Madison's Quest (29 page)

As the trail heats up, it isn’t the only thing burning hot
enough to melt steel. Bad boy Kieran finds the only way to keep his sexy little
pet detective safe may be tying her to his bed—permanently.

Cady’s Cowboy (Crime Tells 2)

When Sheriff Kix Branaman comes to the aid of a friend who
has been suspended from the racetrack because her horses tested positive for
cocaine, the last thing he expects to do is fall for a private investigator on
the case. But one look at Cady Montgomery has him just about ready to hand her
the rope to hog-tie him. And when she tells him to “tone down the randy ol’
cowboy routine” and keep things professional…well, that’s like waving a flag at
an excited bull.

As soon as Cady Montgomery sees the sheriff from Texas, she knows that he’s
trouble with a capital H for heartbreak. Lean, lanky, and gorgeous, he might as
well have stepped out of a “Sexy Cowboys of the West” calendar. She’d like to
keep her mind on the case, her heart out of risk, and her hormones under
control. But that’s going to be hard to do around Kix—especially when his sense
of humor and cowboy charm make her want to wrap her body around his and take
the ride of a lifetime.

Calista’s Men (Crime Tells 3)

“Have you ever wondered what it would be like with a
woman we actually cared about? One who belonged just to us? One who wanted more
from us than a good time… A woman we could have together or separately. One who
saw us as individuals who came as a package deal? One who was waiting for us at
the end of the day?”

“No.”

“No?”

“I like them easy and I like to share them with you. End
of story, Benito.”

Getting involved with any woman, much less one who might
ultimately drive a wedge between him and Benito, is the last thing Dante needs,
especially now, when his life is already in turmoil. The wealthy, influential
family of a murder suspect he killed in the line of duty is portraying him as a
trigger-happy vigilante, putting his career and reputation on the line.

But as soon as he sees Calista Burke—and witnesses Benito’s
identical reaction to her—he knows the stakes have just gotten higher and a
lifetime of never risking his heart is about to be put to the test.

Cole’s Gamble (Crime Tells 4)

Cole Maguire doesn’t have any trouble getting women into
his bed—or kicking them out of it. He’s always shuffled through them as if they
were cards in a deck. But now he’s on the run, trying to avoid Renata Reynolds
and his grandmother’s prediction of a wedding in his future.

Renata has fantasized about Cole for months. She prides
herself on being smart enough to stay away from him. He’s white, she’s black.
Dating is tricky enough without risking additional complications. And besides,
Cole’s a player whose name is spelled
heartbreak
as far as she’s concerned.

Little does she know when she discovers a murder victim
during a competitive trail ride that Cole’s grandmother is about to meddle and
call in a bet. He’s assigned the murder to solve. Renata’s given the story to
write. And close proximity does the rest.

Cole gambles he can walk away from Renata unattached and
unaffected. Renata gambles she can enjoy the fantasy without falling in love.
And both of them soon discover, losing a bet can be so much better than
winning.

Cade’s Dare (Crime Tells 5)

He’s wanted her for years, loved her for years, avoided her
for years, but now Cade Benson is ready to claim Grace Montgomery. She’s his
one
,
or more accurately,
their
one—if only Mace will commit.

A future that doesn’t include sharing Grace makes Cade break
out in a cold sweat. Desperation makes him issue a challenge.
Take her with
me once, I dare you.

Mace has every intention of refusing, but one look at Grace
after a night spent with Cade and there’s no way he can deny himself, not when
he’s craved her sweet submission for years. He’ll take Cade’s dare, gambling he
can survive the misery that’ll come afterward—when he walks away for his
brother’s sake.

Healing Seduction (connected story)

For years Lucca and Quade have shared women and enjoyed
games of sexual dominance. While she was married, Kiera was off-limits, even in
their fantasies. Now that she’s single, guilt and loyalty keep them from acting
on their desire.

At twenty-six, Kiera has been a widow for almost as long as
she was a wife. Before pain and loss stripped her bare and changed her, she’d
never craved the things Lucca and Quade want in the bedroom. Now she does. She
knows they love her. But for them to have a future together, she needs to break
through their emotional barriers.

Unknown to them, she’s got a plan. And if it works, Quade
and Lucca won’t be able to resist her healing seduction.

Fog turned the cemetery into shades of black and gray. It
lay on those gathered around the grave, a wet, heavy shroud muting the sounds
of grieving as the priest spoke his final words and mourners moved toward the
immediate family.

Cathal didn’t cross to offer his condolences though his
mother did, resplendent in designer black and tasteful jewelry. He remained in
place even as his father and uncle departed without a word.

