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Ace pilot Jace Vernon is forced to flee his home world after being framed for murder. He seeks justice, but S.I.N. agent Silver Malloy gets in his way. The platinum-haired beauty counters his every move in the quest to clear his name. As he makes it his mission to break down her defenses, he doesn’t count on the personal consequences of success.

Silver refuses to abort her deadly mission even if it means killing the one man Jace needs alive to prove his innocence. Her resolve wavers when Jace’s charms melt the barriers around her heart. Can she help him win his case, even if it means betraying her family and ruining her career?

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SILVER SERENADE ~ Nancy Cohen
Release Date: July 16 2010 – Wild Rose Press

Despite the coolness of the woods, sweat dribbled down the back of Silver Malloy’s neck. Her muscles ached from hours spent in a crouched position, but stealth mattered more than comfort. She’d waited for this opportunity for months—no, make that years—and wasn’t about to lose it due to a lapse in technique.

This first kill might be her last, but at least she’d complete her revenge.

Using her rifle scope, she scanned the dusty street that stretched below her hillside vantage point. The few scruffy inhabitants who trudged between the ramshackle buildings didn’t interest her.

A lucky tip had brought her to Al’ron, a watering hole for space travelers. Those who visited here were not often welcome elsewhere. They came to buy arms, men, and equipment to carry out lawless raids against innocent victims, and Tyrone Bluth had earned the reputation as the cruelest bandit of all.

Silver couldn’t wait to end his reign of terror.

Raucous bird cries and the drone of insects rang in her ears, augmented by the auditory sensors in her gold drop earrings. She ignored them─her concentration centered on the only saloon in town.

Squinting, she watched the set of double swinging doors, eager for the slightest hint of movement. The spicy scent of tangleberries tickled her nose. She stifled a sneeze, unwilling to lose focus, even for a moment.

Someone staggered from the saloon. Her pulse accelerated as she recognized Bluth, the leader of Tyrone’s Marauders. He sported a wide-brimmed black hat, militia-style clothes, and a weapons belt bristling with armaments. A hostile scowl creased his ugly face, a face that had haunted her dreams forever.

Shutting one eye, she took careful aim through the targeting sight of her TechVix LD-6 Sharpshooter Special.

Her gut clenched, and she steeled herself to fire. Just as her finger twitched on the trigger, a shadowy figure dove into her. The impact knocked her to the ground. She dropped the rifle, but not before it discharged a wild shot.

A heavy weight toppled across her body, forcing her spine down against the packed earth. Tiny pebbles dug into the small of her back. Brittle pine needles pierced her skin. So much for the protective jumpsuit she’d worn.

“Let me up.” She shoved at the bulk immobilizing her. Unable to break free, she aimed a string of expletives toward the man whose furious green eyes glared down at her.

“Who the devil are you?” he demanded, his thick dark brows inched together in an angry scowl.

“I could ask you the same.” Silver’s hand scrabbled in the dirt, searching for her fallen weapon. “Are you one of Bluth’s men?”

“No.” His thighs pressed her firmly to the ground.

“Then get off me so I can finish what I started.”

“Only after you tell me why you’re here.”

Panic seized her as she faced the possibility of failure.  “All I need is one clear shot, then we’ll talk.” She thrust at his broad chest, but he wouldn’t budge.

“If you’re worried about Bluth getting away, it’s too late.”

“What?” Silver lifted her head to peer over the crest of the hill. Sure enough, Tyrone Bluth was nowhere in sight.

The villain had torn apart everything meaningful in her life, and now she’d lost her chance to even the score.

Rage clouded her vision. “I don’t know who you are, but you’ve no right to interfere.”

His lip curled. “Is that so?” His attention shifted to a spot beyond the ridge, then he lowered his face close enough for her to see the brown flecks in his irises. “Be quiet. Bluth’s patrol is searching the area.”

Gritting her teeth, she gave him an appraising glance. Taut angles highlighted his bone structure, emphasizing a patrician nose and a jaw set at an arrogant pitch. Jet black hair swept in tousled waves to his nape. Slicked back from a wide forehead, its style proclaimed he was a man who couldn’t be swayed from his purpose.

With her smaller frame, she doubted the defensive tactics she’d learned during training would be effective. He looked like a guy who could counter her every move.

Minutes ticked by while he pressed against her in a manner that made unwanted awareness flood through her.