nowhere man by rebecca york "One of the best writers ever of quality romantic suspense? Romantic Times Dear Reader, March, the long wait for spring is over, and at last we can show off our exciting, brand-new covers; what do you think of them? We always love to hear from you, but it's particularly interesting when we've changed the look of the books so dramatically, so do drop us a line. Of course, we still have the same wonderful editorial from our stellar line up of writers. There's Rebecca York's Nowhere Man, which is fascinating, compulsive reading and just as good as we expected from this tremendously popular author. Another favourite writer who's pulled out all the stops is Helen R. Myers, who's written numerous Desires and has definitely enjoyed herself with Night Mist. Tina Vasilos and Alice Orr also revel in the heady mix of danger and desire that makes Intrigue such classic romantic suspense. For those of you who love the 'father-rescuingbabyin-danger' novels, there's Nick's ChiM and for everyone who enjoys the feel of exotic holiday locales, we have Heat of Passion. Something for everyone, as always! Enjoy! The Editors REBECCA YORK Ruth Glick writing as Rebecca York DID YOU PURCHASE THIS BOOK WITHOUT A COVER? If you did, you should be aware it is stolen property as it was reported unsold and destroyed by a retailer. Neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this book. All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention. All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Silhouette and Colophon are registered trademarks of Harlequin Books used under licence. First published in Great Britain 1999 Silhouette Books, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey ISBN 0 373 22473 7 Printed and bound in Spain by Litografia Rosds S. Dear Reader, I'm often asked which book in the 43 LIGHT STREET series I like best. It's hard to pick an absolute favourite, but over the years there have been books that were near and dear to my heart. Nowhere Man is one of these. It's the poignant story of a man named Hunter condemned to a kind of living hell, through no fault of his own, and a woman named Kathryn determined to save him. Nowhere Man is also about the misuse of power, about ruthless men with deep secrets who have put themselves above the laws of God and man. Over the years I've developed a strong image of what a LIGHT STREET book should be. I'm particularly proud of recent ones such as Prince of Time, For Your Eyes Only and Father and Child. And I'm excited to follow them with Nowhere Man, the first book written by Ruth Guck alone, writing as Rebecca York. It's one of the many more LIGHT STREET novels I want to write, novels embodying my personal concept of romantic suspense--the blending of an emotionally-charged love story with heart-pounding suspense. Next will be Shattered Lullaby. It's about a man on the run, whose only hope of survival is to hide his identity. He can't afford emotional involvement because anyone who helps him is likely to wind up dead. But he doesn't allow for the courage of one strong woman. And he doesn't know how much danger he's put her in until he discovers she's carrying his child. I hope you enjoy Nowhere Man and the many future LIGHT STREET books. Ruth Guck writing as Rebecca York Previous titles by REBECCA YORK Light Street books: Life Line Shattered Vows Whispers in the Night Only Skin Deep Trial by Fire Cradle and All What Child Is This? Midnight Kiss Tangled Vows Till Death Us Do Part Prince of Time Face to Face For Your Eyes Only Father and Child Prologue. Kathryn Kelley, a small figure dwarfed by the silent, eerie space beyond, hesitated in the doorway to the darkened room. Where were the lights, she wondered, her gaze probing the inky blackness. She could see almost nothing, but felt thick, chemical-tinged mist wafting toward her. It sent shivers over her skin as it collided with the cooler air of the hallway. Trying to dispel the sudden chill, she rubbed her hands along the thick sleeves of her robe. It was Friday evening, and since the moment she'd opened her eyes last Monday, she'd sensed that something was wrong. She'd tried to ignore the oppressive sensation, but it was like a storm gathering around her. The feeling of apprehension made her glance quickly over her shoulder to confirm that the corridor behind her was empty. Of course it was empty! She made a wry face, annoyed at the tricks her mind was playing on her. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, her voice echoing in the darkness beyond the door. With a quick decisive movement, she switched on the lights and marched inside. Shrugging out of her robe, she secured her mane of red hair with a band at the nape of her neck, kicked off her shoes, and executed a perfect dive into the turquoise water of the swimming pool below her. The cold was a momentary shock to her system as she shot downward into the pool, then came up to blink water out of her blue eyes. Straightening her limber body, she began a rapid crawl stroke. Ever since high school, when she was on the swim team, swimming had remained her exercise of choice. In fact, she'd selected her Baltimore apartment because the sixties renovation of the Cecil Arms had included a pool on the top floor. Ten-thirty was late for a solitary swim. Actually, the pool was supposed to be closed to tenants at that hour. But she'd negotiated a lease that allowed her to use the facility after hours. Willing the tension out of her muscles, she cut rapidly through the water. Still, she couldn't outdistance the demons of the day. She'd appeared as an expert witness in a child custody trial that afternoon. Although she'd kept her cool on the stand, her testimony about the abuse of a ten-year-old boy by his father had made her stomach knot. The mere thought of the man made her lose the rhythm of her strokes. With this child, she'd slipped over the line of professional detachment--once again. Lately it was getting harder to maintain an objective distance from other people's pain. So she swam in the Cecil Arms pool like the victim of a shipwreck flailing toward an unreachable shore, while her mind wandered to fantasies of trading in her psychology practice for a flower shop like the guy in Bed of Roses. Maybe the management at 43 Light Street would rent her space in the lobby. She didn't hear the door open. But a jolt went through her as she saw the overhead lights and the ones along the side of the pool wink out. Stopping dead, she held her breath, barely treading water, as her gaze scanned the floor-to-ceiling windows along the far wall. Below her, lights twinkled in other North Baltimore apartment buildings, yet this room at the top of the Cecil Arms was dark. "Is somebody there?" She could hear her pulse pounding in her ears and the reverberations of her voice from the walls and ceiling of the large room. When no one answered, goose bumps rose on her arms. She wanted to believe someone was playing a cruel practical joke on the lady who went swimming in the evening. The explanation didn't wash. In a blinding moment of panic, all the anxiety of the week coalesced into a terrible moment of certainty. On a gut level she knew who had turned off the lights, knew who had been stalking her. Now it all made sense. "James?" she quavered. He made her beg for the answer. "James." "Got ya!" a familiar, low voice echoed off the water. She had been hoping against hope it wasn't true. Now she pictured a slender man with blond hair and blue eyes standing between her and the only door, the only escape route. James Harrison. He had a channing smile and an easy manner, unless you looked below the surface to the rotten core carefully hidden inside. She hadn't wanted to believe he was back. Yet deep in her subconscious she must have known. Three years ago he'd been confined to the Indiana Institution for the Criminally Insane, and he'd sworn to get even with Dr. Kelley for helping put him there. She'd moved away, started over again in a new place with a new job and new friends. And time had dulled the memory of the curses he'd hurled at her. She'd felt safe--until this week. A splash told her he was in the water. She dragged in a lungful of air and dove deep, praying she had a chance to escape. Surfacing at the edge of the pool near the door, she felt for the metal ladder and began to scramble up. But he must have been planning...
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