Confer, Lorelei - Deadly Revenge (BookStrand Publishing Romance)
Read Confer, Lorelei - Deadly Revenge (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Online
Authors: Lorelei Confer
Deadly Revenge
Tory Richards returns to North Carolina to help her mother set up a B&B, never expecting to stumble across several murder victims, fall in love, or get abducted by human traffickers.
Fortunately, when she’s run off the road on her way into town, Dave Miller, who is working undercover on the task force for human trafficking, comes to her aid. She blows off the near fatal accident as just that—an accident—but she rethinks her position once events escalate.
Someone is trying to kill Tory. Failing that, she’s being set up as a suspect in four murders. As Dave falls more deeply for Tory, how will he tell her who he is and what he does? Will she ever trust him?
Trust becomes a moot point when Tory is abducted and everything points to the group of human traffickers Dave’s had under surveillance. He calls in the task force, but will they reach Tory before she’s used as a sex slave?
Genre:
Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Length:
54,429 words
DEADLY REVENGE
Lorelei Confer
ROMANCE
www.BookStrand.com
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A SIREN-BOOKSTRAND TITLE
IMPRINT: Romance
DEADLY REVENGE
Copyright © 2011 by Lorelei Confer
E-book ISBN: 1-61034-471-5
First E-book Publication: June 2011
Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
My special thanks go to my husband and family members for allowing me the freedom to pursue my dreams.
I would like to acknowledge and thank the local task force of human trafficking for providing invaluable research information as well as continuing their hard work in the community. Also, many thanks to the International Advocacy Council for the awareness programs they provide.
Also, my local Chapter of Romance Writers of America (TARA), whose classes are invaluable and vital to learning the craft of writing.
Please take note of all Editors, Cover Artists, and people at Siren-BookStrand who work behind the scenes to make this book possible, and I’d like to acknowledge them as well.
And as always, thank YOU, the reader. As much as I love writing these stories, it’s always nice to know someone is enjoying them.
LORELEI CONFER
Copyright © 2011
Chapter 1
At the usual morning briefing, Richard Mullins, agent in charge of the two task forces assigned to Human Sex Trafficking, asked partners Dave Miller and Wyatt Bowman to stay behind.
“Come on in,” Mullins said as he moved piles of papers around on his desk. His office was small and lined with filled book cases, just the way he liked it.
Wyatt and Dave sat in the two chairs made available for them while Mullins remained standing.
“Let’s get right to the point. As you both know we’ve been able to completely dismantle a number of human trafficking organizations. And that’s what we have to do with this next case, not just rescue the victims.”
Mullins began pacing in the small space. “Dave, you can take your six-month leave of absence in North Carolina as long as you’re willing to be on call and do some undercover surveillance. It’s our understanding that there may be a trafficking trail through the mountains into the Washington, D.C. area. We understand that North Carolina is the eighth largest state for trafficking because of easy access from Hwy 95 north and south and Hwy 38 east and west. That also leads a direct trail into D.C. We don’t want to catch the traffickers as much as we need to catch the leaders of their organization. A team here will be on standby, just make the call. Wyatt, I’d like you to handle the team going from here to there when or if it gets to that, understood?” Mullins asked as he looked back and forth between the two, first Dave and then Wyatt.
Wyatt drummed his lips with his fingers and ran his hand through his thick hair.
“Isabella’s due this month, so I can’t promise anything except to brief the agent-in-charge, when they’re ready to make their move.”
“That will be Sam Brower,” Mullins said as he pulled his earlobe and ran his hand across his face.
“Dave, how’s that sound to you?” Mullins asked as he sat in his chair behind the desk.
“Sure, I can leave in the morning. I’m actually looking forward to it but I’m not sure why.” Dave rubbed his chin as if thinking.
“Great! I’ll contact Chief Michael Carr in Hickoryville, North Carolina that you’ll be there, working undercover trying to locate the rendezvous location so he can assist you. Keep up the good work. It’s a small town with lots of interesting people. The locals are generally reliable, and we’ve worked with
Carr before.”
Chapter 2
Well, well, well, Tory Richards coming back to town after all these years. I wonder what she wants. Or better yet “who?” This can’t be good.
Twenty-six-year-old Tory Richards’s white-knuckled fingers gripped the car’s steering wheel, as she drove around the sweeping mountain curves and switchbacks. Out of practice driving on narrow curvy roads in the North Carolina Mountains, she dreaded the trip home, and approached the challenge with caution.
I could do without any additional tension.
But when she partially rolled down her car window and took a deep breath of the fresh, woodsy, pine-scented air, she remembered how much she loved these mountains.
On this cool spring day, the age-old trees swayed in the light breeze, some just budding, others in full bloom. Blossoming Dogwood, Mountain Laurel, and apple trees peaked in all their glory among the majestic pines and oaks.
She dreaded the inevitability of running into Matt. The fear of facing the truth, the past humiliation, and deceit wouldn’t go away. Explaining her reasons for leaving Matt at the altar two years ago would mean closure for her. She’d face her demon and finally move on. The thought of seeing him again brought back familiar panic. Her heart pounded in her chest, constricting her breathing, and the lingering ache became almost uncontrollable.
Suddenly, a large black car with dark, tinted windows sped from behind, passed her, pushing into her lane of the road. Tory slammed on the brakes and jerked the steering wheel to the right to avoid being sideswiped. Her car bounced over and onto the berm, slammed into the side wall of a drainage canal running along the side of the road, finally coming to a stop in the shallow ditch.
The force of the crash whipped her head left, hitting the edge of the open window and then backward, hard against the headrest. Stars filled her eyes. A slow stream of something warm and wet trickled down her left cheek from somewhere above her left eye dropping onto her blouse. The pain started high on her forehead and radiated down the whole left side of her face.
Laying her head back against the headrest, she drifted down a dark tunnel. When she heard someone talking to her from a distance, she turned to the open window and looked into a man’s fuzzy, fish-bowl-like face. She blinked once or twice, and the man’s concerned expression came into focus.
She didn’t know him, but she’d like to. He had an attractive face, a strong jaw. He looked dependable, a take-charge kind of guy. He must have pulled off the road behind her to help, she thought.
“Do you need an ambulance?”
She shook her head and winced when a wave of dizziness along with nausea washed through her.
