Danielle Steel: Ransom

Four different lives.

One act that changes everything forever.

RANSOM

PRAISE FOR

DANIELLE STEEL“Steel pulls out all the emotional stops.… She delivers.” —Publishers Weekly “Steel is one of the best!” —Los Angeles Times “The world's most popular author tells a good, well-paced story and explores some important issues…. Steel affirm[s] life while admitting its turbulence, melodramas, and misfiring passions.” —Booklist “Danielle Steel writes boldly and with practiced vividness about tragedy—both national and personal… with insight and power.” —Nashville Banner “There is a smooth reading style to her writings which makes it easy to forget the time and to keep flipping the pages.” —Pittsburgh Press “One of the things that keeps Danielle Steel fresh is her bent for timely story lines…. The combination of Steel's comprehensive research and her skill at creating credible characters makes for a gripping read.” —Newark Star-Ledger “What counts for the reader is the ring of authenticity.” —San Francisco Chronicle “Steel knows how to wring the emotion out of the briefest scene.” —People “Ms. Steel excels at pacing her narrative, which races forward, mirroring the frenetic lives chronicled; men and women swept up in bewildering change, seeking solutions to problems never before faced.” —Nashville Banner “Danielle Steel has again uplifted her readers while skillfully communicating some of life's bittersweet verities. Who could ask for a finer gift than that?” —Philadelphia Inquirer

PRAISE FOR THE RECENT NOVELS OF

DANIELLE STEEL RANSOM “This suspense novel has automatic appeal for Steel fans.” —Booklist “A sure-fire best seller.” —New York Daily NewsECHOES “Romance and risk mark the latest adventure from the prolific Steel, as a young woman must survive the Nazi regime if she is to be reunited with her family.” —Sacramento Bee “Get out your hankies…. Steel put her all into this one.”— Kirkus ReviewsSECOND CHANCE “Vintage Steel.” —St. Paul Pioneer Press “Gazillions of readers around the globe worship Steel's books.” —New York PostSAFE HARBOUR “Danielle Steel offers readers a poignant tale of friendship, family, and hope. The relationships are full, and the unforgettable spirit with which the characters struggle to renew their love for life makes this book a treasure.” —Oklahoman “Her page-turning plot and charming depiction of loving relationships will endear Ms. Steel to her fans.” —Library JournalJOHNNY ANGEL “Call us sentimental, but sometimes we prefer the classic authors. Make it a point of pride to read Johnny Angel ….” —Chicago Sun-TimesDATING GAME “A cheerful story full of colorful dating scenarios…you can't stop devouring it.” —Chicago TribuneANSWERED PRAYERS “Smooth plotting…” —Publishers WeeklySUNSET IN ST. TROPEZ “Steel's skillful character development shines.” —Newark Star Ledger A MAIN SELECTION OF

THE LITERARY GUILD

AND DOUBLEDAY BOOK CLUB

Also by Danielle Steel

ECHOES VANISHED SECOND CHANCE MIXED BLESSINGS SAFE HARBOUR JEWELS JOHNNY ANGEL NO GREATER LOVE DATING GAME HEARTBEAT ANSWERED PRAYERS MESSAGE FROM NAM SUNSET IN ST. TROPEZ DADDY THE COTTAGE STAR THE KISS ZOYA LEAP OF FAITH KALEIDOSCOPE LONE EAGLE FINE THINGS JOURNEY WANDERLUST THE HOUSE ON SECRETS HOPE STREET FAMILY ALBUM THE WEDDING FULL CIRCLE IRRESISTIBLE FORCES CHANGES GRANNY DAN THURSTON HOUSE BITTERSWEET CROSSINGS MIRROR IMAGE ONCE IN A LIFETIME HIS BRIGHT LIGHT: A PERFECT STRANGER The Story of Nick Traina REMEMBRANCE THE KLONE AND I PALOMINO THE LONG ROAD HOME LOVE: POEMS THE GHOST THE RING SPECIAL DELIVERY LOVING THE RANCH TO LOVE AGAIN SILENT HONOR SUMMER'S END MALICE SEASON OF PASSION FIVE DAYS IN PARIS THE PROMISE LIGHTNING NOW AND FOREVER WINGS PASSION'S PROMISE THE GIFT GOING HOME ACCIDENT a cognizant original v5 release october 15 2010

To all of my wonderful children,

who are extraordinary people I admire, love,

and respect so much,

And especially to Sam, Victoria, Vanessa,

Maxx, and Zara for being brave, loving,

patient, and courageous.

And to the remarkable men and women

in state, local, and federal agencies,

often unknown and unseen,

who keep all of us safe.

with deepest thanks

and all my love,

d.s.

“Tenderness is more powerful than hardness.

Water is more powerful than the rock.

Love is more powerful than violence.” Hermann Hesse

Chapter 1

Peter Matthew Morgan stood at the counter, picking up his things. A wallet with four hundred dollars in it, from his cash account. The release papers he had to take with him, and give his parole agent. He was wearing clothes the state had given him. He was wearing jeans, a white T-shirt with a denim shirt over it, running shoes, and white socks. It was a far cry from what he had worn when he came in. He had been in Pelican Bay State Prison for four years and three months. He had served the minimum amount of time of his sentence, which was nonetheless a big hunk of time for a first offense. He had been caught with an extraordinary amount of cocaine, prosecuted by the state, convicted in a jury trial, and sentenced to state prison at Pelican Bay.

At first, he had only sold to friends. Eventually, it not only supported the habit he had developed inadvertently, it supported all his financial needs and at one time his family's as well. He had made nearly a million dollars in the six months before he'd been caught, but even that didn't fill the hole in the dam he'd created with the financial juggling he'd done. Drugs, bad investments, selling short, huge risks on commodities. He'd been a stockbroker for a while, and got in trouble with the SEC, not enough to be prosecuted, in which case he would have been arrested by the feds and not the state, but he never was. He had been living so far beyond his means, to such an insane degree, had so many potentially explosive balls in the air, and developed such a massive drug habit hanging out with the wrong people, that eventually the only way to negotiate his debt to his dealer had been to deal drugs for him. There had also been a small matter of bad checks and embezzlement, but he got lucky once again. His employer had decided not to press charges, once he got arrested for dealing cocaine. What was the point? He didn't have the money anyway, whatever he had taken, and it was in fact a relatively small amount in the scheme of things, and the money was long gone. There was no way he could recoup the funds. His employer at the time felt sorry for him. Peter had a way of charming people, and making them fond of him.

Peter Morgan was the epitome of a nice guy gone wrong. Somewhere along the way, he had opted for the low road too many times, and blown every golden opportunity he'd ever had. More than Peter, his friends and business associates felt sorry for his wife and kids, who became the victims of his crazy schemes and rotten judgment. But everyone who knew him would have said that at the core, Peter Morgan was a nice guy. It was hard to say what had gone wrong. In truth, a lot had, for a long time.

Peter's father died when he was three, and had been the scion of an illustrious family from the cream of social circles in New York. The family fortune had been dwindling for years, and his mother managed to squander whatever his father left, long before Peter grew up.