Deadly Love Read online

  DEADLY LOVE

  By

  Ashley Ladd

  © copyright September 2005, Ashley Ladd

  Cover art by Kat Richards, © copyright September 2005

  ISBN 1-58608-649-9

  New Concepts Publishing

  Lake Park, GA 31636

  www.newconceptspublishing.com

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

  Prologue

  Dreading the inevitable, barely breathing, Melissa tiptoed through her fiancé’s mansion. She did her best not to make so much as a whispering footfall. Never knowing in what mood she would find her volatile betrothed, she girded herself and peeked around the corner.

  Her heart stopped cold. Screams rose in her throat but she managed to choke them down.

  His hand shaking, Nathan held a pistol to his father’s temple. His assistant stood at parade rest by his side as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. “You of all people should support me. You betrayed me. You betrayed the cause.” Nathan’s voice warbled on the brink of tears.

  “Son.” George Alexander licked his lips and laughed nervously. His terrified glance slid from Nathan to the blasé henchman. “You’re my only son. I’m behind you and the Lions 110%.”

  “Liar!” Nathan’s face purpled and insane rage thundered from his slate-gray eyes. “You betrayed us! You leaked information to the Feds. Fortunately for me, I own the Feds.”

  The senior Alexander blanched and dropped his gaze. His ashen complexion blended into his silvery hairline. “Of course I didn’t. I would never.…”

  “Stop lying, old man! I have proof. I’m tired of your lies. I won’t stand for them anymore. You are not going to ruin my chances of becoming president.” Nathan pulled the trigger without a flicker of remorse, and blood and brains exploded across the room.

  Nauseated, Melissa clutched her throat and tried to hold back the rising bile. Ill, she stumbled back while trying to steady herself against the wall.

  She was engaged to a monster! How could he kill? Particularly his own father?

  No!

  Haunted by the terrible image she’d never be able to erase, she spun on her heel and ran blindly. She bumped into a table and a lamp crashed to the floor.

  Oh no!

  Melissa’s heart revved and her knees almost collapsed beneath her.

  “Who’s there?” Nathan’s suspicious voice called out. His heavy footsteps stomped after her.

  Scared witless, she pulled herself together and fled. She’d left her car keys inside and didn’t go back to retrieve them or her purse. She ran until she was out of breath, ending up several long blocks from Nathan’s lair. If he caught her, if he suspected she was a witness to the heinous murder, her life was over. With the evidence of her presence left foolishly in his house, of course he would have to suspect her.

  “I have to report him. He can’t be allowed to get away with this. Just who are these Lions?” she muttered under her breath. God, she wished she’d never heard of presidential hopeful Senator Nathan Alexander!

  Frantically, she searched her pockets, hoping to find forgotten money, but they were barren. So she continued on foot and finally reached her father’s house two hours later.

  Breathing a sigh of relief to be back at her home base, a surge of adrenaline pushed her the final few feet forward. Just as she was about to separate herself from the shadows of the building across the street, a limousine pulled up in front of her house and Nathan climbed out followed by two burly men holding firearms.

  She gasped and flattened herself against the building. Her heart fluttered and she perked her ears.

  Oh God! Her family! Her father and sister Christina could be home. She couldn’t abandon them.

  Carefully she entered her neighbor’s house, that of a feisty little old lady named Beatriz who didn’t appreciate unexpected company. But Melissa saw no other choice. “Please. It’s an emergency. I need to use your phone.”

  “Didn’t you pay Ma Bell?” The old crone’s lips twisted in derision as she peeked sarcastically at Melissa’s multi-million dollar mansion.

  “It’s an emergency. I can’t explain now. Just stay low and don’t let anyone know I’m here.” True to her own words, Melissa knelt on the floor and peeked cursorily through the tinted windows blessing the woman’s need for privacy.

  Her heart skipped a beat when she spied Nathan’s contingent making an armed perimeter around her yard. They suspected her all right. But how would they explain their strange behavior to her family? To the cops?

