Critical Alliance (Rocky Mountain Courage Book #3)

Elizabeth Goddard

Description

Mackenzie Hanson's special set of skills opened the door to a successful career as a professor of cybersecurity at a Michigan university, allowing her to put her criminal past behind her. But when a long-ago partner in crime delivers a cryptic message about her father's tech company being under cyberattack, she heads for Montana to secure exposed assets, close security breaches, and hopefully save lives.Diplomatic Security Services special agent Alex Knight is back home in Montana to decompress from a mission gone wrong. But even as he's trying to relax, he's drawn into another mystery, complete with suspicious deaths, lethal threats, and whispers of espionage that all have one thing in common--a beautiful cybersecurity expert with a dark past.When the situation turns deadly, Alex and Mackenzie will have to work together to find the answers they need--before someone silences Mackenzie for good.USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard weaves a tangled web of nail-biting suspense and heart-stopping romance in this fast-paced conclusion to her Rocky Mountain Courage series.

Sujets

• Romance

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 05 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493436231
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Endorsements
Praise for Deadly Target
“Goddard increases the stakes and highlights the power of hope, faith, and trusting God in the darkest times in this rush of a series entry.”
Publishers Weekly
“Goddard’s second installment of her Rocky Mountain Courage series is a whirlwind adventure from the first chapter to the conclusion . . . Deadly Target hit the bull’s-eye for me.”
Life is Story
“Elizabeth Goddard pulls out all the stops in this intriguing, edge-of-your-seat suspense. It’s an explosive adventure . . .”
Book Club Network
Praise for Present Danger
“Goddard opens her Rocky Mountain Courage series with this thrilling romance set amid an investigation into a smuggling ring. This will be a great entry point for those new to Goddard’s high-octane inspirationals.”
Publishers Weekly
“Readers will definitely enjoy puzzling over this story. The pacing is perfect; continuous, mind-boggling action, with plenty of time for unfinished business.”
Interviews and Reviews
“ Present Danger starts with a bang and never lets up. Goddard’s fast-paced romantic suspense will have your pulse pounding as you turn the pages. Hold on to your seat and your heart as you enjoy this thrill ride!”
Rachel Dylan , bestselling author of the Capital Intrigue series
“A plane crash, a dead body, and two people who decide that justice and love are worth fighting for all add up to a riveting read you won’t want to put down. I highly recommend this book!”
Lynette Eason , bestselling, award-winning author of the Danger Never Sleeps series
“A riveting beginning to the new Rocky Mountain Courage series, Present Danger takes readers on a wild ride filled with family tragedies, long-buried secrets, ancient relics, and broken hearts. Goddard has crafted a page-turner that takes off in the first nail-biting chapter, weaves through unexpected twists and shocking revelations, then culminates in a whirlwind of betrayal and redemption. I couldn’t read the final chapters fast enough!”
Lynn H. Blackburn , award-winning author of the Dive Team Investigations series
“I was captivated from the very first scene of Present Danger to the shocking conclusion. You can always count on Elizabeth Goddard to bring you dramatic action and adventure scenes that put you on the edge of your seat!”
Susan Sleeman , bestselling author of the Homeland Heroes series
“Elizabeth Goddard starts her brand-new Rocky Mountain Courage series with an opening that sucks you in from page one and doesn’t stop until the heart-pounding conclusion.”
Lisa Harris, USA Today and CBA bestselling author of the Nikki Boyd Files
“ Present Danger— another edge-of-the-seat story by Elizabeth Goddard that will keep you turning pages to the end.”
Patricia Bradley , author of Standoff , Natchez Trace Park Rangers series
Half Title Page
Books by Elizabeth Goddard
U NCOMMON J USTICE S ERIES
Never Let Go
Always Look Twice
Don’t Keep Silent
R OCKY M OUNTAIN C OURAGE S ERIES
Present Danger
Deadly Target
Critical Alliance
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2022 by Elizabeth Goddard
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.revellbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2022
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-3623-1
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and post-consumer waste whenever possible.
Dedication
This novel is dedicated to my husband, Dan, my most essential ally on this precarious journey called life. I love you, Dan!
Contents
Cover
Endorsements
Half Title Page
Books by Elizabeth Goddard
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
1
2
3
4
5
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Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
Another Thrilling Story from the Author
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
ONE
H er world was spinning out of control. Correction. Not her world—her body.
