PROTECTING THE SINGLE MOM

When a fellow FBI agent is kidnapped and a protected witness vanishes, Leo Gallagher will stop at nothing to find them both. So when he discovers a link between the case and a single mother in Wyoming, Leo and his trusty K-9 partner rush to question Alicia Duncan. Could she be the key to locating the missing persons? Not if a killer has anything to say about it. Someone is determined to keep Alicia from talking, so Leo and his chocolate Lab must keep her and her little boy safe on their family ranch. With danger lurking around every corner, Leo must work overtime to not lose another person who’s important to him.

“Agent Gallagher.”

Alicia’s soft voice stopped him on the upstairs landing of her ranch house. “Please, call me Leo,” he said. “We’re going to be in close quarters for a while.”

She nodded but her eyebrows pinched together. “Leo. I appreciate what you’re doing for us.”

He nodded. “Keeping you and your family safe is my job, Alicia.”

“And finding the man who wants your witness dead,” she pointed out.

“Yes, that, too.”

“I’ll pray that you find him.” Her words wrapped around him. The common bond of faith pleased him. He could use all the help he could get.

CLASSIFIED K-9 UNIT:

These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners

Guardian—Terri Reed, April 2017

Sheriff—Laura Scott, May 2017

Special Agent—Valerie Hansen, June 2017

Bounty Hunter—Lynette Eason, July 2017

Bodyguard—Shirlee McCoy, August 2017

Tracker—Lenora Worth, September 2017

Classified K-9 Unit Christmas—Terri Reed and Lenora Worth, December 2017

Dear Reader,

Writing about K-9 officers and their handlers is always a pleasure. True was a heroic dog and learning about water search-and-rescue was fascinating. I’m always amazed and impressed by the abilities of canines.

FBI agent Leo Gallagher, True’s human partner, overcame a traumatic past to become a hero. So often we humans let our past define us just as Leo had done, but with the help and love of the right woman for him, he was able to look to the future with hope.

For widow Alicia Duncan, trust didn’t come easy after the hurt and betrayal of her late husband. For her son’s sake, she chose not to let bitterness take root, which allowed her to be open to finding love again with a man of integrity and honor.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the first book in the new Love Inspired Suspense continuity series. If you’d like to see Zara and Dylan’s story, look online for Agent-in-Training. And keep an eye out for the next five installments in the series to see how the men and woman of the FBI Tactical K-9 Unit rescue Jake and take down the Duprees.

Until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you in His care,

TERRI REED’s romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on the Publishers Weekly top twenty-five and Nielsen BookScan’s top one hundred lists, and have been featured in USA TODAY, Christian Fiction Magazine and RT Book Reviews. Her books have been finalists for the Romance Writers of America RITA® Award and the National Readers’ Choice Award and finalists three times for the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award. Contact Terri at terrireed.com or PO Box 19555, Portland, OR 97224.

Guardian

Terri Reed

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;

In You I take shelter.

—Psalms 143:9

Thank you to the editors at Love Inspired for the opportunity to work on this continuity. And a huge shout-out of gratitude for the brainstorming, encouragement and friendship to the other authors in this series: Laura Scott, Valerie Hansen, Lynette Eason, Shirlee McCoy and Lenora Worth.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

PROLOGUE

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

PROLOGUE

The daylight broke over the horizon of the Los Angeles industrial district and muted morning light slashed through the high windows of the large two-floor warehouse. FBI agent Leo Gallagher pressed his back to the wall inside the cavernous structure’s south entrance. The air was cool, but heavy with a mix of anticipation and vigilance.

His heart rate increased, not much, but enough that he took a calming breath. He tightened his hold on the leash of his canine partner, a chocolate Labrador named True.

The open floor plan of the bottom level was filled with containers and pallets that provided too many hiding places. That could be a problem. Shadows lurked above and in the recesses of the corners. No one said this job was easy. Far from it, and sweat beaded on his forehead behind his helmet.

Almost time? Leo glanced at fellow FBI agent Jake Morrow and his canine, a Belgian Malinois named Buddy.

Behind his tactical face guard, Jake nodded and signaled for Leo and True to proceed into the murky depths of the purported hideout of the notorious Dupree syndicate, the criminal organization that the elite FBI Tactical K-9 Unit had been working around the clock to bring down for months.

But every time the team got close, the crime boss, Reginald Dupree, and his uncle and second in command, Angus, managed to escape.

Not going to happen again. The first time could have been coincidence, but after the second and third instances, he knew something else was going on. That was why Leo’s boss had been tight-lipped about this raid. No one outside the tight circle of the team knew of today’s operation in case there was a leak somewhere in the Bureau.

The Tactical K-9 Unit was a special, classified branch of the FBI that had settled in a nondescript building in downtown Billings, Montana. The secret nature of the team’s cases needed anonymity to function. They worked across the country, under the radar, to solve tough crimes and deliver swift justice.

The thought of someone they knew and trusted double-crossing them burned, and Leo hoped that wasn’t the case, but lives were at stake, either way. He took a silent step. True stayed at his side.

Eerie silence scraped along Leo’s nerves. The anonymous tip they’d received, sending the team to this location, had guaranteed them that Reginald and Angus would be here. Plums ripe for the taking.

Across the expanse of open space, Leo saw fellow team member Harper Prentiss, along with Star, her German shepherd, and their boss, special agent in charge Max West and his canine, a boxer by the name of Opal, slip through another door and climb a staircase to the second floor.

A strange itch at the back of Leo’s neck had him tensing. He’d been in this situation many times before, but this didn’t feel right.

Glancing upward at the second-story balcony that rimmed the edges of the warehouse, he narrowed his gaze on the office doors. That itch worsened. Were Reginald and Angus Dupree up there? Waiting? Planning an ambush? If so, his team members would be in trouble.

Needing to provide his boss and fellow agent cover, Leo gestured to Jake. Morrow gave him the thumbs-up sign. In tandem they carefully moved farther into the warehouse, not wanting to draw attention to their presence.

True’s ears perked up. The scruff of his neck rose. A deep growl emitted from his throat.

Breath stalling, Leo paused as he scanned the perimeter for whatever threat his partner sensed.

Then total pandemonium broke out.

Four men with automatic weapons appeared from around the sides of the two containers. A barrage of gunfire erupted. The deafening noise bounced off the walls.

Leo’s heart revved into overdrive. Adrenaline surged. His pulse pounded in his ears as he dropped to one knee to return fire.

“Down!” Leo shouted to True. The dog dropped to his belly.

“Take cover!” Jake yelled.

Leo grabbed True’s collar and tugged him behind a large container.

Something metal hit the concrete floor and a hissing filled the air, followed by a cloudy haze. Leo gritted his teeth and fought past the stinging in his eyes and nose from the pepper-infused smoke sneaking beneath the face shield on his helmet.

The sound of a dog’s yelp jolted through Leo. His heart slammed against his ribs. True! He quickly checked the dog’s taut body for injury. None.

It had to be Buddy. Leo searched the gloom for Jake and his dog. He couldn’t see either one. Had they retreated? Was Buddy hurt? Jake?

Leo flattened himself on the ground next to True, then tapped the canine on the flank. Together, they scuttled backward toward the door, keeping their heads down and out of the line of fire. A squad of Los Angeles police officers, dressed in tactical gear, filed past them.

With the arrival of backup, relief flooded through Leo.

Outside, he found Buddy lying on the ground, blood oozing from a wound in his hindquarters. Leo’s stomach dropped. He knelt beside the dog, tore off his glove and used it as a compress against Buddy’s injury. The dog whimpered.

“Where’s Jake?” Leo rasped, wishing the dog could speak.

The whir of rotors close by had him jerking to his feet.

Buddy barked and, in a burst of energy, jumped up and took off, leading Leo and True around another building just as a black helicopter with no markings lifted from the ground. Buddy whined and continued to bark, his agitation clear as he sniffed a puddle of blood near where the helicopter had sat. Jake’s blood?

A vise tightened around Leo’s heart. He shaded his eyes but couldn’t see inside the tinted windows of the bird as it disappeared from view. This wasn’t one of theirs. That meant...

“Gallagher!”

Leo turned to see his boss escorting Reginald Dupree from the warehouse while other officers brought out several of Dupree’s henchmen.

Agent Harper Prentiss jogged over. “Angus Dupree escaped but we got Reginald.” She tilted her head. “You okay?”

