I love Ricky Gonzalez from Brickell Avenue Ambush. He’s an everyman who has to rise to the occasion when he meets Mariela Hernandez, a woman who was emotionally and physically abused by her ex-husband. Mariela has stumbled across a plan by her ex that may endanger the lives of hundreds and when she is attacked, South Beach Security steps in to help protect her and stop her ex from carrying out his plan. It’s an exciting and action-packed story, but also a very tender romance as Ricky deals with Mariela’s fears about relationships given her past. Today’s excerpt is from the first attack in the book, when Ricky has to find his inner hero in order to protect Mariela. You can find out more about Brickell Avenue Ambush and the rest of the books in this romantic suspense series at https://amzn.to/408wOZK.
Excerpt
MARIELA STRUGGLED AGAINST the masked man who had assaulted her as soon as she had closed the door.
He had an arm wrapped around her waist and his gloved hand covered her mouth, muffling her screams and cutting off her air until black circles danced in her vision.
At the crash of someone breaking down the front door, the man reacted, loosening his grip slightly, and she bit down hard on his hand. The leather kept her from breaking skin, but her vicious bite made the man yelp and loosen his hold enough that she could elbow him in the stomach.
He let out a rough “Oomph” at the blow and released her. She rushed toward the front door and hopefully safety, but the man was on her again, tackling her to the ground. The weight of his body drove the air from her lungs, but a second later that weight lifted off her.
Rolling onto her side, she saw Ricky Gonzalez tossing the masked man away from her. The man stumbled back, but then regained his footing and whirled to attack again.
Ricky faced him, standing between her and her attacker. Protecting her with his body.
The man rushed at Ricky, throwing punch after punch as he tried to reach Mariela. The blows landed with sickening thuds against Ricky’s face, arms and occasionally his midsection.
Ricky took the brunt of the violence, defending against the wild, almost haymaker punches of her attacker. But when their assailant paused,
Ricky fought back with almost surgical precision, landing a sharp blow to the man’s face that snapped the man’s head back. The man reeled from the jab, but then struck out again.
Mariela screamed, “I’m calling the police.”
