#BookQW word is BREATH. Excerpt from Unholy Alliance, book 2 of the Donahue Cousins Series #RomanticSuspense published by #Tirgearr

Book Quote Wednesday’s word is BREATH. Below, please find an excerpt from Unholy Alliance, now 50% off at Smashwords in any format. 

The scene below, containing BREATH, takes place when heroine, Tori, is buying a food truck with the hero’s cousin and wife. Tori, released from jail from a crime she didn’t commit, crushes on her lawyer, Grady Fletcher. Tori hopes to find her missing cousin, Vivienne, whom she believes is being held by an Irish gang. She will park her food truck where the gang is located.

Scene below from Unholy Alliance:

August turned to September, and Grady’s associate, 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.