Love & Redemption Read online

  Love & Redemption

  Agents in Love – Book 2

  Chantel Rhondeau

  Electronic Edition

  Copyright 2014 Chantel Rhondeau

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  Cover Design: EDH Graphics

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  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to an ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, names, events, and places in this novel are used fictitiously or are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or to places, businesses, or events, is entirely coincidental.

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  DEDICATION

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  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

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Author’s Note

  DEDICATION

  To my best friend and biggest supporter, Conra. Thank you for helping me have the courage to chase my dreams, holding me up every step of the way. Love ya!

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  A special thanks goes to my nephew, Remington B. Not only is he a fantastic medic, he took time from his busy schedule to explain to me exactly what goes on in the back of an ambulance and give me ideas for what sort of medical terms and conditions I was looking at.

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  I’d also like to thank my critique partners, beta readers, and proof readers, who always help make my projects shiny: Author Rachelle Ayala, Author Michele Shriver, Author Travis Casey, Author Melinda Dozier, Sara Kay, Conra M., Michelle W., Nickie M., Elaine H., Danielle L., and Jude. I couldn’t do this without your help.

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  My cover was designed by the talented Erin at EDH Designs.

  Chapter One

  Gavin Hart held his breath, hoping the two thugs wouldn’t notice the cover missing from the ventilation duct or look up and spot him inside. No matter how good he was at body control, Gavin couldn’t shimmy through the large ductwork without alerting them to his presence. If only he’d been able to get away before they entered the room. Now he helplessly watched the scene unfolding in the room beneath him.

  The blonde opera starlet held out a small black bag, fidgeting her feet as she looked at the ground. “They said you’d have money. What’s with the guns?” Her hands trembled when the skinnier of the two men snatched the bag away. Perhaps she figured, as Gavin did, that the thugs didn’t plan to pay.

  A slimy grin flitted across the darker-skinned man’s face. He hefted his gun. “The boss ordered a change in plans, Sierra.” He twisted a silencer onto the end of the pistol.

  “The boss?” Sierra dropped to her knees and a tear tracked down her cheek. “No. Please, don’t kill me. Just take the diamonds.”

  The man’s partner shook his head, brushing sandy hair from his eyes. “You know things don’t work that way. It was only a matter of time before we caught up with you. You should have vetted your customers better.”

  “He’s going ahead with the bracelets? I’d hoped to stop him.” Sierra bowed her head and clasped her hands together, murmuring what sounded like a prayer.

  “That won’t save you.” The dark man took a step forward and pressed the barrel of the gun against her head. “Such a waste of talent. You could have been a top S.A.T.O. agent if you hadn’t turned your back on Paul. You knew he needed these diamonds.”

  Gavin swallowed down his horror, wishing he could do something to stop the inevitable. It would be foolish to try to save her. She took a risk by selling the high-quality diamonds. Whoever Paul was, he wasn’t the only person interested in them. Several clients approached Gavin about acquiring them. He didn’t know why they were special, but it was a bigger score than he’d landed in a long time.

  Below Gavin, the man pulled the trigger and his weapon made a soft sound, almost like that of a pellet gun. Sierra collapsed to the ground. Red oozed from a small wound in the front of her head, trickling down the starlet’s face. Gavin then made the mistake of looking at the back of her head. What was left of it.

  Jerking involuntarily, he bit back bile rising in his throat and slid slightly on the slick ductwork. His foot hit the side of the vent shaft, sounding out a loud, metallic ring.

  Shit!

  He tried to lean into the shadows, but the skinny man’s head snapped up and his blue eyes locked onto Gavin’s.

  “Terrance,” he murmured. “We have a problem.”

  ***

  Shelley Daniels sat in the opera house, focusing on the performers as best she could. Though her best friend had urged her to come to the show and enjoy herself, she felt stupid being alone. After only a few seconds in the private box, Shelley pulled the curtains closed, leaving only a sliver open to watch the show. She didn’t want the people in general seating to see how pathetic she was, all by herself and dateless.

  She pulled the cell phone from her purse and found her best friend’s number in the texting program. I’m leaving at intermission, Carlie. This was a bad idea. The singing isn’t even good.

  The new star, Sierra Valentine, left the stage ten minutes earlier and it didn’t look like she’d be back until the next act. No one else had an ounce of talent, and Shelley wasn’t used to being on her own without a handsome date to distract her. Carlie had urged her to be independent and stop searching for a man to fulfill her life—easy for Carlie to say, since she was engaged to a wonderful man. Going to the opera alone was a ridiculous way for Shelley to start her independent lifestyle.

  Her phone beeped. Just sip your wine and enjoy. I know you’re nervous. You can do this.

