THE DARKEST HOURS
After losing everything, Della Jackson tries to begin again as an investigator. But she can’t forget the past...and neither can someone else. Someone who won’t let anyone—even Della’s best friend, former special operative Paul Mason—stand in the way. As Della is stalked and those closest to her are targeted, both Della and Paul realize there’s only one way to survive. They each have to face their greatest fears, overcome the scars of the past and dare to love again...before it’s too late.
“You’re a compassionate man.”
“It’s not compassion, it’s faith.”
She pushed at her salad with the tines of her fork.
“I had that once. That connection that let me see things, understand things like this. But it’s gone now.”
Now there was anger and outrage and confusion and emptiness. So much emptiness.
“It’s not gone. Faith is a choice you make.” Paul signaled the waitress for more tea.
A choice she didn’t dare make.
She didn’t dare try to fill the empty places. It hurt too much to fill them and watch them empty and disappear. People, possessions, emotions—no matter how much you tried to protect them and yourself, you couldn’t do it.
You couldn’t, and then you had to suffer the loss and failure. She’d suffered enough of both. She had nothing more to give or to lose.
VICKI HINZE
is an award-winning author of nearly thirty novels, four nonfiction books and hundreds of articles published in as many as sixty-three countries. She lives in Florida with her husband, near her children and grands, and she gets cranky if she must miss one of their ball games. Vicki loves to visit with readers and invites you to join her at vickihinze.com or on Facebook at Facebook.com/vicki.hinze.author.
Survive the Night
Vicki Hinze
MILLS & BOON
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“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”
—Jeremiah 29:11
In honor of Kathy Carmichael
We are gifted with friends to share our joys and troubles. Thank you for being my friend, Kathy, and for the blessing of being your Sister of the Heart.
Contents
ONE
“Tired?”
Della Jackson latched her seat belt, then looked over at Paul Mason, driving his SUV. Her day had started just after five. It was now nineteen hours long, but she had to give credit to her boss, Madison McKay, owner of Lost, Inc. Holding an “open house” at the small private investigating firm where Della had worked since returning to Florida three years ago was a brilliant idea. Holding it during North Bay’s annual street festival was beyond brilliant and now a proven, resounding success.
“I passed tired about nine o’clock. Not that your company hasn’t been great.” On a horse wearing a cowboy hat or in a black tux as he was now, Paul Mason was gorgeous and charming. Black hair, gray eyes and lean and fit with a face chiseled by a loving hand. More importantly to Della, he was a man of character, trusted, and he expected nothing from her. That made him the perfect nondate date for any event but especially for one of Madison’s formal soirees, which Della never attended without a direct command-performance memo.
Paul’s arm draped the steering wheel. “Can I say something without you going postal on me?”
Odd remark. “Sure.” In their three years of being close friends, hadn’t they always spoken freely? From the first time she’d talked to him on the phone from Tennessee through his organization, Florida Vet Net, and he’d agreed to help her relocate to Florida, she thought
