Scent of Danger Read online

  SCENT OF DANGER

  By

  Alexa Verde

  Book 3 in the Secrets of Rios Azules Series

  Copyright © 2016 by Olga Grun writing as Alexa Verde

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, posted on any website, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations in reviews and articles.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Edited by Amy Knupp. Digital formatting by L.K. Campbell. Cover by Elle J Rossi.

  Table of Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  Want to Read More?

  About Alexa Verde

  Other Titles by Alexa Verde

  Introduction

  Thank you so much for picking up Scent of Danger. The most wonderful gift you can give to an author is leaving a review and/or recommending the book. If you kindly write even several words on Amazon and/or Goodreads, I’ll be very grateful. To thank my readers, I offer giveaways to my newsletter subscribers. The emails are infrequent, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Here’s one of the most recent giveaways, Russian souvenirs.

  I hope you’ll enjoy reading about Connor and Maya as they find love amid danger. If you’re interested in other titles in the Secrets of Rios Azules series, please find information about River of Danger, Color of Danger, and Taste of Danger at the end of this book, as well as a sneak peak of my next novel. I’m happy and honored that you chose to spend time with me and my books.

  Blessings,

  Alexa Verde

  Secrets of Rios Azules Series

  Christian Multicultural Romantic Suspense

  Sweet, wholesome books about faith, love, and murder

  Welcome to Rios Azules, a small south Texas town, where rivers and emotions run deep, and the secrets are deadly.

  About Scent of Danger

  To find her missing sister, small-town cop Maya Hutchinson risks her life by posing as her glamorous twin. Under escalating attacks, Maya also puts her heart on the line by accepting protection from dashing senator's son Connor McNamara. Cop turned PI, Connor McNamara has his own secret mission and is forced to choose between family loyalty and love. When the scent of danger draws near, will Connor and Maya survive long enough to forgive and accept each other?

  To the Lord my Savior

  Chapter One

  Stilettos were murder.

  Maya Hutchinson breathed a sigh of relief as she kicked off her painful shoes and snatched them from the floor. The marble surface felt smooth and cold underneath her bare feet. She plodded along the empty hall where she’d sneaked to get away from the crowd.

  Hurried footsteps behind her made her wince. But before she had a chance to turn around, she was pushed into the nearest room. The door was immediately shut in her face. The click of the lock turning was followed by footfalls disappearing in the distance.

  It took her a moment to get over the initial astonishment. Then she tried the handle, but of course it was useless. What was she going to do? Unlike her sister, she’d never mastered the art of lock picking. She should’ve taken lessons from her twin when she had a chance.

  Maya pushed down a wave of helplessness and knocked on the door with her stilettos. Finally, those things were good for something besides killing her feet.

  “Help! Somebody! Anybody?” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

  Nobody answered.

  Of course.

  She’d chosen this part of the senator’s mansion because it was deserted. The annual charity event given by the Texas senator was a success, but Maya hadn’t been able to stand the crowd any longer. Besides, she’d needed privacy to sprinkle some wine on herself. She didn’t drink alcohol but had to appear drunk.

  Who’d pushed her inside and why?

  Cold ran down her back.

  Dear Lord, please help me. Amen.

  Distant noise filtered from downstairs. After the event ended in several hours, the building might become empty. Would whoever had pushed her inside wait until then or come after her earlier?

  Fear coiled in her gut. Maya dropped her shoes on the floor and glanced around the room, looking for something to use to defend herself.

  The room boasted a mahogany dresser with intricate carving and a matching bed, a sparkling chandelier, and mirrors in gilded frames. It was impeccably clean but lacked character and seemed unused. So most likely it was a guest room. She rushed to the dresser and inspected the drawers. Empty.

  Maya swallowed a lump of disappointment and dashed inside a luxurious bathroom with travertine tile and a claw-foot tub. She checked the medicine cabinet and drawers. Empty as well.

  So it looked like the only things she could use as a weapon were her own stilettos.

  Well, she didn’t intend to stay here long enough for her attacker to come back. Maya left the bathroom and concentrated on the gigantic window.

  She said a prayer again and pulled on the lever to open the window.

  It gave. Yes! No alarm sounded, probably because it was being opened from inside and not outside. She pulled the window up and met with the night breeze. She looked down, and her head spun. It wasn’t a good time to remember she was afraid of heights. She was only on the second floor, but the windows were enormous. She licked her dry lips. She’d risk breaking her legs by jumping outside.

  But who said she should jump?

  Maya ran to the bed and pulled off the comforter. She did a mental fist pump at finding a full set of sheets. Most likely, locking her inside was a crime of opportunity. Or she wouldn’t have had the means to get out of here.

  Adrenaline surging through her veins, she tied the sheets together and carried them to the window. She wrapped the end of the sheet around the windowsill and made as strong a knot as she could. She observed the knot skeptically. Would it hold? She certainly hoped so.

