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Title: Brody (The Bang Shift Series)
Author: Mandy Harbin
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Sexual Level: HOT
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Cover Design by Sarah Hanson, Okay Creations
Organized by Literati Author Services Inc.
~ Synopsis ~
Brody “Brutus” Jackson isn’t your average small-town mechanic. The shop
where he spends his days doubles as the headquarters for the mercenary group he
works with. They jokingly call themselves the Bang Shift because the government
contracts they take are the less savory ones, and they’re all just shady enough to do
what’s necessary to get the jobs done. As far as Brody’s concerned, it’s the perfect
arrangement for a man with no memory of his past, and no hope for the
future.
Under FBI protection, Alexandria Collins and her son have been in hiding for
ten years. When it’s time to move again, her piece of crap car breaks down and the
man giving her a tow is the biggest, hottest guy she’s ever seen. She is determined to
ignore the need her long-neglected body hungers for. After all, the last man she
showed interest in put a gun to her head.
Brody thinks the skittish Xan is sexy as hell, but it’s not her hot body that has
him rocked to his core. He knows her from somewhere, and in his line of work,
that’s a dangerous thing. Following orders have never been this hard, but when he
finds out she’s his next assignment, he will protect her at all costs … even if what she
needs protection from most is him.
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Read an Excerpt
She was sorely disappointed. It was hotter in here than it was outside. How was that
even possible? Her wet clothes clung to her sweaty body, leaving nothing to the
imagination. Didn’t matter. She was past humility at this point. She’d have a teenage
moment and flash her boobs, sweat and all if necessary, to get someone to help them
out.
“May I help you?” a man with a gravelly voice asked as he walked into the makeshift
lobby next to the bays, wiping his hands on a grease rag. He looked to be middle-
aged, though she wasn’t sure since he was bald. No gray hair to help her out with
that assessment.
She looked at his nametag sewn into his shirt. “Yes, Colonel, is it?” At his smile and
nod, she said, “Our car broke down a couple miles down the road.”
A metal crash and very masculine curses mixed with raucous taunting and laughter
startled her. Scott snickered at the colorful words coming from the bays. He’d heard
them plenty of times, though Xan tried not to talk like that. Really, she did try to
deny her sailor-mouth tendencies. She just wasn’t very good at restraining herself
all the time.
“Sorry,” Colonel mumbled. “Those are my mechanics, trying to catch up on some
work. I took over this garage after I realized being retired was boring, and we stay
pretty busy. Seems like I’m constantly hiring more help, but we stay behind.”
The ruckus from the bays was finding its way into the lobby. Several guys walked
into the room, and Xan felt a slight panic attack coming on. She not only lacked a
love life, but she tended to avoid large groups of men. She didn’t have anything
against the male population, but after marrying into the mafia at a young age,
dodging copious amounts of testosterone seemed like a good self-preservation tactic
to live by. So she did, and when she wasn’t prepared to interact with schools of men,
her stomach took a nosedive when thrust into that very situation.
Taking a covert calming breath so she wouldn’t look like some skittish girl, she tried
to pay closer attention to each of the men as they came near. If she identified them
individually, she could pretend she wasn’t dealing with a mob of men.
A mob of seemingly beautiful, large, masculine men, looking to be around her
age.
Oh shit. She so did not need this. Her nerves and sense of self-preservation took on a
whole new meaning. She’d rather deal with certain fear than possible
attraction.
As she surveyed the crowd, she noticed their looks were as various as the candy
selection at the last gas station she’d stopped at. Male sweetness
was not better than chocolate. She just had to remind
herself of that as she stared at the variety before her. One guy had black hair,
another blond, spiked all crazy. The two next to the hot version of Billy Idol had long
dark-brown hair and curly light-brown hair. There was another bald guy bringing
up the rear, but that one had a goatee with green eyes. Colonel had brown eyes and
was definitely older than this group that’d just come in.
“Where’s Brutus?” Colonel asked the guys.
The dude with the spiky blond hair chuckled. “He’s cleaning up his mess.”
“It wasn’t his mess, asshole. You’re the one who knocked the tray over,” Mr. Black
Hair said with a snarl. Xan instinctively took a step back.
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“Easy, Roc,” Colonel said and looked at her. “This is Roc.” He pointed to the cranky
man with black hair. “Blade,” he gestured toward the spiky blond guy. His name
made sense. His hair looked sharp enough to hurt if he were to head-butt
someone.
“I’m Hunter,” the man with long brown hair said, and then he pointed to the guy
with curly brown hair. “That’s Gage. He’s not as mean as Roc, but don’t get too close
to him.” He chuckled.
“Fuck off, Hunter,” Gage growled.
“See?” Hunter snickered. “And that guy over there—”
“I’m Bear, and Hunter’s a dick.” He ducked his head and glanced at Scott. “Oh sorry.
He’s, er, I mean he’s a punk.”
Scott laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ve heard it all. You should hear my mom talk. She has
the biggest potty mouth.”
Xan gasped. “I do not.”
