Love & Deception (Agents in Love - Book 1) (50 page)

I wish you happiness and joy. Thank you, as
always, for reading my story.

~ Chantel

To keep up to date on information about
upcoming releases or get in contact with me, visit:

Website:
http://www.chantelrhondeau.com

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/ChantelRhondeau

DISCLAIMER: S.A.T.O., Maharla, and Sayle,
Washington are products of my imagination. To my knowledge, there
is no such secret organization and I’m certainly not implying that
our US government really has people assassinated if they can’t
legally bring them to justice. This is a work of fiction and not
meant to be my personal reflection on the government nor a
conspiracy theory. It is purely for your enjoyment and
entertainment. And…I hope you enjoyed!

Did you miss the story of Nick’s friends,
Donovan and Madeline Andrews? Get caught up with their romance –
Now available:

A decorated police officer, more intent on
justice than following the letter of the law, lands in trouble when
a schoolteacher finds a dead body on the beach.

Officer Donovan Andrews knows how to have a
good time—ask any woman in town. But when it comes to men abusing
their wives or children, Donovan takes it upon himself to make them
regret it. 

Madeline Scott is unlucky in love. All she
wants is a quiet place to heal, away from cheating, womanizing men.
However, her life is far from peaceful once she stumbles across the
body and witnesses someone fleeing the scene.

Terror spreads in Pleasant View when the
small community hears a killer is on the loose. All evidence points
to Donovan, and he realizes someone is trying to frame him. When
troubling suspicions from his past surface, even fellow officers
believe he’s guilty. Madeline might be the only person who can
clear his name, but first he has to win her trust.

The body count rises and no one is safe. The
murderer makes it clear Madeline is next. Soon, Donovan’s whole
world is focused on protecting her and keeping himself out of
prison. The more time he spends with her, the harder it is to fight
his growing attraction. Since she’s been burned by love, convincing
Madeline he’s interested in something more than hot sex may prove
harder than keeping her alive.

***

Excerpt – Chapter One:

The glassy eyes of the corpse seemed to
stare at Madeline. A brisk breeze carried the scent of salt and
fish, and blew her long hair around her face. Crashing waves were
the only sound on the deserted beach other than panting from
Madeline’s four-legged companion. Water lapped at the dead man’s
feet, devouring him bit by bit as the tide rose.

“Are you there, Ms. Scott?” the 911
dispatcher asked.

“Yes, I’m here,” Madeline whispered. “Please
send someone quickly. The tide’s coming in.”

“We have a unit in the area. Don’t touch
anything.”

As if I would
. Madeline shivered at
the horrified look on the man’s face. Pleasant View was a small
coastal town. It was the type of place where everyone knew their
neighbors, but Madeline had only moved here two months earlier.

Too bad she hadn’t met this particular
resident under different circumstances. Yellow and blue nylon rope
wrapped around the man’s neck cut off his air supply forever,
ending whatever type of life the handsome blond might have had.

Madeline looked back up the beach, thinking
about what she saw. When she had approached this area, she noticed
a slightly built person jogging away. She shuddered again. If that
person were responsible, they couldn’t have killed the blond long
before she walked up.

Brutus strained at his leash, bringing her
back to the present as he tried to get closer to the body. Madeline
could only guess the smell of the recently deceased drove the Great
Dane crazy.

She tugged on his leash. “Sit, Brutus.”

The big, black dog heaved a sigh and lowered
his back haunches, looking up at Madeline reproachfully.

She heaved a sigh of her own. At 160 pounds,
the muscular Great Dane allowed her the illusion of control while
she held the leash, but really, Madeline maintained power only at
the dog’s behest.

A police cruiser pulled into the parking
area. Two officers hopped out and made their way down the beach. An
ambulance stopped behind them and medics poured from the vehicle,
assembling their equipment.

Not that it would do them much good. The man
was beyond requiring medical attention. He needed a coroner.

“The police are here,” she said into the
phone.

“That’s good, Miss Scott. We can hang up
now. Have a nice day.”

Yeah, right. A nice day? Sure. Because she
stumbled across bodies all the time and this was no big deal.
Madeline shuddered. The man had been warm when she checked for a
pulse, and the image of his sightless gaze was sure to haunt her
dreams.

She put the cell phone into her pocket and
watched as the rescue people ran down the beach. There was no
reason for them to hurry, except for the rising tide.

The first officer approached, his attention
focused solely on her. He didn’t even glance at the body. “Miss
Scott, is it? Dispatch said you discovered the body?” He gave a
friendly smile as he closed the remaining distance between them.
“I’m sorry. That must’ve been a shock.”

