Aimee Thurlo - When Lightning Strikes

“I won’t let you down,” Hannah said firmly

He believed her. “While you’re looking through the mug shots, I’m going to talk to the sergeant.”

They rode in silence the rest of the way. Daniel made an effort not to glance at her, but he was aware of everything about Hannah.

Misinterpreting his silence, she looked over at him. “If you’re worried that I won’t be able to handle this, don’t be.”

“I like to worry about you.” His voice was low and masculine.

Her breath caught and her cheeks tinged pink. Hannah looked away quickly as if trying to hide her reaction. Daniel found himself remembering the last time he’d heard that little hitch in her breath. She’d been beneath him, her warmth open to him.

His body suddenly grew hard. He cursed himself silently. He would never get this woman out of his system. He knew it with a certainty that frightened him. For a man who had never feared anything in his life, this was a new experience….

Dear Reader,

We have a fabulous fall lineup for you this month and throughout the season, starting with a new Navajo miniseries by Aimée Thurlo called SIGN OF THE GRAY WOLF. Two loners are called to action in the Four Corners area of New Mexico to take care of two women in jeopardy. Look for Daniel “Lightning” Eagle’s story in When Lightning Strikes and Burke Silentman’s next month in Navajo Justice.

The explosive CHICAGO CONFIDENTIAL continuity series concludes with Adrianne Lee’s Prince Under Cover. We just know you are going to love this international story of intrigue and the drama of a royal marriage—to a familiar stranger.… Don’t forget: a new Confidential branch will be added to the network next year!

Also this month—another compelling book from newcomer Delores Fossen. In A Man Worth Remembering, she reunites an estranged couple after amnesia strikes. Together, can they find the strength to face their enduring love—and find their kidnapped secret child? And can a woman on the edge recover the life and child she lost when she was framed for murder, in Harper Allen’s The Night in Question? She can if she has the help of the man who put her away.

Pulse pounding, mind-blowing and always breathtaking—that’s Harlequin Intrigue.

Enjoy,

Denise O’Sullivan

Associate Senior Editor

Harlequin Intrigue

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Aimée Thurlo is a nationally known bestselling author. She’s written forty-one novels and is published in at least twenty countries worldwide. She has been nominated for the Reviewer’s Choice Award and the Career Achievement Award by Romantic Times.

She also cowrites the Ella Clah mainstream mystery series, which debuted with a starred review in Publishers Weekly and has been optioned by CBS.

Aimée was born in Havana, Cuba, and lives with her husband of thirty years in Corrales, New Mexico. Her husband, David, was raised on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

Handler—Just who was the faceless owner of Gray Wolf Investigations and why did he have so many friends in high places?

Hannah Jones—Would the truth keep her out of jail, or destroy her future?

Daniel Eagle—He was the only Gray Wolf operative who didn’t carry a weapon. An expert in martial arts, he’d vowed to protect Hannah. But he’d never dreamed it would cost him his heart.

Deacon Robert Jones—He was Hannah’s uncle, but what was his real reason for hiring Gray Wolf Investigations to track her down?

Pablo Jackson—All the church’s money went through his capable hands. So where were the missing funds now?

Reverend Brown—He loved his church, and trusted everyone—perhaps too much.

To the three editors who helped us on this project:

Angela Catalano, Patricia Smith and Priscilla Berthiaume

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Hannah Jones opened her eyes and looked around in confusion, fear squeezing her heart. She was alone in the passenger seat of a car, but it was one that was totally unfamiliar to her and, worst of all, she couldn’t remember how she’d gotten there.

A faint ray of sunlight stabbed at her eyes and she shut them, trying to will away the merciless pounding in her head. Gathering her courage, she drew in a deep breath, but regretted it instantly. The smell of cheap cigars that permeated the worn upholstery made her gag and start coughing.

She tried to sit up, but something yanked her arm back hard, pinning her down on the right side. Pain swept across her skull in waves that left her feeling weak and shaky.

Moving more carefully this time, she leaned forward slightly and looked down. Her right wrist was handcuffed to the seat belt bracket that was bolted to the floor of the car beside the door.

Her heart began drumming frantically, one thought paramount in her mind. She had to find a way to get out of the car and escape. Every instinct she possessed screamed that she was in mortal danger.

As she tugged at the handcuff, Hannah became aware of a man’s voice nearby. She raised up slightly in her seat and looked out the driver’s side window. A tall, disheveled man was standing a dozen or so feet away beside a juniper tree, speaking into a cell phone. Shadows crossed his face, distorting his features, but even without that she knew he was bad news. His beefy hand was wrapped around a can of the area’s most popular beer, and he was pacing as he spoke, his steps slightly unsteady.

“Isn’t there some other way? You never said I had to kill her.”

Terror seized her like a cold, clammy hand squeezing her throat. Desperate to escape, she tugged and twisted the handcuff looking for a weak spot. The bracket was rusted and worn, and the more she tugged, the looser it became.

Putting everything she had into it, Hannah yanked once more and the bracket broke loose, freeing her hand. Though she still had the handcuff on her right wrist, she was now able to move.

Hannah looked over at the driver’s side and saw that the key was in the ignition. She had her chance now. She started to slide over when the man turned and looked right at her.

“No you don’t!” he growled, lunging toward her through the open window.

Ducking back, she grasped the dangling metal cuff in her right hand, and using it as makeshift brass knuckles, turned and punched him. Hannah heard the sickening crunch that signaled she’d broken his nose.

Her attacker groaned and stumbled back, blood flowing down his face.

In a heartbeat, Hannah slipped behind the wheel, switched on the ignition, then pressed down hard on the accelerator. The tires spewed gravel and the rear end fishtailed on the loose road surface as she raced away. One quick look in the rearview mirror revealed her injured attacker running after the car, but losing ground rapidly.

Hannah spotted the highway ahead of her in a gap between the trees and aimed for daylight. Too afraid to slow down, she swung out onto the pavement, tires squealing, leaving the scent of burning rubber in the air. She knew she was in an old car, and it was dangerous to proceed at this speed for long, but the alternative, falling into the hands of a killer, was not an option.