Heart Burn by Becky McGraw
Deep Six East, Book 1
Release Date: January 22, 2019
What do Italian food and Italian women have in common? They both give Dante Girabaldi heart burn and, with the exception of his mother, he vows to avoid them at all costs. That becomes impossible when the former military pilot and FBI agent’s first assignment with Deep Six East is to protect Prada D’Angelo, the Italian Ambassador of Women’s Affairs to the U.S.
Straight off the runways of Milan, the gorgeous former model and TV star turned politician has accumulated a string of enemies which includes politicians, a billionaire media mogul, and even a prince. Her father wants her protected, but Prada tells him right away she is not going to let him, or idle threats, slow her down. Dante quickly sees she isn’t going to let the threats shut her beautiful mouth either and before he knows it, he is working double time to keep her safe while his team figures out who wants her kidnapped or dead.
A trip to Italy may give Dante the answers he seeks, but it will also bring Prada face-to-angelic-face with her enemies. Can he keep her safe in the most romantic, but dangerous, place in the world? Or will the magic of amore distract him and get them both killed?
EXCERPT
Prada looked up from her date book to smile at Guilia, her best friend and long-time assistant as she strode into her office and walked to her desk with a newspaper in one hand and a coffee cup in the other.
“Good morning,” she said, but Guilia’s strained voice and tight smile contradicted her words as she leaned over to set down the coffee cup.
“What’s wrong?” Prada asked, curling her right hand around the cup, letting the warmth heat her suddenly cold fingers.
Guilia’s long sigh as she straightened and held out the newspaper to her, the tremble in her hand making Prada look at it as if it would bite her. She took it, but stared at it, instead of unfolding it. If Guilia was upset, she knew whatever waited for her on the front page of the Corriere della Sera, Milan’s oldest newspaper, was likely to put her in the same mood.
No matter how long she waited, though, that news would be the same. Sitting up taller, she unfolded it and smoothed it out on the desk. The photo of the fat, balding man she knew well smacked her in the face like cold water. Her eyes streaked up to the top to see the headline, which stopped her heart. Sickness roiled in her stomach as she quickly scanned the first few paragraphs of the article.
“They let him off?!?” Prada squeaked, her eyes darting to Guilia’s.
“He probably bought them off, is my conclusion,” her assistant replied with a shrug. “With all the evidence, the numerous women who came forward after you called him out, what other explanation could there be?”
“The man is a predator! How could they do this?” Prada demanded, snapping the paper shut because she couldn’t look at his face a minute longer. “There is no justice in this world—especially in Italy!”
Guilia sighed again and shook her head. “At least we don’t work for him anymore, carida, and everyone knows now, no matter how rich he is, he’s scum. You did the right thing, Prada, and I thank you. Every woman in Italy thanks you.”
Did the right thing? She gave up her career, ruined her name and blackballed herself in the Italian entertainment industry, and for what? To force this bastardo to pay for his lechery?
What good did it do in the end? No, she’d made a mistake. She should’ve just gone back to modeling and let someone else throw themselves on the sword of this injustice.
That’s not how you operate and you know it.
AMAZON Kindle | AMAZON Paperback | B&N KOBO APPLE
About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Becky McGraw writes happily-ever-afters with heat, heart and humor. A Jill of many trades, Becky knows just enough about a variety of subjects to make her contemporary cowboy and romantic suspense novels diverse and entertaining. She resides in Florida with her husband of thirty-plus years, is the mother of three and grandmother of one. Becky is a member of the RWA, Sisters in Crime and Novelists, Inc.
Website Newsletter Goodreads Facebook Twitter Amazon
