Cold Malice

by Toni Anderson

  Her eyes were smiling, her skin pale, but there was a little color in her cheeks. Frazer was holding her arm.

  “You had something to ask the lady?” Frazer prompted when Mac stood there like a dummy.

  It was an ambush but there was Tess—standing, smiling—and he didn’t care.

  He put his bags down on the secretary’s desk and stepped past Gerald and the director. Maybe now, she’d finally understand what she meant to him.

  He dropped to one knee in front of her. “Tess Fallon, would you do the very great honor of letting this sad, lonely, former FBI agent become your husband?”

  “No.” She crossed her arms and blinked rapidly. “Being an FBI agent isn’t just a job for you, Mac, it’s who you are. If you quit because of me, eventually you’ll hate me for it.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  She huffed. “Yes, you will.”

  “First domestic,” the director intoned quietly to Gerald.

  “Better get used to it and just do as she tells him,” Gerald agreed.

  Mac glared at the interrupters.

  Frazer sighed. “If you’d really screwed up the investigation I’d agree with you resigning, Mac. But no one blames you for Paula Rice. The entire FBI missed the signs. We all messed up to the same degree. Without you we wouldn’t have solved this thing until a lot more people had been murdered and a lot more agents had died.”

  Frazer put a good spin on it, but it was Tess who Mac was watching. He was trying to read those clear, hazel eyes and that full, mobile mouth.

  He assessed her carefully. “So, would you consider marrying a sad and lonely, employed FBI agent?”

  She grinned. “Yes.”

  Tears sparkled in her eyes when he pulled a ring out of his pocket.

  “Boy scout,” Frazer muttered, clearly disgusted.

  “Always prepared,” Mac muttered back.

  “Not always,” Tess said softly.

  Mac’s cheeks heated at that and Frazer coughed into his fist.

  Mac slipped the pink diamond set in platinum onto her finger, happy that it fit. “We can change it if you like.” He’d chosen it because it was delicate and feminine, but also strong and durable. And the pink stone reminded him of her lips.

  She stared at the ring for a long moment and then at him. “I don’t want to change it. It’s perfect. Thank you.”

  Mac rose to his feet and reverently cupped her cheek, and leaned down very slowly to kiss her. She kissed him back, her hands rising to his shoulders and holding on tight.

  He pulled back, letting her rest her head on his chest. Tess was recovering well, but she’d suffered a terrible injury and she’d done it to protect a bunch of heavily armed, highly trained people who’d previously vilified her.

  He glanced over his shoulder. “Maybe I’d like to reconsider my resignation.”

  Gerald grimaced. “Just as well I never put in the paperwork then.”

  “Seriously?” Mac put his arm around Tess’s back, supporting her, and turned to face his boss. Tess leaned against him, already tired from her exertions. “What were you going to do if I left today?”

  Gerald looked embarrassed. “Donate my vacation days and hope my wife didn’t notice.”

  Mac’s mouth went dry at that. “I appreciate your confidence, sir.” Mac turned his attention to the director. “As much as I would love the WFO post, I don’t feel I’ve earned it—yet. I’d like to stay on in my position here if possible. There’s still plenty to do. Plenty to learn.”

  “Is this penance for any mistakes you think you made?” the director queried. “You have more than earned this posting.”

  “I appreciate that.” Mac wished he could talk to Tess alone. “This whole time I was chasing the wrong dream. I was looking at the destination and not concentrating on the journey.” He kissed the top of Tess’s hair and she rested her hand on his heart. “I want to enjoy the journey for a little longer.”

  The director nodded. “Fine.” Then he came and grasped Mac’s hand. “Glad you changed your mind, and congratulations.” He leaned down and kissed Tess on the cheek. “Thank you again, Tess. You saved lives that day and will always be welcome here.” The director winked. “And I expect an invitation. My wife loves weddings.”

  Gerald held the door. “I’m gonna give you two some privacy for a few minutes.”

