Deadly Embrace - Softcover

Collins, Jackie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 141651189X ISBN 13: 9781416511892

Publisher: Pocket Book, 2013

Synopsis

Madison Castelli - the beautiful, talented and street-smart journalist - returns in this thrilling and powerful follow-up to the bestselling LETHAL SEDUCTION...Distraught after finding out her father has been hiding secrets from her all her life - and is possibly involved with the mob - Madison flies to L.A. only to find herself held hostage by masked gunmen. Michael Castelli is being accused of murder. But has he been set up as pay-back for a deed in his past? And could his daughter's life or death situation be connected? He is determined to find out and exact his revenge. And what Michael Castelli wants, Michael Castelli gets...

About this title

About the Author:

There have been many imitators, but only Jackie Collins can tell you what really goes on in the fastest lane of all. From Beverly Hills bedrooms to a raunchy prowl along the streets of Hollywood; from glittering rock parties and concerts to stretch limos and the mansions of the power brokers -- Jackie Collins chronicles the real truth from the inside looking out. Jackie Collins has been called a "raunchy moralist" by the late director Louis Malle and "Hollywood's own Marcel Proust" by Vanity Fair magazine. With over 400 million copies of her books sold in more than 40 countries, and with some twenty-seven New York Times bestsellers to her credit, Jackie Collins is one of the world's top-selling novelists. She is known for giving her readers an unrivaled insiders knowledge of Hollywood and the glamorous lives and loves of the rich, famous, and infamous! "I write about real people in disguise," she says. "If anything, my characters are toned down -- the truth is much more bizarre." Jackie Collins started writing as a teenager, making up steamy stories her schoolmates paid to devour. Her first book, The World is Full of Married Men, became a sensational bestseller because of its open sexuality and the way it dealt honestly with the double standard. After that came The Stud, Sinners, The Love Killers, The World is Full of Divorced Women, The Bitch, Lovers And Gamblers, Chances, and then the international sensation, Hollywood Wives -- a #1 New York Times bestseller, which was made into one of ABC's highest-rated miniseries starring Anthony Hopkins and Candice Bergen. The Stud, The World is Full of Married Men, and The Bitch were also filmed -- this time for the big screen. And Jackie wrote an original movie, Yesterday's Hero, starring Ian McShane and Suzanne Somers. Readers couldn't wait to race through Lucky, her next book -- a sequel to Chances -- and the story of an incredibly beautiful, strong woman, another New York Times number one. Then came the bad boys of Hollywood in the steamy Hollywood Husbands -- a novel which kept everyone guessing the identities of the true-to-life Hollywood characters. Jackie then wrote Rock Star -- the story of three rock superstars and their rise to the top, followed by the long-waited sequel to Chances and Lucky -- Lady Boss -- tracking the further adventures of the wild and powerful Lucky Santangelo as she takes control of a Hollywood studio. Both Lucky and Chances were written and adapted for NBC television by Jackie, who also executive produced the highly successful six-hour miniseries Lucky/Chances, starring Nicollete Sheridan and Sandra Bullock. In 1992, she produced and wrote the four hour miniseries, Lady Boss, which became another huge ratings success for NBC. Lady Boss starred Kim Delaney. Next came American Star, a love story, which the Los Angeles Times described as "classic Collins." And then the dangerously close to the truth Hollywood Kids -- a story of power, sex, danger and ambition among the grown