn Foxworth looked at the blonde, sweet-faced teenager standing in the doorway of the Foxworth northwest headquarters. She wasn’t alone, but he focused on her because she looked familiar. He couldn’t quite place her; yet she obviously knew him.

  Before he could speak, his dog, Cutter, trotted around the far corner of the building. Foxworth tracker Liam Burnett was at his heels, giving a playful swipe at the dog’s plumed tail. Liam had volunteered for fetch duty this afternoon, a
nd while summer might have ended, it was still warm enough that he’d worked up a sweat. Cutter, however, showed no sign he’d even had a workout.

  The instant the dog caught sight—or scent—of the newcomers, his head came up and he broke into a run. He came to a halt at the girl’s feet, sat politely and gave her a tongue-lolling, old-friend sort of greeting. The girl tilted her head to look at him, smiling widely. His tail began to wag happily, again as if this were a long-lost friend.

  And suddenly Quinn knew.

  “Emily?” he asked, startled.

  She turned her gaze back to him. “I didn’t think you’d recognize me.”

  “It took a moment. It’s been—”

  “Six years. I know.” She reached up and touched the locket that was on a gold chain around her neck. “I still wear it every day.”

  Quinn smiled. “Good,” he said quietly to the girl—young woman now—who had been the inspiration for starting the Foxworth Foundation. They had kept in touch by phone and email, but he hadn’t seen her in person since the day Emily Parker and her adoptive parents had come to once more thank him for recovering the precious piece of jewelry that had been all she had from her dead mother. The change in her from age ten to sixteen was astonishing.

  Liam had caught up with the dog now, and Emily turned and politely gestured the other person with her forward. “This is Ms. Connelly. She teaches at my school.”

  Quinn had only a moment to take in the petite brunette, but he was used to making quick assessments. Dressed in tan jeans and a loose white shirt that had a shine to it, she didn’t look that much older than Emily. But he’d learned not to judge age just by looks; Liam looked years younger than he was. He was also smart and tough, and he had become someone Quinn would trust with his life.

  “Ria, please,” the woman said, holding out a hand. Quinn shook it. She had a steady grip, but her hand felt delicate in his.

  “Liam Burnett, our tracker and resident tech guy,” he said with a nod in the direction of the man who was quickly yanking his T-shirt back over his head. After, Quinn noted, a moment of stock-still staring at the woman who had arrived with Emily. He had recovered quickly, but Quinn was certain he’d seen it.

  “Hi,” Liam said with a nod to them both, “I’d shake hands, but I’ve been throwing his grubby baseball.”

  The woman laughed. And Liam seemed to stop breathing. “Not a tennis ball?” she asked.

  “He likes those,” Quinn explained, “but he loves the baseball. It’s heavier, goes farther. And it was a gift from my wife’s brother.”

  “Doesn’t it hurt his teeth?” Emily asked.

  “He knows the difference, knows not to try and catch this one in midair.”

  Emily smiled at the dog. “So he’s smart and beautiful.”

  “He’s Cutter,” Quinn said simply. “Although judging by his greeting, I’m not sure he needs to be introduced to you. He’s acting like he’s known you all along.”

  “I thought he was just friendly,” Emily said, sounding pleased as she stroked the dog’s head. Cutter leaned into her as if she were long-lost family.

  “He’s not like that with complete strangers, at least not right away. It’s almost like he knows.”

  “Knows?” Emily asked.

  “How important you are to us.”

  The girl blushed.

  “You’re the locket girl,” Liam said suddenly.

  Emily looked surprised. “You know about me?”

  “We all do,” Liam said with a warm smile. “You’re still Quinn’s favorite case. He says you’re why they made Foxworth official.”

  “But you’ve done so many things, big things, much more important than finding my locket,” she said.

  “No,” Quinn said gently. “Nothing’s been more important than that. Bigger maybe, louder, but not more important.”

  Emily glanced at her teacher. Ria Connelly smiled, and nodded. “As advertised,” she said.

  Quinn lifted a brow. “I’ve been telling her about Foxworth,” Emily said. “I think she thought I was exaggerating.”

  And why, Quinn wondered, would she be telling one of her teachers about us?

  In the moment he thought it, Cutter shifted. He moved over to Ria and glanced up at her, wagging his tail. Clearly both of their visitors were more than accepted—they were welcome. Already. The woman smiled and immediately bent to him, quickly finding that spot behind his right ear that he loved having scratched. The dog blissfully tilted his head into her fingers, but after a moment, as if at some unseen signal the animal suddenly eyed both women intently. And then he turned and, in front of both of them, sat facing Quinn.

  And gave him The Look.

  Well, well.

