The test copy for A Touch of Honey just arrived from the printer and in my not so humble opinion it looks great. It also showed up just in time for my final blog teaser for the book. You can find Part One Here and Part Two Here but if you already read about spies on the run and lost love, please feel free to jump into part three. Read all the way through to the end and you’ll get information on getting a free copy of my first novel, Smooth Operator.
Enjoy…
Part Three: The Future
"And what's my problem?" Nikki folded her arms and sucked in her stomach with a defiant huff.
"The same problem you were trying to solve working the bar in Sin City. Chris is still out there, and he's still looking for you. If I found you, there's a good chance he can too."
Nikki shook her head and sucked her teeth. "Sin City was just a precaution. Chris isn't in a position to come after me. Based on what you're saying, he's got too many people chasing him to waste resources on me."
Baker shrugged. "That would make sense if we were talking about a professional. But we're talking about an explosive, obsessive sadist. Resource management isn't a strong skill set for him." Baker eyed her up and down with a look that combined admiration and lust. "A man who is willing to do what Chris has done isn't going to let a couple of bouncers get between him and you."
"How do you know so much about Chris? And how do you know so much about his op? Did you work for him or were you the client?"
If the question stung Baker, he didn't show it. As always, he had an answer ready. "Mr. Carpenter and I had an understanding related to Cruz Maritime, but he killed that relationship when he went off the reservation." Baker turned to her with the look of a poker player placing a large bet. "We can help each other, but only if you can bring something to the table. So what's it going to be Ms. Siriene, are you in or out?"
Nikki stared out the window and saw their car turn off the Grand Central Parkway and take the off ramp towards Astoria. Everything Baker did seemed to have a purpose. Even the route the driver took sent Nikki a message. He weaved through streets close to her apartment. Baker knew where she lived, where she used to work and everything about the last year of her life.
If he wanted to, Baker could have grabbed her anywhere. He could have taken the thumb drive by force. He could have used Nikki as bait to lure Chris in and then snatch them both up in the chaos. By talking to her first, Baker gave Nikki the illusion of a choice. The least she could do was give him the illusion of cooperation.
"I have it, but it's not in my apartment."
"No worries. Why don't you stop by my office in the afternoon to drop it off?" Baker produced a card from his suit jacket as if he planned on giving it to her as soon as she got in the car. Nikki took it out of his hand, memorized the address and phone number and then handed it back to him.
Baker offered her a big smile. "You don't want to get caught with anything linking us together. Nice. I appreciate the tradecraft."
"Thanks, but I'm clearly not that good."
"Why do you say that?"
"You found me, didn't you?"
Baker nodded in agreement. "True, but I have a gift for this kind of thing."
"You want to tell me how you did it?"
"I can't show you all my tricks on the first date. I don't want you to think I'm easy."
Nikki rolled her eyes and reached for the door. "I'll start my SDR here. Thanks for the ride."
Baker held up the metal resting in his lap. "Thanks for the handcuffs. My wife loves this model."
Nikki shook her head as she closed the door and walked away without another word.
I hope you enjoyed this free sample of A Touch of Honey. The full novel will be available for all major book platforms on March 17th, 2015. If you’d like to get my first novel Smooth Operator for free while you’re waiting, just click on this link to get your e-book.
Have fun.
Gamal