Love and Payne Read online

  Austen rolled his eyes, but his cheeks were flushed, and he closed his eyes when Iona planted a kiss on his head. Zach had never seen him look so at peace, and it was just the beginning. Maybe love didn’t always conquer all, but it was still capable of the most amazing things, and Zach was going to prove it to Austen every single day.

  More from Charlie Cochet

  THIRDS: Book One

  When homicide detective Dexter J. Daley’s testimony helps send his partner away for murder, the consequences—and the media frenzy—aren’t far behind. He soon finds himself sans boyfriend, sans friends, and, after an unpleasant encounter in a parking garage after the trial, he’s lucky he doesn’t find himself sans teeth. Dex fears he’ll get transferred from the Human Police Force’s Sixth Precinct, or worse, get dismissed. Instead, his adoptive father—a sergeant at the Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron otherwise known as the THIRDS—pulls a few strings, and Dex gets recruited as a Defense Agent.

  Dex is determined to get his life back on track and eager to get started in his new job. But his first meeting with Team Leader Sloane Brodie, who also happens to be his new jaguar Therian partner, turns disastrous. When the team is called to investigate the murders of three HumaniTherian activists, it soon becomes clear to Dex that getting his partner and the rest of the tightknit team to accept him will be a lot harder than catching the killer—and every bit as dangerous.

  Sequel to Hell & High

  THIRDS: Book Two

  When a series of bombs go off in a Therian youth center, injuring members of THIRDS Team Destructive Delta and causing a rift between agents Dexter J. Daley and Sloane Brodie, peace seems unattainable. Especially when a new and frightening group, the Order of Adrasteia, appears to always be a step ahead. With panic and intolerance spreading and streets becoming littered with the Order’s propaganda, hostility between Humans and Therians grows daily. Dex and Sloane, along with the rest of the team, are determined to take down the Order and restore peace, not to mention settle a personal score. But the deeper the team investigates the bombings, the more they believe there’s a more sinister motive than a desire to shed blood and spread chaos.

  Discovering the frightful truth behind the Order’s intent forces Sloane to confront secrets from a past he thought he’d left behind for good, a past that could not only destroy him and his career, but also the reputation of the organization that made him all he is today. Now more than ever, Dex and Sloane need each other, and, along with trust, the strength of their bond will mean the difference between justice and all-out war.

  Sequel to Blood & Thunder

  THIRDS: Book Three

  New York City’s streets are more dangerous than ever with the leaderless Order of Adrasteia and the Ikelos Coalition, a newly emerged Therian group, at war. Innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire and although the THIRDS round up more and more members of the Order in the hopes of keeping the volatile group from reorganizing, the members of the Coalition continue to escape and wreak havoc in the name of vigilante justice.

  Worse yet, someone inside the THIRDS has been feeding the Coalition information. It’s up to Destructive Delta to draw out the mole and put an end to the war before anyone else gets hurt. But to get the job done, the team will have to work through the aftereffects of the Therian Youth Center bombing. A skirmish with Coalition members leads Agent Dexter J. Daley to a shocking discovery and suddenly it becomes clear that the random violence isn’t so random. There’s more going on than Dex and Sloane originally believed, and their fiery partnership is put to the test. As the case takes an explosive turn, Dex and Sloane are in danger of losing more than their relationship.

  THIRDS: Book Four

  After an attack by the Coalition leaves THIRDS Team Leader Sloane Brodie critically injured, agent Dexter J. Daley swears to make Beck Hogan pay for what he’s done. But Dex’s plans for retribution are short-lived. With Ash still on leave with his own injuries, Sloane in the hospital, and Destructive Delta in the Coalition’s crosshairs, Lieutenant Sparks isn’t taking any chances. Dex’s team is pulled from the case, with the investigation handed to Team Leader Sebastian Hobbs. Dex refuses to stand by while another team goes after Hogan, and decides to put his old HPF detective skills to work to find Hogan before Theta Destructive, no matter the cost.

