Tori's plan to find her is to run a food truck in a seedy neighborhood where the Irish mob hangs out. Her attorney's detective, Maeve, helps fulfill that promise. Here is an excerpt from Unholy Alliance with characters from Deadly Alliance in the scene:
August turned to September, and Maeve came through
with her promise to put food truck “wheels in motion”. With Finn and Amy
Donahue at her side, Tori landed in San Antonio for a tour of Cruising Kitchens.
Her head throbbed and nerves in her stomach tightened
when she picked through similar pieces of black luggage on the carrousel. Without
discussion, she read luggage tags and breathed relief when she found hers. Once
she stepped outside, nervous knots all slid away. The humid night air was
scented with magnolias and damp earth, making it sultry. The moon flirted with
the cloud cover, and her blood pulsed with eagerness. Soon they’d meet with the
king of food trucks, Bob Decker. Presto, change-o, how much wonderful could a
girl take?
It was evening when the trio arrived by taxi. Bright
light poured out the large windows of the showroom onto the parking lot,
highlighting mums planted in large barrels under the windows. Surrounding a
Tex-Mex food truck, bistro tables matched its red and yellow color scheme. She
imagined the owner had a hand in the display.
Finn, seated in front, pulled out his wallet and paid the
driver.
Next to her in the backseat, Amy turned to her and
flashed a grin. “Have you ever seen the interior of a food truck?”
“Nope, only on brochures.” Her heart did a little jig.
“Today I can. Pinch me. I must be dreaming.” She clutched the dog-eared
renderings of every layout.
“You’ll put your degree to work.” Amy had helped
arrange that. “You don’t need to thank me again.” She put her hand up.
With that, she just smiled. “Tell me. Did Grady put
you two up to babysitting me?”
“Don’t be silly. We’re desperate for a vacation.” Amy
paused for a second. “Grady is—”
“—chained to his desk.” Finn ground out words of
assurance.
“I last spoke to him on the day I left prison.” Why
did the void weigh her down? Not that she needed him. Her lawyer had done right
by her but also had touched a place of craving deep inside her. His voice
caressed nerve endings she hadn’t known existed.
Amy said, “Okay, yes. Grady asked us to accompany you.”
Tori’s heart clenched at this sign that Grady kept an
eye out. He hadn’t seen her in any clothing but orange. She let out a breath of
gratefulness for the effort he made. “You Donahue cousins do favors for each
other.” Finn had pushed Grady to appeal her case. Or had Maeve issued an edict
for him to see this through? In any case, damn, he had. “You two coming with me
means so much.”
“Truth be told, Tori,” Finn interjected, “you’re doing
us a favor.” He opened his pregnant wife’s door, took her hand, and plastered a
kiss on her lips. In her sixth month of pregnancy, Amy continued to lead hikers
around Lake Arrowhead.
She and Vivienne had first met Amy on a hike, and then
a second time at their wedding. Back then terrorists were the enemy. After
terrorists had massacred her escaping family, dust had settled into a sorrowful
stillness until she’d faced murder charges. Her heart beat against her sternum
at the memory. Being trapped like a caged animal was an extreme low. This was a
high, but she craved a steady, even-keeled existence.
Stars shined overhead, a slight breeze brought a smell
of bluebells, and the moon bathed the truck in a soft glow. To give the lovebirds
a little space, Tori lingered a few steps behind them. She heaved a sigh and
gazed at the moon, a habit she’d developed while in prison. Moonlight followed
her everywhere and mirrored her moods. Tonight, it was silvery, waxing with
hope.
Ahead, at the entrance of the building, Amy and Finn
waited for her.
She stepped quickly. “You left your kids at home. I’m
sorry.”
Finn laughed like it was the most hilarious thing he’d
ever heard. “Daddy gets some appreciation.”
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