Page 107 of Steeled

“Thanks, mommy. I love it.”

Nora sniffled, keeping her daughter close as she whispered, “No matter how old you get, no matter where you go, I’ll love you just the same, and you’ll always be my baby girl. Always.”

Before you go, I thought I’d ask—have you readNoble Beneath the Shield?WhileSteeledis the third installment of my Vollucci Security series, it pairs very well with the first installment of my Beneath the Shield series. If you haven’t read Atticus and Mitzi’s romance, you’re missing out! Keep reading to get a sneak peek of their novel.

An Excerpt fromNoble Beneath the Shield

The smell of coffee filled the shop, and Mitzi’s mouth watered in anticipation of her drink order. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say Billie had the best coffee in all of Tennessee. To anyone living outside of Bedford County, Rock-N-Joe was Shelbyville’s best kept secret. For anyone within its borders, it was where you went if you wanted the best cup of Joe east of the Mississippi. It was also one of the coolest places to hang out before dark.

The shop used to be Billie’s uncle’s record store. A few years back, when sales were lower than low and he was on the verge of going out of business, his niece stepped in with an idea that turned the place around. Half the store was still dedicated to music. No matter where you were in the place, rock-n-roll jams were always streaming. As Mitzi and Nora waited on their order, Led Zepplin played through the overhead stereo system.

“Auntie Belle, can I hold Titan’s leash?” asked Evie as she twirled the end of her ponytail.

“When we get back outside, okay? You can walk him to the salon.”

“Mitzi Bates, is that you?”

Evie, Nora, and Mitzi all turned their necks at the sound of his voice, and Mitzi couldn’t keep the grin off her face even if she tried—which she didn’t. Two uniformed cops stood at the register, both of them formidably handsome in a way no woman could deny. As she took them in, she remembered them dressed in uniforms of a different sort. Her memory brought forth who they were more than twelve years ago, and she was struck with a sense of familiarity which brought with it comfort and security that went beyond what their police shields signified.

Jedidiah Donahue was two classes ahead of Mitzi. After Trace graduated, Jed took his spot on the field as Shelby High’s starting quarterback. Good looking and talented as he was—standing a foot taller than Mitzi, with his dirty blond hair and baby blue eyes—he was nothing like Trace, which only made Mitzi like him more. As memory served, he was also a great kisser. They’d made out a few times, usually after a couple beers down by the river on a Friday night following a game. He took her to his senior prom, too, even though what they had was nothing serious.

Bishop Sharpe graduated a year after Mitzi, but he started as the Dragon’s running back his freshman year. At five-ten, he was far from the tallest on the team, but he was definitely the quickest. He also had what was arguably one of the best smiles in all of Shelbyville; his smooth, brown skin a perfect contrast to his straight, white teeth. Not to mention the way his grin made his almond shaped eyes brighten as they narrowed.

“It’s me, in the flesh,” answered Mitzi, speaking through her lingering smile.

As he pocketed his wallet, the men came closer and Jed asked, “What are you doin’ down here?”

“Nice to see you too, Donahue.”

“You know I didn’t mean it like that.” He extended an arm, and Mitzi didn’t hesitate to greet him properly with a hug. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah. I was overdue for a visit.”

Jed let her go just as Bishop reached for her. Their embraces felt like more than hello. They felt like an invitation—a reminder that she was always welcome.

Or maybe you’re just reading too much into it,she told herself, stepping away from Bishop.

“How’ve you guys been? How’s Lex?”

Bishop’s whole face lit up at the mention of his wife, Lexy. He folded his arms across his chest, and Mitzi swore she saw him puff up a little before he replied, “Pregnant with number three.”

“Oh, my gosh, congratulations!”

Bishop and Lexy had a history of creating the most adorable offspring—with pale brown skin, Bishop’s dark eyes and curly mane, but Lexy’s blonde hue.

“Rumor has it, Bish is finally giving Lex a girl,” teased Nora.

Mitzi raised her eyebrows as she laughed. “Good thing her daddy’s a cop and his daddy’s the chief. She comes out lookin’ like your boys, you’re in trouble.”

A sly smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he reached down and patted his weapon. “I’m always carryin’.” Nodding toward Jed, he added, “And I’ve always got backup.”

“Got that right.” Jed held up his fist and he and Bishop knocked knuckles.

“Nora!” called out another familiar voice. “Mit—Mitzi?”

This time, their whole group looked behind the commercial espresso machine to find Billie peeking around at them. Her jaw dropped as her gray eyes, decked out in her usual black eyeliner and a generous amount of mascara, grew wide. Her light blonde hair was pulled into a stumpy ponytail on top of her head, a few loose strands framing her round face.

She glanced toward the register, no doubt checking the Saturday morning rush-hour line still stretched through the store. She hesitated only a moment, then threw her hands up as if to say—to hell with it. Mitzi laughed as Billie came out from behind the counter. She was in a pair of holey, black jeans, a faded AC/DC t-shirt, and a worn, denim button-up she wore open with the sleeves rolled up her elbows. She looked as rock-n-roll as she always was—except when she was in a cheerleading uniform.

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