Automatic Proposal
ARMED AND GORGEOUSKeeping her work with Miami Confi dential secret had never been a problem for skilled agent Julia Garcia. Then Luke Young, the man she left standing at the altar after a sting operation, reappeared in her life, demanding answers. With the kidnapping of her best friend, Julia had to maintain her cover at the Weddings Your Way salon or jeopardize the case. Yet their intense chemistry, combined with Luke's probing questions, had Julia torn between commitment to her job and to her heart. But once Luke became an unknown enemy's target, Julia vowed she'd do whatever it took to keep her former fiancé safe…or die trying.
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You are cordially invited toâ¦
Honor thy pledge
to the
Miami Confidential Agency
Do you hereby swear to uphold
the law to the best of your abilityâ¦
To maintain the level of integrity of this agency
by your compassion for victims, loyalty to your brothers and sisters and courage under fireâ¦
To hold all information and identities
in the strictest confidenceâ¦
Or die before breaking the code?
For Bob⦠Thank you for being my hero
for twenty-five years.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelsey Roberts has penned more than twenty novels, won numerous awards and nominations, and landed on bestseller lists, including USA TODAY and the Ingrams Top 50 List. She has been featured in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and makes frequent appearances on both radio and television. She is considered an expert on why women read and write crime fiction, as well as an excellent authority on plotting and structuring the novel.
She resides in south Florida with her family.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Luke YoungâEx-fiancé of Julia Garcia. Owner of a construction firm, he has a difficult past.
Julia GarciaâFormer FBI & DEA agent, now works as a seamstress at Weddings Your Way. Close friend of the Botero familyâlike a sister to Sonya.
Rachel BrennanâRuns Miami Confidential.
Carlos BoteroâMultimillionaire who has a stroke while awaiting word on his kidnapped daughter, Sonya.
Sonya BoteroâBeing held in a jungle by kidnappers.
Juan DeLeonâLaderan politician who is about to marry Sonya, when sheâs kidnapped.
Maggie DeLeonâJuanâs ex-wife in a Laderan institution.
Craig JohnsonâThe limo driver for the Botero family, who is involved in Sonyaâs kidnapping.
AJ TaggertâLukeâs foster brother, who is in trouble with drug dealers and knows Lukeâs secrets.
Tommy AndersonâWants to avenge the murder of his father, Frank.
Betty AndersonâAbused wife of Frank and mother of AJ.
Carmen LopezâLukeâs younger foster sister.
Contents
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
Prologue
Las Vegas, 2000
Hard to hide a gun beneath a wedding dress, Julia Garcia mused. She had a smile full of nerves as she strapped the weapon into its holster high up on her thigh, then let the bunched fabric drop to the floor. She smoothed the skirt in place. Could you tell?
Critically, she checked her image in the full-length mirror, turning this way and that. Not bad. Fortunately, the heavy cream-colored peau de soie dropped in a straight A line from the natural waist, covering a multitude of sins. And one Walther PPK.
Keeping her attention on the outline of her legs beneath the stiff silk, she walked a few steps back and forth, making sure that not even a hint of the handgun could be seen when she moved.
She made a pretty decent looking bride, she thought, meeting her own eyes in the mirror. Although this wasnât even remotely close to how sheâd imagined her wedding day, she still felt a lump of nerves clogging her throat. Not fear nerves, she told herself, more like stage fright nerves. Very appropriate, since this was all an act. Or it was supposed to be. Her heart thudded against her ribs just thinking about him. Which wasnât part of the plan. She wasnât supposed to have feelings for Luke. Not real ones, anyway. Julia dismissed her errant thoughts, chalking them up to stress, pressure, anything but the notion that love at first sight was real.
Luke seemed like a nice enough guy. And he was hot. Very hot.
Theyâd known each other for exactly one week, thanks to her assignment. Although âknownâ was a gross exaggeration. One couldnât really get to know a person in seven short days. Hell, until sheâd seen the application for the marriage license, she hadnât even known his middle name.
All that was by design. Her assignment was to learn everything she could about Joe Esterhaus. Luke was collateral damage. Esterhaus was using Luke. She was using Luke. The only person who didnât know either of those truths was Luke Young.
Julia guessed heâd be pretty pissed when he found out. Fortunately, sheâd be long gone by then. She checked the time again, feeling a knot of impatience in her stomach.
âWhere the hell are you guys?â she whispered. The small anteroom smelled faintly of flowers and stale perfume. Julia imagined how many real brides had stood here looking at themselves in the same full-length mirror. She guessed that theyâd been filled with anticipation and a touch of fear, but most of all theyâd been happy and excited about their bright new futures. Secure in the love of the men they had chosen.
Which was where her illusion shattered. My future is anything but secure, she thought, pacing for real now. Damn it. Come on, you guys, itâs hot in here, and this damn dress is starting to make me sweat. And while her weapon and harness wouldnât show, sweat would, which would reveal her nerves. How many of those imagined brides had walked down the aisle dripping like Niagara Falls?
