Goodbye Arizona (8 page)
Authors: Claude Dancourt
Epilogue
Eleven months later
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…
Eden looked up from the press release to glare at the teenage girl in the seat next to her. Her head bounced on the headrest in rhythm with the abominable music that poured out of her earbuds. They had another fifteen minutes before take-off, and the plane was already full. Eden snarled, regretting her decision not to upgrade her seat to first class. She gritted her teeth and resumed her reading…
Mystery and adventure blacken dawn in riveting romantic suspense.
Boston, MA – Marcus Turner and R.J. Flint unite to offer a fast-paced, gripping page-turner.
Co-writing for the first time, the prince of science-fiction thrillers and the new queen of romance sail the dark waters of industrial spying and greed in
Black Dawn
, the best romantic suspense you’ll read this year.
“Marcus contacted me to discuss the lecture he was asked to give at the ROSA conference,” explained R.J. “We were firing ideas at each other and the plot just unraveled itself before our eyes.”
For Bryan Grant, his new job at JADE is exactly what he needs: a fresh start in a new city. However, when his path crosses Selina Jadorevic’s, JADE’s CEO, he gets more than he bargained for, in more ways than one. From the US to France to Serbia, they run for their lives, and a secret long buried underground...
Black Dawn
has it all: high-tech gadgets, engaging characters, and enough plot twists to keep you on your toes until the very end. Well served by Turner’s unmatched knack for action, and Flint’s wonderful storytelling and thrilling relationship-building
,
Black Dawn
will please both thriller and romance fans.
“R.J. is incredible,” added Marcus. “She builds complex, intriguing characters you can’t help but love. I look forward to our next collaboration.”
So do we.
Black Dawn
is available for—
Eden put her iPad down to lean back in her chair with a satisfied smirk. Marcus had outdone himself. The Flint-Turner co-writing was buzzing all around social media. The marketing department had predicted the book would be a hit, and if marketing had their figures right, the book would hit the New York Times’ best-seller list for combined print and e-book fiction that very weekend.
Just as well.
She had some unfinished business in the South.
Eden switched her iPad to airplane mode as the pilot announced they were next in line. Her pleasure spiked when the flight attendant requested her inconsiderate neighbor to switch off her music player.
****
Marcus put the TV on mute when Deb entered the room.
“Hey, how was your run?”
“Nice. But it’s going to be a hot day.” She pecked his lips before perching on the couch beside him. “Is that Lyle’s preliminary hearing?”
“Yes. His attorney is pleading insanity.”
“That should work.”
Marcus grinned as she stole another glance at the flat screen and then at the document open on his laptop. “You’re working on something new?”
He turned the laptop so she could read his premises. Deb shook her head and linked her arms around his neck. “What are you going to do? About your alter ego? I never turned in that paper to the
Traveler
, but I’m sure they will be more than happy to publish it.”
“I think it’s better if Flint remains a mystery for a while.”
“Are you sure?”
Marcus shifted her legs so she sat sideways on his lap. Her sportswear didn’t hide the small bump of her stomach any longer. The awe he’d felt when he’d first heard the tiny heartbeat still blossomed in his chest each time he looked at her. Some nights, he lay awake beside Deb and wondered about the mystery growing inside her, the promise that part of him would forever be entwined with a part of her.
“Yes, I’m sure. What happened in Arizona made me realize that I don’t need Flint to write. Not anymore.”
Deb shivered when he brushed his thumb over her stomach. With his wife’s pregnancy came all sorts of cravings, some less caloric than others. She scrunched her nose, as if concentrating on Marcus’s talking rather than his ministrations was a challenge.
“But just in case, Eden came up with an idea, and I think it’ll solve a lot of problems.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll see.”
She pouted. Marcus rubbed her neck, sending what he hoped were distracting vibes up and down her spine. Deb purred. “There’s one thing I’d like to … know… Hi! That tickles!”
“Fire away.”
“How did, how did you come up with a name like R.J. Flint? Stop it! I can’t concentrate when you do that.”
Marcus stopped peppering kisses along her neck. “I told you. R.J. Flint is you and me.”
She punched his shoulder.
“All right. All right, I’ll explain,” he said and winked. “Tell me, what’s your maiden name?”
“It’s Stone, why? Oh! Flint-Stone. Oh, you
idiot
!”
Marcus laughed while she figured out the rest. “And since you’re Marcus Turner Junior, then I assumed that your twisted sense of humor reversed Jr. to make R.J. I’m warning you, this one won’t be Marcus Turner the Third, or given some obscure Roman name. Out of the question.”
“We’ll see…”
Four months of mood swings had taught him the best—and easiest—way to avoid arguments and waterfalls was to kiss her, so he did just that.
The End is only the beginning…
