Passion flares between a mysterious woman and a covert investigator who knows her secret…

With death threats behind her and a hot new appearance, “Kelly Ladd” defies Identity Division rules to go undercover in Blue Haven. She’s determined to bring down her sister’s killer and protect her nephew. A job as a waitress seems like the perfect disguise…until she’s recognized by Alan Correy, a security expert with a competing agenda! Although Kelly mistrusts Alan as much as he disdains her rule breaking, they agree to work together, even pretending to date. But as they close in on the killer, the romance becomes real…as real as the death the murderer leaves in his wake.

“So what do you want to talk about?”

“You, Kelly. And Shereen Alsop.”

Even though she’d expected this, at least somewhat, she flinched but didn’t stop walking.

“Who’s that?” she asked. Part of her training when provided a new identity was to admit nothing, so she wasn’t about to tell Alan she recognized that name. Her real name.

“That’s good,” he said. “You’re at least complying with some of the instructions you were given. But you shouldn’t have come here. That was completely against what you were told.”

“Oh, really?” She kept her tone light. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The hand holding hers moved enough to swing her around, and suddenly Alan was looking down at her. Kelly could still see the anger on her companion’s face, and it made her wince.

“I…” Before she could figure out how to finish, his mouth came down on hers.

His kiss was startlingly sexy, and so was the way his body soon molded to hers.

Get away from him, something inside her screamed. She could be in danger.

* * *

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Dear Reader,

This is my second book about the ID Division of the US Marshals Service. The first was Covert Attraction (12/13).

I created the ID Division for the situation where a person knows about a crime that affects her but didn’t witness it and can’t provide other evidence against the guilty party. And then the guilty party threatens that person, but remains subtle about it.

In that case, the endangered person can’t get into a witness protection program, since she can’t testify in court or provide other evidence to help convict the guilty party. But she still needs help. And the guilty party still needs to be prosecuted.

That’s where my ID Division comes in. It both helps create a new identity for the person in trouble, and also sends a team member undercover to locate the missing evidence to convict that guilty party.

And once again, in Covert Alliance, the woman whose identity was changed and the undercover operative looking for that evidence clash—yet find their mutual attraction irresistible.

I hope you enjoy Covert Alliance. Please come visit me at my website, lindaojohnston.com, and at my weekly blog, killerhobbies.blogspot.com. And yes, I’m on Facebook, too.

Covert Alliance
Linda O. Johnston

www.millsandboon.co.uk

LINDA O. JOHNSTON loves to write. While honing her writing skills, she worked in advertising and public relations, then became a lawyer…and enjoyed writing contracts. Linda’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won a Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the Year. Linda now spends most of her time creating memorable tales of paranormal romance, romantic suspense and mystery. Visit her on the web at www.lindaojohnston.com.

MILLS & BOON

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As with Covert Attraction, Covert Alliance is dedicated to those in danger, and those in love.

And yes, as always, I dedicate this book to my wonderful husband, Fred.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

“Yes, I’ll be glad to bring you—” Kelly Ladd froze in the middle of her response to her customer’s question. She had just glanced toward the restaurant’s front door.

Stan Grodon stood in the crowd that was just entering.

Stan Grodon, the murderous SOB. The reason she had returned to Blue Haven, California—as well as the reason she’d previously been forced to flee for her life. And now—

“Miss? Miss? I’d really like sausage instead of bacon in my three-cheese omelet. Is that okay?”

Kelly’s attention returned quickly to the glare of the middle-aged lady in a too-tight Blue Haven Bulldogs T-shirt who sat with a couple of other similarly clad women at the round table nearest her. She stood between two of them, leaning slightly forward, a pad of paper and a pen in her hand to jot down their orders.

“I’m terribly sorry,” she said soothingly, glad her voice wasn’t cracking. “Of course you can have sausage instead of bacon. Are the types of cheese okay?”

Kelly forced herself to concentrate on taking the orders of all the women at the table, not watching the entrance of the city council members and others with them. Or at least not doing so overtly. She stood sideways so she wouldn’t be too obvious.

But she did manage to observe them as they waited to be seated. Especially the man who had gotten away—so far—with killing his wife. Who had attempted to kill Kelly.

And who was now endangering his own son.

When Kelly headed to the next customer at the table, she allowed herself to turn just a little, to grab a quick look at the group. She had known that a few Blue Haven City Council members and some staff were expected here for a 9:00 a.m. breakfast. They’d sent someone ahead to make sure tables would be ready for them.

Which had also given Kelly time to prepare herself mentally—as much as she could—assuming Stan might be among them. And maybe the other man she anticipated, his aide, Paul Tirths.

Paul was not here, but Stan was. Kelly had played out this moment hundreds of times in her mind. Thousands. Yet she knew reality was unlikely to unfold exactly as she’d imagined.

She just hoped it soon allowed her, at last, to achieve her goals. And stay alive.

She forced herself to smile and act as if she was paying complete attention to what the next customer said. In fact, she was paying some attention. She had to. She was a waitress here, which included taking orders, serving and more. That was the cover she had created for herself. A perfect cover, since she had been fully aware of how popular this family-style café was with the local city council.

Plus, she now knew how to be the ultimate server, thanks to her new identity—although she’d unfortunately had to walk out on the job she had been given to start her new life.

And in doing so, she had undoubtedly incurred a lot of wrath that she would ultimately have to face.

But not yet. Now it was almost time. Time to see if her new looks, that new identity, her new persona, had all been changed sufficiently to make sure Stan couldn’t recognize that she was actually Shereen Alsop, sister to Andi Grodon, the woman who’d been his wife.

The woman he had murdered just over a year ago. Whose body was never found.

“Thanks,” Kelly finally said, smiling brightly at her customers. “I’ll be back with your food soon.”

She barely noticed their startled looks. Had they finished telling her what they wanted? No matter. She couldn’t just stay there. Not now.

Along with the rest of his crowd, Stan now moved toward her as they followed the hostess. He was dressed nattily in an expensive-looking suit and was smiling, damn him, as he chatted with his fellow council members and others like he had nothing in the world on his conscience.

Kelly ached to confront him. Smash that smile right off his ugly, falsely charming face.

But not here. Not now. Not without answers—or Eli. She’d taken on a different identity on social media, too, and the scared recent posts from her nephew were the primary reason she had returned so impulsively.

If there had been any way of helping Eli remotely, she would have done it. She had tried to think of some way to do that so she wouldn’t have to put herself in danger once more.

But she hadn’t been able to just sit back and watch Eli’s terror grow.

“They’re here.” Ella Berdeen, the restaurant’s co-owner and manager, had joined Kelly near the row of tables that she had, at Ella’s instruction, helped to set up. That had involved obtaining more information about timing and numbers from the guy who had requested the rearrangement, then getting enough patrons to move to different tables in the busy restaurant to provide space for the city council.

It had taken a little bribery, some drinks and pastries that were on the house, but it had all worked out in the end.

“I’ll go tell the other servers,” Kelly said hurriedly, feeling like a coward. But she didn’t want to just stand there. And she would simply help to serve the food. She wouldn’t take orders. The waitresses were more noticeable than the ones who simply brought the food out and set it quickly down in front of the patrons—perhaps having an opportunity to eavesdrop a little on what they said.

