Debra Webb - Colby Conspiracy

“Striking Distance by Debra Webb is a fast-moving, sensual blend of mystery and suspense…I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

—New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard

“…brims with tightly woven suspense around every corner, and twists and turns abound. Webb moves effortlessly between two very diverse romances and masterfully keeps the reader on the edge until the last page.”

—Romantic Times on Striking Distance

“Webb reaches into our deepest nightmares and pulls out a horrifying scenario. She delivers the ultimate villain for our computer-driven world—a techno sadist. Fortunately, she also gives us a battle-scarred hero who is still willing to fight and a loyal heroine who believes in justice.”

—Romantic Times on Dying to Play

“A chilling tale that will keep readers turning pages long into the night, Dying to Play is a definite keeper.”

—Romance Reviews Today on Dying to Play

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Dear Reader,

Welcome to the world of the Colby Agency. The Colby stories are very dear to my heart and I hope you will enjoy this one.

For five years now I’ve been fortunate enough to write stories about Victoria Colby and her staff of fine private investigators. I have worked hard to make each and every character as real and true to reader expectation as possible. Last year, Harlequin and I brought you the story of James Colby Jr.’s return (Striking Distance). Many, many of you wrote to me to tell me how very much you loved this story. Your letters and e-mails meant a great deal to me. Telling Jim’s (aka Seth’s) story the way it needed to be told was something I had hoped to be able to do. I have you and Harlequin to thank for that amazing opportunity.

Now I am pleased to bring you Colby Conspiracy. This story will give you a close-up insight into the more human side of Victoria and her private world. As always when I write a story, I hope to send you on an edge-of-your-seat ride that will touch every emotion. Oh, and and don’t forget the bonus features—I’ve written something very special for you there!

Best to you,

This book is dedicated to all the readers who have followed this marvelous journey with me from the beginning with the very first Colby Agency story. Thank you so much for coming back over and over again. I hope that I will never disappoint you and that we will venture into many, many more Colby Agency stories to come. Cheers!

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

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

BONUS FEATURES

THE RAIN had stopped. Victoria Colby-Camp stood near the massive window, staring out at the shimmering downtown city lights reflected in the inky black of the Chicago River. This wasn’t really the best time for her to be distracted. There were more hands that needed to be shaken, more affirmations of gratitude that should be made. Only an hour ago, she had received her second prestigious award as Chicago’s Woman of the Year, but she couldn’t help being drawn away from the glitz and the glamour and toward the unknown and the darkness shrouding the city she loved.

No matter that she stood in the mammoth marble lobby of the R. R. Donnelley Building, with its ancient Greek and Roman architecture, or that hundreds of silk-and sequined-clad guests mingled around her. She could feel the subtle shift…the ever-so-slight change in the very atmosphere of her happy but fragile world.

She had every right to be ecstatic. After half a lifetime of hoping and praying, she finally had her son back, alive and growing stronger every day. Jim scarcely reflected even a hint of the Seth persona that had ravaged his life from the age of seven until just one year ago. Great strides had been made with therapy and the love of the woman who had somehow managed to touch his battered heart.

Tears welled in Victoria’s eyes when she thought of all that Tasha had done to save Jim, to bring back the man, as well as the boy, who had barely managed to survive behind the ugly mask of a killer named Seth. Victoria smiled and blinked the tears away. Jim and Tasha had set a date for their wedding. All that Victoria had hoped for was finally coming to fruition.

“My dear, this is no place for the guest of honor to be hiding out.”

Victoria turned at the sound of the familiar male voice belonging to the man she loved. He was the other long-awaited wish come true in her hard-won battle for happiness. The man she had loved and admired from afar for so very long was now her husband. Emotion tightened her throat. Though a part of her would always love James Colby, the father of her son, her heart now belonged fully to this man…to Lucas Camp.

She smiled, gloried in simply admiring his handsome, however rugged, face for a few seconds before she answered. “I just needed a moment to myself.”

The heart-stopping smile that he reserved just for her spread across her husband’s face. “This is your night, Victoria. You deserve this honor and more. Come.” He folded her arm around his. “Let’s have another toast to the Woman of the Year.” He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. “To my lovely wife.”

Victoria allowed Lucas to lead her back into the midst of the festivities. She smiled, offered the expected gestures and comments with all the grace required of a woman in her position, but part of her could not let go of the nagging instinct that everything was about to change.

THOUGH DANIEL MARKS had had no aspirations about going out tonight, he was glad the rain had stopped. He watched the flow of pedestrians as they ventured from the shops and restaurants on the Magnificent Mile from his vantage point in a luxurious suite on one of the uppermost floors of the historic Allerton Crowne Plaza. He’d never been big on hotels, but he had to admit that even he was impressed by the stately European decor of this one. But what he found most appealing was the location. Close to everything that was anything in the city of Chicago, and one place in particular—the Colby Agency.