  Frazer removed himself from the side of the room. “That’s my cue to leave, too. Let me know if you need to buy a new tux. I have connections.” He grinned hugely. “Congratulations.”

  Finally, it was just Mac and Tess.

  He stroked an unruly strand of her hair and hooked it behind her ear. “You tired?”

  She denied it, but the white around her mouth gave her away.

  He steered her to a seat and knelt in front of her.

  She smiled as she examined her ring. “So I get to change my name again, huh?”

  Mac rested his hands along the outside of her thighs. “If you want to.”

  “I do.” She drew in a big breath. “I want a fresh start. New home. New name.”

  “As long as I’m the one constant in your life I don’t give a damn about the rest. We’ll start house hunting as soon as you’re feeling stronger.”

  “When I was a little girl I used to dream about marrying you.” She stared into her lap shyly. “Is it crazy that it’s coming true?”

  “Nope. Not crazy at all. But it seems like a million years ago.”

  She seemed pensive.

  “What is it?”

  “I figured out a few things.”

  He knew she’d been doing a lot of thinking.

  “I want to write a book about my experiences. I want to donate the proceeds in Ellie’s honor to an organization that’s fighting to end child marriage in America.”

  Mac’s voice was rough. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  “And I spoke to Cole. We want to donate the land to a good cause, but we haven’t figured out which one yet.” She shuddered. “I want to be free of all those old ties.”

  Mac nodded. “What’s Cole gonna do now?”

  Mac hadn’t revealed the existence of the file and thumb drive. Parker had examined it and sure enough their plans were encrypted on the drive, but the documents had belonged to Joseph. The plan had been to frame Cole so he and his mother could get away with murder and start their revolution. Cole had been nothing but a pawn. Joseph was in jail awaiting trial. Chances were he’d die in prison. Eddie was locked up again and the prison guard who’d helped him escape was up on charges.

  Mac hoped Eddie enjoyed the reduced privileges of maximum security.

  Tess smiled and Mac touched the gentle curve of her lips. “He told me he was going to take some criminal justice courses at the university. Said the good guys needed more geeks.”

  Mac couldn’t agree more and didn’t mention it had been his suggestion.

  “I might also want children. One day.” Her gaze turned pensive. “There’s nothing like being told you might not be able to have kids to make you reassess that priority.”

  Mac drew in a deep breath. The idea of starting a family with Tess made a lump form in his throat. “Let’s give it some time. If you still want kids we can try in the future. Or we can adopt.” He stared deep into her eyes. “Plenty of kids around in need of a good home.”

  Tears welled and her hands started to shake.

  “I need to get you back to bed,” said Mac.

  She huffed. “I wish.”

  “Doctor said no sex for another month.” He smoothed a hand over her cheek. “Doesn’t mean we can’t get inventive in the meantime.”

  She blushed and brushed her thumb over his bottom lip. “Sex god.”

  “Damn right. Let’s go home and get started on that, shall we? I think I’ve earned a day off.” He pulled her carefully to her feet and bent down to lift her into his arms.

  He opened the door and stopped short as a whole crowd of people started cheering. His throat closed wi
th emotion. Crap.

  “Surprise,” Tess whispered in his ear.

  “Does this mean I’m going to have to wait to get you in bed again?” he whispered back.

  “Patience. We have all the time in the world now.”

  He carefully eased Tess back onto her feet and Frazer pushed over a wheelchair he must have brought from the hospital. Tess wasn’t happy to be sitting in it but Mac didn’t leave her side.

  Everyone from SIOC had come to celebrate their engagement and to make Tess feel their love and gratitude. Walsh was there in a matching wheelchair. He was as frustrated as Tess at the slowness of their convalescence. They’d been competing with each other as to whom recovered the fastest. Like everyone else who spent any time with Tess, Walsh had fallen completely in love with her.

