Line of Fire
Attorney Faith Lawton steps outside the courthouse. Shots ring out from a nearby rooftop. The concrete around Faith explodes with expended bullets as a pair of strong arms pulls her back into the building….Faith Lawton welcomes the strong embrace of chief of detectives Adam Guthrie–for the moment. His fast actions save her life. But it's nothing personal. They're adversaries in the courtroom and out–in spite of their often sexually charged exchanges. Now Adam's convinced she was the target, and that the shooter may strike again. Despite her protests, he's out to find the gunman. And until he does, Adam isn't about to let her go…
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COURAGE BAY SENTINEL
Courthouse sniper leaves one dead, two injured
Gunfire turned the courtyard of the Courage Bay Courthouse into a scene of terror yesterday afternoon.
Only minutes prior to the shootings, attempted murder charges against Dr. George Yube, a well-respected former physician at Courage Bay Hospital, were dropped after it was revealed that police had mishandled evidence. The controversial case created a media frenzy in recent weeks, and as Yube walked into the plaza a free man, he was felled by a hail of gunfire from the courthouse roof.
Courage Bayâs SWAT team was on the scene in minutes, but before they could rescue a court reporter injured in the attack, the sniper opened fire once again, wounding a paramedic.
Also in the plaza were Yubeâs defense attorney, Faith Lawton, and chief of detectives Adam Guthrie.
Highly regarded in their professions, Lawton and Guthrie often find themselves doing battle in the courtroom, and George Yubeâs case was no exception. But any professional animosity was sidelined yesterday as Detective Guthrie shielded the defense attorney from the rain of bullets before he joined the search for the sniper.
At this point, the shooter has not been found or identified, and suggested motives range from a vengeance killing to a random act of violence. Although Yube was killed, police have not ruled out either Lawton or Guthrie as possible targets.
About the Author
JULIE LETO
With twenty-six novels under her belt, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Julie Leto has established a reputation for writing ultrasexy, edgy stories. Julie writes primarily for the Harlequin Blaze line and was part of the series launch in 2001, as well as the fifth anniversary in 2006. A 2005 RITA® Award nominee, Julie lives in her hometown of Tampa with her husband, daughter and a very spoiled dachshund. For more information, check out Julieâs Web site at www.julieleto.com.
Dear Reader,
Exciting times are ahead! I hope youâre as thrilled as Iâve been with visiting Courage Bay, California. Okay, so the place seems ripe for fires, shootings, earthquakes and the like, but the residents, armed with determination and guts, are more than ready to face whatever challenges themâespecially when the hazard is something as dangerous as falling in love.
Line of Fire is my first foray into romantic suspense, though Iâve tried to inject a dose of action and adventure into my Temptation and Blaze novels. Conversely, if youâve never read one of my books before, be prepared for a little heat. Well, a lot of heat! Brilliant attorney Faith Lawton and intrepid police detective Adam Guthrie generated quite a bit of steam while they dodged bullets. Iâll admit, I stoked them a little. Itâs what I do. I hope you enjoy the fiery results!
You can drop me an e-mail through my Web site at www.julieleto.com. You can also enter my contest to win free books and learn about my upcoming titles. I have articles for aspiring writers, so if youâre a reader or a writer, please stop by and say hi!
Happy reading,
Julie
CONTENTS
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 ONE
P UKA BEADS . Even close up, Adam Guthrie had trouble believing that the necklace the prim defense attorney wore was not pearls, as he had assumed. When sheâd approached the bench to question him during the farce of a hearing heâd just left, heâd fallen hook, line and sinker for her ultraprofessional, ânever a hair out of placeâ persona. Same for every other time theyâd crossed paths, he as the chief of detectives for the Courage Bay police department and she as the defense attorney from hell. But after her first two questions, heâd been too enraged by her legal wrangling to evaluate her jewelry.
Sheâd torn him apart.
More specifically, sheâd ripped his departmentâs case to shreds and maneuvered the release of a dangerous criminalâGeorge Yube. But out here in the hallway of the Courage Bay County Courthouse, waiting for reporters to disperse so he could speak his mind without having his words quoted in the newspaper, he took the time to notice everything about her.
Trying to ignore Faith Lawton had become a hobby for him, particularly after sheâd shown up at the police station a few years ago as attorney of record for a perp heâd personally collared. With honey-blond hair that fell in long, soft wisps to her straight, level shoulders, Faith Lawton had arrested his interest at first glanceâand he wasnât wrangling for a reprieve anytime soon. Her steel-gray eyes spoke to him, but usually the message ran along the lines of donât mess with me or Iâll eat you for lunch.
