Moonshine Task Force Series by Laramie Briscoe

When you fall in love with the most unexpected person, at the most unexpected time…… Ryan “Renegade” Kepler I’m the type of man who knows what I want. I make up my mind and stay in my lane, never veering off the course I set for myself. Going into the military? Did it. Serving overseas? Did it. Youngest member of the Moonshine Task Force? That’s me. Get my best friend’s older sister in bed? It was my pleasure. Convince the older sister to give me a chance? Working on it... moreWhen you fall in love with the most unexpected person, at the most unexpected time…… Ryan “Renegade” Kepler I’m the type of man who knows what I want. I make up my mind and stay in my lane, never veering off the course I set for myself. Going into the military? Did it. Serving overseas? Did it. Youngest member of the Moonshine Task Force? That’s me. Get my best friend’s older sister in bed? It was my pleasure. Convince the older sister to give me a chance? Working on it. Age means nothing to me. I’ve seen and done things men half my age never will. What I want more than anything is someone to share my life with. The work I do is dangerous and knowing I have someone at home might keep me under control. Everybody says I need a woman, and I know I do, but I also know which one I want. That woman, whether she admits it or not, is Whitney Trumbolt. Whitney Trumbolt Ryan is ten years my junior, but damn, being a cougar never felt as good as it did the night we spent together. Now all I want to do is go back to how things were before. But Ryan is my younger brother’s best friend, and where Trevor goes, Ryan goes. Instead I put my head in the sand and do my best to go about my life. Build up my confidence from a horrible divorce? Working on it. Make my wedding planning company the best in the south? Did it. Ignore the way my body trembles when I see Ryan? Epic fail. Freak out when I see a positive pregnancy test staring back at me? Complete with mascara running down my face and clutching my pearls. Looks like things aren’t gonna go back to the way they were. There’s a man in my life that won’t take no for an answer. Gone is sweet Ryan, and in his place is the one who makes my blood run hot, my cheeks turn red, and my heart beat heavily within my chest. The one I’m up against is the one I can’t say no to. Not when he becomes Renegade . less

Life isn’t promised, love isn’t easy, and relationships aren’t always clean, but everyone has their soulmate who is willing to forgive when it would be better to forget. Trevor “Tank” Trumbolt I never thought in the blink of an eye my life could change, but it did. Cresting a hill driving to my favorite fishing spot, I was hit head-on by a teenager with no regard for anyone’s life but his own. The recovery process has been hard, painful, and damn near beating me down... moreLife isn’t promised, love isn’t easy, and relationships aren’t always clean, but everyone has their soulmate who is willing to forgive when it would be better to forget. Trevor “Tank” Trumbolt I never thought in the blink of an eye my life could change, but it did. Cresting a hill driving to my favorite fishing spot, I was hit head-on by a teenager with no regard for anyone’s life but his own. The recovery process has been hard, painful, and damn near beating me down. The bright spot? Blaze. Surviving the wreck has given me a second chance to make a life with her. Not knowing if I’ll ever be able to rejoin the Moonshine Task Force again has brought my world into focus. It’s made me realize what’s important. Blaze. Stella. My brothers. My sister. The ego that ran Blaze away before isn’t here any longer. What’s left is a man who’s holding his heart in his hands and a burning hope that once I’m healed she’ll still be around. Daphne “Blaze” Coleman There’s only been one person in the world who’s accepted me for who I am - from the fiery red of my hair and vibrant tattoos covering parts of my body to the smartness of my mouth and my desire to be matched in the bedroom. That man is Trevor Trumbolt. When he asked me to give up my job as an EMT because he saw the dangers I face one scary afternoon, it spelled the end for us. Now that he’s been injured, he needs my help and my love. I’ll give it all freely, but in the end I’m gonna need him to understand one thing about relationships. The give and take, love and sadness, pleasure and pain is a two-way street. He’s either in this with me or he’s not, but at the end of the day, I won’t let him boss me around. If there’s anything that can handle the steel of a tank – it’s the heat of a blaze. ***** Author's Note ****** Please ignore page count - final copy will be 75K-82K words! less

