Monthly Archives: July 2021

Meet Tiffany Morrow from Red Rabbit on the Run

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Tiffany Morrow

College student

Rescued trafficking victim, although she escapes her rescuers

Dealing with trauma, paranoia, and other issues

Sneak peek

Tiffany closed her eyes against the onslaught of thoughts swirling like a tornado in her brain as her hands slid over a strand of hair. The feel of it grounded her, even though she recognized that the gesture she couldn’t seem to stop meant she wasn’t as well as she was before.

She had thought she only imagined the demon horse with glowing red eyes at the airport, since it looked like so many of the demon creatures that had haunted her in the past, but there was no mistaking the mountain view she had seen out the window this morning. She was really and truly in Denver.

She was home. The nightmare of the jungle was over.

She had vague memories of the in-between. Men and women in white. Being tied down. The bearded man and the blond woman who had brought her here. She’d been trippin’ hard for days, so most of that was like a fever dream that had frightened even her. And she wasn’t frightened by much anymore.

She still didn’t feel normal—the noise of the bus was clawing into her head—but she was much improved over… before. She really didn’t know how much time had passed since she’d been carried out of that vile cabin in the Amazon. She did remember that—waking for a moment or two in the arms of someone strong—a red dragon. Whispered words she couldn’t recall. Words that had struck her as kind.

So why did you run from them? God, you do the stupidest things.

The voices that had been nearly eliminated before she had awakened in a Brazilian hell had been her almost constant companion without the meds whose job it was to hush them to a whisper.

She knew it would do no good to answer the voices. They never listened to her. But she did know why she was running from those who had helped her. Aaron McCain had spoken with kind and beautiful words. Justin Miranda had too. Kind words were often a trap. Who’s to say that those two weren’t taking her from one hell to another?

Meet Steve Elway from Red Rabbit on the Run

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Steve Elway

TA in computer science at the University of Denver

Tiffany Morrow’s tutor before her kidnapping

She now wants him to help her prove that someone is embezzling money from her family’s corporation

Sneak Peek

A slap on Steve’s shoulder had him turning to find Prof. Thomson, a professor in the computer department. “What’s this? Steve Elway is actually dressed for the weather?”

Steve laughed and pulled his scarf down to speak. “It’s still not Lake Michigan cold, but I hate to flaunt my ability to withstand the single digits in front of the older set.”

This time Thomson laughed. “Be careful, Elway, or I’ll give your classes to Amal.”

If Steve didn’t need the money, he’d let Amal have them. It would give him more time to work on Tiffany’s Pragnalysis embezzlement claims. He had a comeback on his lips that froze with the remembrance of her offer of half a mil to help her break through Pragnalysis security. “You know what?” he shifted. “I really could use next week off if he wants to step in. I’ve had some… family business come up that I should take care of.”

Thomson looked suddenly sober. “Nothing serious, I hope.”

He shrugged. “Serious, but not deadly.” At least he hoped that was the case. Embezzlers were probably not Sunday School teachers.

“I’ll give him a call this afternoon and let you know. Just the week?”

Steve nodded, hoping that would do. “Yeah, I think so. I really appreciate it.”

Thomson nodded, and the two walked together out of the conference room and the building, chatting about some of their more challenging students. “Hey,” Thomson said as they both headed toward the parking lot, “weren’t you a tutor for that Morrow girl?”

Steve swallowed and pulled his scarf back up. “Yeah, she was struggling, but she had quizzed out of the lower-level classes.”

“Hell of a deal to be sold to a Brazilian brothel.”

Steve blinked. “A what? A brothel?”

Thomson hit the button on his key fob, and the lights blinked on the man’s car. “That’s what I heard, although it could just be a rumor.”

Thomson said a final goodbye before getting in his vehicle, and Steve walked to his car, feeling sucker punched. He sat a moment in the cold car, Thomson’s words going around again. He shook his head, suddenly angry with himself. What did you think happened to beautiful women who were kidnapped, Steve? They usually end up dead or trafficked.

Sexually trafficked.

He ground his teeth as he started his car. Tiffany hadn’t been the only one pretending she was okay. He’d been doing it ever since she’d gone missing.

Meet Dani Harper from Red Rabbit on the Run (Coming Soon!)

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Dani Harper

On vacation in Brazil

When her friend goes missing, she crosses paths with Will Yarnel, Private I, and does some undercover work with him to find a missing college student from the States—Tiffany Morrow.

Will enters her life at a time when her fiancé is behaving badly.

Sneak peek

Dani woke with a groan. She hadn’t drunk so much since college, and she obviously couldn’t handle it anymore. She slowly got out of bed in an over-sized nightshirt and made her way to the bathroom, tripping over her discarded dress and high-heeled pumps on the way. What was I thinking, anyway?

She’d been freaked out, that’s what. The nightmare she’d had during her short afternoon nap of Perigosa pinning her down and tearing at her clothes had sent her fleeing the feelings of helplessness and desperation her little undercover job had brought out. The expensive dress, the glam make-up, ordering the champagne had all been a way to escape the terror—to return to the safe place that Keith had made for her where women weren’t bought and sold like cattle.

