Exposing Justice
by Misty Evans & Adrienne Giordano
Series: The Justice Team, #3
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: July 13, 2015
Fans of the Justice Team Series will love this action-packed third installment!
As a Public Information officer for the US Supreme Court, idealist Hope Denby knows how to spin a story. A journalist at heart, she loves being in the middle of a juicy scoop and has her sights set on future Press Secretary for the White House. When the Supreme Court Chief Justice is accidentally killed in a road rage accident, and a high-profile conspiracy blogger claims it was premeditated murder, Hope has to shut down the paranoid blogger—which should be a slam dunk until she discovers he’s not as crazy as she thought and she has more in common with the secretive, hard-hitting investigator then she’d like to admit.
Cyber resistance against government corruption isn’t just a theory for Brice Brennan on his blog, The First Amendment Patriot. As a former ATF agent who blew the whistle on his superiors, he’s no stranger to government cover-ups and scandals. An anonymous tip on the Chief Justice’s death sends him searching for answers. What he finds is a sexy, young idealist about to blow his private, behind-the-scenes world to pieces.
Brice and Hope couldn’t be more opposite, but exposing justice makes them partners—and puts them on the track of a ruthless killer. As their investigation takes them into the dark underbelly of Washington politics and murder-for-hire, it also takes them into the bedroom where passion erupts and emotional walls crumble. But when the killer makes an attempt on Hope’s life, will Brice be able to keep her safe? Or will blowing the whistle on corruption and greed mean losing the one person he’s allowed himself to love?
Brice Brennan sat alone at his computer watching a blinking cursor. He needed a story. A kick-ass story that no one else had.
And time was running out.
It was only three o’clock in the afternoon, yet he sat in the dark, courtesy of his blackout curtains. Today’s blog had to be up by nine. Fifty-five thousand and sixty-three fans, and six new advertisers, were waiting for it. After he’d exposed the United States’ deputy attorney general and the ATF’s collaboration on a gunwalking scandal recently, his readership had exploded.
His readers wanted scandal. Real journalism, not sugarcoated updates running ad nauseam or ratings-whoring gossip passed off as investigative reporting.
Tick-tock.
Brice tapped his thumb against his desktop. Three big news stories had flooded the blogosphere today. Each held potential for him, but none yet had generated any calls from his covert, and oftentimes dissident, sources.
Knowledge was power. Once he hit on a story, he became engrossed in it. He wouldn’t let it go until he exposed the truth.
As if summoned by his sheer desperation, his phone rang—the private tip line running through his computer. Brice’s pulse jumped. This could be it. The tip he was waiting for.
“‘The duty of a true patriot is to protect his country from its government.’ This is Hawkeye. Go.”
The Thomas Paine quote was his motto and what he founded the blog on. He recorded all his tip calls through the computer, which meant all of them ran through the speakers since he never used headphones. When you were always alone, what did you need headphones for?
“Hawkeye, this is Lodestone.”
Lodestone was a government employee who seemed to enjoy being Brice’s informant. He’d never said as much, but Brice knew the type. Knew the man had connections Brice could only dream of, and best of all, Lodestone never asked for money. “Go ahead, Lodestone. I’m listening.”
“I have information about the death of Chief Justice Raymond Turner this morning.”
A spurt of adrenaline shot through Brice’s limbs. “The road rage accident?”
“It’s no coincidence that he got held up on that bridge.” A pause—Lodestone deciding how much he could share? “A sensitive case was on the docket for Turner to decide whether the Supreme Court would hear it or not. Look into it. You never know what you might find.”
The line went dead.
Brice disconnected and stared blankly at the screen. If Turner’s death wasn’t an accident…
The screensaver had appeared on his computer. The Patriot Blog’s logo of an eagle. He tapped a key to wake the computer up, ready to start digging, when three loud knocks on his door interrupted him.
The first three were followed by a single knock.
Brice hung his head.
The coded knocks meant only one thing.
The Justice Team had arrived.
Maybe if he didn’t respond, they’d go away.
“Open up, Brennan,” Justice “Grey” Greystone called from the other side.
Brice swore under his breath. If he played possum, pretended he wasn’t even there, Grey would…
“Or I’ll have Mitch pick the locks. Either way, we’re coming in.”
How long was this going to go on?
Jumping up from his office chair, he hustled to the door, unlocked the three deadbolts and doorknob, and cracked the door open two inches.
“I’m not interested, Grey,” he told the leader of the Justice Team standing on his front porch looking like the Federal agent he used to be. Dark clothes, fake smile. Batman in his Bruce Wayne persona. “We’ve already had this discussion. Six times by my count.”
