Shot in the Dark, page 1
Shot in the Dark
Written by Tiana Laveen
Edited by Natalie G. Owens
Cover Layout and design by Travis Pennington
Shot in the Dark
SHOT IN THE DARK
Enemies to Lovers Suspense Romance
James Wilde
I’ve hated her since the moment I set eyes on her.
She’s everything I despise. Not only that, she has almost destroyed all that I’ve built, but now I’m going to make her put back together everything she tore apart, bigger and better.
However, I am faced with a new problem.
She isn’t supposed to be here. She has become my target, making me lose a war with myself—for I’ve fallen in love hard. With her.
Can I protect her from my world and still have her in it? Maybe I’ll die trying…
Honey Brooks
Meet the press.
Nothing says loyalty like being shipped away in the middle of the night by the people you thought respected your efforts and shared your vision.
In my line of work, I’ve been teargassed. Arrested. Beaten to the point I’ve blacked out.
…And I’ve woken up the very next day, camera in hand. Ready, willing, and able. I’ve seen the world through a lens, and the nightmares never go away.
Now, I’ve fallen asleep and can’t wake up from the latest dark dream. His name is James Wilde.
He’s a 6’4, black-haired, muscular monster who shoots arrows for fun and runs one of the biggest smuggling rings in Denver, Colorado.
I can’t fight him physically, so I will do what I do best. Drain him emotionally… They say he has no heart and no conscience, but I know better.
All creatures between Heaven and Hell have a hot button and something they care deeply about. Little did I know, for him, I would become both…
We only have one shot in the dark.
One day… one minute… one second to get this right.
Get this fast enemies to lovers romance book now!
BLURB
Step into the shadows of a dangerous liaison where love and peril collide. Meet James ‘Black Arrow’ Wilde, the enigmatic mastermind of a lucrative smuggling ring. With his towering frame, inked skin, and lethal skills, he commands both respect and fear. But when an unforeseen witness threatens to expose his empire, James finds himself caught in a high-stakes game of survival. Enter Honey Brooks, a fearless and unconventional photojournalist from LA. Sent to Colorado as punishment, she unsuspectingly captures a secret that draws her into a deadly dance with James Wilde—a man feared by many.
As their paths intertwine, a turbulent connection sparks, fueled by revenge, seduction, and danger. In a world where trust is scarce and alliances are fleeting, James and Honey must navigate treacherous waters, fighting not only for their lives but for a love that defies all odds. With enemies lurking in every shadow, they must decide if their fiery passion is worth the ultimate sacrifice. Immerse yourself in the pulse-pounding pages of ‘Shot in the Dark’ and brace yourself for a wild ride that will leave you breathless.
Shot in the Dark
Sometimes you only have one shot to get it right.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2023 by Tiana Laveen
Kindle Edition
All rights reserved.
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are fictitious and products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. PIRACY IS AGAINST THE LAW.
Please do not skip this section if you have any specific triggers.
If it doesn’t apply, let it fly. What may not be offensive or upsetting to you or me may be so for someone else. This warning is simply to ensure the comfort of all readers. Thank you for your understanding.
This book is intended for mature readers only.
This novel includes:
1. Profanity. If four lettered words offend your delicate sensibilities, I respect that, but please understand that this is not the book for you in that case. F bombs will be dropped. Repeatedly. *KAPOW*
2. Explicit descriptions and scenes of death and murder.
3. Alcohol, nicotine, and illegal drug consumption, sales, and usage.
4. Detailed sexual activity and intimacy.
5. Detailed depictions of crimes and associated violence.
Oh, one more thing: For those unfamiliar with my work, I purposefully write ‘goddamn’ as ‘gotdamn.’ It’s an intentional spelling error—just personal preference.
Let’s continue…
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
About the Book
Copyright
Warning
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Shot in the Dark Music Directory
About the Author
DEDICATION
To my incredible husband, Michael, who saved me from the edge when weariness threatened to consume me. Your support and belief in my passion have kept me going. Writing has always been my first love, and you’ve been there every step of the way, reminding me of my strength. As a wife, a mother, and an author, I know the journey isn’t easy, but your love and understanding make it all worthwhile. Thank you for embracing the wild ride of loving an artsy, free-spirited writer. I adore you, my partner in life’s beautiful chaos.
PROLOGUE
How in the hell did they do that? What I had seen earlier that morning couldn’t have possibly been true. There’s no fucking way. I readjusted the wristband of my Rolex and half-listened to Billy’s morning report of our imports, delays and shop talk, trying to forget the thoughts swirling in my mind.
