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CONTENTS
Praise for the Diana Hunter Series
Books in the Diana Hunter series
Free Books
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
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Mardi Gras Madness
Chapter One
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About the author
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Thank You
PRAISE FOR THE DIANA HUNTER SERIES
“Awesome.”
“On the edge of my seat…”
"Page turner.”
“I cannot tell you the last time a group of characters endeared me as quickly...”
“Diana Hunter is a strong, intelligent, and very likeable heroine.”
“Grabbed me from the first page, and I sat up until 4:30 in the morning reading it.”
“The story line is quick-paced and attention-holding. This one deserves 5+ stars.”
“This book will keep you turning the pages to find out the who, what, why, and how.”
“Couldn't put it down!”
“Left me wanting more.”
“Peter and Diana have a great chemistry.”
“I love the author's writing.”
“A pleasure to read.”
“Really captivating.”
“Fast-paced, well-written, fun stories.”
“I can't wait to read the next book in the series.”
“I'm hooked.”
“Kept me reading until the wee hours.”
“Diana Hunter is becoming one of my favorite characters”
“Super read. Cracking heroine.”
“One of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time”
“A gem.”
“Diana Hunter is knowledgeable, experienced, quick-witted, and even sexy.”
“Can you write quicker, please?”
BOOKS IN THE DIANA HUNTER SERIES
Hunted (Prequel)
Snatched
Stolen
Chopped
Exposed
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COLLECTIONS
Books 1-3
Snatched
Stolen
Chopped
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A. J. GOLDEN
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CHAPTER ONE
“UNCLE PEEP!”
DIANA got out of the car and turned to see a young girl run up to Peter. She was aged about seven, in a pink dress with white flowers and green rain boots. The girl wrapped her arms around Peter’s thighs and looked up at him adoringly, wrinkling her nose and beaming to reveal two perfect rows of white milk teeth and gums so pink they matched her dress.
Peter’s face lit up. “Hey, kiddo!” In one clean motion, Peter bent and swung the girl round onto his back, where she clung, her cheek pressed between his shoulder blades.
“Leth go!” the girl lisped. The thick lenses of her blue-rimmed glasses reflected the sunshine but didn’t disguise the almond shape and upward slant of her eyes.
Peter marched into the garden and placed the girl at the top of the plastic slide that sat in the middle before running around to the bottom to catch her as she slid down. It was clearly an established ritual, because as soon as Peter caught her, he swung her up to the top of the slide, and down she slid again. Diana watched from outside the unpainted picket fence that surrounded the backyard.
The yard had an uncared-for air about it. Weed grasses grew tall under the slide, while dead, brown grass interspersed with stretches of dirt covered the rest of it. Old, untended shrubs grew wild and rambling around the edges, the flowers small, the leaves pale and sparse, holding on despite a lack of attention. But uncle and niece were oblivious to their surroundings as they horsed around, throwing themselves, quite literally, into their play.
“He didn’t tell you about Clare’s Down syndrome?” Diana turned, a little embarrassed that she’d been caught staring. A woman a few years older than she walked toward Diana, her arms folded. She looked cold, or defensive.
“No, he didn’t.”
"Well, he’s told us a lot about you." The woman looked at Diana carefully. The end of her nose was red, her cheeks too, while her curly, fair hair created a messy halo around her head. She wore a grey, crew neck Fair Isle sweater patched at the elbows and faded jeans. Diana instinctively understood she was being scrutinized.
The woman held out her hand. “I’m Shannon, Peter’s sister-in-law. But you probably already knew that.”
Diana smiled. “Diana.”
She nodded over to where Peter was now galloping around the yard with Clare on his back, Clare squealing with delight as she bounced along. Peter stopped abruptly, lifted Clare over his head, and held her upside down by her ankles, giving her a gentle shake before dropping her carefully to the ground.
“Do they always do that?” Diana said. Mirroring Shannon, she folded her arms. This was a side of Peter Diana hadn’t seen. He seemed to be enjoying himself. She hoped she wouldn’t be encouraged to join in. Diana looked down at her shoes. She hadn’t come dressed for play.
“Always. At least they’re outside. It’s a bit much when they do it in the living room.” Shannon chuckled, then sobered. “It’s great for Clare to have this kind of rough and tumble play, though. She doesn’t get it otherwise, and you can see she hates it.” Clare was now rolling in the dirt, giggling as Peter tickled her.
“I thought they sang in the living room. Peter’s the cameraman, he told me. Clare sings songs from Frozen.”