When a marriage of convenience turns into the passion of a lifetime… Holden “Havoc” Thompson My job as the leader of the Moonshine Task Force is my life. I eat, breathe, and sleep it. The men under my command mean the world to me. Knowing they count on my guidance has kept my demons at bay for longer than I care to admit. The control I have over myself is an iron fist that sometimes threatens to squeeze the life out of me... moreWhen a marriage of convenience turns into the passion of a lifetime… Holden “Havoc” Thompson My job as the leader of the Moonshine Task Force is my life. I eat, breathe, and sleep it. The men under my command mean the world to me. Knowing they count on my guidance has kept my demons at bay for longer than I care to admit. The control I have over myself is an iron fist that sometimes threatens to squeeze the life out of me. What I want more than anything is to live again – let go of the hurt smothering every bit of light I have in this darkness. I don’t expect it to come in the form of a Moonshiner’s daughter needing my protection. Leighton Strather My whole life has been defined by who my family is. In the state of Alabama, we’re number one with a target on our backs. The danger and prestige isn’t for me. I don’t care about the money, and I care too much about the families we’ve ruined. My brother and my dad are proud of it. They wear their arrest records like a badge of honor. Me? I want as far away from the lifestyle as I can get. It’s the only reason I ask Holden to marry me. At least that's what I tell myself. I never expect his whispered yes to cause such upheaval in my life. Even though I resist, I learn some havoc is good – and this one? It’s a whirlwind of lust, hope, and love and all I can do is let it sweep me away. less

Ace is saving lives and mending hearts....... Anthony “Ace” Bailey I’m not a rules kinda guy  Department Policy? Kinda sucks, but I do what I have to for the job that I love. Playing it safe? Not my thing. Married? No big deal when I know she’s unhappy and scared. I’m one of those guys – a sniper in the military, a little bit of an adrenaline junkie, and a member of the Moonshine Task Force. I’ve lived through some shit. My gut has never failed me. It’s my sixth-sense... moreAce is saving lives and mending hearts....... Anthony “Ace” Bailey I’m not a rules kinda guy  Department Policy? Kinda sucks, but I do what I have to for the job that I love. Playing it safe? Not my thing. Married? No big deal when I know she’s unhappy and scared. I’m one of those guys – a sniper in the military, a little bit of an adrenaline junkie, and a member of the Moonshine Task Force. I’ve lived through some shit. My gut has never failed me. It’s my sixth-sense. Warning me of a gunshot coming my way, of a traffic stop being potentially deadly, or the tingling in the back of my neck when I go to sleep telling me I’ll be woken up by a call in the middle of the night. My gut has always kept me honest. Like the day I walked into The Café and saw the new waitress. There was a ring on her left hand, but I didn’t care. One look in her eyes told me everything I needed to know. Her marriage wasn’t one made of love and respect. It was one made of fear and doubt. It’s why I ignored that ring, why I arrested her husband, and the reason I’m willing to take my time. Patience is a virtue, and with this woman, I have it in spades. Violet Miller Meeting Anthony Bailey changed my life. He did things that no one else has ever done for me. Feeling safe? Never happened before. Feeling wanted? It’s been years. Being independent? I’m learning. It’s foreign, not having someone question my every move, being able to eat what I want for dinner, and sitting out on my front porch talking to Anthony every night while we share a couple beers. I try to tell myself he’s just being nice; that he’s doing his job and working within the community. The problem? The night he takes the kiss we both want, everything changes, and I can no longer deny what I feel. But it doesn’t stop me from trying – and I learn quickly that Ace knows me better than anyone else ever has – including myself. All I can do is hang on, as he takes me on the scariest journey of my life. The one that bends us until we almost break, and ends with a happily ever after I never thought I would get. ACE includes the wedding of a beloved couple, an appearance by Reaper, and the continuation of EVERYONE falling in love with Caleb! less