Madeline nodded. “Yes, it was,
Officer...”

“Andrews, Donovan Andrews.” He stuck out his
hand and gave another reassuring smile.

Madeline smiled back, trying to offer some
reassurance of her own as she shook his hand.
No, Officer
Andrews, I’m not going to faint. I promise I won’t complicate your
crime scene by breaking into hysterics.
Madeline almost
laughed, though she wished she really could faint.

She shivered and hugged
her arms tightly to her body. Having been idle for several minutes,
the bite of the cold wind chilled her skin. While she and Brutus
trotted along at a quick pace, she'd been warm enough. Now,
Madeline wished she’d brought a jacket.

Officer Andrews must have noticed. He
slipped his arms from his black windbreaker and slung it around
Madeline’s shoulders, battling the wind to wrap it around her. He
adjusted the collar against her neck and his fingers brushed her
skin lightly, sending a tingle of awareness through her. The
gesture, and her body’s reaction to it, caught her off guard.
Madeline took a step back, avoiding his touch.

“Sorry,” he said. “You look like you’re
freezing. I know it’s April, but you really shouldn’t go around
without a jacket in the evening, Miss. It gets mighty cold.”

Madeline grabbed the edges of his jacket and
pulled it tightly against her. His spicy scent tickled her senses
as it wafted up from the fabric. “Thanks. I’ll remember that.
Normally I run with Brutus and don’t stand around long enough to
get cold. Next time I find a body, I’ll keep running.”

“Touché.” A grin flashed across his face
briefly. “Seriously, though, are you okay?”

She nodded and looked up at him, pleasantly
surprised she
had
to look up. At five foot ten, Madeline was
a giant compared to most women. She’d long since given up the dream
of being one of those petite, delicate things men loved to wrap
their arms around.

Andrews was very tall with a slender body.
His police uniform didn’t offer much in the way of discovering what
his body looked like, but Madeline sensed a core of strength. At
least if she dated him she could wear heels.

And where did that thought come from?

Activity whirled next to them as the EMS
team attended to the body. Officer Andrews spared a glance for the
corpse, and his blue eyes tightened around the corners. His face
paled and when he met Madeline’s eyes again, he looked shaken.

“Did you know him?” she asked.

The officer nodded.

Great question, genius. In a town of less
than 3000, of course he knew the victim.

Andrews put his arm around Madeline’s
shoulders. “Why don’t I take you and your friend up to sit in the
police cruiser? It’ll be warmer in there, and I need to ask you
some questions.”

Madeline nodded. It seemed odd that this man
would put his arm around her like this, having just met her, but
she appreciated his calming presence as he led her to the car.
Brutus followed along without complaint, and Madeline allowed
herself to lean on Officer Andrews. She forgave herself for acting
so girly in that moment.

After all, she did just discover a body.

***

Interested in reading more? This book is now
available! Visit my website for more information and a link to the
first 3 chapters:
http://www.chantelrhondeau.com/p/my-available-titles.html
or search for it at your favorite book retailer.

A suspected murderess flees her former life
in search of tranquility, but the past refuses to die, threatening
to destroy her new found happiness.

Lilly Price is an abused woman on the run,
but she can’t hide forever. Desperate to escape public scrutiny
following accusations that she hired a hit man to kill her fiancé,
Lilly hopes to rebuild her life in a new town.

Widowed Zach Woodbridge is in no hurry to
find another bride. He longs for a peaceful summer, writing at his
lakeside cottage. Things change after an introduction to his
grandmother’s intriguing new assistant, Lilly.

When Lilly’s secrets are revealed, can their
fragile relationship weather the storm? And when a man from her
past wishes to reclaim Lilly, using any force necessary, can she
and Zach protect the people they love?

Books by Rachelle Ayala:

Broken Build (Silicon Valley Romantic
Suspense)

Twenty-five-year-old Jennifer Cruz Jones is
a software build engineer with a new job, a new car, and a new
apartment. Athletic and trim, she worked her way through college
and 24 Hour Fitness. But she cannot hide from her past when the
brother of her ex-fiancé is killed in a hit-and-run.

Startup founder Dave Jewell thought he
needed one more cash infusion to launch his social shopping
network. But when Jennifer finds blood on the frontend of his car,
he is forced to protect her from a gang of ruthless thugs intent on
blackmailing her for the software that drives his company’s
success.

Jennifer falls in love with Dave while
fearing he'd recognize her from the past. Her vulnerability
triggers Dave’s protective instincts, and he believes she can heal
the hole in his heart.