Secret Defender

Secret Defender
Debbi Rawlins

AN HEIRESS TO PROTECTLuke Boudreau was a man unlike any other and he would stop at nothing to keep Sydney Wainwright safe–even if it meant kidnapping the headstrong heiress. Only, the tough-as-nails investigator never anticipated that a daring double cross would send him and Sydney on the run.Now, uncovering the threat to Sydney's life lay in the clues to a perilous puzzle that only brought the two closer together. Though Luke knew he should keep his professional distance, his feelings for the young beauty became increasingly personal. And now, evading the determined killer on their trail seemed easier than resisting Sydney….

“Keep your head down!” Luke shouted

The helicopter was flying low behind them. The car swerved. There was another gunshot. Luke took a sharp right, and Sydney fell against the door, feeling the jolt the instant they left the pavement and hit the rocky ground, screeching to a halt. The helicopter stayed close overhead, the thunderous whirring vibrating in her ears.

Like lightning Luke was under a tree, perfectly still, his feet shoulder-length apart, his gun aimed toward a patch of blue sky between the trees. A second later he fired. Another shot. She saw the helicopter drop a few feet, then sway. Blades sputtered, and the helicopter lurched forward.

Shivering, she slowly raised her head. She couldn’t see Luke at first, and alarm rose in her throat. Panic slithered down her spine. She’d heard two shots. Had Luke been shot?

The sudden thought rocked her to her core.

Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And we have six breathtaking books this month that will make the season even brighter….

THE LANDRY BROTHERS are back! We can’t think of a better way to kick off our December lineup than with this long-anticipated new installment in Kelsey Roberts’s popular series about seven rascally brothers, born and bred in Montana. In Bedside Manner, chaos rips through the town of Jasper when Dr. Chance Landry finds himself framed for murder…and targeted for love! Check back this April for the next title, Chasing Secrets. Also this month, watch for Protector S.O.S. by Susan Kearney. This HEROES INC. story spotlights an elite operative and his ex-lover who maneuver stormy waters—and a smoldering attraction—as they race to neutralize a dangerous hostage situation.

The adrenaline keeps on pumping with Agent-in-Charge by Leigh Riker, a fast-paced mystery. You’ll be bewitched by this month’s ECLIPSE selection—Eden’s Shadow by veteran author Jenna Ryan. This tantalizing gothic unravels a shadowy mystery and casts a magical spell over an enamored duo. And the excitement doesn’t stop there! Jessica Andersen returns to the lineup with her riveting new medical thriller, Body Search, about two hot-blooded doctors who are stranded together in a windswept coastal town and work around the clock to combat a deadly outbreak.

Finally this month, watch for Secret Defender by Debbi Rawlins—a provocative woman-in-jeopardy tale featuring an iron-willed hero who will stop at nothing to protect a headstrong heiress…even kidnap her for her own good.

Best wishes for a joyous holiday season from all of us at Harlequin Intrigue.

Sincerely,

Denise O’Sullivan

Senior Editor, Harlequin Intrigue

Secret Defender

Debbi Rawlins

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbi Rawlins lives with her new husband in a Las Vegas suburb. She still misses Hawaii at times, mainly because of the ocean, but has come to enjoy desert living. Especially during the fall and winter months. Come summer, she heads for their Utah condo sitting 97,000 feet above the heat.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Sydney Wainwright—Heiress to millions. Someone is sending her threatening letters. Will she make it to her twenty-fifth birthday and claim her inheritance?

Luke Boudreau—Ex-cop, ex-con, he’s kidnapped Sydney but claims he wants to protect her.

Willard Seymour—Sydney’s godfather and lawyer, trusted friend of the Wainwright family who’s controlled the company since the death of her parents.

Rick Wainwright—The brother Sydney didn’t know she had until a year ago.

Jeff—The new man in Sydney’s life—an attorney she met at a party.

Julie—An old friend from the wrong side of the tracks, who’s suddenly popped into Sydney’s life again.

Mama Sadie—The only person who truly knows and trusts Luke Boudreau.

This is for Karl. See? I told you I’d make

an honest man out of you.

Contents

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