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Mask Of A Hunter
Sylvie Kurtz
THE MAN BEHIND THE MASKHaunted by the demons of his past, hardened Seeker "Ace" Esteleone was the man least likely to mix business with pleasure. But the reckless behavior of the book-smart beauty he'd sworn to protect was threatening to ruin his investigation, and pretending to be her lover was the only way to keep them both safe.Desperate to find her missing sister, Aurora Cates hadn't counted on being dragged into the arms of the dark, unpredictable hunter. The passionate kisses meant for show soon shook them to the core–and led Ace to tell her his deepest secret. But when his cover was blown, Aurora was put right in the line of fire….
Kissing Aurora was a really bad idea
Ace couldn’t believe how easily she’d worked her way into his senses, dulling his survival instincts. Not good for the health of either of of them. He didn’t want to get involved with anyone—not in his line of work. Certainly not with the woman he was supposed to protect from harm.
It was bad enough his secret responsibility toward his own sister made him vulnerable. Falling for Rory would not only make doing his job more difficult—it could make her a target if things went sour. He couldn’t allow her to interfere with completing his task.
Still, he could not shake the sight of her sadness-darkened eyes, the feel of her fiery response to his kiss.
But he wasn’t going there. Couldn’t afford to.
Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,
We have another month of spine-tingling romantic thrillers lined up for you—starting with the much anticipated second book in Joanna Wayne’s tantalizing miniseries duo, HIDDEN PASSIONS: FULL MOON MADNESS. In Just Before Dawn, a reclusive mountain man vows to get to the bottom of a single mother’s terrifying nightmares before darkness closes in.
Award-winning author Leigh Riker makes an exciting debut in the Harlequin Intrigue line this May with Double Take. Next, pulses race out of control in Mask of a Hunter by Sylvie Kurtz—the second installment in THE SEEKERS—when a tough operative’s cover story as doting lover to a pretty librarian threatens to blow up.
Be there from the beginning of our brand-new in-line continuity, SHOTGUN SALLYS! In this exciting trilogy, three young women friends uncover a scandal in the town of Mustang Valley, Texas, that puts their lives—and the lives of the men they love—on the line. Don’t miss Out for Justice by Susan Kearney.
To wrap up a month of can’t-miss romantic suspense, Doreen Roberts debuts in the Harlequin Intrigue line with Official Duty, the next title in our COWBOY COPS thematic promotion. It’s a double-murder investigation that forces a woman out of hiding to face her perilous past…and her pent-up feelings for the sexy sheriff who still has her heart in custody. Last but certainly not least, Emergency Contact by Susan Peterson—part of our DEAD BOLT promotion—is an edgy psychological thriller about a traumatized amnesiac who may have been brainwashed to do the unthinkable….
Enjoy all our selections this month!
Sincerely,
Denise O’Sullivan
Senior Editor,
Harlequin Intrigue
Mask of a Hunter
Sylvie Kurtz
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
For Chuck—as always
And for Lorrie, Lynne and Wendy—
friendship grows in the strangest places.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Flying an eight-hour solo cross-country in a Piper Arrow with only the airplane’s crackling radio and a large bag of M&M’s for company, Sylvie Kurtz realized a pilot’s life wasn’t for her. The stories zooming in and out of her mind proved more entertaining than the flight itself. Not a quitter, she finished her pilot’s course and earned her commercial license and instrument rating.
Since then, she has traded in her wings for a keyboard where she lets her imagination soar to create fictional adventures that explore the power of love and the thrill of suspense. When not writing, she enjoys the outdoors with her husband and two children, quilt making, photography and reading whatever catches her interest.
You can write to Sylvie at
P.O. Box 702, Milford, NH 03055.
And visit her Web site at www.sylviekurtz.com.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Aurora Cates—The librarian’s search for her missing sister takes her places she never dreamed of.
Adriano Constantin Esteleone, aka Ace Lyon—Pretending comes easily to this Seeker.
Sebastian Falconer—The head of Seekers, Inc.
Felicia Cates—Rory’s sister is missing, and all signs point to murder.
Hannah Cates—Felicia would never abandon the daughter she adores.
Bianca Esteleone—Ace’s sister is caught in the false promise of drugs.
Mike Fletcher—On the surface his business looks clean.
Curtis Fletcher—Mike’s little brother admires his big brother’s path.
Deacon, aka Preston Duberry—The Sons’ enforcer knows all the dirty secrets.
