Deadly Heat Read online

  And it wasn’t easy to scare Lora Spade.

  Hyde cleared his throat and stepped back. Kenton lifted his hand and realized that he had white gauze to match hers.

  She came to him with her eyes shining and her lips smiling.

  “Told you he was too tough to let one bullet take him down,” Hyde muttered, crossing his arms. “It takes one hell of a lot more than that to knock out an SSD agent.”

  Yeah, well, the bullet and the fire had come pretty close.

  Lora leaned over him. He wanted to touch her, but didn’t want to hurt her. Burns. He remembered her slapping the fire around him. On him. Kenton stared up at her. “I love you, Lora Spade.”

  Her gaze held his. He saw her swallow.

  “Monica is tying up the last of the loose ends,” Hyde said, “but the Phoenix case will be officially closed in just a few more days.” He pointed at Kenton. “And you’ll tell the city. You’ll be the face on the news they see, letting them know they’re safe again.”

  “Another one down,” Kenton murmured.

  “And the rest of them had better fucking fear us.” Hyde nodded, then the briefest of smiles lifted his lips.

  Hyde’s mission was personal. Kenton knew that, but not why. And he’d never asked. Some secrets just weren’t for sharing.

  “Take it easy, Lake. No setbacks. I want you in fighting form again soon.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Hyde glanced at Lora. “Ms. Spade, it’s been a pleasure. You ever get the urge for a career change, you call me.”

  Uh, no.

  “Thank you, Hyde.” What? Was that some warmth in her voice? For Hyde? No one’s voice warmed for Hyde. The guy was too scary.

  But Lora was smiling at him.

  And the guy grinned back at her.

  Two days—just what had been going on while he’d been out?

  Then Hyde was gone, and the door swung shut behind him.

  Alone with Lora.

  “You scared me so much.” No warmth lightened her voice now. He only heard the echoes of fear. “You were on the ground in front of me, bleeding out, and I–I couldn’t stop it. I was so scared that I’d lose you.”

  He shook his head. “Not going to happen.”

  “I thought I was gonna break apart out there,” she whispered with eyes down. “You weren’t moving, and I thought you’d left me.”

  She leaned forward and brushed her body against his. “I love you, Kent.” Her lips stopped just inches from his. “I didn’t plan on this, but I love you.”

  And he would die for her. Or kill for her.

  He’d almost done both.

  A strong woman could drive a man to the edge and beyond. Now, he knew what waited beyond. Knew what he’d always been looking for—and had finally found.

  Her mouth took his. Warm and sweet and soft and real.

  No monsters. No death. No evil.

  Silken skin. Delicate lips.

  Love.

  His right arm curled around her. She was the one he’d always wanted.

  A woman who’d walked through the fire.

  And sent the devil back to hell.

  Now… it was their turn to rise from the ashes.

  Epilogue

  Two months later…

  When the knock sounded at his door, Hyde wanted to ignore it. He’d known this moment was coming. Only a matter of time…

  He rolled his shoulders. “Come on in, Lake.”

  Kenton popped his head inside. The blinds on the door were down. “How’d you know it was me?”

  Because Monica wasn’t the only one good at reading people.

  Kenton held a manila file in his hand. Hyde raised his brows. “A new case?” No, he knew it wasn’t.

  Kenton’s jaw locked. “Sir.” He shut the door, stepped fully inside, and took a deep breath. “Working with the SSD has been an opportunity I’ll always be grateful for…”

  Hyde leaned back in his chair and pointed at the file. “But those are transfer papers, and you’re ready to get the hell out of here.”

  Kenton blinked. “Uh, how’d you—”

  Come on, did his team think he was blind? “When you woke up in the hospital, her name was the first thing you said.” The guy hadn’t cared about himself. Hadn’t asked about the case, just—

  Lora.

  Kenton straightened his shoulders and crossed the room. He put the file in the middle of Hyde’s desk. “She was the only thing that mattered.”