  Of course Carlie would say that. The eternal optimist. Even hunted by assassins for six years and later betrayed by the only two people she trusted, Carlie still saw the good in every situation.

  My wine isn’t here yet, Shelley responded. I thought you said Nick took care of everything.

  LOL. It will be there at intermission. Relax. See you in a week. Enjoy yourself in New York. You can always call me tomorrow before I go in fo
r surgery.

  Shelley shook her head. She should be home with her friend, holding Carlie’s hand while she worried about going in for plastic surgery in the morning. Even though she had lied to Carlie for the first year they knew each other, their friendship had grown strong in the past few months. Though Carlie knew Shelley’s name was actually Felicia, Carlie told her to be whoever she wished—she wasn’t bound by her past.

  Since her past as Felicia didn’t hold much she was proud of, Shelley thought it would be nice to start over as someone new. The old her would have found a man by now to take to a hotel room and have wild sex, not caring about anything else. She wanted to change that. The new her should be home with Carlie, helping her through this rough time. But Carlie would never go for that.

  She decided to try one last time. I could catch a red-eye and be there by morning.

  A noise sounded behind her as Shelley’s phone alerted her to an incoming message. “Leave the wine by the door,” she said without looking over her shoulder.

  That’s a big NO. I’m baking and I’m fine. Let yourself have some fun. Talk to you later.

  “I don’t have wine,” said a deep voice behind her, “and I need your help.”

  Shelley whirled around with a gasp. Though the lights were low in the private box, she could make out the features of a man standing in the doorway quite well. His brown hair feathered away from his forehead and a well-tailored suit hugged his lean body. He appeared to be in his early thirties or so, the same age as Shelley.

  “What are you doing in here?” she demanded.

  “I thought this box was empty, but I don’t have a choice now. I’m out of time.” The stranger stepped into the box and closed the door. He crossed the short distance between them and took the chair next to her, leaning further into the shadows. “Look, I don’t want to put you in danger,” he said, “but I’m in trouble.”

  “Obviously.” Shelley clutched her purse, now glad Nick had made arrangements for her to keep her gun even though New York City had strict rules against them. “What kind of trouble?”

  The man swallowed audibly and looked at the doorway behind them. “Just pretend I’m your boyfriend and we’re enjoying the show together when some men come looking for me. I’ve been here the entire time, okay?”

  “Not okay.” Shelley tucked a strand of long black hair behind her ear and raised an eyebrow. “Who are you running from?”

  He shook his head. “It’s better if you don’t know.”

  Slipping her hand into her purse, Shelley pulled out the gun and pointed it at the stranger. “I really think it’s better that I do.”

  “Holy shit!” He raised his hands. “For a town with so many gun laws, you all certainly pack a lot of heat.”

  She lowered the gun slightly. “You saw someone else with a gun?”

  “Two men.” He nodded. “They killed that girl, Sierra, and caught me watching them. I wanted to help her, but I don’t have a gun and—”

  “Sierra Valentine, the star of this show?”

  He closed his eyes and his face paled. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

  A muffled yell came from the box beside them and a woman’s voice exclaimed, “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “They’re almost here,” the stranger said softly. “If you don’t help me, they’ll kill me.”

  Shelley put her finger to her lips, cautioning him to be quiet while she struggled to hear what happened in the box next to them. Voices rumbled on the other side of the wall, but she couldn’t decipher the words. The sound died down, and Shelley had to make a decision. They’d be here next. Did she trust this strange man and believe his story, or turn him in? He might actually be the person who killed Sierra if she was, in fact, dead. Maybe it was police officers looking for him, and he planned to escape.

  The door to her box opened, and Shelley made her decision. She leaned into the man, wrapping her arm around him and hiding her gun in the shadows along his side. She pitched her voice higher than normal. “I can’t wait for the wine, Fred. It makes me wild, and I’m about to get wild in here with you.” She pressed her mouth against his and ‘Fred’s’ arms circled her hesitantly, though he returned the kiss.

  Footfalls thudded onto the thin carpet when two men entered the space, and Shelley continued kissing the stranger. It was hard to appreciate the feel of his lips in the thrill of the moment since her heart pounded fast with fear, but not impossible. ‘Fred’ ran his tongue across her top lip and a twinge of excitement arched through her. Trying to remind herself she’d sworn off men for a while, she ignored how good he smelled and how long it had been since she’d enjoyed a man’s company.

  After a moment, she pulled away. “Looks like the wine’s here, lover.” She turned her attention to the doorway, though kept her face hidden mostly from view. “Set that by the door and leave. We’re busy.”

  “We don’t have wine,” replied a gruff voice. “We’re looking for someone.”

