Prologue
London, England
He had been following her for days. She was young,
beautiful, and deliciously unaware of anything outside her
field of vision or interest. Without a doubt, she had no
clue that her life was about to make a hairpin turn and
dead–end abruptly.
It angered him that she was so careless and
ill–informed. Did she not watch television news or
read newspapers? How could she not know that the most
horrific killer of the 21st century had invaded London? A
modern day Jack the Ripper had paralyzed the city, bringing
terror to every heart. Why didn't she know about him? How
obtuse could she be?
Ordinarily he liked his ladies worldly and intelligent.
Smart women provided that extra spark of excitement. A
combination of skills, intellect, and beauty was a must.
This one would provide barely any challenge whatsoever. And
though beautiful, her physical attributes didn't fit his
needs. Normally he wouldn't even consider her. So why this
woman? He didn't yet know. Perhaps it was her complete
disregard of his existence. It was as if she were
deliberately snubbing him. He didn't take kindly to such ill
manners. He was no one to be trifled with or taken for
granted. She would pay for the insult.
Her routine rarely varied. She left her home at seven in
the morning, stopped on the way for a coffee and pastry at
Louie's Drive–thru and arrived at work at
seven–thirty. The office she worked in was on the
third floor. The light would come on at exactly seven
thirty–three and he wouldn't see her again until noon.
That was when she came out of the office and dashed across
the street for her take–out deli. Five minutes later,
she'd run back to her office and there she would stay until
she left at six.
When she arrived home, which was only five blocks from
her office, she would be there until morning. She had no
visitors and received very little mail. At ten o'clock, she
would turn off the mind–numbing television show she
had been watching or put aside the book she had been
reading, visit the bathroom one last time, and then be in
bed by ten–fifteen at the latest.
She worked too many hours, ate unhealthy food, didn't
get enough exercise, and spent too much time alone. Without
a doubt, she needed a caretaker, someone who would work with
her, shape and mold her, revealing her true potential.
When her time came to leave him, he would make sure he
gave her a proper send–off. As she breathed her last
breath, she would look up into his eyes and see his immense
regard for her. In her last moments, she would know and
acknowledge his greatness and be grateful he had chosen her.
Chapter One
Last Chance Rescue headquarters
Paris, France
Angela Delvecchio sat at her desk and watched the world
go by. As the pseudo–receptionist for the Last Chance
Rescue organization, she figured she'd seen the entire world
pass by her at least twice.
Years ago, she had come to LCR out of necessity. Her
family had needed money. At seventeen, with almost no
experience, her prospects had been few. The fact that Noah
McCall had taken a chance on her still amazed her. She would
always be grateful to him.
Some might call her efforts noble but she couldn't
imagine making a different decision. Her family had needed
her. Yes, there had been sacrifices. Instead of being able
to go to university like many of her friends, she had taken
night classes to obtain her degree. When all of her friends
were partying and dating, she had been working or studying.
She had no regrets. Helping her family hadn't come from
nobility but from genuine love.
Last Chance Rescue had been her salvation back then and
she couldn't imagine working anywhere else. The
organization's philosophy of rescuing the innocent, no
matter the cost, struck a deep chord within her. Only days
after starting her job, she had realized her true calling.
She wanted to be a field operative. The opportunity to be
involved in a mission, physically assist with a rescue,
called to her unlike anything else. She had known within the
depths of her soul that being an LCR operative was what she
was meant to be. Of course, that hadn't been possible.
Putting herself at risk would have been selfish and
foolhardy. Her recently disabled father had been in poor
health; her mother's stroke the year before had made her
health almost as precarious. Angela had to stay safe and
healthy to care for her family.
But those years of doing the right thing were over and
now meaningless. The family she had once held dear and
protected ferociously was gone forever. A freak
one–car accident on Rue de la Seine had taken them
from her. In one fell swoop, she had lost her mother,
father, sister, and brother.
Noah had told her more than once that Fate had a way of
kicking you in the gut when you least expected it. How true
those words were.
