The House of Steele works for the good guysâbut sometimes itâs hard to tell heroes from villainsâ¦
The beautiful former thief had never met a lock she couldnât pick. Although Rowan Steele is now legit, she handles some of the familyâs most dangerous assignments. When she agrees to safeguard an ancient treasure, her heartâas well as her lifeâmay be the price.
His outlaw days roaming the streets of London are behind him. Now Finn Gallagherâs expert eyes authenticate the treasures he used to steal. When a major antiquities cache is threatened, he recruits Rowan to join him. Together, he figures, they can keep anything safe. Until an old enemy raises the stakesâ¦
âLetâs get out of here.â
Finn was rarely taken off guard, so the obvious invitation in Rowanâs words caught him up short. âWhere do you want to go?â
âHave you ever been to the British Museum after-hours?â
He had, in fact, been there on more than one occasion, but he wasnât about to tell her that. âNow, what would a nice girl like you be wanting in a place like that?â
âWhat happened to that adventurous spirit, Finn?â Rowan moved in, the light scent of her wrapping around his senses as the heat of her body assailed him through his suit. âYou know, the one that had you making those idiotic jumps off your office building?â
âAnd the guards with guns?â
She waved a hand. âEasy.â
âWhat are we waiting for, then?â Finn held out a hand, barely suppressing the urge to wrap her in his arms. âLead the way.â
House of Steele: Elite investigators taking on the most difficult assignments all over the world.
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to the world of the Steele siblings. Liam, Campbell, Kensington and Rowan formed the high-end security firmâthe House of Steeleâto cater to a wealthy clientele the world over. Each has a unique skill set used to get the job done for their elite, exclusive clients.
In The London Deception, the youngest Steele, Rowan, is forced to confront her past in the form of sexy Finn Gallagher. Now a modern-day female Indiana Jones, Rowan trots the globe, rescuing antiquities.
Finn needs Rowanâs help. Heâs authenticating a major find in Egyptâs Valley of the Queens and needs her expertise. What neither of them anticipates is to be revisited by an enemy more dangerous than either ever suspected.
I had so much fun writing The London Deception. Iâve always had a fascination with ancient Egypt and I hope youâll forgive me some artistic license as I played with the history of Ramesses II and his wife Nefertari. While they are real, Iâve taken liberties with their sculptures and burial chambers for the sake of the story.
I absolutely loved writing this book and the very real challenge of taking two damaged souls and redeeming them through the power of love. Love of family, love of a significant other and, maybe most important of all, love of self.
Best,
Addison Fox
ADDISON FOX
is a Philadelphia girl transplanted to Dallas, Texas. Although her similarities to Grace Kelly stop at sharing the same place of birth, sheâs often dreamed of marrying a prince and living along the Mediterranean.
In the meantime, sheâs more than happy penning romance novels about two strong-willed and exciting people who deserve their happy ever afterâafter she makes them work so hard for it, of course. When sheâs not writing, she can be found spending time with family and friends, reading or enjoying a glass of wine.
Find out more about Addison or contact her at her websiteâwww.addisonfox.comâor catch up with her on Facebook (addisonfoxauthor) and Twitter (@addisonfox).
For Alice
Valued critique partner, trusted confidante, dearest friend.
Iâm so blessed you left a message.
Chapter 1
Twelve years agoâLondon
The bullet missed her ear by the grace of God and a stone in her shoe.
Unwilling to tempt fate twice, Rowan Steele belly crawled across the roof of the Knightsbridge townhome, reluctant to find out if her assailant was going to try again or just come after her.
She needed a more secure location.
Now.
Not for the first time did she curse her innate fear of guns or sheâd have nicked Grandfatherâs World War II service pistol and stuck it in the waistband of her black pants before sneaking out earlier. A raw, choked laugh welled in her throat at the irony.
Guns she ran in fear from. Climbing London rooftops as a means to rip off the contents below? Bring it on.
A shout echoed from the street, muffled in the light fog that coated the city. When sheâd arrived ten minutes earlier, sheâd considered the fog a blessing, but its rapid swirl and increasing weight had her reconsidering that decision.
Who the bloody hell would be shooting at her?
And how did they even know she was up here?
Rowan kept moving, her breath heavy, even as the questions swirled through her mind faster than the fog around her body. A small nook sat between two chimneysâsitting room and study respectivelyâand she moved determinedly onward over the rough tiles to give herself a moment to regroup in relative safety.