Title: Dangerous Descent
Author: Evie Jacobs
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Book Blurb:
Pilot Elise Hughes left the family business in the Florida Keys and now flies the rich and powerful to and from the Rocky Mountains. When she has to execute a by-the-book emergency landing, it’s no big deal. But being stranded in a small town with her handsome new colleague is something else entirely.Obsessed with getting justice for his murdered father, undercover FBI agent Eric Erickson believes retribution is finally within reach. Until things get complicated. And dangerous. And he’s forced to face a few too many realities—including Elise’s connection to a well-known crime boss.After Elise is kidnapped by the same man who took Eric’s father, he has a choice to make—find Elise or exact revenge. Meanwhile she has a choice of her own—trust the dangerous family she never knew she had or the man who’s been lying to her from the start.
Excerpt:
Eric couldn’t understand the compulsion to blurt out his life story. “It happened a long time ago. I had a great childhood. I couldn’t ask for a better mom.”
Despite his attempt to change the mood, she gave him a sad smile.
He gripped the control wheel so tight the whites of his knuckles flickered. That night. The doorbell. Sneaking out of bed and peering from the hallway into the living room where his mother collapsed into another officer’s arms.
He’d run back to his room and hid in the closet but couldn’t block the voices or footsteps coming and going throughout the night.
The next morning, they’d waited for the bus, his mother’s eyes puffy and filled with tears, a fake smile plastered on her face. Even though she’d not said the words, he’d known his dad was gone.
Eric glanced around the cockpit and swallowed the hard lump rising in his throat.
That night, Mom sat him on the couch after dinner—one of the many casseroles left by friends and colleagues—and explained Dad had been hurt at work and wasn’t coming home.
Never once did he cry.
To this day, that dull feeling remained. His whole life, he’d avoided close relationships, instead moving through life like a ghost—always hovering on the outside, an invisible barrier separating him from others.
Elise’s stare bore into him. Rather than share any more, he examined the instruments, hoping the conversation would end.
His life had changed in an instant, and all because of the man sitting in the back of the plane. Don’t get worked up. Not now.
The dam broke and heat flooded his body, but then a calm realization settled on him.
These men were at his mercy.
He could reroute the plane. Go somewhere off the grid. Interrogate them, and finally get the answers he deserved.
It would be so easy.
He glanced at Elise. But unfair to her.
Besides, he’d taken an oath, and that meant something. Giving into impulse was never the solution. If he did that, he wouldn’t be any better than the men he hated.
Beep. The fuel sensor glowed red. “The tank got filled before we left, right?”
She pressed her lips into a thin slash. “I took care of it. Why?”
He pointed to the gauge, now showing almost empty. “Have there been problems with it on other trips?”
She drew her eyebrows together, looking more perplexed than concerned.
“Leaks?”
“I did a walk-around. Everything looked fine.”
He’d also inspected the aircraft and found nothing amiss. “It looked good to me too.”
For weeks, he’d prepped for many scenarios, an emergency landing being one of them. This could be good. An opportunity to get close to Vincenzo.
Her brow furrowed as she worked out the issue. “Well, something’s not right.”
“Instrument malfunction?” Sensors went bad all the time.
She shrugged, rightfully unwilling to make a diagnosis. “We need a mechanic.”
Her demeanor and experience impressed him. A lesser pilot might panic, but she remained composed. The fuel gauge failure was abnormal, but not an emergency.
“Agreed. We’re going to have to land.” Looking to the GPS chart, he located the nearest runway. “We’ve got a non-towered airport with a maintenance facility about twenty miles to the northeast.”
Elise reduced power to the engines and began the descent.
He needed to get on the radio to announce their approach but wanted to inform the passengers of the situation. They had plenty of enemies, and until he saw their reaction for himself, he wasn’t ruling out sabotage.
Eric twisted in his seat. Christopher and Nicky appeared to be asleep. Rocco and Vincenzo spoke in quiet voices, probably plotting whose life to ruin next.
“Hey folks,” Eric said. “We need to make an unscheduled stop. A little problem with the fuel. Nothing to worry about, but it’s best to make sure.”
Rocco gripped the arms of his seat. His face paled. Fear. Real fear showed on his features. The big man’s pupils were wide, his body alert. “How fast are we going down?”
Eric suppressed a smile. Good thing Elise was flying. If he’d been at the controls, he’d be tempted to set the plane down hard and hope the bastard shit his pants. “We’ll descend a little faster than normal, but you won’t notice a difference. It’ll be just like any other landing.”
“Where are we?” Vincenzo leaned forward and shouted over the engine. His weak voice cracked.
“Nebraska. We’re landing at a small airport. Everything will be fine.” Satisfied they weren’t involved in the current predicament, he closed the curtain.
“We’re about ten miles out,” Elise said.
Once he’d found the UNICOM frequency, Eric pressed the radio button. “Albert Springs traffic King Air November six-six-two-eight Charlie is about ten to the south. We’re going to enter at a forty-five for a left downwind. Runway three-two.” He scanned for aircraft and listened to other pilots flying in and out of the airport.
With the runway in view, Elise turned on the landing lights. “What’s the plan once we’re on the ground?”
“You take the passengers. I’ll find a technician to look at the plane.” And remove the bug and transmitter.
Elise set the approach flaps while he checked the landing gear. They touched down with a gentle bounce. She applied reverse thrust to decelerate the plane.
His gaze snagged on the cocky smile that spread across her face. A feeling of warm admiration flooded his chest and made his heart beat faster. He’d known this assignment would test his resilience as an agent. He’d never guessed it might also test him as a man.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
What’s your favorite thing about autumn:
I love cool, crisp morning air, especially when it’s sunny and the leaves are turning.
What inspired you to write this story:
I’ve been a mystery/suspense reader for as long as I can remember. I’ve always favored stories with a bit of romance, and romantic suspense is the perfect combination. I decided I wanted to write a romance between an FBI agent and a pilot, but I didn’t want the FBI agent to be a passenger. Eventually, I came up with the idea of having an agent with an Air Force background who could go undercover as a pilot.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $100 Amazon gift card.
Open internationally.
Runs September 1 – 30, 2024
Drawing will be held on October 1, 2024.
Author Biography:
Evie Jacobs is a word nerd. As a child, she read constantly. And when she wasn't reading, she was writing. Not much has changed. By day she works in a library surrounded by books, and by night she writes steamy action/adventure romance. She lives in Colorado with her husband, two cats, and six bicycles.
Social Media Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eviejacobsauthor/
Thank you, Evie, for sharing your book in our Fall Into These Great Reads Bookathon!