2008 EMMA Nomination – Author of the Year

   The Donovans Book III
April 2009

Coming Soon
 

“You give a new meaning to the word untamable,” Lincoln Donovan said, chuckling as he opened the door to his truck and stepped inside.

“What?” Trenton Donovan opened the back door to his older brother’s Suburban and tossed his bags inside. “You can’t trust women. Adam’s crazy ex Kim proved that point.”

Trent climbed inside on the passenger side and pulled his seatbelt across him as his older brother started the engine.

“All you had to do was have her checked out like you do everybody else. You didn’t have to sleep with her then walk out on her. And you said she had a child?”

“First of all, I didn’t sleep with her and walk out. Lynn knew that I wasn’t looking for anything long term. I told her as much when I realized we were feeling each other. And as for the kid, Jeremy was pretty cool. But where there’s a child there’s bound to be a daddy and that leads to trouble.”

“Like I said, you could have just checked her out. You were working with her brother on a case so you probably shouldn’t have messed with her in the first place. Sam Desdune is never going to ask for your help again.”

They were driving down the highway on their way to the Senior Donovan estate he was sure.

Henry and Beverly Donovan were fanatical about their family. And since Trent was the middle child, the renegade of the three sons formally dubbed The Triple Threat Donovans, they paid special attention to him.

He’d been in Connecticut for a little over two months and in that time his mother had called him and sent him sonogram pictures of the twins growing in Jade’s stomach. Jade and Linc had been married for almost six months and already she was heavily pregnant. Linc was so excited he practically had father-to-be tattooed on his forehead.

Once at the estate Trent was sure that his younger brother Adam and his fiancée, Camille, would be there. Noelle, Jade’s younger sister would come along sharing her latest escapade.

Noelle was a burst of energy in the Donovan household. However, Trent had to admit that her reckless nature was beginning to subside. He suspected Linc and the trust he showed by hiring her at the Gramercy Casino was the reason for that.

At any rate, the hot shower, spicy wings and stack of Sports Illustrated magazines he was going to catch up on would have to wait. Trent’s family was very important to him. More so, lately since he’d just witnessed two close-knit families almost torn apart by a plot of revenge.

That reminded him that he needed to really give some thought to Sam Desdune’s offer.

Partnering with Sam and opening a PI agency on the West Coast was something he needed to seriously consider.

For twelve years Trent had been a Navy SEAL putting his life on the line to protect and serve his country. He loved his job and though he had officially left the Navy, he still accepted special assignments. That worried his mother, which he didn’t like. But it was his life. If he didn’t fight everyone else’s battles, what good would he be?

“Heads up,” Linc said pulling into the driveway of the estate an hour later. “Camille’s got a bone to pick with you.”

“Camille? What did I do to her?”

Linc only shook his head laughing as he parked and stepped out of the truck. “Man, you just don’t know. Women don’t forget a thing.”

Trent stopped listening to Linc’s warning as they walked into the house. He was happy to be back in Vegas but he could do without the thoughts that came along with his return.

Before he’d left Trent had been thinking about a woman. That wasn’t new for him seeing as women were the next best thing to fighting. But there was one woman in particular.

She’d intrigued him. No, that didn’t seem to accurately describe what she’d done. Contrary to popular belief Trent had been turned down by women before. Not really women in the plural since, but there had been a couple that had decided he was too dangerous to deal with.

Still the rejection from Tia St. Claire had been different. Her smile had been different. The feeling he got when she’d so rudely slammed the phone down in his ear wasn’t different but…arousing.