Title: DEADLY SECRET, O’Halleran Security Int’l. – Book 1
Author: TJ LOGAN
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Book Blurb:
He steps into the shadows to pursue a killer…
F.B.I. Special Agent Beckett O’Halleran values Family, Honor, and Loyalty. He will stop at nothing to bring down the man who killed his partner. Even if it means walking away from the bureau and using an innocent young woman. He never expected to fall in love with her.
She is dragged into the shadows by her mother’s past …
A deadly secret from the past threatens Gwendolyn Tamberley’s life. Thrust into the crosshairs of a merciless psychopath, she becomes the center of a firestorm between the Russian mafia, the F.B.I., and a former agent hell-bent on retribution.
Will deadly secrets destroy them?
Gwen’s only hope is the man who’s been deceiving her. And Beck must choose between his obsession with vengeance and the woman who’s come to mean everything to him. But can she forgive his betrayal?
Excerpt:
Talbot barely missed knocking over a garbage can as he snuck down the alley. Christ, what I wouldn’t give for a drink. The back door was a no-go. The damned motion-sensor light would give him away. If he couldn’t get in through one of the windows in the alley, he was screwed. His knees crackled and popped as he crouched behind a dumpster and checked for activity in the building.
What the hell is the deal with the light inside? Was it meant to be a deterrent, or was someone really in there? He wasn’t squeamish about roughing someone up. He just didn’t feel like dealing with the hassle.
He scrubbed his hand over his face, the rough sound of his whiskers against his palm loud in the dark space. Things had gotten too damn hot in his world, and this job would give him enough cash to finally set himself up in style in Mexico.
“To hell with it.” He pulled on his gloves and tugged down his dark ski mask. He wanted this over with.
Hefting himself up from behind the dumpster with a groan, he rubbed his hands up and down his tingling legs to restore some circulation and looked around. Coast clear, he skulked across the dark, sloppy alley as fast as his now-soggy loafers could carry him. The shadows were his friends, and he was careful to avoid the beam of light pouring from the window. He stopped and leaned against the wall and tried to catch his breath. The back of his sweater snagged on the rough brick as he craned his neck up for a quick look.
A woman faced away from him, head down, arms folded on the desk. Could he be so lucky that this was the little gal who had old Radoslav’s panties in a bunch? Maybe he’d just get some answers from her.
He worked his way over to the next window. A quick peek, and he could see this room was empty. Talbot stretched up, wedged the crowbar under the frame and jimmied it open a few inches. Old buildings made it so damn easy.
He laid the crowbar on the windowsill, hauled himself halfway up, then fell back to the ground with a grunt. Things went better on his second attempt. He rested his elbows on the windowsill to catch his breath again. One hand wedged under the opening, he puffed and chuffed until the window shoved up. About a third of the way, it let out a loud SCREECH.
He froze.
Heart pounding, sweat building, he waited, looked around. His arms quivered and he almost lost a shoe as his feet scrabbled for purchase on the rough brick. He managed to reach in and quietly set the crowbar on the floor. A burning sensation shot across his back and belly when he scraped between the sill and the bottom edge of the frame. He wriggled to get his ass unstuck. The floor rushed up, and he landed face-first on the rug. Wheezing, sweat burning his eyes, he rolled over and stared up at the ceiling.
Jesus, I’m too damn old for this shit.
He rolled to his hands and knees and listened. Nothing. He stood, hiked his pants up, and limped his way toward the open door.
Talbot watched her sleep. A twisted smile curved up beneath his mask. With all the stealth his broken-down body could muster, he approached the desk.
A few feet from her, close enough to smell her perfume, the old floorboards creaked loud enough to wake the dead. And the sleeping beauty in front of him.
***
Gwen’s head shot up off the desk. Unfocused from sleep, she scanned the room until she connected with a set of dark eyes glaring from behind a mask. Floating in a sleep-induced fuzziness, she remained rooted in place. She frowned, unsure if it was real or a too-vivid dream.
He took a step forward. When he bumped into the chair in front of her desk, she was jerked from the fog of sleep. This was no dream.
Gwen screamed, jumped from her chair and sent it crashing into the shelf behind her. Her eyes fell to the crowbar in his hands, and she flew into action. She grabbed the closest thing available and chucked it at him as hard as possible. Caught by surprise, he grunted when the heavy stapler hit his shoulder. The next thing to go was her half-full mug of tepid tea. He ducked and the mug shattered against the wall behind him. Clear brown liquid sprinkled the floor and ran down the wall.
She continued a steady flow of screaming, grabbing, and tossing.
Using her plate like a Frisbee, she whipped it at him, sending uneaten pasta flying everywhere. He tried to shield his face and yelled when the edge ricocheted off his forearm. The cup of pens and pencils flew; its contents scattered everywhere like shrapnel. She heaved her heavy planner, the desk lamp—anything she could get her hands on, she threw at him.
The lamp toss had been a bull’s-eye, hitting him in the head and knocking him down. A flash on the floor caught her eye—the letter opener. Shoot! Too far away to be of any help. Her fight or flight instinct kicked in, and she shoved the chair at him and bolted for the door.
Just as she was about to make her escape, his hand wrapped around her ankle, and she fell forward and landed hard. Air exploded from her lungs. Unable to catch her breath, she flailed her other leg to keep him from pinning both ankles. Her heel caught him in the cheek.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Grab your e-copy on sale for only 99 cents!
Amazon: https://bit.ly/Deadly-Secret
What’s the first binge-worthy book you read and why was it a must-read?
When You Dare, book 1 in Lori Foster’s Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series
I found out about this book when it was a featured deal on Bookbub. I instantly fell in love the with Lori’s strong heroes and equally powerful heroines. Their sense of honor and loyalty, and willingness to do whatever it takes, were a big influence on the type of books I ended up writing. I’ve read and re-read every book in that series no less than a half dozen times each. And now that I’ve talked about them, I’m probably going to go back and re-read them yet again!
What makes your featured book a binge-worthy read?
Deadly Secret is the introduction to the large O’Halleran family. Book 1 is Beckett O’Halleran’s story. As the oldest, he’s always felt responsible for his five siblings, especially their baby sister, Emily. To her great dismay.
Each book in the series centers around one of the siblings and their close friends, as they struggle to achieve their own happily ever after.
The O’Halleran’s credo is Family, Honor, and Loyalty. They demand it of themselves and anyone close to them. Family isn’t just biology, it’s the people they love, and the teammates they depend on to keep them alive in the field.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon gift card
Open internationally.
Runs August 1 – 31, 2023.
Drawing will be held on September 1, 2023.
Author Biography:
TJ Logan is an award-winning author of Romantic Suspense anchored by strong themes of Family, Honor, and Loyalty. Her books are filled with action, suspense, and love, with powerful heroes and the equally strong women they love and who love them back.
Her thrilling O'Halleran Security Int'l. series is a reader favorite and will soon be joined by the OSI Dark Ops spin-off series. Growing up in a military family, living all over the country, surrounded by five brothers ... and living to tell about it, competing in International Defensive Pistol Association events, and being part of the team who managed a Secret program for one of the world's largest defense companies, have all given her an interesting perspective on life. Every bit of it goes into her writing! TJ"s uber-supportive husband, two amazing grown sons, a beautiful daughter-in-love, and an absolutely perfect grandson and granddaughter are the joys of her life. Family, Honor, and Loyalty aren't just words in a tagline to TJ, they are everything.
Social Media Links:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/tjloganauthor