  With a lengthy and painful recovery ahead of him, the last thing Sloane needs is his partner out scouring the city, especially when the lies—however well-intentioned—begin to spiral out of control. Sloane is all too familiar with the desire to retaliate, but some things are more important, like the man who’s pledged to stand beside him. As Dex starts down a dark path, it’s up to Sloane to show him what’s at stake, and finally put a name to what’s in his heart.

  Sequel to Rise & Fall

  THIRDS: Book Five

  As the fiercest Defense Agent at the THIRDS, Destructive Delta’s Ash Keeler is foul-mouthed and foul-tempered. But his hard-lined approach always yields results, evident by his recent infiltration of the Coalition. Thanks to Ash’s skills and the help of his team, they finally put an end to the murdering extremist group for good, though not before Ash takes a bullet to save teammate Cael Maddock. As a result, Ash’s secrets start to surface, and he can no longer ignore what’s in his heart.

  Cael Maddock is no stranger to heartache. As a Recon Agent for Destructive Delta, he has successfully maneuvered through the urban jungle that is New York City, picking up his own scars along the way. Yet nothing he’s ever faced has been more of a challenge than the heart of Ash Keeler, his supposedly straight teammate. Being in love isn’t the only danger he and Ash face as wounds reopen and new secrets emerge, forcing them to question old loyalties.

  Readers love the THIRDS series by Charlie Cochet

  Catch a Tiger by the Tail

  “I love the THIRDS series. It’s fun, action-packed, and hella sexy.”

  —Just Love: Romance Novel Reviews

  Smoke & Mirrors

  “If you aren’t reading this series, well, you absolutely should be. And I, for one, have no qualms about recommending it to you.”

  —Joyfully Jay

  Thick & Thin

  “This series has always amazed me and the amazement continued when reading this one…”

  —Three Books Over the Rainbow

  Darkest Hour Before Dawn

  “The briskly paced novel is packed with exciting action, steamy sex scenes, melodramatic passion, and tender moments of romance.”

  —Foreword Reviews

  Gummy Bears & Grenades

  “Gummy Bears & Grenades was pure fun.”

  —Birdie Bookworm

  Tried and True

  “This book is five solid stars of I LOVE IT!!! I simply cannot recommend this entire series highly enough.”

  —Divine Magazine

  CHARLIE COCHET is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in—and plenty of romance, too!

  Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

  Website: www.charliecochet.com

  Blog: www.charliecochet.com/blog

  Email: [email protected]

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/charliecochet

  Twitter: @charliecochet

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  Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/CharlieCochet

  Instagram: www.instagram.com/charliecochet

  THIRDS HQ: www.thirdshq.com

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  By Charlie Cochet

  Between the Devil and the Pacific Blue

  Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts

  Healing Hunter’s Heart

  Love in Retrograde

  A Tender Curiosity

  THE AUSPICIOUS TROUBLES OF LOVE

  The Auspicious Troubles of Chance

  The Impetuous Afflictions of Jonathan Wolfe

  DREAMSPUN DESIRES

  #7 – Forgive and Forget

  #41 – Finding Mr. Wrong

  FALLEN ROSE

  Roses in the Devil’s Garden

  A Rose by Any Other Name

  NORTH POLE CITY TALES

  Mending Noel

  The Heart of Frost

  Vixen’s Valor

  Loving Blitz

  Disarming Donner

  The King’s Courage

  North Pole City Tales Anthology

  SOLDATI HEARTS

  The Soldati Prince

  The Foxling Soldati

  THIRDS

  Hell & High Water

  Blood & Thunder

  Rack & Ruin

  Rise & Fall

  Against the Grain

  Catch a Tiger by the Tail

  Smoke & Mirrors

  Thick & Thin

  Darkest Hour Before Dawn

  Gummy Bears & Grenades

  Tried & True

  Love and Payne

  THIRDS Beyond the Books Volume 1

  THIRDS Beyond the Books Volume 2

  Thick & Thin and Gummy Bears & Grenades Anthology

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Love and Payne

  © 2018 Charlie Cochet.

  Cover Art

  © 2018 L.C. Chase.

  http://www.lcchase.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-64080-774-7

  Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64080-775-4

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018941008

  Digital published September 2018

  v. 1.0

  Printed in the United States of America