Colombian drug Cartels? Seriously? Who the hell was this guy? Heath groaned and fought the urge to palm-smack his own head.
Anya rushed for him, waving the card. “I need to find them as soon as possible. I’ll give you my information, and if you find them, please let me know.”
Smithers handed over his badge. “Do you remember the name of their agency or any of the detectives?”
Anya glanced at his badge and then handed it back. “Um, no. Sorry about that. I met one of them, but I don’t remember his name.”
Heath winced. Guess he hadn’t been that memorable. Of course, he’d only exchanged pleasantries with her before sitting down with Agent Jackson and exchanging information. Anya was supposed to be in protective custody by now, but with her sister taken, maybe that plan had been scrapped?
Smithers reached into his back pocket for a pen and handed it over with the card. “Write down your name and cell phone number.” His tone was perfectly authoritative and polite.
Who was this guy?
Anya nodded and quickly wrote before handing back the card.
Smithers tucked it into his pocket. “We’re investigating at the moment but would like to sit down with you later. Where are you staying?”
“At the Two Horse Motel just for the night,” Anya said.
Heath gave in to the desire and smacked his hand against his forehead. Of course the woman had no idea she was dealing with trained killers, and one did have a badge, but even so. Though she must be desperate to find her sister.
“Okay,” Smithers said. “Can we offer any assistance with your case? We’re happy to help.”
She faltered. “Maybe. How about we talk about it when we sit down? I’ll get my files in order.”
“Sounds good. We’ll be in touch later today.” With a reassuring nod, he moved back toward the car and the two men quickly drove away.
Heath sighed. Why hadn’t she mentioned the FBI or her sister missing? Perhaps Anya had sensed something wrong with the guys, since they definitely weren’t with any government. Today, anyway. They’d do a background run on Anya and then decide what to do with her—or come up with a plan to nab her. He couldn’t take the chance they’d want to question her more about the guy she couldn’t remember, considering it was him.
He glanced around the abandoned office he’d been using for a few days to see who came to check out his and his brothers’ former business. Surveillance photos and videos lined the table, and he quickly scooped them up. There wasn’t anything else for him to do in Cisco, and it was time to get the hell out of town.
After he picked up Anya.
* * *
Anya paced the counter of the car rental facility and tapped her paperwork against her leg. Why the hell was it taking so long? The blond kid behind the counter hummed while he typed happily on a keyboard.
There wasn’t time for humming. Those fake Marshals would’ve noticed her rental car decal, and she had to get rid of the car. She looked through the thick glass doors to the quiet car lot outside. Dark clouds barreled across the sky, and sleet slashed down. So much for the meager sunshine of earlier.
“All righty.” The kid shoved glasses up his nose and smiled. “You’re all set, and I waived the fuel fee.”
“Thank you.” She shoved the papers into her purse. Her phone buzzed, and she took it out to read the screen. Another message from her sister’s partner, Special Agent Frederick Reese. The guy hadn’t stopped calling since she’d headed out on her own the night before. She ignored him again and glanced up at the blond. “When will the airport shuttle arrive?”
The kid’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Every hour. So it should be here in about fifteen minutes.”
“Thanks.” She forced a smile for him and then hurried for the door. “I’ll wait by the sign.”
“Sure thing.” The worker followed her outside and locked the door behind her. “We close at five, and you were our only return today.” He gave her a nod and strode around the building, minutes later roaring out of the lot in a lifted Ford with flames down the sides.
She grinned. Not in a million years had she pictured the guy wearing khakis and a button-down in such a flamboyant truck. Clearing her throat, she leaned back against the building, allowing the awning to protect her from the storm.
A heartbeat later, her stomach dropped as a familiar dark sedan pulled into the lot. Her legs tensed to run, but Marshal Smithers waved from the driver’s seat.
She faked another smile, trapped in place. Her stomach rolled over.
An engine rumbled in the distance, and a battered Chevy truck careened across the lot, smashing hard into the sedan.
The sedan collided with several cars, and metal crumpled with a loud crunch.
The truck swung around, and the passenger door was thrown open. “Get in,” bellowed a low voice.
