“Here you are. Delivered right back to your door, and well before midnight, too,” Seth drawled.
Adrienne slid her helmet off, shaking out her hair. It fell like a silken blanket over her bare, sun-kissed shoulders. She raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting your motorcycle will turn into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight?”
“You never know, princess. Depends on whether today was real or only a fairy tale.”
His insides twisted as he hung his helmet on the handlebars. He’d meant his comment lightheartedly, but the truth of his words echoed in his head. If it was real, then he hadn’t yet accomplished his objective, which was to pry information from the Widow DeBlanc using any means necessary. If it was a fairy tale, then— Seth stopped. It wasn’t a fairy tale. There would be no happily-ever-after, not if what Conrad Burke and the others thought about her was true. He didn’t want to believe that she was involved in any of the drug dealing or corruption. But whether he wanted to believe it or not didn’t matter.
He had a job to do.
Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,
August marks a special month at Harlequin Intrigue as we commemorate our twentieth anniversary! Over the past two decades we’ve satisfied our devoted readers’ diverse appetites with a vast smorgasbord of romantic suspense page-turners. Now, as we look forward to the future, we continue to stand by our promise to deliver thrilling mysteries penned by stellar authors.
As part of our celebration, our much-anticipated new promotion, ECLIPSE, takes flight. With one book planned per month, these stirring Gothic-inspired stories will sweep you into an entrancing landscape of danger, deceit…and desire. Leona Karr sets the stage for mind-bending mystery with debut title, A Dangerous Inheritance.
A high-risk undercover assignment turns treacherous when smoldering seduction turns to forbidden love, in Bulletproof Billionaire by Mallory Kane, the second installment of NEW ORLEANS CONFIDENTIAL. Then, peril closes in on two torn-apart lovers, in Midnight Disclosures— Rita Herron’s latest book in her spine-tingling medical research series, NIGHTHAWK ISLAND.
Patricia Rosemoor proves that the fear of the unknown can be a real aphrodisiac in On the List—the fourth installment of CLUB UNDERCOVER. Code blue! Patients are mysteriously dropping like flies in Boston General Hospital, and it’s a race against time to prevent the killer from striking again, in Intensive Care by Jessica Andersen.
To round off an unforgettable month, Jackie Manning returns to the lineup with Sudden Alliance—a woman-in-jeopardy tale fraught with nonstop action…and a lethal attraction!
Join in on the festivities by checking out all our selections this month!
Sincerely,
Denise O’Sullivan
Harlequin Intrigue Senior Editor
Bulletproof Billionaire
Mallory Kane
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mallory Kane took early retirement from her position as assistant chief of pharmacy at a large metropolitan medical center to pursue her other loves: writing and art. She has published and won awards for science fiction and fantasy as well as romance. Mallory credits her love of books to her mother, 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. She is also fascinated by story ideas that explore the infinite capacity of the brain to adapt and develop higher skills. Mallory lives in Mississippi with her husband and their cat. She would be delighted to hear from readers. You can write to her c/o Harlequin Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.
THE CONFIDENTIAL AGENT’S PLEDGE
I hereby swear to uphold the law to the best of my ability; to maintain the level of integrity of this agency by my compassion for victims, loyalty to my brothers and courage under fire.
And above all, to hold all information and identities in the strictest confidence…
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Adrienne DeBlanc— The lovely mob widow is an unwilling pawn of the Cajun Mob because of their threats to harm her mother.
Seth Lewis— This street-smart weapons expert is recruited by the Confidential Agency to seduce a wealthy mob widow for information. To his surprise, he’s captivated by the aching vulnerability he glimpses in Adrienne’s sapphire eyes.
Jerome Senegal— The notorious but elusive Cajun Mob boss ruthlessly exploits young prostitutes and distributes a deadly drug to wealthy businessmen for money. He’ll stop at nothing to retain his power—not even murder.
Sebastian Primeaux— The district attorney has a fatal flaw, a predilection for young prostitutes.
Tony “the Knife” Arsenault— Senegal’s sadistic enforcer, Tony derives particular enjoyment from threatening Adrienne and her ailing mother.
Conrad Burke— Steely determination and a knack for putting together an excellent team make him the perfect leader for New Orleans Confidential.
Philip Jones— Seth’s newly married partner, Jones is a fun-loving former private investigator who doesn’t believe for an instant that Adrienne DeBlanc is innocent.
Tanner Harrison— A hardened ex-CIA operative, he is the undisputed expert on covert operations, despite the fact that his daughter is missing.
Lily Harrison— Seventeen-year-old estranged daughter of Tanner Harrison, she ran after witnessing a double murder. If only her father would rescue her….
To Tina, for your unwavering belief in me and all your patience and help.
And to Kim, thanks—from Seth and Adrienne, and from me.
Contents
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 One
Thank God for sisters.
Seth Lewis sent a silent prayer heavenward as he pulled up in front of the fancy wrought-iron gate of the three-story house in the Garden District of New Orleans. The hot mid-July evening and the recent rain lent a freshly painted look to everything, even the manicured lawn. Damn, he hated this part of the city and the people who lived here. He’d promised himself a long time ago that he’d never set foot in this part of town again. But this wasn’t his party. He was on assignment.
He glanced at his reflection in the rearview mirror of the new Mercedes Cabriolet convertible that was part of his cover. He still wasn’t used to the face that stared back at him. Clean-shaven. Expensive haircut. Designer suit. He lifted his chin and cocked a brow.
Seth Lewis, billionaire businessman. His lip curled in a wry grin. More like