by Taylor Lee
Table of Contents
BETRAYED: Book 3
Afterword
Taylor Lee’s OMNIBUS Collections
Books by Other Authors
About the Author
Contact Information
Copyright Page
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Main Menu
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
Epilogue
BETRAYED
Book 3: The Criminal Affairs Collection
By
Taylor Lee
BETRAYED
Book 3: The Criminal Affairs Collection
By
Taylor Lee
BETRAYED: Book 3 in USA Today best-selling author Taylor Lee’s Sizzling Hot Detective Series, The Criminal Affairs Collection.
A rising-star political hotshot wants Viviana’s expertise and to bask in her media aura. And not incidentally, he wants her!
Viviana is hard enough to control. Now Jax has to fend off an interloper who is almost as sexy and arrogant as he is. And that’s saying something.
In the ultimate betrayal, Viviana is forced to acknowledge that her infamous go-it-alone MO has not served her well. In fact, she almost loses everything important to her, including the man she loves above all else.
Finally, Viviana has spent her life denying her ugly past. But her nightmares have caught up with her. Disregarding her fierce refusal, sexy police chief Jax insists that together they will find and punish the evil men who abused her.
WARNING: Romance so HOT it singes the pages. HOT, tough, explicit. Not for the faint at heart. Definitely bring a fan!
Main Menu
BETRAYED: Book 3
Afterword
Taylor Lee’s OMNIBUS Collections
Books by Other Authors
About the Author
Contact Information
Copyright Page
Prologue
. . . Seven . . . eight . . . nine . . . Ready or not, you must be caught!”
The little blonde girl waited a moment to uncover her eyes. She knew if she were quiet, Marjorie would give herself away. Marjorie always thought she could hide better than anyone could, but sure enough, in less than a minute, Marjorie called out, “Bet you can’t find me, Vivi!”
Moving as quietly as a ghost, Viviana inched toward where she’d heard the sound. Just like always, Marjorie couldn’t stand the silence and gave herself away. “C’mon, Vivi, see if you can find me.”
Seconds later, as she was congratulating herself for being the best hide-and-go-seek player ever, Viviana opened the door to the closet and screamed in shock. Instead of her schoolgirl chum, she saw him!
She ran to the basement, frantically looking for a place to hide. Horrified, she heard the sound of boots on the cellar stairway. Then she heard a gruff voice. “Vivi-anna . . . Where are you, Vivi-anna? Are you trying to hide from me again?” The boots got heavier, louder.
Viviana started to shake. It was hard to breathe. The voice laughed. Icy chills streaked across her naked body. “You want to play hide-and-seek, Viviana? Silly little girl. Do you think I can’t find you?”
Panicked, Viviana ran deeper into the dark cellar. She prayed he didn’t know where she was. But the gruff voice was closer now. She could smell him. It was an ugly, sour smell. She hated that smell. It was the ugliest smell in the world. She spied the steamer trunk and crawled inside. She pulled the lid shut over her. She heard the latch click. It was hard to breathe, but she didn’t care. She held her breath, afraid that if she breathed he would hear her. But it was no use. The footsteps got louder, closer. His voice was haunting, sinister. He laughed, a horrid, cackling sound.
“You like games, don’t you, Viviana? I like them too. Especially hide-and-seek. Silly girl. You think you can hide from me? But I always find you, don’t I?”
Feeling as though she would faint if she couldn’t grab another breath, she heard the door to the cellar open. She slammed her eyes closed, hoping that would make her smaller, quieter. His voice was insinuating. “But we will have to hurry, won’t we, little girl? We can only play so long before your mama comes home.”
Viviana heard the footsteps closing in on her. She sucked in as quiet a breath as she could and held it. But it was too late. Hearing him lift the latch, she smelled the stench of his sweat. She could almost taste his disgusting breath. His triumphant laugh shot spittle over her quaking frame. “Here you are, naughty little girl.” He taunted her. “What a good hiding place you found. But not good enough. Never good enough.”
When he reached for her, Viviana screamed as loud as she could. But his hands were big, strong. He was much bigger than she was. She frantically fought him. She screamed and screamed until her throat was raw. Kicking and crying, she fought him as hard as she could. Her lungs hurt from screaming. But it was no use. He was too big, too strong. Hearing him say her name over and over, she gave in to her terror, praying that she would die. That God wouldn’t let him hurt her again.
“Wake up, Viviana! Wake up, darling.”
She felt him gently shake her. His voice was fierce but calm. His arms around her were strong. He held her tightly against him. “No, no, sweetheart. Don’t fight me. It’s okay, baby. It’s me, Viviana. Me, Jax.”
Struggling to hear him, Viviana tried to understand where she was. Fighting against him, she felt his beard shadow scrape against her cheek. Again she heard his firm voice, the voice she knew. “No, no, darlin’. You’re okay, baby. I have you now. You’re safe, Viviana. Don’t worry. Nothing can hurt you, sweetheart. Do you understand, baby? I have you now.”