  “Tired?” Mac asked her after thirty minutes of cake, champagne and congratulations. Everyone there had needed a little light relief after what they’d been through. They were celebrating one of the few good things to come out of a difficult period.

  She grinned. “I never imagined I’d be here, at FBI HQ, getting engaged to someone as wonderful as you are. I’m so lucky.”

  Mac frowned down at her. “You’ve got it all wrong, sweetheart. I’m the lucky one.” He smoothed away a tear that had slipped down her cheek. “And I’m smart enough to know it.”

  “Fidelity. Bravery. Integrity.” She sniffed.

  “Or Fucking Bunch of Idiots, depending on who you talk to.”

  “I prefer my version,” she told him quietly. But her lips were pinched and she looked like it was time for her next painkiller.

  He took the handles of the wheelchair and headed for the door. “Say goodbye to the inmates. Time to go home.”

  She reached up and touched his hand. “I like the sound of that.”

  “Me, too, sweetheart. Me, too.”

  Pre-order the next installment of Alex Parker and Mallory Rooney’s story today!

  A Cold Dark Promise (Cold Justice Series, bk #9~A Wedding Novella).

  Dear Reader

  Thank you for reading Cold Malice. I hope you enjoyed it.

  1. If you have time, please help other readers find this book by writing a review. Thank you!

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  Look out for Alex and Mallory’s wedding novella in 2017!

  www.toniandersonauthor.com/newsletter

  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) Coming November 2017

  Watch out for Book #10 in 2018!

  The Cold Justice Series books are also available as audiobooks narrated by Eric Dove.

  Check out all Toni’s books on her website (www.toniandersonauthor.com/books)

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks, as always, to my wonderful critique partner, Kathy Altman, who reads the early, really crap versions of the stories and continues to believe in me regardless. And thanks to Rachel Grant who did a great beta read on this manuscript and helped me fix a few issues with my hero.

  Thanks to my editors, Alicia Dean, and Joan Turner at JRT Editing, for the extra layers of polish. My cover artist, Syd Gill, who did a great job capturing my disjointed ideas and turning them into a cover I love. And Paul Salvette (BB eBooks) who formats my ebooks with such care, and the guys at Createspace who take care of the print book interiors.

  Special thanks goes to Angela Bell of the FBI’s Office of Public Affairs for arranging an inspiring tour of the Strategic Information and Operations Center (SIOC) at FBI Headquarters in Washington DC, and for answering a long string of odd questions. Bless you. Sorry for the ending! Any mistakes in this book are down to me, and the ever-forgiving concept of artistic license.

  Mostly, I want to thank my husband for being the love of my life, and my kids for being awesome.

  About the Author

  New York Times and USA Today international bestselling author, Toni Anderson, writes dark, gritty Romantic Suspense novels that have hit #1 in Barnes & Noble’s Nook store, Top 10 in the Amazon, iBooks, and Kobo stores. Her novels have won many awards, and she’s been nominated for the prestigious Romance Writers of America® RITA® Award.

  A former Marine Biologist from Britain, she inexplicably ended up in the geographical center of North America, about as far from the ocean as it is possible to get. She now lives in the Canadian prairies with her Irish husband and two children and spends most of her time complaining about the weather.

  Toni has no explanation for her oft-times dark imagination, and only hopes the romance makes up for it. She’s addicted to reading, dogs, tea, and chocolate.

  If you want to know when Toni’s next book will be out, visit her website (www.toniandersonauthor.com) and sign up for her newsletter. If you want to read other fascinating stories about life in a city that during winter is sometimes colder than Mars, friend her on Facebook: (facebook.com/toniannanderson).

  Toni donates 15% of her royalties from EDGE OF SURVIVAL to diabetes research—to find out why, read the book!

  Reviews

  COLD FEAR (Cold Justice Series, bk #4)

  (International Bestseller.)