I never worry. I have an answer for everything—but this left me speechless.
Our shoes clicked against the red and white marble flooring of the hallway and the sound of my breathing echoed in my ears, becoming louder with each ragged breath I took. Regardless, it was important that I keep my cool. Never let your squad see you sweat. I checked myself out in a wall length mirror as we journeyed closer to my office. Yup. I still played a good game of poker face.
When I entered my office with Billy right beside me, something told me that once I sat down and got to business, I wasn’t going to like what I was about to see. That my suspicions and my eyes had in fact not deceived me ever, so why would they start now? Billy whipped out his phone and rattled off a few email correspondents. I nodded and responded at just the right times, though my mind was somewhere else. There was no more time to lose. Pull the switch.
I sat down at my desk, snuffed my cigar, and asked that Billy leave me. He gave me a curious glance as he was in mid-sentence about another cop on our asses, but knew better than to push the issue. Until I had a handle on this situation, I didn’t want anyone finding out what I stumbled upon, not even my right-hand man.
Once Billy closed the door behind him and the coast was clear, I grabbed the folder I had squirreled away in the top drawer of my bureau, ready to review my findings. I grabbed my grandfather’s old magnifying glass, set it aside, then turned on my desk lamp to the maximum brightness. Then, I unsealed the folder, spreading out the contents before me.
Within seconds I was thumbing through the grainy security camera snapshots I had blown up for my own personal examination, and my focus zoomed in on a dark figure among the piles of plastic storage boxes, crouched between the big rigs, armed vehicles, and cargo. My heart sank.
This can’t be right. There’s no fucking way. I can’t believe this.
Snatching my magnifying glass, I hovered it over the black and white photo prints. I studied the pictures, one after the other, for at least ten more minutes, and my prior misgivings were cemented, the truth becoming crystal clear.
Shit. It’s a gotdamn woman.
How could someone infiltrate my territory without my knowledge, and be a woman at that? I had no idea who the hell this was, which made it all the more nerve-wracking. My surprise had little to do with biology and more about the fact that women rarely got into this line of work, and when they did, it was definitely not solo. There was always a man heading the charge. Husband. Boyfriend. Father.
Just like autumn leaves, too, I wanted her fallen… Dead.
I rewound the video footage a million times. At one point, I was impressed with her agility and abilities, but the rage inside of me wouldn’t allow me to sit with any admiration for too long. She was tossed a split second, and nothing more.
You’ve got to be shittin’ me…
I observed this unbelievable stealthy bitch tackle a fence that should have electrocuted her ass upon the first touch from her hand. Instead, she climbed over it like some spider monkey and landed on her feet from fifteen feet in the air. She slinked and slid around like hot snot, her camera flickering every now and again, illuminating the darkness in millisecond flashes. My men were completely oblivious to her presence as they loaded the gear onto the trucks, and stood around yacking. She at one point was so close to several of them, it was almost as if they knew she was there. That may have bled into my already heightened paranoia, but I knew better. The costs were too high to turn a blind eye to such a thing, or even be in cahoots.
James ran his hand along his bare chest, slow and easy, closed his eyes, then steepled his hands in front of his face. His button-down black shirt was splayed open, allowing a slight breeze in the room to cool his sweaty chest. His nostrils flared as he tried to keep his composure. Waves of rage crashed into his mind so violently that he drowned in his own thoughts.
This had to have been Bannon’s handiwork. He’s done everything possible to try and get me stomped out.
I paused the video and increased the size. The facial features, just like the photos I’d printed, were non-discernable, but I knew a woman’s body…
The curves. Dips. The shape of the legs and ass. Even the way she walked and moved her hands were dead giveaways. Women are like air. They flow. Each step they take is deliberate, yet they make it look carefree. Breezy. It’s in their DNA. After several minutes, my jaw began to burn. I had been clenching my teeth the whole time, not even realizing it until a dull pain radiated throughout my mouth and skull. I fisted my hands while my stomach tensed and tightened like a wound-up ball of yarn, squeezing my intestines into a million knots. The anger inside me was bubbling and boiling over to the point that I grabbed the glass globe on my desk and tossed it hard across the room. It toppled my sitting area lantern and crashed into the black wall behind it, leaving broken paint and plaster in its wake.
Was that a sign? Was my world really over? Thrown away never to be the same again?
Whatever information this lady had captured on her camera could signal the end of me.
