Debra & Regan Webb & Black - Heavy Artillery Husband

He’d never been a fan of her using his general’s tone, but if any situation required it, this was the one.

“I am,” Frank replied, with both hands on the steering wheel once more. “You’re not going to like it.”

“I already don’t like it, Frank.”

“The man following you was one of the top snipers in the Afghanistan military. One word from his boss and your life is over.”

She sucked in a breath. “Why?” Who would make her a target?

“That’s one detail. I swear to you, as soon as I’m sure we’re out of harm’s way, I’ll tell you everything.”

“Harm’s way or not, you’ll tell me everything tonight.” He wasn’t the only one who could issue orders.

With a short nod, he rolled his broad shoulders.

She remembered the feel of those shoulders under her hands after a tough day at work when she’d help him work out the kinks … or late at night in the heat of passion.

Oh, how she wanted to trust him, to be sure she could trust him.

It scared her, more than being run off the road, just how much she wanted to believe in Frank Leone again.

Heavy Artillery

Husband

Debra Webb & Regan Black

www.millsandboon.co.uk

DEBRA WEBB, born in Alabama, wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the military behind the Iron Curtain—and a five-year stint with NASA—that she realized her true calling. Since then the USA TODAY bestselling author has penned more than one hundred novels, including her internationally bestselling Colby Agency series.

REGAN BLACK, a USA TODAY bestselling author, writes award-winning, action-packed novels featuring kick-butt heroines and the sexy heroes who fall in love with them. Raised in the Midwest and California, she and her family, along with their adopted greyhound, two arrogant cats and a quirky finch, reside in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where the rich blend of legend, romance and history fuels her imagination.

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Contents

Cover

Introduction “You’re going to tell me the whole story,” Sophia said. He’d never been a fan of her using his general’s tone, but if any situation required it, this was the one. “I am,” Frank replied, with both hands on the steering wheel once more. “You’re not going to like it.” “I already don’t like it, Frank.” “The man following you was one of the top snipers in the Afghanistan military. One word from his boss and your life is over.” She sucked in a breath. “Why?” Who would make her a target? “That’s one detail. I swear to you, as soon as I’m sure we’re out of harm’s way, I’ll tell you everything.” “Harm’s way or not, you’ll tell me everything tonight.” He wasn’t the only one who could issue orders. With a short nod, he rolled his broad shoulders. She remembered the feel of those shoulders under her hands after a tough day at work when she’d help him work out the kinks … or late at night in the heat of passion. Oh, how she wanted to trust him, to be sure she could trust him. It scared her, more than being run off the road, just how much she wanted to believe in Frank Leone again.

Title Page Heavy Artillery Husband Debra Webb & Regan Black www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Authors DEBRA WEBB , born in Alabama, wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the military behind the Iron Curtain—and a five-year stint with NASA—that she realized her true calling. Since then the USA TODAY bestselling author has penned more than one hundred novels, including her internationally bestselling Colby Agency series. REGAN BLACK , a USA TODAY bestselling author, writes award-winning, action-packed novels featuring kick-butt heroines and the sexy heroes who fall in love with them. Raised in the Midwest and California, she and her family, along with their adopted greyhound, two arrogant cats and a quirky finch, reside in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where the rich blend of legend, romance and history fuels her imagination.

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

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Chicago, Illinois

Monday, April 18, 6:45 p.m.

Sophia Leone sat back as the waiter delivered wide shallow bowls filled with the best pasta in the Windy City. From the first warm embrace upon her arrival, her friend Victoria Colby-Camp and her husband, Lucas Camp, had carefully kept the conversation on lighthearted topics.

It couldn’t stay that way. All three of them recognized there were serious matters to address. As the founder of the Colby Agency, Victoria never let her mind stray too far from business, especially not when she sensed a friend in trouble.

Was she in trouble? Sophia couldn’t decide. She was still processing everything that had happened over the past few days.

She resisted the urge to run her fingers over the fading goose egg on her scalp. Hidden by her hair just above her ear, it was the only remnant of the shocking fight in her kitchen. Though it had been a terrible ordeal, the real culprit was in custody and the people who mattered most were safe. Coming to Chicago gave her a chance to escape and some space to decide how she wanted to move forward.

While this visit to Chicago needed to shift into business, tonight was for pleasure. She wanted time to relax and catch up with her friends. She hadn’t realized just how pervasive that undercurrent of tension in her life had been during the months when her daughter, Frankie, refused to speak with her. Now it was marvelous to share how happily Frankie and her fiancé, Aidan, a former Colby Agency investigator, were coming along with their wedding plans. With countless questions and decisions remaining, the two most important details were finalized. They’d set a date for September and Aidan’s family would be in attendance.

“I’m still not sure we’ve forgiven you for stealing Aidan away,” Lucas teased when the waiter walked away. “Victoria had to get creative when she recruited him.”

“He was ready to try this side of the pond.” Victoria shot her husband an amused glance. “I might’ve implied that when the river turned green on St. Patrick’s Day, Chicago would feel like Ireland.”

Watching the banter between the pair made Sophia’s heart twist painfully. It reminded her so much of the wonderful days when she’d felt that camaraderie and partnership with her own husband. Brigadier General Franklin Leone had been dead almost a year now and she still couldn’t quite accept it.

She took a bite of her meal and worked hard to enjoy the fresh flavors of tender pasta and crisp vegetables. She would not let a wave of loneliness ruin the evening. Doing her best to keep up her end of the conversation, she shared more about her future son-in-law. “Aidan is mesmerized with the Seattle area. He hasn’t seen much beyond the sights downtown, but when they dropped me at the airport this morning, he and Frankie were planning a visit to Tillicum Village this weekend. It’s a traditional native tribal experience.”