Kat Martin is back with another thrilling Maximum Security novella filled with danger, suspense and one smoldering road trip to the mountains of Mexico!
When her best friend’s son is kidnapped, private detective Lissa Blayne drops everything to focus on the missing boy. Julie and Lissa have been close for years, so when Julie’s friend Colt Wheeler joins the investigation, Lissa bristles at the former ranger’s take-charge attitude. Lissa doesn’t need a man calling the shots, even if there is something about Colt’s protective side that has her tough exterior melting away. As Lissa and Colt take their search on the road, the tension between them slowly morphs into trust and understanding--and they’ll need both in order to outsmart the dangerous abductor they’re tracking. The only thing hotter than their attraction is the heat of the Mexican sun, but this road trip is no vacation...
“[A] master of suspenseful romance...Martin doesn’t hold back on the page-turning thrills or steamy love scenes.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Kat Martin is a fast gun when it comes to storytelling, and I love her books.”
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller
“Drugs, lies, corruption, and long-held secrets are at the core of this hard-hitting romance and well-done series opener.”
—Library Journal on The Conspiracy
“An un-put-downable page-turner…sure to satisfy fans of romance and thrillers alike.”
—Kirkus Reviews on The Deception
“Martin is a terrific storyteller.”
—Booklist
“It doesn’t matter what Martin’s characters are up against—she dishes up romantic suspense, sizzling sex and international intrigue.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Martin revs the power from page one.... Fans of romantic suspense won’t be able to put [The Deception] down until the final page is turned.”
—Publishers Weekly
Also available from
Kat Martin
Maximum Security
The Conspiracy
Wait Until Dark (prequel novella)
The Deception
Shadows at Dawn (novella)
The Raines of Wind Canyon
Against the Mark
Against the Edge
Against the Odds
Against the Sun
Against the Night
Against the Storm
Against the Law
Against the Fire
Against the Wind
Don’t miss The Ultimate Betrayal, Kat Martin’s next book in the Maximum Security series from HQN, in stores August 2020.
To see the complete list of titles available from Kat Martin, please visit www.katmartin.com.
Before Nightfall
Kat Martin
Contents
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
Epilogue
Excerpt from The Ultimate Betrayal by Kat Martin
CHAPTER ONE
“LISSA? LISSA, IT—it’s Julie. I’m really sorry to bother you, but Raymond... Ray’s in town. I haven’t seen him in years and now he’s here. He’s on his way over—right now! I’m scared, Liss. He says he wants to see his kids. I don’t know what to do.”
With the phone gripped tightly in her hand, Lissa Blayne, a private detective at the Dallas branch of Maximum Security, rose behind her desk.
“I’m on my way,” she said. “Just hang on until I get there. Where are the kids?”
“They’re still in school. They’ll be home any minute.”
“Okay, just try to stay calm and I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
Julie Douglas was Lissa’s best friend, had been since their freshman year at Pleasant View High School. They were an odd match, Julie born into an upper-middle-class family, while Lissa lived with her single mom, who had barely been able to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.
Then Julie’s family had moved to Houston in her senior year and the two of them had lost touch. They hadn’t seen each other until Julie moved back to Dallas three years ago, where their friendship resumed as if they’d never been apart.
Lissa thought of Julie’s frantic phone call. They had talked about her friend’s disastrous first marriage and her abusive husband, Ray Spearman. He’d been out of her life for eight years. A month ago Julie had started receiving text messages, then a phone call demanding to see the children he had abandoned.
Julie believed he was dangerous.
Lissa believed in being prepared.
Opening the bottom drawer of her desk, she took her SIG Sauer P226 out of the metal gun safe and clipped the holster to the belt on her black stretch jeans. The SIG was Dallas PD standard issue, the same type of weapon she had used when she’d been a detective in the vice division. She’d only pulled it when absolutely necessary, but it always felt like an old friend in her hand.
She headed for the rear of the office, which was done in a Western theme, with lots of oak and burgundy leather, a perfect match for the rugged individuals who worked at The Max.
She detoured by the front desk to speak to the receptionist, Mindy Stewart.
“A friend of mine’s in trouble, Min. Can you call Mack Handley at Dallas PD and cancel my three o’clock appointment?”
Being former DPD, Lissa got a lot of cooperation from the department. She was currently working with the mother of an overdose victim who had hired her to find the person who had sold her daughter the drugs.
“Don’t worry,” Mindy said, pushing her round tortoiseshell glasses up on her nose. “I’ll take care of it. Just do whatever you need to.”
They were close friends, as Lissa was with the rest of The Max crew—a mix of PIs, bounty hunters, and bodyguards. Most of them were former military or law enforcement, including Chase Garrett, the owner, and his brother, Brandon. Reese Garrett ran the oil and gas company the brothers owned that made them multi-millionaires.
Jaxon Ryker had been a navy SEAL, Jonah Wolfe was former DPD, and Jason Maddox had been Marine Special Ops.
“Thanks, kiddo,” Lissa said to Mindy. “I owe you one.”
Physically, the two women were exact opposites, Mindy petite and curvy with long dark hair and blue eyes, Lissa five-ten, lean and sinewy, with short blond hair and brown eyes.
Shoving out the back door into the summer heat, Lissa headed for her black Camaro. The color was a definite drawback this time of year, but the sexy design and powerful engine made it worth a little discomfort until the air conditioner kicked in and cooled the red leather interior.
She turned the air
