Deep Deception

by Cathy Pegau

  Deep Deception

  By Cathy Pegau

  Colonial Mining Authority agent Natalia Hallowell doesn’t always play by the rules, but she wouldn’t compromise a case either. Put on administrative leave under a cloud of accusation, with no support from her boss, Natalia seeks a little anonymous companionship at her favorite bar. But she’s surprised when the woman who catches her fancy starts buying her drinks.

  Desperate, Genevieve “Gennie” Caine has no choice but to seduce, drug and tie Natalia to the bed to get her attention. With the Reyes Corporation after something she has, Gennie needs Natalia to open an investigation and distract them long enough for her to get off Nevarro.

  Natalia doesn’t trust Gennie—despite the growing attraction between them—but the corporation’s suspiciously high profits and abnormal business dealings convince her that they must be hiding something. She has no idea just how deep the deceptions run...

  For more tales of intrigue on Nevarro, check out Rulebreaker and Caught in Amber, available now!

  80,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  The month of May always brings, for me, the promise of new beginnings. I realize that it’s actually nearly the end of spring, but for some reason, I love the idea of May and that it means summer is coming and the fun is really about to begin!

  This month, very fitting for my excitement about new beginnings, we have three debut authors with stories releasing. Brighton Walsh joins Carina Press with her charming contemporary romance Plus One, where lifelong friends find deep-seated feelings growing into something more than friendship. Meanwhile, debut author Shawna Reppert has crafted a unique and captivating fantasy romance world in her male/male romance The Stolen Luck. Joining these two authors with a debut is S.G. Wong with the first Lola Starke novel, Die on Your Feet. Not only is this an unusual mix of mystery, paranormal and noir, but this book also has a striking cover that captured my imagination from the first look.

  Although not a debut author, Tamara Morgan joins Carina Press with the first in a new contemporary romance series. In The Rebound Girl, an outgoing plastic surgeon gets more than she bargained for when she offers to be the rebound girl for a sexy kindergarten teacher getting over his recent breakup.

  Along with new beginnings also come bittersweet goodbyes, and this month we wrap up Jax Garren’s fantastic science-fiction trilogy Tales of the Underlight. This series has kept us all on the edges of our seats with both the sexual tension between Hauk and Jolie and the fight to take out the Order of Ananke. Don’t miss the final installment, How Beauty Loved the Beast. Also wrapping up a trilogy this month, though on the opposite end of the romance spectrum, is contemporary romance author Kate Davies, offering the final installment of her high-school reunion trilogy, Girls Most Likely to..., with Life of the Party.

  As well, we have exciting offerings from a variety of veteran Carina Press authors this month. Jeffe Kennedy’s Ruby takes us to a contemporary world of BDSM and a sexy Cajun chef during the sensuality of New Orleans’s Mardis Gras. And last month saw the release of Volume 1 of our Love Letters anthologies. This month, discover four hot stories with a military twist in Love Letters Volume 2: Duty to Please.

  Sandy James, Shawna Thomas, Cathy Pegau and Stacy Gail all return to previously established worlds in their respective books. In Sandy James’s The Brazen Amazon, the Air Amazon is sent to protect computer wizard Zach from a rogue goddess who wants to use him to destroy the world. Journey of Dominion, book two of The Triune Stones series from Shawna Thomas, continues the story of Sara, trained from birth for one purpose: to reunite three ancient stones to restore balance to the lands.

  Female/female romance Deep Deception by Cathy Pegau follows the harrowing story of a beautiful agent and the woman she has no choice but to trust...until the secrets they’re each keeping threaten to get them both killed. And the plan for a demonic apocalypse is at last uncovered by a maimed member of the Nephilim and a scarred young woman who’s been to hell and back in Stacy Gail’s Wounded Angel, book three of The Earth Angels.

  Last but certainly not least, Dee J. Adams brings us the next installment in her high-octane Adrenaline Highs series with romantic suspense Living Dangerously. If you’re new to Dee’s books, you can easily start here, or go back to the beginning with Dangerous Race.

  This month, start a new series, revisit a favorite world or discover a new-to-you author with our May releases. And don’t forget to check out our catalog for backlist from these and other authors in all your preferred genres.

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to generalinquiries@carinapress.com. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

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  Contents

  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

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Senior Colonial Mining Authority agent Natalia Hallowell slammed both palms on her supervisor’s desk and leaned toward him, arms stiff. She pressed her fingertips into the surface until they turned white. “That’s three months of undercover work you’re throwing out.”

  Garces raised an eyebrow at her.

  Natalia suppressed a growl and added the obligatory, “Sir.”

  He flicked a glance at her chest before meeting her eyes again. She’d worn a high-collared sweater and loose trousers, her usual office attire, so there was nothing for him to see.

  What an ass.

