Cost of Honor Read online

  Secret Service Agent Oakes Weaver is in the midst of the biggest assignment of her career—leading the advance team for President Andrew Powell’s impending trip to Philadelphia where everyone expects he will be nominated to run for a second term. The last thing she needs is a tragedy among the president's inner circle that might not be an accident, or the sudden recruitment of Ari Rostof, a woman who might be a lot more than she seems. But Oakes doesn't get a say in policy. She only has to secure the president’s safety—at all costs.

  First Daughter Blair Powell and her spouse, Cameron Roberts, are among the reelection campaign members accompanying President Andrew Powell to Philadelphia. While the president may be protected by his Secret Service agents, those close to him are literally in the kill zone, and his adversaries will stop at nothing to further their cause—even mass murder.

  Acclaim for Radclyffe’s Fiction

  “Dangerous Waters is a bumpy ride through a devastating time with powerful events and resolute characters. Radclyffe gives us the strong, dedicated women we love to read in a story that keeps us turning pages until the end.”—Lambda Literary Review

  “Radclyffe’s Dangerous Waters has the feel of a tense television drama, as the narrative interchanges between hurricane trackers and first responders. Sawyer and Dara butt heads in the beginning as each moves for some level of control during the storm’s approach, and the interference of a lovely television reporter adds an engaging love triangle threat to the sexual tension brewing between them.”—RT Book Reviews

  “Love After Hours, the fourth in Radclyffe’s Rivers Community series, evokes the sense of a continuing drama as Gina and Carrie’s slow-burning romance intertwines with details of other Rivers residents. They become part of a greater picture where friends and family support each other in personal and recreational endeavors. Vivid settings and characters draw in the reader…”—RT Book Reviews

  Secret Hearts “delivers exactly what it says on the tin: poignant story, sweet romance, great characters, chemistry and hot sex scenes. Radclyffe knows how to pen a good lesbian romance.”—LezReviewBooks Blog

  Wild Shores “will hook you early. Radclyffe weaves a chance encounter into all-out steamy romance. These strong, dynamic women have great conversations, and fantastic chemistry.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  In 2016 RWA/OCC Book Buyers Best award winner for suspense and mystery with romantic elements Price of Honor “Radclyffe is master of the action-thriller series…The old familiar characters are there, but enough new blood is introduced to give it a fresh feel and open new avenues for intrigue.”—Curve Magazine

  In Prescription for Love “Radclyffe populates her small town with colorful characters, among the most memorable being Flann’s little sister, Margie, and Abby’s 15-year-old trans son, Blake…This romantic drama has plenty of heart and soul.”—Publishers Weekly

  2013 RWA/New England Bean Pot award winner for contemporary romance Crossroads “will draw the reader in and make her heart ache, willing the two main characters to find love and a life together. It’s a story that lingers long after coming to ‘the end.’”—Lambda Literary

  In 2012 RWA / FTHRW Lories and RWA HODRW Aspen Gold award winner Firestorm “Radclyffe brings another hot lesbian romance for her readers.”—The Lesbrary

  Foreword Review Book of the Year finalist and IPPY silver medalist Trauma Alert “is hard to put down and it will sizzle in the reader’s hands. The characters are hot, the sex scenes explicit and explosive, and the book is moved along by an interesting plot with well drawn secondary characters. The real star of this show is the attraction between the two characters, both of whom resist and then fall head over heels.”—Lambda Literary Reviews

  Lambda Literary Award Finalist Best Lesbian Romance 2010 features “stories [that] are diverse in tone, style, and subject, making for more variety than in many, similar anthologies…well written, each containing a satisfying, surprising twist. Best Lesbian Romance series editor Radclyffe has assembled a respectable crop of 17 authors for this year’s offering.”—Curve Magazine

  2010 Prism award winner and ForeWord Review Book of the Year Award finalist Secrets in the Stone is “so powerfully [written] that the worlds of these three women shimmer between reality and dreams…A strong, must read novel that will linger in the minds of readers long after the last page is turned.”—Just About Write

  In Benjamin Franklin Award finalist Desire by Starlight “Radclyffe writes romance with such heart and her down-to-earth characters not only come to life but leap off the page until you feel like you know them. What Jenna and Gard feel for each other is not only a spark but an inferno and, as a reader, you will be washed away in this tumultuous romance until you can do nothing but succumb to it.”—Queer Magazine Online

  Lambda Literary Award winner Stolen Moments “is a collection of steamy stories about women who just couldn’t wait. It’s sex when desire overrides reason, and it’s incredibly hot!”—On Our Backs

  Lambda Literary Award winner Distant Shores, Silent Thunder “weaves an intricate tapestry about passion and commitment between lovers. The story explores the fragile nature of trust and the sanctuary provided by loving relationships.”—Sapphic Reader