They glided through the fog like a pair of ravens, black
coats shiny with moisture. Harbingers of death, he thought, knowing that
scattered among the mourners were police as well as FBI and ATF agents.

He lingered, trying to recall the dead girl’s face, to
dredge up personal memories of Caitlyn, something beyond the smiling
photographs present in the funeral home. He failed. All that came to him were
thoughts of his cousin, Brianna, and with it, guilt over how seldom their lives
intersected.

In the span of a year Brianna had lost her mother and
brother.

And now this.

Drugs and gang rape and the death of a friend.

Insanity and murder, if not by intention, then by end
result.

He should have made more time for her. He should have . . .

With an acknowledgment of failure, he left the gravesite,
returning to the long line of automobiles parked against the curb, transport
back to everyday life.

Two heavily muscled men emerged from the gloom as his father
and uncle neared identical dark-windowed Mercedes. The men opened back doors,
then stood, waiting at attention like the soldiers they were.

Words passed between the brothers. Icy intensity rather than
heated argument, accompanied by a glance in his direction before his uncle
climbed into a car and was driven away.

A sense of foreboding settled around him but he didn’t slow
his footsteps or refuse when his father indicated with a wave that he was to
get into the back of the remaining Mercedes. He surrendered his cell phone, a
precaution against being listened in on by the authorities, then got into the
car.

The doors closed, walling off sound and the possibility of
being overheard. His father’s eyes locked onto his. “The animals responsible
for this can’t go unpunished.”

Despite knowing his father’s idea of justice involved a shot
to the back of the head and an unmarked grave, he said, “I agree.”

“Good.”

The tension left his father. “Good,” he repeated. “A source
passed on a name at the funeral. There’s an artist who can help us identify the
guilty parties. But there’s a complication.”

The sense of foreboding deepened. “What complication?”

“She
might
be related to a cop. The guy who passed on
the name didn’t know whether it was true or not. All he could say for sure was
that she’s got a freaky way with victims.”

“So call in a favor. Have a case file opened. There’s enough
about what happened to Brianna and Caitlyn to force an investigation. Let the
police make arrangements with the artist. Let them handle it officially and
prosecute the guilty parties.”

His father tilted his head toward the empty parking place in
front of the Mercedes. “This is personal business. Something your uncle and I
need to take care of ourselves. The sooner the better. If you were around
more—and I’m not saying you should be, I understand your reasons and I respect
your decision—then you’d know Denis isn’t thinking straight. First losing Margo
then Brian. Now this.

“He’s hurting. And a man in that much pain is capable of
striking out, damn the consequences. That’s why I’m asking you to run
interference here, to minimize the collateral damage by approaching this woman.
Pull the right strings to get her to visit Brianna and come up with pictures of
the responsible parties.

“Maybe it’ll be simple. Cash for services rendered. Maybe
she wants to be a rock star and you can make it happen for her. Maybe she’s
lonely and you can convince her between the sheets. Show her a little love so
she’ll
want
to help out here and be willing to keep quiet about it
afterwards. If you set your mind to it, you can get it done.”

“And if I don’t? If I can’t?”

His father shrugged. “Then my conscience is clear. I’ve
tried to do the right thing, walk the line as much as I can given the
situation. But I’m not going to stand between Denis and the animals responsible
for drugging and raping his baby girl. I’m not going to turn my back on family.
Justice will be served on behalf of those two girls, regardless of whether you
involve yourself in this matter or not.”

Cathal curled his hand into a fist and fought the urge to
answer the verbal jab. He looked beyond his father, at the mourners moving
through the fog, leaving Caitlyn to be lowered into her grave.

After a lifetime of keeping his distance, of staying clear
of his father and uncle’s business, he wondered if he was about to take the
first step on a slippery slope that ended in prison or violent death for most
of those who took it.

“How much time do I have to convince her?”

Thanks to Jennifer Kiziah and Sue-Ellen Gower for helping
me make this the best story it could be!

I’ve been writing since childhood and have never outgrown
being a daydreamer. When I’m not hunched over my computer, lost in the muse and
conjuring up new heroes and heroines, I can usually be found reading, riding
horses, or walking dogs.

My stories have won numerous awards, as well as been
national best sellers. I live in California with my husband and a menagerie of
pets.

I love connecting with readers! Visit my website at
http://www.jorystrong.com
or contact me at
[email protected]
. I can also be
found on
Twitter
and
Facebook
.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and
are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,
organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Madison’s Quest

Copyright © 2014 by Valerie Christenson

Edited by Sue-Ellen Gower

Cover design by Rae Monet, Inc. Design

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used
or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in
the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

Excerpt of Inked Magic copyright © 2012 by Valerie
Christenson