Excerpt of Strictly Confidential by Terri Reed

"This is strictly confidential. Off the record. Mum's the word."

Colleen Montgomery paused in the act of pulling out a navy business suit from her closet to arch a brow at her sister- in-law, Holly.

Holly flipped back her long dark-brown hair, which she'd curled and wore loose rather than in her traditional ponytail. "I'm serious. You can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

Grimacing, Colleen stared. "That's like asking me not to breathe."

Holly rolled her brown eyes. "And you're not wearing that suit.You're wearing the dress I brought you."

Rehanging the suit, Colleen gestured with her hands. "Hello. I'm an investigative reporter. My life is about telling everyone what I see and hear."

"Promise me, okay?" Holly shifted on the bed where she'd sat as soon as she'd entered Colleen's bedroom. She was wearing a pretty lilac party dress that flattered her even with her bulging tummy, and she'd come in on the pretext of bringing a dress for Colleen to wear to the museum gala. Now, however, Colleen suspected her sister-in-law had another agenda, one that brought worry to her pretty brown eyes and marred the normally smooth skin between her brunette eyebrows.

"Is this about my brother?" Colleen moved to her vanity to brush her blond hair. "Cause if it is, I'm not sure I want to hear it."

Holly twisted her diamond wedding ring. "It is about him and me."

Colleen held up a hand and met Holly's gaze through the mirror's reflection. "I can already tell this is going to be more information than I want to hear about my big brother. Unless he's dragged you back into the FBI with him, in which case I'll go clobber him on the head. Considering you're carrying my niece or nephew, the FBI is not a good place for you."

Holly grinned and patted her burgeoning belly. "No, of course not." She lifted the sheath dress off the bed. "Here, put this on while I explain."

Eyeing the little black shift with trepidation, Colleen said, "You really think I should wear that?"

"Yes. For once dress like a woman."

Colleen pulled a face. "Cute."

Holly laughed. "You know what I mean. All you wear are pants and button-down blouses. Time to move out of your comfort zone."

Colleen took the dress. It wasn't exactly something that could be worn while chasing down a story, not if you still hoped to be taken seriously. Of course, tonight she hardly expected to find anything of interest worth reporting. She moved into the bathroom to dress. "Fine. Start talking."

"Do you remember when Victor Convy kidnapped me?"

Colleen scoffed as she changed out of the jeans and cotton T-shirt she'd put on after showering earlier. "Hard to forget a thing like that."

"Right. Well, something happened that I never told anyone about."

Anticipation of a story fluttered in Colleen's belly. Her parents often joked that she'd greeted the world with a notepad and pen in hand. "Okay."

"Remember how Jake had said he couldn't remember if he'd shot Convy or not because of his concussion?"

Stepping into the dress, Colleen made a noise of affirmation. The fear of losing her brother still gnawed at her like a dog with a bone. But that came with love. She had no choice but to love her brothers and now their wives, but thought thankfully that she didn't have time for a romantic love. She didn't want to carry around that kind of fear. "He didn't," Holly said.

Colleen's heart picked up speed at the juicy tidbit of information. She stepped out of the bathroom, holding the dress to her chest. "You did?"

"No." Holly lowered her voice and a conspiratorial light entered her eyes. "Alessandro Donato did."

"What?!" The dress dropped to the floor and pooled around Colleen's ankles. She quickly pulled it back up and slipped her arms through the holes.

Holly eagerly nodded. "I'm telling you, he came out of the trees dressed all in black like some super-hero, shot Convy, and made certain Jake was alive before untying me. Then he disappeared as stealthily as he came when he heard the sirens coming."

Colleen blinked, unsure how to process Holly's tale. "So you're saying that Alessandro Donato rescued you and my brother from Convy?"

Eyes wide, Holly bobbed her head. "That's what I'm saying."

"Wow! That's huge."

Rumor had it that the mysterious newcomer, although Lidia Vance's nephew, had somehow been responsible for the shooting of his uncle, Mayor Maxwell Vance.

How could Donato save one man's life and then be suspected of trying to take the life of someone in his own family?

She'd seen Donato at church with his aunt and cousins, but was that just for show? What was the Italian's relationship with God? And why would he sneak around playing hero?

Struggling with the zipper, Colleen asked a question only Holly could answer. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Come here, let me do that," Holly said. Obliging, Colleen turned her back to Holly.

"Hey, he saved our lives. I figured I owed him my silence when he asked for it." Holly pulled the zipper to the top.

The silky fabric of the dress clung to Colleen's curves and swished softly as she sat down on the bed next to Holly. "Why tell me this now?"

Holly took Colleen's hands. "Because I don't believe that he had anything to do with my uncle Max's shooting."

"Hmm." Colleen hadn't wanted to believe the good-looking Italian was capable of such evil when she'd heard he was a suspect in the mayor's shooting, either, but she hadn't anything concrete to base her gut instinct on.

And in light of the tale Holly had just told... "I wonder what his story is?"

Holly squeezed her hand. "I knew I could count on you."

"Meaning?"

Holly wiggled her eyebrows. "I saw the way you and he were making cow eyes at each other at the Valentine's dinner."

"Oh, please." Colleen stood to hide the heat in her cheeks. "We were not making cow eyes."

"Come on, you can't tell me you don't find him attractive."

Colleen reached to the back of her closet and grabbed a pair of black strappy sandals that she hadn't worn since her oldest brother's wedding. "So he's attractive. Big whoop. I'm not in the market for a man."

Holly's little chuckle grated on Colleen's nerves. A romantic relationship would only hinder her career. Colleen's plans for the future didn't include risking her heart. She'd tried that once in college and the constant worry and concern she'd felt took her focus away from journalism. Now that she was moving up in her chosen profession, she had no interest in anything romantic.

Holly's intent gaze captured Colleen's attention. "In all seriousness, would you investigate him for me? I need to know what's up with him before I tell anyone about what happened."

Colleen held out her hand to help Holly from the bed. "I'll see what I can do. But I can't promise I won't report what I find."

Holly's mouth quirked. "Can you promise to tell me first so I can prepare Jake?"

"You should tell him anyway."

"I know." Distress entered Holly's eyes. "I will. But I want all the facts before I say anything. You know your brother, he'll want all the details."

Colleen smiled. "That is true."

Holly preceded Colleen into the hall. As Colleen pulled her bedroom door shut behind her she thought about Alessandro Donato.

Tall, dark and mysterious.

The quintessential widower playboy, or so the rumors went. Hero in disguise or con man with an agenda?

She'd give the charming Italian the benefit of the doubt, since he'd protected Holly and Jake when they'd needed it.

But if Alessandro Donato was up to no good, she'd nail his hide to the wall all over the front page of the Sentinel regardless of how attractive she found him.

Alessandro Donato had a vow to fulfill. A vow to rid the world of drug dealers. Such people had cost him his family.

From his vantage point on the opposite side of trendy Fourth Street, he surveyed the bustling crowd making their way toward the door of the Colorado Springs Impressionist Museum for the opening of the Monet, Manet and Renoir collection.

He tugged on the stiff bow tie at his neck, wishing he'd thought to bring his own tux from his home in Italy.

But he'd had no way of knowing he'd still be here on this crisp May night. He'd thought that with the death of Baltasar Escalante, known drug lord, his time in Colorado Springs would have ended long ago and he'd have moved on to another assignment.

But against all logic, Escalante hadn't died when his plane went down and now had resurfaced back in this thriving community.

Only, Alessandro couldn't ID him.