Cold Wicked Lies: A gripping romantic thriller that will have you hooked (Cold Justice - Crossfire Book 3)

by Toni Anderson

  She straddled his lap and leaned down to kiss him. “Seems like a lot of responsibility.”

  He ran his hands up her sides. “We’re both professionals. We can handle it.”

  “Why do we have to wait a few days?” she asked, pulling back.

  “Because you were away.”

  “I’m back now. What time does the place shut?”

  Novak checked his phone. Smirked. “In a couple of hours. You want to go pick her up now?”

  “We have a girl?” Charlotte was already pulling on her clothes.

  Novak had hoped a kitten was an appropriate gift, but he was thrilled Charlotte was so happy. They hit the shelter minutes before they closed for the holidays. He’d already purchased everything the kitten would need and had planned to wrap it all before Charlotte got home.

  “She’s beautiful.” Charlotte cooed over the fluffy calico.

  “We need to find a family for her brother, and we’ve homed the entire litter.” The woman beamed from behind the desk.

  Novak resignedly shook his head as Charlotte filled out more paperwork.

  Once they were ensconced in his truck, he realized they still needed to hit the store. He barely had a loaf of bread at his place.

  “Where do you want to spend Christmas? Your place or mine?” he asked.

  “I don’t care as long as you’re there.” Her smile was the only gift he needed.

  “Let’s go to mine first and pick up all the gear I bought for these guys and then head to yours so they can settle in.” He motioned to the kittens who were meowing from their travel container.

  “I have no food.” Charlotte warned him.

  Her idea of no food was a full freezer of prepared meals but no fresh salad. His was an almost empty bottle of ketchup.

  “I’ll go pick up anything we need or we’ll order in,” he promised.

  The kittens meowed, and Charlotte grinned, and Novak finally felt like his life was on the right track. It finally felt like he had everything he’d ever dreamed of.

  “I love you, Payne. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too. I think we should partner up and get our own TV show.”

  “Blood and Payne does have a nice ring to it.”

  He felt nervous and cleared his throat. “So what do you say, about partnering up?”

  “You mean like living together?”

  He wanted a hell of a lot more than just living together, but that would do for a start. “We could look for a bigger place.”

  She reached over and slid her hand into his. “A house. I want to get a house with you and our kittens.”

  He’d live wherever she wanted. In whatever she wanted. He also knew he was going to be ribbed like hell by his teammates for buying Charlotte kittens for Christmas, but he felt happier than he’d felt in years. He had everything he wanted in his life. Everything he needed.

  “Merry Christmas, SSA Blood.”

  “Happy Holidays, Payne.”

  And just like that, she jolted his heart and made him feel like a worthy member of the human race. Worthy even of a woman like her.

  Thank you for reading Cold Wicked Lies. I hope you enjoyed Charlotte Blood’s and Payne Novak’s struggle to reach their HEA. Charlotte first appears in Cold & Deadly (the first Cold Justice – Crossfire book).

  “Sizzling, slow-burn romance, and jaw-dropping suspense! Toni Anderson is a true master of the genre, delivering tight plotting and a romance that left me breathless and panting for more!”

  ~NYT bestselling author Annika Martin.

  FBI Crisis Negotiator Dominic Sheridan is adept at dealing with high-stake situations under treacherous conditions. But nothing prepared him for the headstrong rookie agent, Ava Kanas, who seems hell-bent on destroying her fledgling career while in pursuit of justice.

  When several agents die in quick succession it becomes obvious a killer is targeting the FBI, and Dominic in particular. Together, Dominic and Ava race to find the murderer, all the while fighting a forbidden attraction that will complicate everything, especially when a predator has them in their sights.

  Read Cold & Deadly Today!

  Start the Cold Justice Series with Toni Anderson’s A Cold Dark Place. Free at most online vendors.

  Lindsey Keeble sang along to “Fun.” on the radio, trying to pretend she wasn’t freaked out by the dark. It was one in the morning and she hated driving this lonely stretch of highway between Greenville and Boden. Rain was threatening to turn to snow. The wind was gusting so forcefully that the tall trees looming high above her on the ridge made her swerve nervously toward the center line. The back tires slid on the asphalt and she slowed; no way did she want to wreck her precious little car.

  She worked evenings at a gas station in Boden. It was quiet enough she usually got some studying done between customers. Tonight everyone and their dog were filling up ahead of a possible early winter storm. You’d think they’d never seen snow before.

  A flash of red lights in her rearview had her heart squeezing. Dammit!

  She hadn’t been speeding—she couldn’t afford a ticket and never drank alcohol. She signaled to pull over and stopped on the verge. Lindsey lived responsibly because she wanted a life bigger than her parochial hometown. She wasn’t some hillbilly. She wanted to travel and see the world—Paris, Greece, maybe the pyramids if the unrest settled down. She peered through the sleet-drenched glass as a black SUV pulled in tight behind her.

  A tall dark figure approached her vehicle. A cop’s gold shield tapped against the glass. Frigid damp air flooded the interior as she rolled down the window and she huddled into her jacket as rain spat at her.