“Wow, he’s your kid?” Blade asked. “Did you have him at twelve?” He laughed but
with sincerity twinkling in his eyes.
“Just about,” she murmured.
After a few of the guys laughed, she immediately relaxed. Sure, they were all very
handsome. None looked to be shorter than six feet, and each had a body to die for,
though each had a unique look all his own. But she didn’t feel any sparks, so she felt
relieved. Maybe her libido was broken. If so, she was fine by that. She didn’t need
any man drama in her life.
Why did that make her feel a little depressed? She shook off that thought. She
couldn’t get caught up with any man, so there really was no need dwelling on the
things she couldn’t have, like love, companionship, trust and sex. God, she’d love to
have sex again.
Maybe in another life.
Focusing her attention back on the problem at hand, she looked at the assembled
group of men. “Look. We need our car towed and a ride to a car rental company. Can
you help us?” Xan asked the guys in general so as not to single anyone out.
Blade’s eyebrows shot up. “I’d love to give you a ride, doll.” Even though his tone
was clearly teasing, she stiffened. Flirting was definitely not her forte.
Hunter whistled while shaking his head in exasperation. “Back off, Blade.” He looked
at Xan. “Sorry about Rico Suave over here. One of us would be glad to help you out.
But you’d have to drive up to Conway or back to the Little Rock area for a rental.
Best to call around first before making the drive.”
“I’ll call Bill and see if he can drive one out here,” Colonel said to Hunter, then looked
at her. “He owns the rental company in Conway. If they have something he’ll bring it
out here and save you a trip. You’ll be limited on your options, though.”
“Oh, whatever it is will be a step up from my old hatchback. I’m not choosy.”
Colonel nodded and looked at the guys expectantly. “Which one of you is available to
help her out?”
“Bear and I aren’t finished with the tranny that’s supposed to be ready tomorrow,”
Roc barked and turned to leave. He obviously wasn’t volunteering. Xan was okay
with that. She didn’t like the vibe coming off him, anyway.
“Sorry.” Bear smiled to her as he followed Roc.
“Gage and I have to finish puttin’ tires on Ms. Carson’s minivan, then do Joe’s,” Blade
told Colonel before turning to Xan. “I’d be happy to help
you if you stick around, doll. It shouldn’t take us more than an hour.”
“Get to work,” Colonel snapped, and Blade winked at her as he and Gage headed
back to the bays.
“I have one more oil change to do, so I can do it in fifteen,” Hunter said with a
crooked smile, “but Brutus just finished up on Mr. Jackson’s ’56 Chevy. He’s been
pickin’ up the tools that Blade knocked over after Blade called him a pussy.”
Oh, right. She’d forgotten there was another one around
here. Brutus it seemed. What was with these names? Must
be a man thing, not that she’d know. Or could even begin to understand the inner
workings of the male brain, ego, or whatever it was that fueled their behavior. Oh,
once upon a time, she knew one part of the male anatomy that tended to lead in the
decision-making process, but she’d long ago fell out of practice with that too.
Hunter glanced at Scott, remembering there was an impressionable young man in
his midst, looking contrite and shaking his head. “Sorry, man.”
“Go,” Colonel told him. “Brutus!”
Hunter left, but his departure barely registered. Just as he was walking toward the
bay area, a man with long blonde hair and built like a freaking bodybuilder walked
her way. With each step, his muscles rippled and his hair—what wasn’t sticking to
his sweaty brow—flowed in waves behind him.
She should not find this man attractive. She didn’t care for bulky men, and she
definitely preferred short hair on the opposite sex. Long hair belonged on women,
like she used to have, but she wasn’t dredging that memory up now.
So why was her body doing things she hardly recognized. Hardly
recognized, not didn’t recognize. She knew what
that tingling sensation in her pussy meant. The tightening of her nipples? Yeah, she
knew what that meant too. Images filled her mind of this behemoth of a man coming
over her in bed and doing very naughty things to her. She stifled a moan. Yeah, she
shouldn’t find him attractive because he didn’t fit any description of her ideal type.
But there was no mistaking the fact that her body didn’t get that memo.
So much for not being attracted to any of the mechanics here.
As Mister Hold-Me-Down-and-Fuck-Me-Good walked up, his pupils dilated, turning
his dark-blue eyes black as his nostrils flared, his gaze zeroing in on the tight buds of
her nipples before locking with her own heated eyes. Good thing she was already
wet from sweat because her panties just got wetter.
She shut her eyes to break the connection her body was trying to make with this
man. She had to be smart and remember all the reasons men were not a part of her
life. She could use him as masturbating material. Nothing more, dammit.
She wasn’t going to break her abstinence streak for anyone, especially not a man
who could quite possibly fight off every one of the other mechanics singlehandedly.
She didn’t know him from Adam, and the last—the only—relationship she’d ever
had was abusive. Hell, Marco tried to kill her in the end. She had to find the strength
to avoid any and all temptation this sex god presented.
And she would. She was just strong enough to resist a man built like he could break
her face.
Because if she didn’t, she knew she was just weak enough to let him break her
heart.
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