For my grandmother, who taught me to love stories…

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Award-winning author Rita Herron wrote her first book when she was twelve, but didn’t think real people grew up to be writers. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job. A former kindergarten teacher and workshop leader, she traded her storytelling for romance, and writes romantic comedies and romantic suspense. She lives in Georgia with her own romance hero and three kids. She loves to hear from readers, so please write her at P.O. Box 921225, Norcross, GA 30092-1225, or visit her Web site at www.ritaherron.com.

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

      Brack Falcon—His only love was his falcons—until he met Sonya Silverstein and her little girl. Now he must protect them or die trying….

      Sonya Silverstein—When a twisted psycho tries to kill her, she must put her life in the hands of Brack Falcon. But can she trust him with her heart?

      Katie Silverstein—She may be physically handicapped, but will her sixth sense help her survive a killer?

      Stan Silverstein—Sonya’s ex blames her for their daughter’s physical handicap. But what is he hiding?

      Sheriff Cohen—He railroaded Brack’s father into jail twenty years ago for a crime he didn’t commit. Is he going to do the same thing to Brack?

      The Talon Terror—This villain kills women and animals with his birdlike talons. Is he animal, man or both?

      Jameson Viago—The artist who draws the cartoon character The Talon Terror. Is he imitating the character in real life to boost his comic-book sales?

      Emerson Godfrey—An expert from the government who is researching diseased animals. Is he going to destroy Brack’s beloved falcons?

      Darrien Tripp—A reporter for an occult magazine called The Tween Zone. Has he really seen supernatural creatures?

      Dr. Aaron Waverman—He wants Sonya for himself. How far will he go to win her?

      Dr. Phil Priestly—The local veterinarian tends to birds of prey and has been attacked himself. Has his work with animals turned him into one?

      Jerry Elmsworth—Katie doesn’t like Jerry, the veterinarian’s assistant. Is she right when she senses that he is untrustworthy?

      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

      Epilogue

      Chapter One

      “Mommy, save me!” The childlike cry whispered through the eaves of the old farmhouse and echoed off the walls, terrifying and insistent.

      Sonya Silverstein jerked awake and sat up, a shiver rippling through her as if the icy fingers of a ghost had touched her neck.

      Had Katie cried out for help?

      She clutched the sheets and listened for her daughter’s voice, for the sound of her small crutches clacking on the wooden floor, but an eerie silence seeped through the cold, dark room instead, and fear gripped her.

      Something was wrong. Sonya felt it deep in her bones.

      Her heart pounding, she slid from the bed, pushed open the bedroom door and searched the murky gray den for her little girl.

      The dying embers of the fire they’d had going earlier glowed. A wild animal howled in the distance. A tree limb scraped the ice-crusted glass, and the shutter flapped against the weathered boards encasing the window.

      Wind, vicious and blustery, tore through the dark room, hurling dead leaves across the plank flooring through the open door. Her breath caught.

      She had locked the door when she’d gone to bed.

      Had an intruder broken in while she’d been sleeping?

      Panic seized her. Dear God, Katie had to be there. She had to be all right. Katie was everything to her. She was all that mattered.

      She’d moved here to Tin City to raise Katie, to give her a safe life. To take solace in the small mountain town and heal from the pain her ex-husband had caused them.

      But the house she’d rented was practically in the wilderness. What if Katie had gone outside hunting for the kitty? Or what if a madman had broken in and kidnapped her?

      The door to her little girl’s room was cracked open, and she pushed it, praying she’d find Katie snuggled in bed with Mr. Buttons, her favorite teddy, and their kitten, Snowball. But Mr. Buttons lay on the floor, and she didn’t see the baby cat. The covers were tousled, and the bed was empty.

      “Katie!” She searched beneath the bed, then yanked open the closet. But Katie wasn’t inside. Frantic, she screamed her name again and checked the bathroom. Katie’s Hello Kitty cup. Her damp toothbrush. Her fluffy bedroom slippers.

      But no Katie!

      Sonya whirled around, scanning the room for Katie’s small crutches.

      They were gone.

      Terror streaked through Sonya as she ran back into the den and grabbed her coat, her hat and a flashlight, then jammed on her snow boots and darted outside.

      The bitterly cold Colorado wind clawed at her face as she searched the porch, then the snowpacked ground below, for her daughter or her footprints.

      Snow whirled in a blinding haze, covering any tracks that might have lingered. A sob welled in Sonya’s throat as she scanned the thick, snowcapped woods surrounding the farmhouse. The rigid cliffs and peaks climbed toward the heavens like stone boulders. While she’d thought they’d offer a perfect place for her to hide, a sanctuary, now they looked ominous, threatening.

      Katie was out there somewhere all alone. No telling what dangers lay waiting in the dense patches of firs and aspens. Katie was so small. She’d never survive the elements or be able to fight off an attacker.

      “Katie!” A scream tore from deep in her throat, but got lost in the