A baby left on a doorstep, an heiress presumed deadand murder? Check out this classic thrilling romance by New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis!
Brazilian heiress Terry Monteverde was supposedly killed in a tragic accident. But how could a dead woman give birth to a baby? Bounty hunter Rick Singleton goes underground in Rio to find out. His only lead is Terrys sister, Nina Monteverde. Shes sweet, shyand not telling what she knows. Ricks a dangerous man to cross, but Ninas not afraidRick is. Hes defenseless against her innocent charm. And that scares the hell out of him.
A contemporary romance.
Previously published.
My God, its not you.
The man stared at her, his gaze measuring. Its close.... Once again he studied the picture, then carefully searched her face. Really close. But no cigar. What do you know about this woman? What did you call her...Terry? Where can I find her?
Nina nearly let out a laugh, but it would have been half-hysterical, so she put her hand to her mouth and shook her head.
I need to talk to her.
You...cant, she said, wishing for something to rescue her from this nightmare.
Why not?
She died last September.
His frown deepened. Try again, lady.
Nina shook off the fear and found her temper. I dont know who you are, but there is a guard right inside, and
Dont call him. I just want some answers. I need to talk to her.
No. Terry was dead.
And she needed to remain so.
Everything depended on her remaining so.
JILL SHALVIS has been making up stories since she could hold a pencil. Now, thankfully, she gets to do it for a living, and doesnt plan to ever stop. Jill is a bestselling, award-winning author of over two dozen novels who has hit the Waldenbooks bestsellers lists, is a 2000 RITA® Award nominee and a two-time National Readers Choice Award winner. Jills first single title, The Street Where She Lives, appeared last October and she is hard at work on a new one.
Hero for Hire
Jill Shalvis
www.millsandboon.co.uk
MILLS & BOON
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Dear Reader,
Ive written over two dozen novels, and this one, Hero for Hire, was my favorite. Okay, so I say that about every book I finish.
Nina Monteverde has a few secrets, one of which is that shes never trusted a soul to see the real Nina. Rick Singleton hates secrets. Hes a dangerous, edgy, brooding bounty hunter still paying for the one fatal mistake that changed his life. When they are forced by circumstances to work together, sparks fly.
So does a very unwelcome heat between them, a heat that deepens quickly both in sultry Rio de Janeiro and the untamed Amazon jungle, becoming the most terrifying thing of all: love.
I love to hear from redaers. You can write me at P.O. Box 3945, Truckee, CA 96160-3945. For a complete list of my books, please visit www.jillshalvis.com.
Thanks, and happy reading!
Jill Shalvis
CONTENTS
Cover
Back Cover Text
About the Author
Title Page
Dear Reader
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
Extract
Copyright
PROLOGUE
FRUSTRATION BOILED UP inside, crawling, screaming to be let out.
What to do?
It should be so simple. There were only three things worth having in lifewealth, power and physical beauty.
Yet none had been obtained, which fried the blood. Others had gotten what they wanted. Others like Terry Monteverde.... Now there was a woman whod had it all and hadnt even noticed. Shed lived her wild, wanton life without a single care.
Shameless.
Shed been punished for that, and that punishment had been quite satisfactory.
Shed been punished for that, and that punishment had been quite satisfactory.
Only that satisfaction hadnt lasted long, not when the family reputation and success lived on through Terrys younger sister.
Nina Monteverde. Sweet and lovely. Beloved by all.
Just thinking about it had the bitterness and fury burning inside all over again. The Monteverdes had everything, everything worth coveting.
Yet they were untouchable.
If only Terry was still alive to pay for her sins once again.
Since she wasnt, Nina would have to do.
CHAPTER ONE
MAN, THE HEAT was brutal. But then again, the weather in Rio de Janeiro was known for being brutal, even in the winter month of July.
Winter being relative of course, especially in the tropics.
Though the air came off the ocean and should have been cool, it wasnt; but after four years in Brazil, Rick Singleton considered himself a Cariocaa nativeand hardly felt a thing.
In truth, he hardly felt anything anymore, and that was how he liked it. Hed definitely come to fit into the South American way of life, where everything was casual, come-what-may, and absolutely pleasure-based.
Not many would consider their job pleasure-based, but Rick did. As a bounty hunter, he lived for the thrill of the chasenot to mention the money he got paid for finding his man.
Or in this case, woman.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the hazy Polaroid of a couple taken two Carnivals back. The woman with her feathery mask had eyes only for the man holding her close. They looked excited, anticipatory, and given the mans hot gaze, they were headed for a night of passion.
