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However, Chance soon realized that Sunny wasn't running from him—she was running for her life, and she needed Chance's protection. But keeping Sunny safe would involve telling her the truth—about his mission and what she'd done to his heart.
And yet ... And yet, there was his family. Sprawling, brawling, ferociously overachieving, refusing to let him withdraw, not that he was at all certain he could even if they would allow it. It was always jolting, alarming, to step back into that all-enveloping embrace, to be teased and questioned - teased, him, whom some of the most deadly people on earth justifiably feared - hugged and kissed, fussed over and yelled at and ... loved, just as if he were like everyone else. He knew he wasn't; the knowledge was always there, in the back of his mind,that he was not like them. But he was drawn back, again and again, by something deep inside hungering for the very things that so alarmed him. Love was scary; he had learned early and hard how little he could depend on anyone but himself.
The fact that he had survived at all was a testament to his toughness and intelligence. He didn't know how old he was, or where he had been born, what he was named as a child, or if he even had a name - nothing. He had no memory of a mother, a father, anyone who had taken care of him. A lot of people simply didn't remember their childhoods, but Chance couldn't comfort himself with that possibility, that there had been someone who had loved him and taken care of him, because he remembered too damn many other details.
He remembered stealing food when he was so small he had to stand on tiptoe to reach apples in a bin in a small-town supermarket. He had been around so many kids now that, by comparing what he remembered to the sizes they were at certain ages, he could estimate he had been no more than three years old at the time, perhaps not even that.
He remembered sleeping in ditches when it was warm, hiding in barns, stores, sheds, whatever was handy, when it was cold or raining. He remembered stealing clothes to wear, sometimes by the simple means of catching a boy playing alone in a yard, overpowering him and taking the clothes off his back. Chance had always been much stronger physically than other boys his size, because of the sheer physical difficulty of staying alive - and he had known how to fight, for the same reason.
He remembered a dog taking up with him once, a black-and-white mutt that tagged along and curled up next to him to sleep, and Chance remembered being grateful for the warmth. He also remembered that when he reached for a piece of steak he had stolen from the scraps in back of a restaurant, the dog bit him and stole the steak. Chance still had two scars on his left hand from the dog's teeth. The dog had gotten the meat, and Chance had gone one more day without food. He didn't blame the dog; it had been hungry, too. But Chance ran it off after that, because stealing enough food to keep himself alive was difficult enough, without having to steal for the dog, too. Besides, he had learned that when it came to survival, it was every dog for himself.
He might have been five years old when he learned that particular lesson, but he had learned it well.
Of course, learning how to survive in both rural and urban areas, in all conditions, was what made him so good at his job now, so he supposed his early childhood had its benefits. Even considering that, though, he wouldn't wish his childhood on a dog, not even the damn mutt that had bitten him.
His real life had begun the day Mary Mackenzie found him lying beside a road, deathly ill with a severe case of flu that had turned into pneumonia. He didn't remember much of the next few days - he had been too ill - but he had known he was in a hospital, and he had been wild with fear, because that meant he had fallen into the hands of the system, and he was now, in effect, a prisoner. He was obviously a minor, without identification, and the circumstances would warrant the child welfare services being notified. He had spent his entire life avoiding just such an event, and he had tried to make plans to escape, but his thoughts were vague, hard to get ordered, and his body was too weak to respond to his demands.
But through it all he could remember being soothed by an angel with soft blue-gray eyes and light, silvery brown hair, cool hands and a loving voice. There had also been a big, dark man, a half-breed, who calmly and repeatedly addressed his deepest fear. "We won't let them take you," the big man had said whenever Chance briefly surfaced from his fever-induced stupor.
He didn't trust them, didn't believe the big half-breed's reassurances. Chance had figured out that he himself was part American Indian, but big deal, that didn't mean he could trust these people any more than he could trust that damn thieving, ungrateful mutt. But he was too sick, too weak, to escape or even struggle, and while he was so helpless Mary Mackenzie had somehow hog-tied him with devotion, and he had never managed to break free.
He hated being touched; if someone was close enough to touch him, then they were close enough to attack him. He couldn't fight off the nurses and doctors who poked and prodded and moved him around as if he were nothing more than a mindless piece of meat. He had endured it, gritting his teeth, struggling with both his own panic and the almost overpowering urge to fight, because he knew if he fought them he would be restrained. He had to stay free, so he could run when he recovered enough to move under his own power.
Excerpted from A Game Of Chance by Linda Howard Copyright © 2002 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Anonymous
Posted June 18, 2001
I read every Linda Howard I see,regardless of the publisher,type etc,and since my first one in 1990,I've never been disappointed and I don't think I ever will.The MacKenzies are larger than life and yet believable.There's drama,suspense,intrigue,sensuality,a great plot and dialogue and really worth reading.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.margiep
Posted January 25, 2013
Great book. The whole family is done with a master's hand.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 24, 2012
I love all of the Mackenzie series, and have actually read all of them. I've also read most of Linda Howards books. I love them all. There is just nothing else to say.
