Another Second Chance Read online

  Another Second Chance

  Masters of the Prairie Winds Club

  Book Eight

  by Avery Gale

  Copyright © 2017 by Avery Gale

  ISBN 978-1-944472-42-9

  All cover art and logo © Copyright 2017 by Avery Gale

  All rights reserved.

  The Masters of the Prairie Winds Club® and Avery Gale® are registered trademarks

  Cover Design by Jess Buffett

  Published by Avery Gale

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales are entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publishing company.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find any books being sold or shared illegally, please contact the author at [email protected].

  Dedication

  I’m able to write humor because my cousins, Karen Bailey and Cathy Bryant, let me be ridiculous and they encourage me to be myself when the rest of the world insists on conformity.

  My books have amazing covers because Jess Buffett at Sinfully Sweet Designs can take the tiny bits of information I give her and turn it into the perfect cover. How she manages to see into my imagination is still a mystery and should probably scare her.

  And last, but by no means least, Sandy Ebel at Personal Touch Editing, took my stream of conscious writing and whipped it into shape. I appreciate her suggestions and attention to detail more than I can tell you.

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Other Books by Avery Gale

  Prologue

  One year ago

  LIAM JAMES WATCHED through the one-way glass in amusement as Guinevere Colbert-Lister rolled her brilliant-blue, aristocratic eyes when his boss turned his attention to his laptop. The petite beauty continued to swing her legs and glare periodically at the floor as if it had intentionally distanced itself from the bottoms of her scuffed, leather boots. Her honey blonde hair fell in a curtain of waves to her waist and an image of his hand fisted in the blonde silk flashed in his mind, sending a surge of blood to his cock. The strands were a hundred shades of spun gold, but it would all have to go—it was far too recognizable. Nobody who sees her hair would ever forget it. Every straight man I know would have the same fantasies I’m having.

  The door behind him opened and he nodded when his long-time partner, Bode Ford, finally stepped into the small, dimly lit room.

  “Christ, Tiffany has been asking me questions about us transitioning to another organization.” Tiffany was the receptionist for their floor. She looked to be in her early thirties, but there were times when Liam wondered if her age and I.Q. weren’t too close together.

  “What the fuck? Transitioning? Don’t tell me. She signed up for some word of the day email and that’s today’s word.” Liam chuckled at Bode’s frustration because it was a sentiment they shared. Tiffany was the boss’s niece and they all knew exactly how she’d gotten her job. What no one could fathom was how she’d managed to stay on past her probationary period.

  If you wanted to put a picture in the slang dictionary next to the term ditzy, you’d do well to use Tiffany’s. Liam had yet to ask her to do something she hadn’t fucked up; the only consistent thing about her was her inconsistency. In his opinion, the biggest problem with Tiffany was her relentless pursuit of both him and Bode. Had you asked him a year ago if he could ever see himself filing a sexual harassment complaint against a beautiful female co-worker, Liam would have thought you’d gone off the deep end. But he and Bode had both hit the end of their patience after the office Christmas party last week. Tiffany’s blatant sexual aggression had made everyone around them uncomfortable, and they’d abandoned any hope they could tactfully avoid her.

  The morning after the party, they’d called Kyle and Kent West and accepted their offer to join the Prairie Winds team, promising their supervisor they would stick around long enough to finish up the human trafficking case. Now, thanks to Ms. Colbert-Lister’s tip, they were closer than ever to wrapping it up. After arranging for her transfer to the Witness Protection Program, they would start packing.

  “I’m not thrilled about Tiffany using that particular term. I don’t even want to think about what the other Masters at the Prairie Winds Club will think if they get wind of it. And why the fuck is she privy to human resources information which should have been need to know only?”

  Liam knew if he didn’t shut him down, Bode would wind himself up to the point he was so pissed off, he’d scare the woman on the other side of the glass into silence, and they needed her cooperation. That was if their boss ever decided she’d cooled her heels long enough to agree to what she was facing. When Liam didn’t take the bait about their new team, Bode blew out a breath and turned his attention to the petite blonde who’d started pacing the length of the small room.

  “Does she realize the danger she’s in? If nothing else, they’ll want to make an example of her.” Bode hadn’t taken his eyes off her even though he was speaking to Liam. When he reached forward and switched on the microphone in the interrogation room, the first sound they heard was her huff out a breath of obvious frustration.

  “I don’t think so. She’s still under the impression her usual bodyguard will be able to protect her.” Liam had listened as their boss tried in vain to explain, tactfully, the seriousness of her situation, but his words had fallen on deaf ears. Her irate muttering finally came over the speakers after Liam cranked the volume up far enough to hear the whoosh of air as she stormed past the hidden mic.