The weak smile on Grey’s lips struggled to stay in place. The man never smiled unless his fiancé was in spitting distance. He was trying to appear friendly and inviting. Mostly, he looked constipated.
“There are perks.” Grey glanced at Mitch, aka, Robin, and nodded.
When all else fails, go to your wingman.
“Like what?” Brice asked, chewing on the side of his thumbnail. “Being shot at? Having to send your girlfriend undercover as a stripper? Oh, yeah, that sounds better than medical insurance and vacation days.” He switched his gaze to Robin. “Oh, and how about being framed for your best friend’s murder? It’s hard to top that as a perk.”
Grey’s hard eyes turned to pure steel. Although the Justice Team’s past operations had all ended successfully, each one had put the members in extreme situations where things could have gone south in a hurry. Brice had been in on one of them in New Mexico with Mitch and his girlfriend, Caroline. Brice was lucky he was still breathing. They were all lucky they weren’t in jail.
Mitch grinned and shoved his way inside. His coat was unzipped and it fell open to reveal a T-shirt that read, I put the Hot in psychotic. He took up residence in Brice’s leather recliner with a big plop and Grey followed. “Jesus it’s dark in here. Are you a vampire or something, Brice?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “As far as perks, you get to look at my handsome face every day, Brice buddy. Best. Perk. Ever.”
Psychotic did not begin to describe Mitch Monroe. Brice left the door ajar and went back to his chair. He didn’t like people in his space. Especially not Batman and Robin.“I’m sure Caroline enjoys that, but it takes more than a pretty face to make me want to give up my blog.”
“You don’t have to give up your blog, right, Grey?” Mitch nodded without waiting for his boss to agree. “Investigating conspiracies is exactly what we want you to continue doing.”
Cyber resistance against government corruption wasn’t just a theory for Brice. The First Amendment Patriot blog was his life. While he valued his privacy and didn’t like to call attention to himself, he had a strong internal sense of right and wrong and had no trouble blowing the whistle on corrupt politicians and government agencies. Others appreciated what he did. Donations to the blog paid his bills and he cared little about material wealth or possessions. As long as he kept his lifestyle lean, he’d be fine.
Tick-tock.
Grey didn’t look all that happy about Brice keeping his blog “We have nine open cases right now that involve crooked politicians, lobbyists, and potential cover-ups. Your skills and contacts would help tremendously.”
Brice’s ego did indeed like it, too. He was damn good at running his blog, and he’d once enjoyed being part of a taskforce. Lived for his job as an undercover ATF agent. The commendations in his folder had proven his worth, and the team of men he’d worked with had always had his back. Failure had never entered his mind.
Until his boss—his former partner—and the ATF sent him down in flames. The men he’d been closer to than his three brothers turned on each other.
Those days were over. Lesson learned. Never trust anyone.
Facts were more trustworthy than people. Detachment and autonomy were important to doing a good job.Exposing government coverups and bringing dirty cops, politicians, and even heads of the most powerful agencies in the world to heel from the safety of his computer was what he excelled at now.
“I’m no longer a team player.” Truer words had never been spoken. Swinging his chair around to emphasize his point, he turned his back on the two men he had let into his personal circle and now regretted. The safety of his computer beckoned. “I just got a lead on a breaking story, and I’m not coming to work for the Justice Team. Show yourselves out, ladies.”
Behind him, the leather chair squeaked as Mitch stood. An uncomfortable silence followed, complete with strained murmuring—Batman and Robin trying to figure out their next move.
Let ’em talk.
“What story?” Grey asked.
“Chief Justice Turner. The road rage accident that killed him may not have been an accident at all.”
“Murder?” Mitch slapped him on the back. “Make you a deal, Brice, ol’ buddy. You join the Justice Team, and I’ll help you investigate your lead on Turner.”
He was grinning like his offer was an obvious slam-dunk. Brice stood, grabbed Mitch’s arm and hustled him to the door. “I don’t need your help, Mitch, ol’ buddy, and I can investigate Turner’s death on my own.”
Mostly true. If there was anything worth investigating.
Grey stood at the computer, looking at the screen, one hand cupping his chin. “What makes you think Turner’s death was murder?”
“I got a tip from a very reliable source.” Brice didn’t need to prove anything to these men, and yet, the investigator in him liked the credibility. “Claims Turner had a sensitive case on his docket that he was deciding on whether the court would hear it or not. Maybe nothing, but he told me to look into it.”
“Sounds far-fetched to me. The Chief Justice probably had a long list of possible cases for the Court to hear.”
