The newest addition to The O'Connells romantic suspense series is here! You can pick up Book 5, THE MISSING FATHER, at all eRetailers today. Plus get your final peek at Luke's story below!
Eighteen years ago, Luke O’Connell’s father was there one day, gone the next. His mother sat him and his siblings down and told them their father was gone, it was just them now, and they wouldn’t be seeing him again. But Luke never believed his father could just walk away from a family he’d said he loved. Now, from his role within a secretive military organization, he uses the intelligence he can access to follow leads on his father, but each is a dead end.
Luke finds himself endlessly embroiled in deadly missions from secret bases, posing as a civilian for front companies, and tracking national enemies to capture or kill. But now, his questions have brought trouble back with him onto US soil, all the way to his hometown—and ultimately, his quest might put his family in the line of fire.
____
Chapter 3
“I told you I’m innocent! What do you want from me? Why are you doing this? Where are you taking me? Seriously, I’m not the bad guy here. I didn’t do anything wrong. Who are you guys?”
Stefan Schmitz, in his late forties, with graying hair, had been in a board meeting when they walked in with security from the Harris Group. Rex had cuffed him in front of the six other men and women around the table. One had demanded to know what was going on, but they’d been in and out in less than six minutes.
Stefan was now on the floor in the back of the van, cuffed, a hood over his head. There was something about the scene, the fact that they seemed to be serving as corporate security way too much as of late, that wasn’t sitting right with Luke.
“Hey, hey! Shut up back there or I’ll tape your mouth shut,” Jess called out from the passenger seat.
Luke was behind the wheel, and Rex was in back with the guy. He heard something that sounded like duct tape ripping, and he didn’t have to look in the rear-view mirror to know that Rex had taped Stefan’s mouth. All they could hear was muffled yelling now as they made their way to the airport, mission done. The guy would be on the transport back to Washington that night, and they’d be on a commercial flight the next morning.
Then there was Sienna, whom he wanted to sit down with to find out what was really going on.
“Okay, just heard from Shaun, Matthew, and Sienna,” Jess said. “They have everything, and they’re already back at the hotel. Said something about a key, encrypted files. Whatever—it’s above my paygrade and yours. Can’t wait to get back and have a drink. We’re done.”
He pulled into the airport, up to the military plane that had been waiting. Rex had Stefan out of the back, and he was handed over to military personnel. They were now done. This part of the mission was finished.
“Let’s get out of here, get back to the hotel, have a few beers,” Rex said as he climbed back into the van.
Luke slid behind the wheel again and took in the military plane, seeing Stefan now shackled as he was led onto it, and for a minute, he sympathized, because he knew the man would never have his day in court. Whatever he’d done or whoever he’d pissed off, he’d stepped on the wrong toes.
They arrived back at the hotel and parked underground, and Luke split off from Rex and Jess as they stepped into the lobby. He took in the glass, the brass, the sofas and chairs, and the front desk as he walked over to the open bar. The place had the same high-end feel as the rest of the hotel. Shaun, Matthew, and Sienna were already sitting there, still in suits, nursing beers.
Shaun was watching everyone, his back to the wall, whereas Matthew seemed almost too cozy with Sienna.
“Hey, there, you made it. First round’s on me,” Sienna said. She ordered one of the foreign beers for Luke and slid it over to him. “Where’re Jess and Rex?”
He leaned against the bar, taking her in, lifting the bottle and gesturing to the bartender in thanks. “They’ll be right down,” he said.
Jess had to report in, and Rex was likely seeing that their guns were packed down and ready to go, stowed nowhere a maid could see if one walked in.
“So you’re heading back to Livingston after we get back to base?” Matthew asked, and Sienna too was giving him everything as she lifted her gin and soda with a twist of lime. It was the only drink he ever saw her with.
“Yes, after we finish up,” he said. “Seems Owen is in a bit of a pickle. Ryan mentioned something about girl trouble. I kind of want to check in and find out what’s what with Karen and her hubby, Jack, too. Suzanne seems happy enough, but she got royally screwed over by that asshole Toby, as Marcus put it. Then there’s my mom. Didn’t get much of a chance to really check in with her.”
Shaun lifted his Swiss beer and took a swallow. “Well, at least you have family to go back to.”
“Ah, come on, what am I, chopped liver? You know you love spending time with me,” Matthew said, moving to put his arm around Shaun, who stepped back, giving him a look as if he should know better.