  “They could have at least left me with my phone. I could read or something. Keme Meadows’s new book is smokin’. Dammit, those two guys with the panty-dropping smiles foisted me off on Toad Face so fast, you’d think I had a disease or something. I can’t just sit in here and stare at the walls waiting for Froggy to come back. I need a distraction.”

  Liam felt his mouth drop open and when he turned to Bode, his expression reflected the same surprise.

  “The two hotties leave me to Frogman and bolt. Some things never change.”

  “Fucking hell. She’s talking about us.”

  Well, at least Bode had finally forgotten about Tiffany. Thank God.

  “I can’t even remember the last time a woman called me a hottie. Jesus, I feel old.” Liam watched her stalk from one end of the small room to other, her steps so precise, he wondered if she was unconsciously counting them. The woman was gorgeous, but there was something off about her, and so far, he hadn’
t been able to pinpoint what it was. Maybe it was the boots? They looked well-worn and too scuffed to be a fashion statement.

  “Has anyone figured out why she was at the track?” Bode’s chuckle drew Liam’s attention away from the agitated beauty who was now doing some kind of yoga stretch which was probably illegal in half the counties in England.

  “Evidently, our little debutante is a closet gearhead. Much to her parents’ frustration, she loves all things mechanical. What the Queen’s cousin and his wife don’t know is her interest isn’t reserved to watching the races from the sideline. She loves hanging out in the garages, watching the mechanics work.” When Liam raised his brow in question, Bode shook his head. “She isn’t a groupie. What I mean is she’s genuinely interested in the inner workings of the cars, not the men working on them. By all accounts, she’s a hell of a mechanic.”

  Liam was more than a little surprised by Bode’s response. Christ, the woman’s blood was as blue as the fucking summer sky over the rolling hills of the Glens of Atrim.

  Damn, he missed the beauty of Ireland. He didn’t have any reason to visit the small village he had grown up in now that his parents were no longer there. That didn’t mean he didn’t miss the narrow cobblestone and brick streets and brightly painted buildings he’d once called home.

  Colbie hoisted herself up onto the table, and it was easy to see she was fast approaching her limit. When she started swinging her legs, Liam smiled. Damn, if she didn’t look like a petulant teenager. Her eyes went glassy with unshed years, and he noted the flush coloring her cheeks. Guinevere Colbert-Lister was on the verge of losing her battle to stay calm, and Liam was fighting one of his own. He wanted nothing more than to steal her away from the matronly woman who’d entered the room. As the caseworker assigned to her began explaining what was coming, Guinevere’s softly spoken words made his heart clench.

  “Feathers, my parents are going to be pissed about this.”

  No, baby, they’re going to lose their minds with grief. Being told your only child died helping save a truckload of kidnapped kids headed to the local slave auction will help ease the pain, but it damn well won’t eliminate it altogether.

  Chapter One

  COLBIE USED THE steel-toe of her oil-stained boots to push herself further under the small sports car she was tuning up and prayed the men questioning her boss hadn’t heard the creeper’s rollers squeak. Futt-buckers, why didn’t I oil those damned things?

  “You don’t have a customer who matches this description?” The man’s voice sounded familiar, but Colbie was so rattled, she couldn’t remember where she’d heard it. She pulled her extension mirror from beside her, hoping she could get a look at the men, but all she could see were black slacks and black leather loafers. Not helpful. Those are standard issue for every detective, bounty hunter, and thug in the world.

  A large drip of oil plopped onto her forehead before sliding into her spiky, red hair. Evidently, the Universe didn’t think her day had already gone far enough south to require penguin crossing signs. Biting her tongue to keep from cursing a blue streak, Colbie resigned herself to dealing with a streak of black sludge adding a bit of goth to her ridiculous rocker look.

  It had taken her months to recognize the woman in the mirror after she’d been forced into witness protection. Although her life had been completely turned upside down by her decision to report the conversation she’d overheard, she’d never regretted helping save the teens who’d been locked in a suburban London basement for weeks while waiting for the next auction sponsored by their captors.

  She shouldn’t have even been at the track that night. She’d promised her parents she wouldn’t go to the races, but she hadn’t been able to resist when one of the pit crew captains texted her he was shorthanded and asked if she’d like to fill in. During the race, he’d sent her into the cavernous rooms under the stadium looking for a spare rim. Hidden from view behind stacks of chrome, she’d overheard two men discussing their upcoming slave auction. Even though they hadn’t given the exact address where the victims were being held, she’d been able to get enough information the police had been able to figure it out. Unfortunately, someone in the local police department identified her before MI6 could whisk her to safety.

  Another man’s voice brought her out of her musings and this time, chills raced up her spine. This was the man who’d joked he planned to sample the merchandise before the auction. His high-pitched voice was unmistakable, and she fought the shiver she felt moving through her. Don’t move. Don’t move. Don’t move.