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Posted October 2, 2011
Ms Howard brings you into a family and makes you apart of it.. All families have ups and downs, it is what you do about them, that brings you back together that matters
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was a more lovey and less "murder/mystery" like many of LH books are. I liked the two main characters and the story was interesting.
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Posted March 29, 2004
i like this the best, then next is mackenzie mission, my least favorite is mackenzie magics, it's too short . the story of chance is a bit farfetched, but the bantering is cute, and i love how ms howard described him, he's the classical-romance hero type: tall, dark, and handsome. i don't like the ending, it's too abrupt and goes against my patriotism. come on, how can any woman ask her men to do what sunny ask of chance. he's best at what he does best. you got to read it to find out.
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Posted October 21, 2003
I started reading Howard's books because I loved the hero in 'Now You See Her'. Unfortunately, all (most?!!) of her heros don't hold up quality-wise, and this Chance is one of the worst. He *uses* Sunny as bait, without her knowledge or consent, sets her up for attack. Unfortunately, I have come to realize that this is a formula Howard often employees. (See also Dream Man and others.) Not only is this NOT the embodiment of everywoman's dream, I don't think (HOPE it ISN'T) legal, even in the world of espionage and terrorism. After you read a few of Howard's books, you come to realize how the formula works: If the HEROINE is under suspicion (Loving Evangeline, Game of Chance, etc.), the hero tricks her, investigates her, then uses her/ sets her up as BAIT. If the HERO is under suspicion (Mackenzie's Mountain, Shades of Twilight), the heroine believes in him and stands by him against all odds. YUCK!!! If this is someone's sad idea of what 'real men' are like, I don't want 'em!
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Posted July 17, 2001
LINDA HOWARD IS THE BEST AUTHER. IN THIS BOOK SHE MADE US UNDERSTAND CHANCE AND LOVE HIM. THIS STORY BROUGHT HIM TO LIFE IN A COMPELLING STORE THAT MADE ME WANT TO READ MORE. I HAVE REREAD THIS BOOK AND ALL THE OTHERS COUNTLESS TIMES. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO READING HER NEW ONES.
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Posted May 25, 2001
I SO ENJOYED MACKENZIE'S MISSION THAT I COULDN'T WAIT TO READ CHANCE'S STORY. I READ THE BOOK IN ALITTLE UNDER SEVEN HOURS. THEN I TURNED AROUND AND READ IT AGAIN. ZANE'S STORY WAS INCREDIBLE TO READ AND I WILL CONTINUE TO RE-READ THE MACKENZIE STORIES.
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Posted February 23, 2001
I'd enjoyed reading Mackenzie Mountain before and was thrilled that this story was about another member of the family. This story was equally wonderful. The suspense and romance kept me reading the whole time. Also, in talking about the other Mackenzies added wonders to the overall story. I look forward in reading the other two stories. Ms. Howard just never disappoints.
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Posted September 25, 2000
i really enjoyed areading this book it keeps you in suspence the whole way through
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Posted September 16, 2000
This is a book you will be glad that you read. You might be upset with yourself when you forget to stop and clean . . .but it is a wonderful book and well worth reading!
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Posted August 23, 2000
I read Linda Howard's current bestseller, Mr. Perfect and A Game of Chance within a week of each other. A Game of Chance was so richly written, tender and devoid of all the trappings that Mr. Perfect was. I guess a potential best seller has to be written with a larger mass/audience in mind. This is a wonderful series (Mackenzie's, etc.), I would recommend it highly.
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Posted August 15, 2000
I admit Zanes story was much better but Ms. Howard has hit a home run with Chance's story. It's been a long time coming. If you like a little action in your romance's get this book!!
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Posted August 5, 2000
I loved this book. The story was intriguing to say the least and was the perfect continuation to the saga. I highly recommend this book.
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Posted August 5, 2000
Zane's story was way better. But one has to finish the saga of the Mackenzies. I do grow tired of seeing men characterized as beings with 'needs' and they have to sleep around until they find the 'right' one. Apparently that consists of whether or not the sex was mind blowing enough. PUL-LEASE!!! Fortunately the men I know posses a little more self-restraint than these weak men who cannot seem to control themselves. It was worth reading but not as good as her old stuff.
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Posted July 30, 2000
One of Linda Howard's most waited for characters finally has his story told. Chance MacKenzie, the adopted son of Wolf and Mary, has never felt like he belonged. Even with an extended family that loved him, he still stands alone. Like his brothers, he does take his job seriously and sets his sights on Sunny Miller. To find her terrorist father, he seduces the innocent Sunny not realizing that she is in hiding from her father. What Chance finds is a woman who can make him feel like he belongs and a love that will set him free from his eternal loneliness. If you love the MacKenzies - you will fall in love with Chance!
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Posted January 13, 2010
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Posted November 1, 2010
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Posted January 5, 2010
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Overview
Undercover agent Chance Mackenzie knew that the best way to capture an elusive terrorist was to use the man's daughter as bait, so he cleverly seduced Sunny Miller and set out to discover her father's whereabouts. Sunny's own innocence was questionable, and gaining her trust was nearly impossible. And even with all his experience and training, Chance found it difficult to overlook her beauty.
However, Chance soon realized ...