“You’re keeping the notes I sent?” He eyed the bag she refused to relinquish.
Pip brought it protectively to her chest and channeled her inner goddess. “They are mine.”
“As long as you don’t tell anyone I can quote Yeats.”
“I have spread my dreams under your feet,” she murmured with a sigh.
He stopped and pulled her against him. “Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.” He lowered his mouth to kiss her, but when he pulled back he had a worried expression on his face. “You want a coffee? We need to talk.”
There was a small café and he steered her that way.
A wave of fear and uncertainty washed over her. He had something important to tell her. She could tell by the grip of his fingers and the worried lines around his mouth.
He drew her to a small empty table with two chairs.
“What is it?” she asked. She’d gotten to the point where she didn’t want any lingering pain. If this was all some big lie just to get her through her stay in the hospital she’d rather he told her now.
“I know I told you I love you, but—”
The pain in her chest felt like a knife being twisted.
“But you never actually told me how you feel about me.”
She blinked rapidly. How could he not know?
“And I, well, I took a few liberties when you were admitted. And, if you don’t feel the way about me that I feel about you you’re going to think this is some weird stalker shit and probably want a third party to protect you from me.”
Her mouth opened. “I never told you how I feel?”
Those rings of gold in the blue of his eyes shone and then dimmed. “I’m not pressuring you. You were kind of busy, being infected and worried about dying…”
She stared at him openmouthed, unable to talk. He’d done all this for her, brought her books, kept her company, sent her love notes without knowing she was crazy about him. She tried to think what she’d written on those pieces of paper back to him. Not words of love. Funny things. Thankful things, but never once had she written, “I love you.”
How could she have been so insensitive?
Because she still hadn’t truly believed he loved her. She still thought of herself as someone fundamentally unworthy.
She was quiet too long.
“I also love my job. I know being a journalist will mean I can’t always discuss certain things, but I think we can make it work. I’m applying to the Hostage Rescue Team and if I get in I’ll be based more or less in one place.”
“Virginia,” she said.
He held her hand, even now. He held her hand and didn’t give up on her even though she hadn’t told him how she really felt.
He started to say more but she placed her finger over his lips and he stopped talking.
“The idea of you doing something so dangerous scares me. A lot. I’ve guarded my heart for years because the idea of opening up and then losing someone is painful.”
He gathered her hands in his and kissed her fingers. “I know exactly. But I’ve finally found something I’ve never had before and the idea of pushing you away just so I don’t get hurt if anything happens to you…” He swallowed. “I don’t think I can live without you. I don’t want to try.”
Her vision blurred. She hadn’t imagined FBI Agent Hunt Kincaid would be such a romantic when she’d first met him, but he’d given her everything a woman could ever ask for. “I think I first fell in love with you when you threw yourself between me and flying bullets. And then again when you risked dying of anthrax to save me from a burning building.”
His face lost its worried expression.
“But the defining moment was when you sent me love notes. Any man who has the balls to quote Romance novels to woo a woman is amongst the bravest of the brave. I love you. I thought I’d said it in the ambulance or at some point on the phone.” She looked deep into his pretty eyes. “I’m working on my insecurities. I’m working on being more open and less scared of being hurt, but it won’t happen overnight.”
With a relieved grin, he hooked her hair behind her ear. “We’ve got time.”
“I hope so.” She caught his hand again, unable to stop touching him. “I don’t think I’m going to go back to journalism. At least not yet.”
“Don’t give it up for me.”
“Why not for you?” she asked. “Who else would I make a sacrifice for?”
He drew in a deep breath, clearly unsure what to say.
She smiled at his uncertain expression. “But I’m not giving it up for you. I don’t think I can ever go back to being the person I was before Lisa Booker and her children were murdered. Even if Cindy hadn’t died…”
He pulled her against him so their heads rested on one another’s shoulders.
“But she did.” Pip drew in another deep breath and told him the secret desire that had begun to bloom in that boring hospital bed. “I’m going to try to write a novel.”
His eyes lit up. “Romance?”
He sounded intrigued by the idea.
She laughed. “Maybe. Or a thriller. I haven’t decided yet.”
