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Course of Action: The Rescue: Jaguar Night / Amazon Gold
Merline Lovelace
Lindsay McKenna
Two edge-of-your-seat, passionate military stories from bestselling authors Lindsay McKenna and Merline Lovelace…
Jaguar Night by Lindsay McKenna
When a U.S. General’s daughter is kidnapped, Marine Staff Sergeant Josh Patterson is handpicked to rescue her. While they trek through the jungle to safety, her strength and a surprise kiss change everything.
Amazon Gold by Merline Lovelace
U.S. Navy Chief Charlene “Charley” Dawson deftly commands the Riverine patrol boat taking an arrogant U.S. Delta Force Army Sergeant on a very personal op. As she and Jack Halliday penetrate deeper into the Amazon after a rogue ex-pat, they face danger…and unexpected attraction.
Praise for New York Times bestselling author Lindsay McKenna
“Gunfire, emotions, suspense, tension and sexuality abound in this fast-paced, absorbing novel.”
—Affaire de Coeur on Wild Woman
“Talented Lindsay McKenna delivers excitement and romance in equal measure.”
—RT Book Reviews on Protecting His Own
“Lindsay McKenna will have you flying with the daring and deadly women pilots who risk their lives.… Buckle in for the ride of your life.”
—Writers Unlimited on Heart of Stone
Praise for USA TODAY bestselling author Merline Lovelace
“Merline Lovelace rocks! Like Nora Roberts, she delivers top-rate suspense with great characters, rich atmosphere and a crackling plot!”
—New York Times bestselling author Mary Jo Putney
“Lovelace’s many fans have come to expect her signature strong, brave, resourceful heroines and she doesn’t disappoint.”
—Booklist
“Ms. Lovelace wins our hearts with a tender love story featuring a fine hero who will make every woman’s heart beat faster.”
—RT Book Reviews on Wrong Bride, Right Groom
LINDSAY McKENNA
is proud to have served her country in the U.S. Navy as an aerographer’s mate third class—also known as a weather forecaster. She was a pioneer in the military romance subgenre and loves to combine heart-pounding action with soulful and poignant romance. True to her military roots, she is the originator of the long-running and reader-favorite Morgan’s Mercenaries series. She does extensive hands-on research, including flying in aircraft such as a P3-B Orion sub-hunter and a B-52 bomber. She was the first romance writer to sign her books in the Pentagon bookstore. Today, she has created a new military romantic suspense series, Shadow Warriors, which features romantic and action-packed tales about U.S. Navy SEALs. Visit her online at:
www.lindsaymckenna.com (http://www.lindsaymckenna.com)www.twitter.com/lindsaymckenna (http://www.twitter.com/lindsaymckenna)www.facebook.com/eileen.nauman (http://www.facebook.com/eileen.nauman)
MERLINE LOVELACE
A career Air Force officer, Merline Lovelace served at bases all over the world. When she hung up her uniform for the last time, she decided to combine her love of adventure with a flair for storytelling, basing many of her tales on her own experiences in the service. Since then she’s produced more than ninety-five action-packed sizzlers, many of which have made the USA TODAY bestseller list. Over twelve million copies of her works have been printed in more than thirty countries.
When she’s not tied to her keyboard, Merline enjoys reading, hitting little white balls around the fairways of Oklahoma, and traveling to new and exotic locales with her husband, Al. Check her website at www.merlinelovelace.com (http://www.merlinelovelace.com) or friend Merline on Facebook for news and information about her latest releases.
Course of Action: The Rescue
Jaguar Night
Amazon Gold
Lindsay McKenna and
Merline Lovelace
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Dear Reader (#ulink_a07f9175-35a1-5bf3-8e29-e26995cf96fa),
This September, you may be ushering in a new school year or enjoying the change of season. Be sure to add a little reading indulgence to your day with the latest adrenaline-pumping romances from Mills & Boon Romantic Suspense!
