A Bodyguard in Jail - Part Six of the Series

 

 

The Bodyguard series had plots that were easy to write and some that gave me headaches. For this novel, my muse and I spent many hours working on the characters and plot, including long hours poring over Google Maps. The focus of A Bodyguard in Jail centers on Ryan Griffith, who is the mascot of the team around Ethan Mahoney. Ryan is the right guy for every party, for every prank imaginable, and a reliable partner when the situation demands his full attention and skill. So when Ryan goes on vacation to Peru, is accused of murder, and is imprisoned, his friends try everything to prove his innocence. 

The novel allowed Ethan and Jazmin to grow and show their deep affection for each other, but most of all for their friend in trouble. 

Although the novel is action-packed and takes the reader on Ryan's life-threatening journey, it is also a story of love and devotion.

Blurb

Enchanted by a summer love with the prospect of an extraordinary vacation, Ryan Griffith is thrown back to harsh reality when he gets accused of murdering the newly elected mayor of Lima and imprisoned with no chance of getting free. All his efforts to stay out of trouble fail, and he’s forced to serve the jail’s gang leader. Ethan and Jazmin find out that more parties are interested in keeping their best friend as a scapegoat in prison, and it’s their task to find evidence to prove his innocence.

 

 

Excerpt

Jazmin paced the rows of the prison parking lot until finally Ethan exited through the thick door, which clanked shut behind him. He lowered his head and wiped his mouth, hesitating to cross the distance. They met at their rental car, and her husband’s expression made her pulse race. Instinct told her something upsetting and much more confusing must have happened than while she’d been present. Ethan put his hands on his hips and shook his head when she was about to embrace him.

“Ethan? What happened in there? You look shell-shocked. Is it something more with Ryan? Did he break down? Is he injured worse than I thought?”

“No.” They got in the car, but he didn’t turn the key in the ignition. His voice was but a whisper. “I’ve got to arrange a prison break.”

Jazmin nodded, not the least shocked. “What do you need?”

His look was alarmed. “Are you listening? I’m thinking about how to get Ryan out without proving his innocence first. I’ve got no intention of dragging you into a crime!”

“I’ve got no intention of staying out.” She didn’t flinch. “You know how important a woman’s help can be. Don’t you dare exclude me. And if you don’t mind me saying so... right now you look like you need a strong drink to calm down your nerves.”

The moment she said it, she regretted her harsh words. Ethan jerked as if slapped and hid his face behind his hands, breathing hard. Jazmin waited, anything but patiently, reining in all the questions she wanted to ask and knowing he wasn’t up to answering any. In her mind, she played the conversation and what could have been said to throw Ethan off track in a way she hadn’t seen for a long time. Ryan had been in a bad condition, and she had known there was more on his mind than he wanted to share with her. But Ethan’s reaction indicated terrible things had already happened and there were more to come.

“So they’re treating him so bad he’s afraid he’ll be killed?” She wanted to shake Ethan and make him repeat every word of his conversation with Ryan. She hated being excluded.

When Ethan lowered his hands, his eyes were still wide and his look haunted. “I don’t know what to do,” he confessed in a hushed whisper. “I’m at a loss. I saw the security, the walls, the locks. They’ve got cameras and guards with long-distance rifles on the towers.” He swallowed. Jazmin saw him shiver. “I’ve done some things in my life, but always for...” He broke off. His face was pale and sweaty. “If we do this and get caught... we’ll end up in the next cell.”

“That doesn’t look like an option.” Jazmin looked her husband straight in the eyes. “We need support. Local people. There must be someone who knows the prison system and how to bribe the people who work there.” She fastened her seatbelt. “We’ll ask Vancho.” She gave him a questioning frown.

Ethan nodded, started the car, and drove back to Lima’s center and the US Embassy.

***