offspring of major celebrities. In 1996 Vendetta - Lucky's Revenge was published -- and became an immediate New York Times bestseller. And then in 1998, Jackie hosted her own daily television show, Jackie Collins Hollywood. A combination of fun, style and interviews, Jackie talked to everyone from George Clooney to Jennifer Lopez. After that she wrote L.A. Connections -- a four-part serial novel published one per month -- Power, Obsession, Murder and Revenge. In 1999 came Dangerous Kiss -- the return of Lucky Santangelo in a bestselling novel about relationships, addiction, fear and lust. In the year 2000, Lethal Seduction became the first bestseller for Jackie Collins in the new millennium. This tale of erotic suspense and glamorous intrigue featured Madison Castelli, a character first introduced in the L.A. Connections series. Hollywood Wives - The New Generation became a blockbuster bestseller in 2001, following in the footsteps of the original Hollywood Wives. Hollywood Wives - The New Generation featured a brand new cast of characters and a totally fresh perspective on how women pursue power, love, sex, and success in Tinsletown today. In 2003 Jackie produced the TV movie of Hollywood Wives - The New Generation for CBS. Wives starred Farrah Fawcett, Robin Givens, Jack Scalia and Melissa Gilbert. In June 2002, New York flash, L.A. trash and a Mafia don meet head-on in Deadly Embrace. This sexy tale of dangerous passion and suspense features heroine Madison Castelli and is both a prequel and a sequel to her adventures in the bestselling Lethal Seduction. In 2003 came the bestselling Hollywood Divorces, the story of three very different women. Followed in 2005 by Lovers and Players -- a story of family conflicts, three brothers and their billionaire father, a beautiful heiress, a hip-hop mogul, Russian call girls, illegitimate children and two murders. This all takes place over seven days in New York, and is another New York Times bestseller. Drop Dead Beautiful -- The Continuing Adventures of Lucky Santangelo was published in 2007. Lucky came back with a vengeance -- bolder and more beautiful than ever! In Drop Dead Beautiful Lucky meets old friends and enemies, and deals with her wild sixteen-year-old daughter, Max, who is as stubborn and strong as her mom. Lucky plans to return to Las Vegas and build an amazing billion dollar hotel complex. But when she does... the trouble really begins... Next came Married Lovers, a powerful look at the ins and outs of marriage in L.A. It's also the story of an under-age Russian girl who becomes involved in the sex trade, and eventually arrives in Hollywood and causes major trouble. Poor Little Bitch Girl is Jackie's latest book to be published February 9, 2010. The story of three very different women who all went to high school together. Denver Jones - a twenty-five year old kick ass associate lawyer in L.A. Carolyn Henderson - assistant to a powerful married Senator in Washington. And Annabelle Maestro - daughter of movie star parents, who has carved out a niche for herself as a much in demand New York madame running call girls. And then there is Bobby Santangelo - Lucky's hot sexy son, with mucho style, looks and money. Everyone wants Bobby... Throw into the mix a raunchy agent, a sixteen year old gangbanger's girlfriend, an older superstar on the prowl, and a lethal murder... Poor Little Bitch Girl. A guilty pleasure. Ms. Collins lives in Los Angeles, California. Her hobbies are soul music, taking photographs and driving to exotic locations so that she can write about them later. Jackie Colllins is currently working on a new novel, Goddess of Vengeance, the return of Lucky Santangelo. And she is also writing a play, Jackie Collins Hollywood Lies.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Chapter One: Tuesday, July 10, 2001

