Kay Sidey Thomas - Bulletproof Hearts

Abigails eyes fluttered open. Whatwhat happened?

Shauns heart started beating again.

Someone broke in. He pulled off his dress shirt, wondering if his voice sounded normal.

Who? Did you get the computer? Why are you undressing?

No. They have it. And Im taking off my T-shirt to clean your face.

Oh Coughing more vigorously, she tried to sit up, but he pushed her back down before pulling his shirt over his head. Whos they?

I dont know. Do you always ask this many questions? He didnt intend to answer so sharply, but he was still getting his equilibrium back at almost getting them both killed.

No, I just Sorry, she muttered.

He stopped and looked into her eyes. No, Abigail, Im the one whos sorry. I almost got you killed for the second time today.

Her eyes filled with tears. I dont really see it that way, you know. I think you just saved my life for the second time.

Bulletproof Hearts

Kay Thomas

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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For Tom, for everything.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Having grown up in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Kay Thomas considers herself a recovering Southern belle. She attended Vanderbilt and graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in educational psychology and an emphasis in English. Along the way to publication, she taught high school, worked in an advertising specialty agency and had a very brief stint in a lingerie store.

Kay met her husband in Dallas when they sat next to each other in a restaurant. Seven weeks later they were engaged. Twenty years later she claims the moral of that story is When in Texas look the guy over before you sit next to him, because you may be eating dinner with him the rest of your life! Today she still lives in Dallas with her Texan, their two children and a shockingly spoiled Boston terrier named Jack.

Kay is thrilled to be writing for Harlequin Intrigue and would love to hear from her readers. Visit her at her website, www.kaythomas.net, or drop her a line at P.O. Box 837321, Richardson, TX 75083.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Abigail TrevorA professor of Southern literature attending her brothers funeral in Washington, D.C. When Abby finds out her brothers hit-and-run accident was murder, she is forced to trust a mysterious stranger to ensure her own safety.

Shaun LoganRaised in Ireland, Shaun now works in the U.S. as a contract bodyguard security specialist for Zip Technologies. His job is to keep Abby safe, but can he do that and discover who really killed her brother?

Jason TrevorAbbys brother and the creator of Zip-Net, a completely secure internet wireless protocol. Was he killed for it?

Michael DonnerCEO and founder of Zip Technologies, also Shauns boss. Famous in the business world for his philanthropy and business sense, Michael is about to sign the deal of a lifetime if Shaun and Abby can find the answers he needs.

Karen WeathersAbbys mentor and friend currently living in a Dallas rehab facility due to a stroke. Will she be used as a pawn while Abby and Shaun look for clues?

Harlan JeffriesShauns best friend from Iraq. Can Harlan help Shaun keep Abby safe?

HodgesReports to Michael Donner. Shaun has worked with him before at Zip Technologies.

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 Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter One

Day OneMorning

Watching the strangers scurry past her brothers grave, Abby Trevor felt blessedly numb everywhereexcept her feet. The designer shoes shed bought on a whim last spring with Jason hurt like crazy and pain was the only thing keeping her focused. The pinch in her right instep reminded her of the day she and her brother had shopped themselves silly in New York. At the moment that needle-like sensation was the way she knew the coffin in front of her was not some hideous nightmare as the rain fell in sheets from the dark morning sky.

If she let herself believe for one second the sea of black umbrellas around her was a dream, shed stand up, kick off those wretched shoes and run screaming from the drowning cemetery. That would certainly set the tongues to wagging, especially here in Washington, D.C.

But she wouldnt disgrace her brother or his memory that way. Her mamas Southern belle training was too in-grained in her, despite the fact that she was one thousand miles from the Mississippi Delta and the small town that had been the cradle of her genteel upbringing.

Still, that home trainingand her uncomfortable shoeskept Abbys butt firmly planted in the soggy funeral home seat under the green awning. Shed never be able to stand the sight or scent of stargazer lilies again. Thunder rumbled in the distance, serving as another reminder that despite the surreal atmosphere, this was no dream.

Jason was dead. Killed by a hit-and-run driver while crossing the street on his lunch hour. D.C. police were still looking for the driver.

God, Jason, what happened?

She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the rain was coming down in biblical proportions and almost everyone was gone. She wouldnt be surprised to see frogs falling from the sky soon. She felt nearly alone in the world. Nearly.

Estranged relatives in Mississippi didnt count. But Karen Weathers did. Even if her beloved mentor was in a nursing home in Dallas. Abby tried to imagine herself in happier days sitting in her old college professors office at Southern Methodist University sipping tea and arguing about William Faulkner, anything to mentally take herself away from her present location. It didnt work. She was too aware of the rain. The overpowering scent of the lilies. The pain in her feet. And the temptation to run screaming from it all.