  She tried to remember the layout of the senator’s mansion, glad she’d studied it before leaving for the charity event. The dancing room wasn’t directly under her, was it? She didn’t want the guests to see her dangling in the window. No, that room was something like a study. Besides, the dancing room windows had heavy curtains.

  She winced from pain as she slid her feet into her shoes and hung the sheets outside. She groaned inwardly when the fabric didn’t reach the ground and straightened, trying to calm her wildly beating heart. Well, it would have to do. Her tall height should be useful for something other than her getting teased as a teen.

  Maya took a deep breath for courage. Then she slid down the sheets. She hesitated when she reached the end. Should she look down to see how far the ground was? Better not, or she’d lose her resolve. She should be close to the ground now. She’d be fine.

  After a moment’s hesitation, she forced herself to let the fabric go. She landed on her feet. She squatted and hit the ground with her palms, like she’d been taught to do. Then she straightened and stepped from the grass to the sidewalk, a wave of relief flooding her.

  She’d escaped!

  “Put your hands where I can see them!” a no-nonsense male voice commanded behind her back.

  Uh-oh. Her stomach sank. She lifted her hands and tried to turn around. But the treacherous shoe slippe
d, and she landed on her back.

  The voice became louder. “I said—”

  “It’s okay. I know her,” another male voice, full of authority, interrupted.

  Maya held still and turned her head to assess the new development, not daring to move much. From her uncomfortable location on the cold asphalt, she made out two male figures. The shorter and bulkier one was dressed in a security guard uniform. The taller one was dressed in a tuxedo.

  Of course, the appearance of a security guard would’ve been much more useful when she’d been locked in a room than now.

  “I saw her climbing out the window on the second floor,” the guard grumbled. “We should call the police.”

  Ironic, considering that she was the police. But her current mission had nothing to do with her duties. Not to mention she was half a state away from her jurisdiction in a small town, Rios Azules, in south Texas. The fact that she’d sneaked into a charity event pretending to be her twin sister, January, didn’t help, either.

  Maya struggled to get up.

  “I’ll handle it.” Tuxedo Man’s baritone allowed no argument. “You may go.”

  Still grumbling, Security Guy disappeared in the distance.

  Tuxedo Man walked closer and gave her a hand. She accepted it, and he lifted her up.

  Her heart rate increased when she recognized the senator’s son, Connor McNamara. She’d seen the senator’s family pictures in the local newspaper. Connor McNamara was even better-looking in person. Dark-blond hair, expressive hazel eyes, and ruggedly attractive features were combined with a confident posture and a muscular frame.

  “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” McNamara’s voice was full of concern.

  “I’ll live.” She glanced over herself, fearing her evening gown had fared worse than she had. But it wasn’t torn, and even the heels of her stilettos were not broken. She grimaced inwardly. Of course, nothing would destroy these shoes.

  Judging by the rise of his chest, he inhaled deeply. “Were you drinking?” he asked drily.

  Maybe she’d doused herself in too much wine. “It’s a party, isn’t it?”

  “I’ll walk you inside.” He guided her in the direction of the mansion.

  Strangely, his light touch gave her tingles, even though she’d never been one to let a handsome face affect her. “Thank you.”

  “But tell me, January, what on earth were you doing climbing out of the window on the second floor?”

  Maya froze. January? Oh, yeah, she forgot. Tonight, she wasn’t Maya Hutchinson. She was January, her glamorous twin and a successful model who traveled the world but called Austin home.

  Yesterday January had disappeared without a trace. No answers to calls, no e-mails, no texts, nothing. And her sister kept a connection to her, no matter where she went. Always. Granted, they’d lived in different parts of Texas, and January travelled all the time. But the morning had always started with one of them calling the other one.

  Until yesterday.

  January’s agent and photographer hadn’t been much help. Maya had filed the missing person report with the Austin Police Department, but the search wouldn’t start until forty-eight hours passed. She couldn’t wait that long.

  So Maya had figured that posing as her sister and talking to her acquaintances would give her an idea of what January had been up to for the last several days. People could tell her sister things they would be reluctant to reveal to Maya. The charity event was supposed to have many of January’s acquaintances. And Maya had a theory on the reason for her twin’s disappearance that she’d wanted to check.

  “January?” McNamara’s voice filtered through her thoughts.

  Belatedly, she realized she hadn’t answered his question. But what could she say? She didn’t think he’d believe the truth. Besides, how much did he know about her sister’s past?

  Maya struggled for an idea. “Um, I made a bet with a friend. I said I was going to get out of the window on the upper floor of the senator’s mansion, and he didn’t believe me. I proved him wrong.”

  It sounded ridiculous, but January was known for making all kinds of risky bets. Like alcohol, it might’ve been her sister’s way of dealing with what she’d gone through as a teen.

