Royal Ransom Read online

  “It’s my job to protect you, and I need to think about work. Not about kissing you.”

  “You…want…to…kiss me?”

  Remorse and pain knotted in his gut. Damn it. He was a professional. He knew better than to let himself become emotionally involved while on a mission. It was bad enough he’d let himself become distracted, but his actions had crossed the line.

  “I want you, Princess. Believe me when I tell you that right now I can think of only one thing—making love to you.” Hunter dug his fingers into his bunched thighs, determined not to budge, wishing she’d go before he made a move he’d regret.

  “I’m not a coward. You don’t scare me. Despite what you say, you wouldn’t force yourself on an unwilling woman.”

  “True. But we both know that you’re not unwilling.”

  Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

  We’ve got what you need to start the holiday season with a bang. Starting things off is RITA® Award-winning author Gayle Wilson. Gayle returns to Harlequin Intrigue with a spin-off of her hugely popular MEN OF MYSTERY series. Same sexy heroes, same drama and danger…but with a new name! Look for Rafe Sinclair’s Revenge under the PHOENIX BROTHERHOOD banner.

  You can return to the royal kingdom of Vashmira in Royal Ransom by Susan Kearney, which is the second book in her trilogy THE CROWN AFFAIR. This time an American goes undercover to protect the princess. But will his heart be exposed in the process?

  B.J. Daniels takes you to Montana to encounter one very tough lady who’s about to meet her match in a mate. Only thing…can he avoid the deadly fate of her previous beaux? Find out in Premeditated Marriage.

  Winding up the complete package, we have a dramatic story about a widow and her child who become targets of a killer, and only the top cop can keep them out of harm’s way. Linda O. Johnston pens an emotionally charged story of crime and compassion in Tommy’s Mom.

  Make sure you pick up all four, and please let us know what you think of our brand of breathtaking romantic suspense.

  Enjoy!

  Sincerely,

  Denise O’Sullivan

  Associate Senior Editor

  Harlequin Intrigue

  ROYAL RANSOM

  SUSAN KEARNEY

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Susan Kearney used to set herself on fire four times a day. Now she does something really hot—she writes romantic suspense. While she no longer performs her signature fire dive (she’s taken up figure skating), she never runs out of ideas for characters and plots. A business graduate of the University of Michigan, Susan is working on her next novel and writes full-time. She resides in a small town outside Tampa, Florida, with her husband and children and a spoiled Boston terrier. Visit her at http://www.SusanKearney.com.

  Books by Susan Kearney

  HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE

  340—TARA’S CHILD

  378—A BABY TO LOVE

  410—LULLABY DECEPTION

  428—SWEET DECEPTION

  456—DECEIVING DADDY

  478—PRIORITY MALE

  552—A NIGHT WITHOUT END

  586—CRADLE WILL ROCK*

  590—LITTLE BOYS BLUE*

  594—LULLABY AND GOODNIGHT*

  636—THE HIDDEN YEARS†

  640—HIDDEN HEARTS†

  644—LOVERS IN HIDING†

  682—ROYAL TARGET**

  686—ROYAL RANSOM**

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Princess Tashya Zared—An independent woman in a country run by men. When her little brothers are kidnapped, she puts her life—and heart—on the line.

  Hunter Leigh—A highly trained CIA operative, he has no problem impersonating a prince, but the true test comes when he tries to resist the beautiful Vashmiran princess.

  Prince Alexander Zared—He’s been sent away and an American agent put in his place until the traitor in their midst has been caught.

  Sophia Varna Zared—Is the princess’s stepmother intent on stealing the throne for her own sons?

  General Levsky Vladimir—He has the Vashmiran military in the palm of his hand, but is his loyalty to the crown?

  Major Stephan Cheslav—Could the general’s second-in-command and Sophia’s close friend be plotting to overthrow the royal family?

  Ira Hanuck—Who better to carry out an assassination attempt than the chief of palace security?

  For Dawn and Bryan

  Contents

  Prologue

  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

  Prologue

  “Have you ever seen such a radiant bride?” Prince Alexander Zared asked his sister, Princess Tashya.

  With an approving smile, Tashya watched her oldest brother, Nicholas, King of Vashmira, and Ericka, his queen, stroll down the steps of the National Cathedral, where his coronation ceremony and their marriage had just taken place. Triumphant trumpet fanfares accompanied their footsteps, and thousands of gardenias scented the air as television cameras broadcast the event live to the world.

  “Careful, Alexander. If Nicholas catches you so much as sneaking a lingering look at his wife, he’ll make you ambassador to Antarctica.”

  Not the least perturbed, Alexander grinned. “So you’ve noticed our dear brother’s a bit overprotective of his new bride?”

  “He’s so in love.” Tashya could see the deep emotions in Nicholas’s eyes every time he looked at Ericka. She wondered if a man would ever stare at her with such adoration, and if she’d ever respond with the open look of love she saw on Ericka’s face. Good for them, Tashya thought. Nicholas deserved some happiness.

