By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Cara Carnes

This is a short, free read to help bridge some of the events after book 3, Blood Vows. And the continuing story arc in Zero Trace.

Intertwined with some steamy scenes of the honeymoon being taken by Mary, Dylan, Vi and Judson at a gorgeous tropical island resort, we get a look at the rest of the players in this series.

First we see Kamryn with TJ and DJ, as she encounters their hoarding of food. Reassuring these two and having them believe that sort of thing isn’t necessary is going to take time. I love the interactions between Dallas and Kamryn, and the love they lavish on their boys.

A girls night out gives us a glimpse of Bree, Addy, Riley, more Kamryn but it’s a little confrontation with Zoey and Gage that perks the interest.

This is a favorite scene.

“Uh oh,” Zoey whispered.

“What?” Bree asked. The blonde peered behind Kamren and toward the door.

“Fuck,” Addy cursed. “What did you do?”

“Me? Nothing!” Zoey declared, a bit too loudly for Kamren to believe.

Red rose in the woman’s face and accentuated the wild pink and purple of her hair. Gage Sanderson prowled through the crowded bar and made a beeline for their table. He offered a curt grunt to everyone as he turned Zoey’s stool around to face him. Hands on the table, he leaned into her personal space.

And waited.

“Oh boy,” Riley said. “Someone isn’t happy.”

“No shit,” Addy replied.

“Wow. That’s hot,” Bree whispered.

Kamren chuckled. Gage glared her direction, then returned his focus to Zoey.

“Get out of my face, Sanderson,” Zoey clipped angrily.

“You and I are having a conversation,” he said.

“No. We aren’t.”

“Who were you talking to?” Gage asked.

“You’re loco.”

Zoey tried to turn her stool toward the table, but Gage put a hand on her knee and stepped forward until his legs interlocked with hers. Heat spread through Kamren as she imagined Dallas doing that with her. It was a possessive statement, one which matched the heated expression in the operative’s gaze as he watched Zoey.

“You put me and my team on hold,” he said.

“Oh boy,” Addy said.

“While we were in the middle of a mission,” he added.

“I did not. First, the mission had not started. You were waiting for the green light—one I hadn’t given. Second, my phone calls are none of your business.”

“Everything you do is my business, Little Bit,” he whispered. “Remember what I told you at your apartment the day we met?”

The woman’s gaze widened. She gulped but nodded.

“You ready to tell me what the fuck is going on with you yet?”

The woman shook her head. “You don’t own me, Sanderson. Back off.”

“Secrets have a way of blowing up in people’s faces around here, Little Bit. The sooner you spill, the better it’ll be.”

“You’re loco,” she replied. “Someone I used to work with needed some help. Okay?”

“You put us on hold in the middle of an op.”

“I didn’t.” The woman’s eyes widened. “It wasn’t like you were in a jungle or a desert. You were in Seattle in a coffee shop. That’s so beyond cliché it’s kind of pathetic, to be honest. You didn’t even need me running the op. It was an easy in and out.”

“No op we do is an easy in and out,” he said, his voice husky. “The Edge and Quillery aren’t around to cover your ass, Little Bit. You need to stay focused on the missions.”

“Noted.” She crossed her arms and glared up at him. “Are you done with me?”

“Not by a long shot.” The man turned and left.

Wowza. Kamren took a swig of beer and looked around at the startled expressions of the women around her. Gage was a ghost around The Arsenal. He’d had Dallas’s back while he searched for his sons but remained far more aloof than the other team leaders.

“What was that about?” Bree asked.

“Nothing,” Zoey answered.

Kamren chuckled.

“What?” Zoey asked.

“That’s so far from nothing it isn’t in the same stratosphere,” Kamren commented.

“Someone’s been studying her words,” Rhea said with a smile.

Heat rose in Kamren’s face as she nodded. She wasn’t close to ready for the GED exam, but the studying had become easier. She wanted to set a good example for the boys, who had an equally challenging uphill battle to wage for their education.

“Why were you laughing?” Zoey asked.

“Last time a man came in here with that kind of frustrated attitude was Dallas when he hunted me down.”

Riley and the other women laughed. Red rose in Zoey’s cheeks.

“It’s not like that.”

Right.
Cara Carnes. New Dawn (Kindle Locations 276-311). Heartscape Publishing, LLC. Kindle Edition.

A wonderful transition between Blood Vows and the continuing story in Zero Trace. It answers some questions and expands on some events.

Lots of heat, it is a honeymoon after all, some fun and I guess you could say some interesting testing.

I am so looking forward to the next book in this series!

5 Contented Purrs for Cara!

Cara Carnes
Born in small-town Texas, Cara Carnes was a princess, a pirate, fashion model, actress, rock star and Jon Bon Jovi’s wife all before the age of 13. In reality, her fascination for enthralling worlds took seed somewhere amidst a somewhat dull day job and a wonderful life filled with family and friends. When she’s not cemented to her chair, Cara loves traveling, photography and reading.