  “License and registration.” A low voice rumbled in that authoritative way cops had. He wore a dark slicker over black clothes. The gun on his hip glinted in the headlights of his vehicle. She didn’t recognize his face, but then she couldn’t really see his features with ice stinging her eyes.

  “What’s this about?” Her teeth chattered. She found the documents in her glove box and purse, and handed them over. Her hands returned to grip the hard plastic of the steering wheel as she waited. “I wasn’t speeding.”

  “There’s an alert out on a stolen red Neon so thought I’d check it out.”

  “Well, this is my car and I’ve done nothing wrong.” She knew her rights. “You’ve got no reason to stop me.”

  “You were driving erratically.” The voice got deeper and angrier. She winced. Never piss off a cop. “Plus, you’ve got a broken taillight. That gives me a reason.”

  Lindsey’s worry was replaced by annoyance. She snapped off her seat belt and applied the parking brake. She’d been shafted last year when another driver had sideswiped her in a parking lot and then claimed she’d been at fault to the insurers. “It was fine when I left for work this afternoon. I haven’t hit anything in the meantime.” Goddamn it.

  “Go take a look.” The cop stood back. He had a nice face despite the hard mouth and even harder eyes. Maybe she could sweet talk him out of a ticket, not that she was real good at sweet talk. Her dad could fix the light in the morning but if she had to pay a ticket as well, every hour of work today would have been for nothing.

  She pulled the hood of her slicker over her head and climbed out. The headlights of his SUV blinded her as she took a few steps. She shielded her gaze and frowned. “I don’t see anything—”

  A surge of fire shot through her back. Pain exploded in a shockwave of screeching agony that overwhelmed her from the tips of her ears to the gaps between her toes. She’d never experienced anything like it. Sweat bloomed on her skin, clashing with sleet as she hit the tarmac. Rough hands grabbed her around the middle and hoisted her into the air. She couldn’t control her arms or legs. She was shifted onto a hip where something unyielding bit into her stomach. She fought the urge to vomit even as her brain whirled.

  It took a moment to make sense of what was happening.

  This man wasn’t a cop.

  Still reeling from th
e stun gun, she couldn’t get enough purchase to kick him, but she flailed at his knees and tried to elbow him in the balls. It didn’t make any difference and she found herself dumped into the cold confines of the rear of his SUV. He zapped her again until her fillings felt like they were going to fall out and her bladder released.

  The world tilted and she was on her front, face pressed into a dirty rubber mat, arms yanked behind her as something metal bit into one wrist, then the other. Handcuffs. Oh, God. She was handcuffed. A sharp pain ripped through her chest—if she didn’t calm down she was going to die of a heart attack.

  A ripping sound rang out in the darkness. She was shoved onto her back, and a piece of duct tape slapped over her mouth. It tangled with her hair and was gonna hurt like a bitch when it came off.

  Something told her that was the least of her worries.

  There was no reason for him to kidnap her unless he was going to hurt her. Or kill her.

  The realization made everything stop. Every movement. Every frantic breath. Her heart raced and bile burned her throat as she stared into those cold, pitiless eyes. With a grunt he slammed the trunk closed, plunging her into a vast and consuming darkness. Rain beat the metal around her like an ominous drum. She was scared of the dark. Scared of monsters. Humiliated by the cold dampness between her legs. How could this have happened to her? One minute she was driving home, the next…

  Where was her phone?

  She rolled around, trying to feel it in her pockets. Shit. It was still in her purse in the passenger seat of her car. There was a crashing sound in the trees. She closed her eyes against the escalating panic. He’d gotten rid of her car. An elephant-sized lump threatened to choke her. She’d worked her ass off for that car, but finances and credit ratings were moot if she didn’t survive this ordeal. This man was going to hurt her. She wriggled backward so her fingers could scrabble with the lock but there was nothing, and the panel above her head didn’t budge even when she kicked it. How dare he do this to me? How dare he treat her as if she was nothing? She wanted to fight and rail against the injustice but as the SUV started up, she was immobilized by terror. All her life she’d fought to make things better, fought for a future and this man, this bastard, wanted to rip it all away from her. It wasn’t fair. There had to be a way out. There had to be a way to survive.

  She didn’t want to die. She especially didn’t want to die in the dark with a stranger who had eyes as cold as death. Tears brimmed. It wasn’t fair. This wasn’t fair.

  A Cold Dark Place (Book #1) available here.

  One-click A COLD DARK PLACE now

  Sign up for Toni Anderson’s newsletter to receive new release alerts, bonus scenes, and a free copy of The Killing Game:

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  Cold Justice World Overview

  COLD JUSTICE SERIES

  A Cold Dark Place (Book #1) FREE DOWNLOAD

  Cold Pursuit (Book #2)

  Cold Light of Day (Book #3)

  Cold Fear (Book #4)

  Cold In The Shadows (Book #5)

  Cold Hearted (Book #6)

  Cold Secrets (Book #7)

  Cold Malice (Book #8)

  A Cold Dark Promise (Book #9~A Wedding Novella)

  Cold Blooded (Book #10)

  COLD JUSTICE – CROSSFIRE

  Cold & Deadly (Book #1)

  Colder Than Sin (Book #2)

  Cold Wicked Lies (Book #3)

  Cold Cruel Kiss (Book #4) Coming winter 2020

  The Cold Justice Series books are also available as audiobooks narrated by Eric Dove, and in various box set compilations.