  Lambda Literary Award Finalist Justice Served delivers a “crisply written, fast-paced story with twists and turns and keeps us guessing until the final explosive ending.”—Independent Gay Writer

  Lambda Literary Award finalist Turn Back Time “is filled with wonderful love scenes, which are both tender and hot.”—MegaScene

  Applause for L.L. Raand’s Midnight Hunters Series

  The Midnight Hunt

  RWA 2012 VCRW Laurel Wreath winner Blood Hunt

  Night Hunt

  The Lone Hunt

  “Raand has built a complex world inhabited by werewolves, vampires, and other paranormal beings…Raand has given her readers a complex plot filled with wonderful characters as well as insight into the hierarchy of Sylvan’s pack and vampire clans. There are many plot twists and turns, as well as erotic sex scenes in this riveting novel that keep the pages flying until its satisfying conclusion.”—Just About Write

  “Once again, I am amazed at the storytelling ability of L.L. Raand aka Radclyffe. In Blood Hunt, she mixes high levels of sheer eroticism that will leave you squirming in your seat with an impeccable multi-character storyline all streaming together to form one great read.”—Queer Magazine Online

  “The Midnight Hunt has a gripping story to tell, and while there are also some truly erotic sex scenes, the story always takes precedence. This is a great read which is not easily put down nor easily forgotten.”—Just About Write

  “Are you sick of the same old hetero vampire/werewolf story plastered in every bookstore and at every movie theater? Well, I’ve got the cure to your werewolf fever. The Midnight Hunt is first in, what I hope is, a long-running series of fantasy erotica for L.L. Raand (aka Radclyffe).”—Queer Magazine Online

  “Any reader familiar with Radclyffe’s writing will recognize the author’s style within The Midnight Hunt, yet at the same time it is most definitely a new direction. The author delivers an excellent story here, one that is engrossing from the very beginning. Raand has pieced together an intricate world, and provided just enough details for the reader to become enmeshed in the new world. The action moves quickly throughout the book and it’s hard to put down.”—Three Dollar Bill Reviews

  Cost of Honor

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  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

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  Cost of Honor

  © 2019 By Radclyffe. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-583-7

  This Electronic Original Is Published By

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, NY 12185

  First Edition: November 2019

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editors: Ruth Sternglantz and Stacia Seaman

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design by Sheri ([email protected])

  By Radclyffe

  The Provincetown Tales

  Safe Harbor

  Beyond the Breakwater

  Distant Shores, Silent Thunder

  Storms of Change

  Winds of Fortune

  Returning Tides

  Sheltering Dunes

  PMC Hospital Romances

  Passion’s Bright Fury (prequel)

  Fated Love

  Night Call

  Crossroads

  Passionate Rivals

  River Community Romances

  Against Doctor’s Orders

  Prescription for Love

  Love on Call

  Love After Hours

  Love to the Rescue

  Honor Series

  Above All, Honor

  Honor Bound

  Love & Honor

  Honor Guards

  Honor Reclaimed

  Honor Under Siege

  Word of Honor

  Oath of Honor (First Responders)

  Code of Honor

  Price of Honor

  Cost of Honor

  Justice Series

  A Matter of Trust (prequel)

  Shield of Justice

  In Pursuit of Justice

  Justice in the Shadows

  Justice Served

  Justice For All

  First Responders Novels

  Trauma Alert

  Firestorm

  Taking Fire

  Wild Shores

  Heart Stop

  Dangerous Waters

  Romances

  Innocent Hearts

  Promising Hearts

  Love’s Melody Lost

  Love’s Tender Warriors

  Tomorrow’s Promise

  Love’s Masquerade

  shadowland

  Turn Back Time

  When Dreams Tremble

  The Lonely Hearts Club

  Secrets in the Stone

  Desire by Starlight

  Homestead

  The Color of Love

  Secret Hearts

  Short Fiction

  Collected Stories by Radclyffe

  Erotic Interludes: Change of Pace

  Radical Encounters

  Stacia Seaman and Radclyffe, eds.

  Erotic Interludes Vol 2—5

  Romantic Interludes 1—2

  Breathless: Tales of Celebration

  Women of the Dark Streets

  Amor and More: Love Everafter

  Myth & Magic: Queer Fairy Tales

  Writing As L.L. Raand

  Midnight Hunters

  The Midnight Hunt

  Blood Hunt

  Night Hunt

  The Lone Hunt

  The Magic Hunt

  Shadow Hunt

  Acknowledgments

  The Honor series began as a traditional work of romantic intrigue—Above All, Honor—intended to be a standalone novel. At the time, I firmly adhered to the axiom that you couldn’t serialize a romance. I still generally find that to be true—a romance is the story of a developing love relationship between two characters that culminates in a commitment and a promise of a future together. When that is achieved, the romance novel is over. Sometimes, however, it takes more than one book to achieve the happily ever after, and the result is a number of books connected by the series romance arc. In the case of the Honor series, the books are connected by a central couple who appear in each book as well as by the long-running series arc of a family and friends in a changing sociopolitical world. And for the pure romance readers among us, each book also introduces a complete standalone romance with new characters. Hopefully the balance provides something for all the readers who have followed along and the new readers just giving it a try. Thank you all!