Rick didnt know the womans name. All he knew was that Mitch Barnes, the man in the picture, had hired him through Finders Keepers, a private investigation agency in Texas, to find her. Theyd spent one night together, she and Mitch, and the man was desperate, evidenced both by the ridiculous amount of money hed offered Rick, and the tone of his voice when he talked about his mystery woman.
He obviously cared a great deal about her.
Given the hordes of tourists that came to Brazil every year to partake in Carnivals decadent celebration, Rick doubted the woman even lived in Rio, but for the money hed do his best to find her. He had no clues other than the elaborate necklace she wore.
Mitch, an injured and recovering FBI agent now living in San Antonio, hadnt known anything about the hand-wrought gold-and-emerald necklace, except that the woman looked gorgeous in it. Apparently their one night together had produced more than just a wild heat and passion. It had also produced a baby, a fact Mitch hadnt been aware of until hed discovered the baby girl left on his neighbors doorstep was his.
Now more than ever Mitch wanted to find the woman.
That was Ricks job. Not much to go on, but hed worked on less. He hadnt screwed up a case since his ultimate failure four years prior.
Four years.
It was hard to believe it had been so long, and if thered been any emotion left in him, any at all, hed ache at the memory.
But his heart was as good as dead. Nothing got to him, not anymore.
Hed find the missing woman, no matter what he had to do, then get paid and move on. No sweat.
No looking back.
To that end, he stood in the middle of a particularly seedy favela, one of Rios many shanty towns, where one fifth of the population crammed together, struggling daily just to scrape by. The run-down cities within a city sat precariously perched on the steep hillside on either side of Rio, seemingly poised to slide down the sharp cliffs. Contrary to Rio itself, which arguably had the most gorgeous vistas in all the world, there was little beauty to be found here.
Rick stared down would-be pickpockets and petty thieves, knowing the first law in a place like this was to see nothing and hear nothing.
And keep out of trouble.
If someone pulled a gun, or even a knife, he was on his own, as all government law and order stopped at the entrance to most favelas. Having been first a Navy SEAL and then a federal marshal in another life, Rick wasnt concerned. He could take care of himself.
Im looking for a woman, he said in Portuguese to his informant, Juan, a well-known fence and all-around low-life con artist whod sooner sell his own mother than go to jail for his petty crimes.
A woman? Juan shoved his hands into his pockets and spoke in heavily accented English. Theres millions of people in Brazil, half of them women. Pick one.
This one. Rick held out the picture Finders Keepers had sent him.
Juan stared at it. Nice.
Do you know her?
I didnt mean the woman. Juan let out a crusty laugh that told Rick hed been smoking at least half his life. The necklace. Its similar to O Coração de Amante.
The what?
Juan rolled his eyes. The Lovers Heart, he said in English. The original is in a museum somewhere, but clever remakes are popular with the riqueza. You know, the wealthy. He pulled the photo closer. Either way, its a very rare piece. He scratched his chin, eyes shining with speculation. One could get rich off a piece like that, if its real.
Given the womans aristocratic beauty and dress, Rick doubted the necklace was anything but genuine. If he could trace it... Where would I get another like it?
Ah, now youre talking.
I mean legally.
Oh. He sighed with disappointment. Well, Id bet my entire days take He faltered at the steely, very hard cop look Rick shot him. Er, I mean my weeks salary, man. Salary. Im not on the take
The necklace, Juan.
If its the real deal, it came from the Monteverdes.
Monteverdes?
Face carefully blank, Juan held out his hand, palm up.
Rick swore, searched his pockets, then slapped some reals into Juans outstretched palm.
Juan pocketed the money and held out his hand again. Try American dollars. They go further.
It had better be good, Rick warned, going back to his wallet.
Always.
When Rick greased his palm with more bills, American this time, Juan gave him a grin that was missing more than one tooth. Monteverde is the name of a famous Brazilian gem family. They have a huge business. An entire building in Ipanema, right on the beach. You might have seen it, its the ritziest place out there. All That Glitters. They cater to people with too much money on their hands.
Yeah. Rick rarely spent time in Rios money belt. Thanks. Stay clean, Juan.
Sure, he vowed before slinking off.
Rick let him go, thinking with any luck hed find the mystery woman by the end of the day and have a nice, fat wallet. Even better, he could be on another case by this time tomorrow. He straddled his motorcycle and drove down the steep, unpaved hills of no-mans-land, leaving the dark alleys of the favela behind. Within five minutes he drove into another world entirely, where throngs of people walked beautiful beaches half-nude, laughing, talking, running, playing without a care.