A quaking shiver raked over her. No matter how tightly he held her, she couldn’t stop shaking. Her body was freezing cold, but incongruously, she was sweating. Swallowing hard, she tried to breathe, but her constricted lungs wouldn’t let her. She stammered, “I . . . I . . . can’t breathe! Help me, Jax. I can’t breathe!”
His voice was calm. His arms around her were strong. “Yeah you can, baby. I’m holding you, and I’m not going to let you go. Take a breath, sweetheart.”
She shook her head, frantic to make him understand. “I . . . I can’t. You . . . you don’t understand. It’s too hot. I . . . I need to get outside. I need to breathe!”
She felt him rise to his feet while holding her in his arms, tight against his chest. His voice was gentle, comforting. “It’s okay, darlin’. You’re having a first-class panic attack. I have an idea. Let’s go up on the rooftop, shall we? There’s lots of air there.”
Not waiting for her to answer, Jax strode across the bedroom and carried her up the laddered staircase to his rooftop patio. As they cleared the entrance, the cool night air rushed over her. Viviana grabbed a breath and was shocked when the ai
r filled her lungs. Jax sank onto a large armchair and held her securely against him. Viviana buried her head on his strong chest, drinking in his unique smell. Crooning soft, comforting words in her ears, he rocked her back and forth in his arms. Little by little, Viviana began to get her breath. Finally, when she was sure that she could breathe, she leaned into him. As she did, a shuddering wave of fatigue overcame her. As if from a distance, she heard his soothing words.
“You’re okay now, baby. You can breathe. There’s lots of air here. And this is where we are going to stay, sweetheart. All night long. Just you and me, baby. Here under the stars.” Pressing her against his chest, he added firmly, “Here in my arms, Viviana, where nothing and no one can ever hurt you again.”
Chapter 1
Jax pulled up in front of the precinct building and arrowed his Alpha Romeo into the designated parking spot for the chief of police. Quickly rounding the snazzy automobile, he was at the passenger side before Viviana could open the door. Ignoring her attempt to push his hand away, he reached for her and pulled her up next to him. Tipping up her chin, he forced her to meet his gaze. Seeing the constricted expression straining her pale face, he shoved at his concern and forced a tight smile to curve his lips.
“Oh no you don’t, sweetheart. No pushing away the guy who loves you just because we’re going to meet the team. Don’t worry, Sergeant Moreau. It’s an ill-kept secret that the SJPD chief of police is ass-over-elbows in love with the gorgeous VCU sergeant known as the Enchantress.” When she frowned and tried to pull away, he shook his head and blew out a hard sigh. “Listen up, baby. We had a challenging night, but we got through it. The same way we’re going to do everything from now on—together.”
When she didn’t answer, he grinned. “Don’t worry, baby, I’m not going to cuff you to my side. You still get to be your ornery self, the renowned shining star of the Violent Crimes Unit. However, know that the arrogant police chief intends to make his presence known.” He added with a chuckle, “He’ll likely be a more frequent visitor at the VCU. Which is to be expected given that we are now working as a team.”
Jax was relieved that his intentionally cocky assertion brought some angry color to her cheeks. Anything was better than the strained expression that had lived on her usually expressive face since she had woken from her troubled sleep. It had taken him over an hour to rock her back to sleep following what had to have been a terrifying nightmare. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t had them before. Since he’d moved her into his condominium, and now that they were sleeping together every night, Jax had become aware of how troubled her sleep was. In the last ten days, she’d had three full-blown nightmares, the worst being last night’s.
As she had done after her previous nightmares, Viviana refused to acknowledge her midnight terror. Not so much as commenting on the fact that she’d spent most of the night huddled on his lap, she’d dashed past him down the rooftop staircase. From there, she sequestered herself in her bathroom until it was time to leave for their morning meeting. A fierce scowl and a raised shoulder greeted his suggestion that she have a piece of toast and perhaps some fruit for breakfast. Her refusal was firm and more than a little confrontational. “You should know by now, Jax, that I don’t like breakfast and that I don’t like to talk before I’ve had my coffee.”
Jax shot her a narrow grin as he handed her a thermos filled with her required coffee, a brew that he insisted could hold its own with paint thinner. When she brushed by him, heading for her car in the driveway, he shook his head and pulled her next to him. “Uh-uh, darlin’. You’re going to ride with me this morning. In that we are going to the same place for the same meeting, two cars aren’t necessary.”
She glared at him. “What if I need my car during the day? Or do you plan to cuff me to your fucking side for the entire day?”
Not responding to her aggrieved query, he shrugged. “If you do need a car, I’m confident your partner, Detective O’Reilly, or your supervisor, Commander Bannon, will be pleased to ferry you around.” Pulling her next to him and ignoring her attempt to free herself, he murmured, “And you can relax, darlin’. I’m not going to force you to talk about your nightmare last night.” At her surprised start, he continued, “At least not now.” Lifting her chin, he gazed into her stormy, azure eyes. “But, Viviana, we are going to discuss what happened last night. You know that, don’t you, sweetheart?” When she slammed her eyes closed, refusing to meet his gaze, he brushed his lips across her heated cheek and said, “But for now, we’re going to get into my car and head to the precinct for a very important meeting.”
