Excerpt
Valor
Karrie Roman © 2019
All Rights Reserved
Prologue
Jesus Christ, he couldn’t get out of that happy, fucking home quick enough. The fact he’d put a bullet between the eyes of an abusive monster less than twenty-four hours ago wasn’t what had Alec Banner’s heart aching, his breath stuttering, and his legs itching to run. No, he’d had little trouble doing that.
What had him fleeing from the company of a man he considered his best friend, and three other men who’d become very important to him, had been all the fucking love wafting around the room—infecting everyone but him.
Alec had been friends with Ben Cronin for well over a decade. Though they’d lost contact for a few years, they’d reconnected close to a year ago. These days, he spent plenty of time with Ben. They’d been working together for several months now, locating missing and abducted children. Working at Chasing Hope was grueling, but very rewarding. Alec didn’t regret leaving the FBI to join Ben’s company at all.
It wasn’t Ben he was fleeing, though. Nor was it Ben’s partner. Ethan was a fucking dreamboat, but Ben was the lucky asshole who’d snagged his heart. Alec had no problem admitting he had a tiny crush on Ethan. Would it ever cause trouble between him and Ben? Fuck no, because no matter what, there was no way Alec would ever do anything about it. Alec Banner had a lot of faults, but disloyalty wasn’t one of them. He’d pine away for Ethan like a miserable bastard until he—hopefully—found a dreamboat of his own to love.
No, despite his messy feelings, the reason Alec was fleeing Ben’s brother’s house before he completely fucking lost it was because he couldn’t stand to see how happy the two couples there were. He’d witnessed the love between Ben and Ethan for months, and despite them going through a really rough time, they’d been going through it together. Alec had seen firsthand what it should be like to have a real partner. Someone to love, to care about. Someone who’d have your back no matter what.
Instead, he was expected to fucking sit back and watch how happy Ben’s brother, Cameron, and his lover, Zach, were? He couldn’t do it. Selfish maybe, but he was nearly forty years old and he’d had one boyfriend who’d lasted six months and a nine-month relationship with a woman, which had been explosive but ultimately fizzled out because she wouldn’t walk down the aisle with him. Her refusal had hurt like hell at the time, but looking back on it, years later, he was so glad Heather had rejected him. He was pretty sure he’d be a divorced father of three by now if she hadn’t.
Here was Zach, who was twenty-fucking-two and had found the love of his life in Cameron, and try as he might, Alec couldn’t shake the jealousy. He wanted that; he wanted what those men had.
There was only one thing Alec knew of to help when life went to shit, and that was work. He never turned to the bottle or eating his feelings when he was miserable, like some people did. Alec’s choice of pick-me-up was to tuck his head down and his ass up and get stuck into as much work as possible.
He pulled out his phone and thumbed through his contacts. Ryan Lowe was near the top of his list. Ryan was the brains and bank behind Chasing Hope, the company Alec worked for locating missing kids. Ryan had told Alec earlier he may have a job for him, and as he hit the call button he hoped to god Ryan did. Alec desperately needed something to keep him busy.
“Alec, how’d it go?” Ryan answered without preamble.
Alec knew Ryan would have heard from Ben or Ethan that they’d rescued Zach from Cameron’s crazy ex, but he wasn’t exactly sure if they’d have told him how far they’d gone, so he offered only a concise answer. “Good. All done. What else have you got for me?”
“Well, I’m sure we’ve got a case, but I’m waiting to hear back. I’ve already got Jacey putting a file together for you. Little boy, four, was taken this morning from his local park. The family is affluent and well-known in their community. The mother is certain there’ll be a ransom demand. She wants the cops called, but she’s getting pushback from her husband and the in-laws. I think you should head out to them ASAP, see what you think and be ready to act.”
His phone beeped as Ryan spoke, likely to signal the arrival of the file from Jacey. She was an absolute genius with technology, and he expected she’d have provided him with information, not only about the immediate family but the extended one, including friends, staff, and coworkers. Knowing Jacey, he’d even get information on the people the parents went to kindergarten with. She’d have dug up whatever dirt there was to find in a short amount of time, and no doubt she’d already be digging through old data to find even more.
“Got it. Where am I headed?”
“Del Mar. Get a flight to San Diego. I’ll get a hotel booked for you in Del Mar and text the details.”
“On my way.”
“Hey…you okay, Alec?”
Ryan was a sweetheart, tender and caring and far too innocent for this line of work. And yet he’d dragged himself into the misery of missing kids because he wanted to help—and found himself in a position where he could. He was one of the good guys, but Alec worried how it would all affect him. Alec had been dealing with scum for years; he knew the horror stories, and he’d hardened his heart to them, but Ryan? Alec worried about him.
“Tired, that’s all. I’m fine, Ryan, but thanks for caring.”