  “You haven’t seen a woman who looks like this?” Colbie heard the rustle of papers and could envision the picture Gus was studying, probably the one from her coming out party. She looked like she’d been dipped in phony and rolled in glitter before being dropped into a big pile of ruffled silk. God Almighty, she hated that damned picture, but it was the one the media had plastered on every newscast for days on end. No doubt her mother had given the sappy pose to anyone who asked for it since it was the one picture where they actually looked like they might be related. And if there was a way to twist a situation until it was about her, Maribelle Colbert-Lister would find it.

  Long minutes later, Colbie heard Gus walking the men to the door. Evidently, they’d given her boss their contact information. She heard Gus assure them they’d be the first to know if the woman in the picture brought her car in for service. She had to smile because that was a promise she knew Gus could keep. There wasn’t a chance in hell Colbie was going to dress up in silk ruffles and show up as a customer, and it would be a cold day in hell when she couldn’t fix her own car.

  The heavy thud of Gus’ enormous boots stopped near the side of the Spitfire she was tuning for its inattentive owner. If I had a car like this, it would never lack for my attention. The powder blue roadster was in pristine condition; it only needed a little TLC to make it a complete showstopper. She’d suffered from car-envy in the past, but this little beauty had stolen her heart. Colbie had never made it a secret the Triumph Spitfire was her dream car… she even had pictures of the small classic on the fridge in her apartment. She fantasized about buying the car from the owner who she had yet to meet. The man or woman hadn’t even taken time to dust the dash before bringing it in. It should be a crime for the little gem to be dirty.

  “Are you going to come out, or am I going to have to pull you out from under there?” Gus’ voice always sounded gruff, but this time, she could hear real frustration in his tone. Not a good sign. She slid out from under the car and let him give her a hand up. His eyes were filled with concern, and she felt herself cringe when she remembered her oil-smeared face and hair.

  When she pulled the red rag from her back pocket, he shook his head and took it from her fingers. Using a gentle touch, which always surprised her, he dabbed the oil from her face and hair. She’d been worried when she learned the burly garage owner was married to the petite woman who worked at the local newspaper office. She’d had enough experience with reporters in the past to last a lifetime. Colbie knew too well how ruthless they could be.

  Every member of the Queen’s extended family was trained from infancy to treat all members of the media with polite disdain. They are never your friend, dear. Remember that. That had been all Her Majesty had said to her after photos of Guinevere dancing at a party hit the tabloids her freshman year at Oxford. Colbie had been mortified when she discovered the journalism major she’d befriended and who had promised the evening was “off the record” was responsible. It was also the last time she’d trusted anyone even remotely associated with the media… until Julia. She’d laughed when she was first introduced to her boss’ wife. The irony of Augustus and Julia wasn’t lost on her; evidently, fate has a sense of humor pairing a man and woman named after Augustus and Julius Caesar.

  Returning to the moment, she realized Gus was watching her closely. He’d stepped back, but he was studying like a bug under a microscope.

  “Where did you go, Colbie? You
zoned out. You’re usually more self-aware. The dark circles under your eyes tell me you aren’t sleeping well which, no doubt, plays into your disconnection. If I had to guess, I’d say this isn’t the first time something has happened recently.”

  He was right. It wasn’t the first thing to ping her radar in the past few weeks, but she’d managed to discount the other incidents as either coincidence or products of her own imagination.

  “You’re going to tattle, aren’t you?” she blurted the question out before she could rein in the words. Gus’ association with Kent and Kyle West wasn’t common knowledge outside the Prairie Winds team. Gus was a retired Army Ranger who still had close ties to friends and associates he made during the time he’d served his country. That close association is what led her to his door when she’d first moved to Texas.

  “You bet your ass. Kent and Kyle are a lot bigger than you are, darlin’, and I’m scared spitless of Tobi.” Colbie had met Tobi West at a couple of local events. The vivacious woman had immediately embraced her, treating her like they were lifelong friends. “Tobi is fiercely loyal and we both know she’s appointed herself your guardian angel. She’ll bring her whole contingent down on me if anything happens to you.” The corners of Gus’ mouth tugged up, telling her he wasn’t really intimidated by Tobi and her friends, even though she suspected he probably should be.

  “Those guys aren’t going to give up, Colbie. If they flash your picture around town, someone is going to recognize you underneath all those layers of fluff.”

  Gus was right, but she was still holding out hope she wouldn’t be forced to relocate. The small apartment she had over the garage was perfect, even if it often reeked of exhaust. The outside entrance gave her just enough separation between home and work, and she never had to worry about being on time. There was also a hidden exit in her bedroom closet which led directly into Gus’ office. The motion detectors in the passageway sent text alarms to Gus and the West’s security team at the club.