Carrie Ann Ryan's WHISKEY AND LIES kicks off in just under a week...but we couldn't wait to share the first chapter of the first book, WHISKEY SECRETS, with you!
Read it below below, find out more about the series (and how it ties into the Montgomery Ink series!) and pre-order your copy today!
About the Whiskey and Lies series
The Montgomery Ink world just got a big larger. Dark heroes, tragic pasts, and heroines who rock their worlds…the Collins Brothers are about to see what happens when their small Pennsylvanian town gets shocked to its core.
The Collins Brothers just want to go about their business and live their lives. They’re in no mood for what happens when three women come into their lives when they’re least expecting it. One comes to change what was lost, another comes to prove what could be, while the third reveals what’s already been there all along.
Whiskey, Pennsylvania just got a little bit bigger and this town might not be ready for what’s coming.
Tabby’s Brothers from Ink Exposed get a series of their own.
Each book is a complete stand alone and can be read in any order.
About WHISKEY SECRETS
(Whiskey and Lies #1)
(Whiskey and Lies #1)
January 2, 2018
Sparks fly between a former cop-turned-bartender and his new innkeeper in the first installment of a Montgomery Ink spin-off series from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan.
Dare Collins is a man who knows his whiskey and women—or at least that’s what he tells himself. When his family decides to hire on a new innkeeper for the inn above his bar and restaurant, he’s more than reluctant. Especially when he meets the new hire. But he’ll soon find that he has no choice but to work with this city girl and accept her new ideas and the burning attraction between them.
Kenzie Owens left her old life and an abusive relationship behind her—or so she thought. She figures she’ll be safe in Whiskey, Pennsylvania but after one look at her new boss, Dare Collins, she might still be in danger, or at least her heart. And when her past catches up with her despite her attempts to avoid it, it’s more than her heart on the line. This time, it might mean her life.
WHISKEY SECRETS releases January 2nd, 2018 - pre-order your copy now!
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Shocking pain slammed into his skull
and down his back. Dare Collins did his best not to scream in the middle of his
own bar. He slowly stood up and rubbed the back of his head since he’d been
distracted and hit it on the countertop. Since the thing was made of solid wood
and thick as hell, he was surprised he hadn’t given himself a concussion. But
since he didn’t see double, he had a feeling once his long night was over, he’d
just have to make the throbbing go away with a glass of Macallan.
There was nothing better than a
glass of smooth whiskey or an ice-cold mug of beer after a particularly long
day. Which one Dare chose each night depended on not only his mood but also
those around him. So was the life of a former cop turned bartender.
He had a feeling he’d be going for
the whiskey and not a woman tonight— like most nights if he were honest. It had
been a long day of inventory and no-show staff members. Meaning he had a
headache from hell, and it looked as if he’d be working open to close when he
truly didn’t want to. But that’s what happened when one was the owner of a bar
and restaurant rather than just a manager or bartender— like he was with the
Old Whiskey Restaurant and Bar.
It didn’t help that his family had
been in and out of the place all day for one reason or another— his brothers
and parents either wanting something to eat or having a question that needed to
be answered right away where a phone call or text wouldn’t suffice. His mom and
dad had mentioned more than once that he needed to be ready for their morning
meeting, and he had a bad feeling in his gut about what that would mean for him
later. But he pushed that from his thoughts because he was used to things in
his life changing on a dime. He’d left the force for a reason, after all.
Enough of that.
He loved his family, he really did,
but sometimes, they— his parents in particular— gave him a headache.
Since his mom and dad still ran the
Old Whiskey Inn above his bar, they were constantly around, working their tails
off at odd jobs that were far too hard for them at their ages, but they were
all just trying to earn a living. When they weren’t handling business for the
inn, they were fixing problems upstairs that Dare wished they’d let him help
with.
While he’d have preferred to call it
a night and head back to his place a few blocks away, he knew that wouldn’t
happen tonight. Since his bartender, Rick, had called in sick at the last
minute— as well as two of Dare’s waitresses from the bar— Dare was pretty much
screwed.