First off, you’ll love the latest military-themed 2-in-1, Course of Action: The Rescue (#1815) written by New York Times bestselling author Lindsay McKenna and USA TODAY bestselling author Merline Lovelace. Here, two couples undertake daring assignments and discover true love. In Return to Copper Lake (#1816) by USA TODAY bestselling author Marilyn Pappano, a black-sheep hero returns home to save his family, never expecting to fall for his nieces’ caretaker…or that he’d bring danger to their door.
Jennifer Morey’s One Secret Night (#1817), the next in her Ivy Avengers miniseries, features a military man who runs into the right woman at the wrong time while tracking a murderer. In Natalie Charles’s When No One Is Watching (#1818), a lawman enlists the aid of a victim in solving a serial killer case but finds himself becoming much more involved than he’d anticipated. Don’t miss these wonderful tales!
As always, we deliver on our promise of breathtaking romance set against a backdrop of suspense. Have a wonderful September, and happy reading!
Sincerely,
Patience Bloom
Senior Editor
Table of Contents
Cover (#u032fd3ef-1a3b-5fc4-964c-f257ed6dbd09)
Back Cover Text (#u0aea51b8-3e77-57ca-a0e7-3540ad385235)
Praise (#u73e0d8a9-2534-5336-997b-42e5ebbd3e87)
About the Authors (#u9854d34f-2b02-593a-bf5c-c95563d41798)
Title Page (#ue8ce7e54-55f9-5845-8ebb-ffbdeae75d16)
Dear Reader (#u2eaba9b5-b7ba-592d-81d1-e631bec728d3)
Jaguar Night (#u5c5c7669-9ab6-5d71-9133-05ce80ca6832)
Dedication (#u53c145b8-11d1-51cd-b3d0-a323ad49ab0d)
Chapter 1 (#ud57e011b-a32e-54c6-8411-c5ebc902a836)
Chapter 2 (#u18258693-e06a-54db-a06f-b0d387683744)
Chapter 3 (#ub12dfb41-4add-5412-82c3-9969f1fc4abd)
Chapter 4 (#u57f56cce-45f3-5a96-956c-7ce0513558a0)
Chapter 5 (#ucc70d57b-d923-57b4-b76b-2dfa7975351b)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Amazon Gold (#litres_trial_promo)
Dedication (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 1 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 2 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 3 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 4 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Jaguar Night (#ulink_72cd9613-9a80-5083-98d8-19fc43238493)
Lindsay McKenna
To those men and women who served or are presently serving in the U.S. military. Your sacrifices, patriotism and protection of our country does not go unnoticed. You are all heroes and heroines in my eyes and heart. Words are inadequate for all that you have done or do for us. Thank you for your service.
Chapter 1 (#ulink_81e6089d-2df8-595e-8da1-36f65db82df5)
Aly Landon would never get used to the heavy Brazilian humidity that cloaked the Amazon jungle. It was as if a visible mist surrounded them. She rode her bay gelding along a path between the spindly trees and dead leaves that littered the gently sloping hill. Above her was a triple canopy of trees, effectively shutting out the sunlight. She missed the sun more than anything. Maybe because she’d been born in San Diego, California, a warm and desertlike city sitting on the sparkling Pacific Ocean.
She heard the snort of Juan’s mule, which he lovingly called Loco—Crazy. Juan Vinas, a Barasana Indian, was in his mid-forties. The man always had a smile on his face. He’d been a godsend to her and the Healing Hands Charity for whom she worked as a nurse. Juan could speak the language and he knew enough English and Portuguese to translate for those who were sick. For Aly, he felt like a beloved uncle and he doted upon her as if she were one of his own children.
Looking up at the cool morning, she loved the way the silent fingers of clouds lowered and wove in and out of the trees just above the canopy; it reminded her of a silent, graceful ballet. Were these soft, undulating fingers clouds or fog? They glided softly through the tallest of trees, slow-motion dancing to an unknown music, but Aly saw the rhythm of it, nevertheless. She loved Brazil’s jungle whether her Marine Corps brigadier general father thought it a safe area or not.