Striding through the hallway to his private office, Jax acknowledged the greetings from the men and women he passed. If the coterie of cheerful officers was surprised that Viviana was at his side, anchored by his hand on her elbow, none of them checked their smiling greetings to him and the superstar sergeant. Entering his spacious office, Jax was pleased to see that nearly all the places at the conference table were filled. His prospective team knew well his insistence on punctuality and to a man had apparently decided to beat the chief at his own game. Viviana was the only member of the group who might have challenged his early morning start time. Given that she was secured at his side, he was gratified that the first meeting of the special investigative unit he’d assembled would begin promptly on time.
The men surrounding the conference table leapt from their seats when he and Viviana entered. Keeping a firm hand on Viviana’s arm, Jax greeted them.
“I would tell you all not to rise, but given that none other than the Enchantress is with me, it’s the least you can do.”
His grin widening, he said, “Let me introduce Sergeant Moreau to those of you who haven’t had the privilege of meeting her.” Nodding to the warm-skinned man with piercing dark eyes, he said, “Damn, it’s good to see you, Mat. It’s been much too long.” Tugging Viviana closer to him, Jax said, “Sergeant Moreau, meet Matías Rocha, one of the toughest and most knowledgeable DEA agents I’ve worked with.” Turning to the man beside Rocha, he inclined his head as he reached for the blond-haired man’s hand. “And this guy, who gives our Commander Bannon a run for his money in the all-American surfer dude category, is Paul Walker, at this point representing HIDTA.”
Moving toward the distinguished black man who was studying Viviana with a slight frown, Jax said to her, “Viviana, you already know Serge Stryker from our Belize adventure. In addition to continually being mistaken for Idris Elba, Serge is the guy who helped us capture that hideous pair of child pornographers in the Lolitas Unbound tragedy. Serge knows as much about human trafficking as any FBI agent I know.” He shook his head and gave a troubled frown. “Hell of a specialty you chose, Serge, but you were invaluable to us in cracking the Lolitas case.”
Serge nodded to Jax but turned his full gaze on Viviana. “Thanks, Jax, but we all know that this extraordinary woman had literally solved the case before I tagged along for the takedown.” He breathed out a hard sigh. “I told you, Jax, that if Sergeant Moreau truly had cracked Lolitas Unbound, it would be the coup of the century. Hell, that case had us Fibbies sitting around with our thumbs up our butts for the last five years, unable to break it.” Reaching for her hand, Stryker pulled Viviana closer to him and met her gaze. He didn’t hide his concern. “How are you doing, Sergeant? That was a hell of a close call you had.”
Viviana shook her head and pulled back, shaking off Jax’s hand as well as Stryker’s. “I’m fine, Agent Stryker.” She added coolly, “It’s nice to see you again. Like Commander Bannon, who introduced himself to me in Belize, you also played a part in that misadventure.”
If he was surprised by her frosty welcome, Stryker hid it behind the wink he shot Jax. “Ah yes, that could indeed have been a misadventure if it were not for our righteous commander. Hell, Jax turned what could have been a pile of chicken shit into a hell of a chicken salad. But even I was surprised by his latest iteration as a police chief.” Nodding to Jax, he said, “But then, buddy, you always
have been an accomplished chameleon.”
Viviana didn’t bother to hide the bitterness in her voice. “Yes, if playing many roles is considered an accomplishment, Chief Hughes is a master.”
Choosing to ignore Viviana’s acrimonious slam, Jax stepped forward and waved the men back to the conference table. As he did, he nodded to Greg Bannon and Mick O’Reilly. “I’m presuming you federalies have had the chance to meet my home team. You all know Commander Bannon, and I trust you’ve met this incorrigible Irishman, who has been Sergeant Moreau’s partner for the last five years. A challenging role, given our elusive sergeant’s penchant for secrecy.” Deciding that he wasn’t going to let Viviana off the hook and knowing that the federal agents were well aware that Viviana had come damn close to being killed, Jax added, “These two gentlemen achieved stratospheric heights in my view because if it weren’t for them, the chances that Sergeant Moreau would be gracing this meeting and our lives is unlikely at best.”
On that somber note, he spoke to the group as a whole. “Please, everyone, take your seats. We have a critical mission to plan.”
Capturing Viviana’s arm, he moved her toward an empty chair between Mick and Greg. Cocking an ironic brow, he said, “How about you sit here, Sergeant Moreau, next to Detective O’Reilly. If anyone is accustomed to dealing with your bad temper before you’ve had your required four cups of java, it’s your long-suffering partner.”
In true fashion, the irrepressible Irishman patted the chair beside him and said, “You said it, boss man. If anyone knows how to manage this little firecracker before she’s stoked up with that sludge she drinks, it’s me. But I gotta tell you, as I’ve warned sweet cheeks here, the minute that crap starts putting hair on that righteous chest of hers is the day I insist on chamomile tea.”
The surprised silence at Mick’s crude remark lasted a couple of seconds until Viviana punched Mick’s arm and said, “Not an option, partner. Now, if you choose a twenty-five-year-old Macallan or Bowmore scotch to replace my ‘sludge,’ I might concede.”