And if he wallowed just a little bit
more, he might hear a tiny violin playing in his ear. He needed to get a grip
and get over it. Working late and dealing with other people’s mistakes was part
of his job description, and he was usually fine with that.
Apparently, he was just a little off
tonight. And since he knew himself well, he had a feeling it was because he was
nearing the end of his time without his kid. Whenever he spent too many days
away from Nathan, he acted like a crabby asshole. Thankfully, his weekend was
coming up.
“Solving a hard math problem over
there, or just daydreaming? Because that expression on your face looks like
you’re working your brain too hard. I’m surprised I don’t see smoke coming out
of your ears.” Fox asked as he walked up to the bar, bringing Dare out of his
thoughts. Dare had been pulling drafts and cleaning glasses mindlessly while in
his head, but he was glad for the distraction, even if it annoyed him that he
needed one.
Dare shook his head and flipped off
his brother. “Suck me.”
The bar was busy that night, so Fox
sat down on one of the empty stools and grinned. “Nice way to greet your
customers.” He glanced over his shoulder before looking back at Dare and
frowning. “Where are Rick and the rest of your staff?”
Dare barely held back a growl. “Out
sick. Either there’s really a twenty-four-hour stomach bug going around and I’m
going to be screwed for the next couple of days, or they’re all out on
benders.”
Fox cursed under his breath before
hopping off his stool and going around the side of the large oak and maple bar
to help out. That was Dare’s family in a nutshell— they dropped everything
whenever one of them needed help, and nobody even had to ask for it. Since Dare
sucked at asking for help on a good day, he was glad that Fox knew what he
needed without him having to say it.
Without asking, Fox pulled up a few
drink orders and began mixing them with the skill of a long-time barkeep. Since
Fox owned the small town newspaper— the Whiskey Chronicle— Dare was still
surprised sometimes at how deft his younger brother was at working alongside
him. Of course, even his parents, his older brother Loch, and his younger
sister Tabby knew their way around the bar.
Just not as well as Dare did.
Considering that this was his job, he was grateful for that.
He loved his family, his bar, and
hell, he even loved his little town on the outskirts of Philly. Whiskey,
Pennsylvania was like most other small towns in his state where some parts were
new additions, and others were old stone buildings from the Revolutionary or
Civil war eras with add-ons— like his.
And with a place called Whiskey,
everyone attached the label where they could. Hence the town paper, his bar,
and most of the other businesses around town. Only Loch’s business really stood
out with Loch’s Security and Gym down the street, but that was just like Loch
to be a little different yet still part of the town.
Whiskey had been named as such
because of its old bootlegging days. It used to be called something else, but
since Prohibition, the town had changed its name and cashed in on it. Whiskey
was one of the last places in the country to keep Prohibition on the books,
even with the nationwide decree. They’d fought to keep booze illegal, not for
puritan reasons, but because their bootlegging market had helped the township
thrive. Dare knew there was a lot more to it than that, but those were the
stories the leaders told the tourists, and it helped with the flare.
Whiskey was located right on the
Delaware River, so it overlooked New Jersey but was still on the Pennsylvania
side of things. The main bridge that connected the two states through Whiskey
and Ridge on the New Jersey side was one of the tourist spots for people to
drive over and walk so they could be in two states at once while over the
Delaware River.
Their town was steeped in history, and
close enough to where George Washington had crossed the Delaware that they were
able to gain revenue on the reenactments for the tourists, thus helping keep
their town afloat.
The one main road through Whiskey
that not only housed Loch’s and Dare’s businesses but also many of the other
shops and restaurants in the area, was always jammed with cars and people
looking for places to parallel park. Dare’s personal parking lot for the bar
and inn was a hot commodity.
And while he might like time to
himself some days, he knew he wouldn’t trade Whiskey’s feel for any other
place. They were a weird little town that was a mesh of history and newcomers,
and he wouldn’t trade it for the world. His sister Tabby might have moved out
west and found her love and her place with the Montgomerys in Denver, but Dare
knew he’d only ever find his home here.