She blinked at seeing Heath Jones, the detective from Lost Bastards. Her knees wobbled. D.J. Smithers jumped out of the totaled car, a gun in his hand. Her instincts told her she had about two seconds, so she yelped and ran across the snow, leaped through the passenger side of the truck, and slammed the door.
Heath punched the gas, and the truck fishtailed as it roared out of the lot.
Bullets struck the side of the truck with an odd pattering sound.
“Get down.” Heath grabbed her neck and shoved her down, sliding down in the seat too but not losing any speed. His hand was rough and his voice tense, but he didn’t hurt her.
She blinked, her heart thundering. The glove box slammed open, and a gun dropped onto her knee. She grabbed it and held on tight.
The truck fishtailed around a corner and then several more. Finally, Heath released her neck. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and straightened up on the bench seat. Her ribs hurt from the rapid beating of her heart. “How?” She looked out the back window at an empty and snowy road.
Heath glanced her way. “How what?”
She swallowed and surveyed him. At least six foot four, tightly muscled, definitely strong and fast. Light brown hair waved over his collar, and his greenish brown eyes pierced right through her. While the fake Marshals had been shooting guns, there was no doubt this guy was twice as dangerous. What had she done, jumping into his truck? “Um.” She fumbled for the door handle.
“I’m driving too fast for you to jump out.” He kept his broad hands on the steering wheel.
She blinked, and her shoulders trembled. “Why are you here?” she breathed.
His frown drew down his dark eyebrows. “Me? Why the hell are you here?”
Okay. So he wasn’t happy to see her. “Listen. I was looking through my sister’s things and found the Lost Bastards card, and I remembered meeting you the other week, so I thought I’d track you down and see if you were still looking for the Copper Killer.” The words burst out of her in a rush. Damn it. She needed to seem in control and calm.
“Oh.” His full lips tightened.
“Why were those men shooting at you?” she whispered, her mind reeling.
Heath glanced her way again. “They were shooting at you, darlin’. Chasing you.”
She leaned her head back. That was true. “Why?” God. Were they somehow working for her ex? Would he send men with guns to bring her back? “Wait a minute.” Her mind ran through likely scenarios. “I first met them at your former offices. They were looking for you, not me.”
Heath’s upper lip twitched.
She watched, not wanting to be fascinated. Then irritation took over. “You’re a jerk.”
He shrugged. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
God, this was getting too damn confusing, and she was having trouble breathing from the fear of losing the sister she’d just found. “Why are those fake cops chasing you and now me?”
He looked at her again, really looked this time. “How did you know they were fake?”
“I didn’t until I took a good look at one of the badges.” Plus, her instincts were fairly decent at k
nowing when a man was lying to her. “There was something not quite right about them.”
Admiration glimmered in Heath’s stunning eyes for a moment. “Nicely done. So they followed you?”
“I guess.” She sighed, warmed by his gaze. “I lied and told them I was staying at a motel, but apparently they didn’t believe me. I also gave them a fake name and number.” She eyed the snowy trees flashing by outside. “Why are they after you, Heath?”
“So you do remember my name,” he murmured.
She frowned. “Sure.”
“They’re after me because of a different case of your sister’s, and you don’t have to worry about it.” He turned down another road. “Since you were waiting for the shuttle, I’m assuming you have a plane ticket out of here?”
“Yeah. Back to Salt Lake City, where the FBI has a command center looking for Loretta.” Just saying her sister’s name made her gut ache.
“Okay. I’ll drop you off, and you go right through security and get to your gate. The fake cops won’t follow you.” Heath’s phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen, his body tightening.
“What?” she breathed.
He looked at her, obviously weighing his words. “We have a lead on your sister. I have to go.”
Hope exploded in her chest. “Not without me going.”
He shook his head. “It’s dangerous. I’ll check in with you the second I know anything.”
She sucked in air and pointed the gun at him. Not once in her life had she even held a gun in her hand much less threatened somebody with one. But she would find her sister, damn it. “I said we’re going together.”
Also by Rebecca Zanetti
Sin Brothers Series
Forgotten Sins
Sweet Revenge
Blind Faith
Total Surrender
Praise for
Rebecca Zanetti’s Novels
Total Surrender
“Top Pick! 4½ stars! Bravo and thanks to Zanetti for providing stellar entertainment!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Total Surrender is action packed, thrilling, and heart-stopping romantic suspense at its best.”
