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Howling In The Darkness
B.J. Daniels
GUARDIAN OF THE NIGHTDanger! Undercover agent Jonah Ries couldn't explain to the stunning woman who'd mistaken him for her blind date exactly how he knew someone was trying to harm her. But evil stalked Moriah's Landing, and Katherine Ridgemont was its target. When she learned of Jonah's deep secret, Kat might not give him the time of day. Only that wouldn't stop Jonah from watching over the vulnerable beauty after dark.As the anniversary of Kat's mother's mysterious death approached, the instinct to protect became a fire in Jonah's blood. A fire matched by his determination to save the woman he loved from the unknown forces that haunted the night….
“You never did say what you were doing out here this late at night,”
Jonah said.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Kat lied. “What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t sleep either.” He kept looking at her with that same I-can-lie-as-well-as-you-can expression on his handsome face.
She turned, planning to take off, but he moved too fast.
One hand came to rest at the small of her back as his lips unerringly found hers.
She would have fought both him and the kiss, but he had taken her by surprise and left her reeling when it ended abruptly.
“I hate having regrets,” he said matter-of-factly, then turned and left her on the deserted dock without another word, leaving her to stare after him, the taste and feel of him still on her lips.
It seemed he had no qualms about leaving her with one big regret—that she wouldn’t be kissing him again.
Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,
Harlequin Intrigue has four new stories to blast you out of the winter doldrums. Look what we’ve got heating up for you this month.
Sylvie Kurtz brings you the first in her two-book miniseries FLESH AND BLOOD. Fifteen years ago, a burst of anger by the banks of the raging Red Thunder River changed the lives of two brothers forever. In Remembering Red Thunder, Sheriff Chance Conover struggles to regain the memory of his life, his wife and their unborn baby before a man out for revenge silences him permanently.
You can also look for the second book in the four-book continuity series MORIAH’S LANDING—Howling in the Darkness by B.J. Daniels. Jonah Ries has always sensed something was wrong in Moriah’s Landing, but when he accidentally crashes Kat Ridgemont’s online blind date, he realizes the tough yet fragile beauty has more to fear than even the town’s superstitions.
In Operation: Reunited by Linda O. Johnston, Alexa Kenner is on the verge of marriage when she meets John O’Rourke, a man who eerily resembles her dead lover, Cole Rappaport, who died in a terrible explosion. Could they be one and the same?
And finally this month, one by one government witnesses who put away a mob associate have been killed, with only Tara Ford remaining. U.S. Deputy Marshal Brad Harrison vows to protect Tara by placing her In His Safekeeping— by Shawna Delacorte.
We hope you enjoy these books, and remember to come back next month for more selections from MORIAH’S LANDING and FLESH AND BLOOD!
Sincerely,
Denise O’Sullivan
Associate Senior Editor
Harlequin Intrigue
Howling in the Darkness
B.J. Daniels
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Special thanks and acknowledgment
are given to B.J. Daniels for her contribution
to the MORIAH’S LANDING series.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A former award-winning journalist, B.J. Daniels is the author of thirty-seven short stories and fourteen novels. Most of her books are set in Montana, where she lives with her husband, Parker; two springer spaniels, Zoey and Scout; and a temperamental tomcat named Jeff. Her first novel, Odd Man Out, was nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award for best first book and best Harlequin Intrigue. B.J. is a member of Bozeman Writers Group and Romance Writers of America. When not writing, she enjoys reading, camping and fishing, and snowboarding. Write to her at: P.O. Box 183, Bozeman MT 59771.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Jonah Ries—The FBI agent has more to fear in Moriah’s Landing than even he knows.
Kat Ridgemont—The private investigator has a deadly secret admirer after her.
Arabella Leigh—Is she as crazy as everyone thinks she is when she warns Kat of danger and death?
McFarland Leary—His ghost is due to rise again.
Cassandra Quintana—What does the fortune-teller see in the cards that she isn’t telling?
Ernie McDougal—Is the shy Bait & Tackle shop owner into more than fish and lures?
Emily Ridgemont—The seventeen-year-old has a secret of her own.
Brody Ries—The owner of the Wharf Rat bar will do anything for money.
Tommy Cavendish—The fifteen-year-old doesn’t know what he is getting into.
Deke Turner—The former FBI agent comes to Moriah’s Landing with only one thing on his mind: revenge.
Marley Glasgow—He hates women. But enough to kill?
Max Weathers—The FBI agent disappeared after being sent to Moriah’s Landing to investigate an anonymous tip.
Dr. Leland Manning—How far will the scientist go in his quest to discover the secret in witches’ descendants’ genes?
Leslie Ridgemont—She might be dead, but in Moriah’s Landing that doesn’t mean she is gone for good.
This one is for Jeff Robinson, a great writer,
a great friend. Not only has he always supported
my career—but he keeps my husband, Parker,
busy playing basketball so I can write. Thanks, Jeff!
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 One
A killer fog rolled in off the Atlantic, moving silently through the darkness as it approached the small town nestled at the edge of the sea.
Jonah Ries didn’t see the fog coming any more than he could see the future. But he felt it. At first just a disquieting sense of foreboding. Then he came roaring up over a rise in the rocky landscape and saw the sign, Welcome to Moriah’s Landing, and he knew, a soul-deep knowing, that this was the last place on earth he should be.