  She dialed the police emergency line and chafed as the phone rang off the hook. “Answer already.”

  Beatriz tugged at Melissa’s arm with her claw-like fingers and pointed at the gunmen. Her brow furrowed into one giant wormy-looking thing, and she asked, “You into drug running? I knew something was funny about you people.”

  “Of course not! I’m engaged to a senator.…” Melissa pulled herself up short. Some law-abiding senator he’d turned out to be. And she’d marry Satan himself now before she’d marry him!

  Her father ambled out to the end of the drive, smiled warmly, and shook Nathan’s hand. Then his gaze alighted on one of Nathan’s assistants and his smile dissipated. He pointed at the gun and tried to run, but another man stole up behind him and injected him with a syringe that made him go limp.

  A horrified scream rose in Melissa’s throat and it was all she could do not to jump through the window to her father’s aid. But that would be suicide for all of them. Their only chance was for her to reveal Nathan to the authorities.

  Finally an operator answered and took her information. To Melissa’s relief, she promised prompt assistance.

  Melissa breathed a little easier but kept her vigil at the window, praying her father wasn’t dead.

  “There are drugs!” Beatriz accused on a trembling, seething hiss. “Am I a prisoner?”

  Melissa spread her arms wide and opened her fingers. “I’m not armed. But those men over there have guns. They’re very dangerous. Don’t draw attention to us. The police will be here any moment.”

  Two police cars arrived just minutes later, faster than Melissa had ever hoped. Her heart leaping for joy, she came out of hiding and ran to meet them.

  To her horror, one of the boys in blue pointed at her and yelled, “There she is. Get her!”

  Oh my God! The cops were in on it. How big was this thing?

  Panicking, her heart ready to explode out of her chest, Melissa turned on her heel and ran blindly. Looking over her shoulder to see how close her pursuers were, she crossed the street without thinking. Too late, she heard the squeal of brakes locking up and smelled rubber burning.

  A young man slammed out of his car, swearing. “What do you think you’re doing, running in front of a car, lady? I almost killed you! What’s going on?”

  The cops and Nathan were closing in on her. She’d never escape on foot and if Rapture didn’t happen in the next thirty seconds, she was doomed. Unless....

  She changed direction and ran up to the man who’d almost run her over. Grabbing his wrist tightly, she implored, “Please help me. I witnessed a murder and those men are trying to kill me. If I don’t get out of here now, I’m dead.”

  The bohemian-looking young man looked from her to her pursuers and back to her. He practically shoved her in the front seat of his car. “Get down. This should be one hell of a story.”

  “Stop talking and drive!” She crouched under the dash as far as she could squeeze and blessed her erstwhile savior. “I’m not exaggerating. The monster killed his own father and those cops are on his payroll.�
��

  The man whistled long and low under his breath. He stomped on the accelerator and plowed through the closing police cruisers, banging into one, sending it skidding dangerously out of control. “Hang on. This could get messy.”

  Messier than it already was? Just her luck, her rescuing angel was as insane as the murderous fiend.

  An excited gleam twinkled in his whiskey-colored eyes and he stretched his hand out to her and shook hers. “Hello. I’m Jesse Dalton. And who might you be, pretty damsel in distress?”

  Chapter One

  Almost four years after Melissa Vanderbilt-Smythe’s flight from her loving home, bounty hunter Cody Richards kept an eye on his quarry, the infamous runaway heiress as she cantered a magnificent black stallion down the Jersey shore. Her well-rounded bottom scooped back and forth in the saddle as if she made love to it. Her well-muscled thighs clamped the sweaty horseflesh as she rode like the wind, and her face was flushed as if she was in the throes of passion.

  The breathtaking redhead and dark-as-night animal made a dynamite pair. Both regal, and yet contrarily both down and dirty, as vibrant a part of the dawning day as lightning strikes to a storm.

  Even if it wasn’t his mission to watch this woman, he wouldn’t be able to tear his fascinated gaze from her. Never had he seen such a glorious pair of breasts.

