I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press; my copyeditor, MaryAnn Johanson, for her hard work, Titi Oluwo and the PR team for their support with this series, the cover designer—don’t the covers in Deadliest Lies make you drool?—and everyone else at SMP for their continued support.
A huge hug and many thanks to my wonderfully talented friends: Joanna Shupe and Diana Quincy, who are so supportive and always able to laugh with me as we flush out ideas. To my extended group of friends, J. B. Schroeder, Tina Gabrielle, M. Alexander, Anabelle Bryant, and RoseAnn DeFranco, for their continued advice and support.
To my new friend and reader, Arelys Lugo, who contacted me after she saw that the next hero was going to be Diego, and kindly . . . bravely . . . offered to help me with the Mexican translations and Diego’s very vocal endearments (and harsh expletives). Thank you so much, Arelys, for terms such as chava and chavita, which replaced chiquita (sad but true). The hero calling the heroine a brand of banana somehow ruins the endearment, right?!
Thank you to the New Jersey Romance Writers and The Maryland Romance Writers, two wonderfully well-run organizations that I encourage any writer to join.
Thanks to my family. We did have a terrific summer, even with me writing.
And finally, to my readers. I can’t tell you how much your feedback on this series is appreciated. I’m thrilled you seem to be enjoying my deadly mercenaries, and I love reading recaps of their naughtiness in reviews. I’m always surprised how perceptive you are, especially when you pick up on the dark, often brutal essence of my characters. There’s more to come, I promise you!
About the Author
Author photograph © Janet Pepsin
Michele Mannon writes romances featuring characters who are far from perfect; who are likely to be knee-deep in trouble, heart-first in love and at their wits’ end when life unexpectedly, unequivocally turns to hell. Michele’s earned a degree in French, taught English in Japan, and worked in the NYC fashion industry. Now she puts her experiences to pen by creating sassy heroines and oh-so sexy alpha males and throwing them into situations they’d never dream of being caught in. Her critically acclaimed debut series, Worth the Fight, includes a two-time Romantic Times Magazine TOP PICK, for her books Knock Out and Tap Out. Her new sexy suspense series, Deadliest Lies, was released in August 2016. Michele lives in Pennsylvania with her family and three wicked cats. She loves hearing from readers, so please visit her at http://www.michelemannon.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MicheleMannonAuthor/.
You can sign up for email updates here.
Also by Michele Mannon
Rogue
Mercenary
Thank you for buying this Swerve ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content, and info on new releases and other great reads, sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on the author, click here.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
EPILOGUE
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Michele Mannon
Copyright Page
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
HIT MAN. Copyright © 2016 by Michele Mannon. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover photograph © Shutterstock
ISBN 978-1-250-11045-9 (e-book)
First Edition: December 2016
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, ext. 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
Hit Man: A Sexy Action-Packed Alpha Adventure Romance Page 28