“I think that’s a great idea and I will support you every step of the way. Come on.” He pulled her to her feet, took her hand and led her to his truck in the basement garage.
When he headed north she corrected him. “The hotel is back that way.” She pointed over his shoulder.
“Yeah, that’s one of the crazy things I told you about. I went to the hotel and grabbed all your stuff and brought it back to my place.” He grimaced. “I know you might want to go stay at Cindy’s but I wanted you close—”
She ran her hand over his forearm. “We’ll figure it out.”
“And I lied to the hospital staff and told them we were engaged so they’d let me hang out after visiting hours were done.”
A deep sense of longing shook her.
“And I told my mother about you and she and my stepdad are coming to visit in a couple of weeks to meet you.”
She blinked in surprise. She hadn’t really thought about the fact he had a family.
She bit her lip.
“Freaked out yet?” he asked, sparing her a quick glance.
“A little.” A lot, actually. Would they like her? What if they didn’t?
“My mother is a force of nature, but don’t worry, she’s going to love you. I’m the one who’s gonna get hassled about treating you right. So, if it’s all a bit overwhelming to start with just give it time.” He sounded nervous. This big, strong FBI agent sounded unsure of himself and she loved him all the more for showing her that vulnerability.
“I intend to. I intend to give it as much time as we both need to get used to the idea of you and me being an us.”
He reached over and cupped her cheek. “I love you, Pip West.”
“I know.” She took his hand and kissed his fingers. “I love you, too, Special Agent Hunt Kincaid. Take us home.”
Read 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 seatbelt 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 the 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.
Dear Reader
Thank you for reading COLD BLOODED. I hope you enjoyed Hunt and Pip’s story. Please note, this is not the last book in the Cold Justice Series although I am planning a little side trip for our next adventure.
1. If you have time, please help other readers find this book by writing a review. Thank you!
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3. Check out my website for exclusive short stories and extra content.
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Cold Justice Series Overview
A Cold Dark Place (Book #1)
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)
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)
Her~Romantic Suspense Series Overview
Her Sanctuary (Book #1)
Her Last Chance (Book #2)
Her Risk To Take (Novella ~ Book #3)
Learn more at my website!
Also available as AUDIOBOOKS narrated by Eric Dove. Listen to samples on Toni’s website.
Acknowledgments
In May 2017, I was lucky enough to visit Atlanta, Georgia for the second time. I took advantage of the opportunity and called up another romance writer who happens to work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and arranged a tour of the museum there. Although I didn’t use the location as much as I’d anticipated, I did get a great feel for the area and the essential work they do. Thanks, Jennifer McQuiston!
Many thanks again go to Angela Bell of the FBI for answering my strange questions—I think she’s used to me by now. I appreciate all her hard work and dedication.
Kathy Altman deserves a medal for being my critique partner. This book reads somewhat coherently because she is patient and brilliant and a miracle worker. I love her. I also love Rachel Grant for the fabulous beta-read where she picked up all sorts of weird-Toni-ness that had crept in. And those lovely quotes at the end of the book? They really are from her book FIRESTORM which releases July 10. It rocks. Buy it!
&nb
sp; Thanks to my editors, Alicia Dean, and Joan Turner at JRT Editing, for the fresh eyes. My cover artist, Syd Gill, who nailed this fabulous cover in one shot. And Paul Salvette (BB eBooks) who formats my books with such care and professionalism. Thanks to my publicity person Tara Gonzalez at Inkslingers PR for helping me get the word out.
And I want to thank my husband for not rolling his eyes too hard when I told him this really was the worst book I’d ever written and that I was done as a writer. Love you!
Being a writer is a crazy roller coaster of woe and elation and I love it despite all the pain, blood, sweat, and tears. So, my heartfelt thanks go to my readers for buying the books!
About the Author
Toni Anderson is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, RITA® nominee, 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 two laid-back leopard geckos. Toni started writing while pregnant with her first child and never stopped. Her greatest achievements are mastering the Tokyo subway, climbing Ben Lomond, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and surviving fourteen Winnipeg winters (so far). 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!
Toni’s books have hit #1 in Barnes & Noble’s Nook store, and the Top 10 on Amazon, Kobo, and iBooks. Her novels have won many awards.
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