Even so, she wished her waitress uniform weren’t so skimpy—a short black skirt beneath a snug and sleeveless white blouse. She knew Stan was a womanizer, and if he looked at her now, she wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell if he was undressing her in his mind—or recognizing her.

“No, I’ll tell them, and give me the orders you just wrote down. You start taking the orders of the council members and their staff. We have to accommodate their schedule.” Ella’s expression appeared irritated. In the few days since Kelly had started working here, she’d observed that despite what she made female servers wear, Ella liked to wear chic dresses over comfortable shoes, as she did now. Her hair was short and blond, and her smile never-ending—at least with her customers.

With her employees, like Kelly, she didn’t try to hide it if she felt annoyed. Like now.

“Okay,” Kelly said. But it wasn’t okay. Her first protective measure was now decimated.

On the other hand, maybe it would be better if she knew right away if all the changes that had been made to her, via cosmetic surgery, dyed and restyled hair, lessons in makeup and comportment and posture, voice and more, had changed her appearance enough.

She would soon find out.

Kelly started to turn toward the table when she saw the man in a suit who’d been in here before. He had returned—the guy who had come to make sure things could be set up for this group quickly and who had answered her questions about the arrangement.

Not surprising. He would want to make sure that all was ready, as promised.

But that might not be all he was doing here. And that worried Kelly.

At first she’d thought him an aide to the council members. But as he’d continued to ask questions as well as answer them, she had begun to wonder if he was with the private security company hired to protect the council.

She—no, her alter ego, Shereen Alsop—had had some familiarity with Blue Haven Security and with its staff...then. Before she had fled the town of Blue Haven to avoid the threats to her life that she knew, but could not prove, had come from Stan.

Ella had called this man Alan. He had just reentered the restaurant behind the group, but now he slid in front, approaching Kelly. She wanted to flee into the kitchen. Instead, she stood her ground.

The last thing she wanted was to do anything that might make her conspicuous, especially now, with Stan in the room.

Besides, her suspicion of this guy could just be a self-protective instinct. She couldn’t trust anyone. She didn’t dare.

“Good job getting this set up, Kelly,” Alan said to her immediately. Ella had told him her name earlier, too.

A feeling of warmth passed through her—unwanted heat. Sure, he was attractive. Sexy.

But she didn’t dare even hint at flirting with him.

“Thanks,” she said, making sure she did everything possible to stay within her role.

Alan was over six feet tall. His deep brown eyes regarded her from beneath craggy dark brows that matched his short hair, and he smiled.

But something in his expression made Kelly think he was trying to keep up appearances, too. Maybe because she suspected everyone these days.

Or maybe because she actually knew who this guy was.

“Hey, can we place our orders now?” someone called from beside her. “We’re in a hurry.”

Kelly needed to move away from Alan, and so she turned to respond. But she knew that voice. It was Stan’s.

Which would be less risky—staying here and talking with this possible security guy who might have a different agenda from the rest of his team?

Or confronting Stan for the first time?

“Go ahead,” Ella said from her other side, and the choice was taken from her.

When she glanced in Alan’s direction, she saw him nod slightly, with a small grin on his rugged, amused face that suggested he understood her dilemma.

Was she just reading into his appearance, his actions, because she suspected there would be someone in this town who was also undercover, but officially so?

Well, this wasn’t the time to worry about it. Right now, she needed to confront Stan. Sort of. While staying in character, and praying that her new appearance worked, and Stan didn’t recognize her.

And thus she would at last be able to accomplish what had become her life’s mission: protecting Eli and finally getting the evidence on Stan.

* * *

Alan Correy watched the gorgeous waitress who turned toward the tables of city council members.

The woman he had never met, yet already knew.

When he had come in before as a staff member of Blue Haven Security—his job here, while undercover—to request the tables, Ella had said her name was Kelly. And Alan had previously been instructed to keep an eye out for the woman now known as Kelly Ladd. He had been sent her photo as she’d looked originally, along with the last time they’d seen her, by his boss over his secure phone connection. Was this her?

Maybe.

That woman had taken full advantage of his real employer, the ID Division of the US Marshals Service. They had provided her protection as well as an identity change. But she left the job she had been given in her new life, disappeared without permission from the division’s head, Judge Treena Avalon, or anyone else.

She had been expected to show up here. Apparently she had.

This Kelly resembled the photo, although her hair was softer, curlier and a darker brown, pulled away from her face with a narrow band. Her cheekbones were more prominent, her lips narrower. Her face could have won beauty contests.

But the real Kelly, in addition to having had her looks modified, would also have been instructed in ways to further disguise herself if necessary.

Instead of immediately rushing over to the tables to take orders, Kelly continued looking at Alan for an instant. He had a sense that she was assessing him the way he was assessing her. That she suspected who he was, too.

But then she quickly pulled a pad from the pocket of her skimpy skirt and approached the table.

The person nearest to her, who’d just commanded her attention, was the reason Alan was here in Blue Haven.

And if he was right about who she was, Stan Grodon might in fact be the reason this attractive waitress was here, too. For similar reasons to his.

If so, she was endangering everything Alan stood for. Endangering herself—again—as well.

He would need to stop her. Oh, yeah.

But for now, he would ignore his deep-seated irritation—and her sexiness—and simply observe.

* * *

Could she do this?

She had to. Eli’s well-being was at stake.

Kelly quickly turned her back on the man who sent sparks of nervousness up her spine, whom she believed could ruin everything here for her—and for Eli.

But if she tried, she could ruin everything for him, too. Not that she wanted to.

The tables, all pushed together, seated four on each side and two along the end. A small bouquet of pink roses decorated the middle. The council group members were chatting amiably, although Kelly caught occasional brief eye rolls from some of them.

“Hello,” she said with a huge, contrived smile as she planted herself between Stan and another council member, one who looked familiar but whom she didn’t place. “What can I bring you gentlemen?”

“A tall mug of your strongest and best coffee,” said the short, older man.

“Me, too,” said Stan. “Get yourself one, as well. Then you can sit on my lap and drink it.”

It was all Kelly could do to prevent herself from gagging. Or, more preferable, grabbing the pitcher of water from the table and bashing Stan in the head with it.

His face was round, his hair thinning, his wide grin evil and unsexy, but he undoubtedly still considered himself the world’s greatest gift to women.

For now, Kelly had to go along with it. “Well, thank you, sir,” she said in the new soft and lower voice in which she’d been coached. “But I’m sure you’ll understand that I have to help your friends get their meals, too.”

She did it. She looked straight into his eyes and all but batted her lashes.

If he was going to recognize her, better that it happen now, with all these people around, than later.

“Oh, I understand, all right,” he responded, giving her a huge and ugly wink. “But I come here often. We’ll grab coffee—and more—another time. You’re new at the Haven, aren’t you?”

“Yes, sir.” She made herself pause. “It’s such a wonderful place. Filled with wonderful people.” She didn’t glance away, despite how painful it was to watch him.

Did he know who she was?

Apparently not. A brief feeling of relief shot through her as he continued to treat her like a total stranger. A total female stranger he chose to flirt with.

“Sure is,” he said. “Like the rest of our Blue Haven. Welcome, and I hope you stay a long, long time. I’m Stan, by the way.”

“Me, too, sir,” she lied. “And I’m Kelly.”

