All This Could Be Yours By J.V. Speyer
Publication date: August 11, 2019
Buy Link: Amazon
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance, Suspense
Summary:
Can a straightlaced FBI agent fake a relationship with a mob rat long enough to close the case?
There’s only one way out of this family, but Tanner thinks he’s found another one. He’s going to fake a relationship with a straightlaced undercover FBI agent and help him take the organization down from within. That is, if the two of them don’t strangle each other first.
Maddox hates the Mob. He doesn’t have a lot of respect for mob rats either. He knows why he was stuck with this case, and he’s not thrilled about it. He wants the win, but having to play nice with gorgeous criminal Tanner might be more than he can take.
When secrets come out, Tanner and Maddox will have to trust each other with everything they have. They may be opposites, but they’re exactly what each other will need to get through this job with their bodies and souls together.
—
EXCERPT:
Tanner slipped into the grungy old pub and looked around for familiar faces. Professor Agnusdei sat just where he said he’d be, at their usual table near the back. Sanjana sat there too, and a warm flush of gratitude washed over Tanner. He didn’t think he could do this without her. She’d been his best friend since undergrad. If anyone was going to support him, it would be Sanjana.The pair looked bizarre sitting across from each other like that. Sanjana got a few odd looks for being in the pub in the first place, but she didn’t seem to pay much attention to them. She noticed Tanner before Agnusdei did, because she was observant like that. She raised her pint in Tanner’s direction as he slid into the seat beside Agnusdei. He kept his back to the wall, so no one could sneak up behind him, because old habits died hard.
He didn’t see anyone else he knew here. He didn’t see anyone who even looked familiar. Of course, most of his dad’s cronies would feel pretty uncomfortable down here in the Village. Tanner stayed down here for precisely that reason. He didn’t let himself get complacent, but he welcomed the chance to breathe a little more freely. Every little bit helped.
When the waiter came along, Tanner ordered a Brooklyn IPA and a salad. He didn’t know how much he’d be able to eat, but was used to faking it. He’d spent most of his life making everything look normal from the outside. He might not be able to see any of his father’s buddies, but that didn’t mean none of them were watching. It was always, always better to be safe than sorry.
Sanjana frowned at him and the small talk he made with both of them. She didn’t understand why he was so twitchy and so distracted. Tanner could live with that. She didn’t need to understand. She’d stand by him no matter what happened. Dr. Agnusdei, on the other hand, understood everything. He’d successfully prosecuted plenty of guys just like Tanner’s father. Most of his witnesses even survived to tell the tale.
It was that most that Tanner found hardest to swallow. His life might not be much of a life, but Tanner wasn’t quite ready to give it up just yet.
When Tanner’s food had been delivered and a second round of drinks ordered for everyone, Tanner dropped the act. He dropped some of it, at least. He’d never be able to drop it completely, not even with his closest friends. “So.” He took a deep breath and toyed with his fork. “Were you able to get in touch with your friends?” He didn’t dare say the words FBI. There was no way for Tanner’s father to know where he was, but if anyone could find a way, it was Jimmy.
Agnusdei nodded. “I’ve got to say, Tanner, they were suspicious at first.” The old man had a Bronx accent as thick as cream cheese on a bagel. He’d grown up within sight of the stadium, and put himself through school. He made a name for himself prosecuting the Mob, and he had the scars to prove it. He wasn’t afraid of anything.
Of course, he wasn’t the one going against his own family. He didn’t have to be afraid of anything.
“I’d be suspicious too.” Tanner kept his head up. He refused to show his disappointment. Why wouldn’t the Feds be suspicious? The Garofalo family just didn’t rat like that, not that they knew of.
“What did they recommend?”
Agnusdei let out a soft laugh. “Well, at first, they said you should straighten up, fly right, and let the system work itself out.”
Tanner couldn’t help himself. He grabbed his drink and finished it in one gulp. He couldn’t allow himself any other expression, but Agnusdei had just given him the worst news he could have offered. “They seriously don’t want to hear what Jimmy Garofalo’s son has to offer?” he croaked, leaning forward.
“Well, the last time they got approached by one of Old Man Jimmy’s sons, he pulled a no-show.” Agnusdei spread his hands in front of him, as if to say what can you do?
Tanner saw red for a moment. Here he was, trying to do the right thing and help his country, and they didn’t care. “Did you point out that Abe was killed for his trouble?” He managed to get that little nugget out without passing out. He supposed he should be proud.
Sanjana gasped. Tanner hadn’t given her many details. She knew his family was criminal. She knew he was looking to get out and turn them in. She didn’t know how bad it really was. Tanner hoped she never would. What he’d been made to do to Abe would scar her for life, even though she didn’t have to see the results.
Author Bio:
J. V. Speyer has lived in upstate New York and rural Catalonia before settling in the greater Boston area. She has worked in archaeology, security, accountancy, finance, and non-profit management. She currently lives just south of Boston in a house old enough to remember when her town was a tavern community with a farming problem. (No, really. John Adams complained about it. A lot.)
When not writing, J. V. enjoys watching baseball and seeking out all of New England’s creepiest spots. Her Spawn has turned her into a hockey enthusiast. She can be bribed with gin, tequila, and cats.
I am already a huge fan of J. V. Speyer. I read everything she writes.
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