  Hyde’s gaze drifted to the framed photo on his desk. A woman with pure coffee-cream skin, a wide, sweet smile, and chocolate eyes gazed back at him.

  He let his gaze slide back to his agent. “I heard Spade is up for a new job.”

  Kenton’s lips curled. “Arson investigator.”

  The higher-ups in Charlottesville knew a good move when they saw one, and Hyde was certain that position would be Lora’s. Those folks needed all the good PR they could get, and if they wanted to restore confidence in their department, they’d put their best fire eater on top.

  According to every news report he’d seen, Lora Spade was golden. She was the one who’d slain the monster and saved the day.

  The woman who walked through fire.

  “I’ve got something there, with her.” Kenton’s gaze never wavered. The guy had always been direct. One of the reasons Hyde liked the man. “I have a chance to be happy, and I’m going to take it.”

  Kenton knew how dangerous the world was. So many agents knew, and that danger stopped them from really living. Monica had almost stopped. She’d walled herself off for years, then he’d had the good sense to shove Luke into her path.

  Monica wouldn’t leave the job. It was too deep in her blood, but she’d needed balance. She’d needed hope.

  Luke had given her both.

  And it seemed Lora Spade had given Kenton a new start, too.

  Hyde leaned forward and flipped open the file. Seeing the transfer request inside wasn’t a surprise. The guy wanted to move to a field office in Virginia.

  He glanced up. “You think you’re going to get the picket fence, Agent Lake?”

  “I’m damn well going to try.”

  Good luck. “You’ve been good in this division, son. You ever want back in, you let me know.”

  “Thank you.”

  Ah, but Kenton wasn’t getting away that easily. “I’ll give you the transfer”—because he’d known it was coming, and he’d already taken steps to hire a replacement—“but I might need you…”

  “Need me?” Kenton’s brows flew up.

  Hyde let his own lips curl. “You’ll know when I do. We’ll just call it contract work.”

  The agent’s eyes narrowed.

  “Not too much,” Hyde allowed, but he wasn’t about to let Kenton go, not completely. Not yet. “Just when special cases arise.”

  “Aren’t all of the SSD’s cases ‘special’?”

  No. Some were sick and twisted, but they sure weren’t special.

  Hyde’s smile faded. “If I call you, it’ll be because I need you.”

  Kenton nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  And when he called, Hyde knew he could count on Kenton. “Invite me to the wedding, Agent Lake, or I’ll be pissed.”

  Kenton laughed.

  Sometimes, Hyde wanted to see happy endings, too.

  “You’ll have a front-row seat,” Kenton promised before he eased from the room.

  When he’d gone, Hyde’s gaze drifted back to the photo. After years of having it in storage, he’d taken it out again just a few days ago.

  Sometimes… he just got so tired of the nightmares.

  But nightmares were his job. He’d made that decision long ago. Facing the monsters. Stopping them—that was what he did.

  His fingers slid over Angela’s face.

  Killers, like MacIntyre, were often very good at hiding in plain sight. Hiding as lovers, friends, wives.

  But no one could hide forever, and his team was getting good at hunting down seri
als and forcing them into the full light of day. No matter what it took, they would be stopped.

  The SSD would make sure of it.

  Hide while you can, but we’re coming after you.

  Time to drag the monsters into the light.

  Even if they had to do it one at a fucking time.

  She wants to hide the past.

  He needs to uncover the truth.

  Their mistrust may lead them into a web of…

  Deadly Lies

  Available now.

  Please turn this page for a preview.

  Max woke to the sound of the bedroom door creaking open. Awareness came instantly, and he shot up in bed. “Running away again?”

  Clad in her bra and panties, Samantha glanced back at him. “I can’t stay the night.”

  Can’t. Won’t. Right. Just sex.