She forced herself to continue to take his order—ham and eggs and all the makings of a big breakfast. The others also gave their orders, although a couple of additional waitstaff now joined Kelly to help.

When she was finally finished, she saw that Alan, the good-looking guy she didn’t dare trust, had seated himself with another man in a suit at a smaller table nearby.

He was watching her. And as she hurried into the kitchen to place the orders, she turned back. Alan’s gaze hadn’t left her. As sexy as she considered the man, she felt certain that physical attraction was far from his motive for observing her.

Alan might be the person who was supposed to be here, undercover, to bring Stan down.

But at the same time he might bring Kelly down, too.

Chapter 2

Kelly wished she could stand there and eavesdrop on Stan’s conversations—unobtrusively, without encouraging his disgusting flirtation with her. But she knew she had to stay on top of the requests made by all customers at the tables to which she’d been assigned. At least that included the one where Stan sat.

She didn’t believe he would spill the information she sought right here, in public. But he might drop even just a tiny hint that could lead her, eventually, to what she needed.

Consequently, she passed the table often, refilling water glasses and coffee cups, smiling and inquiring whether everything was okay. Stan had started a loud, friendly conversation with one of his colleagues and more or less ignored her, except to ask for a coffee refill now and then. Kelly also made sure that Alan, as well as his tablemate, were satisfied with the service. To them, she was a server here, and that was all.

She hoped.

Kelly didn’t realize how much of a strain it all was until the entire group, presumed security guys included, finally filed out of the restaurant. Only then did she start breathing normally again.

“Good job,” Ella told the entire group of servers as they stood in the kitchen awaiting the next food items to bring out to remaining and new customers.

“She always says that,” Tobi Marolo whispered out of the corner of her mouth. Tobi had told Kelly she had worked there for decades, even though she was only in her late twenties, around Kelly’s age. When Kelly gently called her on it, she admitted it only felt like she’d practically been born working at this place. “It’s supposed to make us feel happy and actually do a good job...next time,” Tobi continued.

Kelly laughed. She really did feel happy—or at least relieved. Her second hurdle since arriving back in Blue Haven had been leaped, and seemed to have been successful. The first had been landing this job. The second was seeing Stan in person and not being identified by him. He’d never have simply ignored her if he’d thought she could possibly be Shereen—or anyone else who mattered to him.

She still had no idea how she would accomplish hurdle number three: seeing her nephew, Eli, the real reason she had broken promises and rules when her identity had been changed for her protection, and she’d returned to Blue Haven.

Hurdle number four? She had anticipated she might face it—having to deal with someone undercover here who was part of the Identity Division, the government agency that had helped her tremendously but whose commands she was now ignoring. She just hadn’t thought she’d have to face it this soon. If Alan was who she believed he was, that obstacle was now potentially as urgent as the others.

And then there was the most critical, number five: finding a way, at last, to bring Stan down and help Eli.

For the rest of the morning, Kelly went through the usual rituals of greeting customers, handing them menus, making suggestions and taking their orders. Then she served them with a smile, making sure their experiences here were completely positive.

She didn’t always love the aromas floating through the kitchen, particularly the occasional burning of a dish. And it was tiring to be on her feet all the time. Plus, trays full of food could be quite heavy.

Then there was the uniform she wore. Stan wasn’t the only one who eyed her as if she were bed-bait. Maybe that had been Alan’s only interest in her, too, despite her suspicions. If he weren’t security in any form, she might even have considered reciprocating, since the guy was pretty darned hot.

But many men seemed to notice her here—and not only her. Ella had chosen the cutesy outfits for the female servers who made up most of the waitstaff, Kelly was sure, to appeal to male customers. The Haven was essentially a glorified coffee shop, but it had a longtime reputation for catering to the powers-that-be in Blue Haven. It didn’t hurt to give the men some eye candy while they were here.

Or that was what Kelly had heard, anyway.

Soon, the early lunch crowd began to arrive. Kelly ramped up her energy and her serving skills, but was disappointed when she didn’t see anyone she recognized as being on the city council. She glanced outside as often as she could, toward the other restaurants and shops across the street and foot traffic coming from the east, the direction of the city offices.

But nothing and no one useful to her appeared.

Until...

When it was nearly noon and the kitchen was crowded with servers entering with trays of empty plates and leaving again with food to serve, Ella appeared from the office near the restrooms at the back. “We need a few of you for something different this afternoon,” she said. “The city council members who were here enjoyed their breakfast, as usual. They’ve now called a special session for all the council members. I’m glad to say they’ve ordered in a buffet-style lunch at their offices. Twice in one day! And we won’t let them down. Who’s willing to go over there and deliver and set up the food?”

Kelly almost cheered in her delight. That was exactly why she had applied for a job at this restaurant. But she caught herself and forced a slight smile that she hoped appeared more as if she wanted to please her boss than anything else. “I’ll be glad to, Ella.” Glad? Heck, she’d be thrilled.

And she really was thrilled when Ella chose her, among several of the waitstaff who also volunteered.

* * *

Alan looked forward to a busy afternoon—one in which he could actually get some work done. Work that he was really here to do.

After he briefly visited the moderate-sized computer room that the Blue Haven Police Department allowed the private security force to use as an outpost in the main government building, an ad hoc meeting of the entire city council was called. They were to discuss some vital matters about street widenings—vital to the town, but not of particular interest to Alan.

Yes, he’d have to do his best to ensure that the city council members remained safe. But that didn’t mean he had to sit in on every session. Popping in and out while looking as if he were patrolling the building and surrounding area would be enough.

Too bad he hadn’t known this morning, while still at the Haven, that he’d remain on duty with no break. He could have bought his lunch to go. Taken an opportunity to speak with that server Kelly once more. Maybe even confirmed she was who he figured she was.

Plus, spending a little additional time with her would provide a bit of pleasure as well as an opportunity for professional observation.

He shrugged off that thought. He’d see her again sometime. Soon, in fact. He would plan for it. But he had to make sure he didn’t keep her on his mind. He had other things to think about.

Like doing both his jobs.

For now, Alan was alone in the security headquarters room. He typed his password into the computer and saw the views on a half dozen security cameras.

Everything looked fine, at least for now.

The city council offices were located in the Blue Haven Government Plaza. The plaza was about ten years old, new enough to have been built in a higher-security age. There was a screening system for the public at the entrance, plus security cameras on all floors.

That should have made Alan’s job easier—and perhaps it would if he were merely part of the Blue Haven City Council’s private security force. But it made it harder for him to get away on his own to conduct the investigation he was really here to do.

He’d managed once, though, to sneak into Stan Grodon’s office early on when he’d first arrived in town and gotten on his computer. Surprise, surprise—there had been no open files containing anything about his missing wife. Even the encrypted files appeared to be about finances, not Andi Grodon.

He had to approach his investigation in other ways.

At least the council members treated the security force just like their own staff, acting friendly to them and even asking them to do things beyond their actual responsibilities—such as getting the breakfast set up, as Alan had done earlier. He could act friendlier to them that way—and hopefully learn more. In fact, he was milking that aspect of his cover job.

But right now, it was time to get busy.

