Virginia Vaughan - Deadly Christmas Duty

This Christmas could be her last...

Unless Covert Operatives shield her

Prosecutor and single mom Melinda Steele thought her nightmare ended when her abusive husband died, but now someone wants her dead by Christmas. Navy SEAL turned security operative Noah Cason needs her to get justice in his sister’s disappearance, but first he’ll have to keep her alive. And his mission shifts from difficult to almost impossible when Melinda reveals who she suspects is really after her.

VIRGINIA VAUGHANis a born-and-raised Mississippi girl. She is blessed to come from a large Southern family, and her fondest memories include listening to stories recounted around the dinner table. She was a lover of books from a young age, devouring tales of romance, danger and love. She soon started writing them herself. You can connect with Virginia through her website, virginiavaughanonline.com, or through the publisher.

Also By Virginia Vaughan Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Dear Reader Bible Verse Dedication ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE EPILOGUE Extract About the Publisher

Covert Operatives

Cold Case Cover-Up

Deadly Christmas Duty

Rangers Under Fire

Yuletide Abduction

Reunion Mission

Ranch Refuge

Mistletoe Reunion Threat

Mission Undercover

Mission: Memory Recall

No Safe Haven

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Deadly Christmas Duty

Virginia Vaughan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08652-3

DEADLY CHRISTMAS DUTY

© 2018 Virginia Vaughan

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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Anxiety exploded into full-on panic.

The fear of plunging into the water had forced her to relive that long-ago night of terror. But she’d made it out that night, and it had been seven years with no sign of her husband. And no indication he’d ever made it out of that lake alive.

How could she explain this to Noah? No one could know the truth.

She didn’t hear the roaring sound until headlights bore down on her. She screamed and ran, but the vehicle kept coming, as if calling her name.

I’m coming for you, Melinda. I’m coming for you.

Only when the crowd approached did the car turn and roar down the road.

Noah reached her and she fell into his arms. “I heard you scream. What happened?”

Panic morphed into tears and she clung to him. “He tried to run me down.”

“Who?”

All she knew was that whoever was after her wasn’t giving up. Not until he killed her.

Dear Reader Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Dear Reader Bible Verse Dedication ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE EPILOGUE Extract About the Publisher ,

Does it ever seem to you that the bad people of the world get a pass and justice is never served? Sometimes it feels that way to me, and this is the very issue Noah is fighting with throughout the story. All he wants is justice for his sister, but it seems to elude him. He’s disillusioned by all the evil and chaos he’s seen and wondering how a good God can allow it.

But as Noah learns, we must have faith. We have a God who is always on His throne. He doesn’t sleep. He’s never absent. And He doesn’t have to wonder whether or not someone is guilty of evil deeds. He doesn’t need to collect evidence or proof. He knows. He sees into the hearts of men and gives justice to those who have been wronged. Sometimes, like Noah, we get to see justice done in our lifetimes, but we must never despair that God is the ultimate judge and His justice will always prevail.

Thank you for joining me for Noah and Melinda’s story. I love hearing from my readers. You can connect with me on my website, virginiavaughanonline.com, or at Facebook.com/ginvaughanbooks.

Sincerely,

Virginia

And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

—Matthew 14:29

To my mom, who I often go to when I’m stuck on a project. You probably never thought you’d be plotting to kill people with your daughter. Life is crazy, isn’t it?

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text This Christmas could be her last... Unless Covert Operatives shield her Prosecutor and single mom Melinda Steele thought her nightmare ended when her abusive husband died, but now someone wants her dead by Christmas. Navy SEAL turned security operative Noah Cason needs her to get justice in his sister’s disappearance, but first he’ll have to keep her alive. And his mission shifts from difficult to almost impossible when Melinda reveals who she suspects is really after her.

About the Author VIRGINIA VAUGHAN is a born-and-raised Mississippi girl. She is blessed to come from a large Southern family, and her fondest memories include listening to stories recounted around the dinner table. She was a lover of books from a young age, devouring tales of romance, danger and love. She soon started writing them herself. You can connect with Virginia through her website, virginiavaughanonline.com , or through the publisher.

Booklist Also By Virginia Vaughan Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Introduction Dear Reader Bible Verse Dedication ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN EIGHT NINE EPILOGUE Extract About the Publisher Covert Operatives Cold Case Cover-Up Deadly Christmas Duty Rangers Under Fire Yuletide Abduction Reunion Mission Ranch Refuge Mistletoe Reunion Threat Mission Undercover Mission: Memory Recall No Safe Haven Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk