I love romantic suspense novels and this book looks like it’s going to be quite the hot read. This author’s Black Ops Confidential series has started off strong and this second book looks like it will continue the excitement from the first book! A third book will be coming soon too!
While I have not read this series, I am eager to share this wonderful excerpt with you all. After reading the excerpt, I am anxious to see how this book is! It sounds like an interesting, distracting novel that I could easily spend a weekend reading!
This book is currently on book tour with TLC Book Tours and you can find loads of reviews and other excerpts on the tour too! I have included a list of tour stops below.
If high octane thrills and romance are your thing then you won’t want to miss this series!
Summary
Gracie Parish knows the true cost of trust. Rescued as a child by the infamous Parish family, she became a member of their covert sisterhood of vigilantes. Gracie saw her most precious relationships destroyed by secrecy. She learned long ago to protect her heart as well as her family’s secrets.
Special Agent Leif “Dusty” McAllister will do anything to uncover the truth about the Parish family’s covert operations. Dusty knows Gracie is his ticket in. He’ll use everything he’s got—fair, unfair, and just plain wrong—to break through her defenses. But the more he gets to know Gracie and her family’s mission, the harder he starts to fall. Neither one is sure they’ll get out of this with their lives—or their hearts—intact. (summary from Goodreads)
Excerpt
Through yards and across streets, jumping fences and zig-zagging to change directions, Gracie ran.
The footsteps of those behind her grew distant. Blood whooshed in her ears. She kept her eyes focused ahead, knowing at any moment the reinforcements would arrive and cut her off.
She rounded a corner and saw no one. Somewhere behind, she heard one of the officers curse and with heavy breath radio in her direction. She climbed over another fence. There was a shed by the edge of the yard. Jumping up, she grabbed the edge, hoisted herself onto the low roof.
Squatting there, sweat plastering her facemask to her skin, her disbelieving eyes searched the area. Running from the police after being caught trying to expose bad guys wasn’t how she’d expected this night to go.
Sweat worked its way under her mask into her eyes. Where were the police? Sure, they couldn’t keep up, but she’d heard someone radio in her direction. No reinforcements?
This was too good to be true. Patience. Hold. Forcing herself to take slow, deep breaths, she waited. A minute later and still nothing. If she waited longer, they might stumble upon her.
Crawling across the roof, she jumped and landed outside of the yard, in another access alley. She ran.
At the end, she altered course on instinct, heading toward another neighborhood. No one behind her, no one ahead. With a sense of detachment, she picked up her pace. This was almost fun.
Not almost.
She vaulted a hedge, ran across the yard. Muscles burning, she ran until she got to Bustleton Avenue.
Hidden in the dim area behind a corner store, she pulled off her hat and face mask, set them on the ground. She yanked off her long-sleeve shirt and vest, balled them up, and shoved the whole thing into the Dumpster.
Now wearing a white tank top and black cargo pants, she shook out her long hair and started walking. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Expecting to see Cee’s number, hoping the kid was okay, she unzipped the pocket and pulled out her phone.
The number on the screen wasn’t one she’d expected. Dusty? Her newest employee must’ve saved his number to her phone. Curious—make that suspicious—she picked up. “Yeah.”
“I’m in North Philly. Near Red Lion and Northeast Ave. Need a ride?”
Huh. He was no more than a half mile away. Better than Uber. “Yeah. I’m on Bustleton. Head north. You’ll spot me.”
Jaw tense, she hung up. There was only one way he could’ve known she was in Philly. He’d put a bug on her. Not just her car. She’d spotted that one. Spotted it and hadn’t bothered looking for others. Sloppy.
A short time later, he pulled up to the curb. The car door unlocked with a click. Yanking it open, she slid into the seat, strapped on her seat belt, and saw the jammer settled between them.
Her eyes rose and searched his. He shrugged. He’d saved her? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Well, grateful. And something else. Something she’d think about later. Right now, she was also really annoyed. He pulled away from the curb and began to drive.