As he left the room, Dodd Frankler, a senior member of the security detail, was just entering. He’d joined Alan earlier at the Haven, and now, along with his usual dark suit, he wore his typically wary expression. “Hey, did you hear that the council’s meeting in half an hour?” Dodd asked.

Alan nodded. “I was just on my way to the council chamber to check it out ahead of time.”

“They’re eating lunch there, too. A delivery order’s already been sent over to the Haven. You’d think that after having breakfast there this morning, they’d be tired of that place’s food.”

“You know it’s pretty good stuff,” Alan countered. “And their selections include something for everyone.” He didn’t like the way his face automatically started tightening into a wry grin as he thought of what else was at the Haven besides good food. But the restaurant was well staffed, so that new server Kelly was unlikely to be coming here with the food.

Even if she did, who said the security staff would even get to look at the lunch, let alone eat any? They’d have patrols to perform outside the meeting area. A bit of overkill for such a small town, Alan thought, but it worked well for what he needed to accomplish.

He hurried down the wide, well-lit hallway, along with a fair number of government workers he recognized, including members of the mayor’s staff, plus some visitors he didn’t know. As always, he stayed alert, watching for signs that anyone had an agenda besides using the halls for getting to the offices they sought. People were mostly in groups, chattering.

He noticed a couple of school-age guys heading up the stairway. They’d been around before, usually later in the day, but Alan knew that a new program was just starting locally where kids could pop in during their study hall times and earn credit for learning about city government by volunteering for small activities that would help their council members. Some were children of those who worked for the city.

One of the two kids was Councilman Grodon’s kid, Eli. The other was Councilwoman Arviss’s son, Cal. Maybe Alan could go cheer them on later...and perhaps learn something of value this time, though he’d talked with them a time or two before. Alan followed them upstairs.

The boys walked to the fourth floor. It was where Alan would have gone anyway since the council chamber was there. Along the hall on the way were council members’ offices, assigned by their seniority. The mayor’s office was one floor above them.

The boys remained ahead of Alan. As he’d anticipated, they entered Susan Arviss’s office. He would look for them there later.

As he continued down the hall, he glanced at the names in glass-enclosed sign holders on the walls. Grodon’s was close to the end. He was one of the longest-sitting members of the council, although he wasn’t the president. That was Councilwoman Regina Joralli’s position.

Alan soon reached the large meeting room and stepped inside. The room held a huge table in the center, surrounded by wooden chairs made to resemble small, upholstered thrones. A bunch of staff members were already there, chatting together and making sure the chairs were in the right places and the table was clean. Joralli’s primary assistant was also there, placing handouts at each seat, probably on the matter they were to meet about.

Everything looked secure enough, but he and the others on that detail would keep checking.

And while the meeting occurred, he might have an opportunity to do some further checking into the undercover assignment that had brought him here by having a friendly chat with those boys. He had been around long enough to start being recognized by the locals, so it was time to start pushing further into what he had really come for.

Dodd joined him as he walked around the room. “Couple of the other guys are downstairs now,” he said. “Hancock told me to come up here and look around.” Nevil Hancock, their boss.

They remained there for another ten minutes, watching who entered and left the room, and checking the hallway, too.

This part of the job could get monotonous, but that was a good thing—no security breaches or other issues to worry about.

The council members began entering. Alan and Dodd remained until they all were seated. Then back into the hall to keep their eyes open for anyone who shouldn’t be attempting to go into council chambers.

Alan preceded Dodd toward the door—and stopped.

Approaching were several familiar-looking people carrying large plastic bags that were undoubtedly filled with food from the Haven.

And one of them was that sexy server Kelly.

* * *

Kelly shouldn’t have felt surprised to see Alan near the room where the city council was meeting when she approached with the other restaurant staff members. She had suspected that he and the other man were at the restaurant earlier at least ostensibly to protect some council members, so it was natural for them to be here now doing the same.

Just like it was natural for her, these days, to observe people and what they were doing.

Alan and his colleague had just exited the room Kelly, Ella and Tobi were heading for. They stood outside the door. The man’s eyes seemed to focus directly on her.

If he was going to watch her, she should at least act friendly toward him, no matter how she felt. Maybe she could even render him off guard, although she suspected that any undercover member of the ID Division, if that’s what he was, would never be off guard.

As the other servers walked by the men into the room, Kelly smiled a little. “Hi, guys. Fancy seeing you again.” She looked directly at the one who’d especially attracted her attention. “Hey, are you following the council members to protect them?”

The expression on his handsome face grew quizzical. “Why do you ask?”

She knew she was right about that, at least, since he had answered her question with a question. “Because I’m curious,” she said. “And I suspect you are, too.” But why was she teasing him? It might be a big mistake to even talk to him anymore. “Sorry. I just guessed you’re in security, and I admire that.”

“Maybe we should hire you,” Alan said. “You do seem pretty alert. What do you think, Dodd?”

The other man—Dodd, apparently—looked a lot older than Alan, and Kelly suspected he’d been doing security work for a long time. He didn’t smile. In fact, he didn’t look at all happy about the conversation. “I think we need to check the hallway, then come back here.”

“Fine.” Alan nodded briefly at her as if in goodbye, and both men started walking toward the elevators from which Kelly and the others had come.

Kelly entered the room. It was large, and the main center of focus was a huge rectangular table in the middle, where the city council members all sat. Kelly recognized the few who’d patronized the Haven for breakfast. Even those she hadn’t seen before were dressed in suits.

Among them, unsurprisingly, was Stan. He sat at the far side of the table, his black suit jacket on, his round face smirking beneath his thinning brown hair. He faced the door where Kelly had just entered, chatting with the man on his left as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

And Kelly wanted to shake him. Or do something worse.

The woman who sat at the end of the table was Councilwoman Regina Joralli. She’d been in politics for a while, and Kelly recognized her from when she had lived there in her previous life. Stan was right beside her.

Kelly knew he had aspirations to replace Regina as council president. Or at least he had before. He was so egotistical that Kelly figured the only way that might have changed was if he decided to run for mayor.

Unless, of course, he was concentrating only on raking in bribe money—and hiding her sister’s murder while abusing their son. But with an ego like his, Kelly figured he still wanted it all.

Despite the fact that every seat around the table was filled, it was still twenty minutes before the time Kelly had been told that the session was officially scheduled to begin. Lunch apparently came first. The room was abuzz with conversation as Kelly joined her colleagues from the restaurant and helped to lay out the food on a compact table at the end of the room, turning it into a buffet. She assisted in making it look decorative yet practical, where the council members could pick up tasty sandwiches, small salads and cookies, as well as soft drinks.

“I think we’re all set here,” Ella eventually told Regina Joralli. “Anything else you need?”

“It all looks good,” the council president said. “Thanks.”

That was their cue to leave, Kelly knew. Which was fine. She remained invisible here to Stan as one among many lowly servers he could flirt with, but being inside this room any longer wouldn’t get her any of the information she sought.

She followed the others out the door. They all turned left toward the elevators.

Kelly didn’t want to leave the building just yet, though. Instead, she glanced at the placards of each council member’s name on the wall near the offices. She knew she couldn’t just drop into Stan Grodon’s and find whatever she needed—particularly since she knew that security was present on this floor, although she didn’t see Alan or his buddy Dodd just then. She did, however, see a few cameras mounted near the tops of the walls.

Even so, she could get the lay of the land.

