Justine Davis - Operation Alpha

A new Cutter’s Code hero meets his match!

After a series of his ex-girlfriends die mysteriously, tracker and tech expert Liam Burnett vows to steer clear of romantic entanglements. But when he’s assigned to work with Ria Connelly, unwanted feelings ambush Liam. And though he warns Ria that he’s not looking for anything serious, the outwardly cheery bachelor can’t help but fall for the beautiful teacher...

With Cutter, the uncannily brilliant dog, the two collaborate to help a troubled student. Their discoveries of scandalous secrets provoke extreme danger. Only when a killer threatens Ria does Liam finally rethink his reluctance to care—­he must protect her at all costs. Could she be the one who breaks the girlfriend “jinx”?

“So, Liam, you really were the problem child.”

“That I was.”

“Your parents must be relieved.”

“They are. And I’m sorry I gave them so much trouble. They’re good, good people. It wasn’t their fault. Sometimes if you’re good at something, it can get you in trouble. You follow the path because it’s easy for you, and sometimes you’re in over your head before you realize it.”

He understood then that he’d been sitting here sharing his life story with her easily, without even thinking about it. How had Ria managed that? She’d given him one tiny bit of her own history, and suddenly he was pouring his own out by the bucket? When what he’d meant to do was get that distance between them?

“I’m surprised that Dylan didn’t pour his soul out to you on request,” he said with a grimace.

“I can have that effect,” she said with a laugh. “It’s my honest face.”

Yeah, your face is honest. Among other things. Like beautiful. Fascinating.

Trouble.

* * *

Be sure to check out the rest of the books in this miniseries.

Cutter’s Code: A clever and mysterious canine helps a group of secret operatives crack the case.

* * *

Dear Reader,

When you’ve been through some battles of your own, you tend to be more aware of how dealing with adversity works. In my case, it made me very aware of the truth of the old saying “Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”

This was brought home to me once more in the writing of Operation Alpha. Because Liam Burnett, that laid-back, ever-cheerful Texas guy, had always seemed just that to me. It wasn’t until I got into his story that I found, somewhat to my surprise, that there was a great deal I didn’t know about him. That nobody knew about him. And it took the persistence of a good, loving woman and a certain very, very determined dog to get him to face the past he hid behind that carefree facade.

Happy reading!

Justine

Operation Alpha

Justine Davis

www.millsandboon.co.uk

JUSTINE DAVIS lives on Puget Sound in Washington State, watching big ships and the occasional submarine go by and sharing the neighborhood with assorted wildlife, including a pair of bald eagles, deer, a bear or two and a tailless raccoon. In the few hours when she’s not planning, plotting or writing her next book, her favorite things are photography, knitting her way through a huge yarn stash and driving her restored 1967 Corvette roadster—top down, of course.

Connect with Justine at her website, justinedavis.com, at Twitter.com/justine_d_davis, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/justinedaredavis.

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The biggest love sometimes comes in the smallest packages...

Dexter was a Chihuahua, black with a little white on his neck. He came to us from a puppy mill, although we didn’t know that until later. Despite that start in life, he was such a loving dog in so many ways. He was always giving hugs and kisses. He particularly loved being on his dad’s lap. There is a big picture of him sleeping on his dad’s lap in our living room. When we would watch TV in the dining room, he would want up and then put his head on the table and fall asleep until Dad moved. Many times we stayed there watching TV until late so we wouldn’t disturb him. If he was left in the car even for a few minutes, and whoever was in the car with him told him that Mom or Dad was coming, he would whine so loud you could hear him before you got there.

We were blessed with Dexter’s light in our lives for twelve years. When the end came, we wrapped him in the baby blanket I made him to lay him to rest. There is a marker and a heart made of stones in the backyard, with wildflowers planted around it so every summer Dexter has wildflowers, and a solar cross so he always has light.

We miss him still, and he will never be forgotten.

Peggy, Tim and DeeDee

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Extract

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

“Hi, Mr. Foxworth.”

Quinn Foxworth looked at the blonde, sweet-faced teenager standing in the doorway of the Foxworth northwest headquarters. She wasn’t alone, but he focused on her because she looked familiar. He couldn’t quite place her; yet she obviously knew him.

Before he could speak, his dog, Cutter, trotted around the far corner of the building. Foxworth tracker Liam Burnett was at his heels, giving a playful swipe at the dog’s plumed tail. Liam had volunteered for fetch duty this afternoon, and while summer might have ended, it was still warm enough that he’d worked up a sweat. Cutter, however, showed no sign he’d even had a workout.

The instant the dog caught sight—or scent—of the newcomers, his head came up and he broke into a run. He came to a halt at the girl’s feet, sat politely and gave her a tongue-lolling, old-friend sort of greeting. The girl tilted her head to look at him, smiling widely. His tail began to wag happily, again as if this were a long-lost friend.

And suddenly Quinn knew.

“Emily?” he asked, startled.

She turned her gaze back to him. “I didn’t think you’d recognize me.”

“It took a moment. It’s been—”

“Six years. I know.” She reached up and touched the locket that was on a gold chain around her neck. “I still wear it every day.”

Quinn smiled. “Good,” he said quietly to the girl—young woman now—who had been the inspiration for starting the Foxworth Foundation. They had kept in touch by phone and email, but he hadn’t seen her in person since the day Emily Parker and her adoptive parents had come to once more thank him for recovering the precious piece of jewelry that had been all she had from her dead mother. The change in her from age ten to sixteen was astonishing.