Sweet Dreams Boxed Set by Heather Graham, Alex Kava, Brenda Novak, Lee Child, Erica Spindler, Allison Brennan, Theresa Ragan, Carla Neggers, Cynthia Eden, CJ Lyons, Liliana Hart, J.T. Ellison, Tiffany Snow, Jo Robertson Page B

half-sister, and his friends from the Navy. A Navy flag dominated one wall. His office was in the corner and boasted windows on two walls, but the street view was hardly worth fighting over. The California flag and the American flag stood in each corner behind his desk with the Seal of Sacramento County centered on the wall between them. In fact, the whole desk image looked like it had been staged for a photo—unlike the rest of his office which was stacked with books, computers, two couches, and a long conference table that could comfortably seat eight.
    She shut the door behind her. Most of the venom she’d had after meeting with Hart disappeared. If there had been any real anger to begin with. Matt wasn’t the type to set her up like that; it had been his idea for her to put Hart in contact with her father, which would give them access as well. But that Hart proposed the job was a far better opportunity.
    Matt walked around his desk to greet her. “Hungry? We could get lunch.”
    She was famished, but shook her head. “Sit down. We really need to talk.”
    Matt sat, but she didn’t.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing—everything. First, I was about to invite Hart to my dad’s house, but he invited me to dinner instead. To thank me, yada yada, as well as hard sell me on taking a job with him.”
    “He asked you out on a date?”
    She stopped pacing. “Did you miss the part where he wants to hire me? As his security consultant or bodyguard or something.”
    “No, but why is he taking you to dinner?”
    “To thank me for saving his life. To convince me to work for him. Because he has the hots for me and wants to take me to bed.”
    Matt’s face hardened. “You can’t trust him.”
    Alex was confused and getting irritated. “I don’t. You’re the one who wanted me to find an in with Hart. This is it. It’s perfect—it was his idea.”
    “I don’t like it.”
    “What’s not to like? I haven’t taken the job. I’m just going to listen to him.” She hesitated. “What’s going on here? Isn’t this exactly what you need? Someone on the inside? As his security consultant I’ll know his schedule, his meetings, whether he’s slipping out at night to meet with a mistress or whatever. It’s the perfect cover. But that’s assuming I even take it.”
    Matt let out a long sigh and rubbed his face. “You’re right. I just—I just don’t trust him. I know him far too well, and he’s as slippery as they come.”
    “I got the same impression.”
    “You did?”
    “Why do you sound so surprised?” She sat down across from him. “I know I screwed up last summer; I’m not going to screw this up.”
    “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
    “Maybe, maybe not.” Wrong was subjective when you were a spy. “I wish I’d never walked in on Tommy. If I hadn’t seen him with the girl ...” She’d thought about that, a lot. She couldn’t turn her back on what he’d done, but if she hadn’t known about it, she would have finished the investigation. Tommy trusted her. She’d crossed lines a good, straight cop would never have crossed, all to earn his trust. And then poof! Gone because he was a damn pervert. “I was close to getting something solid on Rykov with Tommy. I know the players. If Travis Hart has anything illegal going with Rykov, I will find out.”
    “I don’t have to tell you this is dangerous. Last time ... I didn’t think it was dangerous and you nearly died.”
    “I’m wiser now. And there is a Russian connection to Hart’s shooting.”
    “You read the ballistics report?”
    “What? No—I’m talking about the shooter.”
    “The shooter is Russian? How do you know?”
    “Freeze,” she said. “Let’s back up. There’s a ballistics report. Steve didn’t tell me what it revealed, but he slipped and said ballistics matched another crime.”
    “Three years ago a Russian prostitute was killed and dumped in the Sacramento River. The bullet that killed her matches the bullets