Locked and Loaded

It's almost release day for my next book from Harlequin Intrigue, LOCKED AND LOADED. If you're following the Mystery Men miniseries (and I hope you are), the hero is Adam, the security/tech expert for the Recovery Project. The heroine is Maddie, a woman in witness protection who's been burned by her handler. Thought this might be a good time for an excerpt. In this one Maddie doesn't quite trust Adam yet:

ADAM GOT MADDIE into his truck and watched her strap the seat belt across her chest. She stayed quiet and agreed with everything he said, followed every direction without fighting back. Didn't try to kick him or steal his weapon.

He didn't buy the act for one second. He'd bet his life she was waiting for the right time to run. He wanted to think his sound arguments had convinced her to calm down, but he knew that wasn't true. This woman was trained by Rod, the same man who'd trained Adam. She wouldn't believe a stranger who showed up to pull her out of bed and race through the woods. She wouldn't admit to being in WitSec.

And she wouldn't sit quietly in his truck while he drove her to some unknown destination.

She was not stupid. She possessed street smarts and a stunning will to live. Turning evidence on a boyfriend who ran the biggest meth operation in Chicago proved that. Maddie was smart enough to get out and cut a deal with the Justice Department, one that landed her in WitSec and eventually in his lap.

"Russell Ambrose is dead." Adam meant to deliver the news of her handler with a little less anger in his voice and a whole lot more tact, but it didn't work out that way.

Her head whipped around. Her unblinking stare out the window ended that fast.

Adam slipped the keys into the ignition but didn't start the car. "He was giving away the identities of WitSec participants. He collected cash and got them killed." When she just stared at him, Adam rushed to fill the uncomfortable silence. "That's why I'm here."

"To kill me."

"No." He shook his head for emphasis since words alone didn't appear to be working.

"Sure feels like it."

"Maddie, listen to me. I'm trying to help you."

"Right. Because the bad guys always admit they're trying to kill you." Sarcasm dripped from her voice.

"Good point." He turned the key. "I know about Rod."

"I don't know who that is."

Looked as if they were back to denial. Adam wasn't surprised, but he was getting frustrated. "I can tell you anything from your file."

She folded and refolded her hands on her lap. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He hit the doolocks just in case she ended the innocent act and headed for the handle to escape."I know you're trained to pretend. I get that."

"Call the police."

She could have told him she was a toaster oven and he would have been less surprised. He admired the move. It shoved him right into a corner. "I don't think so."

"If what you're saying is true, call the police." She glanced around the truck. "I don't have a phone but I'm betting you do and I know you're smart enough to dial 9-1-1."

He did have a phone, but the real power came from his watch. It was how he communicated with the other agents, and that was the least impressive of it's functions. "Taking you in will send a message to someone in WitSec. A handler will come to pick you up and hush up everything with the police. I can't risk it."

"Neither can I." She launched her body in his direction as she unlatched her seat belt.

If he hadn't been expecting the attack she would have slammed his head against the window. Even waiting for it, she got in a few good shots. She grabbed for the keys with one hand and punched him in the jaw with the other. The hit sent his head back. The smack against the headrest hurt his neck more than the blow, but she didn't let up. Her fists pummeled his legs and chest.

When she switched to scratching, dragging her fingers across his forearm until she drew blood, he went from defense to an offensive strike. He grabbed her hand and leaned hard against her, pinning her on her back against the seat. Her knee caught him in the stomach as she squirmed and flailed. She grunted and panted, forcing him to use more strength than he intended. He'd hoped to talk her down.

That was before she aimed for his groin.

Tomorrow I'll answer some questions I've gotten about this miniseries and future Intrigues.