He wanted her as much as she wanted him. Elizabeth thought she must have died and gone to heaven
He tasted her with his lips and his tongue, and when she arched her back, he groaned, a deep, dark, sensual sound that sent a thrill coursing through her veins.
She plowed her fingers through Cullens hair, holding him close, thinking to herself, I always wanted my first time to be with you.
Cullen lifted his head. She went still. Surely she hadnt said that aloud. Had she?
This is your first time? He sounded almost angry.
That cant come as much of a surprise, she whispered. But it doesnt change anything.
Cullen pulled back, resting on his knees. It changes everything.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Elizabeth DouglasAn expert in criminology, shes standing in the way of a killers ultimate revenge.
Detective Cullen RyanA man with a dark past of his own. He vows to protect Elizabeth from the killer, but can he protect her from himself?
Professor Lucian LeCroixHe arrived in Moriahs Landing on the night the first body was discovered.
Dr. Paul FortierHe has an eye for the ladiesespecially his students.
Dr. Leland ManningA pioneer in gene therapy research. What, exactly, is the nature of the experiments he conducts at his isolated compound?
David BrysonA recluse, he was a suspect twenty years ago in the killings that terrorized Moriahs Landing. Has his grief for a lost love driven him to do unspeakable evil?
Ned KrauterThe town mortician, hes a man who enjoys his work.
Dr. René RathfasterA brilliant researcher, he disappeared several years ago when allegations surfaced that he conducted genetic experiments on human test subjects.
Geoffrey PierceHow does he know so much about serial killers?
Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,
Cupids bow is loaded at Harlequin Intrigue with four fabulous stories of breathtaking romantic suspensestarting with the continuation of Cassie Miless COLORADO SEARCH AND RESCUE miniseries. In Wedding Captives, lovers reunite on a mountaintopunfortunately theyre also snowbound with a madman!
And theres no better month to launch our new modern gothic continuity series MORIAHS LANDING. Amanda Stevens emerges from the New England fog with Secret Sanctuary, the first of four titles coming out over the next several months. You can expect all of the classic themes you love in these stories, plus more of the contemporary edge youve come to expect from our brand of romantic suspense.
You know what can happen In the Blink of an Eye? Julie Miller does! And you can find out, too, in the next installment of her TAYLOR CLAN series.
Finally, Jean Barrett takes you to New Orleans for some Private Investigations with battling P.I.s. Its a regular showdown in the French Quarterwhere absolutely anything goes.
So celebrate Valentines Day with the most confounding mystery of allthat of the heart.
Deep, rich chocolate wishes,
Denise OSullivan
Associate Senior Editor
Harlequin Intrigue
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born and raised in a small, Southern town, Amanda Stevens frequently draws on memories of her birthplace to create atmospheric settings and casts of eccentric characters. She is the author of over twenty-five novels, the recipient of a Career Achievement Award for Romantic/Mystery, and a 1999 RITA Award finalist in the Gothic/Romantic Suspense category. She now resides in Texas with her husband, teenage twins and her cat, Jesse, who also makes frequent appearances in her books.
Secret Sanctuary
Amanda Stevens
www.millsandboon.co.uk
MILLS & BOON
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This book is gratefully dedicated to B.J. Daniels,
Dani Sinclair and Joanna Wayne,
my partners in crime as well as my friends.
Special thanks and acknowledgment
are given to Amanda Stevens for her contribution
to the MORIAHS LANDING series.
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
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Prologue
The sky had been clear all day, but as evening fell, storm clouds moved in from the sea, blocking fragile moonlight and deepening shadows across a bleak and eerie landscape. The wind had picked up, too, stirring dead leaves over the necropolis.
There was something in that wind, Elizabeth Douglas thought with a shiver. Something evil.
She glanced at the luminous dial on her watch. Almost midnight. Time for the ghosts to rise.
She and her friends huddled just inside the cemetery walls as they gazed in trepidation at the shadowy formation of headstones and crumbling mausoleums. Silhouetted against the darkness, marble angels stood with bowed heads and furled wings, celestial sentinels as cold and silent as the graves they watched over.
Elizabeth didnt want to be here. She wanted to be anywhere but here. Spending the night in St. Johns Cemetery as part of a sorority initiation was just plain crazy, not to mention against the rules. Theyd all be in big trouble if the school got wind of what they were doing.
Do you think well see Learys ghost tonight? Claire Cavendish asked nervously. A pale, slender girl, she was even more skittish about the coming night than Elizabeth. Claire jumped as the heavy, iron gates clanged shut behind them in the wind. They say he rises every five years.
Oh, come on, Kat Ridgemont scoffed. You dont really believe all those stories about ghosts and witches, do you? That stuff was made up just to attract tourists. None of its true.
What about those women who were murdered in Moriahs Landing fifteen years ago? Claire challenged. Did they make that up, too?
Claire! Brie Dudley warned in a low voice.
Claire clapped a hand to her mouth. Oh, God, Kat. Im so sorry. I forgot.
Kat shrugged. Its okay. I forget sometimes myself.
But Elizabeth didnt think that was true. Kats mother was thought to be the first victim of a serial killer who had terrorized Moriahs Landing fifteen years ago. Before his gruesome reign ended, three more young women had lost their lives, and Elizabeth knew that in spite of what Kat said, her mothers death still haunted her. The killings haunted the entire town because the murderer had never been caught.
Gooseflesh prickled the back of Elizabeths neck. She fervently wanted to believe they had nothing to fear tonightfrom the killer or from Learys ghostbut she couldnt seem to shake her disquiet.
But at fifteen, she was the baby of the group. The other girls were 18, and Elizabeth was always conscious of the age difference. She wasnt about to be the first to suggest they turn back.
Elizabeth?
