CA 50.5 Colby Agency Companion Guide Read online

  This is the first time the Colby Agency loses one of its own. RIP, Windy Millwood. During their time together, Sande finds out her true identity: Angela Tapley. The Colby Agency launches a new department focused on finding the lost, and Sande/Angela is brought on board for it. She and Patrick have married recently and are hoping to start a family soon.

  Small-Town Secrets—#32

  Harlequin Intrigue

  Since 2000 the Colby Agency has taken on the most private of investigations. They now announce their Elite Reconnaissance Division: Our only mission—to find the missing! Chicago,

  Case Report #1.

  * * *

  Mission: Close a sixteen-year-old case—three teenage girls slain in a small Midwest town. Client: Dana Hall, twin sister of one of the victims. Troubled, amnesiac, alienated from family, suffering from horrific nightmares about the killer’s identity. Investigator: William “Spence” Spencer. Thirty-six. Bachelor. Top-notch skills, on the job 24/7. Showed exceptional sensitivity to client’s needs. Comments: Significant danger. Escalating threats against Dana’s presence in town.

  Spence believed Dana was hiding something relevant to the investigation. Possibly he might be hiding something himself. Had his strong, naturally protective nature compromised his professionalism? There was always a first time.

  After a roller coaster of a ride, Dana and Spence go back to Chicago and decide to give their relationship a go. Wedding bells ring and a mere twelve months later the two welcome their first child.

  The Bride’s Secrets—#33

  Harlequin Intrigue

  Elite Reconnaissance Division: Our only mission—to find the missing! Chicago, Case Report #2.

  * * *

  Mission: Find a runaway bride. Expose her true identity. Target: Eve Mattson, self-described “problem solver” for hire. Had been on the wrong side of the law most of her life. Recently showed signs of putting the past behind her, especially after leaving the wrong guy at the altar. Investigator: J. T. Baxley, new employee who had mistaken his bride-to-be for an honest woman. Superior investigative skills, emotionally vulnerable, willing to take a bullet in the name of justice. Supervisor’s comments: Twists and turns no one saw coming. Attraction again developing between Baxley and Mattson? Neither ever trusted anyone. Reports that the two have been spotted in passionate embraces in the midst of lethal situations.

  When the bad guys are brought down, J.T. and Eve make some decisions. Despite their painful past and being thrown into a whirlwind investigation together, love has flourished once again. J.T. and Eve give their relationship another go and rush to the courthouse to make it official. A real family is in their immediate future.

  His Secret Life—#34

  Harlequin Intrigue

  Elite Reconnaissance Division: Our only mission—to find the missing! Chicago, Case Report #3.

  * * *

  Mission: Find the hero who didn’t want to be found. Client: A wealthy businessman who wouldn’t rest until he repaid the man who saved his family from a car crash—and fled the scene. Investigator: Jane Sutton, former army counterintelligence officer, was the proverbial “plain Jane.” Smart, tenacious, tough as nails, but longing for love. Didn’t bargain for the danger that surrounded her target, Troy Benson…or her irresistible attraction to him. Supervisor’s comments: On the lam from witness protection, Troy lives with a devastating secret from his past and trusts no one. Unwilling to let Jane help him reclaim his true identity. Reluctant to believe that what she really might find is the hero of her dreams.

  With the case solved, Trace, aka Troy, and Jane let their relationship take its course. I am happy to report that the couple will be married this summer.

  Christmas Past—#35

  A Very Nascar Holiday

  HQN Anthology

  After a tragic mountain-climbing accident changed his life forever, NASCAR driver Jason Fewell hadn’t been himself, on or off the track. So he headed into the wilderness to face his worst fears—and miraculously found the one woman who could make him whole again. If only she hadn’t had secrets of her own.

  After harrowing and treacherous climbs on the mountains and in their hearts, Molly and Jason follow their hearts to the finish line. The two are married and Molly is Jason’s number one cheerleader as he wins race after race.