Taz, aka John Tassler, Jr.—The Sons’ president knows how to make an entrance.
Penny Webster—Hannah’s baby-sitter knows the consequences of not following the Sons’ law.
Karla Leach—Felicia’s best friend has escaped the gang’s influence.
Simon Bales—Is the vet providing the gang with chemicals?
Laci Drake—Deacon’s old lady knows more than she’ll tell.
Tank, aka Darren Stocking—The pug is willing to wade through manure for bits of information.
Ron Glasser—The ATF agent made a mistake and paid the ultimate price.
FELICIA’S MONSTER COOKIES
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp honey
1 ½ cups peanut butter
2 tsp baking soda
4 ½ cups oatmeal
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces
Mix ingredients together in the order listed. Drop by teaspoonful on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Yield: 7 dozen average-size cookies.
Contents
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
Prologue
Felicia Cates hesitated at the doorway of the cabin along the New Hampshire side of the Connecticut River while her eyes adjusted to the darkness inside. Wind rustled through the winter-dead grass behind her like termites feeding on wood. The breeze was warm for April, but Felicia shivered anyway. Prickly burrs of doubts itched her skin as she searched the cabin’s one room. One last time, Felicia. For Hannah. You can do it.
A voice rumbled from deep inside the room. “Come on in, Felicia.”
“So this is the place you found for us?”
“What’s the matter?” Meanness weighted his voice. “You don’t like it?”
“No, it’s not that.” Heart revving like the Vulcan she’d pushed to the limit to get here, Felicia crooked one knee, then the other. She wanted to feel that V-twin engine roaring under her, taking her far from the nightmare she’d pitched into. “The baby. She’s waiting for me. I need to hurry.”
“Well, then, don’t just stand there.”
Eyes darting all around, she slowly crossed the threshold to the dusty floorboards in the empty room. Her daughter shouldn’t pay for her mistakes. “We’ll need a table, chairs, a bed.”
“Come closer.”
“It needs a good cleaning.” Swiping at the spider leg skitter of hair bristling the back of her neck, she pretended to see the possibilities the cabin offered. Dust cloaked every surface. The small windows were caked with the soot of neglect. Only a braided rug of indistinct color furnished the room. “I’ll need supplies.”
The floor creaked under his weight as he materialized from the shadows. His eyes were narrow slits that sparked with hatred. How could she have ever thought that flat mouth was sexy?
“When I say come here…” His voice was as hard as the muscles he honed every day at the gym. “I mean come here.”
His bulging fist snaked out and clamped around her biceps. She gasped as he yanked her off balance and jerked her close against his body. The wire she wore cut into the skin of her stomach. She hoped he couldn’t feel the microcassette at her waistband through his leather jacket. Please let him think it’s the buckle of my chaps.
Swallowing hard, she forced her gaze to latch on to the cold jade of his eyes. She’d always thought that the stories he spun were just for show, but she could see now why people were afraid of him. He didn’t have an inch of give. Not when it didn’t suit him. And always before she’d made sure to suit him. Until it threatened Hannah. He’d never wanted the baby. But he had to understand. Even a hard man like him had to see that she couldn’t keep on doing what she was doing and raise a child.
“I want to take Hannah to my sister’s.” She ratcheted her spine straight. “Then I’ll be all yours again.”
“I’ll take care of you.”
“I know you will.” But his eyes didn’t soften, and looking into them was like looking into an open steel trap. Did he know her secret? She thought of the agent waiting for her at the rest stop and felt her limbs turn to wood. She had to leave. Today. She couldn’t do this anymore. Any of it. If this case was as important as Glasser said, why had the ATF sent an agent fresh out of the academy to coach her? Why had they let her come so far off the main road with no backup? Glasser couldn’t protect her. No one could. She saw that now. She’d have to take care of herself.
“They won’t find us here,” he said, as if he’d read her mind. “You won’t have to testify against me.”
“I just need to see Hannah settled.”
He let her go, and she stumbled backwards, rubbing the arm that was numb from his tight hold. He pulled a wad of bills from his pocket and peeled off ten hundreds. “Is that enough for the trip?”
She nodded and reached for the bills. He held on to them, pinning her with his needle gaze. “Look at me. I want to see your eyes.”
She forced a smile and a flirty shake of her hair. He’d always loved her hair, the way it flowed like fire. “Windows to the soul?”
“Something like that.” He let go of the bills.