“No.” His voice sounded ragged, the way he felt inside. He glanced at Buddy. The dog’s distress tore at Leo. “Jake’s been taken.”

The team had captured the head honcho of the Dupree crime syndicate, but they’d lost a good agent in the process.

Guilt ate through Leo’s gut like acid. He’d failed his team. He’d failed Jake. With fists clenched, Leo vowed he’d track down Angus Dupree and rescue his comrade, if it was the last thing he did on this earth.

ONE

“Mommy, where are the fishies?”

“Hey, be careful, buddy. Don’t slip off the rock.” Heart lurching, Alicia Duncan grabbed her son, Charlie, by the back of his green life vest. If he leaned over any farther, he would go headlong into Wyoming’s Blackthorn River. His fishing pole clattered against the outcropping of smooth rocks, where they’d plopped down to fish. The exact place she’d fished from as a kid and teen. “Hang on to your pole, sweetie.”

Heat bounced off the stones and reflected off the river water from the unseasonably warm April morning sun, making perspiration break out at her nape beneath her long dark hair. It was a beautiful spring day for spending time outdoors with her son in the middle of Wyoming’s northwestern mountain range. The clear, smog-free air smelled sweet with the scent of ponderosa pines. So different from city life. A welcome change.

Alicia had always loved the river. About five miles downstream, the lazy flow of water cut a path through the rural town of Settler’s Valley, where she’d grown up. There was something soothing, comforting even, about the way the mountain runoff filled the riverbed.

Especially in this particular area, where the river pooled into a deep canyon with high cliffs across the bank and more cliffs a little ways upstream. The water was deep enough here that she and her friends would jump off the cliffs into the river. Those had been the days when her husband had been her boyfriend and had promised her the world.

She sighed wistfully, as the bittersweet memories washed over her.

The summer after high school she’d married local football hero Jeff Duncan. She’d believed his promise. She’d believed him.

How innocent she’d been...

She and Jeff had escaped their small-town life for the city of Tacoma, Washington. He’d been her hero, both personally, as the love of her life and the father of her child, and professionally, as a highly decorated police officer. But nothing had been as it seemed.

Now eight years later, she was back home in Wyoming. A widow, raising her son and caring for her elderly father.

Oh, and let’s not forget, licking her wounds. She hadn’t even known until after the funeral that her marriage had been a sham. That Jeff hadn’t been the man she thought he was.

Never again would she fall for charm and slick promises.

She shook her hands as if somehow the motion would relieve the restlessness that seemed to plague her these days.

“But I want to catch a fish,” Charlie grumbled. Sunlight reflected off the water and lightened the blue of his eyes, shaped exactly like his father’s. She could see Jeff in the jut of Charlie’s chin as well. Only on Charlie it looked good, not arrogant, the way it had on Jeff.

Okay, she was being uncharitable. There’d been a time when she’d loved her late husband. When he’d been everything to her. But that was before.

Alicia sighed and ruffled Charlie’s thick dark hair, which he got from her gene pool. They’d been out fishing for over an hour without even a nibble. In the world of fishing, an hour was nothing, but with a three-year-old it was more than enough. So much for trout for dinner tonight. “I know, sweetie. They don’t seem to be biting today.”

She reeled in the lure on the fishing rod she’d borrowed from her father’s collection. A fat worm still dangled from the hook. “How about we call it a day and treat ourselves to rainbow sherbet?”

“Yay! Sherbet.” Charlie swung his legs in anticipation. His rubber boots slapped against the rock. She helped her little boy to his feet. He stood with his back to the water. She kept a hand on his shoulder in case he took a step backward.

The sound of a powerboat echoed off the walls of the stone cliffs rising up on the far side of the river. A boat, traveling downstream, rounded the bend into the mouth of the canyon. Alicia didn’t pay the noise any attention as she gathered their fishing gear.

The motor sputtered to a halt. Silence echoed off the walls of stone. She glanced up to see a sleek, fiberglass sport boat floating in the middle of the river.

That was a little odd. The boat looked more like one used for waterskiing, not fishing.

A large man lifted a slim woman into his arms. Her head fell back, her long red hair cascaded in loose waves over the side of the boat and her arms hung limp at her sides. Was she asleep?

At this distance, about the length of a football field, Alicia couldn’t tell. She frowned as her pulse sped up. What was he doing with the woman?

Without hesitation the man tossed the woman into the water. Her body splashed and then disappeared beneath the surface.

Alicia gasped and held her breath. Unwilling to believe what she’d just seen, she prayed the woman would come bursting to the surface. She didn’t.

Shock punched Alicia in the stomach. She took a deep breath, and then another. She’d just witnessed a murder. Or rather, the woman was probably already dead and the man was disposing of her body.

A cold shiver of fear slithered down Alicia’s spine. She glanced at Charlie, who studied a bug crawling on a nearby rock, and was grateful to realize he hadn’t witnessed the horrifying scene.

When she returned her gaze to the boat, the killer shaded his eyes and locked his gaze on hers.

“Oh, no,” Alicia breathed out in a panic.

The powerboat’s engine roared to life, spurring Alicia into action. Her and Charlie’s only chance was to get to the shelter of the forest along the riverbank and make their way to the marina, about a half mile away. She knew this part of the river like the back of her hand. She and her school friends had spent almost every summer day along the shores of the Blackthorn River.

“Charlie, we need to go,” she urged. “Now.”

“Why, Mommy?”

This was one time she couldn’t explain her rationale. She hated when parents of the kids she taught gave their kids commands without explaining the reasons why the child needed to comply. “Because I said so” wasn’t an acceptable form of communication in Alicia’s book.

But right now she didn’t have the mental or emotional wherewithal to use her words, let alone explain that she’d just witnessed a man dump a woman into the river and now said man was coming after them. She needed Charlie to do as she asked. “Charlie, please, do as I ask. Get up.”

She glanced over her shoulder. The sport boat was closing the distance. Was that a gun the man held in his hand?

Terror fastened around her throat like a noose. Please, Lord, protect us!

She hooked her hobo bag with one hand, slipped the strap over her shoulder to hang across her body and grabbed Charlie around the waist with her other arm and drew him to her chest, using her own body as a shield against the man with the gun.

“Mommy!” Charlie protested. “Too tight.”

“Sorry, honey,” she muttered but didn’t lessen her hold as she stepped carefully off the rock, leaving behind the fishing gear. Dad would be irritated, but she didn’t have the time to grab the poles and tackle box. She’d have to come back later, when it was safe.

She slipped slightly in the soft dirt along the shore, but the bottoms of her boots dug in and kept her upright. She was thankful she’d worn her hiking boats instead of the deck shoes she’d almost put on this morning. With the roar of the powerboat drawing closer, she ran into the woods and headed south. There wasn’t a clear trail, but she didn’t hesitate. She knew her way around these woods and just hoped whoever was on the boat didn’t.

The sudden quiet sent a fresh swell of terror hurtling through her. Had the man reached the shore? Behind her, something crashed through the forest. A loud pop and a thud in the tree to her right startled her. Debris spit from the tree trunk. The killer was shooting at them!

Using every ounce of strength she possessed, she forced her legs to pump faster. She zigzagged through the trees and scrub brush. Jeff had always said a moving target was harder to hit, especially an erratic one.

“Hang on to me, Charlie,” she said softly as she hunkered down, trying to make them as small a target as possible.

She broke through the trees to the marina’s gravel parking lot. She ran down the parking lane, intending to head straight to the boathouse for help. But her car was right there. The forceful thought to get away, to put as much distance between her and the killer, pounded inside her head.

She jammed her hand into her hobo bag, and her fingers curled around her key fob. She pressed the button that unlocked the doors and ducked behind a car parked two spaces from her own white all-wheel-drive hatchback. She needed to catch her breath. To think.

Charlie’s hands grasped her face. “Scared, Mommy.”

“Yes, I know, sweetie. A bad man is after us.” Staring into her son’s trusting gaze, Alicia vowed she’d do whatever it took to keep her son safe. “So I need you to be very quiet, okay?”

The skidding of feet on the gravel echoed through the still air. The killer had reached the parking lot. She shuddered with dread.

Please, let him think we went to the boathouse, Alicia prayed.