I sat there. Sober. Heated. Her ambiguous image was imprinted in my memory. The fuzzy dark shadows, blurry outline, and glints of light. I snatched the photos and slipped them into the shredder beside my desk. I then grabbed a thumb drive, copied the video file to it, encrypted it, and destroyed the original. Spinning slowly back and forth in my dark red leather chair, I mulled things over. I slowed down, then paused. It doesn’t matter the who, where, or how right now. This must be handled IMMEDIATELY. I was finished wasting time. I understood what needed to be done before things got even worse. Picking up my phone, I rang Billy.
“What’s up, Archer?”
“Halt all operations today.”
“What? But we have two trucks full of cigarettes and Hennessy going out to Alaska and—”
“Don’t make me fucking repeat myself. I said halt it! Stand down until further notice.” I ended the call.
Standing from the chair, I smashed my barely smoked cigar next to the other one in the ashtray and marched over to my closet. Unlocking the dead bolts, I removed my Glock G-19 and my Springfield Armory Hellcat, checking to ensure that each was fully loaded.
Grabbing my black leather jacket from the coatrack next to the door, I slipped it on, the keys to my Lamborghini Huracan Performante in hand. Time to rock and roll.
…One thing is for certain: I’m not going back to prison. What I am going to do is find this woman, and when I do, she won’t be speaking, sneaking, or crawling around ever again.
CHAPTER ONE
“Honey, hand it over.” Teresa waved her hand about as the sunlight filtered in through her office window. Honey hated Teresa’s office. It was one of the largest ones in the entire building—a corner one, as if she deserved such a space. The area was pretentious with wall to ceiling windows and reeking of her notorious perfume that smelled more like Axe body spray. The furniture was white with silver accents, and she’d placed clear, glass decorations in various shapes and sizes everywhere. No rhyme or reason. It was underwhelming. Safe. Sterile. Boring. Just like her.
The mouse-faced lady stood in her three-piece dark gray suit that was too baggy around the breasts and thigh area, her short platinum blond hair brushed back from her angular face, showcasing beady blue eyes that only attempted to pierce her soul.
“Honey, did you hear me? Give them to me.” She wiggled her fingers in her direction, palm up. Waiting for the prize.
“I’m not handing over my office keys to you because I’ve done nothing wrong.” Honey placed her hand on her hip and cocked her head. There was no way this would end well but at this point, she didn’t give a shit. They stared each other down and then, the silence was broken by a loud, frustrated sigh.
“Fine,” Teresa barked before grabbing the phone receiver off the hook. “I need Security…yes, I’m on the ninth floor. Hurry please… No, I’m not in immediate danger… Yes, Teresa Hadlock’s office.” She slammed the phone down as if somehow security was a problem now, too.
Their gazes locked once again, and Teresa’s complexion deepened before the woman turned and looked away.
“You’re wasting my time, Teresa. When will this silly show of yours be over?”
“The only time being wasted is mine. I’m now late for my one o’clock meeting.”
“When can I get back to work?”
“You will not be working, Honey. You think this is a game. Some bluff. It’s not. Your probation period will last three months.” The lady’s lips crimped as she crossed her arms.
“THREE MONTHS?! Are you crazy?!”
“It will be in writing by the end of the day, sent to your email address.” The bastard threw her a smug look. “It’s being typed up as we speak. Honey, this isn’t what I wanted, despite how you feel. Honestly, I’m so disappointed in you. So much potential down the drain.”
“I’m disappointed in you, too… but not surprised.”
“I don’t know what that means, and I refuse to give it any energy.” She waved her off then shuffled some papers around and took a sip of her coffee. “The problem is of your own design. You insist on being the daredevil of this company. I don’t know what you’re trying to prove. We don’t need daredevils, Honey. We need trained professionals who don’t cause havoc everywhere they go. If you want thrills, get on a broken roller coaster with no brakes.”
“Teresa, I stand up for what’s right. You don’t hire me, one of the best photojournalists in my graduating class, and try to dumb me down to garden gnome shows and senior center Pokeno games. And speaking of what’s needed: what you need is decorum,” she pointed an accusing finger at her. “Some sensitivity training wouldn’t hurt, either … oh, and a backbone, too. Make sure to ask Santa for that come Christmas time.”
“Insults are not the way to get back in my good graces.”
“I don’t give a damn about you and your graces. I thought you had my back, but you’ve been the one holding the knife this entire time. You’re a liar, a brown-noser, and a—”
“Watch it, honey! I am warning you.”
