Perfect Duet: My Bloody Valentine

By Aliyah Burke

FROM USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR ALIYAH BURKE

A My Bloody Valentine story

When a vacation becomes running for your life, will you trust the one forced to be at your side?

It was supposed to be a vacation...

SWAT officer Xahara Asher is on vacation, meeting her cousins for some downtime. Taken captive during a heist, she is prompted to work with her kidnapper just to stay alive.

Deep undercover, Jager Cline, is faced with making the ultimate decision. Let an innocent get hurt or protect her by forcing her along as his hostage. Unbeknownst to him, she's far more capable than he initially assumes.

Tossed into tight quarters, things heat up rapidly between them. When it all goes down and the smoke clears, who will still be standing?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Feb 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781839434808

Aliyah Burke

USA Today bestselling author Aliyah Burke is an avid reader and is never far from pen and paper (or the computer). She is happily married to a career military man. They are owned by six Borzoi. She spends her days at the day job, writing, and working with her dogs.

Book preview

Author

Totally Bound Publishing books by Aliyah Burke

Single Books

Through The Fire

Seducing Damian

Code of Honour

A Marriage of Convenience

The Lieutenant’s Ex-Wife

A Man Like No Other

When Stars Collide

In Aeternum

Casanova in Training

Harbour of Refuge

Protected by Shadows

Polar Opposites

Theta Corps

Restitution

Contrition

Vindication

Interludes

Temporary Home

Alone With You

Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore

The Edge

Called Home to The Edge

Straying to The Edge

Returning to The Edge

Cuffed at The Edge

The Monroe Sisters

Need You Now

Let Me Go

I Won’t Say Goodbye

Heart’s Compass

The Princess and the Marquess

Keeper of the Stars

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Astral Guardians

Chasing the Storm

Highlands at Dawn

Fields of Thunder

Branded by Frost

Driven by Night

Moon of Fire

What’s her Secret?

Preconception

A Little Bit Cupid

This Ain’t No Love Story

With Taige Crenshaw

Single Title

Unbreakable Bonds

Kemet Uncovered

Talios

Devi

Linc

Saffron

Taber

Ashia

My Bloody Valentine

PERFECT DUET

ALIYAH BURKE

Perfect Duet

ISBN # 978-1-83943-480-8

©Copyright Aliyah Burke 2021

Cover Art by Claire Siemaszkiewicz ©Copyright February 2021

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2021 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

Totally Bound Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

My Bloody Valentine

When a vacation becomes running for your life, will you trust the one forced to be at your side?

It was supposed to be a vacation…

SWAT officer Xahara Asher is on vacation, meeting her cousins for some downtime. Taken captive during a heist, she is prompted to work with her kidnapper just to stay alive.

Deep undercover, Jager Cline is faced with making the ultimate decision—let an innocent get hurt or protect her by forcing her along as his hostage. Unbeknownst to him, she’s far more capable than he initially assumes.

Tossed into tight quarters, things heat up rapidly between them. When it all goes down and the smoke clears, who will still be standing?

Dedication

To my own Ride or Die crew. Thank you for always having my back, for never letting me forget we are one, and for always getting me into trouble.

Yep, I put it all on y’all!

Trademark Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Glock: Glock Inc.

Lincoln Nautilus: Ford Motor Company

Whats Poppin: Harlow, Jackman

Lycra: Lycra Company

SIG: Sig Sauer

Poison: Enigma

Chapter One

I don’t know what else you want from me, Xaya. I’m here. I’ll be there soon enough, but I had to stop in here for a few moments.

Xahara Asher rolled her eyes as she rested her shoulder against the wall of the waiting area in the women’s restroom. Nothing ugly and simplistic here, not at all. This was more of a lounge than a restroom in her mind. Rich people and what comforts they needed around them.

Gregory was a nice city. Good sized, a lot to do. She understood why Xaya had taken over a practice here, yet didn’t get why she loved it so much. Xaya had always been the small-town girl, but people changed. Some people. As for her cousin, Xahara was still suspicious she was actually running from something.

That was an issue to address later on.