She scooted closer to the car so that her feet were blocked by the tires in case he looked beneath the undercarriages of the row of vehicles hoping to pinpoint where they were. Terror ricocheted through her and she held her breath. As if sensing her fear, Charlie buried his face in the side of her neck and grabbed fistfuls of her shirt.

Listening intently, she made out the crunch of heavy steps on the loose rock as the killer moved closer. She tilted her head and closed her eyes. He was coming down the lane to her right. Adjusting her grip on Charlie, she edged to the left and around the back of the vehicle.

In a low crouch, she risked sprinting to the rear end of the next vehicle. She pressed her back to the tailgate of a truck and waited. After a moment, she darted to her car. Carefully, she opened the back passenger door far enough for her and Charlie to climb inside.

Pulling the door closed but not latching it for fear the click would alert the killer, she squatted awkwardly on the floor and set Charlie on the seat. She quickly undid his life vest and set it aside. “Charlie, I need you to get into your seat and buckle up, okay?”

He nodded solemnly, his eyes big and his lower lip quivering. She hated scaring him like this, but there was nothing to be done. They needed to get away.

She stayed crouched behind the driver’s seat until he was secured in his car seat. She grabbed the life vest and pressed it to his chest. “Hold on to this, okay?”

It wouldn’t stop a bullet but she had nothing else to provide a barrier.

Taking a deep breath, she squeezed herself across the middle console and climbed into the driver’s seat. She slunk down in the seat and could barely see over the dashboard. Adrenaline surged as she saw the back of the killer’s head as he lumbered toward the boathouse. She hesitated with her hand on the key in the ignition. The second she fired up the engine, he’d know where they were.

When the killer reached the boathouse and disappeared inside, she sprang into action. She started the car, threw the gearshift into Reverse and stepped on the gas. Heart in her throat, she barely managed to brake before hitting the car parked in the opposite space. She spun the wheel, put the vehicle into Drive and stomped her foot on the gas pedal. The car tires spun and found traction, and they hurtled forward.

The killer ran out of the boathouse with the gun aimed at the car. Alicia sucked in a quick breath and took a sharp turn at the end of the lane. She sped toward the main road, which would take her into town and to the police station.

Up ahead one of the three traffic lights turned red. She took her foot off the gas, letting the car slow, and glanced in the rearview mirror. A big 4x4 truck barreled out of the marina parking lot and raced toward her.

Her breath hitched. She looked in both directions for oncoming traffic. Seeing that it was safe, she gunned the accelerator. The car shot forward through the intersection. She hung a quick right on Elm Street, then a sharp left on Cedar Drive, hoping that the killer wouldn’t be able to track her. Racing down Cedar, she hooked another right on Evergreen Avenue. Up ahead the new brick building of Settler’s Valley police station was a beacon of sanctuary.

The squeal of tires behind her sent a chill of terror over her flesh. The killer’s truck rounded the corner and roared down the street after her. She gripped the steering wheel so tight that her hands ached.

Only a few more feet to safety. She laid her hand on the horn in an effort to attract attention. She lifted a prayer to God that someone inside the building would hear the commotion and come out to investigate.

Because surely, the killer wouldn’t risk doing something to her and Charlie within plain sight of the police station, would he?

* * *

Leo and True slipped through the ground-floor doors of the FBI’s Tactical K-9 Unit headquarters in Billings, Montana.

His boss, Max West, had called for a team meeting, pulling Leo and True in from a morning run. His T-shirt was damp with sweat and his running shoes were silent on the concrete floor. He hoped this powwow meant some news about Jake.

Leo left True in the care of one of the dog trainers, then scrubbed a hand over his bristled jaw as he took the stairs. He’d hardly slept in the week since Jake went missing. They’d had no word on his whereabouts. The silence and lack of information concerned him deeply. For the millionth time, Leo prayed that his buddy was alive and that the team would find him.

The six-story brick building was the unit’s base of operations, but at any moment each team member could be deployed to any crime scene in any state in the country. That was how they’d ended up in that Los Angeles warehouse a week ago.

The K-9 unit consisted of the training facility on the ground floor, while the second floor housed the agents’ offices and computer tech center. The other floors were occupied by a variety of government officials. Both the training center and the presence of other governmental employees helped to disguise the team’s covert operations.

Stopping by his desk in the bull pen, Leo shrugged off his lightweight jacket and hung it over the back of his desk chair. He checked for messages in his inbox on his FBI-issued laptop, flagged a couple to return to later, then headed to the communications center. Pausing in the doorway, he noticed the team wasn’t gathered there. There was only Dylan O’Leary, the computer genius. “Hey.”

Dylan spun from the bank of computer monitors to grin at him. His spiky, sandy-blond hair and dark-framed glasses screamed techno geek while his loud Hawaiian shirt over his official FBI Tactical K-9 Unit polo made it clear he was a man with a sense of humor. “How’s it going, Leo?”

“Going.” Leo leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb. “You?”

Dylan sighed and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I miss Zara, but Radar and I are doing okay. We’re getting along.”

Leo was glad to hear his fiancée’s dog wasn’t giving him trouble. Zara was at Quantico, training to be an official FBI agent so that she could come back and officially join the team. “Where is everyone?”

“The debriefing room.”

Leo chuckled. In other words, the kitchen. “You coming?”

Dylan turned back to his computer monitors. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Leo left Dylan to his gadgets and headed into the large open area of the “debriefing” space. Along the far wall was a state-of-the-art kitchen, complete with oven, stovetop and fridge, all in stainless steel. A bank of windows provided natural light and an extra-large monitor hung on the wall near the door.

A long hand-carved wooden table with bench seats dominated the middle of the room. The team was already seated and munching on fruit platters and trays of pastries from Petrov Bakery, a favorite with all the agents.

Max stood at the coffee machine, making himself a latte. He glanced up and tipped his chin at Leo. He was a tall man with short blond hair and a ragged scar on one side of his face. “The gang’s all here.”

Not quite. Jake was missing.

The familiar burn of guilt ate at Leo, killing any appetite he might have had. He straddled the end of the closest bench next to Ian Slade. The tall, muscular agent cracked a joke that had Harper Prentiss and Julianne Martinez and the team’s general assistant, Christy Burton, laughing. As usual, the good-humored Ian was charming the ladies.

Max moved to the head of the table and sat. “Where are we with the Dupree case?”

“Reginald Dupree isn’t talking,” Harper replied. “He’s lawyered up and so have his henchmen. The US district attorney is spitting mad about it.”

“Angus Dupree escaped—we assume on the helicopter,” Timothy Ramsey, a junior agent, added. He sat across the table from Leo between Harper and another junior agent, Nina Atkins.

“And Agent Morrow?” Max asked, his piercing blue eyes surveying his team. “Jake’s brother, Zeke, has been hounding me for answers. I don’t have any to give yet.”

Leo’s jaw tightened. It had to be tough for Zeke, thinking he’d never see his brother again. Jake had mentioned once he and his brother weren’t close and barely spoke, but still... Family was family.

“The press is also pestering me for a statement,” Christy said with a flip of her auburn hair. “I can’t keep them in the dark for much longer.”

“It’s been a week and no word,” Julianne said, her voice soft. No doubt she was thinking Jake was dead. Leo wouldn’t accept that.

“Angus took Jake,” Leo stated. “We know that. We tested the blood we found at the scene. It was Jake’s.”

Ian swiveled toward Leo. “Why would they take him?”

“For leverage. To get information out of him.” Leo couldn’t help the growl in his voice. He should have had Jake’s and Buddy’s backs.

“Angus might use Jake to reduce Reginald’s sentence,” Harper added.

Ian shook his head, his normal good humor disappearing as he sobered. “If Angus was going to use him, he’d have done so by now, right?”

“Jake has intimate knowledge of our investigation into the Duprees,” Harper said. “He knows that we have Esme Dupree stashed away in witness protection, ready to testify against her brother.”

“But Jake doesn’t have access to Esme’s whereabouts,” Ian pointed out.

Dylan stepped into the room carrying a computer device. “Hey, guys, I received an alert on a crime I think you might want to hear about.” He tapped some keys on his console. “A witness in Settler’s Valley, Wyoming, claims to have seen a man dumping a body into the Blackthorn River. By the description, it sounds like the victim could be Esme Dupree.”

Leo’s stomach muscles clenched. Could the report from Wyoming be true? Had a witness seen Esme Dupree’s dead body? Without Esme, their case would fall apart. “Is the witness reliable?”