Sure, he’d had a few flings in
Denver when he visited his sister, but he knew they’d never be more than one
night or two. Hell, he was the king of flings these days, and that was for good
reason. He didn’t need commitment or attachments beyond his family and his son,
Nathan.
Time with Nathan’s mom had proven
that to him, after all.
“You’re still daydreaming over
there,” Fox called out from the other side of the bar. “You okay?”
Dare nodded, frowning. “Yeah, I
think I need more caffeine or something since my mind keeps wandering.” He
pasted on his trademark grin and went to help one of the new arrivals who’d
taken a seat at the bar. Dare wasn’t the broody one of the family— that honor
went to Loch— and he hated when he acted like it.
“What can I get you?” he asked a
young couple that had taken two empty seats at the bar. They had matching
wedding bands on their fingers but looked to be in their early twenties.
He couldn’t imagine being married
that young. Hell, he’d never been married, and he was in his mid-thirties now.
He hadn’t married Monica even though she’d given him Nathan, and even now, he
wasn’t sure they’d have ever taken that step even if they had stayed together.
She had Auggie now, and he had… well, he had his bar.
That wasn’t depressing at all.
“Two Yuenglings please, draft if you
have it,” the guy said, smiling.
Dare nodded. “Gonna need to see your
IDs, but I do have it on tap for you.” As Yuengling was a Pennsylvania beer,
not having it outside the bottle would be stupid even in a town that prided
itself on whiskey.
The couple pulled out their IDs, and
Dare checked them quickly. Since both were now the ripe age of twenty-two, he
went to pull them their beers and set out their check since they weren’t
looking to run a tab.
Another woman with long, caramel
brown hair with hints of red came to sit at the edge of the bar. Her hair lay
in loose waves down her back and she had on a sexy-as-fuck green dress that
draped over her body to showcase sexy curves and legs that seemed to go on
forever. The garment didn’t have sleeves so he could see the toned muscles in
her arms work as she picked up a menu to look at it. When she looked up, she
gave him a dismissive glance before focusing on the menu again. He held back a
sigh. Not in the mood to deal with whatever that was about, he let Fox take
care of her and put her from his mind. No use dealing with a woman who clearly
didn’t want him near, even if it were just to take a drink order. Funny, he
usually had to speak to a female before making her want him out of the picture.
At least, that’s what he’d learned from Monica.
And why the hell was he thinking
about his ex again? He usually only thought of her in passing when he was
talking to Nathan or hanging out with his kid for the one weekend a month the
custody agreement let Dare have him. Having been in a dangerous job and then
becoming a bartender didn’t look good to some lawyers it seemed, at least when
Monica had fought for full custody after Nathan was born.
He pushed those thoughts from his
mind, however, not in the mood to scare anyone with a scowl on his face by
remembering how his ex had looked down on him for his occupation even though
she’d been happy to slum it with him when it came to getting her rocks off.
Dare went through the motions of
mixing a few more drinks before leaving Fox to tend to the bar so he could go
check on the restaurant part of the building.
Since the place had originally been
an old stone inn on both floors instead of just the top one, it was set up a
little differently than most newer buildings around town. The bar was off to
one side; the restaurant area where they served delicious, higher-end entrees
and tapas was on the other. Most people needed a reservation to sit down and
eat in the main restaurant area, but the bar also had seating for dinner, only
their menu wasn’t quite as extensive and ran closer to bar food.
In the past, he’d never imagined he
would be running something like this, even though his parents had run a smaller
version of it when he was a kid. But none of his siblings had been interested
in taking over once his parents wanted to retire from the bar part and only run
the inn. When Dare decided to leave the force only a few years in, he’d found
his place here, however reluctantly.
Being a cop hadn’t been for him,
just like being in a relationship. He’d thought he would be able to do the
former, but life had taken a turn, and he’d faced his mortality far sooner than
he bargained for. Apparently, being a gruff, perpetually single bar owner was
more his speed, and he was pretty damn good at it, too. Most days, anyway.
