Review
★★★★★ "Riveting from start to finish! I couldn't flip the pages fast enough as I was as desperate as Max to figure out all of enigmatic Lucy's secrets." ~USA Today bestselling author, Rachel Grant.
★★★★★ "My mind is completely blown." Sophie Ruthven GOODREADS review.
★★★★★ "WOW. I loved this book. This author hit it out of the park with this one. Lucy and Max were a terrific couple. This story had so much suspense and chemistry and everything in between." ~Lori, GOODREADS review.
★★★★★ "Wonderful characters and an awesome plot, this book was riveting and I couldn't put it down." ~Joanne, GOODREADS review.
★★★★★ "Another fantastic addition to the Cold Justice: Crossfire series!" ~Amy Thomas, GOODREADS review.
★★★★★ "Toni hit this one on all the feels and made it impossible to put the book down. Loved it!!" ~Emily Dickson, GOODREADS review.
From the Author
Lucy Aston, former cheerleader and sorority girl, who'd captained both the debate and softball teams in high school, stood unmoving and completely unnoticed against the back wall of a ballroom as a glittering array of glamorous men and women drank, ate, and generally celebrated the holiday.
Lucy was not one of those people.
She was working.
It was late afternoon, hot in Buenos Aires. Thankfully, the AC blasted away inside, and Lucy positioned herself beneath one of the vents, grateful for the cool draft.
Two sets of garden doors opened onto an incredible old-stone patio with a magnificent fountain as the main focus of attention. Brilliant jacaranda trees with their unique mauve blossoms provided a stunning backdrop.
Everyone who was anyone in this town was in attendance today, including the Argentine president. Christmas Eve was a massive party in this country, and fireworks had been going off all day.
Rather than pretty sparkles, Lucy was wearing a boring pant suit, the jacket two sizes too large. No one paid any attention to the mouse Lucy had transformed herself into over the past ten months. It wasn't simply the drabness of her dyed, mid-brown hair which hung frizzily around her face from an unflattering center part. Nor the insipid paleness of her skin, nor the thick-framed glasses that hid her eyes. No, it was her lackluster demeanor. Her obedient compliance. The body language that clearly stated she was part of the furniture, not part of the festivities.
It had been a huge adjustment for Lucy to not only be ignored, but to be completely unseen. She didn't mind the shadows anymore. In fact, she preferred them.
The ambassador's husband raised his face to the ceiling and gave a belly-laugh at something the French ambassador's wife said. The latter was wearing a sheer black and white polka dot number that was a lot more revealing than it appeared at first glance. The woman was witty and spoke with constantly moving hands. She was so animated, it was a wonder she didn't spill her champagne.
The ambassador looked over at her husband, and Lucy noticed a crinkle of the woman's brow. Catherine Dickerson didn't like loud but there was no way she'd chastise her husband. She didn't pull rank on the domestic front. Lucy liked that about the woman.
Lucy's direct superior and the ambassador's long time Personal Assistant, Miranda Foster, stood close to the ambassador, attentive to her boss's immediate needs. The senior agent from the US Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) flanked the other side of the doorway from Lucy, along with a few other security guys who were all hyper-focused on the officials they were tasked with protecting.
The ambassador was always adamant that she couldn't do her job with a bodyguard hovering over her shoulder. DSS didn't like it, but they'd learned if they wanted to keep the peace, they had to give Catherine Dickerson some space.
Chandeliers glittered in the bright afternoon sunshine. Guests sipped expensive bubbly and snacked on caviar. The noise level was growing exponentially with the level of alcohol consumption.
Lucy would rather eat a burger than fish eggs, but her stomach growled regardless. She'd covered for Miranda during the ambassador's luncheon with her British, French, German, and Spanish counterparts, and it had been a long time since breakfast.
Lucy pushed hunger out of her mind and instead admired the frescos on the far walls. This former palace now belonged to a Russian billionaire who'd made his fortune after the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Being here made her skin crawl.
A flurry of movement in the corner of her eye caused her to glance left. Sure enough, the seemingly friendly and effusive Boris Yahontov had finally arrived with his family at his own party and was keen to make an entrance. He greeted a couple of friends near the doorway and began making his way around her side of the room, probably toward the Argentine president who held court near a dessert table that was complete with a melted chocolate waterfall.
Lucy tried to sink into the wall as Yahontov drew closer, but his gaze fell on her as he neared her position. So much for blending. She bowed her head and stared at the gleaming hardwood floor, praying he walked on by.
Yahontov straightened a chair at a nearby table, and she flicked a glance in his direction. A mistake. It gave him an opening.
"You look familiar..." His accent had only a thin edge of Russian to it. He'd lived in the west for many years, assimilating. A smile was fixed on his lips as he stared at her. "Now where have I seen you before?"
She stared down at the carpet. "You must have mistaken me for someone else, sir."
The man stepped closer and leaned toward to her ear. Alcohol-saturated breath brushed her cheek, although he didn't appear drunk.
"You were prettier in the photographs."
Ice-cold dread washed through her, but she knew better than to show weakness to a predator. She looked at him blankly. "I'm sorry, sir. I really think you have me confused with someone else."
"Of course. My mistake." He laughed and threw up his hands in a jovial manner, but his eyes were appraising as they locked onto her for another long moment.
Her knees wanted to sag, but she didn't let them.
Yahontov finally passed on by, leaving only the smell of vodka behind him. His hulking bodyguard followed like a giant shadow in his wake.
Acid coated her throat, and Lucy swallowed repeatedly to get rid of the need to gag. Copyright 2021 Toni Anderson Inc.
From the Inside Flap
Read the award-winning, bestselling COLD JUSTICE series today! (Try A Cold Dark Place for free on your Kindle)
A Cold Dark Place, #1 ASIN: B00IR4J6RY
Cold Pursuit, #2 ASIN: B00K58LPQU
Cold Light of Day, #3 ASIN: B00N340WEE
Cold Fear, #4 ASIN: B00UZJWMUC
Cold In The Shadows, #5 ASIN: B014GPTTSI
Cold Hearted, #6 ASIN: B01E9RVZSU
Cold Secrets, #7 ASIN: B01N2GB6WQ
Cold Malice, #8 ASIN: B073TG8F23
A Cold Dark Promise, #9 ASIN: B074WH2RK8
Cold Blooded, #10 ASIN: B07BRF5SFP
Read more about Alex Parker and friends in COLD JUSTICE - THE NEGOTIATORS
Cold & Deadly, #1
Colder Than Sin, #2
Cold Wicked Lies, #3
Cold Cruel Kiss, #4
Cold as Ice, #5
Each book features different main characters with overlapping secondary characters. The books don't need to be read in order. All books are full-length Romantic Suspense novels (except for A Cold Dark Promise, which is a wedding novella with a Cold Justice twist).
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Toni Anderson is a science nerd, professional tourist, dog lover, gardener, and mom. A marine biologist with a Ph.D. from St. Andrews, she was a research scientist before becoming a full-time romance author. Her books have been translated into German, French, Italian, Romanian, and Chinese. Toni lives in Canada.
Find out more on Toni's website: toniandersonauthor.com
![Cold Cruel Kiss: A Romantic Thriller (Cold Justice® - The Negotiators Book 4) by [Toni Anderson]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cS8uG9QiS._SY346_.jpg)
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