Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway: Strip Search by Morticia Knight

Please join us in welcoming author Morticia Knight, on the tour for her newest release, Strip Search, book seven in the Sin City Uniforms series. Enjoy this exclusive snippet, and then be sure to check out the Rafflecopter widget, where we have a special contest for you!

The exclusive excerpt for Strip Search that we have for you today may or may not have really happened to Morticia. Follow the tour to read the other excerpts. If you think The Novel Approach has the correct one, then come back and enter your answer in the Rafflecopter.

Of the correct entries, one winner will be chosen to receive an autographed copy of Strip Search!

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About the Book

Release Date: April 19, 2016
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Length: 148 Pages
Categories: Bisexual Romance, Crime Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance
Blurb: Stripping used to be fun, lucrative and a place for Dakota to practice for his professional dancing career. But the owner of Glitter Boys wants Dakota for himself and will stop at nothing to possess him. When his thirteen year-old brother runs away from home to escape their abusive father, Dakota is determined to find him before something awful happens to him on the streets.

Patrol officer Reed hasn’t been attracted to a man in a very long time, but when he’s called to an assault in progress at the LGBTQ teen shelter, a young man approaches him, begging for help in finding his missing brother. An instant spark occurs, but he pushes it away. When the same man is attacked outside a strip club later that night, he discovers the desire is mutual.

As the two men learn more about each other and become closer, the spectre of his obsessed ex-boss remains. In addition to that, Dakota has to fight the system to gain guardianship of his brother and keep him out of foster care. Dakota doesn’t know if the hunky cop he’s fallen so hard for can handle a relationship with an ex-stripper struggling with raising a teenager. But, will Reed be able to give up dating women for good and dedicate himself to their new family?

Purchase Links: Pride Publishing || Amazon

Excerpt

“Carlos! Direct the traffic away!”

The brief glance toward his partner told him Carlos was already on it. Brakes squealed around them as Reed sprinted after the toddler. He’d never understood how tiny kids could run so damn fast. His stomach seemed to lurch into his throat at the sight of a huge delivery truck barreling down on the young girl.

Reed strained his body forward, lunged for her. He nabbed her then rolled, the movements almost simultaneous. She screamed and cried in his arms. He could only imagine how frightened she must be. Sirens drew near, the shrill noise growing louder as they approached. A cursory check seemed to verify that he hadn’t done any damage to her when he’d tackled her so roughly.

“Are you okay, sweetie?”

He kept his voice low, but held her tightly. His appearance intimidated adults, let alone small children. She gazed up at him with wary eyes, nodding her head slowly.

“I want mommy.” She hiccupped a small sob.

Reed glanced around. Chaos and groups of onlookers surrounded him. But no one cried out for their child.

“Okay. Let’s see if we can find out where she is.”

He rolled to his side, the toddler still clutched in one arm, then pushed himself up with his free hand. Right as he straightened, Jamal and his partner from Station 32 trotted over with a stretcher and jump kit. An engine from the same station was nearby and an additional cruiser had arrived on the scene. Carlos appeared to be bringing the sergeant up to date.

After placing the little girl on the stretcher with instructions for Jamal to stay put, Reed jogged over to Carlos and Sergeant Franklin.

“Anyone know where the mother is?”

Both Carlos and Franklin regarded him, but the sergeant answered. “Not that we know of, but see if you can get anything out of the kid, Armstrong. She might talk to you since you saved her. Gomez, you tackle these people.” He made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “See what they can add.” He grunted. “If anything.”

Franklin was close to retirement and it was clear as to why. He’d become burned out by too many years of insanity on the Strip. Reed doubted that a child her age could comprehend that Reed had helped her. More than anything, she’d likely believe that the big, scary guy had simply attacked her. But he did hope that she could at least give some indicator as to where she’d run from and why.

When he returned to Jamal and his partner, they were doing a routine check on her. While his cohort cleaned and bandaged a scrape on her arm, Jamal valiantly attempted to listen to her heart. She seemed fascinated by the stethoscope and kept giggling and grabbing for it. Reed smirked at the scene. He guessed Jamal was early twenties and probably wasn’t used to being around kids. His throat tightened as thoughts of Kelli at that age swirled through his mind. He’d loved that stage in her life.

“Hey, sweetie. Are these men taking good care of you?” He winked down at her and gave her his biggest smile.

She yanked on the stethoscope.

“Ow!”

Jamal grabbed the ear that the medical instrument had been jerked from. The little girl giggled again. A cursory glance of her condition, while Jamal and the child wrestled for supremacy over the scope, told him a little bit about her. She was too dirty for it to have all come from being thrown to the ground, particularly since Reed’s body had been wrapped around her as they’d rolled. She appeared very thin and he also noted her matted hair and a few fading bruises on her limbs and on her cheek. A long scar ran down one arm. Other scars that could be from cigarette burns dotted her flesh. His gut tightened with anger and worry.

It was typical in the current scenario, but Reed wondered if the sergeant had called in Social Services. He needed to verify it, given the man’s recent overall apathy.

The little girl peered up at him. “Want my mommy.”

“Of course you do and we’re trying to find out where she is. Can you tell me your name?”

She shook her head vehemently, frowning. “Not s’posed to.”

“Hmm.” He nodded gravely, as if verifying to her that he understood her dilemma. “I can see how you might not want to tell me. But unless I know your name, I’m not sure I can help you find your mommy.”

She considered Reed’s words as the paramedics packed up their gear, playing with the stethoscope that Jamal had finally surrendered to her in defeat. She wouldn’t meet Reed’s eyes. “Want my mommy.”

He sighed, irritated by the realization that he probably wouldn’t be able to get through to her in the short timeframe he had before he’d need to wrap things up. Verifying that Social Services would be there soon was his next order of business. He’d also join Carlos in questioning potential witnesses.

“We’re trying real hard, sweetie. I have to go now, but there are going to be some nice people here very soon who’ll take you somewhere safe and probably get you something to eat.”

“Sammich?” Her interest level had perked up.

“Maybe. You’ll have to ask them, but I’m sure it’ll be yummy whatever it is.”

She bounced on the stretcher yelling “sammich, sammich, sammich” over and over. Jamal shot Reed a look, silently pleading with his eyes as if begging him not to go, not to leave him in charge of the toddler. Reed patted him on the back, laughing.

“You’ll be fine, soldier.”

“Man, I don’t get kids. I grew up an only child and all this hollering jacks me up.”

Jamal’s partner, Rex, shook his head. “Calm down, bro. I’ll protect you.”

Rex got a death glare for his efforts. Reed chuckled.

“I have onlookers to question. I’ll make sure CPS has already been dispatched.”

About the Author

Author Morticia Knight spends most of her nights writing about men loving men forever after. If there happens to be some friendly bondage or floggings involved, she doesn’t begrudge her characters whatever their filthy little heart’s desire. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty tales for more years than she’d like to share – her adventures as a published author began in 2011. Once upon a time she was the lead singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently resides on the northern Oregon coast and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men she takes walks along the ocean and annoys the local Karaoke bar patrons.

Where to Find Morticia: Pride Publishing Author Page || Twitter || Facebook Author Page || Website/Blog || Pinterest || Goodreads

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19-Apr: The Novel Approach
20-Apr: V’s Reads
21-Apr: Carly’s Book Reviews
22-Apr: Love Bytes
25-Apr: MM Good Book Reviews
26-Apr: Molly Lolly