  First Night—#36

  Harlequin Intrigue

  As far as Christmas packages went, Brandon Thomas was one surprisingly gorgeous surprise. And at the moment he was in over his too-handsome head. He’d showed up at the Colby Agency offices covered in blood and desperate for help unraveling a mystery of murder. Luckily for Brandon, Merri Walters was a determined investigator not about to let an innocent bystander get railroaded—especially so close to Christmas.

  With careful coaxing, Merri learned that Brandon unknowingly possessed information high-level people wanted to keep secret. Now the only challenge was keeping Brandon at arm’s length in order to make sure they both stayed alive to see the New Year.

  Brandon and Merri fall head over heels in love and move in together. Wedding plans are under way! As a side note, Merri was also featured in two Bombshell books, Silent Weapon and Silent Reckoning.

  Colby Lockdown—#37

  Harlequin Intrigue

  The Colby Agency of Chicago has long handled the most private investigations with discretion and success. Staff from the top down maintain pristine reputations and the agency always works within the law. Until now…

  With a long list of clients came a few enemies. Someone wanted revenge—and was determined to get it, starting with Victoria Colby-Camp. The only hope for survival for Victoria and her staff lay with Colby investigator Slade Convoy and a total stranger—Mia Dawson, a personal assistant in the D.A.’s office.

  With the offices in lockdown and holding hostages, the captors had one demand and a twenty-four-hour deadline: kidnap Cook County D.A. Gordon and deliver him to the Colby Agency. Slade’s assignment was to gain the cooperation of Mia—the only person who knew how to get past Gordon’s security—by whatever means necessary and bring in Gordon. Together Slade and Mia had no alternative but to break the law in order to execute the operation. But would they be able to plead their case once justice was served? And would the operation fail when Slade learned Mia had an agenda of her own?

  In the end, Mia and Slade get through it all and begin a new relationship together. The two have just set a wedding date!

  Colby Justice—#38

  Harlequin Intrigue

  With the deadline for his demands fast approaching, Victoria Colby-Camp’s captor started to exact the revenge he deemed justice. Now in session: a mock trial sure to end in a death sentence for Victoria…unless Equalizer Ben Steele and Colby Agency rookie Penny Alexander could pull off a daring, nearly impossible rescue.

  The only problem was some serious friction between the two. Loner Steele traveled with so much emotional baggage that he couldn’t trust a woman partner. Alexander, new to the job and insecure, harbored a secret that could fatally jeopardize the mission. And once Steele found her out, anger, resentment, lies and accusations trailed their every heart-stopping move. Could this risk-all rescue operation—and the Colby Agency—be saved?

  To start a new life with open minds and hearts, trusting the other, Ben and Penny begin a relationship!

  Colby Control—#39

  Harlequin Intrigue

  When the Colby Agency and the Equalizers merged, their investigators and agents were expected to work together. But the moment Ted Tallant was teamed up with hotshot investigator Nora Friedman, there were sparks—and not the good kind. Nora was a risk taker, while Ted was a by-the-book kind of guy. When they were sent to Vegas on a case, those sparks turned into something hotter. They were good together—

  really good. But then an enemy from Nora’s past twisted their assignment into something deadly, and all hell broke loose. Suddenly skill and attraction weren’t enough. They would have to trust each other…or everyone would
die.

  Ted and Nora might have all but hated each other in the beginning, but things have changed! Nora has proposed to Ted and the two are going anywhere but Vegas for their nuptials.

  Colby Velocity—#40

  Harlequin Intrigue

  Former Equalizer Leland “Rocky” Rockford did not have a problem working with Colby agent Kendra Todd. As far as he was concerned, partnering with her was one of the benefits of their agencies’ merger. Something about her calm and composed air made him want to ruffle her feathers—until they were assigned to a murder case.

  Fully in professional mode, Rocky was willing to do whatever necessary to support Kendra—and keep her safe. But as the case started cracking, so did the walls around her guarded heart. Now, with questions and bodies piling up, they had to outmaneuver the shadowy element that not only wanted them to fail, but wanted them dead… .

