Tag Archives: international crime

Book Hooks: “Why didn’t you leave the army, but stay around?” Grant asked Kelly. “Australia or Vanuatu.” #MilitarySuspense #ContemporaryRomance #kellysjustice #SouthPacific #Vanuatu

Suzi Love Posted on by

Kelly’s Justice. I lived in Vanuatu, South Pacific, for 9 years and loved setting my book there.

Blurb: Kelly normally needs no help solving international security problems, but when someone from her past damages her reputation and threatens her life, she needs assistance. Joining forces with her old friend from the Australian army, now an expert on South Pacific politics, they destroy an island drug cartel and rescue kidnapped teenagers. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellysJustice

Excerpt

“Why didn’t you leave the army, but stay around?” Grant asked Kelly. “Australia or Vanuatu. Always plenty of private security jobs up for grabs.”

“No, I couldn’t. The brass made it clear I needed to resign, or I would be legally charged. And if I lost my case, I might be jailed as well as dishonorably discharged.” She huffed. “So I was forced out of the career I loved on an unproven drug charge while Ronnie invented the cheating story to make himself look like the injured party. He wanted me out of the army and away from my friends, yet he insisted I stay around. Take a desk job with a friend of his, a business partner, so he could keep doing whatever he wanted while  I was kept close and still under his control.” 

“So, you ran away?” His face screwed up with pain “I’m sorry. I should have tried harder to help you sort out that mess. Done more to keep you in Australia. You could have taken a private security job. Kept fighting crime.”

That made her laugh. Between their army friends, there was a long standing joke about Kelly’s drive to fight crime and get justice for victims. They frequently teased her about being the female Aussie version of Superman. Fighting for justice on all fronts. 

She shook her head. “No. Staying around was too dangerous because Ronnie discovered that I’d been digging through his paperwork to find something incriminating on he and his business mate. Whatever I uncovered would always make me a threat to Ronnie and anyone working with him. My only option was to get out of the country before his associates became aware that I had uncovered some of their secrets. I didn’t have enough evidence to expose them at that time, though Ronnie sensed I was about to go public with what I knew. I needed to leave Vanuatu quickly before things went from bad to worse. I didn’t know how far Ronnie would go to ensure my silence.”

“Briefing in five in the common room,” Jacky called to her. 

Kelly was grateful that her partner had subtly nudged the other two men towards the building and allowed she and Grant a few minutes privacy. She acknowledged her friend with a nod. “Be right there.” 

She turned to Grant. “Water under the bridge now. I always knew Ronnie could track me down, same as you could have found me with a bit of sleuthing. Hiding from anyone ex-military isn’t foolproof so I covered my tracks enough that old friends or distant family members couldn’t trace me, although I knew that one day my past would reappear.” She waved a hand towards Jacky. “But I’m living in a safer place now and working with people who’d protect me with their dying breath.”

KJ_International crime, ex-military feisty heroine, kidnapping and drug smuggling in Vanuatu, South Pacific. #MilitaryRomance #feistyheroine #ContemporaryRomance #Series #SouthPacific #Vanuatu https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellys-Justice
Book Hooks: “Why didn’t you leave the army, but stay around?" Grant asked Kelly. "Australia or Vanuatu." #MilitarySuspense #ContemporaryRomance #kellysjustice #SouthPacific #Vanuatu https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellysJustice Share on X
KJ_Kelly's Justice_D2D https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellysJustice

Book Hooks: Grant said, “According to Ronnie, you hated all of us.” #MilitarySuspense #ContemporaryRomance #kellysjustice #SouthPacific #Vanuatu

Suzi Love Posted on by

Kelly’s Justice. I lived in Vanuatu, South Pacific, for 9 years and loved setting my book there.

Blurb: Kelly normally needs no help solving international security problems, but when someone from her past damages her reputation and threatens her life, she needs assistance. Joining forces with her old friend from the Australian army, now an expert on South Pacific politics, they destroy an island drug cartel and rescue kidnapped teenagers. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellysJustice

Excerpt

Grant stared at Kelly, disbelief written all over his face. “I can’t believe it’s really you. I tried to find you when I came back from Afghanistan, but it was if you disappeared off the face of the earth.” He winced. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure you’d want to see me. According to Ronnie, you hated all of us. Blamed us all for your problems with the higher ups.”

“What?” She groaned. “Damn! I might have known Ronnie would blame everyone but himself.”