They exchanged a few niceties regarding Ryan and his partner, Lucas. Alec repeated several more times that he was, in fact, all right, despite the events of the past twenty-four hours, when Ryan asked before hanging up.
Alec made his way to the airport and settled in to wait for his flight. Getting in and out of Cody, Wyoming, wasn’t always easy. He didn’t mind curling up on one of the uncomfortable chairs common to most airports while he waited, though. He pulled out his tablet and opened the file Jacey had sent him.
The Winsome family of Del Mar wasn’t simply affluent, they were filthy fucking rich. The patriarch was one Edmund Winsome, who was a founding partner of one of the biggest law firms in Southern California. Matriarch Phyllis Winsome had brought her family’s considerable wealth to the marriage and together they had built a formidable empire for their two sons. From the images Jacey sent, they were an austere-looking couple who screamed wealth from every perfectly coiffed hair on their heads.
Oldest son—and father of the missing boy—Kane Winsome worked for his father’s firm. He hadn’t quite made partner yet, but from what Alec read, he was well on his way. Alec found the photo Jacey had sent and studied the image of Kane Winsome. He was a younger version of his father. Light-brown hair was cut to within an inch of its life and was gelled into what was probably the latest style, steel-gray eyes glared at the lens, and thin lips pursed to show their impatience with whomever had taken the photo. Alec tried not to judge a book by its cover, but if he had to, then the title would be Pride and Prejudice. A more modern day Fitzwilliam Darcy he couldn’t imagine finding.
Kane’s wife, Madeline, came from a wealthy family herself, though not on the scale of the Winsome’s wealth. She worked as a florist and could not look more opposite to her husband if she tried. She had a mane of flowing, dark, almost black hair that perfectly matched her dark skin. Her eyes were a deep brown but were lit by what Alec suspected was her natural joie de vivre. It was hard to tell from a photo, but she looked petite. Alec had no doubt she would be a lioness, though, when it came to her loved ones. While her husband glared and pouted at the camera, Madeline Winsome laughed and flirted with it.
He scrolled to another image—this one of Kane and Madeline together each holding hands with a toddling child he assumed to be the missing Jack. The photo must be at least a year old given that Jack was now four. The family looked—happy. Gone was Kane’s stern face, replaced with a beaming smile, his gaze fixed on his son. Madeline looked the same as in the solo photo as she, too, stared at her son. The little boy was adorable. His smile matched his parents’ as he seemed to be frozen in an attempt to take an ungainly step. The photo captured more than a simple image of family—it portrayed love, purely and simply.
Alec would read the file more thoroughly on the plane and over the days to come, but for now, he only wanted to get a feel for this family. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the hell they must be going through.
Movement around him alerted him to the fact that his flight was boarding. Alec took his place in line, greeting the staff politely as always. He was a firm believer in catching more flies with honey than vinegar, and a pleasant exchange with airline staff had him either sitting in an exit row or with an extra beverage more times than he cared to remember.
He made his way to his seat, delighted to see an almost empty flight. With luck, the two seats beside him would remain vacant so he might be able to get a couple of hours sleep. He settled in and took another look at the files while he waited for takeoff.
Next in the file was the second son, Kane’s brother. As Alec skimmed his bio, he realized instantly that Asher Winsome was the black sheep of the family. He too had studied law, as his father and brother had, but Asher’s most recent job was listed as marine photographer, location—varied. Interesting.
Alec scrolled to the attached photograph, his eyes popping like some kind of cartoon character. Jesus Christ, he’d never seen anyone more gorgeous. Asher Winsome was drop-dead stunning. The photo wasn’t even a good one, so he could only imagine how devastating the man would be in real life. His hair was a few shades darker than his brother’s, and he wore it long, just scraping his shoulders. His gray eyes were lighter than Kane’s. Alec couldn’t wait to see them in person to find out if they were as silver as they appeared in the photo. His smile was crooked and shy; his entire demeanor coy. Alec was insanely jealous of whoever had taken the photo and coaxed that look out of the man.
He knew he’d sat there staring too long when the flight attendant had to actually tap his arm to get him to prepare for takeoff. He shut down his tablet and fastened his seat belt. He leaned his head against the fuselage, letting his eyes drift shut. Glimmering gray eyes and a crooked smile followed him into sleep.
Diverse Reader –
4.5 Stars
Author Karrie Roman has released her fourth book in her Until You series entitled, Valor. Focusing on the last unattached member of the private investigation company that helps locate and rescue missing children, we pick up with Alec Banner as he takes on a job that will have him questioning not only the single life he leads but the loneliness that accompanies it.