  As the case heats up, so does their attraction for one another. So when the case is closed, they take their relationship to the next level. A date has not been set, but don’t be surprised if the two Colby investigators show up any day with matching gold bands.

  Colby Brass—#41

  Harlequin Intrigue

  Five years ago they’d vowed to live separate lives…now they’d been brought together to complete their deadliest mission yet. As a Colby investigator, Trinity Barrett was one of the best at finding the missing and delivering justice. He hadn’t confronted a challenge he couldn’t handle with ease—until now. To locate an abducted child and bring her home safely, he must team up with Equalizer Evonne Cassidy…his ex-wife.

  Launching a dangerous search in Chicago’s underbelly was not Evonne’s biggest obstacle—partnering with Trinity was. They’d managed to keep their history a secret, but in close quarters they couldn’t deny the passion that still connected them. And if there was any hope for a Christmas reconciliation, they’d first have to survive their risky assignment… .

  Evonne and Trinity’s love is easily rekindled. At Victoria’s insistence, they take some time off in a lovely cabin in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Enough time to rekindle that old flame they have for each other. Lucas Camp has officially retired from the CIA and is now working side by side with Victoria.

  Colby Core—#42

  Harlequin Intrigue

  More than just a Colby agent, he was the hero she’d been waiting for… . After years in captivity, waiting for a rescuer who never came, Tessa Woods met a mysterious stranger who was determined to help bring down a human-trafficking ring and save the other victims…including her child. But could she put all her dreams of a Merry Christmas into the hands of a handsome stranger?

  Colby agent Riley Porter thought being a former SEAL had prepared him for anything. When he went undercover to find Tessa, he didn’t expect his professional mission to become personal. Yet caring for the brave, passionate woman who was ready to risk her life to end an evil cycle was far beyond his control. As the danger escalated, Riley had to convince Tessa to do the impossible for their own survival—trust him to protect her.

  Tessa’s hero finally came! She and Riley are a couple now and raising her little girl.

  Missing—#43

  Harlequin Intrigue—The New Equalizers

  “I need your help. Please.” And with those words, tough guy Jonathan Foley melted. It had been years since he’d seen the only woman to climb his wall of solitude…months since he’d joined an elite team of operatives called the Equalizers and hidden away his secrets. But now Melissa Shepherd needed him—and there was no denying her.

  Melissa’s niece was missing and she knew only Jonathan could see past the lies in her small Alabama hometown and find Polly. Searching alongside the man she’d loved and lost would prove difficult…and downright dangerous. But she’d have to—because for the little girl, time was running out… .

  Jonathan Foley resigned as an Equalizer and moved to Alabama to be with Melissa. The two had a whirlwind marriage and are finally truly happy.

  Colby Damaged—#44

  Harlequin Intrigue—The New Equalizers

  “I’m no hero.” It was supposed to be a simple assignment—

  follow a woman. As an operative with the elite team of Equalizers, Dakota Garrett had faced hell and lived without any new baggage. So why was he left with dead bodies, a kidnap victim and a damsel in distress on his latest assignment?

  Wannabe Colby agent Lucky Malone was in over her head. Only the dark stranger could save her and her kidnapped boss, the esteemed Victoria Colby-Camp, but like Lucky, Dakota had demons that haunted him, a past that shadowed him. And this case forced him to meet his biggest fear head-on. Lucky would give anything to help the man she’d come to love, but her fate was in Dakota’s hands. Could he play the role he’d always avoided—hero?

  Dakota Garrett leaves the Equalizers but stays in Chicago with Lucky. He has just bought the ring and is planning a special moment to pop the question!

  Colby Broken—#45

  Harlequin Intrigue—The New Equalizers

  “That stranger…is my wife.” After seven years of agony, Linc Reece was certain he’d found his dead wife—alive and living in a tiny Tennessee town. He was sure Mia Grant was Lori, the wife he’d lost in an undercover case gone bad. Now the operative for the elite team of Equalizers had to prove it…even if he had to kidnap her.

