MAKE HER PAY

  The critics love Roxanne St. Claire and the Bullet Catchers

  “Roxanne St. Claire leaves us wanting just one thing—

  more Bullet Catchers.”

  —Romance Novel TV

  “Sexy, smart, and suspenseful.”

  —Mariah Stewart, New York Times bestselling author

  “When it comes to dishing up great romantic suspense,

  St. Claire is the author you want.”

  —Romantic Times

  NOW YOU DIE

  “The incredibly talented Ms. St. Claire … keeps the audience on tenterhooks with her clever ruses, while the love scenes pulsate with sensuality and an exquisite tenderness that zeroes in on the heart.”

  —The Winter Haven News Chief (FL)

  “A nonstop thrill ride of mayhem that leaves you breathless.”

  —Simply Romance Reviews

  THEN YOU HIDE

  “St. Claire aces another one!”

  —Romantic Times

  “Nothing short of spectacular, with the fast pace and the tension constantly mounting.”

  —Kwips and Kritiques

  “Knock-your-socks-off romantic suspense right from the get-go … simply stunning…. Roxanne St. Claire is a top-notch writer who has the sexiest heroes going!”

  —Reader to Reader Reviews

  FIRST YOU RUN

  “Nonstop, fast-paced, action-filled romantic adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Filled with heart-stopping suspense and sizzling-hot romance.”

  —Romance Novel TV

  “Deep-felt, exotically sensuous emotions. St. Claire continues to exceed all expectations. This one was ripped from her heart, don’t miss it.”

  —The Winter Haven Chief (FL)

  “An exciting, sexy-as-hell romantic suspense by first-rate author Roxanne St. Claire.”

  —Reader to Reader Reviews

  “If you love the Bullet Catchers and their cast of hunky investigators, full of action and drop-dead good looks, you will be fascinated with this action-packed start to an exciting trio of stories.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  TAKE ME TONIGHT

  “Fantastic characters … smart and sexy.”

  —All About Romance

  “Roxanne St. Claire has outdone herself … you actually have to put Take Me Tonight down every once in a while just to catch your breath.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  THRILL ME TO DEATH

  “Sizzles like a hot Miami night.”

  —New York Times bestselling author Erica Spindler

  “Sultry romance with enticing suspense.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Fast-paced, sexy romantic suspense…. A book that will keep the reader engrossed in the story from cover to cover.”

  —Booklist

  “Roxanne St. Claire’s got the sexy bodyguard thing down to an art form….”

  —Michelle Buonfiglio, Lifetime TV.com

  “St. Claire doesn’t just push the envelope, she folds it into an intricate piece of origami for the reader’s pleasure!”

  —The Winter Haven News Chief (FL)

  KILL ME TWICE

  “Sexy and scintillating … an exciting new series.”

  —Romantic Times

  “Kill Me Twice literally vibrates off the pages with action, danger, and palpable sexual tension. St. Claire is exceptionally talented.”

  —The Winter Haven News Chief (FL)

  “Jam-packed with characters, situations, suspense, and danger. The reader will be dazzled….”

  —Rendezvous

  Also by Roxanne St. Claire

  The Bullet Catchers Series

  Hunt Her Down

  Now You Die

  Then You Hide

  First You Run

  What You Can’t See

  (with Allison Brennan, et al.)

  Take Me Tonight

  I’ll Be Home for Christmas

  (with Linda Lael Miller, et al.)

  Thrill Me to Death

  Kill Me Twice

  Killer Curves

  French Twist

  Tropical Getaway

  Hit Reply

  ROXANNE ST.CLAIRE

  MAKE HER PAY

  The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as “unsold and destroyed.” Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this “stripped book.”

  Pocket Star Books

  A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  1230 Avenue of the Americas

  New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

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

  Copyright © 2009 by Roxanne St. Claire

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  First Pocket Star Books paperback edition October 2009

  POCKET STAR BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected].

  The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.

  Cover art by Chris Cocozza

  Design by Min Choi

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  ISBN 978-1-4391-0222-0

  ISBN 978-1-4391-2737-7 (ebook)

  I give this one to Mia

  Your life is truly a gift from the gods, a miracle from

  the angels, the star I wished upon a thousand

  times before you were finally in my arms.

  My tiny dancer, my precious dreamer,

  my lifelong best friend, my perfect daughter …

  the world would be colorless, quiet,

  and lonely without you.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  THE RESEARCH FOR this book was great fun, and allowed me to meet and talk to some of the most outstanding individuals in the world of salvage diving and treasure hunting. I thank them all. If any errors are made regarding treasure hunting, diving, or life in the Azores, blame me, not any of these people.