“Yeah, they do. That’s a whole other thing. Then there’s the cheer she leads him in. He follows the moves faithfully, while she orders him around and gives him a talking-to when he gets it wrong. It’s quite comical, really. Peter’s a great guy. I don’t know what we’d do without him.” Shannon looked at Diana as she chewed her lip, her gaze lingering as Diana’s big grey eyes held hers. Diana blinked first, and the two women turned to watch uncle and niece in silence for a few seconds before Shannon spoke again. “Come on inside. I’ll make you some coffee.”
A small gesture of welcome. It wasn’t much, but it was something. “That would be lovely, thank you,” Diana replied.
Inside, Shannon busied herself making Diana’s coffee. The scruffy kitchen smelled of boiled vegetables. A pan of beans in an orange sauce sat on the worktop. “Sorry, it’s instant.”
“Hey, don’t be. I love it. Reminds me of when I was a kid. My mom used to make me a milky instant coffee every morning. These days, of course, they’ve turned making them into a performance art, and we go around calling them silly names like lattes, but at their heart, they’re the same thing. Milky coffee.” Diana took a sip of her drink as she cringed inwardly, unsure if she had been patronizing. She closed her eyes. “Hmm, delish. Thank you.”
“Let’s sit down. The other two probably won’t notice we’re even here. Peter said you were on your way to something or other.”
“Yeah, nothing very interesting. We’ve been invited to a demo of a new piece of software the city is rolling out. It’s supposed to help us catch a few more bad guys. We’ll see.” Diana took another sip of her coffee. “How long have you lived here?”
“Just a couple of years. When Matt, my husband . . . Peter’s brother . . . died, we moved to this.” Shannon pulled a face. “It’s not what we’re used to, but it’s all I could afford. I need to be home for Clare, to give her stability, take her to appointments . . ." Shannon trailed off before rallying. She took a deep br eath and slapped her thighs. “Peter helps us out. He’s been an absolute rock.” She gave a tight smile. “Peter said your parents were murdered too.”
“Yes.” Phew, that got heavy quickly. “Over a decade ago now.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been hard.”
Diana nodded, racking her brain for a safer subject to segue onto, but for some reason she couldn’t come up with one. “I’ve survived.” She smiled. “And I have my little dog, Max.”
Shannon returned Diana’s smile. “Ah, we’ve heard a lot about Max. Clare’s dying to meet him.”
“We’ll have to arrange it!” Diana said, happy to be on safer conversational ground. Max got her out of a lot of holes.
The sounds of banging and chatter reached them. A moment later, Clare came rushing in. She put her hands on Shannon’s thighs and looked appealingly at her mother, her eyes wide and innocent behind her glasses. “Uncle Peep says he has to go. Make him stay, Mommy! Make him stay!”
Shannon swept Clare’s bangs from her face and looked deep into her eyes. “Remember I told you, it’s just a short visit today. Do you want to say hello to his friend Diana?” Immediately, Clare spun around to notice Diana for the first time. If Shannon had thought her entreaty would be met positively, she was wrong. Clare’s eyes flashed dangerously as she regarded “Peter’s friend.” Diana smiled and opened her mouth to say “hi,” but Clare got in first.
“No!” Diana started at the sound, surprised. Clare immediately ran from the room, leaving the two women in an embarrassed silence.
“Oh, dear,” Diana said.
“She’ll recover. Clare's used to having Peter to herself. I didn’t think she’d be quite that sensitive, though. Sorry. I’ll go and talk to her.”
“She’s smarter than we give her credit for.” Peter appeared in the doorway, panting slightly, his breath disturbing the strands of hair that fell across his forehead, his cheeks glowing. “I’m sorry we can’t stay longer to bring her around. We have to get going.”
“Yeah, okay, let me just get her though so you don’t leave with her like this.”
“I’ll go,” Peter said. He disappeared up the stairs.
Shannon smiled awkwardly at Diana. Diana gave her a tight smile back. The idea crossed Diana’s mind that perhaps she should have thought this visit through more carefully. Peter had suggested they drop in on their way to the Vancouver Convention Center. Shannon lived just a few minutes away. It had seemed innocent enough—a quick visit to “break the ice” with the two people who mattered most to Peter. Now they were faced with the longer-term ramifications of a threatened little girl who thought Diana would usurp her in her beloved uncle’s affections.
Peter returned with Clare, her head buried in his neck. She carried a soft, plush, pink pony. “See? We’re all friends.”
“But you’re leaving,” Clare moaned, her voice muffled as she mumbled into his neck.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Clare lifted her head and glared at Diana. “Not with her.”
“Clare . . .” Shannon warned her.