  Mia Grant saw the hope in Linc’s eyes…but just because she liked the scent of vanilla, blues and old houses didn’t make her his long-lost wife. Nothing about him was familiar, except the sizzle she felt when they touched. But when they discovered Lori’s records destroyed and her photos stolen, even Mia knew someone had gone to great lengths to make her forget. And the man she had trusted most would do anything to ensure she never remembered… .

  Reece leaves the Equalizers to rebuild his life. Mia/Lori realizes she loves Linc no matter if she never remembers the life they once shared. She wants to be a part of the new life he is building. They renew their vows and are planning to have their first child.

  Colby Classified—#46

  Harlequin Intrigue

  “Who are you?” Colby Agency investigator Levi Stark had been prepared for the worst when his boss sent him to find her agency’s deadliest enemy. But deep undercover in a Mexican mining outpost, Levi met danger from the unlikeliest source—an unknown blonde spitfire on the same trail.

  Casey Manning had been secretly sent by Levi’s boss’s husband, Lucas Camp. The benched CIA agent trusted no one and worked alone…until she and Levi found themselves outmanned and outgunned. Around her sexy new partner, Casey had a feeling that protecting her identity—and her heart—would prove tougher than keeping them safe from the Colbys’ most wanted… .

  After facing certain death together and overcoming it, Casey and Levi are an item! Their wedding plans are under way, with Casey’s uncle, the enigmatic Thomas Casey, and his close friend Lucas Camp advising the young couple.

  Decoded—#47

  Harlequin Intrigue

  “Who are you?” Slade Keaton was the man Maggie James fell in love with…until she learned that everything she knew about him was a lie. Escaping a hit meant for him, she found herself on the run—fleeing a danger she couldn’t comprehend with a man she couldn’t trust. And pregnant with his baby.

  Though he’d had dozens of aliases, Slade couldn’t forget who he was—the son of a merciless assassin named the Dragon. He’d kept out of his mother’s reach for years till a Colby Agency investigator put him—and Maggie—on her radar. Now could Slade become the very thing he hated in order to save the woman and child he loved?

  After years on the run and in hiding, Slade Keaton (birth name: Tripp Marek) can be free to live a normal life and no longer have to look over his shoulder. Thirty years ago Lucas Camp and the Dragon had a relationship, and Slade is the result of that affair! He is offered a position at the Colby Agency. He accepts and closes the Equalizers. Any and all of his employees are welcome to join the Colby Agency. Victoria and Lucas
announce their retirement and the opening of a new Colby branch in Texas. Keaton buys a house in Chicago and proposes to Maggie…she says yes!

  Colby Law—#48

  Harlequin Intrigue

  Lyle McCaleb was eager to begin work for the Colby Agency when their Houston office opened. His first case involved a twenty-two-year-old murder case the world had presumed closed until Rafe Barker, the Princess Killer, currently in his last thirty days of death row, revealed that his three daughters (assumed to be his and his wife’s final victims) were alive and well and in need of protection. His wife, Clare, the other half of the Princess Killer team, had recently been released and Rafe swore she wanted to find their daughters and do what was supposed to have been done all those years ago.

  The case took Lyle to the last place he expected to go—

  Copperas Cove, Texas, and his first love, Sadie Gilmore. Sadie was a stubborn young woman who had a deeply tender spot for animals. She owned and operated Second Chance Ranch outside Copperas Cove, where she rescued rodeo horses. She had no idea that she was really Sarah Barker, the youngest of the Barker children. Could Lyle convince her to allow him to protect her before it was too late?

  High Noon—#49

  Harlequin Intrigue

  The hunt for Clare Barker and the truth continued. This time it was the middle daughter, Laney Seagers (formerly Lisa Barker), and her son in need of protection. As a single mother Laney had her hands full running the High Noon saloon and raising Buddy, her precocious son. It wasn’t bad enough that the bank was nipping at her heels and her son’s father had decided to cause her trouble, but then a stranger showed up with an unbelievable story. Laney wasn’t who she thought she was—and her biological mother might be trying to kill her.