The Rogue (2 page)

Silhouette Intimate Moments

Love Me Before Dawn
#44

Silhouette Desire

Chase the Clouds
#75

Wilderness Passion
#134

Too Near the Fire
#165

Texas Wildcat
#184

Red Tail
#208

A
The Untamed Hunter
#1262

Silhouette Books

Silhouette Christmas Stories
1990 "Always and Forever"

Lovers Dark and Dangerous
1994 "Seeing Is Believing"

Morgan's Mercenaries: Heart of the Jaguar Morgan's Mercenaries: Heart of the Warrior

Harlequin Historicals

Sun Woman
#71

Lord of the Shadowhawk
#108

King of Swords
#125

Brave Heart
#171

*Kincaid trilogy

fLove and Glory

**Women of Glory

ffMoments of Glory trilogy

tMorgan's Mercenaries

°Men of Courage

ttMorgan's Mercenaries:Love and Danger

ÊCowboys of the Southwest

AMorgan's Mercenaries:The Hunters

§Morgan's Mercenaries: Maverick Hearts

LINDSAY
McKENNA

After the publication of Return of a Hero (SE #541), I received hundreds of letters asking what happened to the story's hero, Morgan
Trayhern
. Well, in my latest trilogy, Morgan's Mercenaries, the question is answered.

I loved returning to the characters of Morgan and his wife, Laura, and am thrilled to give you three very exciting, adventurous and intensely romantic stories about the men in Morgan
Trayhern's
employ.

Mercenaries have always fascinated me—they are loners in our world, with mysterious pasts and brooding secrets deep within their hearts. I hope you enjoy reading about Wolf, Killian and Jake as much as I did writing about them!

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

"
Killian
,
your next assignment is a personal favor to me."

Morgan
Trayhern
was sitting with his friend and employee in a small Philipsburg, Montana, restaurant. The situation with Wolf Harding and Sarah Thatcher had been successfully wrapped up, and now it was time to pack up and go home. Morgan grimaced apologetically, as Killian's features remained completely closed, only a glitter in his hard, intelligent blue eyes suggesting possible interest.

Morgan picked up a fork and absently rotated it between his fingers and thumb. They'd already ordered their meals, so now was as good a time as any to broach the topic. "Look," he began with an effort, purposely keeping his voice low, "whether I want to
or not, I'm going to have to put you on an assignment involving a woman, Killian."

Killian sat relaxed, his long, spare hands draped casually on his thighs as he leaned back in the poorly padded metal chair. But anyone who knew him knew he was never truly relaxed; he only gave that appearance. He stared guardedly at Morgan. "I can't."

Morgan stared back, the silence tightening between them. "You're going to have to."

Killian eased the chair down and placed his hands on the table. "I told you—I don't deal with women," he said flatly.

"At least hear me out," Morgan pleaded.

"It won't do any good."

Exhaustion shadowed Morgan's gray eyes. "Just sit there and listen."

Killian wrestled with an unexpected surge of panic that left a bitter taste in his mouth. He held Morgan's gaze warningly, feeling suddenly as if this man who had been his friend since their days in the French Foreign Legion had become an adversary.

Morgan rubbed his face tiredly. "The assignment deals with Laura's cousin from her mother's side of the family," he began, referring to his wife, who'd managed to befriend Killian—at least as much as Morgan had ever seen him allow. "This is important to me—and to Laura—and we want to know that you're the one handling the situation. It's personal, Killian."

Killian's scowl deepened, and his mouth thinned.

"Laura's cousin, Susannah Anderson, came to visit us in D.C." Morgan's eyes grew dark and bleak. "From what we've been able to piece together, on the way home, Susannah was at the bus station in Lexington, Kentucky, when a man came up and started a conversation with her. Moments later, he was shot right in front of her eyes. We think Susannah saw the
murderer,
Killian—and he shot her, too, because she was a witness. The bullet hit her skull, cracked it and exited. By some miracle, she doesn't have brain damage, thank God. But the injury's swelling left her in a coma for two months. She regained consciousness a month ago, and I was hoping she could give us a lead on her attacker, but she can't remember what he looked like. And another thing, Killian—she can't talk."

Morgan rubbed his hands together wearily, his voice heavy with worry. "The psychiatrists are telling me that the horror of the experience is behind her inability to speak, not brain damage. She's suppressed the whole incident—that's why she can't describe the killer. Laura went down and stayed with Susannah and her family in Kentucky for a week after Susannah was brought home from the hospital, in hopes that she'd find her voice again." Morgan shrugged. "It's been a month now, and she's still mute."

Killian shifted slightly, resting his hands on the knees of his faded jeans. "I've seen that mute condition," he said quietly, "in some of the children and women of Northern Ireland."

Morgan opened his hands in a silent plea to Killian to take the assignment. "That's not the whole story, Killian. I need you to guard Susannah. There's evidence to indicate that the killer will go after Susannah once he finds out she survived. I think Susannah was an innocent bystander in a drug deal gone
bad
, but so far we don't know enough to point any fingers. Susannah's memory is the key, and they can't risk her remembering the incident.

"Susannah was under local police guard at the Lexington hospital while she was there, and I had one of my female employees there, too. Since her release, I've told Susannah to stay on her parents' fruit farm in the Kentucky hills. Normally she lives and works down in the small nearby town of Glen, where she teaches handicapped children."

Morgan grasped the edge of the table, and his knuckles were white as he made his final plea. "She's family, Killian. Laura is very upset about this, because she and Susannah are like sisters. I want to entrust this mission to my very best man, and that's you."

Glancing sharply at his boss, Killian asked, "I'd be a bodyguard?"

"Yes. But Susannah and her parents aren't aware of the possible continued threat to her, so I don't want them to know your true capacity there. They're upset enough after nearly losing their daughter. I don't want to stress them more. Relaxation and peace are crucial to Susannah's recovery. I've contacted her father, Sam Anderson, and told him you're a friend of mine who needs some convalescence. Sam knows the type of company I run, and has an inkling of some of the things we do. I told him you were exhausted after coming in off a long-term mission and needed to hole up and rest."

Killian shrugged. The story wasn't too far from the truth. He hardened his heart. "I never take assignments involving women, Morgan."

"I know that. But I need you for this, Killian. On the surface, this assignment may look easy and quiet, but it's not. Stay on guard. I'm trying to track the drug deal right now. All our contacts in South America are checking it out, and I'm working closely with the Lexington police department. There's a possibility it could involve Santiago's cartel."

Killian's jaw clenched at the name of
José
Santiago, the violent Peruvian drug kingpin they'd finally managed to extradite and get behind bars.

Morgan gave Killian a pleading look. "Susannah's
already been
hurt enough in this ordeal. I don't want her hurt further. I worry that her family could become a target, too."