  “Come in,” Quinn said. “Hayley will want to meet you.”

  The girl smiled even wider. “I want to meet her, too. I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the wedding.”

  “We understood. A chance to go to Australia doesn’t come along every day.”

  “No. Oh, and my folks said to say hello.”

  “How are they?”

  “They’re good.” Emily looked at him steadily for a moment before adding, “And I love them very much. I’m very lucky to have them, that they chose me.”

  Quinn felt the last bit of concern he’d always carried about that fade away. The Hardings were wonderful people, but he’d always worried if the devastated child who had lost first her father, and then the mother she had been so close to, would be able to really adjust. It was a credit to them that she’d gone from withdrawn child to an obviously bright, outgoing teenager.

  He smiled at both women—for the ten-year-old he remembered had certainly become that—as he gestured them inside. Cutter and his ball-thrower followed, and Quinn noted with interest that Liam’s gaze was once more on the woman accompanying the teenager.

  “Hayley’s got lemonade out on the patio. Let’s join her.” Quinn put a gentle hand on Emily’s shoulder as he added, “And then you can tell us what you need us for.”

  The girl looked up at him, clearly startled that he’d guessed this wasn’t just a social call. “I’ll explain later,” he said as Cutter escorted the women inside.

  Quinn held back a moment. “Might want to work on that nonexistent poker face of yours,” he whispered to Liam.

  Liam grimaced. Quinn grinned.

  “Don’t blame you,” he said. And he didn’t. Ria Connelly had the same kind of attractiveness Hayley did, the quiet kind that wasn’t glamorous or flashy but lasted forever.

  But he also knew—because Hayley often pointed it out—that Liam was rather determinedly uninvolved, watching with amusement as first Quinn, then fellow Foxworth colleague Teague Johnson, followed by their friend Detective Brett Dunbar and finally Hayley’s long-lost brother Walker had joined the ranks of the attached, thanks in large part to the uncannily clever and apparently matchmaking Cutter. And that didn’t even include the couples he’d brought together on their cases.

  Quinn had even overheard him warning the dog once. Don’t you be turning those eyes on me, hound. I’ve tried that, and it always ends badly.

  Quinn knew the bare bones of Liam’s story, what could be gleaned from dry, emotionless reports of facts and what he’d had to know before taking him on at Foxworth but not much more. Someday he was going to get all of it out of the guy, Quinn thought as he shut the door behind them. Or more likely Hayley would; she had them all confiding in her. Well, except Rafe, but he didn’t confide in anyone.

  In the meantime, it was clear Emily had a problem she thought they could solve. Or perhaps it was Ria. Or both, he thought, remembering how the dog had sat in front of both of them. Cutter hadn’t been wrong yet. Which he was going to have to explain yet again, he thought as he led them out to the patio to join his wife.

&nbs
p; Life with a dog who kept forgetting he was just a dog was very interesting.

  Chapter 2

  Cleaned up and cooled down now, Liam Burnett stood in the bathroom and stared at his own rueful expression in the mirror. He ran a hand over his hair. He’d been letting it grow out a bit from his usual buzz cut. He hated haircuts and usually just did it himself, short enough he didn’t have to worry about it for a while. But now he laughingly admitted it was fun, because he went to Teague’s fiancée Laney’s dog grooming shop and she did it with her variable-length clippers, shorter on the sides, a little longer on top. He liked her, and it was fun telling people he got his hair cut at a dog groomer’s.

  Teague had gotten really lucky, he thought. Laney was the real deal. And good for him. The frequent sparring partner who helped Liam stay sharp was a good guy. The ex-marine with the easy grin deserved to be happy. Former marine, Liam corrected. Both Teague and Rafe had sternly told him there was no such thing as an ex-marine.

  And what do you deserve, exactly?

  He answered his own question. Not that.

  He thought of the group out on the patio. The girl with the locket, who had started Quinn Foxworth on the path that had led him to the Foxworth Foundation. It was the story they had each heard when they’d joined up, to illustrate that it wasn’t the size of the case that determined what they took on, or the importance of the person. To Foxworth, helping a ten-year-old girl devastated by the loss of a single memento was just as important as taking down a crooked politician.

  And then there was the woman. He didn’t remember ever having a teacher who looked like her. That sleek swing of dark hair that gleamed in the sun, those eyes the color of today’s sky, that petite, nicely curved figure...nope, nothing like that in his memory banks. Of course, if he’d paid more attention in school he might have noticed if one had been there. Not to mention he never would have started down that road to—

  He caught himself before going down that snake hole. Barely, because he’d gotten out of the habit. His life now was good, so good he rarely thought of those days anymore, the days before Quinn had yanked him off a bad path. Had given him a final choice.