USA TODAY bestselling author Rebecca Shea brings you the third title in her thrilling and sexy romantic suspense Bound & Broken Series, BETRAYED BY LIES, releasing April 24, 2017. Don’t miss the amazing first chapter below! Pre-order BETRAYED BY LIES, and be sure to grab your copies of BROKEN BY LIES and BOUND BY LIES today! Fall into the deliciously dark world where the line between good and evil becomes blurred.
Blurb
From the USA
Today bestselling author of the Unbreakable series, comes
a sexy, heart-wrenching novel…Betrayed by Lies.
As an ATF agent,
bringing down the Estrada cartel has been my sole mission. I’m a skilled agent,
determined and fearless, but a relentless pursuit and a willingness to risk
everything almost killed me.
A year later, when an opportunity in Los Angeles presents itself, I jump at the
chance to start over and rebuild the career and life I almost lost.
Kate Stevens was not part of my new plan. I never expected she would be the one
to save me from my past. She was exactly what I needed—smart, beautiful and
independent. I finally have a future I look forward to.
Only nothing in my life ever goes according to plan. Losing Kate is not an
option, but fate seems poised to ruin me, and there isn’t a damn thing I can do
about it.
Preorder BETRAYED BY LIES Today!
iBooks ** Barnes and Noble ** Kobo ** GooglePlay
Amazon Live Release on April 24th!
Excerpt
CHAPTER
ONE
Sam
I wake with a start, sitting straight up in my bed. Cool air fills my lungs
when I gasp, pulling a deep breath in. My eyes slowly adjust to the dark room,
and I rub the sweat from my forehead before swinging my feet over the edge of
the bed and resting my arms on my knees. The dream is always the same, the
piercing pain of the bullets hitting my flesh…and the fear of dying, scared and
alone.
An
exaggerated huff leaves my mouth when I see the alarm clock on the bedside
table. It reads four-ten in the morning. That puts three hours and twenty
minutes of sleep under my belt. It's the longest I've slept since I arrived in
Los Angeles three days ago.
I'm used to
surviving on very little sleep, but the nightmares of that night are back and
making it more difficult to find rest. I push myself out of bed and throw on a
pair of athletic shorts and t-shirt. Grabbing my phone and hotel room key, I
head to the gym. With no one else up this early, I play music directly from my
phone while watching CNN with subtitles as I get my daily seven-mile run in.
I like
running outdoors better, but it's easier to use the gym and treadmill here at
the hotel. My phone pings with incoming texts, but I focus on my run. The burn
in my lungs relieves the stress in my shoulders. Sweat coats my skin and drips
from my nose as I increase my speed—pushing myself harder. The treadmill roars
as I increase the speed yet again, and my heart pounds wildly against my
ribcage as my lungs fight for air.
Pain—it's the
only way I know I'm alive.
Pain in my
chest. My mind. My body.
The treadmill
slows just as my phone pings again, multiple times, alerting me to more
incoming text messages—messages that I ignore. I've got three days’ worth
waiting for a response, and I'm in no hurry to get to them. Transferring to the
ATF offices in Los Angeles makes for an easy reason to avoid everyone and
everything. Avoidance is what I do best.
I grab a
bottle of water and return to my room for a shower before heading into my new
office. New office. New job. New city. New state. New life.
A chance to
start over. A chance to leave the past where it belongs…in the past. I pull a
suit out of the closet and turn on the shower to let the water warm up.
Raking my
hands over my face, I do my best to shove the events of last year to the back
of my mind, but the life goes out of my eyes when I see the scars scattered
across my chest. They're a constant reminder of the day I lost almost
everything…including my life.
Standing in
front of the mirror, I run my hand up over my chest and shoulder, my fingertips
brushing the smooth surface of the scars spread across the left side of my
chest. I ball my hands tightly and release, repeating two more times, a coping
mechanism my physical therapist taught me to deal with my anger.
I step into
the shower and let the hot water ease my tension. My neck, shoulders, and back
instantly begin to relax, and I allow my mind to let go at the same time.
"New beginnings," I mumble to myself as the shower cleanses me of my
anger, a baptism of sorts.
I dress and
am out the door in less than thirty minutes, easing my car onto the
bumper-to-bumper packed L.A. freeway. A commute that would take me less than
ten minutes in Phoenix takes me damn near forty-five. I find a covered parking
spot just as my phone begins to ring. A number I don't recognize flashes on the
screen, and I decline the call. I don't have the time nor patience to deal with
unknown callers. Gathering my suit coat and phone, I find my way to the main
entrance, using the security badge that was sent to me prior to my arrival to
allow me entrance into the building.
My phone
begins ringing again just as I'm weaving my way through the lobby and headed to
the elevators. Same number. This time I press accept and answer. Before I even
speak, the female voice on the other end catches me off guard.
"Oh my
god, I didn't expect you to answer." She pauses. "I was leaving a
voice mail and my call dropped so I was just calling back to finish the
message." I hear her sigh. "This is Kate Stevens. Nick Stevens
sister. He gave me your number." Nick Stevens, my new boss. "He
mentioned that you might need a place to rent. I have a guesthouse he thought
would be perfect for you, and he asked me to call you. I'm sorry if this caught
you off guard. He said he was going to speak with you." She finally stops
speaking so I can get a word in.
