Alibi

Brantley Walker expected today to be a long day, starting off with a visit from Ryan Trexler and Hunter Kogan, the men in charge of running Sniper 1 Security, the largest private security firm in the state.

They were here at Brantley’s request, and since this was somewhat of a job interview for the soon-to-be disbanded Off the Books Task Force, he figured it needed to run smoothly, hence the reason he was already three hours into his day and it was just now oh-eight-hundred.

He walked into the kitchen as Reese was pouring a cup of coffee.

“You only got seven miles in this mornin’. Somethin’ wrong with you today?”

Brantley could hear the teasing tone, and he appreciated it. If Reese knew Brantley was stressed about this meeting, he wasn’t calling him on it, but he was certainly doing his best to distract him. For a moment, Brantley’s brain flipped back to a few hours ago when Reese had woken him up with that sexy mouth doing sinful things. Needless to say, it’d been one hell of a way to start the day.

“Too much shit to do,” he said, forcing a smile and accepting the cup Reese passed over.

“I just got a text. RT and Hunter’ll be here in a few.” Reese’s tone was calm and collected as usual. “We’ll have plenty of time to introduce them to the team, even have time for questions. Then what’s left? We get to spend the afternoon at the park with the rest of the town?”

Brantley nodded, staring into his coffee mug. “Yeah.”

And that would be the second half of his ridiculously long day.

After he fielded questions from JJ, Baz, Trey, and Charlie regarding the fact they were no longer state employees, Brantley was going to spend the afternoon at the fantasy festival. Coyote Ridge’s first one of the year.

Despite the name, it wasn’t in the least bit kinky, he’d been told. It was a new festival added to the calendar this year, one meant to kick off 2021 with carnival games and rides designed specifically for the children of Coyote Ridge.

As for why Brantley was looking forward to it … well, it certainly wasn’t for the games and rides. No, his reasons were a bit more selfish: he was simply looking forward to some downtime with Reese and if it meant congregating with the rest of the town, so be it.

He just wasn’t sure he could get in the spirit of it today. Ever since they learned that Juliet Prince was involved in the false kidnapping scheme that resulted in JJ’s house being blown to smithereens a week ago, he hadn’t been sleeping much. It didn’t help that they had no idea where the woman was or her next move, but something in his gut said they needed to be hypervigilant.

Brantley’s watch buzzed at the same time Reese’s did, which meant only one thing.

“Looks like they’re right on time,” Reese said. “Why don’t you go out and greet ’em. I’ll head to the barn, start the coffee.”

Brantley nodded because he would take any direction offered. This was foreign territory for him. He had never applied for a job in his life. Well, unless BUD/S, which stood for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL counted. But this wasn’t an endurance test that would allow his body and mind to prove his worthiness. This would require some schmoozing on his part and Brantley would be the first to admit, it wasn’t his strong suit.

With Tesha, their four-legged partner, leading the way, Brantley went to greet their guests.

Stepping out onto the front porch, he steeled his spine, geared up for convincing these men that absorbing the Off the Books Task Force was the best thing to do for everyone involved. Granted, he knew they were already leaning in that direction based on what RT had told him, but they’d driven two hundred miles from Dallas to Coyote Ridge on a Saturday, no less, to seal the deal.

“How was the trip?” Brantley asked, holding out his hand to RT after the man deposited his helmet on the handlebar of the Kawasaki Ninja H2R.

“Perfect way to spend a Saturday mornin’,” RT said with a wide grin, shaking Brantley’s hand in return.

“I told Reese I was still thinkin’ about gettin’ one of those.” Brantley nodded at the sportbike.

“Worth the investment,” RT replied. “You’re more than welcome to try it out if you’d like.”

Brantley grinned. “I might just take you up on that later.”

The other man strolled around, running one hand over his short hair, the other pulling off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of scrutinizing white-gray eyes.

“Brantley Walker, I’d like to introduce you to Hunter Kogan. Hunter, Brantley.”

“Nice to meet you,” Hunter said, gripping his hand firmly. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Don’t believe everything you hear,” Brantley joked.

Hunter chuckled. “Likewise.” He nodded his head toward RT. “Especially if it comes from this one.”

RT rolled his eyes. “Anyone who knows me knows I only speak the truth. So when I say y’all are both assholes, you can bet it’s true.”

Brantley laughed, feeling some of the tension dissipate.

“Reese is out in the barn startin’ a pot of coffee. Y’all ready to check it out?”

​Hunter’s worried gaze flipped between them. “No one said anything about spendin’ the day with animals.”

Brantley Walker: Off the Books 

Ever wanted to pull back the curtain and peek into the lives of your favorite characters? Well, I do, and frankly, it got me thinking—what if we had a front-row seat to their adventures?

I’m an unapologetic series junkie, especially those that take us on a winding journey with the same protagonists. And because my heart has a soft spot for love stories, I thought, why not follow a delightful gay couple while adding in some supporting characters for comic relief? After all, what’s a love story without a bit of drama and plenty of laughs? Cue the task force, a dynamic element to keep the plot twists rolling and the pages turning.

Oh, and for those already wondering—yes, the Brantley Walker: Off the Books series is far from over! If you want to keep track of all the shenanigans, make sure to sign up for my Ramblings of a Writer blog and be the first to know what I’m concocting next. Trust me, you won’t want to miss a chapter!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars for Brantley Walker: Off the Books ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“This book captivated from the first line to the last word, it’s exciting, it’s great writing and it’s has wonderful characters old and new.” ~Jackie W on Goodreads [All In]

“This series keeps getting more complex and interesting with each installment. I am so happy to finally have Reese and Brantley in a place where they feel rock steady. SO rock steady that Brantley is counting down the days until the wedding and I CANNOT with how much I love the way they love each other.” ~Aviecelli on Goodreads [Off Course]

“This book it the basis of what love is. It shows you family, life, and what you should strive for in the end game. Brilliant, and beautiful.” ~Meghann R on Goodreads [Alibi]

“This book was amazing!! And it’s not just because I love Brantley and Reese, because I do! It’s the growing love and passion between these two that jumps off the pages and smacks you upside your head.” ~Christina I on Goodreads [Hide & Seek]

“Everything we have been waiting for we get in spades (that bachelor weekend!!) and I loved every single second of it. I am also enjoying seeing other relationships evolve aside from the grooms – I am really excited to see what happens next with Atticus and Slade.” ~Amanda V on Goodreads [To Have and to Hold]

“As always Nicole Edwards draws me into the world of suspense, angst, PTSD, a lot of steam, the off the books team’s many relationships both romantic and non romantic and the beautiful romances between Brantley and Reese and JJ and Baz.” ~Sofie on Goodreads [Bounty]

“With each book I fall more and more in love with these characters.” ~Renee on Goodreads [Deadly Coincidence]

“So much heart stopping action in this book and I was on the edge of my seat. The idea of anything happening to JJ had me wanting to jump into the book and go rogue..” ~Mabel on Goodreads [Chain Reaction]