Silent Night Standoff

HOSTAGE SITUATION

When armed robbers strike her bank, hostage negotiator Skyler Brennan’s life is on the line. Rescue comes from the last person she thought she could count on—the ex-boyfriend who chose his job over their relationship. FBI agent Logan Hunter knows how much is resting on this case. The promotion of his dreams…and the safety of the woman he’s never been able to forget. But when an unexpected twist in the case pulls Logan in two separate directions, he’ll have to make an impossible choice. Will he manage to have it all by Christmas—a career and love—or will he lose them both?

First Responders: Brave men and women alert and ready for danger and love.

Logan searched ahead for an escape and spotted an alley on the left.

He quickly changed lanes. The car slid wildly on the wet pavement for a moment. He saw Skyler put her hand on the dash to brace herself for another impact. Wouldn’t happen. Not if he had anything to say about it. He wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her again.

“Hold on tighter,” he warned. “We’re turning left into an alley ahead.”

“At this speed? In front of all this traffic?” Anxiety lifted her voice higher.

“I can do it. You could, too. We’re both trained for this very thing, but Clyde isn’t. He’ll never make the turn.” Logan squeezed her hand. “You trust me?”

“I trust you to keep me safe.”

He heard the hesitation in her tone. Likely because she didn’t trust him in any other area of life, not because she didn’t believe he could handle this maneuver. Not something he could focus on now and safely evade the Jeep on their tail.

He let go of her hand and gripped the wheel. “Here we go.”

SUSAN SLEEMAN

grew up in a small Wisconsin town, where she spent her summers reading Nancy Drew and developing a love of mystery and suspense books. Today she channels this enthusiasm into hosting the popular internet website www.thesuspensezone.com and writing romantic suspense and mystery novels.

Much to her husband’s chagrin, Susan loves to look at everyday situations and turn them into murder-and-mayhem scenarios for future novels. If you’ve met Susan, she has probably figured out a plausible way to kill you and get away with it.

Susan currently lives in Oregon, but has had the pleasure of living in nine states. Her husband is a church music director and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law and an adorable grandson. To learn more about Susan, please visit www.susansleeman.com.

Silent Night Standoff

Susan Sleeman

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

—John 14:27

For my family who is always there for me.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-FOUR

EPILOGUE

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Extract

Copyright

ONE

The gun came out of nowhere.

A hard kick of adrenaline stole Skyler’s breath. She raised her hands and backed away, the urge to reach for her own weapon nearly overpowering her good sense.

“Everyone on the floor now!” the bank robber screamed.

Skinny with spiked hair, his eyes were glassy, his body jittery. Fidgety. He was coming down from some drug. Not a good thing. Drugs and money were the top causes of violence, and he had both of them spurring him on. Making him unpredictable.

Add a loaded weapon and Skyler had a dangerous combination staring her down.

She needed to tread lightly. Forget about the gun in her purse for now. Do as he commanded.

She pulled in a few cleansing breaths and helped a pregnant woman settle on the cold tile floor of the Portland Community Bank, then took a seat with the other terrified customers.

She’d messed up. Big-time. Missed seeing the team dubbed by the media as a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, but she hadn’t been paying attention.

She wasn’t on duty. She’d just stopped in to cash a check for her upcoming Christmas party for homeless families. A worthy cause, for sure, but she was a deputy sheriff and a hostage negotiator on the county’s First Response Squad, for crying out loud. She was trained to read people, and she’d failed Cop 101.

Her training officer’s voice rang in her head. Always know your surroundings. Always be alert and ready for anything. Serve and protect the innocent.

Protect, Skyler! How can you protect if you don’t know what’s going on?

Focus. Now. Before it’s too late and someone gets hurt.

She watched Bonnie, a thin woman with dead eyes, calmly herd three customers from the teller windows to sit nearby. She shot across the room to retrieve the balding bank manager. That left three tellers standing behind the counter, all gaping at Clyde, his gun trained on them.

“My baby.” The pregnant woman cradled her swollen belly as her terrified gaze flitted around the space. “I’ve got to get out of here.”