Shirlee McCoy - Even in the Darkness

has always loved making up stories. As a child, she daydreamed elaborate tales in which she was the heroine—gutsy, strong and invincible. Though she soon grew out of her superhero fantasies, her love for storytelling never diminished. She knew early that she wanted to write inspirational fiction, and began writing her first novel when she was a teenager. Still, it wasn’t until her third son was born that she truly began pursuing her dream of being published. Three years later she sold her first book. Now a busy mother of four, Shirlee is a homeschool mom by day and an inspirational author by night. She and her husband and children live in Maryland and share their house with a dog and a guinea pig. You can visit her Web site at www.shirleemccoy.com.

ISBN: 9781408966037

Even in the Darkness

© Shirlee McCoy 2006

First Published in Great Britain in 2006

Harlequin (UK) Limited

Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, including without limitation xerography, photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

This ebook is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated, without the prior consent of the publisher, in any form or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

All characters in this work have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.á.r.l.

® and TM 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

If I rise up on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.

—Psalms 139:9–10

To my nieces and nephews who’ve already arrived—Joshua, Skylar, Danielle, Brianna, Trey, Jacob, Kaitlyn, John Paul, Elijah, Elijah, and Amirah—my life is brighter because you are in it. I love you all!

And to the one who hasn’t arrived—baby Parker. Love begins on a breath of hope and rushes forward to embrace a dream. You are that dream. Safe travels, little one!

Special thanks to Kitty McCoy, proprietor of Kitty’s Little Book Shoppe, and my biggest Smith Mountain Lake fan. Get the tea ready, I’m on my way!

Dear Reader,

Life is filled with choices—stay or move, spend or save, take a new job or remain at an old one. If you’re like me, you’re faced with decisions every day. Sometimes it’s easy to choose what path to take. Other times all the paths look the same, no choice better or worse than any other. That’s when fear can take hold. We worry that we’ll make the wrong choice, that somehow our decision will lead us to a place we shouldn’t be. Fortunately, God is in control. He can and will lead us toward the goal—a life lived well for Him.

That’s what happens to Tori Riley. When a trip to Thailand puts her in the path of one of the region’s most notorious drug cartels, she wonders if what she thought was the right decision is actually the worst mistake she’s ever made. As she races through the jungle of Mae Hong Son, she must trust DEA Agent Noah Stone to keep her safe. His steadfast faith forces Tori to reassess her own wavering beliefs. Only then can she see God’s hand guiding her decisions and leading forward into His perfect plan for her life.

I’m sure you can sense how enthusiastic I am about this story! I hope you’ll share my excitement as you join Tori and Noah on their journey. And when the journey is complete, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line at shirlee@shirleemccoy.com.

Blessings,

About the Author

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

Chapter Twenty

The heat woke her. That and the silence. Until then there had been noise, movement, hushed voices—sounds both terrifying and comforting. Tori Riley levered up, biting back a groan as she forced herself to a sitting position. The room was the same—ugly and mean, its watermarked walls and rotted carpet reeking of age and neglect. Sunlight filtered through the dirt-crusted window, burying the room in stifling heat. Tori’s throat was dry with it, and she reached for the cup that sat beside her on the floor, the shackles on her wrists clanging together.

The cup was empty. Just as it had been last night.

How much longer would they make her wait? She glanced toward the door, wishing it open, straining to hear above the pounding of her heart. The world beyond her prison seemed empty of life, the sounds she’d been hearing for the past few days absent.

Abandoned.

The word slipped into her mind; icy terror pumped through her veins. Did they know? Had they found the box? Or worse, had they found Melody?

The thought brought renewed energy. She threw her weight against the chains that held her, ignoring the harsh stab of pain in her wrists and the blood that seeped from the gashes there. Breath gasped from her lungs, her chest heaving as she struggled in an effort she knew was futile. Hadn’t she tried before? Hadn’t she failed? But she wouldn’t fail now. She couldn’t fail.

Sweat poured down her face, soaking the sweater she’d worn to keep warm on the plane ride home. Only she’d never made it to the airport, and now the heavy knit only intensified the heat and her panic.

Stop! Think! The words roared into her consciousness. How many times had her grandfather barked those words at her? Tori stilled her frantic movements and closed her eyes, letting herself picture Pops, the old farmhouse, the gray-blue lake shimmering in the distance. Home. She’d been a fool to run from it.

A sound drifted into the silence, a soft sigh of air that whispered of danger. Tori’s eyes flew open. Someone was coming. Rescue? Or death? She counted seconds by the throb of the pulse in her throat, each beat a moment closer to whatever would come.

When the door opened and he stepped into the room, she knew.

Black pants, black shirt, black ski mask. Tall, fit and strong enough to kill without ever using the gun he wore strapped to his side.