NEW RELEASE TODAY!
ISBN: 978-1-60737-490-9
Series: Adrien English Mysteries; Previous Book: Death of a Pirate King
Genre: LGBT Romantic Suspense
Length: Novel Plus
Cover Artist: Croco Designs
Price: $7.99
BLURB:
As if recovering from heart surgery beneath the gaze of his over-protective family wasn’t exasperating enough, someone keeps trying to break into Adrien English’s bookstore. What is this determined midnight intruder searching for?
When a half-century old skeleton tumbles out of the wall in the midst of the renovation of Cloak and Dagger Bookstore renovation, Adrien turns to hot and handsome ex-lover Jake Riordan -- now out-of-the closet and working as a private detective.
Jake is only too happy to have reason to stay in close contact with Adrien, but there are more surprises in Adrien’s past than either one of them expects -- and one of them may prove hazardous to Jake’s own heart.
EXCERPT:
We reached the bookstore. I thanked Lauren again, lifted a hand in farewell, and let myself into the big, empty building.
It was warm and very still inside. The heady scent of old books floated with the dust motes in the fading light. Old and used books have a particular scent -- very different from new books. That evening it was a mix of old leather, worn cloth, crumbling paper, and wood polish. It smelled like home. I couldn’t imagine willingly leaving Cloak and Dagger ever. Maybe they could stick me under the floorboards when I was done.
I walked over to the plastic wall dividing the bookstore from the other half of the building. There was no sign that the cops had been there during the day. No sign anyone had. Perhaps that was good news.
I went upstairs and unlocked my flat. It was too warm and stuffy upstairs, a bit too redolent of cat. I opened the windows to catch whatever evening breeze there was.
What had been the rush to get here again? Everything was exactly as I’d left it. As it would always be.
I sat down on the sofa, and Tomkins leaped onto the cushion beside me, rubbing his face against my arm.
“Miss me?”
Apparently so. Well, there was no accounting for taste; I’d be the first to admit that.
I dealt with the litter box, fed the cat, decided I’d opt for a snack later, considered having a drink, reconsidered, and returned to the sofa, where I stared at the ceiling for a time.
What the hell was my problem?
If I’d wanted company, why hadn’t I stayed at Lisa’s?
I listened to the distant street sounds as this part of town began to roll up the sidewalks for the evening. I listened to the building settling in for the long evening, stretching out wooden joints, cracking its knuckles.
“Oh, what the hell,” I said.
Tomkins briefly abandoned his pursuit of an ailing fly to throw me a curious look as I rose and went to the phone.
“He’s probably not even home,” I told him.
Tomkins offered no opinion. He sat down to watch, as though my dialing a phone was one of the most fascinating things he’d ever witnessed in his brief life.
The phone rang on the other end.
Once.
Twice.
I closed my eyes, trying to decide if I was going to leave a message.
“Riordan.”
I opened my eyes. Funny how the sound of his voice could still make my heart speed up. You’d have thought I’d be over it by now. You’d have thought wrong.
“Hi.”
“Hey.” One syllable, but his voice warmed perceptibly. “How are you doing?”
“Okay.” I wondered how long it would be before that statement was true.
“Yeah?”
I didn’t think there was any telltale note in my voice, yet his single questioning word held instant and complete discernment. Sometimes I thought Jake, ironically, knew me better than about anyone on the planet.
“Not really,” I admitted. “Did you hear about yesterday?”
“The skeleton in the wall? I heard.”
You could take the boy out of the police force, but you couldn’t take the police force out of the boy.
“We had another break-in too. That’s why I’m calling.”
His voice didn’t cool exactly, though it lost warmth. “Yes?”
“How’s the PI biz?”
He said colorlessly, “I got my first case yesterday. A woman wants me to follow her ex.”
“He’s already her ex?”
“Yeah.”
No wonder his voice sounded flat. “Are you going to take it?”
“Yes.” And clearly it was not up for discussion.
“Do you think you’d have time for another case?”
He sounded almost wary as he asked, “What case? Who’s the client?”
“Me,” I said. “I want to hire you.”
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