Page 1 of Last Chance Christmas
Rescued Justice
Lisa Phillips
She’s built walls to protect her heart. He’s the one man who might tear them down…
Officer Olivia Tazwell became a cop for one reason—to protect others the way no one ever protected her. She's perfected the art of keeping people at arm's length, especially devastatingly handsome firefighter Izan Collins, who's been trying to ask her out for months.
Izan Collins knows what it's like to be unwanted. Abandoned as a baby with ties to a violent cartel family, he was saved by the Collins clan—and now he saves others. When Olivia finally agrees to one date, he dares to believe his Christmas wish might actually come true.
Then four deadly convicts escape prison, and their fragile new beginning explodes into chaos.
Among the escapees is Alonzo Sosa—a ruthless cartel killer with a personal vendetta against Izan. As the manhunt intensifies and bodies pile up, Olivia faces an impossible choice: maintain her safe distance or risk everything to keep the man she's falling for alive.
When Sosa takes Izan's family hostage at a church event, both their worlds shatter.
Olivia must tear down every wall she's built around her heart and trust a man with the power to destroy her. But Izan faces an even more devastating choice—walk away from the woman he loves to keep her safe from his dangerous past, or fight for their future knowing his cartel connections could cost everyone he cares about their lives.
Will one night of courage overcome a lifetime of fear—for both of them?
One
Officer Olivia Tazwell gripped the steering wheel and swung the squad car around a turn onto Rutland Boulevard. She’d broken her wrist a couple of months back, but it had healed since. The memories? Not so faded.
Her partner, Officer Junior Ramble, sat in the seat beside her. “Are we in a hurry for some reason?”
“Just keeping my skills sharp.” Truth was, she was restless in a way that she hadn’t been since college. That had caused her all kinds of trouble, getting in with the wrong crowd. Hooking up with the wrong kind of guy. Getting her heart broken and the downward spiral that followed.
She didn’t want to go back to that dark place.
Not just because she was a cop now and had been for four years. She lived on the right side of the law rather than skirting the dividing line and hoping she didn’t get caught. Thankfully she never had been. Otherwise a career as a cop would have been out of the question.
The last thing she wanted now was to get fired and have the people of Last Chance County think she had never deserved their respect.
“How’s your mama?”
Olivia blew out a breath, rolling her eyes. The usual reaction anytime he brought up her mom. “Ornery as usual. Complaining that the night manager hates her. She wants to get switched back to the day shift so she can get back on a cash register.”
“We should swing by. Say hi.” He checked his watch.
“Too early for lunch break.”
“It’s after midnight.”
“Exactly. We should wait at least another hour, or you’ll start complaining at four, and you’ll be miserable until we get off at seven.”
Junior liked to grumble under his breath.
Mostly she ignored it since he was a solid partner and he’d never tried to hit on her. They were more like brother and sister and had settled into a friendship that had developed over the last few years working together. Since they’d both graduated from the same academy class.
He’d been born and raised in Last Chance County. She’d grown up in Benson, Washington, and the minute she’d been able to leave, she’d gone. Olivia had persuaded her mom to come with her, and they’d left that town in the rearview—with Olivia eighteen and driving because her mom had been wasted at the time. These days she had periods of being sober and on the right track, then rocky weeks where she needed some help.
The fact both of them loved Christmas in a way that bordered on obsession was about the only thing they agreed on.
Their radios came to life at the same time, the sound by her left shoulder, where the unit was clipped to her uniform shirt.
“All units, robbery in progress. Bridgewater Café.”
“Finally.” Junior grabbed his radio. “This is unit twelve, responding.”