  Many thanks go to: senior editor Sandy Lowe for her advice, insights, and supreme publishing skills, editor Ruth Sternglantz for understanding what I mean to say on every page, editor Stacia Seaman for treating every book like the only project she has going on her busy schedule, and my first readers Paula and Eva for feedback, suggestions, and critiques.

  And as always, thanks to Lee for the continuing story. Amo te.

  Radclyffe, 2019

  To Lee

  Chapter One

  Washington, DC

  Game Day minus 42 days

  5:10 a.m.

  Blair Powell woke to the teasing scent of cherry blossoms and, remembering today was going to be a special day, turned onto her side with a smile. Eyes still closed, not quite ready to relinquish the seductive cocoon of almost-sleep, she reached out for Cam, patted the still warm sheets beside her, and murmured, “Where are you and why are you awake?”

  “I thought I’d go for a run before we left for the airport,” Cam called from the bathroom.

  Blair turned onto her back and squinted at the tiny ray of sunshine sneaking through the half-open blinds. Yes, cherry blossom season in DC was an international event, drawing hundreds of thousands to the city for those precious few weeks in April when the famed trees burst into color. Yes, their condo was perfectly situated to provide an exquisite sampling of the sight and smell of the glorious sprays of white and red blossoms. Hence the open window.

  And nope, not ready to embrace even the most gorgeous of spring mornings just yet. She closed her eyes again. She was married to the sexiest, smartest, most amazing woman she’d ever met—but, hey, nothing was perfect, right? Her idea of a perfect morning was sleeping in until a decent hour, like, at least eight, reading the newspapers—something probably no one on the entire East Coast other than her and her father actually did any longer—and having lazy, long, multiorgasmic sex. Of course, that almost never happened, considering her wife’s annoying early-morning habits. Like running at the butt crack of dawn, heading out for the office before fifty percent of the world was even awake, and just being so damn…cheery. Yes, yes, she knew Cam had a lot on her mind being Advisor to the President on Counterterrorism and Homeland Security. There were dozens of others in as many agencies charged with counterterrorism, but Cam was the only one her father relied on when it really mattered. Cam was the only one she trusted to protect her father, no matter how much she respected the Secret Service agents on his detail. Cam was Cam. And that was, well, everything.

  “Why couldn’t you have been a plumber? I like women who work with tools. Women wearing tool belts are hot.”

  “I work with tools,” Cam said to the sound of dresser drawers opening and closing.

  “That’s a gun, not a tool,” Blair muttered.

  “Weapon. We call it a weapon. And it comes with a harness.”

  Blair had a quick flash of an altogether different type of harness, and heat pooled between her thighs. “Are you naked?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “If you couldn’t be a plumber, why couldn’t you at least be a wolf? Why did you have to be a lion?”

  “Sorry?”

  “Wolves—they like to sleep in and have sex in the morning. Lions have to start running around as soon as the sun comes up.”

  “Okay. You’re really sexy in the morning.”

  Blair snorted, pleased and a lo
t more awake. Cherry blossoms and Cam. Impossible to ignore.

  “Besides”—Cam brushed a kiss over her forehead—“you can’t be cranky this morning. We’re going on vacation.”

  Blair shot out a hand, gripped Cam’s T-shirt in her fist, and yanked her down for a proper kiss. When she was convinced she had Cam’s attention, she loosened her grip. “If today’s the first day of our vacation, why aren’t you in bed doing your duty?”

  Cam grinned. “That’s on my agenda.”

  Blair would’ve rolled her eyes, but it was hard to do that when Cam looked so good in her running clothes. Sleeveless tee over a stretchy hardly-there jog bra, black running shorts that stopped midway down her very excellent thighs, and broad bare shoulders with just the right amount of sculpted muscles to dig her fingers into. Best of all, that gleam in her storm-gray eyes said she’d be taking very good care of her agenda in the not-too-distant future.

  “You know, you could come back to bed now and run on the beach in Maui tonight.”

  “Maybe I’ve got other things on my agenda for this evening.” Cam absently pushed a shock of midnight black hair off her forehead and edged her hip onto the side of the bed.