  Garces leaned back in his leather chair, the material of his black-and-gold uniform stretching across his chest, and spread his hands in a “what can I tell you?” gesture that made her want to punch him. Insubordination was one thing; assault made the Nevarro CMA brass uncomfortable. It was probably best to leave her pulser holstered at her hip too. “Illegal search and seizure, Hallowell.”

  Heat surged up Natalia’s neck and into her face. Between the red coloring she knew stained her cheeks and the strands of hair that had come loose from the bun, she probably looked skitzie. She certainly felt that way at the moment.

  Sure, she’d had to skirt the edges of legal searches now and again—what agent hadn’t?—but not this time. She’d been meticulous in her preparations for catching Hirahm Brothers Services skimming credits off supply contracts. At least she’d thought she’d covered everything. The investigation had ensnared not only the elder Hirahm brother but a couple of the government’s own lower-level contract developer
s as well.

  “Illegal? How?”

  “Hirahm claims there’s no evidence that would merit a search, and you were never given open access to his office, SI or records.” Garces laced his fingers together on the desk. His look of frustration seemed to mirror her own, but something gleamed in the supervisor’s dark eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched with contempt.

  Not for the situation, she realized, but for Natalia herself.

  What the hell?

  “Bullshit.” She straightened, curling her hands into fists at her sides. “Sir. I followed procedure in gaining his confidence. He brought me into his office himself that night, too drunk to do more than cop a feel then pass out.”

  She’d done worse with targets in the past and had been relieved when Hirahm had dropped into his chair and started snoring. He’d stunk of too much alcohol and the smoke of synthetic tobacco. With him safely unconscious, she’d accessed his system interface and copied the data necessary to bring charges, using codes and passwords she’d gleaned from Hirahm when he worked outside the office. She’d watched the man more closely than he had realized and utilized a comm app that analyzed hand movement and reflections. Had she somehow triggered a security alert to Hirahm?

  Garces shrugged, as if having one of his agents accused of sloppy procedure was commonplace. “That’s not what his solicitors are saying. Their take is that you convinced him to bring you up then drugged his drink to make him open files before he passed out. Until this gets straightened out in Legal, the surveillance vids are all we have to go on. Everything you retrieved from his computer is inadmissible.”

  The heat of anger seeped out of her body, replaced by a spine-stiffening chill of rage. “The vid doesn’t show enough without the corroborating evidence from Hirahm’s SI files. The CMA subcontractor and the Hirahm man on it are alumni of the same university and claim they’ve known each other for years. Nothing in their exchange is specific to the charges. He’ll never get convicted.” She folded her arms. “I don’t agree with Legal.”

  “You don’t have to agree.” He narrowed his gaze at her. “If Legal says it’s not gonna fly, it’s not gonna fly. I agree with them, and that’s what matters, as far as you’re concerned.”

  She purposely glanced down, pretending to study her gray trousers and boots, classic posturing to show submission. Not that she felt anything approaching submissiveness with Garces, even if he was her boss.

  He had a problem with her, for some reason she couldn’t fathom. They didn’t have the most congenial relationship, but it leaned more toward cool and civil than hostile. As long as she did her job, he left her alone.

  What had she done recently to warrant this particular brand of scorn? If Garces had issues with his agents or their actions, he was quick to let them know. This felt different.

  A disturbing tingle danced along the nape of her neck.

  Natalia dug her fingers into her sides to keep herself from saying or doing something she might later regret. The pain cleared her head of visions of leaping across the desk to pummel the man. She looked up to meet his gaze. “I’ll review my report and the operations records again to see if I can come up with something Legal can use.”

  “Go ahead,” he said with another dismissive shrug, “but on your own time. The director has already made it clear we’re going to back off for now then take a go at Hirahm from another angle.”

  Which was often CMA-speak for “We’ll get to it when we get to it.” Natalia hated leaving a job in limbo. Get in, get it done and put the bad guys away was how she liked to operate.

  “I’m all for that. What does she have in mind?”

  Garces shook his head. “Not you. Your in with Hirahm has been compromised. You’re off the case.”

  Natalia stared at him, blinking, momentarily unable to sort the flurry of questions into a coherent thought. Off the case? In all her twelve years as an agent, not once had she been pulled from a case. “But—”

  He held up a hand, palm out. “Decision’s been made.” Garces stood and smoothed his uniform tunic. “I’m late for the Colonial Council meeting. Take it up with the director if you have a problem with it.”

  If she had a problem with it? She sure as hell had a problem with it. Effectively dismissed, Natalia turned on her heel and stalked to the door.

  Son of a bitch bastard—

  “But I wouldn’t bother,” Garces continued as she levered the door open. “You know how Director Matthews hates to be second-guessed.”