He slowed his motorcycle, the feeling of darkness so strong he could see himself flipping a U-turn in the middle of the road, throttling up the bike, his taillight growing dimmer and dimmer beneath the twisted dark limbs snaking over the pavement.
But he could no more turn back than he could convince himself he had nothing to fear in Moriah’s Landing. He knew what he would risk coming here. A hell of a lot more than just his life, he thought as he swept down the hill, passing St. John’s Cemetery without looking in that direction, and heading for the wharf.
Overhead, a half-moon rode the star-specked sky, reminding him he had five days, tops.
He felt the first hint of the fog long before he saw it. Small patches of dampness brushed past his face, ghostlike as spiderwebs. But the moment he turned down Waterfront Avenue, the mist moved in as thick as wet concrete, obliterating everything, forcing him to pull over, park his bike and walk the rest of the way.
Might as well just get it over with. He reached under the left side of his leather jacket for the reassuring feel of his .38 nestled in the shoulder holster. Snug as a bug. Too bad what he feared most couldn’t be killed with a bullet. Not even a silver one.
He made his way along the brick sidewalk toward the faint beat of the neon bar sign at the end of the street, unable to throw off the ominous feeling he’d gotten at just the sight of the town’s sign.
Nor had he realized how late it was until he noticed that the shops were all dark, locked up for the night. Of course, it wasn’t Memorial Day yet. That’s when the tiny Massachusetts town would come alive with tourists, especially this year, with Moriah’s Landing celebrating its 350th anniversary.
Tourists would flock here for the beach—and the witch folklore, bringing a morbid fascination for the town’s dark, witch-hanging past.
Tonight, though, the small township lay cloaked in a fog of obscurity, silent as McFarland Leary’s grave, as if waiting for something to happen. Unfortunately, Jonah feared he knew what that something was.
“Hey!” A voice came out of the darkness from the end of the street near the blurred, flashing bar sign for the Wharf Rat. Jonah could barely make out the form, but instantly recognized it, just as the man coming out of the bar had recognized him.
“Hey.” The man staggered forward, then stopped, clearly jarred momentarily from his drunken state.
Jonah reached blindly for the first door next to him, grabbed the handle and turned, praying it wouldn’t be locked, but prepared to use whatever it took to get in. He shoved with his shoulder as he turned the handle, losing his balance in surprise as the door fell open and he stumbled in, closing it behind him.
“You’re late,” a female voice admonished.
He froze, his back to the dark room. From beyond it, a narrow path of light ran across the carpet to his feet. He turned slowly, comforted by the feel of the .38.
She stood behind a large antique desk, one hand on her hip, her head cocked to the side so her long mane of raven’s-wing-black hair hung down past her shoulder like a wave. He could feel her gaze, dark and searching, long before he stepped close enough to really see her face.
“Sorry,” he said without thinking. He had plenty to be sorry about so he didn’t mind.
Her eyes narrowed. “I guess you didn’t get my last e-mail.”
He shook his head. Unfortunately, he hadn’t gotten any of her e-mails.
“Are you ready?” she asked, sounding a little unsure of herself. He sensed this was new territory for her.
Ready? He watched her pick up her purse and jacket and then hesitate. He couldn’t help but stare at her. She had the most interesting face he’d ever seen. Wide-set dark navy-blue eyes with dense lashes, a full, almost pouty, mouth and high cheekbones, all put together in a way that startled and interested him at the same time.
“Yes?” she asked, eyeing him, definitely not sure now. “Is there a problem?”
Not unless being totally confused was a problem. He started to tell her that she was making a mistake. But then she came around the corner of the desk and he got the full effect of her little black dress.
Wow. It was a knockout on her, formfitting against the warm olive glow of her skin. Silver glittered on her wrist, dangled from the lobes of her ears and swept the curve of her neck and throat. Nestled in the hollow between her breasts hung a small silver lighthouse charm.
“Did you have some spot in mind?” she asked. The tap of her heels drew his attention back up to her face as she moved toward him.
He had lots of spots in mind. But she’d caught him on a night when he was already off-kilter and she was the last thing he’d expected to run across. So it took him longer than it should have to realize she thought he was her date—an online blind date, it seemed. Even worse. And from the way she was dressed, they were going out for a drink. Maybe a late supper.
Unfortunately, her “real” date would probably be along any minute. Jonah realized he’d be damn disappointed when that happened. The problem was, leaving here right now wasn’t an option.
At least not out the front door where he feared the man he’d seen would be looking for him.
Past her, he saw a way out—literally. A back exit and a chance to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.
“How about the Moriah’s Landing Inn?” he asked, realizing he had a better chance with her than alone if he hoped to avoid the man he’d just seen in the street. The hotel was only a few doors up on Main Street and had a very nice restaurant. And it was easy to get to since he figured he was probably supposed to be driving a car. Which he wasn’t. More important, they could get to it quickly by going down the narrow alley out back, therefore cutting down the chance of an ugly confrontation with his past.
“Great,” she said, sounding a little surprised.
Probably because of the way he looked. “I apologize for the way I’m dressed,” he said, glancing down at the jeans, biking boots and the laundry-worn blue chambray shirt he wore underneath his old brown leather jacket. He ran a hand over his stubbled jaw, then raked it on up through his hair. Not exactly hot-date material.