Mitch jerked his arm out of Brice’s hand. “Yeah, and every one of the plaintiffs believes their case is sensitive. It’s going to take a lot of work to dig into each and every one of them.”
A smile—the genuine thing—crept over Grey’s face. “How about I make you a deal, Brice? We help you get Turner’s list and do the digging. Save you a lot of time. If, of course, you help us out with a few of our cases.”
He itched to jump on this right away, but he didn’t need help. What he needed was for these two to leave him alone. “I’ll think about it and let you know my decision in the morning.”
Grey seemed unfazed by his delay. “Fair enough.”
After Batman and Robin left, Brice dropped back into this chair. A few clicks of his keyboard and he had the phone number for the Public Information Office of the Supreme Court.
He’d do his own investigation, like always. If that lead nowhere, he’d consider Grey’s deal.
As the phone rang on the other end, he smiled to himself. Nothing like a good conspiracy to get the adrenaline flowing.
And time was running out.
It was only three o’clock in the afternoon, yet he sat in the dark, courtesy of his blackout curtains. Today’s blog had to be up by nine. Fifty-five thousand and sixty-three fans, and six new advertisers, were waiting for it. After he’d exposed the United States’ deputy attorney general and the ATF’s collaboration on a gunwalking scandal recently, his readership had exploded.
His readers wanted scandal. Real journalism, not sugarcoated updates running ad nauseam or ratings-whoring gossip passed off as investigative reporting.
Tick-tock.
Brice tapped his thumb against his desktop. Three big news stories had flooded the blogosphere today. Each held potential for him, but none yet had generated any calls from his covert, and oftentimes dissident, sources.
Knowledge was power. Once he hit on a story, he became engrossed in it. He wouldn’t let it go until he exposed the truth.
As if summoned by his sheer desperation, his phone rang—the private tip line running through his computer. Brice’s pulse jumped. This could be it. The tip he was waiting for.
“‘The duty of a true patriot is to protect his country from its government.’ This is Hawkeye. Go.”
The Thomas Paine quote was his motto and what he founded the blog on. He recorded all his tip calls through the computer, which meant all of them ran through the speakers since he never used headphones. When you were always alone, what did you need headphones for?
“Hawkeye, this is Lodestone.”
Lodestone was a government employee who seemed to enjoy being Brice’s informant. He’d never said as much, but Brice knew the type. Knew the man had connections Brice could only dream of, and best of all, Lodestone never asked for money. “Go ahead, Lodestone. I’m listening.”
“I have information about the death of Chief Justice Raymond Turner this morning.”
A spurt of adrenaline shot through Brice’s limbs. “The road rage accident?”
“It’s no coincidence that he got held up on that bridge.” A pause—Lodestone deciding how much he could share? “A sensitive case was on the docket for Turner to decide whether the Supreme Court would hear it or not. Look into it. You never know what you might find.”
The line went dead.
Brice disconnected and stared blankly at the screen. If Turner’s death wasn’t an accident…
The screensaver had appeared on his computer. The Patriot Blog’s logo of an eagle. He tapped a key to wake the computer up, ready to start digging, when three loud knocks on his door interrupted him.
The first three were followed by a single knock.
Brice hung his head.
The coded knocks meant only one thing.
The Justice Team had arrived.
Maybe if he didn’t respond, they’d go away.
“Open up, Brennan,” Justice “Grey” Greystone called from the other side.
Brice swore under his breath. If he played possum, pretended he wasn’t even there, Grey would…
“Or I’ll have Mitch pick the locks. Either way, we’re coming in.”
How long was this going to go on?
Jumping up from his office chair, he hustled to the door, unlocked the three deadbolts and doorknob, and cracked the door open two inches.
“I’m not interested, Grey,” he told the leader of the Justice Team standing on his front porch looking like the Federal agent he used to be. Dark clothes, fake smile. Batman in his Bruce Wayne persona. “We’ve already had this discussion. Six times by my count.”
The weak smile on Grey’s lips struggled to stay in place. The man never smiled unless his fiancé was in spitting distance. He was trying to appear friendly and inviting. Mostly, he looked constipated.
“There are perks.” Grey glanced at Mitch, aka, Robin, and nodded.
When all else fails, go to your wingman.
“Like what?” Brice asked, chewing on the side of his thumbnail. “Being shot at? Having to send your girlfriend undercover as a stripper? Oh, yeah, that sounds better than medical insurance and vacation days.” He switched his gaze to Robin. “Oh, and how about being framed for your best friend’s murder? It’s hard to top that as a perk.”
