An Unexpected Distraction
by Catherine Bybee
Series: Richter, #3
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: November 30, 2021
Family secrets and fresh romance collide in this heart-pounding Richter series installment by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee.
Jacqueline “Jax” Simon knows how to expose secrets: she’s a skilled operative with MacBain Security and Solutions. When Jax hears her parents are divorcing, she races to London to find out why. She’s determined to learn the truth, especially when her investigation uncovers why her parents sent her to Richter, the German military school that made her a fighter.
Andrew Craig collects Jax at Heathrow Airport as a favor. He’s heard she’s a handful, but he didn’t know she’s dangerously gorgeous too. His instant attraction could change his life…or end it.
Jax doesn’t want to fall for Andrew, but soon he’s worming his way into her life. Together, they infiltrate Richter to discover if it has returned to its covert purpose: training children to be spies and assassins and blackmailing parents to look the other way. As the attraction between the two intensifies, so do the secrets exploding all around them. How deadly are those secrets—and who will survive?
She placed a finger to her lips, a silent signal to stay quiet, and nodded toward the bathrooms. Without checking to see if he would follow, she turned away so that all Harry or her dad would see was her back if they looked.
“Good to see you again,” Jax heard him say before she turned to look at him.
“Imagine my surprise to see the cabbie drinking with my family.”
His eyes widened along with his smile. “That was your assumption.”
“That you didn’t correct.”
He rolled his eyes. “Technicality.”
“Who are you?”
He opened his mouth and she stopped him. “I’d avoid any technical lies this time around.” She glanced at her watch. “In about thirty minutes I’ll know just about everything there is to know about you down to your last credit card transaction. Choose your words wisely.”
“My credit card?”
“I’m waiting.”
Andrew shifted from one foot to the other, arms folded over his chest. “Harry, my friend, asked me to pick up his handful baby sister at the airport and then watch over her to make sure she didn’t show up unexpectedly at his flat and stumble on her father before he could talk to her.”
She tried to find a weakness in his story. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh!” He moved aside so someone could walk past to the toilets. “Now, what are you doing here?”
“Confronting my father.”
“In a pub.”
“I went to Harry’s, but you guys were leaving.”
He took her elbow and moved her to the side as more people shoved past them. “Your confrontation will have to wait.”
“Why?”
“Gregory doesn’t know I know what’s going on.”
“What? Why?”
“He thinks I showed up to ask my friend to join me here.”
“Is that all you’re up to?”
Andrew looked at the ceiling. “A harmless beer or two.”
There was more to his story than that. “I’ll be sure and keep up the ruse.” She moved toward the bar.
“You’re staying?”
“I’m going to find out what’s going on with my parents, with or without them telling me.”
He grinned. “Like their credit card transactions?”
“Exactly.” She turned away. “And I’m not a handful.”
Her comment was met with a short laugh. “You passed out.”
“And woke up without pants on.” They made their way to her brother and dad, dodging other patrons en route.
“I thought you’d sleep better. I didn’t do any—”
“I didn’t say you did.” She stopped walking and turned to look at him. “Just don’t expect another peep show.”
“Good to see you again,” Jax heard him say before she turned to look at him.
“Imagine my surprise to see the cabbie drinking with my family.”
His eyes widened along with his smile. “That was your assumption.”
“That you didn’t correct.”
He rolled his eyes. “Technicality.”
“Who are you?”
He opened his mouth and she stopped him. “I’d avoid any technical lies this time around.” She glanced at her watch. “In about thirty minutes I’ll know just about everything there is to know about you down to your last credit card transaction. Choose your words wisely.”
“My credit card?”
“I’m waiting.”
Andrew shifted from one foot to the other, arms folded over his chest. “Harry, my friend, asked me to pick up his handful baby sister at the airport and then watch over her to make sure she didn’t show up unexpectedly at his flat and stumble on her father before he could talk to her.”
She tried to find a weakness in his story. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh!” He moved aside so someone could walk past to the toilets. “Now, what are you doing here?”
“Confronting my father.”
“In a pub.”
“I went to Harry’s, but you guys were leaving.”
He took her elbow and moved her to the side as more people shoved past them. “Your confrontation will have to wait.”
“Why?”
“Gregory doesn’t know I know what’s going on.”
“What? Why?”
“He thinks I showed up to ask my friend to join me here.”
“Is that all you’re up to?”
Andrew looked at the ceiling. “A harmless beer or two.”
There was more to his story than that. “I’ll be sure and keep up the ruse.” She moved toward the bar.
“You’re staying?”
“I’m going to find out what’s going on with my parents, with or without them telling me.”
He grinned. “Like their credit card transactions?”
“Exactly.” She turned away. “And I’m not a handful.”
Her comment was met with a short laugh. “You passed out.”
“And woke up without pants on.” They made their way to her brother and dad, dodging other patrons en route.
“I thought you’d sleep better. I didn’t do any—”
“I didn’t say you did.” She stopped walking and turned to look at him. “Just don’t expect another peep show.”
With the perfect mix of action/suspense and romance, Catherine Bybee delivers another story that had me captured from the first page and reading far into the night!
I loved all the twists and turns in this book and how so many things that seemed to be unrelated came together at the end. I also loved how Jax and Andrew’s relationship was interwoven into this story and the part that Andrew plays in everything. I wouldn’t have blamed him for running, but I loved that he stayed and stepped up, managing to be everything that Jax needed, even when things got dangerous.
With an easy-to-read writing style and characters that are engaging and feel real, plus a story line that has family secrets, suspense, action, mystery, and romance, Bybee has added another book to her collection of work that should appeal to anyone. I love the family of characters she has created at McBain Security and how they all come together to protect and support each other.
This book is part of a series but can easily be read as a standalone, but, in my opinion, the best experience would be to start the series from the beginning since so many characters from other books play a part - and honestly, they are all great reads!
Catherine Bybee has delivered another great story that I would highly recommend to anyone.
Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned the Not Quite series, the Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series. Learn more about Catherine and her books at www.catherinebybee.com.
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