Los Angeles

The American Airlines plane from New York was three hours late arriving in L.A., and Madison Castelli was not pleased. She'd planned on going straight to her best friend, Natalie De Barge's, house. However, Natalie had informed her they were meeting Natalie's brother, Cole, in a restaurant at eight, and since the plane was so late, Madison decided she'd better go directly to Mario's -- a small Italian restaurant on Beverly Boulevard.

"I'll see you there," she said, speaking to Natalie on her cell phone as she strode through the airport.

She was looking forward to getting together with her friends. The truth was that she couldn't wait to hash out the ruins of her life. Over the last few days everything had fallen to pieces. Her father, Michael, was being accused of a double murder. His estranged wife, Stella (Madison's stepmother), and Stella's live-in lover had been shot, execution style. Now there was a warrant out for Michael's arrest, and he'd managed to mysteriously vanish.

As if that weren't enough to worry about, her boyfriend, Jake, was also on the missing list. Her wonderful, sexy, smart Jake -- an ace photographer who'd been covering a drug cartel in Colombia with a couple of colleagues -- had not been heard from in ten days, which was pretty damn worrying. Kidnapping was rife in Colombia, and so was murder.

All of this was on her mind as she collected her luggage, hailed a cab, and headed for the restaurant. This visit west was exactly what she needed to get her head straight. A few days of hanging with her friends, doing nothing, was her plan. No work. No hassles. And then she'd fly back to New York refreshed and ready to deal with anything.

Cole was already at the restaurant when she arrived. A personal trainer, Cole was an extremely good-looking, tall black man in his twenties, with a well-toned, powerful physique and a killer smile. He was also gay, and proud of it.

They kissed and hugged. "You're lookin' hot, babe," Cole said, checking her out.

"Not me," she said ruefully. "And you're sounding very L.A."

"Could be 'cause I live here," he said, escorting her to their table in the corner.

"So that's how the men in L.A. speak to their women," she teased.

"No," he said, grinning. "That's how I speak to the guys -- keeps 'em comin', if you get my meaning."

"You'll have to teach me," she said, sitting down.

Madison, at thirty, was a striking-looking woman -- tall and slender, with full breasts, a small waist, and exceptionally long legs.

She usually attempted to play down her good looks, but her green, almond-shaped eyes, sharply defined cheekbones, full seductive lips, and clouds of black hair marked her as a beauty. A very smart beauty, because she was a well-respected journalist, who specialized in insightful profiles of the rich, famous, and powerful. She worked for a magazine called Manhattan Style, she'd recently had a book about relationships published, and she was currently working on an investigative piece about old, notorious New York crime families. Over the last year she'd discovered that her father's past wasn't exactly the way it seemed. In fact, she wasn't sure she knew him at all. She'd decided that if she wanted to find out the real truth, she had to dig for it.

"Where's Natalie?" she asked, glancing at her watch.

"Late as usual," Cole responded. "What else is new?"

"I miss her," Madison said wistfully.

"She misses you, too. It's a real shame you don't live in the same city. Think of the trouble you two could get into."

"How's her radio show going?"

"It's a big deal. She loves puttin' her voice out there. You know our Natalie -- gets off on the attention."

Minutes later, Natalie rushed in, looking glowingly pretty as usual. She was short and sassy, with a curvaceous body and luscious lips. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" she exclaimed, grabbing Madison in a bear hug. "Gettin' out of the studio was a total nightmare. Wow!" she added, flopping into a chair. "I need a drink."

"Me too," Madison agreed, signaling a waiter.

The waiter came over. He was slight of build and very Italian looking, with shaggy black hair and an appealing accent.

"Wine," Natalie said. "I'm desperate."

"Red or white, signora?"

"House red for everyone."

"Good idea," Madison said.

The waiter hurried off.

"Hmmm...," Natalie said to his retreating back. "Nice booty."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Cole said. "Wonder what team he plays on."

"Mine!" claimed Natalie. "I can always tell."

"I wouldn't be too sure," Cole said, grinning.

"You two!" Madison exclaimed. "Nobody's safe around either of you."

"That's not true," Natalie objected. "Old people, and anyone under fifteen."

"Shocking!" Madison scolded.

"No, merely honest," Natalie said.

Suddenly their attention was taken by a huge commotion at the front desk.

"What the hell is goin' on?" Natalie said, peering over.

"Dunno," Cole replied.

And then the unthinkable happened. Three men burst into the center of the restaurant brandishing guns. "Don'tcha move, assholes, or I'll blow your mothafuckin' heads off." The chilling words, yelled by a ski-masked male holding an Uzi machine gun, immediately silenced the busy restaurant.

Madison stared at them in disbelief. It had been a tough week, and now this. No way. This couldn't possibly be happening.

But it was. Mario's was under siege, and they were right in the middle of it as the three armed bandits, dressed all in black, with face-and-head-covering knit ski masks, commandeered the room, blocking the exit and the entrance to the kitchen.

"Jesus Christ!" Cole muttered, while Natalie sat perfectly still, frozen with fear.