“The Settler’s Valley police chief thinks so,” Dylan replied. “A schoolteacher named Alicia Duncan. She saw the killer, who she claims shot at her and her three-year-old son.”

Leo’s breath caught in his throat. A child. Memories assaulted him. He fought them back with the practice of over two decades. He focused his gaze on his boss. “We’ll go. True is the only dog qualified for the task.” True’s specialty was Water Search and Detection.

Max’s eyebrows hitched upward. “Good point. Leo, you and True make your way to Wyoming. I’ll call the US Marshals to verify they haven’t lost our witness. Dylan, contact the nearest SAR team that has a qualified diver and send them to Settler’s Valley. Also get everything you can about this new witness to Leo, as well as any info you can get on the supposed killer.”

“On it.” Dylan pivoted and exited as quickly as he’d arrived.

By the time Leo had showered and changed into khakis and a black, long-sleeve polo shirt with the FBI logo on the breast pocket, Dylan had a dossier on Alicia Duncan ready.

After he had True secured in his special compartment of the official K-9 unit SUV, he flipped through the file on the witness, getting the basics. She seemed legit. A widowed schoolteacher with a young child living with her father. Not some attention-seeking nutcase wasting his time. Leo placed the folder on the passenger seat and set off for Settler’s Valley, Wyoming. He’d interview the witness and then take True to the river. If there was truly a body to be found, True would find the victim. He always did.

TWO

“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Charlie whined. “I want sherbet.”

“Me, too, honey.” Stomach cramping with hunger, Alicia smoothed back Charlie’s dark hair as he bent over the coloring book one of the female officers had scrounged up along with a box of crayons. Three hours had passed since she’d come blazing through the police station doors with Charlie in her arms.

The police chief, Dwayne Jarrett, was a friend of her father’s and had escorted her to his office, where he listened to her nearly hysterical account of what she’d seen and that the killer was after her and Charlie.

She wasn’t sure Dwayne had believed her until he’d gone outside to move her car off the lawn, where she’d left it parked near the front entrance, and seen the bullet hole in the back bumper. After that he’d taken her seriously. Like her word hadn’t been enough.

She sighed with frustration and glanced out the office window. The bull pen was filled with officers busy doing whatever they did. She’d spied a vending machine on the way in. Tired of waiting, she decided to take action. “How about we go see if we can find something to eat or drink.”

Hitching her bag over her shoulder, she rose and held out her hand to Charlie. He set aside his crayon and clasped her hand. His tiny fingers curled through hers and love for this little precious gift from God exploded in her chest. She had many regrets about her marriage, but Charlie wasn’t one of them.

She opened the office door, and they slipped out into the hall. She bought raisins and apple juice from the vending machine then ducked into the restroom. After freshening up, they returned to the chief’s office. She’d expected it to be empty, so she was a bit discombobulated to find the chief sitting behind his desk and another man taking up a good portion of the small space.

He had short blond hair and wide shoulders beneath a jacket with the acronym of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the back. What was the FBI doing here?

Chief Jarrett leaned to the side to see her around the other man. “There you are.”

The federal agent turned. Alicia sucked in a sharp breath. The man had the greenest eyes she’d ever seen, and they assessed her from head to toe with an inscrutable expression that made her want to fiddle with her hair. She straightened to her full height of five-ten. She was so done with being intimidated by men, especially law-enforcement types.

Next to the agent sat a handsome chocolate-colored Labrador attached to a leash held loosely in the agent’s hand. The dog tilted his head at them as if he, too, was assessing her and Charlie.

“Doggy!” Charlie pulled on her hand, trying to escape from her grasp, but she held on tight, not sure how good an idea it would be for her son to launch himself at a K-9 dog.

“No, sweetie. The dog is working.”

The agent’s eyes flared with obvious surprise, and then an appreciative gleam shone through the sharp emerald-colored gaze. “It’s okay. True won’t bite him.”

“True. That’s an interesting name,” Alicia murmured, still reluctant to release Charlie’s hand. “We’ll not bother the dog.”

Jarrett gestured to the fed. “Agent Leo Gallagher is with an elite K-9 investigation team for the Bureau. He would like to ask you some questions.”

A gentle smile curved the corners of Agent Gallagher’s mouth and her heart did a funny little move she’d never experienced before. What was that about?

“Ms. Duncan, please have a seat.” He flicked his hand toward the place she and Charlie had recently vacated.

Staunchly ignoring her inner reaction, she lifted her chin. “I’ll stand, thank you.”

She settled Charlie back in the chair and opened the goodies for him to munch on. Though his attention was clearly on the dog, she remained a barrier between them. Despite the agent’s assurance that his canine wouldn’t bite, she refused to risk it.

Aware that she was making the agent wait, she took a bracing breath before turning her attention back to the blond-haired fed. “I’ve already told the chief everything I can remember.”

Agent Gallagher held her gaze. “Yes, he’s shared your statement with me. I would like to hear it for myself.”

Her eyes darted to the chief. “I’d prefer not to explain in front of my son.”

Charlie didn’t need to hear the details now or ever. When she’d first arrived a female officer had taken Charlie aside for the few moments it had taken Alicia to explain to the chief what had happened.

Jarrett stood. “Alicia, Agent Gallagher will be taking the lead on this case. Come on, Charlie. Let’s take a walk.”

Alicia bit her bottom lip to keep from protesting. She didn’t like having Charlie out of her sight. But she could hardly protest given that the chief would protect her son. Not only because it was his job, but also because they were a close-knit community. The folks of Settler’s Valley took care of one another. The adage that it took a village was true for this small town.

After her mother’s death, the citizens had rallied around her father and made sure he’d had everything he needed. Alicia regretted she hadn’t been here at the time. But she was now, and she had every intention of making up for lost time.

When the chief and Charlie were gone, the agent hitched a hip on the edge of the desk. “Now, start from the beginning.”

The dog took his cue from his handler and lay down with his head on his paws.

“Fine.” Though the two officers might be relaxed, an anxious quiver ran through her. She fought to keep her voice even as she described what she’d witnessed on the river, the killer chasing after her and Charlie, the gunshots assailing them, and finally ending up at the police station.

The agent’s stoic expression never wavered. “The truck was reported stolen from the marina a half hour ago.”

“That makes sense,” she said. “He’d come from upriver.”

“If you sat with a forensic artist, would you be able to give a detailed description of the suspect?”

Acid churned in her tummy as she recalled the man’s face. “Oh, yes. I doubt I’ll forget his image anytime soon.” She shuddered. “Dark, cold eyes. He had a shaved head. Not tall, but bulky.”

“I’ll send for an artist. Did your son see the man as well?”

“No, thankfully.”

“That’s a blessing,” the agent murmured.

Was this man a believer or was he using the word as a nicety as some people did? “It is a blessing from God. A huge one.”

Something flickered in his eyes before his expression turned all-business again. “The woman you saw go into the water... Did you get a look at her face?”

“No. I only saw her long red hair and her limp body.” She shivered at the horrible memory.

“Would you be able to pinpoint where the body went into the water?”

“Of course, Agent Gallagher. I’m surprised the police haven’t already gone out to drag the river.”

“Call me Leo. Settler’s Valley isn’t necessarily equipped for that. A diver is on his way from Sheridan. I’d like you to go with us to the scene of the crime. My partner and I will find the body so the diver can bring her up. True’s a trained water-search dog.”

Doubt made her voice quiver. “But it’s been hours. The woman is at the bottom of the river. It’s deep in the canyon.”

“The woman’s body will give off gases and liquids that True will pick up.”

She swallowed back the bile rising up. This was one of the many ugly sides of police work. “I can’t leave Charlie.”

“He seems to be in good hands with the chief.”

“Wouldn’t the chief want to be at the river when they bring up the victim?”

He arched an eyebrow. “You heard the chief—I’m taking the lead on this case.”

Not liking his superior tone, she lifted her chin. “Why? What does a small-town murder have to do with the feds?”

He pressed his lips together and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “I can’t divulge the details of the case, Ms. Duncan.” He held open the door. “Shall we?”

She hated being left in the dark. Irritation spread through her chest. She preceded the agent out of the office, determined to get this over with so she and her son could resume their quiet life without murder, mayhem and too-handsome federal agents with secrets to muddy the waters.

