Deadly Rumors Read online

  “ZOE, THERE’S A SIZZLE BETWEEN US AND AS MUCH AS WE TRY TO FIGHT IT, IT’S GROWING HOTTER AND HOTTER.”

  “We’re not on some romantic getaway, we’re supposed to be finding closure for a family. Why don’t you keep focused on what’s important? Maybe I should’ve taken this trip alone.”

  “Because you can’t control yourself? I know what’s at stake here, Zoe. I’m not going to do anything to put you in danger.”

  “Put me in danger?”

  “You know what I mean,” he said, then quickly looked away from her. “Zoe, trust and believe when the time is right, I’m going to make love to you and you won’t forget how I made you feel.”

  Also by Cheris Hodges

  Just Can’t Get Enough

  Let’s Get It On

  More Than He Can Handle

  Betting on Love

  No Other Lover Will Do

  His Sexy Bad Habit

  Too Hot for TV

  Recipe for Desire

  Forces of Nature

  Love after War

  Rumor Has It

  I Heard a Rumor

  Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.

  Deadly Rumors

  CHERIS HODGES

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  “ZOE, THERE’S A SIZZLE BETWEEN US AND AS MUCH AS WE TRY TO FIGHT IT, IT’S GROWING HOTTER AND HOTTER.”

  Also by Cheris Hodges

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Epilogue

  Teaser chapter

  To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

  DAFINA BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2017 by Cheris Hodges

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  Dafina and the Dafina logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  ISBN: 978-1-4967-0928-8

  First Kensington Mass Market Edition: November 2017

  eISBN-13: 978-1-4967-0929-5

  eISBN-10: 1-4967-0929-5

  First Kensington Electronic Edition: November 2017

  Chapter 1

  Zoe Harrington was a marked woman and she didn’t have a clue. FBI Agent Carver Banks watched Zoe as she watched a man who, he assumed, was a cheating husband. Over the last two months, Zoe’s cases had been simple: catch the cheat, prove a parent was neglectful, or that someone violated a protective order. Carver liked it that way. She was safe. At least for now.

  After the alert he’d gotten on Friday, he knew Zoe was anything but safe. The only thing missing was a red target on her back. There was something else he knew, as well: If Zoe knew she was under surveillance, there would be hell to pay.

  Guns would be pulled, bad words exchanged, and there’s a good chance that he’d be nursing a gunshot wound. Carver chuckled, thinking about Zoe pulling a gun on him and having the nerve to shoot him.

  It was a risk he’d have to take. Until the threat against her was neutralized, he had to protect her. And Zoe Harrington wasn’t the kind of woman who needed protection—at least not in her mind—and she certainly wouldn’t accept his help. She thought he was her enemy, when that was the last thing he was.

  Carver smirked to himself. The feisty Zoe had a smart mouth, but she was a hell of a kisser. Too bad she assumed the kisses and passion they’d shared two years earlier hadn’t been real.

  It had been very real to him. Unforgettable. Carver couldn’t get the taste of Zoe out of his system. Not even when he had to arrest her on some trumped-up charges because of her ex-sister-in-law, Natalie.

  The moment he snapped those handcuffs on her had probably solidified her hate for him. But he’d been doing his job, setting a trap for Natalie and the sex traffickers she’d been linked to. And as he’d tried to explain this to Zoe, she wasn’t trying to hear anything he had to say.

  Carver wanted more than Zoe even knew—wanted her lips, hips, and thighs pressed again him. But she wouldn’t look at him through eyes that weren’t clouded with anger. And she had beautiful eyes, light brown with gold specks dancing in them.

  He understood why Zoe was still mad, but something had to change, and the sooner the better.

  * * *

  Zoe had noticed the black sedan following her about three blocks ago. “Time for some action,” she exclaimed as she made a quick U-turn and blew past the car that had been following her. She couldn’t get a look at the driver because of the dark tint on the windows, but she got a good look at the license plate. She made a mental note to run it through the DMV database when she made it to the office.

  This was the only thing she missed about police work. Driving like a maniac, weaving in and out of traffic without worrying about traffic violations. What she didn’t miss was the bullshit politics in the department and the stop-and-frisk edicts from superior officers that only seemed to target blacks and Hispanics. What she really didn’t miss was the thin blue line of silence that kept bad officers on the job and good ones silent. She’d made it her business in the first year of opening her firm to take all cases that were somehow related to the NYPD. She especially liked it when she worked a case that involved one of those upstanding captains who’d been caught with his pants down. She’d had three of those in the early days of her firm. Zoe was proud that she’d brought down two of the most arrogant captains in the NYPD because of their love of hookers. Seeing their faces splashed across the newspapers after their arrest made her feel as if she’d accomplished something great.