  And it had been about forever since he’d felt the unwelcome rush of warmth in his loins. It should stay away forever. Women were trouble, especially spoiled rich ones, and this fiery redhead led the pack. In particular, he had no business feeling anything more than professional interest in this woman. She represented his mission. Nothing more and nothing less. Besides, this particular dame had caused a passel of trouble from one coast to the next, selling more tabloids than that infamous newspaper heiress who’d been brainwashed in the 70’s.

  Of course this one’s family was sure she’d been brainwashed as well. It was the only way they could make their world right, explain away their princess’s abdication from her velvet throne.

  Spoiled or not, trouble or not, he couldn’t help but admire the way she rode, as if she’d been born in the saddle. Of course, she’d probably been riding the hunt before she could toddle around. The filthy rich ones always did.

  Without warning, the giant beast neighed frantically, bucked, and reared almost ninety degrees perpendicular to the sand. The sassy redhead on its back flung her arms around the creature’s neck, wound her fingers through its mane, and pressed her knees deeper into its sleek flanks. Despite her valiant efforts, she started to slip--right under the deadly flailing hooves.

  His heart hammering so hard his ribs were about to crack, Cody vaulted to her side, and snatched her out of harm’s way. He hadn’t been sent to rescue the kidnapped heiress just to witness the devil trample her.

  The fair damsel blinked up at him, salty droplets clinging to her orange-fringed lashes. Gritty sand clung to her and now to him, but he didn’t care. Despite the sand, she felt warm and soft in all the right places and he stared at the lovely vision in his arms, as if an angel had fallen out of Heaven.

  Angel?

  From all reports demon was more apt.

  But a very lovely demon even with her nostrils flaring.

  Stop that! He was a professional. As far as he was concerned, she was a job, not a woman. Okay, she was a young woman in need of having her head straightened out so she could be returned home to the loving bosom of her family and fulfill a normal life instead of hanging out with a brainwashing hooligan.

  When the horse flared its nostrils in rhythm to the woman’s, snorted and galloped off, kicking wet sand in their faces, she spluttered, “Just look what you did. You let Devil escape.” He looked down at the very grateful woman wriggling in his arms; fire flashing in the most amazing emerald eyes he’d ever seen. Her wild fiery hair cascaded over his arm, framing her not-so-angelic face. “You can put me down now.”

  The princess’s tone was amazingly regal, even supercilious, for someone with a mouthful of wet sand. Too bad her manner didn’t match her appearance.

  So be it. He’d dealt with the over privileged before. He’d be damned if they’d intimidate him.

  As she wished. “I never disappoint a lady.” With secret glee, he dumped her unceremoniously on her derriere and turned a deaf ear on her outraged squeals. It took two to play this game and he wasn’t accustomed to losing. “It was either that or you’d be flat as a starfish, and not half so pretty,” he drawled, crossing his arms over his chest. “Hoof prints all over your face wouldn’t endear you to your boyfriend.” He hoped to evoke a response from her. Maybe she’d lead him to Jesse, the boyfriend she’d dumped her heartbroken ex-fiancé for--the supposed kidnapper Cody had also been commissioned to find.

  Melissa’s family, but most especially her ex-fiancé, wanted to put Jesse Dalton behind bars. No one messed with the Senator without regret. This Dalton guy was going to wish he’d kept running to Mars to escape the Senator’s wrath. The way the Senator had torn up the planet looking for this woman, he doubted Mars would be far enough.

  Struggling to her feet, the heiress bent, dusting the sand off her faded jeans with jerky, angry dashes. “I bet you’re a big hit with the ladies.”

  “Don’t know.” Unable to stop the sparks from flying, his lips quirked into a half smile. “I’ve never tried that move before. I haven’t had the opportunity to save too many damsels in distress.” He slid a sly glance to her. “Did it work this time?”

  Her lips twisted in a grimace, and then slowly curved into a wide smile that stole his breath. She eyed him up and down then let a sweet, tinkling laugh escape. “You sure don’t look like a white knight. Sir Lancelot never dropped Guinevere on her ass.” She laughed dryly, circling him. “Tell me, is that the new Indiana Jones line of fashion? Drab and dreary?”

