скачать книгу бесплатно
Holding The Line: A romantic suspense that will get your pulse racing
Kierney Scott
‘an intense story of betrayal, danger and reconnection.’ – Obsessed with MyshelfA heartracing romantic suspense thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.It’s been four years since Armando Torres disappeared. He was DEA agent Beth Thomson’s best undercover recruit – and the best lover she ever had.In the time since he left, she has forced herself to move on. So when news reaches her that Torres is dead, she isn’t expecting the wave of emotions that overwhelm her. It’s a gang hit, and there isn’t much of a body left to identify. But when she visits the morgue, her horror soon turns to disbelief at what she finds.With notorious gang leader ‘El Escorpion’ still evading capture, her mother’s health deteriorating, and her daughter starting school – can Beth recreate the passion from her past, even when her whole world is changing?Perfect for fans of Kendra Elliot, Marie Force and Melinda LeighDon't miss the next book in the fast-paced romantic suspense series: The Firing Line1 – Blurring the Line2 – Holding the Line3 – Crossing the LineWhat readers are saying about Holding the Line‘Kierney Scott hit a home run’ – BrizzleLass‘This story has plenty of pace, twists, depth and lots and lots of heat!’ – Tracey (Goodreads)‘this series is by far one of the best I have read this year.’ – Fifty Shades of Books
It’s been four years since Armando Torres disappeared. He was DEA agent Beth Thomson’s best undercover recruit – and the best lover she ever had.
In the time since he left, she has forced herself to move on. So when news reaches her that Torres is dead, she isn’t expecting the wave of emotions that overwhelm her. It’s a gang hit, and there isn’t much of a body left to identify. But when she visits the morgue, her horror soon turns to disbelief at what she finds.
With notorious gang leader El Escorpion still evading capture, her mother’s health deteriorating, and her daughter starting school – can Beth recreate the passion from her past, even when her whole world is changing?
Also by Kierney Scott (#u8ad3f949-ac25-53cc-aa3b-67d4b8626fe3)
The Firing Line trilogy:
Blurring the Line
Coming soon: Crossing the Line
Twice in a Lifetime
Dirty Little Secrets
Holding the Line
Kierney Scott
Copyright (#ulink_f5ed1caf-bf94-50d1-987b-ed165b30c27b)
HQ
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2015
Copyright © Kierney Scott 2015
Kierney Scott asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
E-book Edition © June 2015 ISBN: 9781474032773
Version date: 2018-07-23
KIERNEY SCOTT is originally from California, but moved to Scotland to enrol in the PhD programme in Educational Research at the University of Edinburgh. Four days after she arrived, she met her husband, who persuaded her it would be more fun to get married than to write a thesis. After the birth of her daughter she decided it was time to go back to school, but soon she discovered all she wanted to write was romance novels. She admitted her literary proclivities to her husband, who promptly bought her a laptop and told her to start writing her book.
When she is not writing, you will probably find her at a spinning class or baking (read eating) cupcakes. Her butter-cream icing is legendary, if only in her mind. If you want her recipe, or you just want to chat, you can contact her at KierneyScott@gmail.com (http://KierneyScott@gmail.com) or follow her on Twitter at Kierney Scott @Kierney_S (http://twitter.com/Kierney_S)
This one is for all my lovely girlfriends who sat and listened to me jabber on about Torres like he is a real man…that I am having a very steamy affair with.
Silvia Stevenson – All I need to do is mention I am having an off day and you bake me a cake. You really are the best friend a girl could ask for.
Ruth Colley – You are hands down the best neighbour ever. You are also the naughtiest English Rose ever, but I am saving that for another story.
Fiona Wilson – Everyone should read and laugh as much as you.
Yvonne McDougall – You make me LOL for real. And thanks to you I now know how to launder drug money to fund arms deals and other nefarious things. My CV thanks you.
Elizabeth Barbour – If Torres ever comes to life, he is all yours. I think you’re one of the few women I know who could handle AND appreciate him.
And last but never least, this book is for my mom, there are too many reasons why, so just because…
Contents
Cover (#uea48e9d2-b331-540f-aa2a-c19798d97ce6)
Blurb (#u2ccfae30-b1cf-5085-85cd-2d7e87e77346)
Book List
Title Page (#u05039ae8-2c79-58dd-9911-e13ee2120cc7)
Copyright (#ulink_9a917e36-d886-5253-afc6-97a8a6943909)
Author Bio (#u2a2bfe79-13d7-544a-9411-0aed6cd0cef3)
Dedication (#u54d1a43f-6f05-5c09-962e-b9dee27514bf)
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Extract (#u2780a544-a179-5b0d-8bd5-d979ea6b7e49)
Endpages (#ub627db0a-a9dc-54d3-a847-8500be5e4c2f)
About the Publisher
Prologue (#u8ad3f949-ac25-53cc-aa3b-67d4b8626fe3)
4 Years ago
He had missed something and Beth was in danger because of it. His gut twisted at the thought. Martinez’ computer had been seized: Torres had taken it himself last time he was in Bogotá. There was nothing on it other than the pictures Martinez had taken of Beth at the diner. There had to be something else, something he had missed: something that would tell them why Los Treintas had killed one of their own. Martinez had been gutted like a fish, his tongue and eyes cut out. Beth had thought Torres had done it and the truth was he would have if he had found Martinez first.