His house manager over on the
restaurant side was running from one thing to another, but from the outside, no
one would have noticed. Claire was just that good. She was in her early fifties
and already a grandmother, but she didn’t look a day over thirty-five with her
smooth, dark skin and bright smile. Good genes and makeup did wonders—
according to her anyway. He’d be damned if he’d say that. His mother and Tabby
had taught him something over the years.
The restaurant was short-staffed but
managing, and he was grateful he had Claire working long hours like he did. He
oversaw it all, but he knew he couldn’t have done it without her. After making
sure she didn’t need anything, he headed back to the bar to relieve Fox. The
rush was finally dying down now, and his brother could just sit back and enjoy
a beer since Dare knew he’d already worked a long day at the paper.
By the time the restaurant closed
and the bar only held a few dwindling costumers, Dare was ready to go to bed
and forget the whole lagging day. Of course, he still had to close out the two
businesses and talk to both Fox and Loch since his older brother had shown up a
few moments ago. Maybe he’d get them to help him close out so he wouldn’t be
here until midnight. He must be tired if the thought of closing out was too
much for him.
“So, Rick didn’t show, huh?” Loch
asked as he stood up from his stool. His older brother started cleaning up
beside Fox, and Dare held back a smile. He’d have to repay them in something
other than beer, but he knew they were working alongside him because they were
family and had the time; they weren’t doing it for rewards.
“Nope. Shelly and Kayla didn’t show
up either.” Dare resisted the urge to grind his teeth at that. “Thanks for
helping. I’m exhausted and wasn’t in the mood to deal with this all alone.”
“That’s what we’re here for,” Loch
said with a shrug.
“By the way, you have any idea what
this seven a.m. meeting tomorrow is about?” Fox asked after a moment. “They’re
putting Tabby on speaker phone for it and everything.”
Dare let out a sigh. “I’m not in the
mood to deal with any meeting that early. I have no idea what it’s going to be
about, but I have a bad feeling.”
“Seems like they have an
announcement.” Loch sat back down on his stool and scrolled through his phone.
He was constantly working or checking on his daughter, so his phone was
strapped to him at all times. Misty had to be with Loch’s best friend, Ainsley,
since his brother worked that night. Ainsley helped out when Loch needed a
night to work or see Dare. Loch had full custody of Misty, and being a single
father wasn’t easy.
Dare had a feeling no matter what
his parents had to say, things were going to be rocky after the morning
meeting. His parents were caring, helpful, and always wanted the best for their
family. That also meant they tended to be slightly overbearing in the most
loving way possible.
“Well, shit.”
It looked like he’d go without
whiskey or a woman tonight.
Of course, an image of the woman
with gorgeous hair and that look of disdain filled his mind, and he held back a
sigh. Once again, Dare was a glutton for punishment, even in his thoughts.
The next morning, he cupped his mug
of coffee in his hands and prayed his eyes would stay open. He’d stupidly
gotten caught up on paperwork the night before and was now running on about
three hours of sleep.
Loch sat in one of the booths with
Misty, watching as she colored in her coloring book. She was the same age as
Nathan, which Dare always appreciated since the cousins could grow up like
siblings— on weekends when Dare had Nathan that was. The two kids got along
great, and he hoped that continued throughout the cootie phases kids seemed to
get sporadically.
Fox sat next to Dare at one of the
tables with his laptop open. Since his brother owned the town paper, he was always
up-to-date on current events and was even now typing up something.
They had Dare’s phone between them
with Tabby on the other line, though she wasn’t saying anything. Her fiancé,
Alex, was probably near as well since those two seemed to be attached at the
hip. Considering his future brother-in-law adored Tabby, Dare didn’t mind that
as much as he probably should have as a big brother.
The elder Collinses stood at the
bar, smiles on their faces, yet Dare saw nervousness in their stances. He’d
been a cop too long to miss it. They were up to something, and he had a feeling
he wasn’t going to like it.
