Hard Evidence. Susan Peterson

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      “It’s good to see you, Chili,” he said.

      Yeah, right, I thought. Lie number one. “Can’t say I feel the same way,” I said.

      He ignored my dig. “I’m glad they found you. I was worried when I heard you were out trying to find some poor sucker who took a wrong turn.”

      Lie number two. Jack O’Brien never worried about anything other than himself. “You’re not welcome here, O’Brien. Do us both a favor and leave.”

      I’d hoped to see a flicker of hurt in those beautiful eyes, but none appeared. He stared back at me with the gaze that used to make my body hum with an all-consuming need.

      “I simply came by to check up on Charlie.”

      “So you checked. Time to leave.”

      He raised a single dark eyebrow, but didn’t move. “You look good. Mountain air seems to agree with you,” he said, as if we exchanged such pleasantries every day. “Things going okay for you?”

      “Just fine. Thanks ever so much for asking.”

      He waited, the stillness of his body putting me even more on edge. I didn’t bother asking him how he’d been. There wasn’t any need. No one asked about the condition of perfection.

      Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

      This July, Intrigue brings you six sizzling summer reads. They’re the perfect beach accessory.

      * We have three fantastic miniseries for you. Film at Eleven continues THE LANDRY BROTHERS by Kelsey Roberts. Gayle Wilson is back with the PHOENIX BROTHERHOOD in Take No Prisoners. And B.J. Daniels finishes up her MCCALLS’ MONTANA series with Shotgun Surrender.

      * Susan Peterson brings you Hard Evidence, the final installment in our LIPSTICK LTD. promotion featuring stealthy sleuths. And, of course, we have a spine-tingling ECLIPSE title. This month’s is Patricia Rosemoor’s Ghost Horse.

      * Don’t miss Dana Marton’s sexy stand-alone title, The Sheik’s Safety. When an American soldier is caught behind enemy lines, she’ll fake amnesia to guard her safety, but there’s no stopping the sheik determined on winning her heart.

      Enjoy our stellar lineup this month and every month!

      Sincerely,

      Denise O’Sullivan

      Senior Editor

      Harlequin Intrigue

      Hard Evidence

      Susan Peterson

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

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      For my brother, Sam, who has lived through adversity and pain and come through it with his honor and integrity intact.

       May you find the peace, love and understanding you seek in this rough journey through life.

      A special thanks to Christine Wenger for all her help with the “ins and outs” of Syracuse, New York. Any mistakes are purely the fault of the author’s.

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      A devoted Star Trek fan, Susan Peterson wrote her first science fiction novel at the age of thirteen. But as a hopeless romantic, Susan had to figure out a way to combine falling in love with a lifetime pursuit of total logic. After pursuing careers in intensive-care nursing and school psychology, Susan finally found the time to pursue a career in writing. An ardent fan of psychological thrillers and suspense, Susan combined her love of romance and suspense into several manuscripts targeted to the Harlequin Intrigue line. Getting the go-ahead to write for this line was a dream come true for her.

      Susan lives in a small town in northern New York with her son, Kevin, her nutball dog, Ozzie, Phoenix the cat and Lex the six-toed menace (a new kitten). Susan loves to hear from readers. E-mail her at [email protected] or visit her Web site at www.susanpeterson.net.

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

      Jack O’Brien—An ex-cop turned paramedic, Jack harbors serious guilt about his testimony against his foster father on charges of bribery.

      Killian “Chili Pepper” Cray—Shocked when her former flame Jack O’Brien testified against their beloved foster father, Killian left Syracuse and vowed never to return.

      Charlie Orzinski—Beloved foster dad to troubled teens for much of his life, he is now in a deep coma following a suspicious hit-and-run accident.

      Handler Ortega—Local crime boss who’ll do whatever it takes to get back vital information stolen from him regarding his criminal dealings.

      Jeannette Renault—Former lover of Handler Ortega, and now married to a wealthy cardiac surgeon. Does this seemingly innocent suburbanite know more than she’s willing to tell?

      Craig Gibson—Charlie’s lawyer, a man found murdered in Charlie’s apartment.

      Caroline Pratt—Gibson’s law partner and known to represent Handler Ortega in a variety of shady legal matters.

      Sweetie Pie—Charlie’s nasty, mangy Maine Coon cat. Now Killian’s responsibility.

      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

      Epilogue

      Chapter One

      If there was one thing I never expected to have to do in this lifetime, it was to stand over Charlie Orzinski and worry about whether he was going to live or die. Mainly because I’ve always believed Charlie was indestructible, the ultimate Man of Steel.

      But the fact that he was in the I.C.U. of Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y., unconscious and hooked up to every machine known to modern man, showed me just how wrong I was. The trauma docs had given him less than a sixty-percent chance of survival.

      Personally, I was betting Charlie had an ace or two up his sleeve, but something about the gray pallor of his craggy face told me death was a real possibility. And that was a possibility I wasn’t prepared for. One I’d never be prepared for.

      I reached down and slid my hand into his. His stillness frightened me more than the machines clustered around the bed. They seemed to diminish him, making his massive body, with its bull neck and linebacker shoulders,