Arresting Alan (Arresting Onyx book 4) by Amber Daulton released last week in the Romantic Suspense genre.

A hacker, a federal agent, and a crime boss. The time has come to fight.

Computer technician Alan Harding is no saint, but his squeaky-clean image is unshakable in the eyes of his family and especially his young son. After he agrees to assist a drug lord-turned-snitch and hack into a criminal database, he’s faced with an impossible challenge—keeping his hands and heart away from his sexy as sin bodyguard, DEA Special Agent Hannah Adler.

Hannah would rather go hand-to-hand with an assailant than go undercover as Alan’s girlfriend, but she’s determined to keep him safe and his illegal activities on the down-low. The handsome man and his adorable child, however, are more than she bargained for.

Once their enemies learn the truth and retaliate by kidnapping Alan’s son, they’ll have to race against the clock to save the boy and bring a dangerous empire to its knees.

Excerpt

She flexed her hands, determined to take the high road. “I’m sorry about this morning, flipping out on you and all. What happened last night was a mistake. It won’t happen again.”

“Bullshit. I know your job is tough. Your bitchy façade is what you want the world to see, but I’m not the world. Keep your apology and tell me what’s in your heart. It’s not the chunk of frozen coal you pretend it is. You burned like liquid fire when I touched you and clung to me as we slept. Don’t deny it. You owe us both better than that.”

She pursed her lips and dropped her gaze. The heart in question ached from his astute assessment.

“Forget it.” He turned back around and jabbed his fingers at the keyboard.

A long string of letters, numbers, and symbols popped up in the black window.

She cursed and seized the steps between them to gently squeeze his shoulder. “My heart’s not frozen, but you’re a temptation I can’t afford. I won’t deny what happened or how it made me feel, but don’t expect a repeat.”

He halted his tirade on the keys and stared straight ahead at the computer with glassy, unfocused eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses.

“Are you okay?” She swished her hand in front of his face and snapped her fingers.

His Adam’s apple bobbed like he swallowed a marble.

He half turned and grasped her hand so quickly that she jumped. Her stomach clenched from his suddenly sharp gaze on her face. Oh yes, she was in trouble. Alan had breached her defenses, pierced her soul, and reached her vulnerable side. That ended now.

She straightened, taking full advantage of her superior height with him in the chair. “Grow up, Alan, and forget about your little crush on me. Whatever you have going on in your head where I’m concerned is ridiculous.”

“Crush?” He feathered his thumb over her knuckles and tightened his grip when she tried to pull back. “Go ahead, fight the draw between us all you want. You won’t win. I said yesterday I’d wait for you. Now I’ve tasted you and felt you shatter in my arms. If I have to wait a lifetime to hold you again, fine. You’re worth the wait.”

A sob burned in her throat. She’d waited so long for a man she cared about to claim her. Now that it happened, she itched to run away. “Believe what you like, but nothing will come from it.” Again, her stomach twisted.

“We’ll see.” He released her and commenced typing with a much lighter touch. As she retreated across the room, he cleared his throat with a cough. “But know this, Hannah baby—I’m not giving you up without a fight. If you don’t want me, you’ll have to prove it.”

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What’s your name, and who are you in your world?

Hello. It’s a pleasure to be here. My name is Hannah Adler, and I’m a special agent with the DEA, the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Give us a visual. What do you look like?

I have copper-brown eyes and wild shoulder-length red hair that I always restrain in a bun or ponytail. I can’t tame the curls to save my life. I’m fairly short at only 5-5, but don’t let that fool you. I have a black belt in jiujitsu and can take down most men twice my size. Just ask Alan. I flipped him over my shoulder the first time we met.

What time period and location does your story take place?

It’s a contemporary story set in Denver, Colorado.

What’s your goal in this book?

My latest assignment is like nothing I’ve ever done. Alan Harding has made a deal with the DEA to write a computer program to hack into Onyx’s server. Onyx is a major crime ring, one that I’m determined to see burned to the ground. Anyway, it’s my job to make sure Alan does his job and keep up his end of the bargain. That means, I have to move into his apartment, pretend to be his friend, play nice with his kid and family members, and somehow keep my panties where they belong—on my body, not flung across Alan’s shoulder. Easier said than done.