But what else could Mackenzie Hanson expect while in the grip of a colossal gyrating octopus? A cephalopod built from a jumble of plastic and metal parts, and powered by a smelly, backfiring motor. All of it quickly bolted together to be ready for patrons visiting the traveling carnival.
She imagined a tentacle flying off. How safe was she, really?
Her stomach grew queasy with the spinning and rocking motion.
Sky. People. Balloons. Asphalt. Sky. People. Balloons. Asphalt.
Over and over and over.
Mackenzie squeezed her eyes shut.
But for the brief time she’d kept them open . . .
She might have been hallucinating. Could centrifugal force cause hallucinations?
She thought she’d seen . . . No. It was only someone who looked like Julian.
Even with the mere thought of seeing him, her heart rate skyrocketed. The ride wasn’t helping. She squeezed her eyes tighter as if that would protect her from the g-force conspiring against her.
Screams erupted. Laughter too. Loud rock music pounded through her bones as her stomach dropped to catch up with her body being flung by an octopus tentacle. She clung to the safety bar that kept her secure or prevented her from escape. She hadn’t decided which.
All she wanted was to get off the giant rolling octopus.
Now!
A hand squeezed her shoulder. “Are you alright?”
That William, her friend—her date —could even speak while the ride continued spinning added to her anxiety. Mackenzie shook her head.
“I thought it would be fun.” William’s voice sounded tight. “Just hang on. It’ll be over soon.”
But the ride wasn’t over soon. In fact, it continued far too long.
Was the operator distracted? Flirting with a girl much too young for him? Had he left to use the facilities? Mackenzie recalled enjoying this crazy, exhilarating fluttering of her stomach as a kid. Things had certainly changed.
Finally, hydraulics hissed and shifted with the decrease in the motor’s rumble. Her heart calmed with the knowledge that the torture by cephalopod was coming to an end. Keeping her eyes closed, she leaned back and breathed in the malodorous exhaust from the ride’s overtaxed motor.
An image popped into her mind.
Glasses. Dark hair. A forest-green jacket.
Julian Abel.
It couldn’t have been him. But if she’d imagined him—why? She hadn’t seen him since she was sixteen, and she’d locked those memories in a vault and thrown away the proverbial key. Why was he breaking out of the crypt today?
“See, I told you it would be over soon.” William’s sarcasm demanded a smile.
A smile she had to force, along with an incredulous chuckle. “What was I thinking to let you talk me into this? I’m too old for this kind of thing.”
William pressed his large hand over her small one, which still clung to the safety bar.
“Too old?” He quirked a brow. “I beg your pardon.”
She caught him looking at her and dropped her hand from the bar, breaking free from his touch.
“Saying you’re too old is the same as saying I’m too old,” he said.
“Well, if the shoe—”
“Fits. I know the idiom. I’ve got one for you. You’re never too old to have fun.”
“More accurately, you mean to say that you’re never too old to learn.”
“To learn to have fun.”
Her laugh was genuine this time. “Good one.”
Now let me out of this cage .
“Mackenzie, you’re young, vibrant, and beautiful, and the world is your oyster, as the saying goes.” Reassurance filled William’s tone. And his eyes.
Unpleasant shivers crawled over her. Was this how claustrophobia felt? Because right now, the space next to William was growing smaller. She exhaled as their turn to disembark from the car arrived. Perfect timing for an escape. The bar pinning them in released. Mackenzie couldn’t get out fast enough and hopped to the ground.
And to freedom.
She headed straight for the clearly marked exit. William followed closely, his hand against the small of her back. She searched the area around the ride, hoping he didn’t catch on to her wariness.
Seeing Julian had been a hallucination. Nothing more.
Music, grinding motors, screams, and laughter filled the air, along with the aroma of buttery popcorn and fried pies. Unfortunately, she also caught the pungent odor of an overflowing garbage can as they walked.
“How about we grab a soda and cotton candy?” William asked.
What are you, seven? She smiled for his sake. He was trying so hard. Too hard. “That sounds like a plan.”
“Good. No more wild rides tonight.” He grinned and led her through the crowd toward the end of a long line for the food truck that featured loaded fried pickles, hot dogs, greasy fries—glorious carnival junk food.
William held her hand, and she didn’t have the heart to do anything but go along with it. What was wrong with her? He was handsome and thoughtful. He was just . . . not for her.
“Agreed. No more wild rides.” Calliope music drew her attention as they waited in line. “The carousel would be nice.” Then maybe just take me home.
To make matters worse, he’d driven all the way from Lansing for the weekend, just to see her. She kept a condominium in a quaint town near Lake Michigan for weekends and summers.
“So you’re heading back on Monday for the semester?” she asked.
“If I could teach something as”—he lifted his shoulders—“how can I put it . . . clandestine as you, then it would be fun teaching in t