Stilettos and Outlaws

Prologue

My name is Gemma Stone and I’ve been a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy for five years. Why did I become a cop? Genetics, tradition, and the armed robbery I walked in on when I was sixteen.

After my father and five brothers were discharged from the Marines, they all went into law enforcement. My mother had been an Army sniper until pregnancy forced a career change. She now flies a rescue chopper for the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

I work out of District Three, which includes Sun City, eight unincorporated towns with small populations, Lake Pleasant, and lots of desert. Fifteen deputies cover 1600 square miles. District Three is always understaffed and our calls for service are incredibly high. If you get in trouble, you are pretty much on your own.

My personal life is complicated. Off duty, I’m a ballroom dancer. Everyone thinks I’m nuts, but I love competitive dancing. My Dad has always been supportive of my dancing, but to discover the reason why was jaw-dropping. What other secrets is he hiding?

Detective Sergeant Dante Delgado, the love of my life, is tracking down a group of trigger-happy cattle rustlers who have murdered five ranchers and left a trail of destruction behind them. Am I worried? You betcha.

To add to my stress level, a dangerous enemy from my parents’ past has returned and is determined to destroy them, our family and the Alpha Dogs. I knew my parents had some skeletons in their closet, but it doesn’t explain why Grandpa Reynolds suddenly parked his RV in our pasture and Dad isn’t making him leave.

Is Armageddon coming to Arizona?