* * *

Leo brought his vehicle to a halt in the gravel parking lot behind the Blackthorn River marina. He glanced at the woman beside him as she stared straight ahead in stony silence. Alicia Duncan had a nice profile, a straight nose, with high cheekbones. Her long, wavy dark hair hung over her slim shoulders. She wore a light pink tank top and jean capris with hiking boots. Very earthy.

Nothing like any of the schoolteachers he’d had as a kid. From the dossier he’d read, he knew she’d grown up in Settler’s Valley but had lived in Tacoma, Washington, for the better part of a decade.

She popped open the passenger door, but before she could step out, he laid a hand on her arm. “Wait for me and True.”

She met his gaze and blinked, the pupils of her bright blue eyes a bit too large, indicating she hadn’t fully recovered from her earlier ordeal. Leo would imagine the pretty single mom had never been shot at before, nor ever had to run for her life.

Leo hated that she and her son had had to witness such evil and be put in danger. But while he was on the case, he wouldn’t let anything happen to them.

He gave her arm what he hoped would be a reassuring pat before he climbed out of his SUV and released True from the compartment in the back. The Lab sniffed the air, his tail stiffening, his ears forward and his mouth closed—all signs that he was detecting something of interest to him, but not yet a threat.

No doubt he could smell or hear the rushing of the river, which told him they were about to go to work.

Leo walked around to the passenger side and opened Alicia’s door. She gave him a tight smile as she slipped out of the vehicle. A police cruiser parked beside them and two officers stepped out.

“I’m Officer Jenkins and this is Officer Reynolds,” the older of the two officers said, introducing himself and his partner. “The chief said we’re to stick close to Ms. Duncan.”

Leo nodded and shook the men’s hands. “Much appreciated.”

Alicia hung back with her arms down at her sides, but there was no mistaking the tension pinching the corners of her mouth.

They didn’t have to wait long before a white truck with the Sheridan police department logo on the side turned into the parking lot. It was towing an aluminum flat-bow boat sporting an electric trolling motor to allow them to move slowly through the water while True searched the surface for scents.

The driver pulled next to their vehicles and rolled down his window. He had a craggy face that had spent a lot of time in the sun. Dark eyes regarded them beneath black winged brows. He wore a cowboy hat pulled low over his ears. “Agent Gallagher?”

Leo stepped over. “I’m Gallagher. You’re Craig Sampson?”

“Yep, that’s me.” His gaze shifted to True. “He’s a handsome fellow.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll put in and then you and your dog can come aboard.”

“My witness will show us where she saw the body go in.”

Craig glanced over at Alicia. “I don’t have room for the pretty lady and the officers.”

“They’ll stay on land. She was upriver fishing from shore, so she’ll lead the officers through the woods to the spot.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Craig rolled up the window and drove to the ramp, where he made a wide arc and then backed the boat into the water.

Leo turned to Alicia and the officers. “Ms. Duncan, I’ll need you to lead Officers Jenkins and Reynolds to where you and Charlie were fishing. We’ll head upstream with our diver and meet you there.”

“I can do that,” she said. She squared her shoulders. “This way, gentlemen.”

She strode away, forcing the two officers to hustle to keep up. Leo couldn’t stop the slight smile curving his lips. The woman may have been rattled and afraid earlier, but she was doing a bang-up job of pushing through to get the job done. He admired grit like that.

True started after Alicia. Leo whistled, bringing the dog to heel. “We’re taking to the water, boy.” He grabbed the necessary equipment from the back of the SUV and they headed to the boat ramp.

Once they were settled in the boat, True took his position standing at the bow, his official FBI K-9 life vest around his torso and Leo, with matching life vest, sitting on the middle transom. Craig fired up the boat. He’d pulled on a dry dive suit that covered him from head to toe, leaving only an oval for his face.

They puttered away from the marina and headed upstream. Anticipation and dread twisted in Leo’s chest. He didn’t want the body to be Esme Dupree. She’d witnessed her brother murdering one of his associates and had agreed to testify against him. And since the other Dupree sister, Violetta, who was clean as far as they could discover, had refused to cooperate, the FBI’s case against Reginald Dupree hinged on Esme’s testimony.

But whoever the poor woman was at the bottom of the river, her loved ones deserved justice for her murder.

They rounded a bend in the river, where the landscape on the right side of the river changed abruptly from wooded terrain to towering cliffs of sediment and stone. On the left side, the woods thinned and gave way to boulders that gradually rose to another steep cliff.

Leo shaded his eyes and scanned the shore, immediately spotting Alicia and the two officers standing on a smooth outcropping of rocks.

“Head over there,” Leo instructed Craig.

When they were within shouting distance of the rocks, Leo noticed fishing poles and a tackle box. This must have been where Alicia and her son had been when they’d seen the killer.

Alicia pointed upstream and yelled, “He came from that direction and stopped about three hundred and sixty feet straight out from here.” She gestured to the rocks beneath her feet.

“That’s helpful and gives us a place to start.” Leo stared, admiring the pretty lady. Her hair lifted slightly in the wind that had kicked up. Sunlight reflected in her piercing blue eyes. “You and the officers can head back to the station.” He didn’t want her here to see the body when they found the victim.

Alicia shook her head. “I want to make sure she’s found. Someone has to stand up for her.”

Respecting her decision, he saluted her then turned to Craig. “You heard the lady.”

Craig slowly turned the boat toward the middle of the river. True stood on the bow, his head up, gaze alert. Leo tuned in to the dog’s nuances the farther away from shore they traveled. He documented the time and distance from land on the notepad he carried. They circled the area where Alicia had pointed. True showed no signs of alerting.

“Head downstream,” Leo instructed Craig.

Since the body hadn’t been weighted down, it most likely had been swept along by the river’s current. Craig zigzagged the boat from one shore to the other, moving farther and farther away from the spot. Leo wondered if maybe the suspect had come back and removed the woman’s body. Frustration curled in his stomach.

Then True shifted. He licked his lips and shuffled his paws, clear signs he was picking up a scent. Leo’s pulse jumped. The dog’s tail went down as he craned his neck, dipping his nose toward the water. He pivoted, and then leaned over the starboard side. Keeping his snout at the surface of the water, True walked the length of the boat and stepped easily over the bench seat.

Anticipation revving through him, Leo gestured for Craig to make a slow turn. True retraced his steps, barking an alert. He scratched and nipped at the water. Knowing the animal had scent glands in the roof of his mouth, Leo interpreted these actions as the sign this was the spot.

“Good boy.” Leo grasped True’s life vest to keep the dog from jumping in.

Leo nodded at Craig, who shut off the motor, then strapped on a buoyance compensator, his mask and oxygen tank. The man sat on the side of the boat and fell backward into the water. True barked and lunged for the water. Leo continued to hold him back.

“No, boy,” Leo said, adjusting his grip on True. “We’re staying here.”

Leo and True both watched the surface of the river. Leo pulled on latex gloves in anticipation of handling the body and prepared the large, waterproof plastic body bag. His gaze darted back to the shore, where Alicia stood sentinel on the rocks, flanked by the two officers.

She held her head up and her shoulders back like a fierce warrior. She was tall and so very appealing. He admired her commitment to being a voice for the victim. Most people would want to bail the second they could. Not Alicia. He liked that about her.

Bubbles rose as Craig broke through the surface. In his arms he held a red-haired woman. Anxiety curled through Leo. He gave True the command to lie down so he could help Craig bring the woman’s inert body onto the boat and into the body bag. Smoothing back a chunk of matted hair, Leo inhaled sharply then let out his breath in a swoosh.

It wasn’t Esme. They still had their prime witness in the Dupree case. But there was enough of a resemblance that for a moment he’d thought the worst. And though Esme was still alive, sorrow welled within him because this woman wasn’t.

Now he had the difficult task of identifying the victim and informing the family.

He took his cell phone from his pocket and called Chief Jarrett, who promised to send the coroner to meet them at the marina. The coroner would take possession of the body and then call in a forensic pathologist to do an autopsy.

Leo then called headquarters. The team’s general assistant immediately answered. “FBI Tactical K-9 Unit, Christy Burton speaking.”

“It’s Leo. Is Max available?”

“Good afternoon, Leo. He’s on another line talking to the US Marshals. Is this urgent or can he call you back?”

There wasn’t much Max could do from headquarters, so not urgent. “Tell him to call me. I found what we were looking for.”

“I’ll tell him.” Christy signed off and Leo tucked his phone back in his pocket.