The sexy, single dad of the MTF finally gets his turn....... Mason “Menace” Harrison “Single and ready to mingle……” Those are the words above every picture of almost every female that strikes my interest on this dating app my son talked me into getting. After being a single dad for seventeen years, I’m ready to spread my wings, just not with most of the co-eds who keep hitting on me and calling me daddy... moreThe sexy, single dad of the MTF finally gets his turn....... Mason “Menace” Harrison “Single and ready to mingle……” Those are the words above every picture of almost every female that strikes my interest on this dating app my son talked me into getting. After being a single dad for seventeen years, I’m ready to spread my wings, just not with most of the co-eds who keep hitting on me and calling me daddy. Now that Caleb’s in his Senior year of high school, I feel like I can let go of the iron-clad control I’ve had on myself without his Mom in our lives. I’ve enjoyed raising him, love the relationship we have, and while he went off the rails for a bit last year, we’re closer than we’ve ever been. He’s got a full ride to the University of Alabama, and I’ve settled into my spot with the Moonshine Task Force. But my son doesn’t warm my bed, he isn’t someone I can share my dreams with, and he’s not the person I want to grow old with by my side. I’m not sure who that is yet, but the smokin’ hot lady going by the name BeachBum83 definitely has every single bit of my interest. Karina Holland “Looking for a good time, maybe more…..” Those were the lamest words I ever typed in my life, but it was the best I had for the dating app my friend, Violet talked me into joining. I didn’t have any high hopes for myself. As a High School English teacher, I’m sick of pervy Dad’s hitting on me when they come in to discuss their child’s lack of motivation to read the classics and apply themselves. Until the day Mason Harrison walks into my classroom. I had no idea Caleb’s Dad was the man I met off that dating app who showed me how flexible I really am in the back of his Jeep. Within minutes of the parent/teacher conference he proved the sparks weren’t one-time only when we christened my desk. Mason and Caleb? They touch a part of my heart that no one’s ever touched before, and when a threat from the past shows up, I prove just how tough I really am. less

The kid is now a man, and he’s got something to prove….. Caleb “Cruise” Harrison “A Dad is a son’s first hero……” All my life I’ve looked up to my Dad, there’s nothing I ever wanted to do more than be a member of the Moonshine Task Force right next to him. I said no to playing football professionally to stay in Laurel Springs and fulfill my dream.  I’m biding my time, paying my dues, and soaking up any bit of information my fellow MTF members slip my way... moreThe kid is now a man, and he’s got something to prove….. Caleb “Cruise” Harrison “A Dad is a son’s first hero……” All my life I’ve looked up to my Dad, there’s nothing I ever wanted to do more than be a member of the Moonshine Task Force right next to him. I said no to playing football professionally to stay in Laurel Springs and fulfill my dream.  I’m biding my time, paying my dues, and soaking up any bit of information my fellow MTF members slip my way. To most of them I’m the kid they watched grow up, and while they’re proud of me, they don’t take me seriously. Life is status quo until the morning all hell breaks loose in our small town threatening everyone I know and love – including the one woman I can’t get out of my head. Ruby Carson “My favorite place? In his arms……” Caleb saved me from the worst date of my life, swooping in like the fixer he is. Smiling his panty-melting grin, he grabbed my hand, and extricated me from the longest ninety minutes known in the history of the world.  Instead, he took me on the best date I’ve ever had. We’ve been inseparable since that crazy night. It hasn’t been picture-perfect. His job is dangerous, it worries me, even when he tells me not to. One gorgeous summer day, it all comes crashing down on us. The man who has my heart is in the middle of a FUBAR situation that has no good ending. My hope is, when the smoke clears Caleb walking towards me, arms out-stretched, with that grin on his face, before he envelopes my body into the hug only he can give. That’s what would happen in a perfect world – but I’ve never known a perfect world – not even with Caleb…… less