  In particular, I’d like to send a huge hug and kiss to Pete and Gloria Mann, treasure hunters, divers, and all around fantastic friends (and bowlers!) who acted as escorts, making sure I had access, information, and a wealth of resources to help make my story more realistic. Especially Pete, who never ignored my calls and patiently explained the secrets of the sea. You two are the real buried treasure in this book!

  Also, huge props to the friendly folks at the McClarty Treasure Museum and the Mel Fisher Center in Sebastian, Florida, who opened their doors, answered my questions, and gave me a chance to touch the treasure. Anyone interested in Florida treasure hunting must start in these two places.

  A special tip of the dive mask to treasure hunting legend Robert “Frogfoot” Weller, whose writings guided me around the ballast piles, and maritime archaeologist and conservator Wyatt Yeager, who was a great source of information regarding the care and feeding of recovered treasure.

  Also, awesome writer, dear friend, and former resident of the Azores, Lara Sant
iago, and Petty Officer Jennifer Johnson of the United States Coast Guard, who both took time from busy schedules to answer questions and fact check.

  Obrigada to Barbie Furtado, who perfected my faulty Portuguese.

  There’s a crew of people who are on this ride with me book after book and I love them all. My dear writing friends, especially Kresley Cole, Kristen Painter, Cami Dalton, Allison Brennan, Toni McGee Causey, Marilyn Puett, and so many others who help me through the highs and lows and inspire me to dig deeper every time.

  The entire publishing team at Pocket Books—most especially my beloved editor, Micki Nuding, along with literary agent extraordinaire, Kim Whalen. I may write the book, but without them, it would die in my computer.

  And, finally, as always, my deepest gratitude to the ones who know me the best, and love me anyway, Rich, Dante & Mia. Without my family, none of this would be possible or even worth doing.

  MAKE HER PAY

  CHAPTER

  ONE

  “I DON’T NORMALLY make a habit of hiring thieves as security specialists.” Lucy Sharpe met the cold blue gaze of a man she’d never imagined would return to the Bullet Catchers after she’d discharged him under a cloud of suspicion.

  “Habits can be broken.” Constantine Xenakis strode across the library and dropped into an antique chair that most men avoided, but his long, rugged body dominated the dainty seat, completely at ease. “Kind of like rules. And locks.”

  “Dan Gallagher mentioned you were as confident as ever.”

  “As I recall, that’s a big plus for this job.” A flicker of a smile softened his hardened expression.

  “It helps,” Lucy agreed. “First of all, thank you again for your assist on the kidnapping in Miami. Helping to find that piece of evidence was key and helped to save several people’s lives, including Dan’s son. I’m very grateful for that.”

  His smile deepened to show the contrast of white teeth against tanned olive skin. “I had to get creative to find a way back into this mansion, Luce.”

  “You could have called.” She nodded to the BlackBerry on her desk. “The number hasn’t changed in six years.”

  “As if you’d take my call.”

  In fact, she might have. “I tried to find you after the truth came out on that diamond drop, Con. You were exonerated and I wanted to tell you that I was wrong.”

  “You didn’t try very hard, then—because you can find anyone, anywhere, no matter how deep underground they go.”

  “True,” she conceded. “But by then you’d already taken a new career path, and I didn’t like it. I still don’t.”

  “Neither do I,” he said quietly. “That’s why I’m here.”

  She lifted a brow. “You’ve grown a conscience after half a dozen years of helping yourself to corporate secrets, priceless jewels, and countless works of art?”

  He bristled and she knew she’d hit his weak spot. “Let’s get this straight. I didn’t help myself to anything. I have never kept anything I’ve stolen. I have worked as a middleman between collectors with a lot of money, and the people and places who have things they want.”

  Lucy chuckled. “I’ve heard euphemisms for stealing before, but that one is in a league of its own.”

  “Think what you want, Lucy, but I don’t want the stuff I’ve stolen. I’ve simply used the talents I was born with—skills I unfortunately honed too well as a teenager.”

  “You haven’t been a teenager for twenty years.”

  “And as you recall,” he continued, his voice low and deliberate, “I found that people assumed that because I had certain abilities, I automatically used them.”

  Definitely his weak spot. That would make the assignment, if she chose to offer it, even more challenging. “I assumed you helped yourself to diamonds because they were missing under your watch and you made no effort to dissuade me of that belief.”