“You’re lucky, Luke, having a family like you do,” Sienna said without looking his way.
Luke looked around the bar, seeing corporate types in suits, women in heels, drinking wine and the kinds of expensive drinks that banker types drank. He took in Jess and Rex coming their way and could already hear Shaun ordering their beers.
There was something about Sienna right now. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was completely off, and it bothered him. For the first time, he feared he could be jammed up for something he wouldn’t see coming. He didn’t want her anywhere near his family or discussing them.
“I am,” he said simply, then took in a tall leggy woman at the end of the bar. Her hair was light brown, her face slender, and her dress black. She was holding a glass of white, sitting alone. He couldn’t help himself. “You know what?” he said, turning to Jess and Rex, who he knew had also spotted the looker. “I’m going to check out six o’clock down there. Wish me luck.”
He picked up his beer and gestured to the bartender. “Bring the woman down there another glass of whatever she’s drinking, and bring me another one of these,” he said, then made his way down the bar.
Her hazel eyes took him in.
“Well, pardon me, ma’am. Are you with someone?” he said.
The bartender slipped her another glass of white wine, and a second beer for him followed.
“I didn’t order this,” she said, and her accent, he thought, was French.
The bartender said, “It’s from the gentleman.”
“Luke O’Connell,” he said as the bartender stepped away. “Yes, a little forward on my part, but I spotted you down here alone. You can either tell me to get lost and toss the drink in my face, or you can say thank you and we can share a drink and conversation.”
She lifted a brow but didn’t smile as she finished off her glass of wine and reached for the other one, sliding it toward herself. She lifted it and took a sip. Something about her seemed flawless. Her dress was classy, with a hint of perfect cleavage, and her fingers were slender and long and ringless.
“Well, thank you,” she said, “but I’m not about to waste a perfectly good glass of wine by tossing it in your face. So, Luke. By the accent, I take it you’re American.” She was confident, and he thought he could listen to the sound of her voice all night.
“Yeah, but I seem to be at a disadvantage here. I’ve already told you my name, but you’ve withheld yours. How about we start with introductions?” He held out his hand as he leaned on the bar. “Luke O’Connell, and your name is?”
She slid around on her stool and took him in, holding out her hand. “Rosemary. Nice to meet you. So what brings you to Geneva, Mr. O’Connell?”
“Luke,” he said, nearly cutting her off. He wasn’t sure what to make of her eyes, the light, the hint of amusement. “Business brings me here.” He held her hand, making an exaggerated motion of looking at her ring finger. “I see no ring, so I take it there’s no angry mister who’s going to show up here and start a bar brawl or shove a fist in my face.”
She said nothing for a second. “No, no one.” She didn’t pull her gaze from him. “And you, Luke, you have a wife hidden at home, a posse of kids, maybe…?”
He just laughed. “No, seems we’re the perfect match here, both single in a bar, having a drink. So tell me, Miss Rosemary, are you visiting this beautiful part of the world or do you live here?”
This time, she slid her hand away as she leaned on the bar top, so close that he got an eyeful of her cleavage. “Like you, Luke, I too am visiting.”
NEW SHORT STORY
Can't get enough of The O'Connells? Marcus and Charlotte's short story is now available everywhere!
As far as Marcus O’Connell is concerned, his situation is perfect. He’s now living with the love of his life, Charlotte, and they’re serving as guardians for Eva, a little girl he rescued whose mother is serving time in prison for a crime of which, in Marcus’s mind, she was unfairly convicted.
But Charlotte isn’t on board with Marcus’s way of thinking. Because her divorce is now final, she wants—no, expects Marcus to want the same things she does. One of those things is a committed relationship, which, to Charlotte, means marriage. For Marcus, though, marriage is only a piece of paper, and it doesn’t have anything to do with commitment.
However, when circumstances change for Eva, whom they both love deeply, Marcus is forced to make some hard decisions to keep both Eva and Charlotte, and he questions his reasons for not wanting marriage. What will he need to do to keep the child he and Charlotte now consider theirs?
GET YOUR AUDIO ON
Click here to see my titles currently available in audiobook!
And did you know... if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync? Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading the book on Kindle and listening to the book on Audible without losing your place.
Don't forget to check out my eBookstore where there are more ways to save and be rewarded--from refer a friend, to share on social media for a 25% discount, to my new affiliate program! More of my books will be added soon, so be sure to check back often.