“We all had our suspicions,” Grant said with a sigh. “But when your Lieutenant tells you something, you’re expected to believe it. No questions asked. Especially when that Lieutenant warned us that the brass had been so disgusted with your behavior, they’d spoken of taking legal action. We were ordered to have no interaction with you while they debated legal action, despite none of us believing those trumped up charges. We knew you’d never steal from the army and given how much you loathed drugs, we also knew you’d never get into bed with traffickers.”

“I tried to give my side of the story about all of that, but no one believed me. And despite the army being unable to produce enough legitimate evidence to instigate legal proceedings against me, they decided to force me out. Sweep it all under the carpet.” 

Kelly looked her old friend in the eyes. “Did you believe I cheated on Ronnie? And with a commanding officer?”

“No! Hell no! I never believed that rubbish.” He met her eyes, his gaze open and honest, willing her to accept his words as the truth. “We had that conversation, remember? You and I agreed to ignore whatever attraction we felt between us, despite how much I wanted to do exactly the opposite. You’ve no idea how many times I wanted to drag you as far away from that bastard as possible. Get you completely out of that situation.” 

She nodded. “But there was no point stirring Ronnie up. Everyone suspected that Ronnie was doing something illegal, so if I’d publicly split from him at that stage, I would have been involved. Our time with the army was coming to an end anyway and I’d already planned on getting away from him.” 

She remembered very well that neither of them would take that step towards each other when she was already supposedly in a relationship with Ronnie. And Grant was far too honorable to ever come between two people who, to the outside world, appeared to be a perfect couple. In public, Ronnie claimed her as his girlfriend. In private, she saw very little of him, which was why she had suspected that he was doing more than simply cheating on her.

KJ_International crime, ex-military feisty heroine, kidnapping and drug smuggling in Vanuatu, South Pacific. #MilitaryRomance #feistyheroine #ContemporaryRomance #Series #SouthPacific #Vanuatu https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellys-Justice
Book Hooks: Grant said, "According to Ronnie, you hated all of us." #MilitarySuspense #ContemporaryRomance #kellysjustice #SouthPacific #Vanuatu https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellysJustice Share on X
KJ_Kelly's Justice_D2D https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellysJustice

Kelly sucked in a deep breath, steadying herself before greeting the man she recognized. #christmas #MilitaryRomance #feistyheroine #ContemporaryRomance #Series #SouthPacific #Vanuatu

Suzi Love Posted on by

Kelly sucked in a deep breath, steadying herself before greeting the man she recognized. A man who often starred in her dreams. Erotic dreams that left her sweating, breathless, and yearning. “I know one of them. The tall, dark-haired one in the middle.”

“Whoa. He’s a hottie.” Hawk never held back, which was one of the reasons Kelly liked her so much. No guile with Jade, just in your face honesty with.

“His name is Grant. I worked with him in Vanuatu. Same anti-drug team. He’s ex Aussie army, like me.”

“Hang on,” Jade said, giving her a sideways look. “How do you know he’s ex-army?” Kelly shrugged. “Ooh, this is priceless,” Jade said with a huge grin. “You’ve been keeping tabs on the hottie, haven’t you?”

“Shush,” Kelly whispered. “We’ll talk later.” Schooling herself, she walked towards Grant. When she was close enough, she put out her hand and hoped to hell he didn’t notice her sweaty palm and trembling fingers. Hell, even her knees were shaking. 

Instead of taking her hand, Grant stepped forward and enfolded her in a hug, a big bear hug in the same friendly and over the top way he’d always greeted her. Well, at least when her ex-boyfriend wasn’t around.

“Grant, put me down.” She was taller than most women at five feet eleven inches yet Grant towered over her and had always hugged her this way, lifting her off the ground so that her feet dangled and she was forced to cling to him. 

International crime, ex-military feisty heroine, kidnapping and drug smuggling in Vanuatu, South Pacific. #MilitaryRomance #feistyheroine #ContemporaryRomance #Series #SouthPacific #Vanuatu https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellysJustice

Xmas_KJ

Kelly sucked in a deep breath, steadying herself before greeting the man she recognized. #christmas #MilitaryRomance #feistyheroine #ContemporaryRomance #Series #SouthPacific #Vanuatu https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellysJustice Share on X
KJ_Kelly's Justice_D2D https://books2read.com/SuziLoveKellysJustice