“Just get it over with,” Dare said,
keeping his language decent— not only for Misty but also because his mother
would still take him by the ear if he cursed in front of her. But because his
tone had bordered on rude, his mother still raised a brow, and he sighed. Yep,
he had a really bad feeling about this.
“Good morning to you, too, Dare,”
Bob Collins said with a snort and shook his head. “Well, since you’re all here,
even our baby girl, Tabby—”
“Not a baby, Dad!” Tabby called out
from the phone, and the rest of them laughed, breaking the tension slightly.
“Yeah, we’re not babies,” Misty put
in, causing everyone to laugh even harder.
“Anyway,” Barbara Collins said with
a twinkle in her eye. “We have an announcement to make.” She rolled her
shoulders back, and Dare narrowed his eyes. “As you know, your father and I
have been nearing the age of retirement for a while now, but we still wanted to
run our inn as innkeepers rather that merely owners.”
“Finally taking a vacation?” Dare
asked. His parents worked far too hard and wouldn’t let their kids help them.
He’d done what he could by buying the bar from them when he retired from the
force and then built the restaurant himself.
“If you’d let me finish, young man,
I’d let you know,” his mother said coolly, though there was still warmth in her
eyes. That was his mother in a nutshell. She’d reprimand, but soothe the sting,
too.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, and Fox coughed
to cover up a laugh. If Dare looked behind him, he figured he’d see Loch hiding
a smile of his own.
Tabby laughed outright.
Damn little sisters.
“So, as I was saying, we’ve worked
hard. But, lately, it seems like we’ve worked too hard.” She looked over at his
dad and smiled softly, taking her husband’s hand. “It’s time to make some
changes around here.”
Dare sat up straighter.
“We’re retiring. Somewhat. The inn
hasn’t been doing as well as it did back when it was with your grandparents,
and part of that is on the economy. But part of that is on us. What we want to
do is renovate more and update the existing rooms and service. In order to do
that and step back as innkeepers, we’ve hired a new person.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” Dare
asked, frowning. “You can’t just hire someone to take over and work in our
building without even talking to us. And it’s not like I have time to help her
run it when she doesn’t know how you like things.”
“You won’t be running it,” Bob said
calmly. “Not yet, anyway. Your mom and I haven’t fully retired, and you know
it. We’ve been running the inn for years, but now we want to step away.
Something you’ve told us we should do. So, we hired someone. One who knows how
to handle this kind of transition and will work with the construction crew and
us. She has a lot of experience from working in Philly and New York and will be
an asset.”
Dare fisted his hands by his sides
and blew out a breath. They had to be fucking kidding. “It sounds like you’ve
done your research and already made your decision. Without asking us. Without
asking me.”
His mother gave him a sad look.
“We’ve always wanted to do this, Dare, you know that.”
“Yes. But you should have talked to
us. And renovating like this? I didn’t know you wanted to. We could have
helped.” He didn’t know why he was so angry, but being kept out of the loop was
probably most of it.
His father sighed. “We’ve been
looking into this for years, even before you came back to Whiskey and bought
the bar from us. And while it may seem like this is out of the blue, we’ve been
doing the research for a while. Yes, we should have told you, but everything
came up all at once recently, and we wanted to show you the plans when we had details
rather than get your hopes up and end up not doing it.”
Dare just blinked. There was so much
in that statement— in all of those
statements— that he couldn’t quite process it. And though he could have yelled
about any of it just then, his mind fixed on the one thing that annoyed him the
most.
“So, you’re going to have some city
girl come into my place and order me
around? I don’t think so.”
“And why not? Have a problem with
listening to women?”
Dare stiffened because that last
part hadn’t come from his family. No. He turned toward the voice. It had come
from the woman he’d seen the night before in the green dress.
And because fate liked to fuck with
him, he had a feeling he knew exactly
who this person was.
Their newly hired innkeeper.
And new thorn in his side.
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