Torres pulled out the drawer of the bedside table and emptied the contents on the floor: socks, underwear, condoms, lube and a bible. He shook his head at the ironic combination. He emptied the next drawer. Nothing that could help him.
Fuck.
He turned and looked out the sashed window at the iconic stripes of El Carmen church. The red and white striped building looked like a piece on a Candyland board. He had to admit the city center was beautiful. The drug cartel it housed wasn’t.
What was he missing? Martinez was the key to finding El Escorpion. He had to find the leader of Los Treintas. Beth wouldn’t be safe until he did.
Suddenly there was a sharp blow to Torres’ head.
There was a bright flash of color and then darkness. He fell to his knees. He reached his hands to his head but they never made it. Another blow and then there was nothing.
Chapter One (#u8ad3f949-ac25-53cc-aa3b-67d4b8626fe3)
“Pretty Girl, can you please put on your shoes. We’re going to be late.” Again. She left the last part unsaid but that is what Beth meant. They were going to be late again, this time to school. The destination had changed but their MO hadn’t. It was kind of her thing now. She had not been on time to work since Alejandra had entered her life, and by that she meant, since Beth had taken the then baby from a bullet-ridden car in Mazatlan and never given her back. Families were formed in lots of different ways. Beth’s small family was formed when she rescued Alejandra from the hit that had annihilated the little girl’s entire family. Sadly no bookshop in the world carried a book to explain that nuclear family. If Alejandra had two dads or was being raised by mom and her lesbian life partner, they would be golden. But as it were, there were no books about families forged through the violence of warring drug cartels.
Beth leaned down and kissed the top of her head. She had arranged her long dark curls into two braids. “I mean it. Shoes on now or no books tonight at bedtime. I’m serious.”
Alejandra shook her head. “No, Mama, you’re not. I always get a book even when I’m bad.” The little girl smiled sweetly before skipping off in the opposite direction.
“When did my sweet baby girl get so sassy?” Beth asked in exasperation. But Alejandra was right, she always got at least two books at bedtime no matter what. Beth was soft, too soft. She had never imagined she would be such a pushover as a parent. Part of the problem is that parenthood had not been a conscious decision. Beth never considered the consequences of being a mother when she pulled Alejandra from the car in Mexico. She hadn’t been thinking at all. Something primal took over when she saw Alejandra’s brown eyes brimming with tears. Taking Alejandra was the biggest mistake of her career and the best decision of her life.
Beth heard her front door open.
“I have the camera. Let’s get a picture of Ally before she goes to school. I can’t believe Baby Girl is in kindergarten now. I have a surprise for you!”
Beth turned to see her sister Paige at the front door, camera in one hand and a cake in the other.
Beth shook her head. “Paige, I am not giving her cake before her first day of school. I want them to think I am a good parent.”
Paige smiled. “You really need to stop caring what people think. And of course I am going to give her cake. It is her first day of formal education. This is to be celebrated. Next thing we know she will be in high school and then she will be off to Yale and then doing her doctorate at Oxford. Life is short, Beth, eat cake.”
Alejandra came running towards her sister. Paige barely had time to set the pink pastry box down before Alejandra jumped into her arms.
“Happy first day of school, Baby Girl.”
“I’m not a baby girl any more. I’m a big girl,” Alejandra informed her.
“Of course you’re a big girl. You’re a big kindergarten girl. Who loves you, Big Girl?” Paige asked.
“Mommy and Auntie Paige, and Grandma.” Alejandra answered.
Beth’s heart constricted at the mention of her mom. She tried to shake off the sadness that clung to her every time her mom was mentioned but she couldn’t, it never fully left her. She always put on a smile for Alejandra, but she never felt it.
Paige handed Beth the camera. “Bethy, get a picture of us.”
Beth shook her head. “One picture and then school. Just once I would like you to be on time.” Who was she kidding? It wasn’t going to happen.
“Better to be late the first day. Don’t let them get their expectations too high. Let them know from the start that you’re that mom. You are always going to be late and anything you provide for bake sales will be out of a box. They just need to accept it. So do you for that matter.” Paige’s nose scrunched up when she smiled.
Beth sighed. “I don’t want them thinking I am that mom… Well not until after Christmas. I want to make it a full semester before they realize I have no idea what I am doing. How long did it take you to figure out I’m a hot mess?” Beth asked Alejandra. She used her sister holding Alejandra as an opportunity to put her shoes on her.
“You’re funny, Mommy.” Alejandra laughed.
“Yep I am hilarious. And I am late. So are you. You’re killing me, kid. I just wanted to make it until Christmas.”
“But what about the cake?” Paige asked.
Beth shook her head. Cake for breakfast was too much even for Beth. “She can have cake after dinner tonight.”
