Heart of the Night

Heart of the Night
Lenora Worth

Secret agent Eli Trudeau grieved the loss of his wife and baby.Then he discovers his son is alive–and living with an adoptive mother, Gena Malone. Despite the secrets and lies, Eli can't deny the truth: Gena loves the boy. Yet Eli grew up without a father and won't do that to his own child.When someone dangerous comes after them, Eli takes Gena and his son deep into hiding. As he grows closer to them, he discovers that he's more than just a maverick operative. After his dark, troubled past, he's finally found faith and family. And he'll do anything to protect both.

He wasn’t here to notice the woman.

He was here to get his son. And he could easily roll over, grab Gena Malone by the leg and end this standoff right now. But he wouldn’t do that. He might be lower than a snake’s belly at times, but he wasn’t one to hurt women. Even the woman who’d kept his son hidden from him.

He’d have to figure out a way to get through the woman before he could take Scotty, because it was obvious this woman loved this child. And that meant she wouldn’t let Scotty go without a fight.

“Okay, let’s start over,” he said. “I’m Eli Trudeau. And you are obviously the lovely, mysterious Gena. Since Devon handpicked you to raise my son, you can’t be all bad.”

Her boot put a little more pressure on his solar plexus. “And since he asked me to keep Scotty safe because he didn’t trust you to raise him, you can’t be all good.”

“Ouch, that hurt.” Eli used humor to hide the real hurt her words inflicted. And thought to himself that maybe she was right. “I’ve changed.”

She stared at him.

LENORA WORTH

has written more than thirty novels, most of those for Steeple Hill Books. She also works freelance for a local magazine, where she has written monthly opinion columns, feature articles and social commentaries. She also wrote for five years for the local paper. Married to her high school sweetheart for thirty-three years, Lenora lives in Louisiana and has two grown children and a cat. She loves to read, take long walks and sit in her garden.

Heart of the Night

Lenora Worth

And he said to them, Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.

—Mark 6:31

To all the people of Grand Isle, Louisiana.

You are forever in my heart.

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

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

ONE

“I’ve come for my son.”

The man holding a big battered hand over her mouth had a funny but familiar accent. He smelled of snow and wind, as if he’d been out in the night for a long time. His breath was warm as it fanned her ear and caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand up. His big body was broad and solid as he pulled her against him.

Gena tried to wiggle away, but he held her with an iron grip. So she closed her eyes, her heart rate accelerating as she became trapped in her worst nightmare.

She’d been expecting him.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the man said, his words as soft as silk. “I’ll let you go if you promise not to scream. I don’t want to frighten him.”

Gena didn’t want to scare her son either. So she nodded and waited for Eli Trudeau to release her.

And then she grabbed underneath the massive arm that had been restraining her and with a grunt and a prayer, she tripped Eli and flipped him over and onto the floor in a perfect takedown. He landed hard on his back with her booted foot centered on his belly.

Eli lay stunned for a few seconds, then let out a groan as he shook his head to clear it. “For sure, I should have known Devon would train you in self-defense. But did you have to try and break my back?”

“Did you have to break into my home just to see your son?”

Well, at least she got right to the point. He liked that in a woman. Even the woman who’d been secretly raising his little boy.

He watched her breath coming fast and furious. “Can you let me up?” he asked in a nice way, with a nice smile, hoping she’d fall for it.

She didn’t. “Why should I let you up? And why should I care that your back might be broken?”