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      “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

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      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.

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      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

      Epilogue

      Chapter One

      Sign the papers and die.

      Sydney Wainwright stared at the bold black letters on the sheet of white paper. Her hands no longer trembled like they had when she’d received the first two threats. She’d been fearful then; now, she was angry.

      She wadded up the note and then slipped it in the top drawer of her desk, way in the back where no one would see it. Better that Willard and her brother didn’t know she’d received another one. They’d already accused her of not taking the threats seriously enough.

      They thought she should disappear for a while, go to France or Rio, or take a cruise. No way was she running scared. She’d finally taken control of her life. She wouldn’t give it up that easily.

      After locking the desk, she grabbed her purse and headed down the hall. She had half an hour to make it to her hair appointment. That gave Willard only two minutes to complain about her venturing out alone.

      He was such a dear man, a trusted and loyal friend of the family forever, but he’d become too protective since her parents’ death. He kept forgetting she wasn’t a child anymore.

      She stopped outside his office and knocked briefly before opening the door. Rick was sitting across from Willard’s desk. They abruptly stopped talking when they saw her. Then her brother slid Willard a cryptic glance, which made her uneasy.

      “Hey, what are you two doing? Conspiring against me?” She

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