  Doubt registered in his eyes. “You really should stop drinking. Those bets could end up badly one day. I can get you some help if you’d like me to.”

  “I’ll think about it.” She released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. At least he hadn’t called her a liar.

  He gestured toward the generously lit entrance, and she moved in that direction. As he fell into step beside her, the scent of his cologne and his closeness unnerved her. While they walked, an unpleasant thought crawled into her mind. Had January stumbled into something while being tipsy? Tabloids loved to discuss her twin’s alcohol problems.

  “You think I’ve drunk too much lately?” Maya asked carefully.

  “Actually, you seemed to be sober for months. Until tonight.” He put a hand on the small of her back as they neared the front door.

  A wave of awareness spread through her at his touch. But she didn’t dare to move away.

  What had her sister said about him? January had mentioned Connor McNamara several times, but mostly in friendly, not romantic, terms. Strangely enough, because while her sister changed boyfriends rather often, she didn’t have many male friends. Besides, Connor McNamara was rumored to date only successful models, and her sister happened to be one of them.

  Maya pushed the thought away as they entered the mansion.

  The next several minutes she spent in one of the private bathrooms. The masked face with crimson-red lipstick in the mirror was hard to recognize as her own. Feeling like a fish out of water, she switched her attention to assessing damages. Several dirty spots on her elbows were to be expected, but otherwise, it wasn’t too horrible.

  Once refreshed, she slipped outside. She smiled at the sight of McNamara waiting for her. Immediately, she gave herself a mental shake. He wasn’t waiting for her but for her gorgeous sister.

  “I have to attend to other guests,” he said in an apologetic tone. “Will you be okay? Or would you like me to drive you home?”

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. But her heart squeezed in her chest painfully. Was she reluctant for him to leave? But why?

  Something drew her to him, be it his confident posture or the way he looked at her, like she mattered to him. She swallowed hard. It was January and not her who was important to the dashing senator’s son.

  “Dance room?” he asked.

  Fully aware that she had two left feet, both in the deadly grip of expensive high-heeled torture devices, she cringed inwardly. But January loved to dance, so Maya didn’t have much choice.

  “Sure,” she muttered.

  He put a mask on, but she could distinguish him from the crowd now.

  They entered the huge room, and he was immediately surrounded by people. It was weird to feel empty when he left, and still she did. Hopefully, he’d seek her out later. Not because she wanted to see him again, of course, but because she needed information from him. If Connor and January were close enough friends, he might know about what her sister had been involved in prior to her disappearance. That, however, didn’t explain why would her heart beat faster in his presence.

  Several people congratulated her on making the cover of some magazine. A man in a mask and a tuxedo — a uniform for the evening — asked her if she’d be interested in doing a commercial for toothpaste. Maya gave a noncommittal shrug.

  She leaned against the mirrored wall and scanned couples who whirled in a dance. Her senses were on high alert. Somewhere among them might be the person who’d locked her in the guest room upstairs. But who was it? What would he do when he realized she’d escaped? And did any one of these people have a clue why her twin sister had disappeared?

  Maya sighed. So far, she wasn’t doing a great job of passing herself off as her twin. January was usually the center of
attention. But not many people had come up to say hi to her.

  And nobody had invited her to dance, which would be unheard of for January. Probably the tension on Maya’s face was the reason for her being ignored. Maya uncurled her fists and ironed out her frown. The old insecurity of never being asked to dance crept inside her. Granted, she was rather tall, and some men were intimidated by women as tall or taller than they were. But the height had never stopped her sister from being popular.

  The familiar fear of rejection settled in the pit of Maya’s stomach. The music stopped, but she only tensed more. There would be another dance soon, and she didn’t want this one to be a failure, too.

  McNamara appeared in front of her. “May I have this dance?” he asked with a smile that made her knees weak.

  She looked around. He was probably asking somebody else. Men usually didn’t spare shy and tomboyish Maya a second glance. And especially not such handsome men as Connor McNamara.

  Oh, but she wasn’t Maya Hutchinson now. She gave herself a mental slap on the forehead. She was January.

  “Yes, of course.” Maya flashed the best smile she could, flipped her long hair the way her sister did, and fluttered her eyelashes. Several men in the room immediately paid more attention to her than to their dance partners. Maya’s jaw dropped. Was it that easy?

  He led her on the dance floor so confidently and so smoothly that she managed not to stumble even once. She caught a glimpse of her own reflection in the mirror as she followed Connor’s steps.

  The transformation was amazing. From her sister’s posh apartment, Maya had borrowed a red evening gown, makeup, and a bracelet with more diamonds than Maya was comfortable with. Considering she only owned sneakers as footwear, she’d had to borrow silver-toned stilettos, too. She’d added extensions in her chestnut-colored hair to look more like her sister. She’d even remembered to sprinkle herself with January’s spicy perfume. But some things were more difficult to change. Her dancing skills left a lot to be desired.