  Ever since their father’s assassination a year ago, Nicholas had taken on much responsibility. Stepping into their father’s shoes couldn’t have been easy for him. At first he had balked at accepting an arranged marriage to a stranger, but Vashmiran law had clearly stated that Nicholas must choose a bride before his coronation ceremony. Although Nicholas and Ericka had only met this past month, Tashya suspected Nicholas couldn’t have chosen better on his own. Without an arranged marriage, he might never have found a wife at all. In fact, before he’d met Ericka, Tashya’s more serious brother had tendencies toward being a workaholic.

  However, Nicholas had lucked out and fallen in love with the American. Tashya fully approved—not that anyone had asked her approval. But she genuinely liked her independent sister-in-law and realized Ericka could help the cause. Tashya intended to seek Queen Ericka’s help to establish more equality for women in Vashmira. But that would come later, after the honeymoon. Right now, as the royal couple waved to crowds of well-wishers, having the queen at his side was bringing a gentle light of satisfaction to Nicholas’s eyes.

  Tashya wondered if Alex would ever look so happy.

  Freed from the pressure of ruling Vashmira, Alexander seemed to drift from woman to woman and party to party. Tall, dark and restless, her brother shifted impatiently from foot to foot, his attention lighting on first a pretty Muslim woman dressed in traditional clothing, then a young Jewish lady wearing a Star of David necklace. Eventually he locked gazes with a sophisticated woman sending out unmistakably lustful signals.

  Tashya refrained from rolling her eyes. With her luck, the paparazzi would catch her making a face, and she would do nothing to spoil the king’s wedding day. Today was going to be perfect.

  She discretely elbowed Alexander in his side. “Perhaps if you stayed with on
e woman long enough to learn her name, you, too, might fall in love.”

  Alexander shrugged, his broad shoulders filling out his elegant dress uniform in a way that was sure to increase his already enormous popularity with the ladies. In fact, there had been such wild speculation over who would accompany him to the wedding that he’d chosen to go with his sister, as he often did for official functions.

  For her part, Tashya always welcomed her brother’s company, especially since his presence protected her from those men who couldn’t see past her title to a living, breathing woman. Sure, she held a title, but that didn’t mean she didn’t yearn for what other women wanted—a man who loved her for her unique individuality.

  Alexander winked at a set of twins, brother and sister, who couldn’t be more than four. “I’ll never marry.”

  “Why not?” Tashya waved to the crowd as the bride and groom climbed into a horse-drawn carriage. It took a few minutes for Ericka’s attendants to gather and tuck her long train around her feet. With an official handshake, Nicholas thanked each of the young boys accompanying the couple. To each of the little girls, he handed a long-stemmed red rose.

  “I like variety. Perhaps the flaw is mine.” Alexander’s gaze focused on a lovely young woman in the crowd. “I’m distracted so easily.”

  Tashya nudged him again. “Stop that. She’s too young for you.”

  “I only smiled at her,” Alexander said pleasantly, not the least bothered by his sister’s tone of disapproval. Alexander’s problem was that he expected every woman to love him, and they invariably did. It irked Tashya that while he was never alone, he often seemed lonely. “I may be the perennial bachelor but at least I go out. It wouldn’t hurt you to be a little more open to the possibilities,” he chided.

  “Oh, right. In case you haven’t noticed, we still have a double standard in this country. Our people would not accept their princess acting like their prince and going to bed with every—”

  “You needn’t draw me a mental picture.” Alexander had the grace to wince and quickly changed the subject. “Whatever happened between you and the prince of Moldova?”

  “The Toad?” Tashya shuddered, then waved again before she and Alex finally headed down the steps toward the carriage that awaited. “Absolutely nothing happened between us—that was the problem.”

  “The man must be blind.”

  “Oh, he found me attractive enough, all right. In fact, I suspect that’s all he wanted. Something pretty to hang on his arm and his every word. Besides, he had horse breath. Actually, my horses have breath much sweeter than His Royal High—”

  “Okay. Okay. Keep your voice down before you start another international incident.”

  “Nicholas’s secretary of state smoothed things over.”

  “The prince must have been disappointed.”

  “Surely you don’t believe I should have married a man I thoroughly disliked, so Vashmira would make an alliance?”

  “Nicholas and I hoped you’d be happy with the Moldovan crown prince. I’m sorry things didn’t work out.”

  Alexander helped her into the carriage. They would parade through the crowds and the city until they reached the palace and the grand reception hall where dignitaries and guests from around the world waited. Vashmira’s palace had never looked better and the aromas wafting from the kitchens this morning had been heavenly.

  Alexander pulled up his trousers slightly to avoid creases at the knees before he sat next to her on the leather seat. Naturally he’d want to look good for the legions of women he’d dance with at the ball. She, too, expected to have plenty of partners, but the evening had no appeal for her. She couldn’t help worrying over the logistical nightmare of security.

  Just last week Nicholas and Ericka had rooted out a traitor in their midst. The American government had responded by sending over a Secret Service team to guard the royal couple.

