Prison Break Hostage (Honor Bound) Romantic Suspense by Anna J. Stewart ➱ Book Tour with Giveaway

Prison Break Hostage

Honor Bound Book 5

by Anna J. Stewart

Genre: Romantic Suspense

She’s dedicated to helping others…

Now she’s the one in need of rescue.

As a witness to a prison bus crash, Dr. Ashley McTavish is only concerned with saving lives. But when she’s taken hostage, her own life is threatened. Ashley is undeniably attracted to her sole protector, a convict called Lucky. But when Lucky’s true identity as undercover agent Slade Palmer is revealed, he and Ashley must flee for their lives. Can they protect one another as feelings grow and danger looms?

From Harlequin Romantic Suspense: Danger. Passion. Drama.

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Prison Break Hostage, Anna J Stewart

Excerpt #1

A loud bang exploded ahead of her. The headlights coming toward her

swerved into her lane. Instinct had Ashley aiming for the narrow shoulder.

She hit the brakes and skidded to a stop as a dark-colored bus with Sheriff written in bright neon letters above the windshield shot past. She could see the driver struggling with the steering wheel as the bus went completely sideways. Ashley opened her window and leaned out just as the vehicle flipped. Metal pieces flew into the air as the bus rolled. Banging crash after banging crash exploding into the silent night. Glass shattered. Metal crunched. Smoke billowed out of the back of the bus as it slid to rest on its side, tires spinning.

Instinct and training kicked in. Ashley flew out of her car, raced around the back, and yanked out her emergency bag and flashlight. She ran full out, surprised at how far the bus had skidded. It was pure luck the bus had ended up directly under one of the sporadic streetlights. She could see deep black welts in the cement, could hear groans of pain, curses of anger. Cries of fear.

The rear emergency door on the bus burst open. Ashley dived toward it as two men stumbled out, the larger of the two clutching an obviously broken arm against his chest. The thinner, wiry man had blood streaming down the side of his face. Both were wearing bright orange prison jumpsuits. Both were handcuffed and belly chained.

The one with the head wound dropped to the ground. He groaned and

rolled onto his back, stared dazedly up at the stars before his lids drifted shut.

Ashley looked to the other man, who had braced himself against the back of the bus. “I’m a doctor. Can you walk on your own?”

“I’m okay,” he croaked. He gestured to his friend. “Not sure about Clive.”

Neither was she. She dropped down beside the suddenly still man, reached into her bag and snapped on a pair of gloves. She checked his eyes with her penlight, looking for pupil reaction. “He probably has a concussion. And that gash is going to need stitches. How many more are inside?” She didn’t want to move this one until she had to. Darn it, she’d left her phone in the car. She dug around for the spare disposable she carried in her bag. No luck.

“There were six of us, plus two guards and the driver.”

“What’s your name?” She got up to check on him.

“Javier. Javi.”

“Hi, Javi, I’m Ashley. I’m just going to take a quick look at you, okay?”

“I’m fine.” He pushed her hand away. “Busted arm. Had worse.”

With no time to argue, she pointed to Clive. “You go over there with your friend, okay? I’ll check on you both later.”

She grabbed the flashlight, headed for the open door. The second she

crawled inside, she was stopped by two firm hands on her shoulders. “You need to leave.”

Ashley straightened, taken aback by the almost gentle quality of his voice. He was tall, well over six feet, and if he hadn’t been a convicted criminal, he probably could have been an MMA superstar. She could see the outlines of tattoos on his neck, a scar arcing from temple to nose on the right side of his face and eyes the color of a summer sea beneath too-long hair. What the— Ashley attempted to shake off his grip. “I’m a doctor. I can help.”

“Go. Now.” He lowered his voice, leaned over her to the point she couldn’t see, couldn’t feel, anything but him. “Get in your car and drive away. You don’t know what—”

“Lucky, Valeri’s hurt bad, man. We gotta get him out! We gotta call Taras and get him back here! Man, oh, man. This is all going to crap!”

Ashley planted a hand on Lucky’s chest and shoved. She may as well have been trying to move a mountain. “Out of my way.”

“Lucky? You hear me?” A small man tripped and shuffled his way toward them. “Valeri’s hurt.”

“I heard you, Elliot.” The rumble of Lucky’s voice rippled through Ashley.

“Then what—” Beady brown eyes locked onto Ashley. “She a nurse?”

“She’s a doctor.” Ashley used Elliot to wedge herself past Lucky and

clicked on her flashlight. “Who else is hurt?”

“Valeri’s all that matters.” Elliot scrambled around her, pointing at

someone.

“I’m not anyone’s private physician.” She bent down beside the prone

man.

“Look, Doc—” Lucky began.

Ashley shot to her feet so fast the man stepped back. “Tell me to leave one more time, I dare you.”

Excerpt #2

Ashley scanned the room, glanced toward the thick glass windows

overlooking the dense forest. She looked to her bags, mind racing as she tried to think what she could use as a weapon. Needles, scalpels, in a pinch one of the bags themselves. He’d killed people and had been locked up for who knew how long. She braced herself as he passed by her again, this time to shove the curtains closed. The room darkened, then went bright again when he clicked on a bedside lamp.

Despite her wobbly legs, Ashley remained on her feet and watched every single move he made.