  Then, a few years ago, she’d taken the case of a family who wanted to prove police brutality against her old partner. Because of her work, seven officers were fired and one was indicted. Of course, there was no conviction. Zoe knew that case had made her a lot of enemies in the NYPD.

  Was that why she was being followed? Zoe thought about the cases she’d worked lately. Nothing stood out in her mind as threatening. And it wasn’t Natalie, because that trick was locked up. Maybe I’m being paranoid, she thought as she headed toward her office. Zoe kept an eye out for the car that had been following her. Satisfied that she’d shaken her tail, Zoe took the back road to her offi
ce. On the quiet two-lane road, if someone was following she would know immediately. Though no one was behind her when she arrived at her office, Zoe was surprised to see him standing on her doorstep.

  For a split second, she thought about ramming her car into him. But killing an FBI agent would be stupid, and the few hours she’d spent in lockup proved jail was not a place she could ever reside. Sighing, she slowly exited the car and crossed over to Carver Banks. Why did that man have to be so sinfully gorgeous? Even in a pair of nondescript black slacks and white button-up shirt, he made her mouth water. She remembered the feel of that muscular body against hers, the taste of his tongue in her mouth as he kissed her senseless. Too bad it had all been a lie.

  “You better have a warrant,” she snapped.

  “Hello to you, too, Zoe,” he said with a smile.

  Why did her knees go weak when she looked into his whiskey-brown eyes? She looked away. “Why are you here, Agent?”

  “Because I need you.”

  Zoe’s breath caught in her chest. “What?”

  “Can we go inside and talk?” He nodded toward the door and smiled.

  “Why were you following me?” She folded her arms across her chest. “I’ve had my fill of dealing with you and the FBI.”

  “Zoe, I’ll tell you everything, but it would be a lot better if we talked inside.”

  She rolled her eyes and then unlocked her office door. “I don’t have all night to talk to you. I just got finished working a case, and there’s paperwork that I’d like to get taken care of before I go home and get some rest. Can we make it fast?” She pushed the door open and flipped the overhead lights on. Carver gave her a slow once-over, seemingly drinking in her black leather leggings, black tank top and knee-high boots. Catching his glance, she raised her right eyebrow.

  “What? Did you lose something over here, or do you make a habit of ogling people who you claim to need?”

  “Nothing, you just look like—”

  “I was doing surveillance? Like I said, I don’t have all night to banter with you.”

  “I’m investigating a cold case, and though I’d like to say that the Bureau is making it a priority, they aren’t. We have some staffing issues in our office, so my superior gave me the green light to get some help. You were the first person I thought of.”

  Zoe eyed him quizzically. “Let me get this straight. You expect me to work with you?”

  “Of course, you will be paid for your work and—”

  “I don’t need your money, and working with you isn’t good for my business.” Zoe rolled her eyes and stroked her hair. Did he think she was going to be stuck in close quarters with him or take orders from him? Please! This man needed to get out of her office now. Just the scent of his masculinity was driving her crazy.

  “Zoe, you’re one of the best investigators that I know, despite the fact that you spend a lot of time working divorce cases these days.”

  “Are you judging me?” Zoe crossed over to her desk and sat down so that her knees would stop quaking. His gaze seemed to penetrate her soul. And as much as she didn’t want to think about it, her mind flashed back to the night they’d made love.

  “Never that, although you’ve spent a lot of time judging me for doing my job.”

  “That’s not why I judge you,” she said as she leaned back in her seat. “Why me, though? If I recall, the last time we saw each other, you wanted me in jail.”

  “I wanted to solve a case and your arrest was—”

  “The most embarrassing thing to ever happen to me.” Zoe slammed her hand on her desk. “And I don’t care what you said at that press conference, there are people who still think I had something to do with Natalie’s crimes.”

  “There’s a name for those people,” he said with a wink. “And that’s called stupid.” He walked over to her desk and leaned in to her. “So, when you go out and do your thing, you always dress like Catwoman?”

  Zoe sucked her teeth and ignored his comment and the way he eyed her breasts. “And why do you think I would take this case? The FBI has the strength of the government behind them. What can I add?”

  “A fresh set of eyes, a nice smile that disarms people, and you’re good at what you do, Zoe. Everything you do.”

  Her thighs trembled at the timbre of his voice. Had that night meant more to him than she gave him credit for? No. It was just him using her to solve a case. She would never forgive him for playing her like that.