But you’re coming, right? This isn’t a ploy to somehow be transported back to Haver City and some fucking hypothetical SWAT emergency?

If she’d been drinking, a mouthful of water would have spewed free. Damn, girl. I don’t make hypotheticals. As much as I wish, no. I’m here in your town for a while. I promise, I’m on my way. Triple X will be together soon enough.

A grateful sigh, and yet there was a bit of disbelief that she heard from her cousin through the phone.

I know you think I’m being a pain in the ass, but Xandra is already here and we all know she’s typically last. Especially since she had farther to travel. You know that Haver City is closer to me than Marbleton.

She couldn’t help but smile when she thought of her cousins. Rolled her eyes again because it was like ten miles closer on the map. They were still states away. Not really. Ever since she had landed that high-powered job, she’s always been on time, hell, sometimes early.

So how long?

"Oh my god. One, you’re keeping me from peeing, because I’m not talking to you while I do that. Two, I haven’t even been seen yet, so give me a bit and I’ll call you when I walk out of this place."

You’re such a drama queen.

Am not.

Xaya snorted. How many times have you checked only to cuss when you can’t find your gun?

She bared her teeth. Has nothing to do with being a drama queen. Has to do with me being a kickass member of Haver City SWAT. And not liking being without a weapon.

I’ll let it go. For now. Thanks for coming, Xahara. I know Dad is looking forward to seeing all of us together again.

She loved her cousins and enjoyed all the time she got to spend with them. And their fathers as well. She didn’t like being unarmed, but she’d promised no guns this time. Foolish on her part, she knew this and wouldn’t be agreeing to it again.

Love you too.

She hung up and quickly took care of her screaming bladder. As she washed up, she paused and cocked her head to the left.

What the fuck is going on? I know that sound and it’s automatic gunfire. The only reason I’m hearing that here is because I just landed in a fucked-up mess.

Cursing her lack of a gun once more, she opened the door and gasped as a heavy boot connected with it, driving it into her face, knocking her back a few steps. She recovered quickly and jumped on the armed gunman.

She winced when he punched her in the solar plexus. Retaliating with a solid kick to the knee, she grinned when he went down. Jumping on him, she slammed him down hard then choked him out.

Xahara wiped the blood off her face and pulled on him to get him out of the open view. The door didn’t have a chance to close completely.

Manny, did you—?

She flew back into action, this time her head rush slamming the woman into the open where she hit the wall behind her, the air being knocked from her lungs. Xahara didn’t wait to see what was going on, just worked swiftly to immobilize this assailant as well. It didn’t take a genius to know that some shit was going down.

The woman lifted her gun and fired. Flinching when it hit near her hip, Xahara swore and jammed her elbow into her chin. Bitch, that fucking hurt!

They came together in a snarl of feminine fury. Xahara cursed the fact that her hair wasn’t confined and did it again when the bitch grabbed a handful of it and yanked until she saw stars. With a throat punch, she got her to release her grip and sagged down.

Not giving herself nearly enough time to recover from the shot and subsequent hair pulling, she exploded up and used the crown of her head to slam into her attacker’s.

Bitch went out like a light.

May not have been pretty, but shit is effective.

Shocked the gunshot hadn’t pulled anyone else back to her location, she dragged this body in as well, making sure to gag both of them. Then she secured them so they couldn’t escape.

Digging for her phone, she swore as she spied it on the ground, a big spiderweb on the screen from where the jackass had stomped it.

Maybe they had phones. She pressed her hand against her side and winced. Painful to say the least. Looking around, she went to the dispenser on the wall and busted into it to withdraw a feminine napkin. Within moments she’d secured it on the bleeding wound and cut a strip from the man’s shirt to hold it in place. With several deep breaths, she crouched to search for a phone.

Flashes of pain owned her and she shook her head with frustration before moving to the woman. The man had nothing. Halfway through searching the statuesque brunette, she froze at the unfortunately all-too-familiar feeling of a gun barrel to the back of her head.

Who the fuck are you?

Hands out, she didn’t move, just waited.

A nudge with the barrel. Answer me.

No one. Xahara Asher.

No one did this? He stretched out one long muscular