“They think you’ll be mine. You’re safe.”

“Safe?” she croaked.

He inclined his head, nodded in agreement. “Safer than if you weren’t.

Regardless of their loitering, right now Taras and Olena are more worried about Valeri than they are you. You’d squash Badger like a spider if he tried anything and he knows it. Javi’s down an arm, and besides, he’s not the violent type. That leaves you one option for protection.” He surprised—no, he shocked—her by walking over to the bookcase, perusing the contents as if he was in a public library. “Me.”

He made it all sound so...simple. And yet nothing was simple about being locked in a bedroom with a convicted murderer.

“Where are we?”

“Knowing won’t do you any good.”

But knowing might keep her sane. “Where are we?”

“The last sign I saw before we turned off the highway was for Lassen

National Forest.”

Her mind raced, trying to remember something, anything, about their

location, but as she was new to California, her frame of reference was

limited.

“Asking questions is only going to get you killed, so I’d suggest you stop.”

He picked out a thriller, read the back cover copy, set it aside. “I’ll do what I can to keep you safe, but you’ll have to do your part.”

“And I’m just supposed to believe that? That you’ll protect me?”

“Given your other choice is to stand there in a panic, I’d say it’s the better one.” He didn’t even bother to glance at her. “I won’t hurt you, Dr. Ashley.”

She wanted to believe him. More than she wanted her next breath.

Excerpt #3

“If you’re going to sleep this close to me, can you at least turn off your brain?” Ashley flopped onto her back and nearly caught Sawyer in the face. She didn’t apologize for it. She wasn’t going to apologize for anything. She couldn’t believe he’d dragged her back here. Couldn’t believe he hadn’t let her go. So much for her big plan that relied on his wanting her to be safe.

“I’m thinking.”

“No kidding. I can hear the wheels grinding.” She stared up at the ceiling.

“Get some sleep, Ashley.”

She recognized that tone. He was just about at the end of his rope with her. The resignation. The frustration. It was a tone she’d elicited frequently over the years. From her ex-husband especially. “What are you thinking about?”

“Right now? I’m considering locking you in the bathroom so I can figure stuff out.”

She smirked, rolled onto her side and looked at him. Even in the darkness he was a striking figure. In other circumstances she’d have considered him attractive. She didn’t have vast experience when it came to men, she admitted. And her sex life with Adam for the few years they were married had been...adequate. Not adequate enough for him, given he had cheated on her. A lot. So yeah, maybe when it came to men her judgment was a bit off.

That didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate Lucky—no, Sawyer—from his shaggy, too-long brown hair, to his tight, toned, tattooed body, to his complicated character. Wow, she was starting to lose all common sense, wasn’t she? She tucked her hands under her cheek. “What are you really thinking about?”

“This might have escaped your notice, but this is not a slumber party and I am not a twelve-year-old girl.”

Oh, she knew. Especially the last bit. “Back in the woods. When you held me close. I assume that was to throw Badger off the scent?”

“Clearly it didn’t work.”

“You wanted Badger to think we’d gone out there for something other than to look at the lake?”

“No one thought we were looking at the lake.” He turned his head, his hair rustling on the pillow. Even in the darkness, she knew he was looking at her.

“If Badger had heard me guess about your brother, he’d have done something about it right then and there. You understand me, Ashley?”

She swallowed hard. He was right, of course. “Jack can help you, Lu—Sawyer,” she corrected quickly. “I promise he’ll listen to me. If you help me, I’ll tell him. He can get you a reduced sentence.” The urge to touch him overwhelmed her and she reached out and laid a gentle hand on his chest.

“He’d talk to the judge. Or the DA. I know one in the Sacramento office. Simone would listen to me, too. You don’t have to stay with Valeri. There’s another way.”

While still looking at her, he lifted a hand and covered hers. “There’s not another way for me, Ashley. I’m where I am because I chose it. And while I appreciate the offer of leniency, you can’t promise anything. Because of me, a prison guard is dead. Whatever happens down the road, I’m in for life. And you need to stop seeing me as if I’m some misunderstood victim who is worthy of redemption. I’m not.”

“Everyone’s worthy of—Well, maybe not everyone.” She brushed a hand over his forehead. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

He took her hand away. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what? Don’t touch you?” But she wanted to. In the worst way. She didn’t even care if it was wrong.

“Don’t go making me out to be something I’m not. I’m not a knight on a white horse. I am not a good man. No matter how much you want to pretend.”

USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J Stewart writes sweet to sexy romances for Harlequin and ARC Manor’s Caezik Romance. Her sweet Heartwarming books include the Butterfly Harbor series as well as the ongoing Blackwell saga. She also writes the Honor Bound series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and contributes to the bestselling Coltons. A former Golden Heart, Daphne, and National Reader’s Choice finalist, Anna loves writing big community stories where family found is always the theme. Since her first published novella with Harlequin in 2014, Anna has released more than forty novels and novellas and hopes to branch out even more thanks to Caezik Romance. Anna lives in Northern California where (at the best times) she loves going to the movies, attending fan conventions, and heading to Disneyland, her favorite place on earth. When she’s not writing, she is usually binge-watching her newest TV addiction, re-watching her all-time favorite show, Supernatural, and wrangling two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock. You can read more about Anna at her website, www.AuthorAnnaStewart.com.

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