Lenora Worth - Undercover Memories

Her most important mission...

and she can’t remember what it is.

After amnesia strands private investigator Emma Langston in Dallas, only Detective Ryder Palladin can stop the men trying to kill her. But protective custody on Ryder’s family ranch has its own risks, like falling for the handsome cowboy. Before she can untangle her feelings for Ryder, Emma must recover her memory...because she’s sure someone’s life depends on it, even if she can’t remember whose.

With over seventy books published and millions in print, LENORA WORTHwrites award-winning romance and romantic suspense. Three of her books finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards, and her Love Inspired Suspense novel Body of Evidence became a New York Times bestseller. Her novella in Mistletoe Kisses made her a USA TODAY bestselling author. Lenora goes on adventures with her retired husband, Don, and enjoys reading, baking and shopping...especially shoe shopping.

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Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Undercover Memories

Lenora Worth

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08625-7

UNDERCOVER MEMORIES

© 2018 Lenora H. Nazworth

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.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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“We need someone to cover us.” More shots shattered the air and Ryder pushed Emma down again, his breath coming in huffs.

He looked at the trees again, then pulled out his cell and sent an alert text to all available personnel.

Ryder glanced toward the barn and saw rifles peeking out of windows and doors. Then he moved his head slightly toward the house. A curtain was pulled back in an upstairs window.

Lowering his head, he ignored the floral scent wafting from Emma’s hair and whispered in her ear. “When I say go, I want you to run toward the barn, toward the doors. Someone will let you inside.”

“What about you?”

“I’m going to cover you, along with my men inside who are waiting.”

“Are you sure this will work?”

“If you run fast, yes.” He looked into her eyes, his heart beating against hers. “Belly-crawl if you have to and don’t look back.”

She nodded and gave him a solid stare. “Be careful, Ryder.”

Another shot hit the air.

“Just do it, Emma.”

Dear Reader,

I love setting stories in Texas. It’s a big, vast place with a million stories to tell. This one grabbed me and I had to write it. Emma made the ultimate sacrifice, and then she had to make another sacrifice after temporarily losing her memory. But her fears kept her from doing what she needed to do.

Ryder was on a quest for justice, thinking if he caught enough bad guys he could appease his father’s tragic and senseless death. This story is about doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons and about sacrificing what could have been for what needed to be.

Together, these two tormented characters came together one dark night and decided to find the truth by helping each other. Sometimes, it seems we are plunged into darkness and that God does not hear our pleas. But He leaves signs along the way to guide us. Like Ryder and Emma, we have to listen, search and be open to those signs. They both found the justice they were seeking, and their sacrifices finally paid off.

I hope you look for the light at the end of the darkness and watch for the signs that the Lord sends. I hope you enjoyed going on this quest with Emma and Ryder. And if you’ve never been to Texas, then what are you waiting for?

Until next time, may the angels watch over you. Always.

Lenora Worth

In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

—Proverbs 14:26

In memory of all the children who don’t find their way home. You are not forgotten.

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

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

Extract

About the Publisher

Detective Ryder Palladin listened to the grit and static of the scanner and hit a fist against the steering wheel of the rusty, old undercover vehicle. He was hot and tired and full of bad coffee. “Daughtry, come in.”

He’d been sitting in this broken-up, weed-infested parking lot in the armpit of downtown Dallas for the better part of an hour, waiting to see if Daughtry could get their man. Petey Smith was low on the ladder to drug lord success, a gofer really. And as squirrelly as a back-alley rodent. He’d squeal before they slammed the bars on his jail cell.