Before he could zip the bag closed, Craig murmured, “There’s something pinned to her clothes.”

A baggie had indeed been pinned to the collar of her shirt. Leo had missed it at first because of her hair. And inside the baggie was a note, the words clearly visible through the plastic.

It’s not sisterly to snitch, Esme.

THREE

Alicia stood on the outcropping of rocks, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst from her chest. This spot held so many fun and cherished memories, but now...

Out on the river, Leo and the diver had pulled the victim from the water. Averting her gaze, Alicia sent up a prayer for the woman’s family. They would need God’s peace and comfort when they learned of their loved one’s demise. She hoped justice would be served. For both this woman’s sake, as well as for Alicia and Charlie’s safety. She couldn’t forget the man who’d done this, the one who’d shot at and chased after them and was still out there.

The boat carrying Leo, the diver and True motored downstream. Alicia watched them for a moment. Thoughts raced through her head. A feeling of uncertainty flowed through her.

Agent Gallagher glanced back and waved. She automatically raised her hand in response, signaling what, she wasn’t sure. See you later? A job well done?

They’d found the victim and would be able to give the woman’s family closure. That had to be worth something in the grand scheme of things. It hurt Alicia’s heart that anyone should have to die at the hands of another.

Her thoughts turned to her late husband, Jeff. Had he realized in those moments after being shot while on duty that he was leaving this world? Had he found himself regretting the less honorable things in his life? Of the sweet little boy they’d made together, Charlie? Had he thought of her?

She closed her eyes and willed the hurt and pain to dissipate.

“We should meet Agent Gallagher at the marina,” Officer Jenkins said in a gentle tone, forcing her to focus on the here and now.

“Will you grab the tackle box?” Alicia picked up her and Charlie’s fishing poles. She had half expected them to be gone, taken by someone either hoping to add to their own collection, or who would turn them into the marina’s lost and found. Lots of people used the rocks to fish, but apparently not today.

A part of her wished she and Charlie hadn’t been there. She couldn’t quiet the unease inside her, but if that had been the case, no one would have known about the woman. Sighing, she knew she would have to trust God that she was where she was supposed to be today. He’d seen her through so much. She couldn’t forget that now.

Ever so slowly, she and the two officers made their way through the trees and underbrush. She stopped by the tree where the killer’s bullet had taken out a chunk of the bark and shivered. Pointing at the hole, she said, “The killer shot at us here.”

Officer Reynolds took a picture of the hole in the tree with his phone. He did some pointing of his own. “See these gouges?”

She nodded.

“The assailant must have come back and dug out the bullet,” he observed. “But we have the one from your car, which unfortunately didn’t yield any clue to the suspect’s identity.”

They continued onward.

A careful killer. Would he see her as a detail to be eliminated?

Fear scratched at her mind, making her stumble over a root in the ground. She had to stay focused. The last thing she needed was to twist an ankle or worse.

She sent up a grateful prayer that Charlie hadn’t seen the man. However, the killer couldn’t know that. She hoped, prayed, the man wouldn’t consider Charlie a threat. A three-year-old wouldn’t make for a reliable witness.

Alicia led the way toward the gravel parking lot. They were only a few feet from clearing the forest when a noise sounded to the right that made the hairs on her arms rise. She darted behind a tree, trying to make herself as invisible as possible.

Officer Jenkins withdrew his sidearm. “It could be anything. A bear or an elk.”

Or a killer tracking her movements.

Paranoid much? The killer wouldn’t risk capture by sticking around, would he?

“Let’s hustle,” Officer Reynolds advised as he cupped her elbow and increased their pace.

They broke through the forest onto the gravel lot. With the two officers flanked on either side of her, they made their way to the marina at a fast clip.

The county coroner was already at the boat launch as the boat carrying Leo, True, the diver and the corpse arrived. Alicia and her escorts hung back as the body was loaded into the back of the coroner’s van. Both officers were twitchy, their sharp-eyed gazes returning to the woods as if they expected something or someone to come barreling out of the forest.

Alicia kept the agent’s SUV between her and the edge of the forest as a shield, just in case. She was all Charlie had left. He and her father needed her in one piece and breathing.

Leo shook hands with the diver and then, with True at his heels, he walked toward Alicia. There was a grimness to the set of his mouth and a tension in his wide shoulders that hadn’t been there before he’d gone out on the river.

“Thank you, Ms. Duncan, for your help today,” he said. “Having you point out the victim’s body’s location saved us time. I’m hopeful the forensics will lead us to her killer.”

“I pray so,” she murmured. “That man can’t be allowed to get away with this crime.”

Leo’s green eyes darkened. “He won’t.”

There was a world of determination and conviction in his husky tone that made Alicia suspect Agent Leo Gallagher was the type of man who never quit once he was on a case. For the victim’s sake, she appreciated that trait in the man.

Jenkins caught Leo’s attention. “Sir, can I talk to you a moment?”

Leo nodded and the two men stepped away, but not far enough that she couldn’t hear the officer telling Leo about the scare they’d had in the woods. Alicia wasn’t sure why the officer felt the need to leave her out of the conversation. She’d been there, too. She’d heard the unsettling noise. She just wanted to go back to the police station, grab Charlie and head home to the ranch.

Leo shook hands with Jenkins and Reynolds before they climbed into their cruiser.

“Let’s get you to your son,” Leo said as he held open the passenger door of his SUV.

Grateful to him for understanding her unspoken desire to return to Charlie, she whispered, “Thank you. I worry.”

“Of course you do. That’s what moms are supposed to do, right?”

Something in his tone caught her attention as she climbed into the passenger seat. While Leo and True took their places in the SUV, she struggled to reason out the note of...not sarcasm but resentment, maybe. Hmm. It was subtle but there. She’d learned to hear the subtext in words and voices as a teacher. Doing so had helped her detect a case of child abuse at her last school.

However, she curbed her curiosity about Agent Gallagher. Whatever his issues were, they were his and she had no desire to get roped into any type of relationship with the man, even if only one of sympathy. In less than an hour she’d be on her way home, and Leo would no longer be in her life.

“What did you hear in the woods?” he asked, surprising her.

She shrugged, hoping to come across as nonchalant. “Movement. But it could have been any number of things. The forests are home to many different animals both large and small.”

He slanted her a quick glance then returned his gaze to the road. “You weren’t alarmed?”

Her mouth twisted in a wry smile. “I didn’t say that. After what I witnessed today, being a bit jumpy is understandable.”

“Yes, it is understandable. I have to say you’re handling everything remarkably well.”

“Thanks. My late husband was a cop. I think maybe that has something to do with it.”

“My condolences on your husband’s death. From the sounds of it, he was a hero.”

She arched her eyebrows and ignored the comment about her husband being a hero. For Charlie’s sake, she wouldn’t ever dispute the assumption. She wanted him to be proud of his father. She hoped her son never learned the truth about the kind of man Jeff had truly been. “From the sounds of it? Did you do a background check on me?”

“I wouldn’t be a very good investigator if I didn’t do my homework,” Leo replied evenly.

“Right. Of course.” She shouldn’t be surprised. For all he knew, she could be a nutcase wanting attention by claiming to have witnessed a murder.

Still, it made her feel vulnerable to know he had information about her that she hadn’t shared with him. Was there a file on her? What did it say? Was her and Jeff’s dirty laundry listed in the file? She shuddered as she did anytime she thought about Jeff’s cheating and lying.

They arrived at the police station, and Alicia didn’t wait for Leo and True, but jumped out the second the SUV halted and hurried inside. She found Charlie with the chief’s wife, Lynette Jarrett. The silver-haired woman was reading a book to her son in the chief’s office.

Lynette smiled warmly at her as Alicia stopped in the doorway. “Here’s your mommy,” she said to Charlie.

“Mommy!” He jumped down from the chair to wrap his arms around her legs. “I missed you.”

Love tore through her heart and she scooped him up into her arms. “I missed you, too, bug.” He laid his head on her shoulder. Over his head, Alicia smiled at Lynette. “Thank you. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble for you to come to the station. I’m surprised the chief dragged you over here.”

Lynette rose and touched Charlie’s back. “Dwayne didn’t drag me. I called to see how his day was going, and he said he was watching your little one. I had to come. I haven’t seen my grandbabies in a while, and I was needing some little-boy time.” She picked up a sack from the floor. “I brought books and treats. We were well entertained.”

