DSP Publications Author Ethan Stone has a new Mystery and Suspense book out:
The last thing Gabe Vargas wants to do after nearly dying is to leave his young son. But that’s exactly what FBI Agent Drew Bradley is asking him to do. According to Drew, the only way to protect Gabe and find his wife’s killer is to fake Gabe’s death.
With an already established adversarial relationship, protecting a hothead like Gabe isn’t exactly a picnic for Drew either. But Drew lets his guard down and a desire for Gabe leaves him confused. Before the crime can be solved, Drew will have to risk more than his life. He’ll also have to risk his heart.
1st Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, July 2011. Book Three of the Flesh Series
Excerpt
I DIDN’T know where I was when I woke. Hell, I didn’t know who I was for an instant. The overwhelming agony when I took a deep breath reminded me, and the bitter antiseptic smell confirmed it—I was in the hospital.
The light in my room was off, but a few glimmers of sunlight peeked through the window curtains. Not that there was much to see. A television high on the wall. An IV running into my arm. Nothing worth looking at. Damn, I wasn’t sure I had anything worth living for.
Violet was dead. Casey was dead. The only people I’d been in love with were gone. I’d been dealing with Casey’s death for over a month, but Vi’sâ¦. Her murder was still fresh in my mind. Well, the grief was fresh but not the actual event. Even though I’d been there when it happened and was injured myself, I couldn’t recall a thing. Not one motherfucking second of it. No matter how I tried, the memories weren’t there.
My best friend, Cristian Flesh, had told me what happened, but it hadn’t helped. According to Cristian, a detective with the Reno Police Department, our neighbor had called the police after hearing screams coming from our apartment. Violet, the mother of my son, was dead by the time the authorities arrived, and I wasn’t much better off.
I shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position. I lay on my side because my back and ass were bandaged and throbbed with pain. The soreness made me suck in a breath. I closed my eyes and allowed my thoughts to drift. The reality of being a single parent slowly took hold. What if I couldn’t be everything Victor needed? A boy needed his mother, right? Tears filled my eyes.
Someone clearing their throat alerted me to the fact I wasn’t alone. I wiped away the signs of my emotions and looked toward the door. The shadows obscured the identity of whoever it was. “Who’s there?”
Recognition seized me as the man stepped into the light, and a wave of emotions crashed over me. Fear, anger, grief, and for a moment, unadulterated hate.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Bradley?”
“We need to talk, Vargas.” FBI Agent Drew Bradley strode to the middle of the room and stood there with his hands shoved into his coat pockets.
“I got nothing to say to you, Special Agent,” I snarled. Seeing this man was the last thing I needed. A fresh sense of loss swept over me. How much grief could one man endure?
“You don’t have a choice,” Drew replied sternly. “I’ve been assigned to this case. To your case.”
His back was ramrod straight. I could feel him staring at me, but I didn’t meet his gaze.
“Case?” I made eye contact. “What case?”
“It’s very likely the attack on you and Violet is linked to an active FBI case.” Drew approached my bed.
“I don’t give a shit.” The only thing I wanted was to see the back of Agent Bradley’s head leaving my room.
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Author Bio
Ethan Stone lives in the soggy state of Oregon, and, yes, he does have webbed feet. He used to have a day job where he wore a sexy uniform, now he can wear whatever he wants to work as he attempts to see if this writing thing can support his Mt. Dew addiction.