Fatal Jeopardy Read online

  Fatal Jeopardy: Book Seven of the Fatal Series

  By Marie Force

  Book 7 of the Fatal series from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Marie Force

  Washington, D.C., Police Lieutenant Sam Holland and her husband, U.S. Senator Nick Cappuano, have been looking forward to a quiet Thanksgiving with their son. But any thoughts of a restful holiday are dashed when Sam and Nick return home to a gruesome scene: Sam’s seventeen-year-old niece Brooke, barely conscious and covered in blood on their front stoop.

  With lines between personal and professional blurring in this emotionally charged, deeply personal case, Sam is relying on Nick more than ever for support. But when suspicious images from the night in question appear on social media, Sam begins to wonder if her niece is telling her everything she knows about what really happened. And when Nick questions her tactics—and her ethics—as she races against the clock, Sam will need to decidehow far she’s willing to go to prove Brooke is a victim, not a murderer.

  See how it all began for Sam and Nick in Fatal Affair

  95,000 words

  Praise for Marie Force and the Fatal series

  “This novel is The O.C. does D.C., and you just can’t get enough.”

  —RT Book Reviews, 4.5 stars, on Fatal Affair

  “Marie Force’s second novel in the Fatal series is an outstanding romantic suspense in its own right; that it follows the fantastic first installment only sweetens the read.”

  —RT Book Reviews, 4.5 stars, on Fatal Justice

  “The murder in this story was so unique and different. The twists and turns behind the victim and the conspiracy and everything else was such a mind trip. I kept turning each page and thinking...OMG, OMG, where is Force going to go next?! I love—absolutely LOVE—when an author can do that to me. It doesn’t happen often, so when it does, it makes for a reading experience that is so completely out of this world that I’m in a book high for days afterwards.”

  —The Book Pushers on Fatal Deception

  “I have read a lot of series in the past, but this is by far the best strong female and male lead detective thriller, political crime thriller, romance combination I have ever read and is by far my all time 5-star favorite. Way to go, Marie—you are a Force to be reckoned with.”

  —My Family’s Heart Book Reviews

  “Take interesting three-dimensional characters full of wit, fun and friendship, add in a great, suspenseful plot and pepper it with some yummy romances and you have the Fatal series!

  —Nocturne Romance Reads

  Also available from Marie Force and Carina Press

  FATAL AFFAIR

  FATAL JUSTICE

  FATAL CONSEQUENCES

  FATAL DESTINY

  FATAL FLAW

  FATAL DECEPTION

  FATAL MISTAKE

  And stay tuned for the next book in the Fatal series,

  coming in January 2015 from Marie Force

  Dear Reader,

  I know many of you have been waiting for the next installment of New York Times bestselling author Marie Force’s thrilling romantic suspense series. Fatal Jeopardy is finally here, and Nick and Sam are as good as ever!

  But that’s not all the great storytelling we have in store for you with the March releases. This month, we introduce debut author Matt Sheehan and a book that had the Carina Press acquisitions team in hysterics. Be sure to check out Helmut Saves the World, in which there’s magic, fistfights and one-liners with the best, most handsome and, of course, humble detective Helmut Haase and his apathetic sidekick Shamus O’Sheagan.

  If you’ve been longing for a great historical romance, we’ve got two this month. Juliana Ross finishes up her erotic Improper trilogy. In Improper Proposals, a lonely young widow learns to live—and love—again as she and her ambitious publisher, the most captivating man she has ever met, work on a forbidden guide to sexual pleasure. It’s An Heir of Uncertainty by Alyssa Everett and it’s also the answer to Colonel Win Vaughan’s prayers when he learns he’s the heir to the newly deceased Earl of Radbourne—but the beginning of a deadly mystery when he arrives to claim his inheritance, only to discover that the earl’s lovely widow is carrying a child who could displace him.

  If you’re looking for something hot, with an unusual hero, Solace Ames releases erotic romance The Submission Gift this month. A young husband offers his wife an unusual gift—to fulfill a fantasy she’d always set aside. But what starts out as a onetime session becomes something precious shared between three—one of them a male escort. Solace Ames brings something new to this story and if you love erotic romance, you’ll want to check this out.

  Also in the hot category is Up in Knots by Gillian Archer. Still bruised over the death of her boyfriend two years ago, Kyla Grant is determined to get back into the kinky dating scene, and bad-boy top Sawyer is just the man to help her. Joining Gillian, Juliana and Solace in the erotic romance category, Nico Rosso’s Slam Dance with the Devil, from his Demon Rock series, brings entertainment to a new level. Wild rock star Kent Gaol’s dark past goes back even further than private investigator Nona Harris could’ve imagined, and one night onstage surprises them both by slamming her into his supernatural world.

  March shapes up to be a good one for erotic romances because Emily Ryan-Davis brings us the follow-up to Ménage on 34th Street, which she coauthored with Elise Logan. In this next installment, Dial M for Ménage, it’s a new year and a new way of life for Katrina Holland, who started 2014 by waking up with two men in her bed. Now, she, Owen and Hunter struggle to define, and redefine, their relationships with one another after the first rush of newness fades.

