A Fine Line
By- Jeanine Binder
Genre- Contemporary/Romantic Suspense
Undercover narcotics. Lori had no clue how dirty this business really was until Dr. Leigh Matthews walked into his life, late-night in an emergency room. She was blonde, beautiful, and intelligent – to Lori’s amazement she was just as happy with him and his job as he was. His father’s financial success meant nothing to her. She was a bright ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismal world.
But as Lori prepares to bring down the largest drug operation in the county, can their love survive the stress of his long absences, the dangers of his job, as well as ultimate betrayal? Can they keep their relationship alive and well when the whole world turns upside down?
EXCERPT
Adrian started driving toward the bar. It had taken all he had not to laugh at the uniforms
when they came into the apartment; he knew both men well. Rico was almost
crapping his pants, he was so scared. It
was all part of the job – including the small amounts of cocaine he was
actually seen distributing. Appearances
were everything – no one would trust him otherwise. And the job at the bar was so he would be
known in the neighborhood – no one would think twice about a local bartender
dealing some on the side. Tony hadn’t
cared since he thought he was Adrian’s main supplier and to him, a sale was a
sale – what he hadn’t known was Adrian got most of it out of the police lockup.
Adrian walked into the building and Marco
was behind the bar, a single customer on one of the stools. Marco Melchiori was a big Italian guy –
six-foot-six, three hundred pounds, in his mid-sixties. He smiled broadly as Adrian made his way up
to him.
“Thought you were a goner,” Marco started,
pulling Adrian into a big bear hug and clapping him on the back.
“It was all bullshit,” Adrian said, telling
the story a second time. “They keep at
it, but they got nothing on me.”
“You want your job back?”
“If I could – need to pay rent,” he
answered.
“People found out you were gone and my sales
took a nose dive,” Marco told him. “I
don’t know what they see in you, pretty boy, but whatever it is, I’m buying.”
“Same as before? Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights?”
“Sure, unless you want more time. Could use you Tuesday and Wednesday, too.”
Adrian nodded. “Wednesday okay. Need some time for other things, so not too
interested in Tuesday.”
“Deal,” Marco said, putting his beefy hand
out.
Adrian took it. “You know of any cheap apartments? Cops are freaking all over mine. Was barely there a minute this morning and
they were already stomping around. Won’t
get any peace and quiet at this rate and I’m tired of their butting in all the
time. Usually at all the inopportune
moments.”
“Can rent you the apartment upstairs, if you
want. Last guy moved a week ago and I
haven’t rented it yet.”
“Show it to me?”
Marco started walking toward the back and
nodded for Adrian to follow him. They
walked outside to the back of the bar to a staircase leading up to the second
floor. Marco went up first and unlocked
the door. Adrian followed him inside.
“Look around. Come back down and let me
know,” Marco instructed before heading back down the stairs.
Adrian inventoried the apartment. It had a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and
bathroom – the bathroom only had a shower, which Adrian preferred over a
bathtub anyway. What little he had at
the other place would easily fit here with room to spare, as this was much
bigger. Plus this would work out really
well – closer in town and next to the bar, where he did most of his work
anyway. Adrian also liked that it was a
single apartment and he didn’t have to be wary of the neighbors. He locked the door behind him, taking the key
out of the knob, and went back downstairs into the bar.
“How much?” Adrian asked, offering the key
back to Marco.
Marco didn’t take it. “I normally get eight-hundred for it,
including utilities. For you,
five-hundred.”
“Done,” Adrian confirmed and Marco waved off
the key. Adrian pulled his wallet out
and set five one-hundred dollar bills on the counter, pushing them toward
Marco. “There’s the first month.”
Marco picked them up, pocketing them. “Need help moving stuff? My brother’s looking for some extra work.”
“Maybe with the couch and the
refrigerator. Tell him I’ll pay a
hundred to help out.”
“Same phone number?”
“Yeah – phone’s still charging though. Got a little dead in a month,” he said
sarcastically. “Should be good this
afternoon.”
“I’ll tell him. Wednesday at six, right?” Marco asked. Adrian normally worked six to close for him.
“I’ll be here.”
CHARACTER BIOS
Lori (Taylor) Winslow - Thirty five, brown hair, hazel eyes, 6ft tall. Driven, down on relationships due to a bad previous marriage and alimony he’s had to pay for 9 years. Comes from a well-to-do family - father is CEO of a major investment company - but Lori wants nothing to do with it. He joins the Sheriff’s department at twenty-one (youngest age you can go to the academy) which infuriates his father - straining their relationship. Quiet - not obnoxiously partying every weekend off - dedicated to his job.
Leigh Matthews - Thirty four, blonde hair, blue eyes. Youngest child of a successful country music singer; mother died when she was four. To be something in a family of 5 - the rest over-achieving boys - she went to medical school, top of her class - came home to practice medicine and is now the Director or Emergency medicine at the hospital. Almost unheard of for a woman to have that position - and especially not one that young.
Mike Parker - (don’t go into the particulars of age, looks) - Lori’s partner on the narcotics squad. Lives pay-check to pay-check with a wife that is petrified he is going to die on the job and causes him undue stress about it.
Rafael Montoya - Forty five, black hair, black eyes, 5ft 10 - he has spent his life on the streets of Caracus, Venezuela. Coming to America, he has become the leading drug organization in all of San Diego county - his lieutenants, including his younger brother, Genero - have the entire county locked up.
Stan Jamison - Fifty nine, tall. He is the Lieutenant in the narcotics squad. He has worked his way up the chain in the past forty years - from a uniformed officer to now Lieutenant of the narcotics squad - actively bucking for captain. He is very set in how he wants things done - has one officer on his squad that give him headaches - the rest is just police politics.
Marco Melchori - Sixty five, Italian - owner of The Crow’s Nest bar in Oceanside. Came to America to make a new life and send money home.
DREAM CAST
Lori Winslow - Chris Hemsworth
Leigh Matthews - Erin Chambers
Mike Parker - Chris Pine
Stan Jamison - Tom Selleck
Marco Melchori - Jean Reno
Rafael Montoya - Antonio Banderas
BOOK SOUNDTRACK
The parts with Lori and Leigh - something soft and mellow. Alan Parsons, Herb Alpert, Tangerine Dream.
The parts with Lori interacting as Adrian Martin - more speed. Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, Rage Against the Machine (maybe)
The end - playing “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac..
About the Author
Jeanine Binder grew up in a small town in California on the outskirts of Palm Springs, where the Hollywood celebrities liked to vacation. After thirty years, she packed up, moved to Arkansas where she still lives today. Writing has always been a passion and hoping the next twenty years will bring many enjoyable books for others to read.
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