I'm hosting, today, an excerpt reveal for Gia Cobie's upcoming release, Guarded from Sabotage (Blade and Arrow Security Bravo Team #2). Check it out!
Guarded from Sabotage
Gia Cobie
(Blade and Arrow Security Bravo Team #2)
Expected Publication: November 12, 2024
Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.
I never imagined my life could fall apart so quickly.
It all started when my credit card was stolen.
I chalked it up to bad luck. A minor annoyance. Until more things started happening—fraudulent loans taken out in my name, my bank accounts drained, and I was even accused of a crime I couldn’t possibly have committed.
And it became terrifyingly clear this wasn’t just bad luck. This was intentional. Someone was methodically tearing apart my entire life, and when I tried to get help, no one would believe me.
As the walls closed in, I kept asking myself, who would do this to me? Where can I turn?
Then my best friend connected me with Blade and Arrow Security, and I realized there’s a silver lining in all this.
Dante. A man I met once and never forgot. He believes me. And as this identity theft turns to something much more dangerous, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect me.
As the walls closed in, I kept asking myself, who would do this to me? Where can I turn?
Then my best friend connected me with Blade and Arrow Security, and I realized there’s a silver lining in all this.
Dante. A man I met once and never forgot. He believes me. And as this identity theft turns to something much more dangerous, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect me.
There was a spark from the first time we met.
When I met Sarah at our friends’ wedding, there was just something about her that drew me. But she wasn’t available, and I wasn’t looking for a relationship. Not to mention, she lived almost two thousand miles from me.
When I met Sarah at our friends’ wedding, there was just something about her that drew me. But she wasn’t available, and I wasn’t looking for a relationship. Not to mention, she lived almost two thousand miles from me.
A year and a half later, everything changed. I moved to Texas to start up the new branch of Blade and Arrow Security with a group of former Green Berets, just like me. Not long after, Sarah came to us for help.
When I go to meet her, she’s just as amazing as I remember. Beautiful. Smart. Kind. Single. And now we live less than a hundred miles from each other. Close enough to see if this spark between us can turn into something more.
Except she’s a client, and I’m in charge of her case. And I’m worried that pursuing a relationship will cloud my focus. Put her in more danger than she already is.
But it’s getting harder to deny my feelings for her. And the more time I spend with her, the less I want to.
When I go to meet her, she’s just as amazing as I remember. Beautiful. Smart. Kind. Single. And now we live less than a hundred miles from each other. Close enough to see if this spark between us can turn into something more.
Except she’s a client, and I’m in charge of her case. And I’m worried that pursuing a relationship will cloud my focus. Put her in more danger than she already is.
But it’s getting harder to deny my feelings for her. And the more time I spend with her, the less I want to.
Pre-Order Link:
Amazon
Amazon
An Extended Excerpt from Guarded from Sabotage:
In under a minute, Dante heads over to me, his features set in hard lines and angles. His jaw is tight as he sinks to his knees in front of me, and I can practically feel the tension coming off him. But his gaze softens as it meets mine, and he asks gently, “Are you okay, Sarah? I got here as fast as I could.”
With a jerky nod, I reply, “I’m okay. Just—” My voice catches as emotion surges. “My car. My purse. All the rest of my—” I cut myself off before I start crying again.
His gaze sweeps from my face down my body, lingering on my poorly-bandaged hands and knees. A tiny muscle in his jaw twitches, and his voice goes all growly. “This is how they took care of your injuries?”
“No.” Tears burn behind my eyes. “I tried to do it. But my hands were bleeding, and they didn’t want me to use the bathroom to wash up, and—”
“What?” Dante casts an angry look at the two officers, pinning Officer Wright with a glare. “They didn’t offer basic first aid? Didn’t offer to call an ambulance?”
“No.” In a small voice, I explain, “I think… they heard about me. From before, with the stolen car in Austin… And they…”
Tears well up, and I sniff against them as I say, “When I told them my car was stolen, they said I was wrong. It wasn’t. The car company repossessed my car. I didn’t know.” My words get higher and faster. “I always pay on time, Dante. Always. Even with all of this… I know I made my last payment. I did.”