Grey’s hard eyes turned to pure steel. Although the Justice Team’s past operations had all ended successfully, each one had put the members in extreme situations where things could have gone south in a hurry. Brice had been in on one of them in New Mexico with Mitch and his girlfriend, Caroline. Brice was lucky he was still breathing. They were all lucky they weren’t in jail.
Mitch grinned and shoved his way inside. His coat was unzipped and it fell open to reveal a T-shirt that read, I put the Hot in psychotic. He took up residence in Brice’s leather recliner with a big plop and Grey followed. “Jesus it’s dark in here. Are you a vampire or something, Brice?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “As far as perks, you get to look at my handsome face every day, Brice buddy. Best. Perk. Ever.”
Psychotic did not begin to describe Mitch Monroe. Brice left the door ajar and went back to his chair. He didn’t like people in his space. Especially not Batman and Robin.“I’m sure Caroline enjoys that, but it takes more than a pretty face to make me want to give up my blog.”
“You don’t have to give up your blog, right, Grey?” Mitch nodded without waiting for his boss to agree. “Investigating conspiracies is exactly what we want you to continue doing.”
Cyber resistance against government corruption wasn’t just a theory for Brice. The First Amendment Patriot blog was his life. While he valued his privacy and didn’t like to call attention to himself, he had a strong internal sense of right and wrong and had no trouble blowing the whistle on corrupt politicians and government agencies. Others appreciated what he did. Donations to the blog paid his bills and he cared little about material wealth or possessions. As long as he kept his lifestyle lean, he’d be fine.
Tick-tock.
Grey didn’t look all that happy about Brice keeping his blog “We have nine open cases right now that involve crooked politicians, lobbyists, and potential cover-ups. Your skills and contacts would help tremendously.”
Brice’s ego did indeed like it, too. He was damn good at running his blog, and he’d once enjoyed being part of a taskforce. Lived for his job as an undercover ATF agent. The commendations in his folder had proven his worth, and the team of men he’d worked with had always had his back. Failure had never entered his mind.
Until his boss—his former partner—and the ATF sent him down in flames. The men he’d been closer to than his three brothers turned on each other.
Those days were over. Lesson learned. Never trust anyone.
Facts were more trustworthy than people. Detachment and autonomy were important to doing a good job.Exposing government coverups and bringing dirty cops, politicians, and even heads of the most powerful agencies in the world to heel from the safety of his computer was what he excelled at now.
“I’m no longer a team player.” Truer words had never been spoken. Swinging his chair around to emphasize his point, he turned his back on the two men he had let into his personal circle and now regretted. The safety of his computer beckoned. “I just got a lead on a breaking story, and I’m not coming to work for the Justice Team. Show yourselves out, ladies.”
Behind him, the leather chair squeaked as Mitch stood. An uncomfortable silence followed, complete with strained murmuring—Batman and Robin trying to figure out their next move.
Let ’em talk.
“What story?” Grey asked.
“Chief Justice Turner. The road rage accident that killed him may not have been an accident at all.”
“Murder?” Mitch slapped him on the back. “Make you a deal, Brice, ol’ buddy. You join the Justice Team, and I’ll help you investigate your lead on Turner.”
He was grinning like his offer was an obvious slam-dunk. Brice stood, grabbed Mitch’s arm and hustled him to the door. “I don’t need your help, Mitch, ol’ buddy, and I can investigate Turner’s death on my own.”
Mostly true. If there was anything worth investigating.
Grey stood at the computer, looking at the screen, one hand cupping his chin. “What makes you think Turner’s death was murder?”
“I got a tip from a very reliable source.” Brice didn’t need to prove anything to these men, and yet, the investigator in him liked the credibility. “Claims Turner had a sensitive case on his docket that he was deciding on whether the court would hear it or not. Maybe nothing, but he told me to look into it.”
“Sounds far-fetched to me. The Chief Justice probably had a long list of possible cases for the Court to hear.”
Mitch jerked his arm out of Brice’s hand. “Yeah, and every one of the plaintiffs believes their case is sensitive. It’s going to take a lot of work to dig into each and every one of them.”
A smile—the genuine thing—crept over Grey’s face. “How about I make you a deal, Brice? We help you get Turner’s list and do the digging. Save you a lot of time. If, of course, you help us out with a few of our cases.”
He itched to jump on this right away, but he didn’t need help. What he needed was for these two to leave him alone. “I’ll think about it and let you know my decision in the morning.”
Grey seemed unfazed by his delay. “Fair enough.”
After Batman and Robin left, Brice dropped back into this chair. A few clicks of his keyboard and he had the phone number for the Public Information Office of the Supreme Court.
He’d do his own investigation, like always. If that lead nowhere, he’d consider Grey’s deal.
