Virna DePaul - Shades of Passion

SHADES OF THE PAST

Detective Simon Granger has devoted his life to solving high-risk cases, and he’s vowed never again to get involved with a woman whose work is equally as dangerous. But when the Special Investigations Group teams him with a beautiful psychiatrist, his resolve is shattered by the tense and emotionally charged partnership....

SHADES OF INTRIGUE

Determined to outrun the grief over her sister’s death, Dr. Nina Whitaker reluctantly agrees to use her training to help the police. Despite Detective Granger’s disdain for her profession, she believes she can change his mind. But then a grieving father begins a deadly game of revenge, threatening Nina’s life, challenging her beliefs, and drawing Nina and Simon together in an explosive endgame of intrigue…and unstoppable passion.

SHADES OF PASSION…

Praise for the novels of Virna DePaul

“DePaul’s latest novel combines nonstop action, a cunning villain and one very strong and passionate special agent working through her own demons after a tragic incident...what carries this story is the fiery chemistry between the two main characters.”

—RT Book Reviews on Shades of Temptation

“Sexy, page-turning excitement.”

—New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster on Shades of Desire

“DePaul’s romantic suspense has shades of a thriller inside the pages, with damaged characters, love scenes that make the pages almost too hot to handle and hair-raising villains…a very enjoyable read.”

—RT Book Reviews on Shades of Desire

“Gripping…the perfect blend of danger, intrigue and romance. You won’t be able to put this book down.”

—New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak on Chosen by Blood

“So incredibly well written, different and hot!”

—New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione on Chosen by Blood

Shades of Passion

Virna DePaul

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Contents

Prologue

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

PROLOGUE

THE MAN CAME TO BETH just when she needed him most.

Just when the pain of existence became too sharp to bear.

She looked into eyes that morphed into rich landscapes, green hills and golden sunsets that stretched far beyond the back of his head, going on for an eternity.

Those eyes beckoned her, promising an end to her suffering. Tempting her with not just peace, but infinite joy. Love. Acceptance.

Only there was love here. Hope.

Hadn’t someone told her that? Someone she trusted? Believed? Hadn’t she said the world was beautiful?

The man held out his hand. In his palm lay a pink satin ribbon. “The world can be beautiful,” he said. “Depending on which direction you travel.”

I’ve traveled so long, Beth thought. I’m tired.

“I know you’re tired,” the man said. “Come with me. I’ll carry you. I’ll let you rest.”

His voice matched the hypnotic beauty of his eyes. It was a deep rumble that resonated throughout her body, enveloping her in a comforting hug the same way her mother’s arms used to wrap around her. But her mother, her champion, was gone now. Cancer had taken her. It had eaten away at her insides and left Beth alone, with only her father for company. She didn’t want her father. She didn’t trust him.

There was another woman, though. Another woman who fought for her. Wasn’t there?

Beth struggled to remember, but her vision tunneled, focusing her attention on the long length of ribbon in the man’s hand. She reached out and stroked it. It felt smooth. Soft. And when Beth pressed the ribbon against her lips, the memory of her mother’s kisses made her weep.

“You’re not alone,” the man said. “I’m with you. Part of you. Part of everyone. I’ll bring you to your mother. She’s waiting. All you need to do is trust me.”

Beth’s tears dried up, and her grief turned to resolve.

Trust me. Trust us. Trust me.

The man’s visage blurred. Morphed into one of a female with blond hair and green eyes.

I know her, Beth thought. She’s helped me. She can help me again.

I’m part of everyone, the man had said. I’m part of you.

Which meant Beth wasn’t alone. Not anymore. And she never would be.

Not if she trusted him.

Following the man’s instructions, Beth held the ribbon between her hands, then looped it around her throat.

“It will hurt at first,” the man warned.

Beth hesitated. Where had the woman gone?

“Don’t fight it. It’s like being born again. You’ll close your eyes and sleep for a time. But when you wake up, I’ll be there. And so will your mother. You’ll finally be happy. No one will hurt you ever again.”

“I hurt,” Beth whispered. “I don’t want to hurt anymore.”

So she did what the man said until she couldn’t breathe. Until she felt pain. Until she felt fear.

But just as he promised, it didn’t last long.

I’m being born again, she told herself as the darkness closed in.

And this time, the world will be beautiful.

CHAPTER ONE

SIMON GRANGER’S FATHER had always measured a man’s worth by his ability to man up. Didn’t matter how tired or angry or sick or sad he was—a man did what he had to. Otherwise, he was worthless. No, less than worthless. He was nothing but a bag of bones taking up space.

That’s why, the day after his ex-girlfriend Lana Hudson was murdered by a serial killer, Simon showed up for work just like always.

Now, six months later, he still worked. He testified in court. Occasionally he even socialized with the other members of the Special Investigations Group, a division of the California Department of Justice.

He did what he had to. No complaints. No excuses.

But this...

This was harder. Much harder.

So hard that he’d put it off.

So hard that he wasn’t sure he could actually do it.

But his father’s voice prodded him.

Don’t be a wuss, Simon. All that counts in this world is a man’s actions. Do the right thing and it doesn’t matter what you feel. You, the man, what you do—that’s what counts. That’s what’s real.

As usual, playing back his father’s words spurred him into action. This time, he didn’t stop until he stood by the grave site. He studied it with an odd combination of regret and relief.

It was in a good spot, in the shadow of a willow tree, covered with the thick green lawn that sprawled across the cemetery grounds. The place emanated peace. He could almost feel Lana standing beside him, her hand on his shoulder, a soft smile on her face as she thanked him for coming.

The gravestone suited her. It was polished. An elegant marbleized cream. The epitaph, however, made him flinch. Underneath her birth and death dates, it read:

Lana Hudson

Beloved Daughter

Taken by a Soul in Pain but

One Better for Having Met Her

He wanted to wipe out any mention of the “soul” that had taken Lana from them. It seemed obscene that a tribute to Lana’s life would include any mention of the man who’d killed her. But the epitaph hadn’t been his call. As a man Lana had briefly dated, Simon had no right to override her parents’ wishes. That was especially true given he couldn’t dispute the epitaph’s overall message—that Lana had blessed every life she’d touched, no matter how dark that life had been.