“Excuse me, Ella,” she said, hurrying to catch up with her boss. “I’m going to find the restroom here. I’ll be back at the restaurant soon.”

Ella’s cool eyes scanned her. “You feeling okay?”

Obviously she’d send Kelly home if she was sick with anything she could pass along.

“Fine.” Kelly smiled what she hoped was an embarrassed smile. “I just drank a little too much coffee this morning.”

“Okay. Fine. See you later.” They’d reached the elevators, and the door to one opened as soon as Ella pressed the button—an indication of the woman’s lot in life, Kelly figured. Everything seemed to work out well for her.

Well, it would for Kelly, too—as soon as she was able to find her nephew and help him. He’d be in classes now, and she didn’t want to appear obvious by hanging around his school. She had to figure out a good way to see him. Talk to him.

But while she figured that out, she also wanted to devise a plan to get the right evidence against Stan. No one, not even her thug of a brother-in-law, would suspect that was what Kelly Ladd was up to—unlike Shereen Alsop.

Well, there was one possible exception to that: Alan.

For now, she figured she had better do as she’d told Ella and start at the restroom before conducting any further exploration of this floor. When she came out, she could scout to see who else was around. She had been here before, when she’d been Shereen, and had accompanied Andi on scheduled visits now and then, sometimes even to see Stan. But more than a year had passed. The council members could be in different offices now.

Maybe she could become close friends with someone who worked here—someone who could get her into Stan’s.

But what she’d done before hadn’t gotten her anything useful. And neither would being in here.

Instead, she was feeling rather desperate to plan her next move: figure out how to see Eli and check in person how he was doing...and get him out of here if all was as bad as she thought, assuming his posts on social media reflected his reality.

She had come up with that other identity there so she could at least watch him remotely, even if she couldn’t communicate with him. His sorrow at his mother’s disappearance, and then his aunt’s, had been overtaken by his apparent desperation and fear. That was why she had come. It had been an impulse. It had been a necessity.

She nearly reached the restroom—and stopped. The men’s room door had opened. Kelly thought she must be hallucinating.

Because the first person to walk through that door into the hallway was Alan.

And he was followed by her nephew, Eli.

Chapter 3

Kelly wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry. Mostly, she wanted to dash over and throw her arms around her nephew.

No, Shereen’s nephew. That’s what she had to remember.

Realizing that she had stopped walking, she started forward again. Another boy exited the men’s room and caught up with Eli. He bent his head toward Eli, who was about the same height, maybe five feet, and the two of them laughed. They passed her, and Eli, busy talking to his friend, didn’t even look at her.

That was a good thing. Not that he was likely to recognize her, with the way her appearance had been changed—including her posture, gestures and nearly everything about her. Externally, at least.

The hardest part was that she forced herself not to look at him any longer, except for allowing herself to glance at him peripherally down the hall while she strolled by.

Was that a bruise on his cheek? She wanted so much to turn and stare at his sweet young face and check it out.

But she couldn’t. Not here, and not now.

“Hi, Kelly.” It was Alan, and his voice startled her. He had stopped walking and let the kids pass by him.

“Er, hi.” She cocked her head a little and forced herself to send him a flirtatious grin. “Keeping an eye on things everywhere, aren’t you? I’m just hitting the ladies’ room before I head back to the restaurant.” She hurried past him and entered the restroom.

Fortunately it was empty, since she was suddenly breathing hard, her eyes closed, her mind swirling.

She had bumped into hurdle number three without anticipating or planning for it. She had seen Eli. But where could she go from here?

She needed to talk to him. Find out what was really going on with him. Was his father abusing him, as he’d hinted on that social media site? She was sure it had to be true. Eli had always been such a straightforward child.

And that red spot on his face. Was that proof, or her imagination, or just a harmless bruise that kids sometimes got when roughhousing with friends?

She knew where he lived, of course—assuming they hadn’t moved. Even so, he must live with his father. With Stan. And that meant Kelly couldn’t just walk up to their door, ring the bell and invite herself in for a chat.

He was thirteen years old now. She knew he still went to the same school, since Eli mentioned it online. But since she couldn’t start stalking him there, either, she had decided to begin by observing Stan first, someplace where she wouldn’t be particularly noticed. Someplace where a plan was sure to come to her.

Only now that she had seen not only Stan but Eli, too, she was stumped. And frustrated. And scared, and angry, and so many more emotions that she couldn’t put names to.

She had been so close to her sister. Had loved Andi so much. She missed her terribly.

Andi had to be dead, or she would have been in touch. And Kelly’s determination to save Eli was one way of demonstrating her love—and her despair at no longer having her sister around.

Kelly looked into the mirror above the sink, over her shoulder, as if her sister might suddenly appear there. “I’ll take care of him now, Andi,” she whispered aloud. “I promise.”

The restroom door started to open. Kelly fled into one of the stalls and locked the door, then waited until she heard the other woman leave again before she flushed, washed her hands and exited the bathroom. By then, she had calmed herself a bit.

She had realized one thing, at least. Eli had been talking to Alan when she’d first noticed them. They seemed friendly enough with each other. Did they know each other, or were they just being cordial here, in the plaza?

She had to find that out. She also needed to learn why Eli was there, on an afternoon when his father wasn’t available to meet with him because of the lunchtime council session.

As she walked slowly back down the hall, past the closed office doors, she heard nothing from the one with Stan’s name on the wall plaque outside it. If Eli had come to visit or spend time in his dad’s office, he was being quiet. Those were probably Stan’s instructions to him. He’d never liked interruptions to his work, especially from his family.

From not only Eli, but his wife, Andi, too.

Kelly gritted her teeth but forced her thoughts off her missing—dead—sister. She was here for Eli.

A couple of offices down, she thought she heard a muffled voice. It was probably a secretary talking on the phone.

As she neared the far end of the hallway where the elevators were, she noticed that one door was ajar—Councilwoman Susan Arviss’s office, according to the plaque on the outer wall. She was new, hadn’t been a council member when Shereen had left town. Her office was one of the farthest from Council President Regina Joralli’s.

Kelly heard giggles emanating from inside—like two young boys having a good time?

Would a total stranger, with no hidden agenda, peek inside while walking by? Maybe. She’d play it that way.

Or...no. She had a reason to peek inside. She’d already flirted a bit with Alan. He would be her excuse for checking out that office, even if he wasn’t there. But he’d been chatting with Eli before, when they’d both come out of the men’s room.

Suddenly, the bleak, bland government office hallway seemed to warm a bit.

Kelly stopped outside the partly open door and smiled slightly. It was a smile that she had practiced before, in front of mirrors, to ensure it looked different from Shereen’s smile.

The two boys sat at the secretary’s desk. Their attention seemed fully captured by what they were doing. It appeared that they were stuffing envelopes.

Kelly just watched for a moment. Then she saw a movement near her, to the side of the door. She startled, swallowed a gasp—then intentionally broadened her smile. It was Alan.

“Well, here you are.” She tried to sound as if she’d been searching for him. “I wondered if I should call someone in security since this door was open.”

“No need. I’m right here, and all’s well.”

“It certainly is.”

Was that too much flirtation? At least it gave her a reason for being here. It wasn’t difficult at all to continue looking at Alan that way. She still thought that, at another time, under other circumstances, she would have had fun flirting with a guy as hot as him.

