Title: Balls to the Walls: an OPS Protector Romance

Series: Owens Protective Services Book 15

Author: Giulia Lagomarsino

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Protector Romance

Release Date: December 25, 2023

Cover Design: TE Black Designs

Photographer: R Plus M Photo

Cover Design: Tony Brettman

True love is…taking a wooden stake to the abdomen for the lady you met two days ago.

I was sitting in a cantina smoking a cigar when I first saw her.

Eyes like honey and a body that tempted me to do something so irrational it would have killed any other man.

Lucky for me, my handy dandy weapon of choice was close by.

But she was worth it.

And I found that I was especially fond of her abilities with a corkscrew.

How could it not be love at first sight?

Although, my teammates could have shown just a little more enthusiasm when I showed up.

But no, they were focused on the gaping hole in my side.

Oh, and the little fact that I hadn’t bothered to call.

Still, couldn’t a guy get a hug or even a pat on the shoulder?

Or…hey, is that your wife? She’s totally hot. How about some shawarma?

You know, it’s almost like they didn’t miss me.

I picked up my cigar and waited for him to notice me, the lone ranger sitting in the corner with zero fucks to give. It didn’t take him long to notice the man who had nearly taken off his head. Well, had I aimed a little lower. 

In a rage, the man strode around the bar, storming over to my table. He pulled a gun from the waistband of his pants, aiming directly at me. But I wasn’t afraid. It was in his stance, the way he held his gun, the way his finger wasn’t quite in the right position. This man threatened people with a gun, but he wasn’t nearly trained enough to use it.

“You dare shoot me in my own bar?” the man shouted.

Ah, so he was the owner, using his position to threaten those around him. He intimidated my Honey with his position, using deplorable tactics to get what he wanted. I knew men like him. I killed men like him. 

“I didn’t shoot you,” I said casually, tapping the end of my cigar and letting the flakes fall into the dish. “If I was shooting at you, I wouldn’t have missed.”

The man spluttered at me, his face mottled with rage as he stared at me. “You need to leave my bar.”

“Not without Honey.”

His eyes flicked to the woman he was just threatening. “She is not yours.”

“She’s a hell of a lot more than mine.” I stood, holstering my weapon. Yeah, he still had his out, but that did nothing to make me flinch. The man couldn’t hit me unless he was holding the gun against my chest, and even then, it was highly unlikely he’d kill me.

“You have no right, gringo,” he spat.

I walked around the table until I was standing right in front of him. His gun pressed against my chest and he really started to sweat. “Do it,” I hissed. “Pull the trigger.”

“I—”

He didn’t know what to say, and didn’t want to become a murderer. His eyes flicked to Honey again, and then he pressed the gun harder against my chest. He wanted to do it. He wanted to watch the blood seep from my body, but he couldn’t.

In one swift move, I grabbed the gun from his hand and slammed it down on his head. He dropped to the ground, out cold and not going anywhere anytime soon. Honey came rushing over, her eyes filled with tears as she leapt into my arms.

“You saved me,” she cried. “No one has ever done anything like that for me before.”

I slowly lifted the cigar to my mouth and took a long drag. “And you’ll never have to know what it’s like not to have me around.”

I'm a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, "No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book." I didn't think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn't already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven't been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.

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