Heather Slade
After surviving a plane crash and a kidnapping,
I just want to lie low.
But when one of our own goes missing,
K19 Security Solutions needs me,
And I can’t refuse.
I owe them my life.
With a trip to Italy to find the missing debutante,
One thing is certain: she’s in over her head.
I just can’t figure out if she’s a pawn in her father’s game,
Or if she’s helping run the show.
Getting closer to her,
And knowing every curve of her body,
Is the only way to get to the truth.
They may call me “Halo,”
But I’m no saint.
I am going to be her savior, though.
One of the things I really love about Heather’s books is the way they intertwine with her other series. In this book, the vineyard owner Pia is someone I remember from ‘Grinded’ book 3 in the Invincibles series. It seems Pia can be quite the matchmaker.
Tara is feeling left out and is more than irritated with her friends. It was bad enough when her credit card was declined and Pen bought her plane ticket, but now she is discovering her father is being investigated and her friends think she’s ‘on’ something. At her request, Quinn arranges for her to return home to NY.
Halo and Tackle are best friends and are currently considering joining K19, when a mission comes up they both jump on it, not realizing everything was about to go FUBAR. We met Onyx their pilot in ‘Dutch’ and in ‘Striker’ we see Onyx and meet Corazón there too.
Now back to Tara, when she lands she gets a call from her father’s secretary Vi. She meet with her at her father’s apartment and the next thing she knows, she has a new identity, cash and is on her way to Europe. Essentially, like her father, Tara has just vanished.
K19 gets involved to find her father, but to this crew Tara is most important. Quinn, Ava, Aine and Penelope are worried out of their minds. This becomes Halo’s mission as he travels to Italy.
Ironically runs he into Tara almost immediately at Valentini’s tasting room. Apparently she will be working there and is now being encouraged by the owner Pia to tour other vineyards.
This is a favorite scene.
I set my plate on the table and poured myself a cup of coffee, added cream, and breathed in the aroma. It was heavenly.
“What?” I asked when I sat down and noticed Ben staring at me.
“That sound… you made it a lot last night too.”
“Sound?”
“You’re very… expressive when you like something. It isn’t just the murmurs of pleasure; your eyes roll back in your head a little.” His voice was so soft and sexy I felt like I was falling into a trance.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled.
He leaned forward and rested his forearm on the table, almost close enough to touch. “Please don’t apologize. I quite like it.”
I looked away, unable to speak. It had been a long time since I had any real interest in a man. In fact, Pen had mentioned of it a couple of times. “You might not be so bitchy if you got laid,” she’d said on more than one occasion. A sad feeling, the one that washed over me whenever I thought about my friends, sat heavy on my chest.
“She’s right, you know?”
That if I got laid, I wouldn’t be so bitchy? Had I said that out loud? “I’m sorry, what?”
“You’re at Valentini. No more sad memories.” Ben repeated Pia’s words from earlier.
“There’s no switch to turn them off,” I muttered, surprising even myself. I couldn’t talk about the reasons I was sad, not to anyone, but especially not to a man from America.
He touched the back of my hand with his fingertip. “You’re too beautiful to look so sad.”
I looked into his eyes. “Thank you.”
He sat back abruptly when Pia rejoined us. “Am I interrupting?” She smirked and then winked.
“I think we need to cheer Catarina up,” said Ben.
I looked between them. “I’m fine.”
Pia tapped her cheek. “I have an idea.”
“Oh, no,” I groaned under my breath, and she laughed.
“For you to be really good at your job in Valentini’s tasting room, you should visit some of the other wineries in the area. That is the work you and I will do today. Since it is Monday, our tasting room and many others are closed. This will be the perfect time for us to visit.”
“That doesn’t sound much like work.”
“It’s research. We’ll visit Chianti.”
I stared at her with wide eyes.
“Sì.” She nodded. “That is what we will do.” Pia looked at Ben. “And when your business is complete, you can join us.”
“Pia!” I gasped.
“I’d like that very much,” said Ben.
I looked between them again, incredulous. “I think you should give me a tour of Valentini instead today.”
Pia nodded again. “We will do that this morning. This afternoon, we will go to Chianti. There are two wineries in particular we should visit. Casavetti, which is owned by my father’s sister and her husband. The other, I’m not sure is a good idea.”
“Which one?”
“Vitticio.”
I’d heard of it and would certainly like to visit. “Why isn’t it a good idea?”
“Paolo Vitticio.” When she rolled her shoulders, the expression on her face changed drastically from a frown to a wide smile. “He is married now, so it will be fine.”
I made a mental note to ask about him later when Pia and I were alone.
“It’s a date, then, sì?” Pia looked at Ben.
“Yes. Absolutely.” Ben looked at me.
“A date? Or work?” I asked.
“Both,” answered Pia, grinning from ear to ear.
Heather Slade. Halo (Kindle Locations 608-638). K19 Security Solutions Book Eight.
Halo is enthralled by Tara and wants nothing more than to begin a serious relationship. However, when things turn to the art world and forgeries, she becomes a prime suspect in her father’s problems.
I truly felt like I was touring with Tara and Halo, Tuscany is so beautiful and came to life on these pages. Their relationship is one full of ups and downs, simmer to sizzle and back again.
So many surprises, lots of intrigue and suspense and hair-raising action.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this series, ‘Tackle’.
5 Contented Purrs for Heather!
Click the Cover for Buy Links and More!
Coming Soon!
My books are filled with things that bring me joy: music, wine, skiing, families, artists, and cowboys. Not always in that order.
I’m an Amazon best-selling author, and a PAN member of Romance Writers of America. I speak, teach, blog, am an executive sommelier, and all-around entrepreneur.
I grew up an east coast girl, and then spent half my life on the west coast. Now my husband, our two boys, and I happily call Colorado home.