Her heart turned over and Aly felt sadness mixed with grief. Touching her nurse’s uniform, a light blue smock she wore with her light blue slacks, she suddenly frowned. Aly hadn’t heard from her powerful military father in almost three months. But then, he never had paid much attention to her. All his hopes and dreams had been set on Adam, her older-by-two-years brother. Only...he’d died with her mother in a car crash that had taken their lives. Aly had been the only survivor, overcoming massive internal injury. That had been a nightmare year for her. And her father had gone into deep shock over the losses.
When Aly had needed holding the most, he was mired in his own grief to understand that a little twelve-year-old girl in a lonely hospital room ached for her father more than ever before. As always, Harrison Landon was never there for her.
Pushing tendrils of chestnut hair away from her face, Aly dropped the reins on her gelding and made sure her ponytail between her shoulder blades was nice and tight. The path was wide, created thousands of years ago by the local Indians as they’d hunted the jungle for birds, reptiles and wild pigs. The call of tropical birds at this time of morning was music to her ears. Often, Aly wished she could record it. Monkeys howled and screamed nearby, calling out warnings, hurting her ears. They were so noisy and bothersome to the placid, mystical-looking landscape.
She brightened, looking forward to this visit to the village where Juan had been born. There were seventy-five people who still lived in the grass huts. Today, she was going to examine three women who were at different stages of pregnancy. She loved helping pregnant women and new mothers. Babies just made her smile. She would never get enough of holding them, kissing them and cuddling them. In some ways, she had the best job in the world. She brought medicine, knowledge and help to the Indians who had always relied on their medicine man or a shaman. While she didn’t pooh-pooh such healing, Aly knew she brought another tool to their healing chest. Best of all, the Barasana always welcomed her with open arms.
And although it would take her a month to make a complete circuit of the ten villages, there was always a celebration when she and Juan walked into any one of them. It was nice to be wanted, Aly thought warmly, a soft smile on her lips. Wanted, loved and respected.
Juan was lustily singing one of his songs she couldn’t understand. But sometimes when Loco got peevish, the mule would balk. Or bite. And Loco loved Juan’s songs. All of them. And the mule would continue to walk. Aly grinned, turning in her saddle, her hand resting on the rump of her horse. Juan grinned brightly, waving at her. He walked about twenty feet behind her. Aly smiled and wished she knew his language. He was teaching her and she was catching on. Singing meant so much to Aly. In school, she’d always been in the choir.
Her horse suddenly anchored, planting its front feet in the mud. Aly gasped. Grabbing the horse’s black mane, she tried to stop from being thrown off. She caught herself, her foot slipping out of the stirrup. She righted herself, her eyes widening enormously.
There, standing in front of them, were four men of varying heights, with hard looks in their eyes. They each carried a weapon. Gulping, Aly gripped the reins.
Juan came up alongside her, patting her leg as if trying to calm her. Despite his effort, she shivered, feeling terror.
The men glared at her. They were tough and their expressions were unreadable.
One, with black hair and brown eyes, wore two bandoliers of bullets across his chest. The tallest one, a white man with a bald head, narrowed his green eyes and slowly raked her from her head to her breasts.
Her heartbeat quickened. Aly held tightly to the reins, trying to understand the situation. No doubt, these were soldiers. She realized they might be the drug soldiers she’d always heard about, but had never seen in the past two years.
“¡Hola!” Juan said, holding up his hand. “Can we help you?” he asked with a friendly smile.
The bald man ignored him. “Are you Allison Landon?” he demanded of Aly in a deep voice.
Aly blinked, feeling shaky, adrenaline leaking into her bloodstream. “Y-yes, I am. Who are you?” she asked in her best, firm voice.
The bald man grinned, revealing that two of his front teeth were missing.
“Barrosa!”
The man with the bandoliers crossing his massive chest moved forward. His eyes focused on Juan, he walked quickly toward him, pulled the pistol out of his holster and shot the smiling Indian in the head.
Aly screamed.
Her horse jerked, shying away, unseating her.
