The Ultimate Romantic Suspense Set (8 romantic suspense novels from 8 bestselling authors for 99c)

by Lee Taylor

  “Hey, Kai? Look at me.” Cory’s insistence finally got his attention. “Open up those heartbreakers. You’re not going to pass out on me, now that the ambulance is on its way?”

  The dig about his eyes made Kai grin. It had been a joke from way back. “Can’t help it if the girls like my eyes. I only use them to see out of.”

  “Don’t bullshit me, man. You use them like come-ons, and every female who falls under the spell of one of your special make-’em-weak-in-the-knees smiles just… grovels. It’s sickening.”

  “Good thing I’m immune then,” Aurora joined in the good-natured joshing between her boss and her new partner. “Hey, hotshot, you wanna stay awake so I can interrogate you? Are you up to answering some questions?”

  “Yeah, I’m just peachy. If you want to know where Rhondo’s headed, I have no idea. I arrived just as he’d opened the door to leave. As you can see, he got the drop on me.” Kai grimaced. Pain mixed with humiliation made him a might touchy.

  An image came to him of the kid who’d stepped out from across the hall when the altercation had first begun. If that nosy punk hadn’t needed protection, Kai wouldn’t have lost the chance to use his own weapon. Instead, he’d had to protect the innocent, push him out of the way, and take a bullet.

  “Did he say anything?” Aurora prodded.

  “Who?” For a moment, Kai wondered how they’d found out about the kid. Kai saw Cory and Aurora glance at each other, and he realized they were waiting for him to get it together. Kai swore, grabbed his side so he could angle himself against the wall higher, and pointed his finger toward a rickety old desk.

  “When I grabbed his backpack, a section tore open. I saw things fall from the pocket. Looked like some papers and maybe a business card.”

  Lifting his arm even the short distance made flames shoot from the left side of his body to the top of his head, and then the inferno made a round trip. His gut seized and twisted so hard, he thought his brains might detonate any moment. Goddamn, that hurts! A swirling dark void teased, and like a woman hot to get laid, it tempted.

  Aurora’s voice registered, and so did the fear she forgot to hide. There was too much blood. Aurora looked away from her partner. “Cory, where is the damned ambulance?”

  “I’m on it!”

  The roar he let loose had the other two officers, who were cordoning off the apartment, sprinting to find out. But a siren closing in made them stop for an instant, and they answered in unison.

  “It’s here. Boss.”

  “GO! Bring them to this apartment, pronto.”

  “Yes, sir!” The two rookies jumped and pivoted in the same direction, slamming into each other until one finally backed up and let other precede him. Both ran out with red faces.

  For a second, their antics made Kai remember himself and Cory as new recruits… but then a memory surfaced, and he struggled to speak it. “The backpack…” He needed to make them understand.

  Aurora leaned in. “What, Kai? What about the backpack?”

  “Br—roke strap… opened… more stuff.” He licked his lips, and the black abyss lost patience and swallowed him.

  ***

  Aurora felt the sickness grab hold once again. She couldn’t believe her response to seeing Kai covered in blood. It had been touch-and-go for a minute as to whether she or not she would be able to stop herself from passing out. Only by biting her tongue hard enough to make it swell did she remain conscious.

  Right now, there was no time to speculate as to why she’d reacted the way she had to a man she hardly knew. Could something have tweaked inside her head, so that from now on anyone’s blood might affect her? She damn well hoped not. Sooner or later, she’d dwell on it, but at this moment, she had bigger things to worry about.

  Before she could clear her mind and concentrate on Kai’s message, the medics pushed her away from the unconscious man whose hand she was gripping.

  What the hell?

  Cory came over and helped her to her feet, steadying her when she swayed. The surprise on his face matched the feelings she fought with inside.

  Thankfully, Cory didn’t comment. Probably knew better once he saw her expression.

  “I’m fine, Boss. It’s Kai who needs the attention.”

  “And he’ll get it. In the meantime, it’s your face that matches the color of your blouse. Maybe you should sit for a minute.”