Madison knew why. Ten years ago, when they were college roommates, Natalie had experienced a traumatic gang rape. She'd gotten over it and gone on to succeed in her profession as a celebrity interviewer -- now this random holdup had put her into shock.

"Stay cool, both of you," Cole warned. He was ready to deal with anything, although even he knew it wasn't smart to argue with a gun.

Automatically Madison leaned over to comfort Natalie, murmuring, "I don't believe this," as she pushed back her long dark hair, her green eyes darting around the room, her journalist's mind taking in every detail.

"You'd better believe it," Cole said in a low voice. "This is L.A. Shit happens."

"Shut the fuck up!" yelled the leader, the one with the Uzi. He was nervous and jumpy, moving around on the balls of his sneaker-shod feet like a stoned runner at the end of a particularly invigorating race.

Madison noticed his eyes staring at them through the slits in his mask. They were angry eyes, filled with undisguised hate. She reckoned he was young, probably still in his teens.

Young, agitated, and pissed off at the world. Just what they needed.

"Empty your fuckin' purses, take off your jewelry, an' do it now!" he screamed.

A second bandit, armed with a handgun and a crumpled black garbage bag, began running from table to table collecting money, wallets, watches, rings, cell phones, anything of value, while the third masked man herded the kitchen staff into the center of the room.

Madison willed herself to remain calm, but her heart was already pounding. She had no desire to be a victim; she was in the mood to do something, anything -- not just sit there and hand over her stuff like an obedient sheep.

The elderly woman at the table next to them was attempting to remove her pearl necklace. Her hands were shaking so much that she couldn't quite manage it. The younger woman with her leaned over and tried to help.

Whack! The bandit collecting the loot hit the younger woman in the face with the butt of his pistol. She slumped over, blood pumping from a vicious cut to her temple.

"Oh my God!" gasped the elderly woman. "What have you done to my daughter!"

Madison couldn't help herself; it was an unprovoked act of violence and she wasn't about to stand for it. "Coward," she hissed at the ski-masked robber. "Big man with a gun in your hand."

"Don't go there," Cole managed, his voice an urgent command. "Stay cool -- stay quiet."

Too late. The guy turned on Madison, waving his gun recklessly in her face. "Keep outta my business, ho, an' gimme your watch." He jerked his gun toward Natalie. "You too."

Natalie was still frozen to the spot, her brown eyes wide with fear.

"Give him your watch, Nat," Madison urged in what she hoped was a calm and steady voice.

Natalie didn't move.

"Come on, sweetie, do it," Madison cajoled.

Natalie still didn't move.

Without warning, the gunman grabbed Natalie's arm, tearing the gold Cartier watch off her wrist.

Natalie screamed, a loud, piercing scream that almost drowned out the sound of police sirens in the distance.

"Mothafucker!" yelled the leader, turning on Cole, eyes glinting dangerously through the slits in his mask. "Which one a you shit-ass fucks called the cops?"

"Hey, man," Cole said evenly. "Don't look at me."

As he spoke, the burly-looking man at the next table made his move, suddenly producing a pistol from under his jacket and aiming it at the ringleader.

"Drop your weapon," the man commanded in a salty voice. "Give it up now before you get into even more trouble."

For a second, Madison thought the ringleader was about to comply and instruct the other two to do the same. But no -- even though the lights of police cars now flashed outside the shuttered front windows, he was not prepared to give up. "Drop your fuckin' weapon," he sneered. "Or you got any fuckin' idea what I'm gonna do?"

The burly man stood his ground. He was a retired detective ready to make his final stab at being a hero, and no punk with a gun was about to stop him. "Listen, sonny, don't be dumb -- ," he began in a patronizing tone with the slightest hint of an Irish accent.

The word "dumb" triggered immediate action from the gunman, who let loose with a sudden burst of gunfire. Everyone screamed. The burly man fell to the ground, a look of complete surprise on his face.

"Who th' fuck's dumb now?" sneered the leader, waving the Uzi threateningly around the room. "Not me!"