“No!” Clare turned her face into Peter’s neck again. Peter rolled his eyes and half-turned from the two women, murmuring in Clare’s ear. Diana noticed him pull his watch off his wrist and offer it to his niece, who nodded sulkily and took it from him. He turned back to the women, kissed Clare's head, and handed her to Shannon.
“Say buh-bye, Clare,” Shannon said. The little girl muttered. “What was that?
“Bye,” Clare whispered.
“Bye, Clare. Nice to meet you,” Diana said brightly. She could not wait to leave.
“I’ll drop by tomorrow, Shannon,” Peter said. “For a bit longer.” He kissed her on the cheek and left through the back door.
Diana made to follow him, but as she walked by, Shannon stopped her, placing a hand on her arm. Diana looked down at Shannon’s hand and then into her eyes, seeing a fiery determination in them. “Peter’s a great guy. He’s been like a father to Clare. He put his glittering career on hold to come back and support us after Matt died. We’re very protective of him. I’ve never seen him care about a girl like he does you. Don’t mess him around, okay?”
CHAPTER TWO
THE VANCOUVER CONVENTION Center was an extraordinary architectural feat that blended imagination and math with sustainability and interior design. Featuring sloped roofs topped with wild grass and gigantic glass walls that offered incredible views of the harbor, it had a refined elegance that combined echoes of the sea with urban form and functionality.
But in the foyer, beneath the chandeliers that were so extravagant they could legitimately be considered works of art, an unusually cynical, reserved bunch assembled: CSIS operatives, intelligence agents, and high-level police officers. And tonight, they were feeling particularly skeptical.
“You look great,” Peter told Diana as he held the door open for her. Diana didn’t need to use her talent for interpreting micro-expressions to see that he meant it.
“Well, after that visit, I don’t feel great.”
Peter laughed. “Clare’ll get over it. She’s not used to sharing me. How did you get on with Shannon?”
“Okay. Maybe I passed. Possibly. She’s very protective of you.”
“You’d better watch out then. I’ve seen go her into action on Clare’s behalf. You can expect the same treatment.”
“Lord,” Diana groaned. She looked up at the ceiling.
Peter looked good too, she thought, despite the earlier horseplay. He wore a black suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and military bearing. Diana had chosen a conservative outfit—tonight was about business, not pleasure—a pencil skirt with a white blouse, zero jewelry, and her hair in a high ponytail. The only flashes of personality were her Louboutin heels, a perk from an earlier job. Now she reflected maybe they hadn’t been the best choice for her first meeting with Shannon and Clare. It hadn’t been an unqualified success. She would have to find some way of making up with them.
Diana and Peter joined other newcomers and merged into the throng hanging in the lobby, eventually finding themselves standing with the perpetually prickly Clive Inglewood, CSIS Assistant Director of Intelligence, the ever-gruff Bill Donaldson, superintendent of VPD Major Crimes Division, and Ryan Scott, Major Crimes’ resident tech guy.
There was too much anxiety and anticipation for formalities and small talk. The conversation turned immediately to the matter at hand.
“I don’t trust that Ben Masters,” Donaldson said. Ben Masters was the CEO of Compex, a data mining and artificial intelligence company. It was Masters who had invited them to the event. Compex was announcing a new software development, and tonight, CSIS and VPD would learn how the new software product would change their working lives. “What does a tech CEO know about law enforcement?”
“We have to move with the times. You use a smartphone, don’t you?” Clive replied.
“I don’t trust that either.”
Peter scanned the room. “The thing I’m curious about is why they’re rolling this out here first, in Vancouver.”
“Vancouver’s a high-tech city,” Ryan said. He was a young man in his early twenties, slight, with gelled hair and a serious, intense demeanor. “We’re often one of the first places to implement technology-based solutions in infrastructure, databases, government—"
“We’re gullible, that’s what we are,” Donaldson replied. “And the mayor is probably getting a big kickback for making us their guinea pigs.”
“It’s exciting, I think,” Inglewood said. “I don’t get what all the doom and gloom is about. We’re on the threshold of a new frontier.”
There was a moment of anxious silence in the group, then a shift in the room’s chatter and hum. The doors to the auditorium opened, and everyone who had been waiting in the lobby filtered through into the main hall.
“Showtime,” Diana said as they took their seats.
There were a good few hundred people in the auditorium, and it took several minutes for everyone to settle. People grumbled, speculating in anxious tones about what the announcement might entail. Camera crews and journalists took up the aisles and their designated front-row seats, laptops and notebooks at the ready.
The stage was large but empty, the only feature a gigantic screen, on which was displayed several logos: those of VPD, CSIS, Compex, and "PAPA."