"Hello,
Kate. Nick didn’t mention this to me."
I hear her
sigh loudly. "He's the most unorganized human being alive," she
mumbles, and I can't help but chuckle. I've met the guy three times, and she's
right from my observation as well. "I'm so sorry to have called you,"
she apologizes.
"Don't
be. I'd love to check out the place. I got here Friday, and I've been
staying in a hotel while I look for something more permanent—"
"Don't
feel obligated," she cuts me off.
"I
don't," I answer her honestly. "I'm mainly looking for something not
too far from the office and just somewhere to lay my head. Nothing fancy. I
won't be around much because all I ever do is work."
"Sounds
like Nick," she says with a small laugh. "You're welcome to check out
the house anytime. It's close to your office, but it's a little off the beaten
path near the foothills. Either call or text me, and we'll schedule a time for
you to stop by, or have Nick show it to you anytime. He knows where I hide the
spare key. I'm also not home often so coordinating our schedules might be tough."
I hear a horn
honk in the background as she mutters a string of curse words worthy of an
R-rating, and I can't help but laugh. "That sounds great. Thanks for
calling, Kate."
She ends the
call without another word, and I'm left standing in the lobby of my new office,
laughing.
The morning
is spent being briefed on projects that the team is working on and
investigating. I'll be taking over a case that my predecessor left when he was
promoted to a position in Washington D.C., as well as anything new that comes
in.
There's a
quick knock on my doorjamb before Nick sticks his head in my office. "You
got any lunch plans?"
"Not
today," I toss over my shoulder as I close the folder on my desk.
"Let's
go grab a quick bite. I need to get the hell out of this office." He
loosens the tie around his neck. Nick is about my height and build, probably a
few years older than me, California born and raised, and started in the San
Diego field office. Worked his way up to Los Angeles and plans to retire here.
I grab my
phone and slide it into the pocket of my suit jacket.
"How's
the first day treating you?" he asks as we weave through cubicles lining
the rectangular office floor outside our offices.
"Good.
Just briefing myself on the Navarro case."
"We’ve
been working on that for years," he grumbles. "Hoping you can close
the deal on that one." His car beeps as we approach and he unlocks the
doors. "Hey," he buckles himself in and starts the car. "You do
great work. I heard how you took down the Estrada cartel." He slides his
sunglasses on his face.
My heart
races as I wonder how much he knows—if he's aware the Estradas are my family.
It was well known in the Phoenix office, but I'm not sure how much Los Angeles
knows about my 'family' history. I nod but don't say anything.
"You're
the best of the best, which is why you're going to take down Navarro," he
continues as we take off down the road. "It was easy for me to approve the
transfer request."
"Thanks."
I offer a tight smile and turn to look out the passenger window.
"I'm
excited for you to kick ass here in L.A. So why the hell did you want to leave
Phoenix anyway? There's so much shit going on in that office, you must’ve had
years of work still."
I blow a puff
of air from my mouth. "My injuries—"
"Shit, I
forgot about that. Sorry, continue." He winces as I continue.
"My
injuries fully healed with time and physical therapy, and I wrapped up the
cases I was working on." I look at him out of the corner of my eye to
gauge his response. He raps his thumb against the steering wheel and nods his
head slowly. "And it just felt like it was a good time to start fresh.
Start over with a clean slate."
He turns his
head to look at me. "I cannot tell you how lucky we are to have you here
in Los Angeles. I hope you're fully prepared to kick ass and take names."
I can't help
but smile, appreciating the vote of confidence.
***
As the day
winds down and the office empties, I find myself wrapped up in the case file on
my desk, familiarizing myself with all the key players, the locations where the
guns are being held, and the evidence that we have to date, along with notes on
what we still need to document.
Nick doesn't
knock when he enters my office this time, rather throwing himself into the
chair across my desk with an exaggerated sigh.
"What's
the sigh for?" I ask him as I tuck the case file into my bag. I'll finish
combing through the remaining details tonight and make my own notes.
I have a system for how I set up my case folders, and I need to rework all of
these.
"Just a Monday,"
he states, looking around my bare office. "You going to decorate or
something? Throw a poster on the wall?" He waves his hand around,
gesturing to the stark gray walls.
"Decorate?
No. I do have some awards and diplomas I'll hang once they arrive. They're being
sent from Phoenix."
He nods,
content with that answer.
I clear my
throat. "Speaking of decorating, I got a call from Kate." I raise my
eyebrows and sit back in my desk chair. "She said something about having a
guesthouse to rent. Were you going to tell me she was going to call?"
"I did.
I sent you a text on Saturday." He relaxes in his chair and props a
foot on his opposite knee. I really need to stop ignoring my messages. He
continues, "I stopped by to see her this weekend and forgot she had that
guesthouse. Immediately thought of you when I saw it."
"Thanks.
I need to find some time to check it out. Living out of a hotel room is less
than ideal." I reach over and power down my laptop.
