Dangerous Victor
Aislinn Kearns
(Soldiering On, #3)
Publication date: March 2nd 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
Radha Iyer knows there’s something terribly wrong happening at the casino she manages. Her staff are acting cagey, the finances don’t add up, and then her Head of Security is found murdered in his own home. She’s out of her depth and desperate for help.
Zack Walker has kept to himself since the day an IED left him permanently scarred. When Radha calls Soldiering On for help, his degree in math makes him the obvious choice to go undercover as the new Head of Security to help her discover what’s going on and who’s responsible.
But the conspiracy they uncover goes deeper than either of them could have imagined. When their investigation is compromised, it puts them both in mortal peril and on the run. With nowhere to turn they must rely on each other, but danger and betrayal lurk in every shadow…
—
EXCERPT:
A sickly smell reached Zack; at the same time a sense of foreboding settled over him. He hadn’t noticed it at first, presuming it was from the kitchen remains. But this was something else.
He swallowed, trying not to breathe as he made his way towards the room. It had to be the bedroom—the only room yet unexplored.
“Stay here,” he growled to Radha. The rustling behind him stopped.
He tugged the sleeve of his hoodie over his hand as he reached for the knob. Careful not to leave any prints, he opened the door.
The smell assaulted him immediately, making him gag. His eyes watered, and he blinked to clear them.
“What is it?” Radha asked.
He didn’t know how to answer. Louis—at least, he assumed it was Louis—lay on the thin carpet. Dried blood, black in the wan light, pooled beneath him. Flies buzzed and writhed around him. He no longer looked human—a specialist would need to tell them how long he’d been there, but Zack’s best guess was about a week—the length of time he’d been missing.
Louis hadn’t fled to Mexico with the casino’s money. He’d bled to death on his bedroom floor.
The puzzle pieces shifted and rearranged themselves in his mind, becoming more entwined and complex, leaving gaping holes of knowledge.
“What?” Radha’s voice was thinner now, anxiety dripping from the word. She shuffled closer, and Zack wrenched the door shut. He spun, blocking her with his body, forbidding her from entering that room. She didn’t need to see her friend like that.
“I’m sorry, Radha.” He kept his arms out, stretched across the hall in case she tried to dart around him. Instead, she stared up at him as tears pooled in her eyes.
“He’s not…” she couldn’t finish.
“I’m so sorry,” Zack repeated.
The tears slipped from her eyes and slid down her cheeks. She let out a gasping sob, and Zack gathered her into his arms and half-carried her out the front door. He breathed in deep gulps of the fresh night air as he held her close.
She cried quietly against his chest, and all Zack could do is offer murmured words of comfort as he stroked her back. When was the last time he’d comforted a woman? Held her close?
Too long.
“We need to call the police,” Zack told her softly as her tears subsided.
She nodded, eyes vague. “Yes.”
“They’ll need to ask us some questions,” he warned her.
“Of course.” The nod was slower this time.
“Radha, you’ll have to tell them about the strange finances at the casino.”
At this, her eyes snapped to his. “Why? We can’t tell them.”
“I think it’s best we do,” he coaxed softly.
“But it doesn’t have anything to do with…” Her eyes widened as it dawned on her. He had to say it aloud, anyway.
“He was murdered, Radha. And there’s every chance it was to do with the casino.”
Tell us about yourself
I’m an Aussie girl that likes action movies (with a romance!), vegan food, and dogs. I’ve travelled the world since I was ten years old, and have so far been to twenty countries. I intend to eventually visit every continent, maybe even every country.
I am an avid reader of romance novels, particularly those with beta heroes! Favourite writers include Suzanne Brockmann, Jayne Ann Krentz, and Linda Howard.
Currently I love writing romantic suspense, but have plans for books in a number of other subgenres.
What’s the Soldiering On series about?
The Soldiering On series is about a group of wounded Veterans that come together to form a security company to show the world they still have what it takes. They do jobs that use their expertise to help people in need, and fall in love along the way.
They are led by Sergeant Major Duncan Pierce (hero of the prequel novella, Soldiering On, and the Christmas novella, Christmas Tango). So far Paul (Station Alpha), Blake (Guarding Sierra), and now Zack (Dangerous Victor) have found their happy endings, with Sam (aka Angelica Samson) and a full-length Duncan book still to come.
Tell us more about your latest release, Dangerous Victor
Fun fact: The book that eventually became Dangerous Victor was the first book idea I conceived for this series.
In the book, Zack is hired by Radha Iyer, General Manager of a casino, to investigate some strange happenings with the casino’s finances. Seems like an easy enough job. Catch is, he can’t let anyone else in the casino know what he’s doing.
Before Zack can actually start his investigation, the casino’s Head of Security is found murdered, which raises the stakes to dangerous levels.
Turns out, there’s a lot more going on than Zack initially suspected, putting him and Radha in a deadly situation…
What inspired you to be a writer?
I’ve always loved writing. It’s been my passion since I was a little girl. I just loved creating worlds and characters and stories. So much more thrilling than real life!
Just for fun, if you were an animal, what would you be?
Probably a koala! I love to eat and sleep all day, plus I’m cute on the outside, but will attack if you get too close!
Author Bio:
Aislinn is an Australian Expat living in Qatar. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in English and History, which she loved, and then went on to do a Masters in an unrelated field. She now largely pretends that last degree never happened.
She is the author of the ‘Soldiering On’ books, a Romantic Suspense series. She enjoys reading, writing, travelling, and fantasising about her future cottage in a forest. Now that she’s published, her next life dream is to own a dog.
This is where she would list her awards if she had any.
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