  Along the parade route, handlers released doves from cages, and the birds soared into the sky—a sky where dark clouds threatened to block the sun. Tashya leaned back in the carriage seat, closed her eyes, and tipped her face to absorb the last rays of sunlight.

  A car backfired, or at least she thought the sound came from a car. People screamed and shouted. She opened her eyes just as Alexander shoved her to the carriage floor.

  With an undignified thump, she landed on knees and elbows, her gown riding up her legs. Alexander piled on top of her, pressing her into the carpet.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked as the carriage driver whipped the horses into a gallop and the milling crowds turned and fled.

  “Someone’s shooting at us.”

  “At us?”

  Alexander had to be wrong. Neither of them held any power. Who would want to harm them?

  “Alex, is some angry husband or father after you?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  A shot pinged off the carriage, close to her head. Fear started to move up her throat and choke off her breath. This was no joke. Someone wasn’t just trying to scare them.

  Someone was trying to kill them.

  Chapter One

  Tashya knew better than to glare at her brother, Nicholas. Ever since bullets had dented the carriage, he’d been strung tight, worried over his siblings. Even during his wedding reception, while he was dancing with his bride, he had kept his siblings in sight. Now, two days later, the king should have left for the beach to enjoy his honeymoon, but he’d stayed at the palace to issue orders. Orders Tashya had no intention of obeying even if he did dispense them from behind the royal desk.

  However, instead of raising her voice to match the steel in the king’s, Tashya spoke softly, reasonably. “Nicholas, I’m not leaving Vashmira.”

  He frowned at her. “Why can’t you follow Alexander to the United States? Help him open the Vashmiran embassy?”

  “Because my work is here.” Tashya had no intention of letting a few stray bullets scare her off, not when several important laws affecting women’s rights would come up for a vote during the next few weeks. “Alexander jumped at the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. He’s always enjoyed traveling, but I would prefer to—”

  “If you stay, you will accept my security precautions.” Nicholas folded his arms over his chest.

  Tashya eyed her brother warily. He didn’t usually yield to her wishes quite this easily. As much as she wanted to believe his recent marriage might have lessened his stubbornness, she knew that when it came to safety issues, Nicholas could be ruthlessly intractable. Who could blame him? Last year they’d lost their father to an assassination right here within the royal office. Much more recently, the king and queen had been threatened by a bomb. Now someone had fired shots at Tashya and Alexander.

  “What security precautions?” she asked.

  “At my request, the Americans have sent over a special agent. His role is twofold, to protect you and to impersonate Alexander.”

  “That’s why you kept Alex’s trip so quiet and put out that fake story that he’s ill.” She marveled at Nicholas’s ingenuity. “I thought it was merely for his safety that you didn’t allow a press release. But you didn’t want anyone to know he’d left Vashmira…so this agent can take his place.”

  “His name is Hunter Leigh.” Nicholas’s hand hovered over the intercom button that connected him to his secretary. “And if you stay, he’s going to be constantly by your side. No arguments. I expect you to spend all your time with him. You’ll help him impersonate Alexander.”

  The idea of spending so many hours with anyone made her shudder. She had work to do and didn’t have time to coddle some American agent. “Mr. Leigh doesn’t know our people, our customs or our ways. He’s an outsider.”

  “That’s why we can trust him.” Nicholas keyed his secretary through the intercom.

  Tashya realized that Nicholas was right. Her brother suspected someone inside the palace meant to do the royal family harm. So, naturally, he’d trust an outsider instead of the people who’d
had access to the palace for years.

  A voice came through the speaker phone. “Yes, Your Highness?”

  “Please send in Mr. Leigh.”

  As soon as Hunter Leigh entered the room Tashya took one look at him and shook her head in exasperation. Hunter had brown hair; Alexander’s was black. Hunter had dark eyes the color of thunderclouds, heavy brows and a commanding presence that almost crackled with vitality; blue-eyed Alex was a laid-back playboy. The contrasts didn’t stop there. Hunter must have weighed a good ten kilos more than her brother, yet there wasn’t an inch of fat on him. He moved like a cat, with smooth, quick, long-legged strides. Alexander had never rushed anywhere in his life—except maybe into the bed of one of his numerous lovers. If Hunter ever climbed through bedroom windows at night, she imagined he’d be on a high-stakes mission where capture would mean his death.

  Tashya stared at Hunter, appreciating his masculinity and frowning at the same time. “Nicholas, there is no way this man can impersonate Alex.”

  “And hello to you, too, Your Highness.” Hunter’s words were cavalier, but he had an air of vigilance about him, the watchfulness of a man accustomed to depending on his instincts to keep him alive in dangerous situations.

  “I’m sorry,” she told him. Rarely did she forget her manners. Usually people were slightly in awe of royalty, and she worked hard to put them at ease. Yet this man didn’t seem impressed by their titles or the luxurious trappings of the palace. He was all business, and she sensed that he would respond best to being treated in a forthright manner. “I didn’t mean to be rude, but you don’t look anything like our brother.”

  Hunter ran a hand through his thick hair. “Give me a chance to redye my hair back to my original color before you decide. Clothes, contact lenses and body language will make a huge difference.”