Over the years, her mother's health had improved, so
much so that she had been able to take a part–time job
at their church. Her father had found a teaching position
that hadn't been too demanding. Max had been in his first
year of university and Chloe was all set to graduate high
school next year. And Angela had been breathing a little
easier, seeing her loved ones thriving and happy once more.
Life, at last, had been on the upswing for the entire
Delvecchio family. Then that cruel bitch called Fate had
swooped in and ripped Angela's heart right from her chest.
That had been six months ago and now she could feel
herself coming back to life, released from the smothering
sadness that had threatened to consume her. A few days ago,
she'd woken with the knowledge that though she would give
anything to have her family back, that wasn't possible.
However, something else was possible. Something she had
wanted for years. She could now pursue her dream of being a
field operative.
Noah was more than aware of her dream. She had no
secrets from him. From the moment she met the LCR leader,
she'd felt a kinship to him as if they'd been related in
another life. He had understood her desire to be an
operative, as well as the reasons she couldn't pursue her
dream. So he'd given her the next best thing—the full
training of an operative along with the promise that if the
opportunity ever presented itself, she would become one.
The image of a tall, dark–haired man came to her
mind—a reminder that fulfilling her dream of being an
operative wasn't the only thing that had brought her back to
life. The moment she met Jake Mallory, her world had changed
for the better. It seemed as though she'd been waiting for
him all of her life.
When Jake arrived at LCR for his first day of training,
Angela had been more than eager to meet him. Having done
most of the research on his background, she already knew his
strength of character, his heroism, and his pain. The moment
she'd looked into his eyes she had seen an LCR operative.
Tall, even to her height of five–foot–ten,
Jake was six–feet–five inches of gorgeous
masculinity and hardness. His vivid blue eyes, chiseled jaw
and swarthy complexion could make any woman drool. And he
had the kind of world–weary toughness that said he'd
been there, done that and hadn't been impressed. Yet,
despite all he had been through, he had a gentleness about
him. He also had a wickedly dry sense of humor that could
make her laugh unexpectedly and a sexy, too–rare smile
that made her toes curl. Jake Mallory epitomized every trait
she desired in a mate.
Too bad Jake didn't feel the same way about her.
A sigh of hopeless longing exploded from her. What was
the point in wishing for something that would never
materialize?
Movement outside the window caught her attention. A
middle–aged couple had slowed to a near stop in front
of the building and was peering inside. With effortless
ease, Angela went into her receptionist role. Propping her
longs legs upon her desk to show off an almost indecent
amount of smooth, creamy skin, Angela blew a giant bubble
from her wad of gum and winked suggestively at the man.
Startled expressions were followed by the couple picking up
their pace and scurrying away. Mission accomplished.
She swallowed a small laugh. Some parts of this job
never got old. Between her sparkly, skimpy attire, multiple
tats and piercings, and ever–present mouthful of
bubblegum, she had deterred more unwelcomed visitors than
many border patrol stations.
Her eyes turned to the computer screen in front of her
but her mind once again wandered to Jake. What would he
think when he learned about her aspirations? Would that make
a difference in how he looked at her?
Though she'd seen some measure of attraction in his
eyes, he had never tried to take their relationship further
than a back and forth light flirtation when he came into the
office for an assignment. Angela, on the other hand, had
done everything but proposition him to make sure he knew she
was interested. Her efforts had produced zero results. It
was enough to give a girl a complex.
She jerked herself out of her unhelpful introspection.
She was who she was and made no apologies. As much as she
wanted a relationship with Jake, he had no influence on her
career choice. She was proud of the work she had
accomplished for LCR. With her skills and abilities as a
researcher, she knew she had saved lives. Still, she wanted
more. She had the training and the opportunity...now she
just needed the mission.
When she told Noah that she was ready to be a field
operative, he hadn't seemed surprised. He had to have known
it was coming. Being true to her nature, she hadn't waited
for him to give her an assignment...she already knew which
one she wanted and had presented her choice to Noah. To say
he was shocked would be the world's biggest understatement.
But the question remained: Would he agree?
There was a monster loose in London.