  So sue him. He hadn’t had a chance to buy a new Brooks Brothers wardrobe while trailing her. Like he’d do that while undercover anyway.

  “Could be. You like?” He bowed deeply from his waist in an exaggerated gesture. “Sir Lancelot, a.k.a. Cody Richards, at your service, milady.” He straightened to his full height, looming above her just in time to catch her rolling her eyes heavenward before she pivoted on her boot heel. Weren’t fairy princesses supposed to wear glass slippers and ball gowns and smell like spring flowers instead of sweaty horseflesh?

  Then again, Prince Charming and white knights weren’t supposed to look like swashbuckler rejects.

  Melissa Vanderbilt-Smythe trudged down the beach, her boots leaving imprints in the sand. Sticking her fingers in her mouth, she whistled long and loud.

  The horse turned in a smooth U-turn and trotted back to her, stopping a foot in front of her and thrashing its tail. Wicked challenge danced in its eyes when he eyed Cody. Then the monster snorted and flailed his hooves.

  “Shush. It’s okay, big guy. Nothing’s going to hurt you.” She cast a veiled glance at him as if to say ‘back off.’ Then she held her hand out and stood still, waiting for the huge animal to approach.

  “Nice trick.” Cody whistled under his breath. “You know your way around a horse.” Born and raised in the big city, he hadn’t spent much time around the creatures and held a healthy respect for them--especially ones whose nostrils flared and whose black beady eyes glared at him like he was breakfast.

  Melissa smiled but didn’t say a word. When the horse nudged her shoulder with its wet nose, she clamped her hand on the bridle and stroked him with her other hand.

  When she crooned to the gelding, Cody thought he heard angels singing. She owned one of those deep, melodious voices like Garbo, a voice he could get lost in. He shook his head. He’d never had a fantasy about a client or a case before. Now wasn’t the time to start. This was a smart young lady and a slippery one at that and he had to keep his wits about him if he wanted to complete his mission and return her to her loved ones.

  “How about I escort you home? It’s not safe for a young woman to be out here
alone at this hour.” Not that he was sure the Jersey shore and a deserted carnival were ever safe for anyone. But his prime motivation was to get a better look at her house to see if there were signs of her infamous boyfriend.

  As she swung herself up onto the horse, she glowered down at him. “Thanks for saving me, but I don’t make it a habit to trust strange men, Cody Richards.” With that parting remark, she swung her horse around, clucked loudly and dug her heels into his flanks.

  Without another word, horse and rider rode into the wind, kicking sand and water in his face. And she called him strange?

  He cupped his hands around his mouth and lifted his voice over the booming surf. “Won’t Guinevere tell me her real name?”

  The heiress glanced disdainfully over her shoulder and laughed at him. “Guinevere will do.”

  * * * *

  Melissa returned Devil to his stable and brushed him down. With strong, smooth strokes, she whisked the sweat from his black gleaming coat, restoring him to his majestic beauty as she cooled him off.

  Devil pranced and snorted, sniffing the air full of hot buttery popcorn and sugary sweet cotton candy that mingled with whiffs of the briny ocean. Seagulls swooped overhead as the surf curled lazily onto shore signaling high tide’s advent. All Melissa’s carnival friends were tucked into bed and would be until well past noon. The carnival never closed until the wee hours of dawn. She had the runway to herself except for a few birds and other less savory scavengers.

  Unfortunately, this big sprawling place devoid of humanity spooked her more than Devil’s earlier outburst had.

  “Thanks for the ride, boy,” she crooned next to Devil’s ear. Delving in her jeans pocket, she extracted a handful of sugar cubes, slightly sticky from being in her pocket so long, and stuck her flat palm under his long nose. His scratchy tongue and the whiskers on his nose tickled the soft flesh of her hand when he licked them up. Then he nuzzled her shoulder, unconditional love twinkling in his coal black eyes.