  The stranger’s hand spasmed against the back of Shelley’s dress, and her heart did a little spasm of its own. She knew that voice. If the men saw her clearly, she was in as much trouble as her new friend.

  Trying even harder to disguise her voice, Shelley did her best to sound angry and not nervous. “Then get out of here. This is a private box, and I don’t do group parties. Whoever you’re looking for isn’t here. Don’t make me complain to management.”

  Letting her hair cascade around her face to mask it from view, she turned toward the door and climbed onto Fred’s chair, hitching her silk dress upward to straddle his lap. Carefully hidden in her hair and shadows, she chanced a closer look at the men before pressing her mouth against the stranger’s now unresponsive lips.

  Just as she feared. Not even Nick would argue if Shelley shot the pair in front of her. She readied her gun on the far side of the chair. If they came any closer, she’d have little choice.

  What were Stephen and Terrance doing at an opera house? It was an awfully suspicious coincidence. Had Paul Billings somehow discovered she would be here and decided to take her out? Why would he? Three months had passed since she betrayed him. Shelley didn’t think he would risk his freedom just to kill her.

  Chancing another glance, she saw Stephen nudge his darker counterpoint and nod at the doorway with a shake of his head.

  “Sorry we bothered you, ma’am. No need to complain to anyone,” he said. “We wandered into the wrong box by accident.”

  “Then move it along, we’re busy.” Shelley let out a fake giggle and buried her face into the stranger’s neck. “Oh, Fred, you know just where to tickle me.”

  The door closed and the sound of footsteps retreating down the hallway slowly faded. Shelley waited a few more heartbeats before sliding off ‘Fred’s’ lap, ignoring the way his hand skimmed across her hip. She pulled her purple dress straight and ran a hand across her hair to tame it. “This isn’t good.”

  “You know them?” he asked.

  She returned to her chair and dropped the handgun into her purse. “First things first. What’s your name and what are you doing here?”

  “I’m Gavin. Gavin Hart.” He swallowed hard and looked away from her. “It’s a bit harder to explain what I’m doing here.”

  “But you aren’t with those men?”

  Gavin’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy? They want to kill me.” He shuddered. “They know I saw them murder the singer.”

  “Good point.” She had to get out of here and call Nick. He needed to know their old pals were in New York. First, she had to find out what Gavin knew. “I helped you. Now I need you to help me.”

  He stood and paced the area in front of their chairs. “So you do know those men?”

  Shelley sighed and nodded. “We have a common enemy, Gavin. Guess that makes us friends.”

  Chapter Two

  Gavin looked into the clear blue eyes of his pretty new ‘friend.’ It was hard to know if he should trust her. Then again, after wa
tching the murder of one woman tonight, if those men were after her too, he’d do what he could to help her.

  “Okay, friend,” he said. “What’s your name?”

  Hesitating, she looked away before answering softly, “Shelley Daniels.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She crossed her legs elegantly and sighed. “I haven’t always been, but that doesn’t matter.”

  Gavin shrugged, willing to drop the matter. She must have reasons for changing her name, and they weren’t his business. “Okay, Shelley. What’s our plan?”

  Her eyes met his and she seemed a bit surprised—probably expecting him to hound her more about her name. Finally, she tucked some hair behind her ear and glanced at the doorway. “Intermission’s about to start,” she said. “The halls will be crowded then, and we can sneak out. It’s important we get away from them. I can’t be sure they aren’t after me in the first place. No matter why they’re really here, if they recognize me, they will kill me.”

  Shuddering slightly, Gavin wondered what he’d gotten himself into. It was supposed to be an easy job. Grab the diamonds, leave the fakes in their place, deliver the goods, and make enough money to disappear without any fuss.

  Now he had witnessed a murder and was sitting with a woman who was involved in it somehow. Gavin didn’t know if the money was worth it.

  “Where should we go when we leave here?” he asked. It occurred to him that running around town with millions of dollars worth of diamonds in his pocket wasn’t the smartest idea. Plus, his client would contact him soon, wanting the goods.

  Shelley jumped up and paced in front of the half-wall of the balcony. “I think we’ll be safe at my hotel. Well...unless Paul somehow found out where I’m staying.”

  “Paul?” That name rang a bell and Gavin finally placed it. “Sierra said she didn’t want Paul to get the diamonds. Who is he?”

  Shelley whirled around, her black hair whipping across her face. “Diamonds? He’s after diamonds?” She put her hands on her hips, which strained the low-cut top of her purple dress when her large breasts jutted out further. “Do you know why?”

  Gavin forced his gaze up to her big blue eyes. Shelley had an air about her that warned him not to get caught checking out her other assets. “They talked about bracelets and something called say-toe? I didn’t understand it all.”