Now, though, it was only a ruse. Too bad.

She noticed then that both boys had stopped what they were doing. She drew her gaze away from Alan’s inquisitive brown eyes as if it were almost painful to do so and looked toward the desk.

“What have we here?” she asked in a friendly manner. “I don’t think these young gentlemen are city council members, are they? Or maybe they’re office staff, although if so, Councilwoman Arviss must have robbed schools to hire them.”

Both boys laughed. “She’s my mom,” said the one Kelly hadn’t met before. “She lets us do stuff here like get things ready to mail for her. We’re like interns, and we get school credit for it.”

“Wow,” Kelly said. “Sounds like fun, and you get credit? Now I know why you’re here.”

She kept her eyes on the Arviss boy, not quite looking into Eli’s face. He wasn’t generally shy, but nor was he particularly outspoken. Still, she wished he would say something.

When he remained quiet, Kelly looked toward Alan. “And you? Do you get any credit for getting things ready to mail for the councilwoman?”

Both boys appeared to find that especially funny and laughed again, louder this time.

“I only gather points here that I hope to turn in someday to my credit if I somehow run afoul of city council,” Alan said, his expression serious, but only for a moment. Then he smiled, too.

“So what kinds of things do you help the councilwoman mail?” Kelly’s gaze returned first to Arviss’s son, then turned briefly on to Eli.

“She says it fosters good relationships with her constituents to send them friendly snail mail letters sometimes that say what’s going on in the city and what new stuff she’s proposing while she’s in office.”

That was Eli! Kelly was thrilled. He sounded like her smart nephew, and it was again all she could do just to stand there and treat him like a young stranger.

Plus, her heart was pounding. Up close and personal like this, would he recognize her? Sure, she looked different. Sounded different. But still...

Fortunately, he just glanced at her without staring too hard.

“Very interesting,” she said, relaxing just a little. She wanted to ask why Eli volunteered here and not for his father, although as Kelly, she wouldn’t know that he, too, was a council member’s son. Besides, she already knew the answer.

Maybe Councilwoman Arviss would encourage kids to come in and help her for school credit, but Councilman Stan Grodon would not—even if one of those kids happened to be his own son.

The kids just looked at her expectantly now, as if they assumed she’d say something else. But as much as she wanted to say—and do—now wasn’t the time.

Reluctantly, she only said, “Well, have fun.” She turned back toward Alan, who was still watching her. “You, too. Maybe I’ll see you again at the restaurant sometime.”

“I’m sure you will,” he said, causing an unanticipated current of heat to flow through her, as if he were suggesting that they do a lot more than just say hi to each other if he came to the Haven to eat.

Kelly made herself leave then in a hurry, throwing a goodbye over her shoulder and waving.

She felt confused. And needy. She had to figure out a way to talk to Eli.

And to avoid talking too much to Alan.

* * *

Alan had an idea what that had been about. A good idea. He didn’t like it. Although...

Oh, he was more than pleased to see Kelly again so soon. And to have her flirt with him again? Under other circumstances, if he weren’t on duty, he’d not only have flirted back, but would have done his utmost to make sure they scheduled a date that night for dinner, drinks...and, if possible, a lot more.

But Alan’s instincts were screaming out that he needed to talk with her, ensure she didn’t ruin things. And he always trusted his instincts.

Which was why he left Councilwoman Arviss’s office briefly to watch Kelly sashay down the hall, still wearing that skimpy waitress’s outfit. Oh, yeah, he enjoyed that view, with her appealing, compact behind flowing gently from side to side.

He saw the elevator door open, and she disappeared inside. Probably a good thing, he told himself. She was most likely going back to her restaurant and wouldn’t cause any trouble, for now at least.

He returned to where the boys were stuffing those envelopes. He wasn’t sure what their schedule was, but while talking with them briefly before, he’d figured that at least one of their study halls, when they could come here and do their volunteer work for credit, was around lunchtime on Thursdays. He had seen them last week at about the same time, and once in between.

He figured a little friendliness by a security staff member wouldn’t look too out of place here by the folks in charge, especially since that was the way they were treated, too.

And eavesdropping on young Eli Grodon just might lead to some information he could follow up on for his real assignment—although it hadn’t yet.

“Hey, Alan,” Cal Arviss said when Alan was once more standing just inside the room. “Do you know when that big meeting will be over? We need to go back to school in a few minutes, and I want to say bye to my mom.”

“Sorry,” Alan responded. “I got the impression this one could be a long one. Want me to check?”

“Yes, please.”

Alan left the two kids alone for a short while to go into the conference room. He entered the room cautiously, nodding toward Dodd, who had remained there to provide continuous security.

It appeared that the council members—and Dodd—were mostly still nibbling on their lunches and pontificating about how important the road widening under discussion could be to the town. Or not, since there were also opposing council members.

From what he gathered during his quick observation, it appeared that both Stan Grodon and Susan Arviss were in favor of approving the widening proposal, and Council President Joralli was against it for budget reasons.

Nothing indicated a quick end to the meeting. And Alan had no doubt that the kids would be unwelcome here.

He nodded again toward his colleague and left to report to the young men that their parents were still involved in their council session. Cal looked disappointed.

But Eli appeared relieved.

Alan walked them both down the hall, into the elevator, then out of the building. Other security staff members, as well as uniformed members of the Blue Haven PD, were on patrol outside the large plaza building, in the parking lot and around the busy street outside, and the school wasn’t far away. Alan figured the kids would get back just fine.

Besides, the greatest threat to Eli, as far as Alan could tell, remained upstairs in the council meeting.

He needed to return there soon to coordinate with Dodd—but no one would pay attention to him if he took a short break now. He liked to check in with his real employer, the Covert Investigations Unit of the ID Division, as frequently as possible. He’d done so this morning, before reporting to work. He often contacted them in the middle of his workday to make sure there wasn’t anything extra they wanted him to do while the city council members were most easily accessible.

After the two boys reached the next block, Alan strode down the wide stone steps, ignoring the other people coming and going. He slipped away from the plaza and around the corner into the parking lot shared by all Blue Haven government buildings. There, he got into the driver’s seat of the car he was using here, a somewhat beat-up gray SUV, and locked the doors. Then he pulled his mobile phone from his pocket.

He had a text from his boss, Judge Treena Avalon. It was brief and to the point. He was to call her ASAP. It was important. She’d sent it about an hour ago.

Wasting no time, Alan pushed the button for the judge’s cell phone. She answered almost immediately.

“Alan. Just checking in. Everything okay there?” Her voice was strong and intimidating. That was who Judge Treena was: demanding, no-nonsense, intense. But she was also kind, especially to the subjects taken on by the ID Division. She cared about both them and her staff.

“Fine,” he said, “but no news yet.”

“Then you haven’t run into Kelly Ladd?”

Should he protect the woman he had met, who might be this Kelly, and after the same evidence he sought?

If he told Judge Treena he had not only seen her but talked to her several times, the judge might tell him to get her alone and order her back to the life the ID Division had created for her, where she had promised to stay.

On the other hand, she might actually be an asset to him here, if they could work together—and if she helped him rather than hindered him.

That was his preference. The fact that she was one gorgeous woman he would have liked, under other circumstances, to get to know better was irrelevant.