What conflicts are you facing, other than keeping your underwear in place?

Each day Alan works on creating his hacker program is another day closer to disaster. If the Onyx drug lords find out what we’re doing, we’re dead—Danny, too, Alan’s son. I can’t—won’t—let that happen. It’s my responsibility to keep the father/son duo safe, but beyond that, I’ve come to care for them far too much. If they get hurt, it’s my fault. I’ve lost someone before, and I can’t deal with anymore guilt. It’ll break me.

How would you describe your life?

Before this assignment, I was off active field duty. For the past four years, I’ve been working as an assistant to the third ranking special agent in the DEA Denver division. I’m his right-hand man, so to speak, and I’m privy to the inner workings of several cases. I enjoyed the desk work and occasionally participated in raids, usually the ones I helped plan. My life was hectic. I was always on the go. Since I’ve gone undercover, things have slowed down a lot. I hate playing the waiting game and always keeping an eye on my surroundings in case the bad guys find my client. I’d rather go after them, not wait for them to launch the attack.

What did you think the first time you saw Alan?

That he was hot but in need of a serious dressing down. It was fun teaching him a bit of humility, but I never would’ve guessed that I’d jump-start his libido by flipping him over my shoulder in a martial arts stunt. Most men hate me after I show them up, but Alan glued himself to me like a puppy. It’s actually kinda nice, now that I think about it.

Do you have a pet? What kind? If you don’t, what kind would you like to have?

I want a yellow, shaggy-haired dog, but I don’t have the room or time for one. My townhouse and yard are way too small. Maybe someday.

What is your family like?

Stressful. My older sister died from a drug overdose when I was a teenager, and I blamed my dad. It’s a whole long story, so I won’t get into the nitty-gritty (you can read about it in my book), but Dad and I are working through our problems. Still, things are tense with us.

My mom wants me to quit my job, marry a rich man, and pop out some babies. No, thank you.

I can only handle my parents in small doses. They drive me crazy.

What was your dream growing up? Did you achieve that dream?

Before I lost Haidee, I didn’t really have any dreams or aspirations. After she passed, I wanted to do whatever I could to clean up the streets. I couldn’t save Haidee, but I wanted to help others fight their addiction. I was 15 at the time. I soon went to college, got my degree, and joined the feds. I’m bilingual (I speak perfect Spanish thanks to Aunt Martina—that’s another long, depressing story), so the feds recruited me up quick.

What is people’s first impression of you?

That I’m a coldhearted, stuck-up b*tch. A lot of people think that because I don’t put up with anyone’s crap. If you talk down to me or treat me like I’m stupid, I’ll get snide. I can’t help it. If you treat me nice, I’ll treat you nice. Simple. Once you get to know me, you’ll learn I’m actually pretty fun and easy to be around.

Do you see morality as black-and-white, or with shades of gray?

I used to believe the world was black and white. There was right and wrong, and you don’t cross that invisible line. Now, I live comfortably in the gray area. I used to abhor the gray, but it fits me nicely.

What is your biggest fear?

That no matter how hard I try, I’ll fail. People depend on me. Lives are at stake. Alan and his son are my responsibility, and I’ve done the most stupidest thing I could do—I’ve fallen in love with them. I can’t fail them. The consequences would destroy me.

What other character from your book do you think your author, Amber, should write a book about? Care to tell us why?

Alan has this friend, Bristol Rieger. Personally, I don’t know how he can be friends with a drug lord, but he is. Whatever. Bristol has done a lot of bad things in his life, but in an effort to make reparations, he’s signed an ironclad deal with the DEA—he’ll give over sensitive information in exchange for immunity. Without Bristol coming forward, I never would’ve met Alan, so I suppose I should’ve thanked him when I had the chance. He’s now fled the country for only God knows where.

My story, Arresting Alan, concludes the Arresting Onyx series, but my author couldn’t let Bristol go without a story of his own. Apparently, she’s infatuated with him. Why do some women go gaga over criminals? I don’t get it. Anyway, she’s titled it Dark Hearts Aflame, and it’s book one in the spin-off series, Lozano Cartel, which is going to be full of criminal heroes. Sigh.

About the Author

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats. 

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats. 

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