Tennessee Takedown

Tennessee Takedown
Lena Diaz

A SWAT officer in small-town Tennessee will do anything to protect the innocent beauty whose life has been put on the line in Lena Diaz’s Tennesse Takedown It can’t be a coincidence that in the past twenty-four hours, three different thugs have tried to kill or abduct Ashley Parrish. Sexy SWAT team leader Dillon Gray saved her, but now he wonders why someone would want to murder the beautiful accountantand why he finds her so infuriatingly attractive. Then the FBI comes after Ashley for embezzlement, and Dillon knows he must protect her from a killer and prove she’s being framed. Taking her on a hair-raising run through dangerous terrain barely fazes him. But wanting her for more than just one night scares the hell out of him.

“You’re cold.” He shoved his gun in the holster and started to unstrap his Kevlar vest as if to wrap it around her.

She placed her hand on his, stopping him. “No. That’s all you have to keep yourself warm. You already gave up your shirt for me. I’ll not have you freeze to death by giving me your vest.”

He nodded. “At least this cave is dry. I’d start a fire but it would be a beacon to the gunmen. Come on. Sit and we’ll huddle together to get warm.”

The images that conjured in her mind had her feeling warm all over.

“I promise I’ll behave,” he added, as if he thought she might be worried about his intentions.

Ashley snorted. “Don’t expect me to make the same promise.”

He chuckled and pulled her closer. “Are you always this shy, or am I special for some reason?”

Oh, he was definitely special, but no way was she saying that.

Tennessee Takedown

Lena Diaz

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

LENA DIAZ was born in Kentucky and has also lived in California, Louisiana and Florida, where she now resides with her husband and two children. Before becoming a romantic suspense author, she was a computer programmer. A former Romance Writers of America Golden Heart

finalist, she has won a prestigious Daphne du Maurier award for excellence in mystery and suspense. She loves to watch action movies, garden and hike in the beautiful Tennessee Smoky Mountains. To get the latest news about Lena, please visit her website, www.lenadiaz.com.

Thank you, Allison Lyons and Nalini Akolekar.

This one is for Sean and Jennifer, and the fun memories of horseback riding and white-water rafting in Tennessee. Exploring the Smoky Mountains with you was a true joy. Looking forward to many more years of happy memories to look back on.

Am so very proud of both of you. Love you.

Contents

Chapter One (#u5fe27394-e4c2-50b1-ac8f-6d7675ac5d4b)

Chapter Two (#u326e127a-d90a-561b-902b-15f88a224411)

Chapter Three (#ubae5e1fc-29d6-5425-b46f-a74b7f88a106)

Chapter Four (#ua46e580e-c9f5-5e21-a83b-90131aed699b)

Chapter Five (#u1607ce71-830a-527c-9778-3def82050b24)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Excerpt (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One

Ashley edged farther under the desktop in the cubicle, her fingers clutching the phone to her ear, her knees scraping against the coarse commercial carpet. Breathe...in, out, in, out. Focus, listen. Where is he?

Her breaths wheezed between her teeth, making a sharp whistling sound.

Calm down. He’ll hear you if you don’t calm down.

“Why don’t I hear any sirens yet?” she whispered to the nine-one-one operator.

“They’re on the way, ma’am. Is the shooter still in the building?”

“I’m not sure. I think so.”

“Stay where you are. Stay on the line. The police will be there soon.”

Her fingers tightened around the phone. That’s the same thing the operator had told her ten minutes ago—after the shooter killed Stanley Gibson.

They’d both been standing by the copier, chatting about nothing in particular while the machine spit out reports for their next meeting. A soft pfft sound whooshed through the air. A bright red circle bloomed on Stanley’s forehead. His eyes rolled up and he crumpled to the floor.

Ashley had stood frozen, too horrified to acknowledge what her subconscious already knew—someone had just shot one of her coworkers.

That’s when the screams began.

She’d whirled around. The shooter stood in the main aisle, his silver hair forming spikes across his head like porcupine quills. His dark gaze locked on her.