  When would he get a fucking clue? And why did it even matter? If he wanted a woman to stay the night, he had a drawer full of numbers he could call. Maybe he would. His jaw clenched and he said, “You know the way out. Just go and—”

  The phone on the nightstand rang. Who the hell was calling him this late? Shit, if there was a problem at one of his sites… Swearing, Max grabbed the phone. “Ridgeway—”

  Samantha backed out of the door. He wasn’t going after her. Wouldn’t stop her. Maybe it was time for the sexual madness to end. This was going nowhere; it was—

  “I have something of yours…” A gruff whisper.

  “What?” He blinked and then ran a hand down his face. “Who the hell is this?”

  “If you want him back, you’ll make sure I get my payment.”

  “Listen, buddy, I don’t know who you are, but this conversation is over.” Too late for this shit.

  Samantha stilled in the hallway. He caught the flash of her hip, the curve of her sweet ass.

  “Don’t fucking call again, got me?” Max started to drop the phone.

  “How much is your brother’s life worth?” That same damn whisper taunted.

  It took a moment for understanding to sink in. Brother. His spine snapped straight. “What are you talking about?” he barked.

  Laughter. Mocking. Chilling his blood. “I have your brother, and if his old man doesn’t pay, I’ll send him back to you in pieces.”

  No, no, this wasn’t happening. This was bullshit. Some sick joke. “You’ve got Quinlan?”

  The door squeaked. Not closing this time, opening. Samantha crept back inside. His gaze flew to her, and Max saw that she was watching him with wide eyes and a pale face.

  “If you want Quinlan to keep the blood inside his body, you’ll do what I say.”

  Hell. “Let me talk to him, now!”

  “You don’t give the orders…”

  The drumming in his ears nearly drowned out the bastard’s words—was that his heart? “You don’t have him,” he said with sudden certainty. Sick fuck. “You don’t even know—”

  “If you hadn’t been so busy trying to screw the pretty whore on the street, you might have even seen me take him from The Core. You were right there. You could have saved him.”

  Max’s fingers nearly smashed the phone. “Put my brother on the damn line!”

  “No.” Again that twisted laughter. “Just be a good fucking errand boy and do what you’re told. I’ll be sending the old man a message—and you’re going to damn well make sure he pays.”

  Joke, had to be a joke—

  “You go to the cops, you try to mark the bills, and the M.E. will be piecing your brother back together for weeks. Got me? Weeks.”

  Then the fucking phone went dead.

  THE DISH

  Where authors give you the inside scoop!

  From the desk of Jane Graves

  Dear Reader,

  Have you ever visited one website, seen an interesting link to another website, and clicked it? Probably. But have you ever done that about fifty times and ended up in a place you never intended to? As a writer, I’m already on a “what if” journey inside my own head, so web hopping is just one more flight of fancy that’s so easy to get caught up in.

  For instance, while researching a scene for BLACK TIES AND LULLABIES that takes place in a childbirth class, I saw a link for “hypnosis during birth.” Of course I had to click that, right? From there I ended up on a site where people post their birth stories. And then…

  Don’t ask me how, but a dozen clicks later, my web-hopping adventure led me to a site about celebrities and baby names. This immediately had me wondering: What were these people thinking? Check out the names these famous people have given their children that virtually guarantee they’ll be tormented for the rest of their lives:

  Apple Actress Gwyneth Paltrow

  Diva Muffin Singer Frank Zappa

  Moxie Crimefighter Entertainer Penn Jillette

  Petal Blossom Rainbow Chef Jamie Oliver

  Zowie Singer David Bowie

  Pilot Inspektor Actor Jason Lee

  Sage Moonblood Actor Sylvester Stallone

  Fifi Trixibell Singer Bob Geldof

  Reignbeau Actor Ving Rhames

  Jermajesty Singer Jermaine Jackson

  No, a trip around the Internet does not get my books written, but sometimes it’s worth the laugh. Of course, the hero and heroine of BLACK TIES AND LULLABIES would never give their child a name like one of these…

  I hope you enjoy BLACK TIES AND LULLABIES. And look for my next book, HEARTSTRINGS AND DIAMOND RINGS, coming August 2011.