“Sarah…” He carefully cradles my hand between his. “I’m sure you did.”
“They think I’m making it all up. First the car in Austin, then reporting my car stolen here… I don’t even know if they believe I was mugged. They—” A sob escapes. “They probably think I’m making that up, too.”
Dante’s expression shifts from compassion to anger.
In a cold tone he directs at the police, he says, “This is unacceptable. Denying basic first aid? Treating her like she’s a criminal instead of a victim? I’ll be speaking to my contacts on the force about this.”
Then he turns his attention to me, and his expression softens. “I’m so sorry, Sarah. For all of this.”
His kindness after everything is my undoing, and I burst into tears.
“Oh, hun.” Dante gathers me in his arms, tucking my head under his chin and rubbing slow circles on my back. “It’s going to be okay. Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll take you back to B and A and get you all cleaned up and bandaged. I used to be a medic, so I’ll make sure it’s done right. And I’ll get Matt working on this right away.”
He leans back a little, just enough to meet my eyes. “Is that okay, Sarah? If you want to go back to your place instead, or the hospital—”
Right now, I want to do whatever Dante suggests. I want to abdicate decision making and let him take care of things, at least for a little while, until I don’t feel as raw and aching. So I suck in a shuddering breath and say, “I want to go back to Blade and Arrow. With you.”
With a jerky nod, I reply, “I’m okay. Just—” My voice catches as emotion surges. “My car. My purse. All the rest of my—” I cut myself off before I start crying again.
His gaze sweeps from my face down my body, lingering on my poorly-bandaged hands and knees. A tiny muscle in his jaw twitches, and his voice goes all growly. “This is how they took care of your injuries?”
“No.” Tears burn behind my eyes. “I tried to do it. But my hands were bleeding, and they didn’t want me to use the bathroom to wash up, and—”
“What?” Dante casts an angry look at the two officers, pinning Officer Wright with a glare. “They didn’t offer basic first aid? Didn’t offer to call an ambulance?”
“No.” In a small voice, I explain, “I think… they heard about me. From before, with the stolen car in Austin… And they…”
Tears well up, and I sniff against them as I say, “When I told them my car was stolen, they said I was wrong. It wasn’t. The car company repossessed my car. I didn’t know.” My words get higher and faster. “I always pay on time, Dante. Always. Even with all of this… I know I made my last payment. I did.”
“Sarah…” He carefully cradles my hand between his. “I’m sure you did.”
“They think I’m making it all up. First the car in Austin, then reporting my car stolen here… I don’t even know if they believe I was mugged. They—” A sob escapes. “They probably think I’m making that up, too.”
Dante’s expression shifts from compassion to anger.
In a cold tone he directs at the police, he says, “This is unacceptable. Denying basic first aid? Treating her like she’s a criminal instead of a victim? I’ll be speaking to my contacts on the force about this.”
Then he turns his attention to me, and his expression softens. “I’m so sorry, Sarah. For all of this.”
His kindness after everything is my undoing, and I burst into tears.
“Oh, hun.” Dante gathers me in his arms, tucking my head under his chin and rubbing slow circles on my back. “It’s going to be okay. Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll take you back to B and A and get you all cleaned up and bandaged. I used to be a medic, so I’ll make sure it’s done right. And I’ll get Matt working on this right away.”
He leans back a little, just enough to meet my eyes. “Is that okay, Sarah? If you want to go back to your place instead, or the hospital—”
Right now, I want to do whatever Dante suggests. I want to abdicate decision making and let him take care of things, at least for a little while, until I don’t feel as raw and aching. So I suck in a shuddering breath and say, “I want to go back to Blade and Arrow. With you.”
About the Author:
Gia Cobie is a librarian and author living in upstate New York. In her spare time, Gia enjoys reading and spending time in the Adirondacks. She has a soft spot for cheesy reality romance shows, although she also enjoys paranormal and fantasy.
Gia loves writing about protective heroes and strong heroines in her Blade and Arrow Security, Heroes of Sleepy Hollow, and Green Mountain Guardians series. In the mood for some paranormal romance? Take a look at her Tenebris Desire series.
Author Links:
0 comments:
Post a Comment
◈Thank you for visiting :)◈