—Harlequinjunkie.com
“Total Surrender is in a word…WOW!”
—Fresh Fiction
“Brava on a book (and a series) beautifully imagined and artfully delivered!”
—GraveTells.com
Blind Faith
“Fast paced, suspenseful…an action-packed journey!…This is a unique, intriguing series, and Blind Faith is another book you won’t be able to put down.”
—HarlequinJunkie.com
“I loved the writing. I loved the plot…Zanetti is one hell of a writer.”
—Melimel.Booklikes.com
“Top Pick! 4½ stars! Hang on as Zanetti whisks you into a world of danger, passion, and treachery!”
—RT Book Reviews
“A great installment in the series. Everything was upped; the tension, the stakes, the angst, the romance, and of course the shrinking timeline for the Dean brothers’ chance at survival…I give Blind Faith an A.”
—TheBookPushers.com
“This book totally rocked. It had me at the edge of my seat and I was totally engrossed in it from beginning to end.”
—GuiltyPleasuresBookReviews.com
Sweet Revenge
“4½ stars! Top Pick! Intense and thrilling…Filled with twists and turns and a heaping dose of adrenaline, Zanetti takes readers on a ride they won’t soon forget!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Kudos to Ms. Zanetti on another fine Sins Brothers installment, definitely a series to watch!”
—GraveTells.com
“If you love action-packed, steamy romantic suspense with sexy alpha heroes, definitely give this series a try—it’s one of my new favorites and has gone on my auto-buy list.”
—RamblingsfromthisChick.blogspot.com
“Sweet Revenge is like a locomotive barreling at you at full throttle! With amazingly well-developed characters, the romantic tension, and a plot so full of subplots, this escape from reality is one of those books that you keep saying just one more page…just one more page…until it’s 3 a.m. and there are no more pages left!”
—TomeTender.blogspot.com
“The magic Zanetti creates when she puts pen to paper results in my kinda romance. The basis of the Sins Brothers series is one that captivates the reader; it’s fresh, unique, and I absolutely love it!”
—KTBookReviews.blogspot.com
Forgotten Sins
“4½ stars! Top Pick! The rich world of romantic suspense gets even better with the first in Zanetti’s tremendous new paranormal-edged series…[A] rapidly paced, clever thriller…Zanetti pulls together a heady mix of sexy sizzle, emotional punch, and high-stakes danger in this truly outstanding tale. Brava!”
—RT Book Reviews
“[Zanetti is] an auto-buy author for me…Her world and characters captivated me, and she has maintained her grasp across three different romance subgenres. Forgotten Sins was no exception.”
—TheBookPushers.com
“Lord, I loved this book. From the first page to the last, this one left me trying to catch my breath after each action-packed page…Zanetti will always be a fixture on this reader’s bookshelf!”
—Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind
(nikkibrandyberry.wordpress.com)
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter: 1
Chapter: 2
Chapter: 3
Chapter: 4
Chapter: 5
Chapter: 6
Chapter: 7
Chapter: 8
Chapter: 9
Chapter: 10
Chapter: 11
Chapter: 12
Chapter: 13
Chapter: 14
Chapter: 15
Chapter: 16
Chapter: 17
Chapter: 18
Chapter: 19
Chapter: 20
Chapter: 21
Chapter: 22
Chapter: 23
Chapter: 24
Chapter: 25
Chapter: 26
Chapter: 27
Chapter: 28
Chapter: 29
Chapter: 30
Chapter: 31
Chapter: 32
Chapter: 33
Chapter: 34
Chapter: 35
Chapter: 36
Chapter: 37
Chapter: 38
Chapter: 39
Chapter: 40
A Preview of Lethal Lies
Also by Rebecca Zanetti
Praise for Rebecca Zanetti’s Novels
Newsletters
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 by Rebecca Zanetti
Excerpt from Lethal Lies copyright © 2016 by Rebecca Zanetti
Cover design Brian Lemus. Cover photo of man © Claudio Marinesco. Royalty Free Images from Getty Images. Cover copyright © 2016 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2016943215
ISBNs: 978-1-4555-9425-2 (paperback), 978-1-4555-9426-9 (ebook)
E3-20160809-DA-PC