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Mar 20, 20235 min read

New Release | Security Force of Two by Tena Stetler #paranormalcozy #romanticmystery #pnr #bookboost



Title Security Force of Two


Author Tena Stetler


Genre Paranormal cozy mystery with romantic overtones


Publisher The Wild Rose Press


Book Blurb


Miacoh Zane, a Special Forces veteran, returns to Aspen Ridge, Colorado a small town nestled in the Rocky Mountains, to settle his beloved grandmother’s estate. But the town holds painful memories and family secrets he wants to leave behind for good.


Candle Bearclaw, a gifted computer analyst/programmer with talents she’s buried when recruited out of college by the CIA. After fifteen years, she abruptly resigns her position with the agency. She returns to her sleepy hometown only to discover her childhood crush has also returned and a violent crime has been committed.


Due to their covert operations experience, Candle and Miacoh are thrown together to assist Homeland Security, FBI, and her father, former chief of police, with a murder investigation. As they search for the perpetrators, will their secrets be revealed as the investigation takes an unusual twist that could blow the case wide open.


Excerpt


Candle Bearclaw stood in front of Carl's large mahogany desk, laid the unsealed white envelope face up on the polished desktop, and slid it toward her boss.


“What's this?” Carl eyed the offending envelope.


“It's what we talked about last week, my resignation.” Candle swung her briefcase onto the leather chair beside her. Pulling out a laptop computer, a manila file folder, and a memory stick, she sat them on the corner of her boss's desk. “It's all here, including the passwords necessary to access the sensitive files, my work thus far on the assignment, including my contacts, and it's a good stopping point for me. Someone else should be able to pick up exactly where I left off, seamlessly. I am requesting a no contact status by you and the agency.” She pulled out a .380 semi-automatic tucked into the waistband of her slacks, ejected the magazine, and racked the slide open. Gingerly setting the gun on the desk beside the other items, she sighed.


He looked across the desk at her, observing her actions. “I understand your position, but that may not be possible. How deep were you?”


Hands flat on the desktop, she leaned over and glared at him. “Deep enough to understand the assignment went against every fiber of my being. You knew that when you assigned it to me, and yet, you did it anyway, knowing it would be my final act as a CIA operative.”


She stood and raised her arms in a surrender motion. “For God's sakes, Carl, I'm a computer analyst turned hacker under your fine tutelage. I can't do it anymore.”


Carl leaned back in his chair. “A replacement will be difficult to find, if not impossible,” he said flatly. “You're the best.”


“You should have thought about that before you forced me to take this assignment,” she insisted, pacing around the room.


Carl raked his fingers through his thick salt and pepper hair rubbing at the tension knots that formed the minute she walked through the door. “Thought you'd come around. You always have.”


Candle shook her head, feeling a little sorry for the predicament she’d put him in, though it was of his own making. “Not this time. I'm through. And I'm taking you up on the promise you made when I agreed to become an independent contractor with the agency.” She gave a half laugh. “That didn't last long, did it?”


“That was a long time ago before you were officially with the agency. I'm not sure you can just walk now. The director needs to sign off on this.” Her boss leaned forward with his elbows on the desk, fingers tented in front of him, and gave her a hard stare.


“I guess that's your problem. Unless, of course, you want me to have a little chat with the President.” She shrugged then returned his stare, refusing to look away. “Come on, Carl cut the bullshit. I know you don't want me to go, but we both know I'm not cut out for what this assignment could turn into. I’m a computer geek, not a deep-cover operative.”


Finally looking away, Carl sighed, reached for the envelope, and pulled out three pieces of neatly folded paper. The first was her handwritten resignation, signed and notarized. The second had one word typed on the entire page, a password to unlock her agency computer giving access to the top-secret files stored there. “Only one password?” He raised a bushy brow in question.


“Yes, the rest you can get from my handler, Mark, along with anything you don't understand on the third page regarding my assignment.” She turned on her heel and started for the door.


Carl stood and walked around the desk. “Candle. Are you sure about this?”


She paused and turned halfway around. “Positive.”


The determined look on her face said it all. He sighed. “Ok, I'll set up your exit interview in one hour. That'll give me time to get HR briefed and up here.”


“Thanks, Carl. I appreciate it.” She pulled a single piece of paper out of her briefcase and laid it in front of him. “I need you to sign off on this, acknowledging receipt of my computer, weapon, phone, and files.”


Carl pulled the paper toward him, scribbled his name at the bottom, pushed the document back to her. “You know this is going to tarnish my reputation.” He said gruffly, a small smile crossing his lips. “I just allowed one of our best geeks to cut her ties to the agency.”


“No, it won't.” One corner of her mouth turned up in a partial smile. “I'm not cut out for this. I want to live a normal life without looking over my shoulder.” She turned, picked up her briefcase, and continued towards the door. “I'll be back in an hour, and thanks.”


Carl solemnly nodded his head, bringing his eyes up to meet hers. “I wish you'd reconsider.”


Candle shook her head slowly. “Not a chance.” She grasped the polished silver handle and yanked open the door. Walking through, she closed it quietly. Leaning her back against the door, she felt like a dead weight had just been lifted from her shoulders and let out a sigh of relief.


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Author Biography


Tena Stetler is a best-selling author of award-winning paranormal tales. Some call her crazy others creative. She deals with the voices in her head by writing them down and creating a fantasy world and characters you won’t soon forget. Her books tell tales of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Travel, adventure, magic, and a bit of mystery flourish in her books along with a few companion animals to round out the tales.


Colorado is home; shared with her husband of many moons, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot and a fifty-year-old box turtle. When she’s not writing, her time is spent kayaking, camping, hiking, biking or just relaxing in the great Colorado outdoors.


Social Media Links


My Say What Blog - http://www.tenastetler.com/category/my-say-what-blog/

Twitter Page: https://www.twitter.com/TenaStetler

Tribber - http://triberr.com/TenaStetler

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