  Natalia squeezed the handle, her entire body shaking. She spun around, accusations of his torpedoing her case on her lips, until their eyes met. Garces wasn’t quite enjoying the ding to her career—it affected him too—but he wasn’t sorry either.

  “Let it go, Hallowell.” The words were more advice than menace, though that was there too. “You have plenty on your docket. Hirahm isn’t that important.”

  No, in the grand scheme of things the Hirahm case wasn’t all that important. But something made it important enough for Garces, and perhaps the director, to shove it under the proverbial rug. Was it the government clerks who’d been swept up with Hirahm? They were too low-level for Garces and Matthews to give a rat’s ass. It didn’t make sense.

  None of this made sense.

  Natalia managed a sneering, “Yes, sir,” before leaving the office.

  The slam of the door behind her sent the exact message she wanted to give Garces. Whatever was going on with him and the Hirahm case, she wasn’t about to let it go.

  Natalia returned to her cramped office to retrieve her coat. After engaging the door lock with her code and palm print, she headed to the elevator, her boots making no sound on the noise-reducing industrial carpet. A slap of the call button on the wall sent a sting up her arm.

  Screw Garces. There might be something more going on, but right now she just wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

  The elevator door opened onto the utilitarian car. Empty. Good. She wouldn’t have to make polite small talk with another agent or CMA employee. Natalia entered and pressed her palm to the black box near the door.

  “Good afternoon, Agent Hallowell. Floor, please.” The elevator’s automated system spoke in a soothing, feminine tone that had been approved by some test group somewhere.

  “Employee parking,” Natalia said, feeling anything but soothed as she leaned against the back wall, arms crossed over her chest. “Don’t stop on other floors. System override code NH11717.”

  The override was only supposed to be used in emergencies, but screw the anal policy-makers upstairs too.

  “Vocal analysis and code approved, Agent. Be aware the conduit to employee parking is under repair,” the elevator said. “Please exit at the lobby and access employee parking via the service elevator or street.”

  Damn the void. The advantage of going directly to the employee garage was bypassing the public security check in the lobby. It was faster, requiring only a quick ID and retina/iris scan for approved personnel, and maintained an agent’s anonymity during undercover operations. Before she could get torqued about the inconvenience, a better idea struck her. No, going home was not on her agenda just yet.

  “Fine. The lobby then.”

  “Yes, Agent Hallowell.”

  The doors closed, and Natalia rode down the thirty-seven floors, fuming at Garces, the director, the repair crew and the crap-ass system that allowed them to make her job one thousand times more difficult than it already was.

  Natalia rubbed her palms over her cheeks and raked her fingers through her hair, dislodging the bun at her nape. She yanked the hair clip free and shoved it in her coat pocket.

  Her body language training and instincts said there was something going on with Garces. But what? General pissiness at her? The world? A bad cup of coffee that morning?

  She to
ok in a long breath and released it on a slow ten-count as the elevator doors slid open onto the public area of the CMA building. Whatever the problem was, she was too close to it at the moment to think clearly.

  “Evening, Agent.” One of the young guards manning the nearby scanning station greeted her with a smile. He held a metal tray in both hands. “How are you today?”

  Natalia started to tell him exactly how she was but caught herself. He wasn’t the problem. No need to be a bitch. She managed a small smile in return. “Fine, thanks. How are you, Brodsky?” She glanced at the other guard. “Lassiter?”

  Lassiter nodded to her from behind his podium.

  Brodsky beamed. “Doing well, ma’am. Please walk through at your convenience.”

  Despite the fact that she was a known agent and would have normally used the unmanned garage access, Natalia was required to go through the same procedures as anyone off the street if she passed through the lobby.

  She unclipped the holster from her belt. The bio-code in the grip read her print and took a swipe of DNA for instant analysis, allowing her to remove the pulser. She detached the power pack before setting the pieces and her comm on the tray.

  “Um, pockets, Agent Hallowell?” Brodsky’s cheeks pinked, perhaps embarrassed he had to remind her of procedure.

  “Right. Sorry.” Natalia emptied her coat and trouser pockets of a few colorful cred chits and a pair of leather gloves then placed them on the tray.

  Anything an agent carried on their person was usually preapproved and coded to be allowed to pass. Which meant Natalia could have insisted on going through the public scanner without emptying her pockets, but why give Brodsky and Lassiter a hassle?

  Brodsky slid the tray into a white rectangular box beside the arched net matrix of the body scanner. Natalia passed under the security framework. A soft hum filled the air.

  Lassiter and Brodsky watched their screens until she and her belongings were cleared, assured she wasn’t smuggling information out. She reclaimed her items from the tray. The power pack went back into the butt of her pulse pistol, and she secured the weapon in the holster at her hip, covering it with her long coat. In no mood to talk to anyone from the CMA, she flicked off her comm then dropped it into her coat pocket.