It had to be.

If things changed and Kelly did get in his way, he could notify the judge that he had indeed located her.

But for now...

“Not as far as I know,” he lied. “But I’m keeping my eyes open for her. And I’m hoping to gather some of that hard evidence we’re looking for here soon.”

Chapter 4

Kelly felt exhausted that afternoon. She realized it was probably more related to adrenaline and stress than actually having worked harder than she had previously in the few days since she had begun as a server here. But whatever the cause, she couldn’t allow it to show now that she’d returned to the busy-as-usual restaurant. After seeing Eli, the last thing she wanted was to irritate Ella and jeopardize the job that was her cover.

The job that had let her get near and observe her nephew, and had the potential of allowing her continued access to him, at least sporadically. She hoped.

The job that got her into Stan’s presence. Now she just had to figure out the best way she, as Kelly, could bring him down.

And she couldn’t help worrying about Alan and his involvement with the city council—and more—and his potential interference. But she would figure out a way to deal with him.

She had to.

At least time seemed to move swiftly as she wove her way through the tables assigned to her for the rest of the day, the rear corner that managed to stay quite occupied despite being farthest from the door.

As she worked, she allowed her concentration to ebb just a little when she felt she could. Her mind kept analyzing what had happened earlier.

Yes, she had seen the one person she’d really hoped to: Eli. She had also seen Stan, and the fact that he, like Eli, hadn’t recognized her was a really good thing.

But one person she’d been watching for hadn’t appeared. She still hadn’t seen Stan’s assistant, Paul Tirths. Was Paul still around?

When Andi had disappeared and Kelly’s alter ego, Shereen, had sought help and answers from anyone who knew Andi or her husband or both, Paul had been the one who’d hinted strongly that Stan had killed his wife and hidden her body. Later, he’d denied having said anything that could have led Kelly to draw such a heinous conclusion, especially about his boss—but she had believed he was lying then, not previously.

He had said nothing concrete. Nothing that could prove what had happened to Andi or lead to her body.

Then there had been the threats to Shereen for daring to question Stan’s involvement in Andi’s disappearance: speeding cars that nearly hit her while she was crossing city streets at night, even the street outside her apartment. No injury, fortunately, but only at times there were no witnesses, so no license plates, no vehicle identification. No perpetrator caught.

The last straw for Shereen was the night a bullet was fired through her bedroom window. No one witnessed the shooter, and although the type of gun was identified from the bullet, its owner wasn’t.

Was that because local cops were protecting Stan?

And Shereen could provide no evidence to the authorities about Andi, or about the fact that she, too, was being targeted, except for that one bullet. All she could supply were claims...and questions.

So, ultimately, she had fled.

But now wasn’t the time to focus on any of that. Kelly had to continue to do an excellent job as a restaurant server—and she would.

Some of her latest customers appeared to be women out for the afternoon, maybe enjoying time away from their kids in school. Another group of women were all clad in suits and dresses and appeared to be holding some kind of business meeting. A few guys in exercise outfits, possibly bicyclists, came in to take a break, and then there were several couples who could have been on midafternoon dates.

Speculating on who they were and their backgrounds helped to keep Kelly going. She attempted to recognize anyone, especially people who might recognize her. Fortunately, that didn’t appear to be an issue.

Her fellow server Tobi got into her standard quips and observations about their customers as they passed each other while turning orders in to the kitchen and picking up food to deliver. She clearly enjoyed speculating about supposed backgrounds and motives to come here, and her chatter helped keep Kelly smiling, efficient—and awake.

Lang Elgin, one of the few male servers, joined in now and then as he passed with food in his hands. Lang was a midforties guy whose paunch beneath his white shirt and dark pants suggested he enjoyed nibbling on the restaurant’s food. He also joked about how the female waitresses got all the good assignments—like the ability to leave for a few hours. Kelly and Tobi just laughed at that, and Lang grinned back.

Kelly’s shift was finished at seven o’clock, but at six forty, the cause of some of her stress walked right through the front door.

Fortunately, there were several tables available, many right near the restaurant’s door. Kelly could only hope that if Alan intended to stay and eat, he would choose one toward the front, and not in her area.

When she noticed him, she had her arms full of burgers and salads that she was about to put in front of another group of people dressed as if for a business meeting—two women and a man. She served them with smiles and the right amount of attention, saying she would be back with more coffee.

But when she turned, Alan was immediately behind her. He had chosen a table in Kelly’s section.

She felt the color drain from her face as her pasted-on smile sagged. She was going to have to deal with him again today, before she’d had time to think things through and determine how to act around him—if she had to again.

Well, now she had to. Immediately.

Fortunately, she had a good excuse for not taking his order right away. Instead, she went to get coffee for the table she had just left. The people there grinned and thanked her as she filled empty cups or warmed the brew left in other cups with a fresh top-off. Then she returned the nearly empty pot to where she’d picked it up, making her way through the still-filled tables and wishing that one of the other servers decided they simply had to have an extra tip, and would therefore take the order of the latest customer.

That didn’t happen. It would apparently go against the servers’ unspoken credo of fairness to one another, as well as Ella’s official assignments. Alan’s table was Kelly’s privilege and responsibility for the evening.

When Kelly turned back again to approach her serving area, most everyone appeared to be eating, drinking or conversing, and in any case ignoring her.

But not Alan. He was watching her, the expression on his good-looking but unnerving face bland—yet Kelly couldn’t help wondering what he was really thinking.

Sighing and pasting another false smile on her face, Kelly started making her way back to the tables she was serving.

“You okay?” Tobi, busing a tray of dirty dishes, was suddenly blocking her way.

Damn. It wasn’t a good idea to appear as if she had issues at all here, not even with someone she hadn’t known before and who might be a friend and kind of ally now.

“Absolutely.” Kelly made a point of turning that fake smile into one she hoped looked real. “I’m just a bit tired after our visit to the plaza and helping there in addition to my regular shift. I’m not used to it—yet. But I’ll get there. It was fun, and I really enjoy working here.”

Was she laying it on too thick? Maybe, but Tobi just snorted a laugh. “It gets better,” she said. “Or worse, depending on how you look at it. But if you need some help getting through the rest of today, let me know.”

Really? She could just beg Tobi’s help to handle Alan’s order?

Kelly almost gave in to her impulse to say yes.

But although that might temporarily make her feel better, it wouldn’t resolve any issues she had with the guy—assuming her worry about being here and exhaustion weren’t the only problems.

“Thanks so much for the offer,” she told Tobi, “but I’m fine. I’ll take a rain check if we have another day like this one, though. Okay?”

“Sure.” Then Tobi was gone, slipping between the filled tables toward the kitchen door. Lang was near there, too, apparently putting in an order.

It was time for Kelly to go take Alan’s order.

Well, good, she told herself. He would likely be around as long as she was in town, and she simply had to learn to deal with him better.

“So what can I get for you this evening?” she asked as she reached his table. She hoped he would say he wanted nothing and just leave, but she knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“Now that you’re becoming a veteran server here and at Government Plaza, what would you recommend?” He smiled as he gave her a long, assessing—and hot—look that suggested he hoped she’d recommend sex with her.

Wasn’t going to happen—even though parts of her body started churning in reaction to the thought.

