From <New York Times< and <USA Today< bestselling author Karen Rose comes another "intense, complex, and unforgettable&rdquo;* novel.

Officer Naomi Cranston was framed for stealing cocaine from the evidence locker and coerced&mdash;through threats to her young son&mdash;into not fighting the charges. After five years in prison, she has tried to put the ordeal behind her, but the crooks who framed her have returned, this time demanding she move drugs along with her flower shop&rsquo;s deliveries. They threaten her son once again, but this time she&rsquo;s not capitulating quietly. She hires Broussard Investigations to protect her and her son, to prove her innocence, and to put the real bad guys away.

As a former cop, Burke Broussard is well aware of the corruption in the New Orleans police department. He had always believed Naomi Cranston to be guilty and isn&rsquo;t inclined to take her case. Until he sits down to listen to her side of things. Until he sees her tortured innocence written all over her beautiful face&hellip;

A relationship born amid an investigation is a fragile thing. Will it survive the danger and the threats? Will it survive the truth?

<* James Patterson<

Autorentext

Karen Rose

Klappentext

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose comes another "intense, complex, and unforgettable”* novel.

Officer Naomi Cranston was framed for stealing cocaine from the evidence locker and coerced—through threats to her young son—into not fighting the charges. After five years in prison, she has tried to put the ordeal behind her, but the crooks who framed her have returned, this time demanding she move drugs along with her flower shop’s deliveries. They threaten her son once again, but this time she’s not capitulating quietly. She hires Broussard Investigations to protect her and her son, to prove her innocence, and to put the real bad guys away.

As a former cop, Burke Broussard is well aware of the corruption in the New Orleans police department. He had always believed Naomi Cranston to be guilty and isn’t inclined to take her case. Until he sits down to listen to her side of things. Until he sees her tortured innocence written all over her beautiful face…

A relationship born amid an investigation is a fragile thing. Will it survive the danger and the threats? Will it survive the truth?

* James Patterson

Leseprobe
1

The Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana

Monday, February 24, 8:45 a.m.

Burke Broussard placed the papers he'd just reviewed into a drawer in his desk at Broussard Investigations. Business completed, he wanted to spend a few minutes with the man he'd called brother since they were teenagers.

"Everything looks good, as usual, Kaleb. Thank you."

Kaleb accepted the thanks with a nod and the smile Burke had grown up seeing. It was a bittersweet connection to better times, because he and Kaleb were the only ones left now.

Burke's mother, his uncle Larry. And Kyra, of course. All gone these twenty-five years. Even Kaleb's father, Uncle Larry's dear friend and business partner, was gone now. It was just Burke and Kaleb.

"Now that the business is out of the way," Kaleb said, "how the hell are you?"

The "business" was Kaleb's quarterly presentation of their company's profit and loss statement, along with the new initiatives that kept Fontenot Industries at the top of its game. Burke didn't always understand the software that the engineers were designing, but he could read a P&L. Their company was doing very well.

Kaleb Marchand was the genius behind all the tech. As the owner, Burke mostly just signed the checks. The profits he made from Fontenot allowed him to fund the work he really loved-getting justice for those who'd been let down by the law. Some of the people he aided didn't have the money to pay them. Because of Uncle Larry and his gift that kept on giving year after year, Burke could do a lot of pro bono work.

"Oh, you know," Burke said with a shrug. "Same old, same old."

Kaleb shook his head fondly. "Meaning you have loads of cases you can't tell me anything about." He looked over his shoulder to the closed office door. "Glad to see Joy looking so healthy."

"You and me both." Burke's office administrator had been shot two years before and had taken eighteen months to come back to her job full-time. Rehab took a lot longer with age. Joy wasn't all that old-only thirteen years older than Burke's forty-three-but her body had taken a real beating.

She'd nearly died.

However, she was back at her desk, and he couldn't be happier.

"How are Juliette and the kids?"

"Juliette's got the house and the office decorated for Mardi Gras," Kaleb said with a grin. "You should come over for supper."

"I will. And those godsons of mine?" Braden was fifteen, Trent thirteen. It seemed like yesterday that he'd held them at their christenings, and now they were teenagers.

Kaleb rolled his eyes. "Braden's got a girlfriend."

Burke barely controlled his wince. "Another one?"

"Yep," Kaleb said dolefully, and then his smile was back. "But Trent's getting an award in two weeks. He developed a robot in his after-school program. Did it all on his own, without my help." Kaleb's pride was clear. "It's extremely well-done."

"Apple didn't fall far from the tree," Burke drawled. "If there's a ceremony, send me the details, and I'll be there."

"You always are."

Burke's desk phone buzzed and he checked the time. "That's Joy telling me that my nine o'clock is here."

He didn't know who the appointment was with, and that had his hackles rising. Joy normally gave him all the details on clients. That she hadn't done so this morning was both intriguing and concerning.

Kaleb rose and Burke came around his desk to give him a bear hug. Kaleb grunted, then laughed, hugging him back.

"Don't break my ribs," Kaleb said. "I might need them someday."

Burke slapped his back, then let him go. "Sorry."

Kaleb looked up at him with a smirk. Kaleb was tall, around six feet, but Burke was taller. And bigger. It had been that way since they were teenagers.

"You need to find a woman who'll appreciate those bear hugs of yours," Kaleb said. "Juliette has a new list of ladies for you."

Burke opened his office door with a good-natured groan, because Juliette never tired of trying to set him up with her friends. "Can you tell her to stop?"

"I can and I have, but you know Jules."

Burke did, and he loved her. She was the sister he'd never had. "I'll figure out a way to weasel out of anything she sets up."

Kaleb chuckled. "You can try." He walked into the lobby, leaning down to kiss Joy's cheek. "I missed you, J-Bird. Glad you're back full-time."

Joy beamed up at him. "Me too. Give my love to that wife of yours."

"I will. Thank you for rescheduling me on short notice. This trip came up last minute. I fly out in a few hours."

"Safe travels," Joy said. "Bring me something from Chicago."

Kaleb smiled at her. "Chocolate?"

Joy nodded. "You've always been a smart one."

Burke waited until Kaleb had gone before leaning against Joy's desk. "Where is my nine o'clock?"

Because the lobby was empty.

"Chilling with Antoine in the computer room. She and her friend didn't want to be out in the open."

Burke nodded. "Skittish, huh?"

"One of them is." Joy's expression became troubled. "Don't say no right away, Burke."

Burke's eyes went wide. "Why would I say no?"

"Promise me," Joy pressed. "Hear her out."

Now Burke was even more intrigued. "Okay." He turned for his office door. "Send in my appointment-and her friend-when they're done 'chilling' with Antoine.'"

"We're done," a familiar woman's voice said. "And we're…