  Ignoring his coddling, Aurora pushed his hands away and stumbled toward the desk Kai had motioned to earlier. First, she pulled on a pair of latex gloves that were always kept in her pocket. Then leaning over carefully, because of the nausea that still hovered, she picked up a garbage can and rifled through it. There was a torn-up, stinky old pizza box and several crushed, foul-smelling beer cans. Some newspaper strips stuck out here and there, which she carefully retrieved. Having little luck inside the can, she glanced behind it. Sure enough, a small card was laying there, face down.

  While retrieving it, the top of her head wanted to relocate, and she noticed her hand shaking a traumatized geriatric’s. A nearby rickety chair beckoned, and she plopped down. For that, her rubbery legs thanked her.

  The stretcher carrying Kai passed close by, and Aurora noted the attached oxygen apparatus. A dull ache grabbed hold of her stomach, and for a few seconds, rapid swallowing eased the discomfort. Once the paramedics and her bundled up partner had cleared the room, relief surfaced.

  She turned over the business card and noted the address: the central location of a downtown medical clinic. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any specific doctor’s name on it, and she happened to know that several were employed at the centre. Doctors, dentists and other specialists worked from that one location.

  As a lead, it truly wasn’t much to go on, but they’d follow whatever they had.

  She pushed her hair away from her face, and wished she’d taken the paramedics’ advice about carrying additional pills for the pain. Her arm throbbed almost as much as her head. But all the pills in the world wouldn’t dim the worry that was now buried inside.

  Ham and the boys had arrived, and she and Cory could leave them to do the detailed cleanup. They needed to make their way to the hospital and check up on her new partner. The man who’d set off warning bells from the minute she’d laid eyes on his size 12 cowboy boots propped up and taking ownership of her former partner’s desk.

  Chapter Four

  Spring Valley was the sprawling new center whose ambulance had answered the call from dispatch. The building was big and fashioned not unlike a casino, with a neon sign that could be seen for miles. Fancy pond designs spiffed up the front of the edifice, the type of extravagant detailing expected in Las Vegas.

  As he helped Aurora from his vehicle and led her to the emergency area, Cory continued to argue. “Why in the hell do you have to act like Super Cop tonight? You’ve been shot and need to rest. Not be playing like a Joan Nightingale.”

  “It’s Florence.”

  “Who the hell is Florence? And wipe that stupid grin off your face. I’m serious here and I’m pissed at you.”

  “Nevermind. Just remember one thing. If it was you in the hospital, I’d be twice as stubborn.” Her words were her way of telling Cory that he mattered even more, and she saw him relax when it registered.

  “Fine. I’ll take you to him. You can see for yourself that he’s in good hands. But after that I’m taking you home for Debbie to look after. It’ll give her something to do. That woman’s been going stir-crazy not working, and it’s driving me nuts!”

  His gruff attitude didn’t faze Aurora. She knew he loved his wife insanely and would do anything to please her. If bringing home a stray, wounded pal would be important to the woman, he would have dragged Aurora with him, kicking and screaming. And Aurora didn’t have the energy to give him a real battle. She’d used it all up in forcing him to take her to the hospital.

  Considering Kai had only appeared on her horizon two days prior, why he mattered so much was beyond her. All she knew was tha
t something inside wouldn’t stop nagging until she saw for herself that her new partner would make it.

  One quick peek at his wound earlier had revealed torn pieces of skin, intermingled with shreds of fabric from his shirt, all covered in blood and gore. She’d had two choices: turn away or drop. So she’d defused the situation by diverting her gaze to the desk where he’d pointed. But that short glance had warned that his injury indicated surgery, and to her that could mean death.

  Aurora knew all too well that people could die on the operating table. After all, her mother hadn’t made it. She’d decided that a Jack Daniel’s bottle could be used to cover two needs: fill an empty stomach, and as a handy tool to slice through the thin flesh of her wrists.

  Shaking off the horrible memory, shudders attacking, Aurora kept her gaze down on the institutional white flooring found in so many hospitals. Cory ushered her to the nurse’s station. With a flash of his badge, he asked where they’d taken his officer, and in seconds, the two found themselves in a curtained-off corner decorated with all the paraphernalia needed to keep a victim alive.