She blinked as the beam of someones flashlight caught her in the face.
You okay? Brie asked worriedly. Youre being awfully quiet. You havent said a word since we got here.
Elizabeth shrugged. Ive just been thinking.
Kat glanced over her shoulder. About McFarland Leary? she teased.
Who else? Elizabeth tried to say lightly, but her tone sounded a bit defensive even to her.
You believe in ghosts, too, dont you? Claire whispered beside her.
Elizabeth hesitated. She wasnt sure what she believed in. She just knew there were things in this world that couldnt be explained.
Look! Tasha Pierce said on a breathless whisper. There it is!
Tasha and Kat were in front, and they came to a stop as Tasha angled her light over Learys grave. Weather and time had worn smooth the face of the headstone, until all but a faint trace of carving remained. But they knew it was Learys grave.
Lightning flickered overhead as wind gusted through the cemetery. Shivering, Tasha tucked her blond hair inside her collar. Wed better get started before the storm hits.
The girls dropped to their knees, forming a circle around the grave. Tasha placed her flashlight in the center, then removed an ornate wooden box from her backpack and held it up to the light.
Inside are five scrolls, she intoned solemnly, her voice rising over the wind. All but one are blank. Whosoever chooses the image of McFarland Leary must enter the haunted mausoleum. Alone.
Elizabeth was the last to draw. The others had waited for her, and now they all unrolled the tiny scrolls theyd each selected.
Beside her, Claire gave a horrified gasp. She held up the slip of paper so that everyone could see the etching of McFarland Leary.
Of all the girls, Claire was the least prepared to enter the haunted crypt alone. She was the most sensitive, the most easily frightened.
Elizabeth swallowed back her own fear. Ill go in your place, Claire.
No, Brie said. Youre the youngest, Elizabeth. Im not letting you go anywhere alone. Ill go.
I will. Tasha wadded up her scroll and stuffed it in her pocket. This graveyard is full of Pierces. Theyll protect one of their own.
I say none of us go. Kat slammed the box shut and glanced around the circle. The wind whipped her black hair straight back from her face, making her look almost otherworldly. They cant make us do this. Hazing went out with the Dark Ages.
There were murmurs of assent all around, but Claire shook her head and got to her feet. Its not really hazing. Not the bad kind anyway. Its a tradition, and besides, I dont want to be the cause of any of us getting blackballed.
Kat scowled. Who gives a flying
I care, Claire said softly. I can do this. I need to do this. Ill be fine.
Ignoring their protests, she picked up her flashlight and headed toward the ancient, crumbling mausoleum. In the intermittent flickers of lightning, Elizabeth could see a broken cross silhouetted against the stormy sky.
Slowly, Claire climbed the stone steps, opened the door, and then, glancing back only once, stepped through the dark portal. For a moment, they could see her light playing off the walls, and then the door creaked shut behind her.
Im going in there with her. Kat started to get to her feet, but Tasha grabbed her hand.
No, wait. Maybe this really is something she wants to do on her own. Besides, well be right here if she needs us.
Then we have to do our part, Brie said. Are we all agreed?
Agreed, Elizabeth murmured, but guilt washed over her because as frightened as she was for Claire, a part of her was glad she wasnt the one inside that crypt.
Once we join hands, the circle must not be broken, Tasha warned. Physically or mentally.
Elizabeth squeezed her eyes closed as the girls joined hands, forming a protective circle as they summoned the natural forces of earth, air, fire and water to guard Claire from the ghosts of McFarland Leary and any other evil creatures who might roam the night.
But for just a split second, Elizabeths mind wandered, and she thought about Cullen Ryan, a boy shed had a crush on for ages. In trouble with the law, hed dropped out of high school the year before and left town in the middle of the night. Elizabeth had no idea where hed gone, or if she would ever see him again. But she prayed that wherever he was, he was safe, too.
And at the very moment when her concentration was weakened, when the spiritual circle was broken, thunder cracked overhead and a scream ripped through the darkness.
Claire!
The girls scrambled to their feet and raced toward the mausoleum. The door was stuck at first, but Kat managed to shove it open. The beam of her flashlight chased away shadows and shimmered off cobwebs suspended from the ornate ceiling. The scent of death and decay permeated the air, but there was no sign of Claire.
Elizabeths heart started to pound with a terrible fear, a horrible premonition. She knew what had happened. While shed been thinking about Cullen, the protective circle had been broken. The evil had been allowed in, and now Claire was gone.
And it was all Elizabeths fault.
Chapter One
Five years later
Elizabeth peered through her rain-spattered windshield as she wended her way around the curving drive toward the lighted mansion. February-bare oaks reached skeletal arms across the narrow lane, entwining with one another to form a natural arbor through which only thin tendrils of light could creep. The night was very dark.
Comprising well over a hundred acres of landscaped grounds, the Pierce compoundhidden from prying eyes by eight-foot, ivy-covered stone walls and thick stands of evergreenswas a masterpiece of design and privacy. The focal point was a lavish brick colonial owned by William and Maureen Pierce, the towns most prominent citizens.
A Pierce ancestor had founded Moriahs Landing in 1652, and the descendants had lived there ever since. The family remained active in many areas, most notably politics and science. Rumor had it that William and Maureens lavish masquerade ball tonight was not only to continue the celebration that had begun on New Years Eve to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the towns founding, but to help launch their eldest sons first political campaign.
Elizabeth liked Drew Pierce well enough and she thought hed make a fine mayor, especially considering she didnt particularly care for the current one, Fredrick Thane. But in spite of the gossip regarding Drew and the potential for fireworks when Mayor Thane made his appearance at the ball, Elizabeth wasnt looking forward to this night. Shed never been particularly adept at socializing, and a masked ball was a little out of her league.