  Happy Reading!

  www.janegraves.com

  From the desk of Cynthia Eden

  Dear Reader,

  I love strong heroes. When I write my romantic suspense novels, I try to create heroes who can save the day while barely breaking a sweat. Men who aren’t afraid to face danger. Men who are comfortable taking out the bad guys—even while these heroes successfully romance their heroines. Oh, yes, I’m all about an alpha male.

  And when it comes to my heroines, well, my response is the same. Give me a strong heroine. I don’t want to write about a heroine who needs rescuing 24/7. I want a woman who is strong enough to defend herself (and her man, if need be).

  When I began writing DEADLY HEAT, I knew that my heroine would have to be a strong match for FBI Special Agent Kenton Lake. Since Kenton appeared in my previous “Deadly” book, DEADLY FEAR, I already knew just how powerful and capable he was. Kenton hunts serial killers for a living, so weakness isn’t exactly a concept he understands.

  I didn’t want Kenton to dominate his heroine, so I made sure that I created a very strong lady for him… and firefighter Lora Spade was born. Lora is a woman who fights fire each day. She’s not afraid of the flames, but she is afraid of the way that Kenton makes her feel.

  Physically and mentally, my characters are strong. But emotionally? When it comes to emotions, both Kenton and Lora are in for a big shock.

  After all… love doesn’t always make a person weak. Sometimes, it just makes you stronger.

  Since Kenton and Lora are about to track an arsonist who enjoys trapping his victims in the flames, they sure will need all the strength they can get!

  Thanks for checking out my Dish. If you’d like to learn more about my books, please visit my website at www.cynthiaeden.com.

  Happy reading!

  From the desk of Cara Elliott

  Dear Readers,

  Yes, yes, your eyes do not deceive you. Just when the brouhaha in Bath had calmed down a touch, a new scandal popped up. The Circle of Sin is spinning into action again. Alas, trouble seems to follow our intrepid heroines, when all they really want is a life of quiet scholarly study…. Actually, I take that back. They do realize that there is more to life than books (a handsome rogue… but we’ll get to that later).

  As you probably suspect, this time it’s Kate, the feisty, free spirit of the “Sinners”, who has landed in hot water. She’s spent most of her life gallivanting the world with her American sea captain father—some high sticklers may call him
a pirate—so it’s really no surprise that her life in London, where she’s come to live with her imperious grandfather, the Duke of Cluyne, is not sailing along very smoothly.

  But honestly, it’s really not all her fault. That rascally rake, the Conte of Como—Marco to his more intimate friends—is the one making waves. He’s an unexpected guest at her grandfather’s staid country house party, and when one thing leads to another… all hell breaks loose.

  Trouble takes Kate and Marco from London to Vienna, where the various rulers of Europe are gathering to discuss politics now that Napoleon has been exiled to Elba. Now, now, don’t roll your eyes. It so happens that Vienna was THE ultimate party town at the time. Anybody who was anybody wanted to be there, to rub shoulders (and other unmentionable body parts) with the kings, princes, emperors, and other high profile celebrities.

  The Emperor of Austria hosted many of the dignitaries at his magnificent castle, and his poor aides spent countless hours trying to figure out the room assignments, taking into account who was sleeping with whom, so that late night tiptoeing through the corridors wouldn’t result in any embarrassing trip-ups.

  Glittering balls, sumptuous banquets, fanciful medieval jousts, spectacular fireworks—the daily list of extravagant entertainments was mind-boggling. Party girls Princess Bagration and the Duchess of Sagan vied with each other to see who could attract the most influential men to their soirees. As for other pleasures, well, let’s just say they all were intent on having a good time. In fact, the Tsar of Russia—a notorious skirt-chaser—had to have a whole new wardrobe sent from St. Petersburg because he gained so much weight partying every night!

  But why, you might ask, is Kate plunging into the midst of such frivolous festivities? And how is a rake like Marco going to help her get out of hot water? Well, you’ll just have to read TO TEMPT A RAKE to find out!