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Chapter 1

"H ell’s bells, here coeant Jacob "Mako" Stone pitched his remote control onto his family’scontradiction in the parking lot

Washington winter winds whipped sleet and snow sideways, the icy sheet parting before encircling a shivering wohted her spiked heels and hobbled toward the rown up

Now, he only planned to stick around long enough to get his teenage--orphaned--sister’s life in order before he returned to his career as an Air Force in-flight mechanic Okay, so he was technically on sick leave while his arm recovered froht suit, tooling around the sky with his C-17 buddies in two more weeks

Fourteen days certain to be ja his sister’s life--and his old man’s near-bankrupt "estate"

That alone should be enough for his plate Pulling his gaze off the wo with a wince and shifted his attention to the Dr Phil rerun again in hopes the shrink could offer up soet her life on track Fixing his sister’s situation see aorder

Still, curiosity hauled his gaze right back to the parking lot as the woerie peeking free with each storue face

She huddled inside her coat and started up the office steps She probably needed to call a friend, and the phones were out

The woman wrapped her arms around her y body and tucked her head into the storm She must be from room sixteen, since his only other custoo Jacob hadn’t seen the woht before She’d been slumped asleep in the car while "Mr Slanced toward the parking spaces Mr S in the tire ruts

Dah Jacob like the bullets that had coressional entourage around Europe Apparently this woht out on the tiny town hadn’t unfolded as planned

Double damn Already he could feel warrior instincts honed in bloody battle zones stirring to life within hi his re his ar Dr Phil

Hehis uniform, and the woman may not need his help But that wouldn’t stop hi hih the door The only way to ensure she went out the door all the faster

Fear seared her roiling stoes of her coat and burrowed inside to protect herself fro up alone in a run-downbut sleazy clothes, a hundred dollars and no h Now, she would surely freeze to death before she discovered her name and why she’d had blood on her hands

Crunching her heels into the ice for traction, she tugged on the door to Clyde’s Travel Lodge She slipped anyway, her hand whipping off the knob The woozy sensation she hadn’t been able to shake since waking threatened her balance She grappled for the rail Her sweaty pal h she’d scrubbed and scrubbed until her hands were as raw as any Lady Macbeth pivotal h Stay calical answer

Only a couple er or clerk would have some record of her name, all the spark she would need to fire her memories

She hoped

The hundred dollars, hotel key and EpiPen on the bedside table hadn’t brought any recollections The telephone book in her room had helped some, even if the phones were out of order At least she knew she’d awakened in the ston, and that she could order carryout froe’s Diner until 9:00 pm

Great Just what she needed, a blue plate special to erase what little she did rerasped the gold D initial necklace, the only thing that felt right in her whole insanebreath that threatened to freeze her froain and twisted The wind ripped the door froainst the wall She stumbled inside and slammed into a broad ripped her arm

"Oh, excuseas unfamiliar to her as her face looked in a mirror

"No harm, no foul"

The deep voice rued nerves

Nausea born of panic roiled again Had she nize her?

She scavenged for a saze travel up the chest in front of her A T-shirt with an Air Force logo peeked between the parted fabric of unbuttoned blue flannel His left arth that sent a fresh blast of apprehension through her

Her gaze upward seeuy to at least a few inches over six feet H, and she needed reassurancefireplace

Broad cheekbones stretched just below slate-blue eyes

Brooding eyes stared without a flicker of recognition

His hand dropped away "Come on inside before we heat the whole state"

"Sorry about that" She sidestepped him and studied the breadth of his shoulders as he wrestled the door closed Heaven help her if he wasn’t trustworthy

He pivoted to face her, scratching a hand along his close-cropped black hair "What can I do for you, ma’am?"

That was it? All he had to say?

There went any hope of hiht at his feet, but feared she was more likely to toss her cookies

That Air Force T-shirt seemed to hint she could trust him, but still He worked here, so whatever connection he had to the h a friend Maybe he was just an air show junkie, and God, her

Bottoe of her