She adjusted the vent toward her. “You put a tracker on me?”
“Inside your phone case. Last night at the bar.”
She closed her eyes. Hopefully disguising how much that hurt her feelings. And insulted her professional expertise. She knew he was after her family; how had she forgotten that? It was all that damn hotness and fun. And look where it had landed her.
Where had it landed her? Seated next to him in an air-conditioned car that smelled pleasantly of Dusty’s aftershave. Probably something called Ocean Breeze. She refocused on the jammer. “You ran interference?”
“Yeah.”
He wasn’t very chatty tonight. “I’m going to need you to stop tracking me.”
“I’m not sure I can agree—”
“Promise. Right now.”
He shifted in his seat. “Okay.”
That made her feel better. Stupid, but he sounded authentic. “I need to call my sister.”
“I saw your car take off. Not sure who was behind the wheel. She looked young.”
She leaned her head against the headrest. “She is. She doesn’t even have a license.”
His hands tensed around the steering wheel as the car slid to a stop at a light. He said nothing. Not chatty at all. She dialed Cee’s number.
Her sister picked up right away. “Gracie, are you okay?”
“Yeah. How’s the driving?”
“I can’t move the seat back, but it’s okay. I’m”—she paused as if checking something—“forty minutes from your club.”
“Okay. I’ll be there about forty minutes after you. Don’t talk on the phone and drive.”
She hung up.
Dusty accelerated with the light change and turned up the air conditioner. Felt great. She was drenched in sweat and stank of it. “Thanks.”
“I’ve got you.”
Now why did that comfort her? Like she wasn’t alone. Like he really cared. She closed her eyes, waited for him to say something, question her. He didn’t. He adjusted the radio to a country station, and they rode with the twangy music playing around them.
After a short time, he whispered, “It’s okay to sleep.”
The man was some kind of magician, or vigilante whisperer, because her body relaxed instantly, and she drifted off.
She woke later when she felt his warm fingers against her cheek. Her eyes blinked open. Her head was turned in his direction, and he was close enough to kiss. Smelled good enough to kiss. Like man, Ocean Breeze, and heat.
As if hearing her thoughts or seeing them in her eyes, he leaned forward, kissed her lightly on her lips.
Fire shot through her body. Desire called out for more.
Book Tour Stops
Purchase Links
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble
About Diana Munoz Stewart
Diana Munoz Stewart is the award-winning, romantic suspense author of the Band of Sisters series, which includes I Am Justice, I Am Grace, and I Am Honor. Visit her at dianamunozstewart.com.
Connect with Diana
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Diana Munoz Stewart’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Monday, September 9th: Moonlight Rendezvous and @moonlight_rendezvous
Wednesday, September 11th: Books & Spoons – excerpt
Wednesday, September 11th: The Sassy Bookster – excerpt
Thursday, September 12th: From the TBR Pile
Monday, September 16th: @barr_bookworms
Monday, September 16th: Bewitched Bookworms
Thursday, September 19th: Why Girls Are Weird
Thursday, September 19th: Audio Killed the Bookmark and @beritaudiokilledthebookmark
Monday, September 23rd: @_ebl_inc_
Wednesday, September 25th: The Lit Bitch – excerpt
Thursday, September 26th: Reading Reality
Friday, September 27th: Read Love Blog
Monday, September 30th: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife
Tuesday, October 1st: The Book Diva’s Reads
Thursday, October 3rd: Booked on a Feeling
Monday, October 7th: Book Reviews and More by Kathy – excerpt
Tuesday, October 8th: Lori’s Reading Corner – guest post
Friday, October 11th: Stranded in Chaos
TBD: Wednesday, September 18th: @book_hangover88
The Lit Bitch 
AAH!! I’m on this tour in October and I’m so excited to read it! Thank you for being on this tour and teasing us with an excerpt! Sara @ TLC Book Tours