When a four year old boy is snatched from his nanny’s arms in a local park, Alec is dispatched to help the Winsome family find him and bring him home. From the cold-hearted patriarchs to the boy’s frantic parents, Alec realizes this will not be an easy case, particularly since the abduction has all the earmarks of revenge. When the boy’s uncle returns home to help, Alec is first struck by the man’s beauty and then by his courage. But fear and stress make strange bedfellows and the attraction that Alec feels for Asher Winsome is undoubtedly never going to go any further when the case is resolved or so Alec convinces himself.
As the case evolves and the danger moves from the young boy to his uncle, Alec realizes he has thrown away something precious when he walked away from Asher. Now he must do everything in his power to keep Asher safe and try to make amends for ever doubting that the feelings the two had experienced were real and possibly something that could change their lives—if they live long enough to risk it all.
This was quite an intense read. From the devastating abduction of little Jack to the threats on Asher’s life there was very little time to even catch your breath in this novel. The action was non-stop and well done. This was really two mysteries in one with the same villain, who the author manages to keep under wraps almost to the very end, featured in both parts. The first half of this book focuses on recovering little Jack and the nightmare the family must go through in order to bring him home safe. I must tell you that this author didn’t sugarcoat the reality of what can happen to abducted children—it isn’t that we experience any physical harm to Jack—not at all—but that doesn’t mean we are not subjected to the realities of what can happen to children who disappear. Please know that while there is never a moment in this novel where the author describes any type of abuse toward little Jack, she also never shies away from having Alec and the FBI explain to Asher just how abducted children are sold on the black market.
The second half of this book dealt with the fallout of Asher recognizing one of the key players in the kidnapping. Asher was never fragile but he was needy and stretched to his emotional limit. When he turns to Alec for comfort he finds a willing partner. Alec is grappling with the fact that the job has become his life. He’s tired of the nameless one night stands and the lack of a relationship that could spell happiness for him. He is lonely and Asher is there and the rest, as they say, is history. But Alec is his own worst enemy when it comes to believing he can be loved. So we watch these two men circle each other as their chance at happiness together goes down the drain. When Alec is called out again to help protect Asher he realizes just what he cut loose and how foolish he had been to do so.
There was a great deal to like about this book. Fast paced action, a solid mystery that kept the reader on their toes and two slightly broken men who find solace in each other. I think the only thing that made me pause had to be a stray comment near the end of the novel that indicated perhaps there had been someone to tip off the killer before Alec and his team moved in to take them down. I wasn’t sure why the author chose to dangle that out there but not resolve it. I kept wondering if there was going to be yet another attempt on Asher’s life since Alec and the team all wondered just how they almost been bested. But nothing came from that and perhaps it was just the mystery lover in me that saw substance where there were only ghosts, so to speak.
Despite that, I felt Valor was a solid mystery with enough suspense and romance to satisfy. It can be read as a standalone but I must say that having not read the others beforehand I will be rectifying that oversight by going back and picking up the other three novels in this series. I really enjoyed this story and think it is one that fans and mystery lovers will truly enjoy.
jiskett –
“Valor” tells the love story of two men who get to know each other under very unfavorable conditions. Asher’s nephew was kidnapped and Alec is involved in the investigation, which means that their first meeting happens in an exceptional situation. Despite the circumstances, they are attracted to each other and soon start to get closer, but at the same time the circumstances are far from ideal for starting a relationship. Because of that, it is normal that they question – as does the reader – whether there truly is potential for something more between them or of if they just used each other as some kind of distraction.
Both characters are very likeable and I greatly enjoyed that they are ‘tough guys’ in many ways (after all, Alec was an FBI agent and is now a private investigator, while Asher dives with sharks even though he was attacked by them years ago), but openly show their feelings and their vulnerability. This has made both of them more tangible and I could empathize with them easily, which is why I was anything but indifferent to their fate – something that was especially important because of the danger that Jack’s kidnapper posed. I also liked that they made mistakes and that their actions had consequences since that created some conflicts which were realistic obstacles for a potential deepening of their relationship.
Roman maintained a good balance between emotional, romantic or even erotic moments and the tension created by the storyline centred on the missing child. Both aspects have been given sufficient spotlight and in my opinion, the extreme emotions the family of the victim was feeling were given enough attention without overshadowing the love story. It was interesting to follow the investigation and of course one hopes all the time that everything will turn out well – especially after the situation gets worse towards the end. The whole book was a compelling read, but the last few chapters were especially gripping and therefore I did not want to put the book down. At the same time, I enjoyed the development of the bond between the protagonists and how it fit into these circumstances.
“Valor” is the fourth volume in a series, but I was able to follow the plot along even without previous knowledge. The characters from the first few books play a big role, but there is enough information to get a feel for them and how they are all connected to each other. However, the scenes in which one learns more about them made me curious, so I plan on reading the other installments as well. The story on hand certainly satisfied me; the writing style is very easy to read, I liked the protagonists and the mix of emotional and serious moments was perfect. That’s why I rate it 4 stars.