Seeking Asylum

“I don’t want you to stop me. I want you to take me away from this insane place, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Make me believe that this isn’t reality.” Rachel lifted her head and sought his lips.

“This can’t happen,” he said against her neck. “You don’t want me. You just want comfort.”

“I do want you. Please. I swear. I won’t ask you for more than this.”

He lifted his head, and Rachel saw the anguish in his eyes. He touched her lips with his thumb. “I understand. You’re asking for an escape from the madness.” He shook his head. “I can’t promise you that.”

His tone struck fear in her heart. She ignored the question that rose in the back of her mind. Instead, she pulled his head down so her mouth brushed his. “Don’t promise me anything. Just love me.”

Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

Summer’s winding down, but Harlequin Intrigue is as hot as ever with six spine-tingling reads for you this month!

* Our new BIG SKY BOUNTY HUNTERS promotion debuts with Amanda Stevens’s Going to Extremes. In the coming months, look for more titles from Jessica Andersen, Cassie Miles and Julie Miller.

* We have some great miniseries for you. Rita Herron is back with Mysterious Circumstances, the latest in her NIGHTHAWK ISLAND series. Mallory Kane’s Seeking Asylum is the third book in her ULTIMATE AGENTS series. And Sylvie Kurtz has another tale in THE SEEKERS series—Eye of a Hunter.

* No month would be complete without a chilling gothic romance. This month’s ECLIPSE title is Debra Webb’s Urban Sensation.

* Jan Hambright, a fabulous new author, makes her debut with Relentless. Sparks fly when a feisty repo agent repossesses a BMW with an ex-homicide detective in the trunk!

Don’t miss a single book this month and every month!

Sincerely,

Denise O’Sullivan

Senior Editor

Harlequin Intrigue

For the members of Magnolia State Romance Writers,

who have supported me without fail, and for Lorraine.

Mallory Kane credits her love of books to her mother, a librarian, who taught her that books are a precious resource and should be treated with loving respect. Her grandfather and her father were both steeped in the Southern tradition of oral history, and could hold an audience spellbound with their storytelling skills. Mallory aspires to be as good a storyteller as her father.

She loves romantic suspense with dangerous heroes and dauntless heroines, and often uses her medical background to add an extra dose of intrigue to her books. Another fascination that she enjoys exploring in her reading and writing is the infinite capacity of the brain to adapt and develop higher skills.

Mallory lives in Mississippi with her computer-genius husband, their two fascinating cats, and, at current count, seven computers.

Rachel Harper—The young psychiatrist is the newest staff member at The Meadows. The child of a bipolar mother, Rachel grew up determined to defeat mental illness. Now, in order to survive, she must trust her life to a man who may be insane.

Eric Baldwyn—Profiler for the Division of Unsolved Mysteries, Eric’s empathic abilities and odd dreams of the twin brother he believes is dead, have made him a loner. But the only way he can save Rachel’s life is to expose his innermost self, even if it means losing any chance of her love.

Caleb Baldwyn—Eric’s identical twin brother is schizophrenic, and has spent the past twenty years in a mental institution. Caleb claims Dr. Metzger’s heinous experiments and mysterious injections are killing patients. Is Caleb telling the truth, or are his ravings the delusions of his insanity?

Gerhardt Metzger—Obsessed with finding a cure for schizophrenia, Dr. Gerhardt Metzger has used Caleb Baldwyn for his increasingly invasive and inhumane experiments for years. Will the controversial and world-renowned neurologist resort to murder to keep his best patient?

Rajid Patel—The Chief Medical Director for The Meadows private mental facility is desperate to hold on to his most valued staff member, Dr. Metzger. Is Dr. Patel involved with Metzger’s cruel experiments, or is he just a pawn in the doctor’s wicked game?

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

“Let go of me, Caleb. You know the rules.” Dr. Rachel Harper tried to pry his fingers off her arm. She’d been on her way home when the night nurse in the acute neurological wing had buzzed her to tell her that Caleb Baldwyn was in the sunroom. He’d woken up while sleepwalking.

“You’re in on it, aren’t you?” His voice was harsh and shrill. His ragged fingernails scraped her skin as he tightened his grip. Fear and hostility emanated from him like body heat. “Frankenmetzger sent you to kill me.”