Exclusive Excerpt from Marie Harte's
Contract Signed
Noel shook his head. “It wasn’t Deacon. He’s spent the past few days on the island arguing with Solene about childcare, apparently. And he spent last night in Canada, sent on a wild goose chase while Hammer wrapped things up out East. Both of them should be back soon, though.”
“Good.”
“Addy, I’m sorry.”
“So you keep saying.” She’d gotten her courage back, and it felt good. Seeing a man get killed was nothing like the movies. The finality of that moment would be forever etched in her mind. But she could deal better, now.
“I never wanted that world to intrude on this one.” He clenched his hands around the steering wheel. “When I come back from a job, I meditate on the ferry ride. Do you ever do that?”
“No.”
“I put all the ugliness that’s in the world behind me. I look forward to feeling fresh. I’m normal here. Just a guy settling into his house. Fixing the plumbing. Checking out my cute neighbor when she’s not looking.” He sent her a ghost of a smile that faded too soon. “Keeping to myself, because I know life in Bainbridge Island isn’t real. Not for me.”
For someone so young, he must have seen a lot of nasty things.
“Noel.”
“I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, Addy. I live the life, and someday all that violence is going to find me. No matter how careful I’ve been, it’s followed me here. I’ve had my handler looking into it for me. And Deacon and Hammer too.
“The baby was a complete surprise. Look, I’m not a monk. But it takes a lot for me to let down my guard with a person.”
Yet he’d done it with her.
“Having sex is getting vulnerable. So I don’t do it a lot. And I’m always—usually—careful. The baby isn’t mine. I just know it. But if he were, I’d take care of him. I might be a killer, but I’m a protector at heart. No boy of mine would ever want for security.”
She believed him.
“Thing is, something went wrong after my last job. Not on the job exactly, but on my return home. I was nearly mugged in the city. Then I was almost run down on the street. Then this, today. None of it makes any sense. We’re a closely guarded secret, Addy. No one but my handler and his boss know my missions. I said I work for the government, but my Business contracts out the jobs. Seriously. I don’t exist. Noel Cavanaugh works for an investment firm. He’s good at what he does. But he’s not me.”
She thought about that. “Is Noel Cavanaugh even your real name?”
Contract Signed (Triggerman, Inc. Book 1)
January 17, 2017
Blurb
Three assassins and a baby?
How many assassins does it take to change a diaper?
Three assassins have met their match and it wears diapers.
Triggerman, Inc., Book 1
Noel "Ice" Cavanaugh's method is foolproof. Get in, do the job, get out, melt away without a trace. Chill out until his next mark is assigned. Neat. Tidy. No mistakes.
This time, though, something isn't right. Two somethings. First a random attack that feels not-so-random. Then he discovers someone's left a baby on his doorstep with a note claiming it's his. And the sexy neighbor who found the boy first has too many questions in her eyes to ignore.
When her handsome, mysterious neighbor suddenly asks her out on a date, Adeline Rose has suspicions he's fishing for "help" with his bundle of joy? By date's end, she's convinced NOel's just as distant as he seems until a scorching goodnight kiss ends with sex against the nearest wall, the heat between them burning away all thoughts of careful.
Now Noel has more than one problem on his hands. Splitting baby duty between three badass assassins, figuring out how to fit more time with Addy into his no-room-for-error schedule and keeping both of them safe from the danger he's increasingly sure has followed him home.
Warning: Beware a killer with a heart of gold, a baby who needs constant changing, and unrequited love that's actually quite requited.
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#SamhainPub #Rockstarlit
About the Author
Award-winning author Marie Harte has been writing professionally since 2005. She���s both a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author and has written over 100 books and counting. Marie writes books with heat, humor, and character. She writes independently and for several publishers, to include Sourcebooks and Samhain. Though currently writing contemporary romance, she also writes paranormal and romantic suspense. Before turning to writing full-time, she earned a B.A. in English from Pennsylvania State University and spent several years in the United States Marine Corps as a communications officer. Marie currently lives in Central Oregon with her family. There���s nothing she likes more than finding a good book to read and a great cup of coffee to drink.
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