For the Tactical Crime Division,
No Case is Left Cold.
When Benning Reeves’s twins are kidnapped, the frantic father knows who can help: the Tactical Crime Division and Ana Ramirez. Even though Ana once shattered Benning’s heart, the special agent is the only one he can trust. But Ana is still tormented by the unresolved case that brought them together years before—a case somehow entangled with Benning’s children. It’s up to the TCD and Ana to discover why...before it’s too late.
“Is that what this is for you, Ana? Just another job? Because this case is definitely a lot more personal to me.”
Benning maneuvered around the counter, and his bare chest nearly pressed against her arm. He set his hand over hers, her quick gasp searing through him. Her warmth penetrated past skin and muscle, deep into his bones. “After what you told me about the Samantha Davis case, I realize now how hard it must’ve been for you to come back here, and you’re standing there as if none of it affects you. But is that how you really feel?”
He wanted—no, needed—to know. Was this going to play out exactly as it had between them the last time? Had he made a mistake requesting her to work this case?
Her mouth parted. “I...”
Skimming his fingers along the back of her hand, he trailed a path up her arm to her jaw, and all of his thoughts burned away. There was only the two of them...
MIDNIGHT ABDUCTION
Nichole Severn
Nichole Severn writes explosive romantic suspense with strong heroines, heroes who dare challenge them and a hell of a lot of guns. She resides with her very supportive and patient husband, as well as her demon spawn, in Utah. When she’s not writing, she’s constantly injuring herself running, rock climbing, practicing yoga and snowboarding. She loves hearing from readers through her website, www.nicholesevern.com, and on Twitter, @nicholesevern.
Books by Nichole Severn
Harlequin Intrigue
Rules in Blackmail
Rules in Rescue
Rules in Deceit
Rules in Defiance
Midnight Abduction
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Ana Sofia Ramirez—She’s out for redemption. Recruited by the Tactical Crime Division’s director from the Bureau’s missing-persons’ division after her last case ended with a dead victim, she’s more determined than ever to recover Benning Reeves’s son.
Benning Reeves—Single father and small-town building inspector who’s come across evidence of a murder hidden on one of his construction sites; the cost of discovery has led to the kidnapping of his six-year-old twins.
Olivia and Owen Reeves—Benning’s six-year-old twins.
Evan Duran—Tactical Crime Division’s hostage negotiator, who’s fully invested in recovering Benning Reeves’s son due to his own dark past of losing his sister as a child.
JC Cantrell—Tactical Crime Division’s tactical-operations specialist, who’s good at planting bugs, leading surveillance ops or coming up with a ruse to distract someone.
Tactical Crime Division—Rapid-deployment team of FBI agents specializing in hostage negotiation, missing persons, IT, profiling, shootings and terrorism with Director Jill Pembrook at the head.
I have enough self-awareness to know I worked damn hard on this book, so I’m dedicating it to me.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Nichole Severn for her contribution to the Tactical Crime Division miniseries.
Contents
Prologue
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
Excerpt from Evasive Action by Carol Ericson
Prologue
They warned him not to go to the police.
He couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe.
Forcing one foot in front of the other, he tried to ignore the gut-wrenching pain at the base of his skull where the kidnapper had slammed him into his kitchen floor and knocked him unconscious. Owen. Olivia. They were out there. Alone. Scared. He hadn’t been strong enough to protect them, but he wasn’t going to stop trying to find them. Not until he got them back.
A wave of dizziness tilted the world on its axis, and he collided with a wooden street pole. Shoulder-length hair blocked his vision as he fought to regain balance. He’d woken up a little less than fifteen minutes ago, started chasing after the taillights of the SUV as it’d sped down the unpaved road leading into town. He could still taste the dirt in his mouth. They couldn’t have gotten far. Someone had to have seen something...
Humidity settled deep into his lungs despite the dropping temperatures, sweat beading at his temples as he pushed himself upright. Moonlight beamed down on him, exhaustion pulling at every muscle in his body, but he had to keep going. He had to find his kids. They were all he had left. All that mattered.
Colorless, worn mom-and-pop stores lining the town’s main street blurred in his vision.
A small group of teenagers—at least what looked like teenagers—gathered around a single point on the sidewalk ahead. The kidnapper had sped into town from his property just on the outskirts, and there were only so many roads that would get the bastard out. Maybe someone in the group could point him in the right direction. He latched on to a kid brushing past him by the collar. “Did you see a black SUV speed through here?”
The boy—sixteen, seventeen—shook his head and pulled away. “Get off me, man.”
The echo of voices pierced through the ringing in his ears as the circle of teens closed in on itself in front of Sevierville’s oldest hardware store. His lungs burned with shallow breaths as he searched the streets from his position in the middle of the sidewalk. Someone had to have seen something. Anything. He needed—
“She’s bleeding!” a girl said. “Someone call for an ambulance!”
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Someone had been hurt? Pushing through the circle of onlookers, he caught sight of pink pajama pants and bright purple toenails. He surrendered to the panic as recognition flared. His heart threatened to burst straight out of his chest as he lunged for the unconscious six-year-old girl sprawled across the pavement. Pain shot through his knees as he scooped her into his arms. “Olivia!”
Chapter One
“Congratulations, Ramirez.” Director Jill Pembrook swiped her index finger across the tablet’s screen