  Paranormal romance author Lorenda Christensen follows up her funny, entertaining Never Deal with Dragons with the next in the series, Dancing with Dragons. If Carol Jenski knows anything, it’s fashion—and it’s in fashion to consort with dragons, even though they’ve coexisted with humans since WWIII. Still, she would never have agreed to take part in a plot against them. Now a dragon lord has called for her head, her boyfriend is MIA and she’s been abandoned in a foreign country.

  Stacy Gail’s paranormal romance miniseries, The Earth Angels, comes to an exciting conclusion in Dangerous Angel, where the heroes and heroines from all the previous books combine their efforts to avert a demonic apocalypse. In Kathleen Collins’s Death’s Daughter, Realm Walker Juliana Norris hunts a serial killer targeting Altered children while an enemy from her past closes in.

  This month we have two titles in the science-fiction genre. First, join the adventure At Star’s End! A galactic treasure hunter and an astro-archaeologist race across the galaxy in pursuit of the last remaining fragment of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa in this space opera romance from Anna Hackett.

  And we’re pleased to welcome T.D. Wilson with his debut, The Epherium Chronicles: Embrace. Set in the mid-twenty-second century, Embrace is the first book of an exciting new space opera series where Earth’s newest warship, the Armstrong, must make contact with fledgling colonies in nearby solar systems amid the threat of an alien attack.

  If you’re ready for a cozy mystery to keep you guessing as to whodunit, look no further than Julie Anne Lindsey’s latest release. Most islanders celebrate the reprieve of summer tourism with cider, mums and cocoa, but sharks, birders and a possible serial killer seem intent on ruining autumn for Patience when Murder Comes Ashore.

  Anne Marie Becker returns with another suspenseful installment in her romantic suspense series. In Dark Deeds, SSAM security expert Becca Haney is hiding a past that could hurt her ex-lover, NYPD detective Diego Sandoval—but the true threat comes from a “fan” whose conscience urges hi
m to kill.

  Coming next month: contemporary romance Taken with You from New York Times bestselling author Shannon Stacey. Also, sports week and six irresistible sports romances!

  Here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  Dedication

  For Dan, Emily & Jake, who make my world go round.

  Acknowledgments

  A very special thank you to Capt. Russ Hayes of the Newport, RI, Police Department who provided extra help with this book, including two hours of coffee shop time, which helped to jumpstart the story. I appreciate Russ’s attention to detail and the finer points of police work he so willingly shares with me.

  Thank you to everyone on “Jack’s” team: Julie Cupp, Lisa Cafferty, Holly Sullivan, Isabel Sullivan, Nikki Colquhoun and Cheryl Serra. Years ago I had a vision of someday working with most of my favorite ladies. Now that vision is my daily reality, and I couldn’t be happier. To my spectacular beta readers, Ronlyn Howe, Kara Conrad and Anne Woodall, thank you so much for all you do to help me out—usually at a moment’s notice! My appreciation goes to Sarah Spate Morrison, Family Nurse Practitioner, who helps with the medical details. Thanks to my editor Alissa Davis as well as Carina Press Editorial Director Angela James and everyone at Harlequin for their hard work on behalf of the Fatal Series. My wonderful agent Kevan Lyon is a fabulous partner on this journey, and I’m appreciative of her many contributions.

  The most special thanks of all go to the readers who have embraced Sam and Nick’s story from the start and to those who have joined the party along the way. Thanks to all of you, Fatal Mistake became the first book in the Fatal Series to make the New York Times bestseller list. I’m very grateful to all of you! Stay tuned at the end of Fatal Jeopardy for answers to some of your most pressing questions about Sam, Nick and the Fatal Series. Thanks so much for reading!

  Contents

  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

  Epilogue

  Fatal Series Q&A

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  The game whizzed by so quickly Sam could barely keep up. Next to her, Scotty bounced with excitement as they watched Nick fly around on the ice with skill and stamina that astounded her. Although she shouldn’t be surprised he was so good. Not only had he played hockey for years when he was younger but he regularly demonstrated his stamina in other important ways.

  Chuckling at her own joke, Sam tried to keep her eyes on his white helmet and green jersey with number 22 on the back. With the campaign over and the election won, he had time now to rejoin the men’s league he’d played in before his life took an unexpected turn almost a year ago.

  That’s when his best friend and boss, Senator John O’Connor, had been murdered. From that awful tragedy had come two interesting things—their relationship and his ascendancy into the Senate, where he now held the seat from Virginia in his own right after a resounding win in the election.

  “He’s so good,” Scotty said, dazzled by Nick’s skill on the ice. “I’ll never be that good.”

  Sam hooked her arm around the twelve-year-old she and Nick were adopting out of state custody in Virginia and brought him close enough to drop a kiss on the top of his head. “Sure you will. Keep working hard and do what Nick tells you, and you’ll be up to speed in no time.”