"Let's
go now. It's just down the road a few miles. I know where she keeps the spare
key if she's not there."
"She
also mentioned that," I laugh.
"Grab
your shit and let's go. You can follow me there." He jumps up from the
chair and quickly pulls his tie off. Nick looks more like an outdoorsman than a
senior agent with the ATF. He looks uncomfortable in a suit. I see him more as
the park ranger type, running around in cargos and hiking boots.
I follow
suit, loosening my tie as I follow him to our cars.
A few miles
is more like fifteen, and about half of those miles are in bumper-to-bumper
L.A. traffic. Something that I'm not sure I'll ever adjust to. Once we exit the
freeway, we wind through gorgeous neighborhoods all the way back to the base of
the foothills. I would never in a million years guess the house we pull up to
is a house in a suburb of Los Angeles. It sits on what I assume is about an
acre of lush green land with neighbors spread out down a long secluded,
tree-lined street. The ranch style house is simple yet modern with an updated
exterior, wood shutters, and wrought iron accessories.
"Not a
bad drive, eh," Nick says as we both step out of our cars in the driveway.
"I should say for L.A. standards. If your commute is under an hour, you're
pretty much living the life," he laughs.
It really
wasn't a bad commute. I eyeball the watch on my wrist and the drive was just
under thirty minutes. Nick reaches inside a hanging planter that swings from
the covered front porch and pulls out a key. He waves me toward the side of the
house where a brick sidewalk snakes around to the guesthouse that sits just off
the main house. It looks exactly like the main house, just slightly smaller.
"This is
it," he says, sliding the key into the front door. “One bedroom, a small
office slash library, kitchen, living room, and one and a half baths."
We step
inside. It's obviously been remodeled recently. The smell of fresh paint hits
me as I walk deeper into the house. Everything is brand new, sleek, and modern.
Bright white trim and doors offset light gray walls. A dark wood floor makes
the bright white kitchen pop against the stainless steel appliances.
"The
only thing that's missing is a washer and dryer. She said she'd order those
once she leased the house. The laundry room is off the back." He points to
a door off the kitchen. "It's a large pantry and a laundry room."
I'm impressed
with what I've seen thus far. I walk through the open living room and down the
hall to the bedroom. It's large and bright with one wall of windows that start
near the ceiling and stretch about three quarters of the way down the wall.
Long, dark gray curtains hang to each side of the paneled windows that
overlooks more of the lush backyard. There's a single French door that leads to
a small brick patio off the master bedroom, and a table and chairs sit out
there. In the middle of the table is a fire pit. I instantly imagine myself
relaxing around this table with a beer after a long day at the office.
I head back
down the hallway where I stop and peek my head in the office. It's got two
glass French doors that lead into the square room. One entire wall has built in
bookshelves and a built in desk. It's the perfect home office.
I scan the
living room and kitchen again and make note that my dark furniture will fit
perfectly in the space and complements the gray and white theme throughout.
This might be the easiest decision I've made since deciding to move to Los
Angeles.
Nick steps
out front while I take one last look around, making mental notes of the space
and things I'll need shipped from Phoenix.
After we step
outside and Nick locks the door, I hear him shuffling behind me on the brick
walkway. "So what do you think?"
"Perfect.
It's everything I was looking for," I say as I spin around and am met
face-to-face with the bluest eyes I've ever seen. I stumble momentarily
because, for half a second, those words mean so much more than just the house I
was looking at.
"I'm
Kate," she says, her voice strong and secure. She holds her hand out to
shake mine. She's tall with light brown hair that hangs just past her
shoulders, and she’s wearing a navy blue dress and heels that put her at almost
my six-foot-two. Confident. She's confident. I can read a woman by the way she
carries herself, the tone of her voice, and what she wears.
I take her
hand in mine and smile. "Sam. Sam Cortez. I'll take it." Again, those
words mean so much more than just the house.
Her lips turn
into a half smile, and she holds eye contact with me. She licks her lips and
tilts her head before glancing over to Nick and then back to me. "Nice to
meet you, Sam Cortez. Welcome home."
And my heart
begins to beat again for the first time in eighteen months.
More in the series
And don’t miss the first two books in the Bound & Broken Series!
BROKEN BY LIES
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play
BOUND BY LIES
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play
About Rebecca Shea
Rebecca Shea is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Unbreakable series (Unbreakable, Undone, and Unforgiven) and the Bound and Broken series (Broken by Lies and Bound by Lies). She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her family. From the time Rebecca could read she has had a passion for books. Rebecca spends her days working and her nights writing, bringing stories to life. Born and raised in Minnesota, Rebecca moved to Arizona in 1999 to escape the bitter winters. When not working or writing, she can be found on the sidelines of her sons’ football games, or watching her daughter at ballet class. Rebecca is fueled by insane amounts of coffee, margaritas, Laffy Taffy (except the banana ones), and happily ever afters.
Website | Facebook | Twitter |Instagram | Goodreads
Website | Facebook | Twitter |Instagram | Goodreads
No comments :
Post a Comment