  Kai sat on the side of the rumpled hospital bed, his stomach wrapped in bandages. The white gleamed even brighter when contrasted against the healthy tan on his muscular chest and back. A hospital gown, discarded and draped over the chair, told its own story, as did the blood-soaked jeans Kai clutched in his hands.

  “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Cory spoke before Aurora could get the words out.

  Kai jerked, glanced at them, and then turned away. His shaking hands lowered the garment to cover his thighs. “The bullet went right through and they patched me up fine. Guess I was lucky. I’m outta—”

  Cory’s apoplectic expression should have warned the other man, but he hadn’t taken long enough to read his boss’s scowl. Aurora, on the other hand, saw the explosion coming and grinned in anticipation.

  “If you don’t get back in that bed right this minute, you’re fired. I swear to God, I’ll have your skinny ass on a plane back to L.A. in the morning. Why the hell I have to be surrounded by the most stubborn people God ever created, I’ll never know. Dang-blasted idiots, the pair of you!”

  Kai’s raised hand didn’t even slow down Cory’s righteous diatribe. He’d been detonated, and the blast would have to run its course. Aurora watched as Kai swung back under the covers and leaned against the pillows. The tension in his body oozed out as he lay back and let Cory go on with his rant. She liked that Kai gave in as soon as he recognized that their boss meant every word. It eased her mind to know that her new partner might be stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid.

  Add to that, the wink he’d shot her way, and the small grin that hovered over his surprisingly full lips, made her smile in return, then cough and turn away before Cory caught them. It reminded her of other times when Debbie had connected with her thoughts—not needing words to express what they both knew.

  It felt surprisingly good to be allied with someone she could trust to know what she was thinking, and vice-versa. Maybe working with this dude wouldn’t be the trial she’d imagined.

  Chapter Five

  The next morning, Aurora had a fight on her hands. “Why are you being so freaking obstinate? Cory wants you to stay home at least a couple of days.” Debbie, pregnant and sassy, meant business. Anyone who’d worked with her for as long as Aurora knew the signs.

  Still, she had to argue her cause. “Forget it! I’ve got work to do and—”

  “And it’s getting done. You know Rhondo. The prick’s gone underground, and he won’t surface anytime soon.” Hatred for Rhondo glared from Debbie’s eyes, as she shuttered them with thick, mascara-coated eyelashes.

  Sharing the feeling and understanding the reason, Aurora answered, “Yeah, and in the meantime I have that business card I need to follow up on. Also, I’ll check every known associate, and then put the word out to the informants—”

  “No you won’t! You’ll let the rest of the team work the preliminary investigation and gather evidence. When you’re healed, they’ll bring you up to speed. No one’s jumping your case, and you know it. They’re just taking care of the legwork until you’re okay to return to the job. Now sit back down, put your feet up, and stop looking at your damn Mickey Mouse watch every two seconds. Relax!”

  “I have no doubt that in a previous life, you were Attila the Hun. I’ve never known anyone bossier. As a friend, I feel it my duty to tell you it’s not at all flattering or feminine—nor is it a particularly nice trait for a lady.”

  “Hey! Are you trying to piss me off? Call me a lady once more, and you’ll see how ladylike I am when I ram my foot up your stubborn ass.” The old joke they’d shared since their first few days together on the job settled the tension, and both girls ended up giggling and remembering a woman they so loved to mimic.

  “That old girl was something else, wasn’t she? I still miss her.” Nostalgia made Aurora smile.

  “I know what you mean. Maddie could crack me up no matter how bad a mood I was in. Her morning routine of answering everyone’s ‘Good Mornings’ with, ‘What’s so damn good about it?’ would set me up for the day. Too bad they forced her to retire.”

  “A damn shame,” agreed Aurora.

  “I know. I miss her too. Who would have figured her to be seventy-three? She BS’ed her age for over eight years and got away with it. Then they threw her a bye-bye party, gave her a package, and a month later she dropped dead with a heart attack. Wasn’t right.”

