Grounds To Believe

Grounds To Believe
Shelley Bates

Mills & Boon Silhouette
Ever since a cult took his daughter, police investigator Ross Malcolm's mission has been to protect children. So when a secretive sect is suspected of child endangerment, he's on the job, seeking evidence from the latest victim's aunt, Julia McNeill.Though taught to fear outsiders, Julia risks everything to help Ross. But her actions unleash a dangerous chain of events. Now Ross must save not one but three lives from the evil that threatens them….

Praise for RITA

Award winner Shelley Bates and her novels

“Suspenseful and intriguing, Grounds to Believe starts off running and never slows down. Shelley Bates expertly contrasts a controlling and demoralizing religious cult with the true love and caring of God.

4½ TOP PICK!”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews

“Shelley Bates is a brave and talented author who looks at the darkness as well as the light.”

—Bestselling author Mary Jo Putney

“Bates delivers a gut-wrencher with poignant style.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Pocketful of Pearls

Grounds to Believe

Shelley Bates

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

For Jeff, always,

and for Troon Nicholas Harrison

and Heather J. A. Graham, with love

Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword

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

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Epilogue

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My thanks go to Kristin Hannah, for being the first to believe; to William C. Hopkins, M.D., for his assistance with the psychology of MSBP; to Troon, Heather and Jenny Andersen, for timely comments on short notice and unflagging faith in me; to my parents, Dan and Carol, for their love; and to Debbie aka Ms. Peaches, Connie, Marti, Apples, Marge and Bernice of the PMB, for their support and willingness to share.

FOREWORD