Danger is hiding in the hot Miami night...
Much to their mutual annoyance, FBI agent Jacob Wolff and Miami detective Jasmine Adair discover theyre both undercover to bust a notorious organized crime group. But amid a glamorous South Beach nightclub opening, their key informant is killed, leaving Jacob and Jasmine the dangerous job of infiltrating the ring. With desire igniting between them, can they set aside their distrust and work together to bring down the brutal mobsters?
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author HEATHER GRAHAM has written more than a hundred novels. Shes a winner of the Romance Writers of Americas Lifetime Achievement Award, a Thriller Writers Silver Bullet and in 2016, the Thriller Master Award from ITS. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, and is the founder of The Slush Pile Players, an author band and theatrical group. An avid scuba diver, ballroom dancer and mother of five, she still enjoys her South Florida home, but also loves to travel.
For more information, check out her website, theoriginalheathergraham.com, or find Heather on Facebook.
Also by Heather Graham
Law and Disorder
Shadows in the Night
Out of the Darkness
Echoes of Evil
Pale as Death
Fade to Black
A Dangerous Game
Wicked Deeds
Dark Rites
Dying Breath
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk
Undercover Connection
Heather Graham
www.millsandboon.co.uk
UNDERCOVER CONNECTION
© 2018 Heather Graham Pozzessere
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a Licensed Device) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
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Version: 2020-03-02
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For Lorna Broussardwith love and thanks for all
the help and support forwell, many years!
Contents
Cover
Back Cover Text
About the Author
Booklist
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Extract
About the Publisher
Chapter One
The woman on the runway was truly one of the most stunning creatures Jacob Wolff had ever seen. Her skin was pure bronze, as sleek and as dazzling as the deepest sun ray.
When she turned, he could seeeven from his distance at the clubs barthat her eyes were light. Green, he thought, and a sharp contrast to her skin. She had amazing hair, long and so shimmering that it was as close to pure black as it was possible to be; so dark it almost had a gleam of violet. She was long-legged, lean and yet exquisitely shaped as she moved in the creation she modeleda mix of pastel colors that was perfectly enhanced by her skinthe dress was bare at the shoulder and throat with a plunging neckline, and back, and then swept to the floor.
She moved like a woman accustomed to such a haughty strut: proud, confident, arrogant and perhaps even amused by the awe of the onlookers.
That oneshe will rule the place one day.
Jacob turned.
Ivan Petrov leaned on one elbow across the bar from Jacob. Ivan bartended andso Jacob believed thus farran all things that had to do with the on-the-ground-management of the Gold Sun Club. The burning-hot new establishment was having its grand opening tonight.
Id imagine, Jacob said. He leaned closer over the bar and smiled. And I imagine that she might perhaps be...available?
Ivan smiled, clearly glad that Jacob had asked him; Ivan was a proud man, appreciative that Jacob had noted his position of power within the club.
Not...immediately, Ivan said. She is fairly new. But all things come in good time, my friend, eh? Now you, he said, pouring a shot of vodka for Jacob, you are fairly new, too. New to Miami Beachnew to our ways. We have our...social...rules, you know.
Jacob knew all too well.
And he knew what happened to those who didnt follow the rulesor who dared to make their own. Hed been south of I-75 that morning, off part of the highway still known as Alligator Alley, and for good reason. Hed been deep in the Everglades where a Seminole ranger had recently discovered a bizarre cache of oil drums, inside of which had been several bodies in various stages of decomposition.
I have my reputation, Jacob said softly.
Ivan caught Jacobs meaning. Yes, Jacob would follow the rules. But he was his own manvery much a made man from the underbelly of New York City. Now, hed bought a gallery on South Beach; but hed been doing his other business for years.
At least, that was the information that had been fed to what had become known as the Deco Gangso called because of the beautifully preserved architecture on South Beach.
Jacob was for all intents and purposes a new major player in the area. And it was important, of course, that he appear to be a team playerbut a very powerful team player who respected another mans turf while also keeping a strict hold on his own.
A mans reputation must be upheld, Ivan said, nodding approvingly.
While, of course, he gives heed to all that belongs to another man, as well, Jacob assured him.
A loud clash of drums drew Jacobs attention for a moment. The Dissidents were playing that night; they were supposedly one of the hottest up-and-coming bands, not just in the state, but worldwide.
The grand opening to the Gold Sun Club had been invitation only; tomorrow night, others would flow in, awed by the publicity generated by this celebrity-studded evening. The rich and the beautifuland the not-so-rich but very beautifulwere all on the ground floor, listening to the popular new band and watching the fashion show.
Jacob took in the place as a whole, noting a balcony level that ran the perimeter, with a bar above the stage. But that night all the guests were downstairs, and Ivan Petrov was manning the main bar himself.
The elegant model on the runway swirled with perfect timing, walking toward the crowd again, pausing to seductively steal a delicious-looking apple from the hands of a pretty boya young male model, dressed as Adonisstanding like a statue at the bottom of the steps to the runway.
I believe, Jacob told Ivan, turning to look at him gravely again, that my business will be an asset to your business, and that we will work in perfect harmony together.
Yes, Ivan said. Mr. Smirnoff invited you, right?
Jacob nodded. Josef brought me in.
Ivan said, He is an important man.
Yes, I know, Jacob assured him.
If Ivan only knew how.
* * *
JASMINE ADAIRJASMINE ALAMEIN, as far as this group was concernedwas glad that she had managed to learn the art of walking a runway, without tripping, and observing at the same time. It wasnt as if shed had training or gone to cotillion classesdid they still have cotillion classes?but shed been graced with the most wonderful parents in the world.
Her mother had been with the Peace Corpsmaybe a natural course for her, having somewhat global roots. Her moms parents had come from Jordan and Kenya, met and married in Morocco and moved to the United States. Jasmines mom, Liliana, had been born and grown up in Miami, but had traveled the world to help people before shed finally settled down. Liliana had been a great mom, always all about kindness to others and passionate that everyone must be careful with others. She had believed that words could make or break a persons day, and truly seeing people was one of the most important talents anyone could have in life.
Declan Adair, Jasmines dad, was mostly Irish-American. Hed been a cop and had taught Jasmine what that meant to himserving his community.
They had both taught her about absolute equality for every color, race, creed, sex and sexual orientation, and they had both taught her that good people were good people and, all in all, most of the people in the world were good, longing for the same things, especially in Americalife, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
They sounded like a sweet pair of hippies; they had been anything but. Her father had also taught her that those who appeared to be the nicest people in the world often were notand that lip service didnt mean a hell of a lot and could hide an ocean of lies and misdeeds.
Judging peoplehardest call youll ever make, hed told her once. Especially when you have to do so quickly.
Hed shaken his head in disgust over the result of a trial often enough, and her mother had always reminded him, There are things that just arent allowed before a jury, Declan. Things that the jury just doesnt see and doesnt know.
Not to worrywell get them next time, he would assure her.
Jasmine scanned the crowd. Members of this group, the so-called Deco Gang, hadnt been gotten yet. And they needed to beno one really knew the full extent of their crimes because they were good. Damned good at knowing how to game the justice system.
Fanatics came in all kindsand fanatics were dangerous. Just as criminals came in all kinds, and they ruined the lives of those who wanted to live in peace, raising their children, working...enjoying their liberty and pursuing their happiness.
Thats why cops were so importantsomething she had learned when sometimes her dad, the detective, hadnt made it to a birthday party.
Because of him, shed always wanted to be a cop. And she was a damned good one, if she did say so herself.