Dana Nussio - Strength Under Fire

From hero to zero

One day lieutenant Ben Peterson’s single-handedly stopping a bank robbery and the next he’s being accused of tampering with evidence. Ben needs to clear his name, fast! His only ally is straight-shooting rookie Delia Morgan.

Involving Delia is the last thing Ben wants. But he needs her help to figure out who’s setting him up. As their investigation intensifies, so does the temptation, and they open up to each other in ways neither expected. However, when it becomes clear that Delia still doesn’t trust Ben completely, it puts more than just their careers in jeopardy...

Ben took a deep breath.

“Okay, I admit I’m at a disadvantage to get the information I need. But I can’t ask you to risk your career to help me.”

“You didn’t ask. I offered.”

“That’s what I don’t understand. Why?” But he didn’t give time to answer. “How do you know I’m not guilty?”

He looked away from her as if her response to that question didn’t matter.

Oh, it mattered, all right. She hated that she couldn’t tell him what he needed to hear. If only she could announce her fervent support the way the other troopers had. But she wasn’t built that way. She needed proof. Police and lab reports were like the building blocks of her constitution, the glue bonding them together. Indisputable proof.

That Ben Peterson even tempted her to step away from what she knew and trusted scared her more than any domestic or shots-fired call ever could.

Dear Reader Dear Reader Title Page About the Author Dedication 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 CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE EPILOGUE Extract Copyright ,

I am so excited to introduce you to my True Blue miniseries and to me, since this is my very first Superromance book. True Blue tells the stories of the brave men and women of the Michigan State Police Brighton Post. They are members of a different type of family, one based on shared sacrifice and ultimate trust rather than common genetics.

This project has been great fun because it has allowed me to delve into one of my favorite topics: law enforcement. From my college criminal justice electives to the weekend cops beat from my newspaper reporter days, I have loved learning about these honorable officers, who perform heroic acts daily. The miniseries gave me an excuse to attend the Citizen’s Police Academy, go on several police ride-alongs, learn to shoot a Glock and be Tasered by choice (ouch!). I hope all the research will lend credibility to my fictitious world so you’ll indulge my creative license in the stories.

In Strength Under Fire, reluctant hero Lieutenant Ben Peterson is forced to question the foundation of his state police family when he is falsely accused of evidence tampering. Because he no longer knows who his friends are, Ben must rely on help from non-team player Delia Morgan, a trooper with much to prove...and so much to hide.

I love hearing from readers. Contact me on Facebook or by snail mail at PO Box 5, Novi, MI 48376-0005, or follow me on Twitter, @DanaNussio1.

Dana Nussio

Strength Under Fire

Dana Nussio

www.millsandboon.co.uk

DANA NUSSIO began telling “people stories” around the same time she started talking. She has been doing both things ever since. The award-winning newspaper reporter and features editor left her career while raising three daughters, but the stories followed her home as she discovered the joy of writing fiction. Now an award-winning fiction author as well, she loves telling emotional stories filled with honorable but flawed characters. A pair of almost empty nesters, Dana and her husband of twenty-five years live in Michigan with two overfed cats named Leonardo (da Vinci, not DiCaprio) and Annabelle Lee.

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To my dear friend and fellow author Nancy Gideon, who always knew I could write the tough stuff and pushed me relentlessly so I could get it right. I hope I made you proud.

A special thanks to the law-enforcement and public-safety professionals who helped make the Lakes Area (Michigan) Citizens Police Academy possible for information junkies like me. I am especially grateful to Patrolman Tim Farrell and Officer Shawn Penzak of the Novi Police Department, and Officer Ken Ayres and Officer Rebecca List of the Wolverine Lake Police Department for answering my relentless questions and opening your law-enforcement world to me. Thank you to Rebecca, in particular, for helping me bring Delia Morgan to life. All of you are the real heroes.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text From hero to zero One day lieutenant Ben Peterson’s single-handedly stopping a bank robbery and the next he’s being accused of tampering with evidence. Ben needs to clear his name, fast! His only ally is straight-shooting rookie Delia Morgan. Involving Delia is the last thing Ben wants. But he needs her help to figure out who’s setting him up. As their investigation intensifies, so does the temptation, and they open up to each other in ways neither expected. However, when it becomes clear that Delia still doesn’t trust Ben completely, it puts more than just their careers in jeopardy...

Introduction Ben took a deep breath. “Okay, I admit I’m at a disadvantage to get the information I need. But I can’t ask you to risk your career to help me.” “You didn’t ask. I offered.” “That’s what I don’t understand. Why?” But he didn’t give time to answer. “How do you know I’m not guilty?” He looked away from her as if her response to that question didn’t matter. Oh, it mattered, all right. She hated that she couldn’t tell him what he needed to hear. If only she could announce her fervent support the way the other troopers had. But she wasn’t built that way. She needed proof. Police and lab reports were like the building blocks of her constitution, the glue bonding them together. Indisputable proof. That Ben Peterson even tempted her to step away from what she knew and trusted scared her more than any domestic or shots-fired call ever could.

Dear Reader Dear Reader Dear Reader Title Page About the Author Dedication 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 CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE EPILOGUE Extract Copyright , I am so excited to introduce you to my True Blue miniseries and to me, since this is my very first Superromance book. True Blue tells the stories of the brave men and women of the Michigan State Police Brighton Post. They are members of a different type of family, one based on shared sacrifice and ultimate trust rather than common genetics. This project has been great fun because it has allowed me to delve into one of my favorite topics: law enforcement. From my college criminal justice electives to the weekend cops beat from my newspaper reporter days, I have loved learning about these honorable officers, who perform heroic acts daily. The miniseries gave me an excuse to attend the Citizen’s Police Academy, go on several police ride-alongs, learn to shoot a Glock and be Tasered by choice (ouch!). I hope all the research will lend credibility to my fictitious world so you’ll indulge my creative license in the stories. In Strength Under Fire, reluctant hero Lieutenant Ben Peterson is forced to question the foundation of his state police family when he is falsely accused of evidence tampering. Because he no longer knows who his friends are, Ben must rely on help from non-team player Delia Morgan, a trooper with much to prove...and so much to hide. I love hearing from readers. Contact me on Facebook or by snail mail at PO Box 5, Novi, MI 48376-0005, or follow me on Twitter, @DanaNussio1 . Dana Nussio