  He took a step closer to her. “If you dress like this, I’m sure that we’ll get this case solved quickly.”

  “Get off it,” she snapped as she rose to her feet and went around her desk to stand in front of him. “I haven’t even said I’d take the case.”

  “I think you should,” he said.

  “Really couldn’t care less what you think,” she said with a sarcastic wink.

  “You know what I really think,” he said.

  Zoe glared at him. “What did I just say?”

  Carver shrugged. “You really look like you should kiss me.” Carver stroked her cheek as he smiled at her.

  She pushed back against his chest, her heart beating like a steel drum. “Not again, Agent. If I take this case, it is strictly business. Then again, that kiss was all business for you anyway.” Zoe rolled her eyes and stepped back from him.

  “Are you going to take the case?”

  “Haven’t decided yet.”

  “Good.” In a swift motion, Carver pulled her into his arms and captured her lips in a smoldering kiss. Zoe wanted to fight the pleasure that flowed through her body. She wanted to pretend his kiss didn’t arouse all sorts of wicked desire. Then she felt his hands roam the small of her back and she melted against him. He tasted magical and his heat made her wet. Her body’s traitorous reaction to his kiss made her angry. Pulling away, Zoe slapped him.

  “What was that for?” he asked, stroking his stinging jaw.

  “Keep your lips and hands to yourself!”

  “Why, you like it too much?”

  “You think too highly of yourself. I didn’t like it at all.”

  Carver pursed his lips as if he wanted to say something, but thought it was better to let Zoe’s lie hang in the air. She looked away from him and crossed over to her desk. They needed something between them other than temptation.

  “Are you sure you and the FBI can afford me? There will be no discounts,” she said, then licked her lips. Damn it. Why could she still taste him and why did she like it?

  “What?”

  “If I take the case, my rate is one fifty an hour plus expenses. If I have to leave New York, I fly first class.”

  “That’s fine,” he said. “My agent in charge gave me a generous budget to work with and—”

  “And I work alone. When you hire me, you give me control. I don’t want you telling me how I should do my job or hear about any tips that you may have to make my job easier. I’m boss here.”

  “Hold on. This is an official FBI investigation and I can’t just give you carte blanche to run the investigation without me,” Carver said.

  Zoe furrowed her eyebrows. “What’s this case all about, and if it’s so important, why is the FBI trying to outsource the work?”

  Carver took a deep breath. “It’s a missing persons case, and as much as I hate to say it, the media has spurred us to look into the case of Jessica Dolan.”

  “Who is Jessica Dolan?”

  Carver stroked his forehead and frowned. “She was a college student who went missing about three years ago. It was around the same time that a few college-age women were killed by the Bayou Serial Killer.”

  “I remember that case, but I thought the killer was caught?”

  Carver nodded. “He was, but we need closure for this family. The Dolans think that we dropped the ball on finding Jessica because she’s African American.”

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “I don’t doubt that. Blond hair and blue eyes sells newspapers and mobilizes search parties. Missing b
lack women barely get a nod in the media or with law enforcement. What’s so special about the Dolans?”

  Carver stroked his forehead. “They’re close friends of the former president,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons why the FBI has reopened the case and why it’s important to find her or her remains.”

  “Interesting, the only way you can get justice is to be connected? What about all of the other missing black women out there who don’t—”

  “Look, I wish I could find everyone who went missing, but despite what you and the public think, we don’t have an endless supply of resources. We need to get started sooner rather than later. I’ll see you in the morning,” he said. But Carver made no effort to move, and Zoe focused on his mouth as he stood there.

  No kiss this time? she thought. Stop it! You said this is just business and you need to keep your word.

  Carver stared at Zoe’s lips, longing to kiss her again. If he didn’t get his hormones under control, he was going to get everybody killed.

  “You can go now,” Zoe said after a tense silence. She knew that after seeing him, she wasn’t going to get any work done for the rest of the night. His masculine scent filled her office and she was sure it would linger and mess with her mind.

  “Aren’t you leaving as well?”

  “I don’t need an escort,” she replied.

  “Humor me.”

  Zoe rolled her eyes and allowed him to walk her outside. “Carver, I hope you know nothing has changed between us.”

  “I’m aware of that.”

  “This is strictly business.”

  “Zoe, you realize I was doing my job.”

  She rolled her eyes again. “Sure you were.”

  He closed the space between them. “You were, as well, so you can stop blaming me for everything.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You played the same covert game, so don’t act as if you didn’t do anything.”