Then he began yelling at his two cohorts to lock the doors and get everyone into the center of the restaurant.

"Christ!" Cole muttered. "We're screwed."

And Madison had a gut feeling he was right.

Las Vegas

Vincent Castle watched his pretty wife, Jenna, through hooded eyes. Jenna wasn't merely pretty. She was a true peach, with soft-as-satin skin, natural honey blond shoulder-length hair, wide-apart pale blue eyes, real breasts, and extraordinarily long legs.

Vincent was no slouch in the looks department himself -- six feet three inches tall, with dark curly hair, intense black eyes, a straight nose, dimpled chin, and worked-out body. Women creamed themselves over Vincent Castle. Not only was he a partner in the extremely successful Castle Hotel and Casino, he was also hot, and rich, and still only thirty-six. But unfortunately for the women who continually circled this fine prospect, he was married to the delectable Jenna.

And even more of an obstacle, he was faithful.

Of course, they had not been married a year yet, so there was still time.

"Jenna seems happy tonight," the woman sitting next to Vincent in the red leather booth said in a sly, seductive voice, placing an elegant hand on his thigh. Her name was Jolie Sanchez, and she was the wife of Vincent's business partner and childhood friend, Nando. Jolie was also a beauty. In her early thirties, she had catlike amber eyes, turned-down sensual lips, and long raven hair.

Vincent knew that if he wanted to, he could avail himself of everything she had to offer.

He didn't, because other men's wives were not his style, and he would certainly never go near his partner's wife. Besides, Nando -- who was half Colombian and half French -- had an out-of-control temper. He'd once cut off the ear of a rival he believed had screwed him in a deal. Unfortunately, the man had almost bled to death, causing Nando to think three times before losing his violent temper again.

"She admires movie stars," Vincent said, casually shifting his leg so that Jolie was forced to move her hand.

"Ah, but no movie star is as gorgeous as her husband," Jolie murmured, flattering him, which was her way.

Vincent gave a thin smile, keeping his rising anger under control. Jenna was disrespecting him, the way she was draping herself all over Andy Dale -- a one-hit movie wonder with lank dirty blond hair and a boyish grin. Andy Dale was in town for the big fight taking place the following night. He was accompanied by Anais, a surly black supermodel who was quite obviously coked out of her head and couldn't care less who he came on to. Nando had invited them for dinner and then promptly left, making the excuse that he had a business meeting.

Lately Vincent was beginning to wonder if he'd made a wrong move marrying Jenna. She was a very young twenty-two-year-old and surprisingly inexperienced. Unlike him. He'd covered the waterfront, exactly the way his father, Michael, had taught him to. At the age of seventeen, Michael had set him up with a twenty-year-old call girl in a suite at the MGM Grand for twenty-four hours, all expenses paid. What a deal! What a dad!

The young girl had taught him everything he was supposed to know about pleasing a woman, and although at the time he had not appreciated sticking his tongue between her legs and eating her out, he'd soon learned how much girls got off on it.

"Good looks are not what's gonna get you places," his father had lectured him. "You have to be the fastest an' the smartest in business, and you gotta know how to treat a woman in bed. That way you'll have the world by the balls. Believe me, son, that's what makes a man."

Michael Castelli was a man who did indeed have the world by the balls. Vincent looked up to him -- in spite of the fact that Michael had never married Dani, Vincent's mom.

Vincent had not yet heard about the arrest warrant and his father's disappearance. He was hardly in contact with his half sister, Madison -- whom he'd only met once, several months ago, under strained circumstances. Michael had called him up and said he needed a favor. Naturally, Vincent had obliged.

It galled him that Madison had no clue about Michael's other family. How come he'd been told the truth, and yet she'd led some kind of sheltered life, believing she was an only child?

Well, she wasn't. There was him and his younger sister, Sofia. And if Madison thought she was any better than them, she was very much mistaken.

"Oooh, stop!" Jenna...

About this edition

• Publisher: Pocket Book
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 141651189X
• ISBN 13: 9781416511892
• Binding: Paperback