Sometimes the most ordinary moments can change in an instant.
In the Line of Duty gives readers a glimpse of Detective Madison Knight away from the demands of her job. It’s Saturday morning, she’s enjoying time with Troy, and for a little while, there are no investigations or emergencies demanding her attention.
Then their phones ring.
What begins as a playful morning quickly turns into something much more serious when Madison and Troy receive news that a fellow officer and friend has been shot.
I chose this excerpt because it captures something I enjoy writing about: the contrast between the personal lives of my characters and the reality of the work they do. It also introduces Madison and Troy in a way that lets new readers get to know them without needing to have read the earlier books.
A Look Inside In the Line of Duty
“Someone’s up early,” Troy said groggily, opening one eye at a time as if he was adjusting to the light. He looked over at her and smiled. “Good morning, beautiful.”
Madison returned the smile. “Morning.”
“Why are you up already? It’s Saturday. You should still be snoring,” he said.
She raised both brows. “I don’t snore.”
“Yeah, okay,” he stated drily.
She playfully hit his shoulder, and he grabbed her sides and started tickling her. She squealed and squirmed, trying to get out of his reach…but not really.
“Stop it…” It was a weak protest, but it was the best she could manage.
His hands were resting on her hips, and his green eyes were peering into hers the way they always did. It was as if the man had the ability to read her mind. And based on what he’d say and do sometimes, she wondered if he really could.
She’d never tell him how the M-word wasn’t as scary some days, though. Why risk scaring him off? Besides, he probably wouldn’t believe her anyway. Her and marriage? Laughable.
“My mind’s awake,” she said, finally answering his question. It was simple, precise, and honest.
“Is that all?” He moved over until he was against her, hard against her.
Her eyes playfully narrowed to slits, and her gaze fell to his lips. He took her mouth with hunger, yet she felt like the one feeding on him. Heat grew in her belly…and lower.
His cell phone rang, and his moan was deep-seated as he pulled back from her.
“Let voice mail pick it up,” she whispered.
Troy lifted his phone. “You know I can’t.”
As part of SWAT, he was on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
She dropped the back of her head onto the pillow, panting and disappointed.
Then her phone rang.
Strange… This was her day off, and she wasn’t on call.
She reached for her phone. Her superior Sergeant Winston showed as her caller. First Troy’s boss, now hers? This couldn’t be good news.
She answered and listened to Winston, only the odd word making it to her ears. “…a shooting…Officer Weir is down…fighting for his life…”
Madison swallowed, her mouth thick with saliva, her eyes full of tears. Her heartbeat slowed and her chest seemed locked in expansion.
“When?” She managed to scrape the one word from her throat as she looked over at Troy. He was still on the phone, staring at the far wall.
“Just over a half hour ago.”
“Where— Is he—” The question only partially formed when Winston’s earlier words sank in.
Fighting for his life.
“Outside a gas station on Hamilton and Highbury,” the sergeant responded. “He’s at Peace Liberty Hospital.”
“I’ll be right there.” Madison hung up, otherwise frozen in place on the bed, her heart beating fast for a different reason than before. Barry Weir was more than a fellow officer. He was their friend.
Troy ended his call.
“Barry was shot,” she said in disbelief.
Troy’s face was pale as he got out of bed ahead of her. “I know. We’ve gotta go.”
If you haven't met Detective Madison Knight yet, In the Line of Duty offers a glimpse of the detective behind the badge—and a story that reminds us how personal the job can become.
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A New Beginning for Madison Knight
If you’d like to discover where Detective Madison Knight’s story begins, Fatal Testimony is now available for pre-order. This reimagined prequel retains the original story’s central events, character names, and locations, but the story has been completely retold from Madison’s perspective. What was once a romantic suspense novel is now a police procedural crime thriller, bringing readers into Madison’s world as a detective.
Discover the story that started it all. Pre-order Fatal Testimony Today!
