Ricochet

Ricochet
Jessica Andersen

TIME WAS RUNNING OUT… Bear Claw Creek's young girls were disappearing and forensics expert Alissa Wyatt was in way over her head. Now her only choice was to partner with Detective Tucker McDermott — the very same man she'd sworn to keep her distance from. But suddenly, the tables turned.Alissa became a madman's next target — and her only hope to stay alive lay within the safety of Tucker's strong arms. As the danger mounted, the killer on her trail was nothing compared to the feelings provoked by reuniting with Tucker…or the consequences she'd face if she walked away once again.

Ricochet

Jessica Andersen

ISBN: 9781408947463

Ricochet

© Jessica S. Andersen 2006

First Published in Great Britain in 2011

Harlequin (UK) Limited

Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

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All characters in this work have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Though she’s tried out professions ranging from cleaning sea lion cages to cloning glaucoma genes, from patent law to training horses, Jessica is happiest when she’s combining all these interests with her first love: writing romances. These days she’s delighted to be writing full-time on a farm in rural Connecticut that she shares with a small menagerie and a hero named Brian. She hopes you’ll visit her at www.JessicaAndersen.com for information on upcoming books, contests and to say hi!

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Alissa Wyatt—Bear Claw City’s new crime-scene artist wants to put down roots, but instead attracts the attention of a sinister serial kidnapper.

Tucker McDermott—In trying to protect Alissa from escalating danger, the footloose detective winds up with a partner…and a whole lot more. Will the growing attraction be enough to keep him in town? More important, will they both live long enough to find out?

Johnny Ferguson—The serial rapist vowed revenge when Alissa helped capture and convict him years earlier. Now he’s out and looking for payback.

Cassie Dumont and Maya Cooper—Alissa’s two best friends and coworkers in the forensics department want to keep her safe and catch the kidnapper, but interdepartmental politics may endanger them all.

Detectives Piedmont and Mendoza—The partners don’t trust Alissa or her friends. How far will they go to prove that Bear Claw doesn’t need a new forensics department?

Bradford Croft—The unassuming man lives next door to the first kidnap victim. He was previously convicted of a sex offense, but the evidence doesn’t seem to directly link him to the kidnappings.

Michael Swopes—With a rap sheet and a suspicious purchase, Swopes seems like a strong suspect. But where is he?

William Parry—The chief of the Bear Claw police department will do anything to weld his officers into a team and find the Canyon Kidnapper.

Contents

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CAST OF CHARACTERS

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

COMING NEXT MONTH (#litres_trial_promo)

Prologue

The collector unlocked the door with fingers that trembled, not from the cold but from excitement. He eased the shed open and let the cold winter sun splash across the soiled floorboards, let it touch the girl’s bare, chilled foot.

She stirred and her dusky-blond eyelashes fluttered as though she still fought the drugs that swam in her bloodstream.

His lips curved into a smile and he whispered, “Perfect.” She was perfect. Young and scared and too weak to run away, just the way he liked them. “She’s perfect.”