  “I know. See it goes to show you that lying around resting too much is bad for one’s health. Which is why I have this burning need to get back to work.”

  Laughing, Debbie shook her head, blonde curls dancing, and waved a finger back and forth. “I wasn’t born yesterday, my friend. You’re not some seventy-three-year-old woman with a wonky heart. What you are is cop who needs to heal, and you’re going to relax if I have to sit on you.”

  Feigning alarm, Aurora lifted both hands and backed into the couch cushions. “Sure! Pull out the big guns. Terrify me! I’ll be good, already.”

  “Seriously Rory, we haven’t—”

  “Don’t call me that. I hate nicknames.”

  “I’ve always called you that.” Debbie grinned.

  “And I’ve always told you not to, but you always ignore me like I’m talking to air.” Sparks shot from Aurora’s eyes, but they didn’t cover the good humor she felt, and she knew it. The familiar sparring gave her a feeling of happiness that had been missing since her former partner had taken maternity leave, and then up and married the boss.

  “We haven’t had time to catch up on anything since the wedding. It’s been crazy hectic, and now with your new partner in the picture, who knows when I’ll get to see much of you.”

  Bristling like a wet cat, Aurora clamped down on a retort she knew would rattle Debbie’s antennae. The woman had a unique talent for picking up even the slightest female interest Aurora had in any male. Over the years they’d worked together, she’d never been able to hide her few attractions; Debbie had always known. Better to say nothing. The last thing she needed was to be accused of protesting too much. She pretended a nonchalance and hoped being pregnant might have lessened Debbie’s extra-sensory perceptive skills.

  Then Aurora remembered what had always worked in the past. Turn the tables on her. Get her to talk about her own stuff, and she’ll lay off mine.

  “So! You haven’t told me yet how you like married life. Does Cory still stutter when you two are alone?”

  The half-grin Debbie couldn’t hide spoke more than if she’d babbled all day. Love made her eyes luminescent, and Aurora’s envy burst out and grabbed hold before she knew it would happen. She’d never be jealous of a person she loved, because that was just sick, and beneath her. On the other hand, wishing it was her belly that was full of a baby, and her life being shared with someone she adored, as much as Debbie adored Cory, couldn’t be helped. Deep down in a tiny secret place she’d never shared with anyon
e, having a precious family of her own would be the ultimate.

  Since she’d never in her life admit to those tender wishes, and no one would ever suspect her of having them, she felt pretty safe. She knew her hard-ass personality covered up the real Aurora Morelli. Very few people were ever allowed to see the soft side she hid so well, but she really didn’t know how else to protect that vulnerability. Over her growing-up years, there’d been many harsh lessons. To be sensitive and loving was a surefire way to get kicked in the heart. More times than not, showing weakness of any sort meant a punch in her stomach or some other part of her body, until she got old enough to fight back.

  Cory and Debbie were her closest friends, within the force or otherwise, and even they had no idea that buried deep inside the cranky cop was a scared little girl who wanted to grow up and be a mom—a real mother, quite unlike the bitch who raised her.

  Debbie’s voice broke in on Aurora’s soul searching. “You sure you can handle me gushing?”

  “Hey, what are friends for? You’ve got sixty seconds. Gush all you want, but then I’ll have to stick a sock in it to shut you up. So go for it.” Another check of her watch, and Aurora was shocked that so little time had passed since her last peek.

  “To tell the truth, being married is pretty darn great. I love knowing he’ll be home to share the evening and cuddle in bed. Sometimes we start talking, and it’s like we could talk all night. Other times, we cook dinner and then share the couch to debate about which programs on TV we want to watch, and… hey! I saw that!”

  “What?”

  “Your eyes glazing over, missy.”

  Aurora took the hint and pretended to be snoring. A quick glance told her that Debbie was enjoying herself immensely, and gladness shoved aside the frustration that was eating at her insides. She grinned and asked, “How does my buddy Cory feel about being a daddy? Is he excited? What? What did I say? Hey, don’t turn away from me. What the hell is wrong?”