  For the first time, he shifted his muscular frame in the undersized chair. “You hired me, Luce. Don’t you trust your own judgment? Did I have to come in here and plead my case, or is the client always right?”

  “If you wanted to stay a Bullet Catcher badly enough, it would have been a smart move.” Instead he’d tested her, and they’d both lost. “And, no, the client is not always right. And neither am I. I have an open mind and am a reasonable woman, Con. There was no need for you to disappear and become a professional thief. You could have been protecting those things instead of stealing them.”

  “I made my choice, Lucy,” he said simply. “And now I am here to unmake it.”

  “Dan told me you’re serious about becoming a Bullet Catcher and I trust his judgment,” she said. “And, I admit, the idea intrigues me. But only if I understand why, so that I can believe this sudden change of heart is real.”

  “It’s real, and it’s not sudden. The impetus was the case in Miami last month, when I saw one of your men in action.”

  “Dan Gallagher is one of the best.”

  “For good reason. So, I decided if I was going to steal anything worthwhile…” Humor glinted. “It should be his job.”

  She almost laughed at the idea that anyone could replace the man who’d been her right hand for the last five years. The man who she was already wooing to temporarily fill her chair when her baby arrived in six months. “That would be some steal.”

  “Let’s put it this way. I don’t do things halfway. If I work for you, I’d want to be the man you call one of your best.” The conviction in his voice erased any concerns that the Con Man was doing a job on her.

  A few seconds crawled by, punctuated by the pendulum swing of an antique grandfather clock across the room. Finally, without taking her eyes from his, she circled the writing table, settled in her chair, and reached for the dossier she’d been reading before he arrived. She couldn’t go one more day without fulfilling this client’s request, and the perfect man for the job was right in front of her.

  “The assignment is tough, even for a seasoned Bullet Catcher.” She handed him the file. “I need a diver.”

  “My time as a SEAL was brief, but I’m certified to dive.”

  “And I need a thief.”

  He lifted his gaze from the paperwork. “Excuse me?”

  “Or someone who would know how to spot one.” When he nodded, she continued. “The Bullet Catcher client is Judd Paxton. Are you familiar with him?”

  “Of course. Paxton Treasures is the most successful underwater salvage company in the world. But no one’s diving in November.”

  “Yes, actually, someone is. Paxton is running a highly confidential dive about ten miles off the east coast of Florida that isn’t an official salvage effort.”

  He frowned. “You mean it’s not leased or claimed with the state?”

  “Not yet.”

  “So there’s no state rep on board cataloging everything they recover so Florida can suck its twenty percent of the potential bounty? That makes it a lot easier to sell anything recovered for full profit on the black market.”

  His knowledge of the inner workings of the salvage industry was another point in his favor, even if it was gleaned from the wrong kind of experience.

  “Judd’s not out to cheat the state or anyone out of money,” she assured him. “He has a sponsor who wants to be the exclusive buyer for any treasure recovered on the dive, and that sponsor has insisted that the dive be kept secret, until they can confirm exactly what they’ve found. Evidently it will rock the salvage world, and when word gets out the area will be pounced on by poachers or, worse, pirates.”

  He looked intrigued. “What is it?”

  “Are you familiar with the legend of the ship called El Falcone?”

  “Yes,” he said with a soft laugh. “I’m also familiar with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. It’s folklore, Lucy.”

  “Well, Mr. Paxton doesn’t happen to agree with you,” she replied. “The folklore of an unregistered ship that carried treasures from Havana to Lisbon would become fact if he is able to prove
that’s what he’s found.”

  Con sifted through a few pages in the file, obviously unconvinced. “There’s no manifest on record of a ship that wasn’t registered, so this is pure speculation.”

  “The entire business of treasure hunting is speculative, but evidently some paperwork does exist, in various bits and pieces, and some of those are in the hands of Mr. Paxton’s sponsor. The dive job is so confidential, I might add, that the crew and divers don’t know what wreck they’re salvaging.”

  He flipped the page, read some names. “Then why are they out freezing their backsides off, diving in November?”

  “Because Paxton’s paying a fortune. So, they’re abiding by a no cell phone, no Internet access rule while on board. Since several of the Paxton ships were ambushed last season by well-organized thieves, the divers have been told the secrecy is for their safety.”

  He nodded. “That makes sense. So what’s the assignment, protection from the potential pirates?”

  “Not exactly. The threat, Judd thinks, is closer. They’ve recovered quite a few items already, and some are missing.”

  “Oh.” His fingers rested on the diver and crew list. “So there’s a thief on board—one of the crew or divers.”