  Check out all Toni’s books on her website (www.toniandersonauthor.com/books-2)

  Other Books By Toni Anderson

  THE BARKLEY SOUND SERIES

  Dark Waters (Book #2)

  Dangerous Waters (Book #1)

  STAND-ALONE TITLES

  The Killing Game

  Edge of Survival

  Storm Warning

  Sea of Suspicion

  ‘HER’ ROMANTIC SUSPENSE SERIES

  Her Risk To Take (Novella ~ Book #3)

  Her Last Chance (Book #2)

  Her Sanctuary (Book #1)

  About the Author

  Toni Anderson is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, RITA® finalist, science nerd, professional tourist, dog lover, gardener, mom. Originally from a small town in England, Toni studied Marine Biology at University of Liverpool (B.Sc.) and University of St. Andrews (Ph.D.) with the intention she’d never be far from the ocean. Well, that plan backfired and she ended up in the Canadian prairies with her biology professor husband, two kids, a rescue dog, and one chilled leopard gecko. Her greatest achievements are mastering the Tokyo subway, climbing Ben Lomond, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and surviving fifteen Winnipeg winters. She loves to travel for research purposes and was lucky enough to visit the Strategic Information and Operations Center inside FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2016, and she also got to shove another car off the road during pursuit training at the Writer’s Police Academy in Wisconsin. Watch out world!

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  Useful Acronym Definitions For Toni’s Books

  AG: Attorney General

  ASAC: Assistant Special-Agent-in-Charge

  ATF: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms

  BAU: Behavioral Analysis Unit

  BOLO: Be on the Lookout

  BUCAR: Bureau Car.

  CIRG: Critical Incident Response Group

  CMU: Crisis Management Unit

  CN: Crisis Negotiator

  CNU: Crisis Negotiation Unit

  CO: Commanding Officer

  CODIS: Combined DNA Index System

  CP: Command Post

  DEA: Drug Enforcement Administration

  DOB: Date of Birth

  DOD: Department of Defense

  DOJ: Department of Justice

  EMT: Emergency Medical Technician

  ERT: Evidence Response Team

  FOA: First-Office Assignment

  FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation

  FO: Field Office

  FWO: Federal Wildlife Officer

  IC: Incident Commander

  HRT: Hostage Rescue Team

  HT: Hostage-Taker

  LAPD: Los Angeles Police Department

  LEO: Law Enforcement Officer

  ME: Medical Examiner

  MO: Modus Operandi

  NAT: New Agent Trainee

  NCAVC: National Center for Analysis of Violent Crime

  NCIC: National Crime Information Center

  NYFO: New York Field Office

  OC: Organized Crime

  OCU: Organized Crime Unit

  OPR: Office of Professional Responsibility

  POTUS: President of the United States

  RA: Resident Agency

  SA: Special Agent

  SAC: Special Agent-in-Charge

  SAS: Special Air Squadron (British Special Forces unit)

  SD: Secure Digital

  SIOC: Strategic Information & Operations

  SSA: Supervisory Special Agent

  SWAT: Special Weapons and Tactics

  TC: Tactical Commander

  TOD: Time of Death

  UNSUB: Unknown Subject

  ViCAP: Violent Criminal Apprehension Program

  WFO: Washington Field Office

  Acknowledgments

  Writing a book is both a solitary endeavor and a group exercise. My thanks go to Kathy Altman who is the best critique partner in the history of the written word. Rachel Grant who beta reads at the expert level. Jodie Griffin who read a
n early copy and reassured me it didn’t suck. More hugs of appreciation go to Rachel Grant (again), Carolyn Crane, and Jenn Stark, for keeping me company online, and being at-the-ready for ofttimes crazy questions and emergency emotional support when self-confidence takes a nose-dive. Thanks also to Leanne Sparks, Amy Gamet, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot, for our weekly virtual hangout that involves alcohol and self-help.

  Thanks to my amazing cover designer, Regina Wamba, for her gorgeous artwork, and to my formatter, Paul Salvette, for his hard work. Also, to Jessica at Inkslingers PR for her support. Credit to my editors, Deb Nemeth, Joan Turner at JRT Editing, and proofreader, Alicia Dean. I appreciate the role you all play in making my books coherent.

  As always, thanks to my family. My husband and I were expecting to be empty-nesters this year, but instead we have four adults in a house that suddenly seems too small. I’m happy the kids are home. I am grateful for the roof over our heads. I’m counting my blessings, which includes all of my amazing readers. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  Cold Wicked Lies

  Copyright © 2020 Toni Anderson Inc.

  Kindle Edition

  Cover design by Regina Wamba of ReginaWamba.com

  Print ISBN-13: 9781988812342

  Digital ISBN-13: 9781988812335

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.