The cold tile bathroom floor shocked more than her physical senses. It sent that lie right out of her. Trafficking happened everywhere, and living a high society kind of life didn’t make you safe; it just made you blind.

Once in front of the mirror, she groaned again and quickly opened a pack of makeup remover wipes. She went to work on the mascara she had neglected to remove the night before as she made her way across the room to start the shower.

She started it running, then deciding she needed something for her pounding head, turned it off again and went back out to her purse to find some ibuprofen. One eye scrubbed, she set the blackened wet wipe on the bureau to use both hands in the search. There was a light tap on the door, and a soft Aussie-accented, “Dani, are you awake?”

Dani blinked and looked around the room for a robe but didn’t see one. “Umm, just a minute.” Despite her aching head, she scurried to the bathroom, but no robe could be found there either. I guess a robe isn’t a perk of this place. She looked down at her big nightshirt and decided she didn’t really care what Will thought of it.

She undid the lock and opened the door to find him standing with a glass full of orange, fizzy liquid, looking concerned. “I thought you might need a Berocca this morning.”

She hesitantly reached out a hand. “A what?” She took it and stepped back, allowing him to come in.

“Berocca.” He closed the door behind him. “It’s a Down Under cure for what you’re feeling this morning.”

“Oh?” She squinted her eyes. “And how do you know what I’m feeling this morning?”

He lowered his voice and leaned toward her. “I know what you’re feeling this morning because I was with you last night.”

The way he said it started her brain cells firing, although the engine was still slow to start. Did we… She didn’t remember anything more than talking. But then again, she didn’t remember getting into bed.

He chuckled, easing her panic. “Nobody your size can put away that much booze without a hangover the next day.”

She stared at the glass he had handed to her, fighting for memories.

“Go on, drink it down, possum. It really will help.”

She took a tentative sip. “Mm, wow, that’s strong.”

He shook his head. “You can’t just sip it, love.” He smirked. “Drink it down like you chugged that fourth glass of champagne.”

Her eyes went wide, and his narrowed. “You don’t remember much about last night, do you?”

Her stomach picked that moment to turn over completely, and she quickly ran into the bathroom. Abandoning the Burnt Wookie, or whatever he called it, by the sink, she sank to the floor over the toilet. She tried to swallow the sick feeling down, sensing Will behind her, but it wouldn’t be tamed, and in another few seconds she was puking up her stomach’s contents along with her dignity.

Meet Will Yarnel from the soon-to-be-released Red Rabbit On The Run

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Will Yarnel

Australian ex-military

Works as a private investigator to find missing persons and trafficking victims

Based in Brazil

Current assignment: Taking trafficking victim Tiffany Morrow home to Denver CO

Can’t help a growing attraction to Dani Harper, despite her engagement ring

Sneak peek

Rod yawned again and pushed back from the table. “Sorry guys, but I’m done. I’m heading back to the hotel.”

Will nodded, thinking Dani would probably want to do the same, but she didn’t move. He smiled. “You’re not tired, possum?”

She shrugged. “I got in a short nap after my shower this afternoon.” She tilted her head toward the champagne on ice. “And it’s not gone yet.”

Will hitched a brow as he reached for the bottle once again. “I suppose this big ole thing won’t fit in those little tiny fridges they give us.” He poured out two more glasses, and she lifted hers to her lips. “So I guess you like champagne. I suppose that fits.”

“Oh, really.” She set the glass back on the table. “Fits in what way?”

Will twigged he’d probably spit out a clanger with that line. “Oh, just that you’re looking very schmick tonight.”

“Schmick?”

“Stylish, classy.”

“And why do I get the feeling you don’t approve? Either of my clothes or the fact that I like champagne?” She drank another sip.

God, now he was in trouble. “No, I didn’t mean anything… You look… lovely.” More than lovely, but seeing her mussed and sweaty in the jungle had nearly stopped his heart. Now she seemed… too sophisticated. Unreachable. He quickly grabbed his own glass and guzzled a third. She should be “unreachable,” you drongo. She’s engaged.

She drank the rest of hers as though it were a challenge, then waved down a passing waiter for another bottle.

Will leaned forward over the table. “Dani, you’ve had a pretty traumatic day. Maybe you should go easy—”

She matched his posture, her eyes radiating her irritation. “You’re damn right I’ve had a dramatic… traumatic day, and if I want champagne, I’m going to drink champagne. You are welcome to go to bed without me.” She waved a hand at her very own clanger. “I mean, go to bed with Rod.”

Will couldn’t help smiling. She was well on her way to drunk already.

“Don’t laugh at me!” she insisted crankily as the waiter showed up with their next bottle. “You know what I mean.”

Will sat back slowly, running a hand over his beard as he tried to suppress a laugh. He wasn’t sure where this mood was coming from, but he suspected that the danger she’d put herself in this morning was finally hitting her, and he wasn’t about to leave her to drink with the flies.

After the waiter unwrapped and popped the cork, Will took it and poured two more glasses.