  “Superbly crafted stories like these are the reason romantic suspense is my go-to genre.” —USA Today.

  COLD LIGHT OF DAY (Cold Justice Series, bk #3)

  (2015 Winner ARCA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence & the Book Buyers Best Contest.)

  “This has easily cruised into my top ten romances … in the history of EVER.” —Heroes and Heartbreakers.

  TOP PICK “Cold Light of Day has all the elements of a great romantic suspense…danger, romance, action, and intrigue. I’d recommend Cold Light of Day to any romantic suspense reader looking for a thrilling adventure!” —Harlequin Junkie.

  COLD PURSUIT (Cold Justice Series, bk #2)

  (2015 Winner of National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.)

  “I’d highly recommend Cold Pursuit to any romantic suspense reader.” —Harlequin Junkie.

  “Toni Anderson’s new Cold Justice series is sizzling suspense and hot romance – the perfect summer read!” —Mom’s the Word.

  A COLD DARK PLACE (Cold Justice Series, bk #1)

  (Winner of the New England Readers’ Choice Award, and the 2015 Aspen Gold.)

  “Toni magically blends sizzling chemistry between Alex and Mallory with lots of suspenseful action in A Cold Dark Place. At times I wanted to hide my eyes, not knowing if I could face what might or might not happen! The edge of your seat suspense is riveting!” —Harlequin Junkies.

  “Recommended for fans of Toni Anderson and fans of dark romantic suspense. You’d definitely love this one!” —Maldivian Book Reviewer’s Realm of Romance.

  DARK WATERS

  (International bestseller. National Readers Choice Awards Finalist.)

  “In this action-packed contemporary, Anderson (Dangerous Waters) weaves together a tapestry of powerful suspense and sizzling romance.” —Publishers Weekly.

  “The pacing in this book is superb. The tension really never lets up … I never felt there was a good ‘stopping point’ in this book, which is probably why I was reading all night.” —Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

  DANGEROUS WATERS

  (International bestseller. 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award Finalist.)

  “With a haunting setting and a captivating cast
of characters, Anderson has crafted a multifaceted mystery rife with secrets. Readers will have to focus, as red herrings abound, but the result is a compulsively engrossing page-turner.” —Romantic Times (4 Stars)

  “A captivating mix of suspense and romance, Dangerous Waters will pull you under.” —Laura Griffin, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author

  “With vibrant writing, a cast of damaged, captivating characters and a plot that’s deliciously diabolical, Dangerous Waters will have you mesmerized from page one.” —HEA USA Today

  “The vivid picture of the scenery adds ghostlike images to the dark and dangerous mystery. Plot twists interlock, never letting up until the last pages.” —Coffee Time Romance (5 Cups)

  THE KILLING GAME

  (2014 RITA® Finalist, and National Readers Choice Awards Finalist.)

  “The Killing Game is an exhilarating, masterfully-crafted mix of life-and-death adventure and political intrigue. It’s also a riveting romance, and with the author’s trademark gritty and evocative prose, wily imagination and fierce respect for the plight of the snow leopard and the war-torn country it inhabits, this book is one unforgettable read.” —Kathy Altman Goodreads Review. (5 Stars)

  “I’d recommend this to any romantic suspense reader looking for a unique, intricately woven story that will really touch you.” —Peaces of Me (5 Stars)

  “This is a smart story. This is a sexy story. This is a well written story. This is one of my favorite romantic suspense stories I’ve read all year. I wish there was more!” —Love Affair With An e-Reader (5 Stars)

  EDGE OF SURVIVAL

  “Anderson writes with a gritty, fast-paced style, and her narrative is tense and evocative.” —HEA USA Today

  “… more substance than one would expect from a romantic thriller.” —Library Journal Reviews

  “Edge of Survival is without a doubt, one of the most exciting, romantic, sexy stories I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year and I will definitely be looking for more by Toni Anderson.” —Blithely Bookish (5 Stars)