Hell on Wheels (44 page)
“Oh, they pay,” he smiled, once again exposing those urine-colored teeth. “They always pay.”
Which, sadly, was probably true. Someone always came up with the coin—bargaining everything they had and usually a lot more they didn’t—when the life of a loved one was on the line.
“So,” he said as he came to stand beside her, eyeing her up and down until a shiver of revulsion raced down her spine, “we go Somalia now.”
And she swore she’d swallow her own tongue before she ever even thought these next words—because for three and a half very long years the big dill-hole had refused to give her the time of day despite the fact that she was just a little in love with him, okay
a lot
in love with him—but it all came down to this…she needed Frank.
Because, just like he always swore would happen, she’d managed to step in a big, stinking pile of trouble from which there was no hope of escape.
She absolutely hated proving that man right.
Author’s Note
For those of you familiar with the vibrant city of Chicago, Illinois, you’ll notice I changed a few places and names, and embellished on the details of others. I did this to suit the story and to better highlight the diversity and challenges of this dynamic city I call home.
Acknowledgments
First of all, thank you to our fighting men and women, those in uniform and those out of uniform. You protect our freedom and way of life so we all have the chance to live the American Dream.
Major kudos as well to my kick-ass agent, Nicole Resciniti. You go above and beyond, doll. Thank you for taking a chance on a total unknown and championing my work like a veritable lioness. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, you rock the frickin’ ha-yowse!
And, finally, a shout-out to all the folks at Sourcebooks who’ve patiently held my hand through this entire publishing process and forgiven me my total and complete ignorance of the industry. I’m a fast learner, guys. I promise!
About the Author
Deep in the heart of the Windy City, three things can be found at Julie Ann Walker’s fingertips: a keyboard, a carafe of coffee, and a sleepy yellow Labrador retriever. They, along with her ever-patient husband, keep her grounded as her imagination flies high. Visit her at
www.julieannwalker.com.
In Rides Trouble
Black Knights Inc.
by Julie Ann Walker
Trouble never looked so good…
Rebel with a cause
Becky “Rebel” Reichert never actually goes looking for trouble. It just has a tendency to find her. Like the day Frank Knight showed up her door, wanting to use her motorcycle shop as a cover for his elite special ops team. But Becky prides herself on being able to hang with the big boys—she can weld, drive, and shoot just as well as any of them.
Man with a mission
Munitions, missiles, and mayhem are Frank’s way of life. The last thing the ex-SEAL wants is for one brash blonde to come within fifty feet of anything that goes boom. Yet it’s just his rotten luck when she ends up in a hostage situation at sea. Come hell or high water, he will get her back—whether she says she needs him or not.
Praise for
Hell on Wheels
:
“Edgy, alpha, and downright HOT, the Black Knights Inc. will steal your breath…and your heart!” —Catherine Mann,
USA Today
bestselling author
For more Black Knights Inc., visit:
Rev It Up
Black Knights Inc.
by Julie Ann Walker
He’s the heartbreaker she left behind…
Jake “the Snake” Sommers earned his SEAL codename by striking quickly and quietly—and with lethal force. That’s also how he broke Michelle Carter’s heart. It was the only way to keep her safe—from himself. Four long years later, Jake is determined to get a second chance. But to steal back into Michelle’s loving arms, Jake is going to have to prove he can take things slow. Real slow…
Michelle Carter has never forgiven Jake for being so cliché as to “love her and leave her.” But when her brother, head of the Black Knights elite ops agency, ticks off the wrong mobster, she must do the unimaginable: place her life in Jake’s hands. No matter what they call him, this man is far from cold-blooded. And once he’s wrapped around her heart, he’ll never let her go…
Praise for
Hell on Wheels:
“Edgy, alpha, and downright HOT, the Black Knights Inc. will steal your breath…and your heart!” —
Catherine Mann, USA Today bestselling author
For more Black Knights Inc., visit:
The Night Is Mine
by M.L. Buchman
NAME:
Emily Beale
RANK:
Captain
MISSION:
Fly undercover to prevent the assassination of the First Lady, posing as her executive pilot
NAME:
Mark Henderson, code name Viper
RANK:
Major
MISSION:
Undercover role of wealthy, ex-mercenary boyfriend to Emily
Their jobs are high risk, high reward:
Protect the lives of the powerful and the elite at all cost. Neither expected that one kiss could distract them from their mission. But as the passion mounts between them, their lives and their hearts will both be risked… and the reward this time may well be worth it.
“An action-packed adventure. With a super-stud hero, a strong heroine, and a backdrop of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the world of the Washington elite, it will grab readers from the first page.” —
RT Book Reviews
For more in The Night Stalkers series, visit:
I Own the Dawn
The Night Stalkers
by M. L. Buchman