Grateful to the older woman, Alicia said, “I appreciate you keeping him busy.”

“Of course. How’s your father?”

“He’s doing okay. Ornery and not wanting to do as the doctor tells him to keep his blood pressure under control. His diet is horrible. He’s worse than a three-year-old when it comes to eating his veggies.”

Lynette laughed. “Disguise them. It worked with my kids and grandkids.”

“I will.” Alicia glanced down and realized Charlie had fallen asleep in her arms. She needed to get him home.

Leo stepped into the office with Chief Jarrett.

“Agent Gallagher,” Jarrett said, “this is my wife, Lynette. Lynette, Agent Gallagher is from the FBI and is helping on a case.”

Lynette’s smile widened. “Well, that’s special. I don’t think I’ve heard of the FBI visiting our small slice of life here. I hope you’ll find Settler’s Valley to your liking.”

Leo blinked, clearly not sure how to take the older woman’s words. “I’m only here until this case is solved. The town is quaint, though.” He turned to Alicia. “Are you ready?”

She tucked in her chin. “For?”

“The chief said you live on the outskirts of town. True and I will escort you to make sure you arrive safely.”

“That’s not necessary,” she said. “It’s a twenty-minute ride at best. We’ll be fine.” She could just imagine what her father would think if she brought home a federal agent.

Leo’s jaw visibly tightened. “Yes, you will be fine. I’ll see to it.”

“No. You don’t have to do that.”

Chief Jarrett cleared his throat. “If you’re willing to wait an hour or so, I can have officers escort you, if you’d rather.”

Alicia whipped her gaze to the chief. She had no intention of staying here any longer than she absolutely needed to. “That’s not necessary. The killer is most likely long gone.” At least she prayed so.

“We can’t take that risk. He might come after you since he knows you’ve seen his face,” Leo stated in a firm voice.

“But I’ve already talked to the police, so what good would coming after me do?”

“He could eliminate you as a witness.”

Leo’s dire words sent fear cascading down her spine. She’d had that same thought earlier in the woods, but had dismissed it as paranoia. But realizing that the FBI agent and the police chief both thought she was still in danger had her heart pounding. Better to be safe than sorry, as the saying went. “All right. Agent Gallagher, you may follow us home.”

And she’d send him on his way once they were safely back at the ranch.

* * *

Leo kept the SUV a couple of car lengths from the tailgate of Alicia Duncan’s little all-wheel-drive sport vehicle as they headed away from the police station. The kid had fallen asleep in his mother’s arms. Leo had to admit the little boy was very cute. And so was Alicia. He liked her spunk. She may not have wanted an escort home, but she was smart enough to realize that she was still in danger.

It was slow going through town due to congestion. Cars and people were out as evening was setting in. The turn-of-the-century architecture gave the place a quaint feel though he’d noticed a new hospital complex on the way in. Settler’s Valley was nestled in the shadow of the Blackthorn Mountains, and the Blackthorn River flowed down the middle of town.

Several bridges connected the two sides, some for pedestrians, and others for vehicles. Alicia turned off the main drag, traveling away from the river and town. They cruised at fifty miles an hour on a flat stretch of asphalt that had fenced pastureland on either side of the two-lane road.

Having never been to Wyoming before, Leo took in the countryside. It was similar to nearby Montana, but there were distinct differences, too. Like the huge, brown bison walking along the side of the road. True barked at the creatures as they passed by five or six of them.

The terrain became more wooded the longer they drove. They passed several turnoffs marked by mailboxes. Gravel driveways led to far-off ranches that could barely be seen. What would it be like to reside so far from civilization?

Leo had lived and worked on a ranch in Kansas as a teen, but it hadn’t been that far from town. He’d been able to ride his bike back and forth to school and later college. Those had been the hardest and the best years of his life. If not for the ranch foreman, Ben Smith, Leo’s life would have followed a different path. A less productive one.

After a series of foster homes, he’d run away from the last one at age fourteen. He’d lived on the streets for two years before landing in Andale, Kansas, on the outskirts of Wichita. Population, nine hundred.

In a back alley behind a diner, Ben had found him scrounging through the garbage looking for something to eat. Ben had dragged him to the Crescent Ranch, where he put Leo to work mucking out stalls in exchange for food and board. Ben had been the one to insist Leo enroll in the local high school. And later to apply for college and scholarship money.

Leo’s gaze snagged on a dark-colored muscle car with tinted windows waiting at the end of a driveway. Not exactly the type of vehicle one would expect to see coming from a ranch. Leo figured a teenager was probably at the wheel. No adult male would purposely put such a sweet ride through the torture of a gravel drive.

As Alicia’s car approached the driveway, the muscle car’s headlights came on and its engine revved, the rumble unmistakable despite the fact Leo’s windows were rolled up. True reacted to the rumble with a series of frantic barks.

The nerves in Leo’s gut constricted. He pressed the accelerator, forcing the SUV to gain on Alicia’s smaller one. He was right on her tail.

“Brace yourself,” Leo called to the dog. Thankfully, the compartment housing True was compact and padded for the dog’s safety.

Alicia’s car crossed directly in front of the driveway. The muscle car’s tires spun and gravel flew as the vehicle charged forward, the driver’s intention clear. He was about to ram into her. Leo stomped on the gas and swerved around Alicia, putting his SUV between her and the muscle car. Leo tensed, bracing for impact.

The driver of the other vehicle jammed on his brakes, barely missing Leo’s SUV, as Leo and Alicia zipped past him.

Slowing to allow Alicia to pull in front of him again, Leo twisted the wheel, bringing the SUV into a 180-degree spin so that he now faced the assailant’s car. He hit the dash lights that set off the unmistakable police strobe. The muscle car peeled out, sending a tail of gravel flying through the air, and sped toward town. Leo hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand, torn between wanting to give chase and the need to protect Alicia and her son.

Decision made, he made another, slower U-turn and caught up to Alicia. He used the vehicle’s Bluetooth to call Chief Jarrett and reported the incident. Unfortunately, it had been too dark to make out the car’s license plate.

“I’ll have patrol officers searching for the car and driver. Keep Alicia and Charlie safe, Agent Gallagher,” Jarrett instructed with worry in his tone.

“Count on it.” Leo hung up and followed Alicia when she turned off onto a long gravel drive that led past rolling grass pastures populated with horses. A solid-looking log-and-brick house sat at the end of the drive, along with two other outbuildings and a large barn.

He drew the SUV to a halt beside Alicia’s smaller vehicle. She sat there not moving. Concern arced through him. He quickly got out and released True. The dog took a second to assess the area before racing off to a patch of grass.

Leo opened the driver’s side door of Alicia’s car. Her fingers were wrapped around the steering wheel and her breathing was shallow. Her long, wavy dark hair created a veil that blocked her face from his view. He touched her shoulder. “Alicia, it’s okay. You’re home. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

She leaned her head back against the headrest. “If you hadn’t been with us...”

“But I was,” he said gently. He held out his hand. “Let’s get Charlie inside.”

She peeled her fingers from the steering wheel and took Leo’s hand. Her skin was soft but cold as she curled her fingers around his. “Can you get him?”

He swallowed back the terror the request sent spiraling through him. Two decades had passed since he’d last held a child in his arms. The last one had been his little sister the day she died. Guilt clawed up his throat. He took a shuddering breath and opened the back passenger door.

After releasing the buckle on Charlie’s car seat, he cautiously lifted the sleeping boy into his arms, careful to keep the child’s leg from catching on the holstered gun at his waist, and held him close to his chest with one arm. His heart hurt but he pushed through the pain to wrap his free arm around Alicia to help her toward the front door. True trotted over and stayed at his side.

The front door opened before they could climb the four stairs to the porch. True growled and positioned himself in front of Leo.

A grizzled man with gray hair, dressed in a plaid flannel shirt, jeans and cowboy boots, stood there with a shotgun in his gnarled hands. No doubt Harmon Howard, Alicia’s father.

Leo stiffened. He’d been an agent long enough to recognize the protective gleam in the man’s eyes, and he knew better than to make any sudden moves or the situation could get out of hand fast.

“Who are you?” The old man’s jaw jutted forward. “What are you doing with my daughter and grandson?”

FOUR

“Dad! Put that thing away. You’ll scare Charlie,” Alicia admonished in a hushed tone to the man consuming the doorway of the ranch house, his shotgun leveled at Leo’s chest.