As the phone rang on the other end, he smiled to himself. Nothing like a good conspiracy to get the adrenaline flowing.
Sometimes a book just works, and Exposing Justice does just that. There was romance, there was suspense, there was a fabulous story line, and I can’t say enough about the characters that these two authors have created.
I absolutely loved Brice. He’s the perfect mix of alpha male and sexy cyber-nerd, with a dose of action hero thrown in. I loved his wit and sarcasm, especially when it came to dealing with Mitch. It’s easy to see why he prefers working alone and why he tries to keep a low profile, so it was also great seeing him let Hope in to his life and also his blogging world.
I really liked Hope’s character as well, and I found the balance between her youth and inexperience and her recognition of knowing when she’s in over her head and needing help quite refreshing. I liked watching her character mature as the story progressed, adding a dose of reality and experience to her orderly world, and ultimately forcing her to reevaluate her life plan to follow her passion. Hope has always been the positive optimist who always puts a positive spin on everything…which I would normally find totally annoying, but again, that maturity her character goes through as the story unfolds makes me like her even more.
Brice and Hope together were a perfect fit – even though on the surface it looked like they were polar opposites. There was an age difference, Brice is 35 and Hope is 24, but that difference really worked for the two of them. Brice’s jaded outlook and general distrust in the government is certainly warranted, but it was wonderful watching Hope’s optimism and need to see the positive in things have an effect on Brice. And Brice gave Hope that dose of reality she needed to see that sometimes not everyone is as trustworthy as they seem. And although the romance started slow, when these two finally come together it’s hard for them to keep their hands to themselves, which leads to some very hot and steamy times, and I loved that there was often humor thrown in.
The plot was well developed and had enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. It was fast paced, but didn’t rush through the story so it was easy to understand the twists, turns, and intricacies of the plot. I loved the way the Justice Team members (Mitch, Caroline, Teeg, Grey, and Sydney) were woven in to the story, and I am intrigued with Tony Gerard and can’t wait to see what becomes of his character. This book is part of a series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone, but I guarantee that you’ll want to go back and read the other books to find out more about the Justice League.“Are you talking to me or the laptop?” Hope watched the screen, laying her head on his shoulder. “I have issues with being called ‘baby.’”
The software sped along, latching onto the network and spinning through a decryption algorithm. “That’s because you’re young and I’ve thrown it in your face time after time.”
“I know. It’s one of your defense mechanisms.”
He had defense mechanisms she didn’t have a clue about. “Well, just so you know, I was talking to the laptop, not you, so don’t throw a hissy.”
“A hissy? You haven’t seen me throw a hissy. Trust me.”
She pinched his leg and he jerked it away, chuckling as he nearly bobbled the laptop. “Hope…trying to work here.”
She shifted her face to plant light kisses along his neckline. Her right hand latched onto his thigh and stroked down and in. “I’m just trying to help,” she said in that innocent voice that wasn’t innocent at all. It was the sexy voice he’d learned meant only one thing.
Hope Denby wanted to be fucked.
Again.
She was a nympho. A total freakin’ nymphomaniac.
How had he gotten so lucky?
The writing team of Misty Evans and Adrienne Giordano delivers a story with such an easy flow that it makes you wonder how two voices can come together so seamlessly. The dialogue between the characters and continuity of the story line was perfectly orchestrated to deliver a five star read.
This book delivers everything you would want in a romantic suspense and then some. I highly recommend this read and can’t wait to see what comes next!
Misty Evans:
The books in her Super Agent series have won a CataNetwork Reviewers’ Choice Award, CAPA nominations, the New England Reader’s Choice Bean Pot Award for Best Romantic Suspense in 2010 and the ACRA Heart of Excellence Reader’s Choice Award for Best Romantic Suspense in 2011.
Her Witches Anonymous series was dubbed a Fallen Angel Reviews Recommended Read. The Super Agent Series, Witches Anonymous Series, and the Kali Sweet Series have been on multiple Amazon Kindle bestsellers lists. Her culinary romantic mystery, THE SECRET INGREDIENT, and the first book in her Deadly series, DEADLY PURSUIT, are both USA TODAY bestsellers.
Misty likes her coffee black, her conspiracy stories juicy, and her wicked characters dressed in couture. When not reading or writing, she enjoys music, movies, and hanging out with her husband, twin sons, and two spoiled puppies.
Adrienne Giordano:
USA Today bestselling author Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense and mystery. She is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Midwest with her workaholic husband, sports obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaten Terrorist (Terrier). She is a co-founder of Romance University blog and Lady Jane's Salon-Naperville, a reading series dedicated to romantic fiction.
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