Mystery Lover
Some said he was a phantom. Others called him a monster.But for investigative reporter Jillian Drake, the masked man who'd rescued her from a burning building was a savior…and a mystery. He lurked in the shadows. He had no name, no face. But he had secrets. And despite his whispered warnings, Jillian wouldn't rest until she found out every one.As she unraveled his past, Jillian found herself haunted by the memory of his powerful arms protecting her. But getting close to him was dangerous. He was a man with enemies–killers who now set their sights on Jillian. And she had nowhere to turn but the shadows….
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âI donât need you to protect me,â Jillian said.
âBut you need me to get out of here.â He let go of her for just a moment, so he could take a silk scarf from his pocket and wrap it around her eyes. He caught her wrists and bound those together, too.
âI thought you were letting me go.â
âI am. Iâm just not going to let you see where youâve been.â He couldnât trust that she wouldnât lead the police right back to him. As she fought against the scarves, he swung her up in his arms.
âHow do I know youâre really going to bring me out of here?â she asked, her voice trembling.
âYouâre going to have to trust me.â
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bestselling, award-winning author Lisa Childs writes paranormal and contemporary romance for Harlequin and Silhouette Books. She lives on thirty acres in west Michigan with her husband, two daughters, a talkative Siamese and a long-haired Chihuahua who thinks sheâs a Rottweiler. Lisa loves hearing from readers who can contact her through her Web site, www. lisachilds.com, or snail mail address, P.O. Box 139, Marne, MI 49435.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Mystery Lover â His face masked, his identity unknown, heâs referred to as a phantom. Heâs a man on a mission, who will allow nothing and no one to interfere with his plan. But he didnât plan on Jillian Drake and his attraction to her.
Jillian Drake â This ambitious reporter has discovered that the phantom is a flesh and blood man, and sheâll do anything to uncover his identity. But she didnât intend to fall in love.
Tobias St. John â Is the powerful tycoon a victim, a villain or the imposter a little girl claims?
Tabitha St. John â The scared little girl needs help to prove the man whoâs claiming to be her father is really her kidnapper, and she implores Jillian to help not realizing sheâs risking the reporterâs life.
Nick Morris â Tobias St. Johnâs head of security, but is he the protector or the threat?
Mike Hanson â The producer wants Jillian for himself, but heâs not above using her to get the story every network is after.
Contents
Chapter One
With a flash of fire, a spray of broken glass and an earsplitting boom, the world exploded behind Jillian Drake. Shattered glass might have lacerated her skin as flames burst from the building in front of which sheâd been reporting, but strong arms had closed around her, lifting her off her feet and carrying her out of danger just seconds before the explosion.
Her heart hammered at her ribs beneath the heavily muscled arms that wound around her. She clutched at her protectorâs wool jacket, digging her fingers into the material to loosen his tight embrace. But his grip didnât ease until the heat from the fire receded into the damp night air and the brightness of the flames disappeared into darkness. Then the hold eased enough that Jillian slid down the hard length of his body until her feet touched the asphalt. She squirmed in those strong arms, turning toward the man who held her. But she couldnât see his face; she could see only the dark shadow of shoulders that seemed impossibly wide.
Her breath caught in her lungs, along with the scent of him: wood smoke, leather and something elementally male. She needed to thank him for saving her. But how had he known she would need saving? How had he known the building would explode?
âWho are you?â She asked the most important of all the questions swirling through her mind.
Releasing her completely, he dropped his arms from around her and stepped back. The sudden lack of warmth sent a chill racing through her. Where had he come from? Before the explosion, the area had been the scene of a break-in and was restricted to the police officers whoâd been securing it. The police had arrived after the reporters, who were already filming in front of the building because it housed the executive offices of the most powerful and currently the most besieged man in Rapid City, Michigan.
She hadnât noticed her rescuer among the uniforms and media, and standing only a few feet from him now, she could barely see his face. In the narrow alley between tall buildings, he appeared more shadow than human. Was heâ¦?
No. It wasnât possible. Despite all the wild claims people had been making lately, there were no such thing as phantoms. He was real; Jillian had felt him, warm and strong, as heâd carried her off. To safety or danger? As well as the break-ins and explosions, thereâd been a couple of murders, too, although no evidence had linked those crimes to these. To his?
âWho are you?â she asked again, tipping her head back as she tried to meet his gaze. She needed him to answer her, even if he didnât tell her his name; she needed to hear his voice, to know he could speak.