  “I don’t know,” Scotty said hesitantly, his eyes fixed on Nick. “All the other kids are way better than me.”

  That’s because they’d been skating and playing hockey for as long as they could walk, while Scotty had been well cared for but without the frills and extras most kids took for granted. “I have faith in you, and in Nick. If you guys keep practicing as much as you have been lately, you’ll catch up.”

  Nick had spared no expense in outfitting Scotty with top-of-the-line hockey skates and all the required protective equipment. Sam had joked that the hockey bag was bigger than the kid, but Nick had assured her it was no bigger than anyone else’s. Hockey, she was learning, took a tremendous amount of time, equipment and money—not to mention the warmest coat she owned whenever she ventured into the ice rink.

  “I hope you’re right,” Scotty said.

  “I’m always right.”

  That drew an expected snort of laughter from the boy. “And totally full of yourself.”

  Sam tightened her arm around him into a headlock that made him laugh even harder.

  They froze when Nick was checked—hard—into the boards and went down in a boneless pile on the ice.

  Sam gasped and would’ve left the stands to get closer to him, but Scotty held her back.

  “Don’t. He wouldn’t want you to make a thing of it in front of the guys.”

  When had he gotten so wise about such things? With her eyes riveted to the ice, she waited breathlessly for any sign of movement from her husband. All she could think about was her dad and the egregious gunshot injury he’d suffered nearly three years ago, which had left him a quadriplegic.

  The coach and several other players huddled around Nick, making it impossible for Sam to see what was happening. One of the other wives sent her a sympathetic glance that set her nerves even further on edge. “Come on, come on,” she whispered. “Get up.”

  Scotty’s hand curled around her arm, and Sam wasn’t sure if he was giving comfort or taking it.

  After what seemed like an hour had passed, the other players and coaches moved back and one of them helped Nick to his feet. Everyone in the stands applauded as he made his way—slowly—to the bench. It was killing her not to know what he’d hurt or whether it was serious, but at least she could breathe again watching him glide over the ice with coaches on either side of him.

  He was moving, and that’s what mattered.

  Sam blew out a deep breath. “Well, that was fun. When can we do this again?”

  “Don’t be such a worrywart, Sam. Guys get banged up playing hockey. We don’t want to be treated like babies.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Nick will probably be mad that he got checked out of the game, so I wouldn’t say anything about it if I were you.”

  “Now I’m taking marriage advice from a twelve-year-old?”

  “Soon-to-be thirteen-year-old,” he replied with the engaging grin she and Nick had loved from the start.

  “Ahhh, so I’ve heard. I suppose I have to get a cake or something, huh?”

  He rolled his eyes at her. “Mrs. L got me an ice cream cake every year,” he said of his former guardian at the state home. “That’s my favorite.”

  “I can’t compete with Mrs. L. I’m sure to mess this up in some important way. You know that, right?”

  “You don’t have to compete with anyone. You and Nick have given me everything. I don’t need an ice cream cake.”

  The kid was too damned much. Sam put both arms around him. Her usual rules of public displays of affection absolutely did not apply to the son she loved beyond reason. “You’ve given us so much more than we could ever give you.”

  “Doubtful,” he said in the dry tone she’d come to anticipate.

  Sam kept an arm around him until the game came to an end and she could go check on Nick—without making a fuss, of course. She woul
dn’t want to be accused of hovering or any other unsavory “girl” thing.

  They waited for him outside the locker room with several of the other spouses and family members. He was one of the last to come out, his hair damp with sweat, his face red from exertion and pinched with pain. It was all she could do not to run to him, but she heeded Scotty’s advice and hung back until he joined them.

  “Awesome game,” Scotty said, beaming up at Nick. “You’re so good! You’ve never skated like that when we practice.”

  His smile more of a grimace, Nick mussed Scotty’s hair. “Because that’s about you, not me.” He glanced at Sam, who could tell with one look he was in pain and trying hard to hide it from them. “Who’s up for pizza?”

  “Me!” Scotty said. “But can I get a hot chocolate first?”

  “Sure, you can.” Sam handed him a five-dollar bill and watched him run toward the concession stand. A couple of months ago he never would’ve asked them for anything. They’d been working on that, trying to get him to act like other kids who were constantly asking their parents for money and other things. Scotty would never be like other kids, but Sam took the request for hot chocolate as a good sign that he was beginning to get the message that what was theirs was also his.

  She glanced up at Nick. “What’d you hurt?”

  “Smacked the rib I broke last winter and got the wind knocked out of me.”

  Sam winced. “The same rib that took forever to heal?”

  “That’d be the one.”

  “We should hit the ER on the way home.”

  “No need. It’s just a bruise.”

  Sam gave him her best cop stare. “What would you say if it were me telling you it was ‘just a bruise’?”

  To his credit, he had the good sense to squirm under her glare. “I, um...”

  “We’ll drop Scotty at Dad and Celia’s on the way to the ER.”

  “After the pizza. I’m starving.”

  Scotty rejoined them, carrying a steaming cup of hot chocolate with a huge dollop of whipped cream on top.