Noah McCall stared grimly down at the pictures before
him. Graphic police photographs, depicting the horror of a
gruesome murder, screamed up at him, telling him that this
killer had no remorse, no conscience. Noah had seen hundreds
of crime scene photos and many of them had turned his
stomach. None had affected him like these. Something had to
be done to stop the bastard. And he might have the solution.
Slumping back into his chair, he rubbed the crease in
the middle of his forehead as his mind searched for another
way. Assisting the police in apprehending criminals wasn't
the norm for Last Chance Rescue but they'd done it on
occasion. Operating beneath the radar often meant not
getting involved even when they wanted to intervene or
assist. LCR enjoyed a good relationship with law enforcement
officials and stepping on their toes was a sure way to ruin
it. However, this time the officials had come to him and
asked for help. LCR had the resources to go deep cover, for
months if necessary. They also had something
else—highly skilled and trained operatives who could
hunt down this bastard and stop him. Therein lay his dilemma.
LCR's purpose was rescue. Each operative understood that
victims came first and would risk their lives to save
others. Noah's number one concern was the safety of his
employees. His operatives were in danger every day but they
usually knew the monsters they pursued—pedophiles,
human traffickers, and kidnappers were scum of the earth but
a somewhat known evil. This was a different kind of
creature—like nothing they'd ever hunted before.
His people were the best trained in the business. They
could and would trap this fiend and end his reign of terror.
Noah's issues with this case came from one employee only. A
trained operative who could kick butt with the best of them,
shoot the whiskers off a cat without scaring it, and when
necessary, lie better than anyone he'd ever known. But she
had never worked an op in her life.
She had brought the case to him. With her knowledge of
the inner workings of LCR, few things got past Angela. She
knew they had been asked to help, she knew they had the
expertise. And she wanted the op for herself. He had always
known this day would come. He'd just never anticipated it
would be on a case like this.
For years, Angela's family obligations had prevented him
from assigning her any missions. She had been responsible
for their welfare. All of that had changed. Her entire
family was now gone and Angela's entire life had changed in
an instant. One thing that hadn't changed was her desire to
become a field operative. Truth was, when she had told him
she was ready to be a full–fledged operative, he had
been relieved. For months, he'd watched her frozen in grief,
zombie–like and merely existing. There was light in
her eyes once again. Dammed if he wanted to douse their
brightness.
With her skills, intelligence, and grit, he had every
faith that Angela would be an excellent operative. What she
lacked was experience. But was this the right assignment for
her first time? A psycho–maniac who was abducting and
torturing his victims before murdering them? This was a hell
of an op to cut her teeth on.
The buzzer on his desk sounded. He sighed resignedly as
he pressed the button. "Yes?"
"Can we talk about it?"
Her eagerness to get started was apparent. Hearing the
excitement in her voice made him want to agree to anything
just to keep it there. However, he refused to make a rash
decision just because of that. "We can talk but I still
haven't made up my mind."
"I'll be right there."
In spite of the grim nature of their upcoming
discussion, Noah barked out a dry laugh. When she wanted
something, Angela could talk a blue streak. He'd seen her
wear down more than one person just by her sheer volume of
words. Most of his operatives were taciturn at best. A
dynamo with energy to spare, Angela could talk anyone into
almost anything.
Her long–legged stride full of determination, she
entered his office without knocking. Angela was one of LCR's
most valuable assets and, other than Noah, knew the
organization better than anyone. She had been in her late
teens when she'd responded to his advertisement for a
receptionist. As an upstart rescue company, Noah and his
friend and business partner Milo Evans, had no clue on how
to go about finding good help. Milo had often commented that
the good Lord was looking out for them when he'd sent Angela
their way. They had been looking for someone to answer
phones and discourage unwelcomed visitors. What they had
gotten was a computer genius with research skills not even
the government could match.
Noah had liked Angela's energy and intelligence but most
of all he had liked her loyalty to her loved ones. She had
been determined to take on so much at such a young age and
make it work. Even if she hadn't been a computer genius, he
would have hired her.