The old man was doing a good job of setting Leo’s nerves on edge, too. Tension knotted in his gut. Even though Alicia’s father didn’t have his finger on the trigger, Leo handed the sleepy child to his mother and then tucked them both behind him.

He’d rather take the hit square in the chest than allow anything to happen to anyone in his care. He wished he’d thought to wear a flak vest, but he hadn’t anticipated facing down the barrel of a shotgun.

His elbow nudged his sidearm, but he kept his hand from reaching for the weapon. Best to take a less threatening stance. Keep things calm. He held up his hands, palms out. “Sir, please, lower your weapon.”

True’s menacing growl echoed in the stillness of the evening air.

“Leave it,” Leo instructed. The last thing he needed was for True to tangle with Mr. Howard.

“Mister, you didn’t answer my question,” Harmon Howard grumbled, but lowered the barrel toward the floor. His gaze bounced between True and Leo. “Who are you?”

“Agent Leo Gallagher of the FBI.”

Harmon’s lip curled. His dark blue gaze jumped to Alicia. “Another one? You don’t learn from your mistakes, do you?” With that proclamation, Harmon did an about-face and disappeared inside the house.

Relief eased the stranglehold of tension in Leo’s body and allowed his curiosity to pique. He glanced at Alicia. A blush tinged her cheeks. Her late husband had been a police officer in Tacoma, Washington. “Is your father against law enforcement in general?”

Alicia grimaced. “Not normally. Only my late husband.”

Apparently her father wasn’t a fan of Jeff Duncan’s. Why?

Leo forced the question and the curiosity aside. No matter how attractive and compelling he found the pretty Alicia, he had no intention of letting anything get personal between them. The family dynamics here weren’t any of his business.

His job was to protect the lady and her son and bring a criminal to justice before he killed anyone else. Then Leo could get back to searching for his friend Jake and for the low-life criminal Angus Dupree.

Alicia sighed. “I’m sorry. He’s not the friendliest of men.”

“He’s protective. That’s a good thing in this situation,” Leo returned gruffly, glad that she had someone in her life that was willing to stand up on her behalf.

Everyone deserved a champion in their life. And the fact that it was her father pleased him for her sake. He didn’t have any good memories of his own father.

Leo put his hand to the small of her back and urged her up the steps. “Come on. Let’s get you two inside.”

True’s nails clicked on the wooden porch planks. They crossed the threshold and entered the house. The savory aroma of beef coming from a pot simmering on the stove made Leo’s mouth water. He hadn’t eaten anything since before his run that morning. The toast with almond butter and coffee had sustained him until now.

True sniffed the air and licked his chops. “Lie down,” Leo commanded. He’d retrieve True’s food supply after he settled everyone in the house.

The canine lay down across the threshold of the door, but his gaze remained alert.

A warm blaze in the brick fireplace at the far end of the room chased away the evening chill. Plush leather chairs faced a wide-screen television. Harmon sat in one chair watching a baseball game, the sound turned way down. Leo was thankful the shotgun was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully the weapon was locked safely away. Leo would have a chat with the older man about it later.

The living room was decorated with Western paraphernalia. A large wagon wheel with small flickering votive candles on the horizontal beams dangled at the end of a thick rope from the tall ceiling. Several woven Native American blankets in bright colors hung on the large walls, giving the space a homey feel.

Stairs led to a loft area filled with toys and where Leo assumed the bedrooms were located. To the left was a nicely appointed kitchen with blond cabinetry and a dining table with four lattice-back chairs.

“I’ll take Charlie upstairs for a short nap before dinner,” Alicia said in a soft voice.

“I don’t want a nap,” Charlie groaned, sounding eerily similar to his grandfather, though his yawn belied his words.

So cute. Leo melted a little inside.

Before Alicia could move away, Charlie reached out his arms for Leo, snagging him around the neck and making a deft maneuver from his mother’s embrace to Leo’s arms. Charlie nestled his head against Leo’s chest. Emotion constricted Leo’s breath. The slight weight of the boy barely registered, but the warmth spreading through his chest made him ache. He attempted to pry Charlie away but the child hung on.

“Charlie, honey, let go of Agent Gallagher,” Alicia said gently.

“Did you know that you grow when you sleep?” Leo asked the boy.

Charlie lifted his head and peered at Leo with doubt. “Really?”

“Yep. So every time you nap or sleep at night, you’re getting bigger.”

“I’m a big boy,” Charlie said, his little face serious.

Leo smiled as a tenderness he hadn’t experienced in a long time gripped him. “Yes, you are. But you want to keep getting bigger, right?”

With a solemn nod, Charlie extended his arms toward his mother.

Alicia took Charlie and set him on her hip. Her blue gaze held Leo’s. “Thank you.”

He winked. “You’re welcome.”

More pink heightened the contours of her high cheekbones. So pretty. He liked how natural she was as a mom and as a woman. She hurried upstairs with her son. Her long, lean legs moved with athletic grace, and her unbound, long dark hair bounced with each step. Leo watched them disappear from sight with a strange yearning that he didn’t quite know what to do about, then turned his attention to the man in the chair. “Mr. Howard.”

Alicia’s father swiveled his recliner toward Leo and eyed him with overt suspicion. “You didn’t answer my other question. What are you doing with my daughter and grandson?”

Leo braced his feet apart. These innocent people were in danger. He would do whatever it took to keep them safe. He couldn’t let history repeat itself. “Alicia and Charlie are in danger.”

Harmon jerked upright in his chair. “What have you gotten my family into?”

Holding up a hand, Leo said, “Alicia witnessed a crime.”

The man blanched. “What crime?”

There was no reason to keep the truth hidden. “A homicide.”

The older man sucked in a sharp breath. “Whose?”

“We don’t have an identity on the victim yet. I’m sure we will soon.”

Fear clouded Harmon’s eyes. “But the killer knows Alicia and Charlie saw what happened?”

Anxiety thudded in Leo’s gut. “Only Alicia witnessed the crime. The perp has already made two attempts on her life. He shot at her but she managed to get to the police station unharmed. And the other attempt was on the way out here. He tried to T-bone her car, but I blocked him with my SUV.”

Harmon ran a vein-lined hand over his bristled jaw. He was visibly shaken. “This isn’t good.” His scowl darkened. “What are you doing to protect them?”

Everything he could. He prayed it would be sufficient. “I’m here and will stay until the perpetrator is caught. You have my word.”

Harmon made a noise in his throat. “Why should we trust you? The last man who told me I could trust him with my daughter was a scoundrel of the worst kind.” He rose and stared down at Leo.

Leo imagined in his younger days Harmon Howard was a man to contend with, though now his shoulders were slightly stooped. Age was taking its toll on the man. Leo held Harmon’s gaze even as his mind grappled with that revealing statement about Alicia’s deceased husband. Again curiosity bubbled but he tamped it down. None of his business.

True scrambled to his feet, sensing the mounting pressure in the room. Leo gestured with his hand for True to stay put.

Lips thinning, Harmon growled, “I can protect my family. You and your dog can leave.”

“Not happening.” He couldn’t let anything happen to these people on his watch. “We can work together to keep your family safe or you can stay out of my way.”

Harmon narrowed his gaze. “Like to be in control, do you?”

Leo had heard that comment before. He couldn’t deny it. To be good at his job, he had to maintain control. The acrid burn of failure twisted in his stomach, reminding him he hadn’t been able to control the situation that resulted in Jake’s abduction.

Or in Leo’s sister’s death.

Harmon snorted. “You’ve got gumption, I’ll give you that. Better than that louse she married.”

Leo wasn’t sure how to respond to the older man’s pronouncement. Thanking him didn’t seem right. Whatever the man’s problem with Alicia’s late husband had nothing to do with Leo or why he was here. He would not get involved in the personal lives of his charges. “Do you have a problem with me staying here until we apprehend the suspect?” Though he’d have to clear this with his boss. Leo was sure Max would want him to keep these people from harm.

Seeming to consider, Harmon finally shook his head. “No. We’ve got a spare room you can use.”

Taking that as an invitation, some of the tension drained from Leo’s shoulders. He’d rather work with Harmon than work against him. True must have sensed the shift in Leo’s mood because he lay back down. “Good. You wouldn’t happen to have a map showing the ranch’s access points, would you?”

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