There wasn't an LCR employee who didn't appreciate
Angela's contributions. She made everyone's job a thousand
times easier and had saved lives in the process.
She dropped down into the chair across from him. "So,
what's your biggest concern?"
Noah had intimidated more men and women than he could
remember, but to his knowledge, he had never done that with
Angela. She had always acted as if they'd known each other
since birth.
"My biggest concern is that you could get yourself killed."
"Since this guy is slicing and dicing his victims,
that's a given. But whatever op I go on, something similar
could happen."
"The creeps we go after aren't usually serial killers."
He knew better than to encourage her to take some time
off and just enjoy life. That argument had already been made
and lost. After all she had been through, one would think
she'd want to spread her wings, maybe even explore life
outside the confines of LCR. When he'd made that suggestion,
he had been reminded once again of Angela's
single–minded determination. When she wanted
something, she went after it with everything within her. She
wanted to be an active field operative. Now.
"There are plenty of other ops I can assign you.
Dropping you into the deep end of the pool makes no sense.
Only our most seasoned and experienced operatives should be
on this case."
"I'm well aware that I don't have the experience, Noah.
And I know which operatives you're assigning—remember,
I saw your list. Eden, Shea, Sabrina and Riley are some of
our best. But you trained me just like you trained them. I
know what they know."
"There are some things you can't get in a training
session. Real world experience is a hell of a teacher."
"So let me go out and get that experience."
Noah shook his head. "We're talking around the issue. I
know you've got the skills, I just don't know if throwing
you to the wolves your first time out is a good idea."
"Then assign someone to me who'll watch my back."
That was a no–brainer. If he put her on this op,
he already knew who she would be paired with. A former
military man and ex–Chicago cop, Jake Mallory had the
discipline and drive that Noah looked for in an LCR
operative. He also possessed the protective, kick–ass
attitude of a seasoned professional. And with the bond Noah
had seen growing between the two, he knew that Jake would
battle the fires of hell for Angela.
Apparently under the impression he was considering which
operative he could partner her with, she added, "Seth and
Honor already know this case. Assign Seth to me. Or how
about Dylan? He just came off an op and—"
Noah held up his hand. This was the price he paid for
having Angela know almost as much as he did about the inner
workings of LCR. Normally he enjoyed her input but this was
one thing he would decide for himself. Seth Cavanaugh and
Dylan Savage were excellent operatives but not right for
this particular mission. "Finding you a partner won't be a
problem. I'm just not sure—"
"Will you ever be absolutely sure, Noah? You've treated
me like family from the moment I walked through LCR doors
and I can't even begin to express how much that means to me.
Without your generous salary, I'm not sure how my family
would have survived. But that's in the past. Being an LCR
operative is my future."
She leaned forward, her dark, velvet brown eyes searing
his. "It comes down to this. I'm an LCR employee. And I'm a
trained operative. This is an operation I know I can handle.
It's time to let me be what you trained me to be."
Noah stared deep into her eyes for several seconds;
Angela met his gaze, unflinchingly, unwavering in her
determination and confidence. Finally, he took a breath and
said, "Three conditions."
A brilliant light entered her eyes but she kept her
expression serious. "Name them."
"No rash decisions. Your partner will be the experienced
one. He tells you to do something, you damn well do it. No
arguments."
She nodded. "Of course."
"You go through a two–day refresher course.
Weapons, self–defense, and physical stamina. If your
trainer says you're ready, you're ready. If he says no, then
you sit this one out."
"No problem. And the third?"
Noah held back a grin at her easy agreement. Lack of
confidence had never been one of Angela's weaknesses.
"I want you to talk with Samara. If she says you're
mentally ready for the challenge, you're in."
"That's it?"
Noah nodded.
By nature, Angela was an exuberant, expressive person.
Noah could tell it was taking every bit of her
self–control not to get up and dance around the room.
He had missed seeing that vivre. He just hoped to hell he
had made the right decision. If anything happened to her, he
would never forgive himself.
She settled back into her seat with apparent effort and
asked calmly, "Who's my partner?"
His eyes eagle sharp to gauge her reaction, he answered,
"Jake Mallory."
Multiple electric quivers zipped up Angela's spine.
Maintaining as neutral an expression as possible, she held
her breath to keep from gasping. She knew her boss all too
well...he was waiting for a reaction. She refused to give an
outward sign that her heartbeat had just skyrocketed. Noah
was aware of her fascination with Jake. She hadn't exactly
hidden it from anyone, even Jake.
Aware that he was waiting for a response, Angela nodded
her approval and said calmly, "I'll be glad to work with
Jake. He's extremely capable."
She wasn't fooling Noah. His slightly raised brow and
little half crooked smile told her that. Okay, so what if
she couldn't look at Jake without salivating or getting very
heated in certain parts of her body. She was a professional
and a mature woman. Her hormones didn't control her actions.
Besides that, Jake had gone out of his way to show her he
wasn't interested in her romantically.
Most operatives treated her like a kid sister. Their
attitude had never bothered her before since she had always
looked at LCR employees as extended family members. Until
Jake. There was no way she could look at him and see
anything other than a larger than life sexy man. One with
all the necessary attributes and equipment to make her heart
flip over and her hormones stand up and take notice.
Apparently deciding the meeting was over and the matter
settled, Noah stood. Angela had no choice but to get up
also. She didn't even bother to tell herself that her
wobbling knees had nothing to do with the fact that soon,
she and Jake would be alone together for hours, maybe days.
But this was an op...her very first. No matter her partner,
she would do her job to the best of her considerable ability.
"Send Jake up when he gets here."
Her unreliable, foolish heart skipped a beat. She hadn't
seen Jake in days. Still, she didn't plan to stick around to
hear what he thought about this assignment or his new
partner. She would have to face him soon but not today. She
needed to go home and regroup. Tomorrow she would be better
equipped to deal with the fallout.
"He's not going to like it, is he?"
"It's not his job to like an assignment. He'll do what
he has to do."
Not exactly encouraging words. Bad enough that Jake
would be worried about her, but to have him forced to work
with her wasn't going to be pleasant for either of them.
"Maybe you should assign me to someone else."
"All operatives on this case will have a partner." Noah
paused a beat, and then with that adamant edge that meant he
wouldn't back down, he added, "Jake is yours."
A hundred different emotions raced through Angela as she
silently left the room. Setting aside her anxiety about Jake
for the time being, she reveled in what lay ahead. She was
getting what she had wanted almost from the moment she'd
walked into a small, slightly shabby hotel room and met Noah
and Milo for the first time.
After describing her qualifications, eagerness had lit
up their faces like they'd just been handed their most
wished–for Christmas present. Even then, her computer
skills, mostly self–taught, were crazy mad.
A few months before he was killed, she'd had a
conversation with Milo about this very thing. He had
understood her need to do more but told her when the time
came, she'd probably have to fight both he and Noah for the
chance. Not because she was so good at research but because
she meant so much to both of them.
Milo had been gone for almost four years now. An LCR
operative turned traitor had sold them out. Milo had paid
the price. Even now, it was still hard to deal with that
loss. She knew that Noah missed him daily. Milo had been an
inspiration to all who knew him.
The elevator landed on the first floor and Angela headed
to her desk. She'd clear up a few things and be gone before
Jake's meeting with Noah ended. She told herself she wasn't
being a coward. She honestly did have a lot of things to do.
It was just that when Jake found out, he would probably come
looking for her. She had no problem holding her own with
most people. Jake wasn't most people.
Falling in love with a man who only wanted to be your
friend was a sure path to heartbreak. She was idealistic
when it came to a lot of things but not this. If one didn't
look beneath the surface, Angela knew she shocked people.
But beneath the façade she wore for her job lay the soul of
a true romantic. She wanted candlelight dinners, long walks
in the park, and multiple orgasms. And she wanted forever.
That wasn't anything Jake would ever offer her. Okay, maybe
she could wear him down eventually to where he could provide
the multiple orgasms. But she wanted much more than that.
She wanted to be Jake Mallory's everything.