Damn. What was it about this guy that got to her so much? He worried and unnerved her—but he also somehow turned her on.

Her mind grappled for a way to avoid seeing him again while she was here, but that would occur only if he stopped coming to the Haven. And she was sure that wasn’t going to happen.

“Oh, lots of people say good things about our burgers,” she said lightly. “I’m sure you’ve eaten them, though. What are you interested in trying?”

At his amused and even more suggestive look at her, she felt herself nearly melting onto the tiled floor. She hadn’t meant to say anything that could be interpreted as the tiniest bit suggestive, but she had.

“There’s a lot I’m interested in trying, but I think I’ll stick with one of my standard sandwiches here tonight—a chicken club.”

“Fine.” Kelly took her notepad from her pocket and jotted it down, along with the kind of bread and sides he ordered. This wasn’t too bad. She was acting appropriately as a waitress, and he was acting appropriately as a customer.

Before she left to put his order in, though, he brought her up short by saying, “Of course I know you don’t serve alcohol here, but I’d love a beer later. How about you?”

Was he asking her out? She shuddered slightly as she looked him in the face and said, “Oh, I’m more of a wine person myself, but we don’t serve that here, either. Sorry.” That didn’t exactly address what he’d asked, but maybe he would get the message.

“Very good. What time is your shift here over? If I’ve finished eating and left by then, I’ll come back for you, and we’ll go get you some wine and me some beer.”

Kelly inhaled deeply. She didn’t really want to deal with this here while she was working. How should she handle it? “Sorry,” she said. “When I’m through here, I’m just heading back to my place. I’m rather tired tonight.” Although she hadn’t told him to buzz off, she hoped he’d get it. If not, she would have to make it clearer if he asked her out again.

But his response made her freeze in fear, and not because she was scared of seeing him in any social capacity.

“I understand,” he said, his voice quiet. “But I know who you really are, and you and I need to talk right away.”

* * *

Alan had to hand it to her. Except for her initial split-second twitch of apparent nervousness, Kelly—her cover name, of course—maintained her cool demeanor.

She even managed a laugh as she said to him softly in return, “Now, that’s a line I’ve never heard before. Let’s see. I know who you are, too—Clark Kent. But I won’t let anyone know that you’re really Superman and likely to fly away soon.”

“Good. I appreciate that. Now, what time do you get off?” He hoped that taking a firm stance would convince her to go along with him. He didn’t want to even hint at threatening her with exposure around here to gain her cooperation. It was something he would never do, even if, as a last resort, he had to make her think he would.

He didn’t take his eyes off her. She remained standing beside his table, but he could see her body tense as she squeezed the hand not holding her notepad into a fist. He figured she wanted to slug him or run. Or both.

But, smart lady that she was, she kept all emotion inside except for those few reactions he was watching for.

Beautiful lady, too. A lady who could probably use some support—emotional, and maybe also physical, since she appeared to sway just a little.

But then she seemed to get a hold of herself. “Hey, great idea.” She smiled sexily at him as she leaned down and kept her voice somewhat low—although those around them might be able to hear it if they tried. “I’m new to this town and have lots of questions about it that I’m dying to ask a longer-time resident. I’m off in ten minutes. When and where should we meet?”

* * *

Kelly hated to play things this way, but it was part of the training pounded into her while changing her identity. Play along with things as much as possible if put into a compromising position. Never admit anything about yourself or your past.

Stay alert and always be smart.

So was this smart?

It was now seven fifteen. Sighing, wishing she could go the other direction, she instead pulled out of the Haven’s small parking area for staff that was behind the restaurant. She headed carefully onto the wide city street, busy even at this hour. That was Blue Haven, with its active residents.

The car she drove had been given to her as part of her cover: a ten-year-old dull red domestic sedan that desperately needed a new paint job. Fortunately, it had survived its cross-country trip. She was a waitress not only here, but also where she had been placed by the Identity Division, in Baltimore. Restaurant servers didn’t make much money, so an aging car, and as tiny and cheap an apartment as possible in this California beach town, helped her hide her real identity. Truth was, she actually didn’t have much money except for her salary, even though the ID Division had provided her with an initial stipend to get her started.

Oh, the money she had saved while living here in Blue Haven and working in its best elementary school as a teacher was still hers. But it was in accounts under Shereen Alsop’s name, and Kelly would dare to try using it again only as a last resort. What if Stan knew about those accounts and had paid their administrators off to let him know if Shereen tried to get into them?

Now, glad she had changed clothes before leaving, she drove only a few blocks in the opposite direction from the elite little town’s civic center to the local bar that Alan had told her about, where they would meet, ostensibly for a date. He’d offered to drive her himself, but she wanted her own vehicle close by in case she felt most comfortable fleeing—after giving a good excuse, of course, like she was getting ill.

Which she might be, upon considering the impending meeting.

She had frequented Tony’s Lounge now and then when she had been old enough after growing up in Blue Haven. Going there just added to her hurdles of potentially running into someone who might recognize her. Despite the chummy name, it was a lounge of renown around here, where many local politicos and businesspeople met after hours to toast deals they’d made that day with pricey drinks. Even elementary school teachers frequented it occasionally—especially one whose sister, a real estate broker, was married to a city council member.

Kelly pulled her car down the familiar driveway between Tony’s and the Haven Liquor Locker beside it. Both were owned by one family, and Andi had been in the same high school class as the son, Tony Jr. Kelly knew him, but not nearly as well as her sister had, so she wasn’t worried about him recognizing her.

The parking lot behind the bar was busy, but she quickly found a space.

Before she got out of her car, Alan was beside the driver’s door, waiting for her.

She swallowed. Years ago, she had occasionally been on stage in high school plays. She knew how to act—and her acting abilities had been enhanced by the Transformation Unit instructors while her identity was changed.

It was time. She grabbed her purse from the floor in front of the passenger’s seat.

When Alan opened the door for her, she smiled broadly and said, “Well, fancy seeing you here. Let’s go get a drink.”

* * *

Kelly had changed her clothing a bit from the garb she wore as a server, Alan noted while she matched her pace to his as they entered through the bar’s back door. She still wore the same white blouse and somewhat uncomfortable-looking shoes, but she’d donned a longer skirt.

Theoretically, he supposed, that should make her appear less sexy.

It didn’t. Kelly Ladd was one hot lady, no matter what she wore.

And despite himself, he couldn’t help imagining how sexy she’d be wearing nothing...

She’s become part of your assignment here, he reminded himself unnecessarily and shrugged off any inappropriate trains of thought.

He hadn’t changed from his official uniform here—a suit. That was fine. He’d had his job with the CIU long enough to feel comfortably chameleon-like in what he wore, depending on the situation.

He hadn’t been at Tony’s often, but it always seemed crowded. And dark. And noisy.

Hopefully it was a good public place for the conversation they were about to have. One in which he intended to ensure that, no matter who the lovely woman with him was, or wanted people to think she was, they would work together for their common purpose.

“How about over there.” Kelly pointed to one of the room’s few empty tables. It was way off in a corner. There were plenty of other people around it, but there was something remote and impersonal and—well, promising about it.

“Looks good,” he agreed, and used the excuse of maneuvering through the crowd in the darkness to take her arm.

The moment he touched her, she looked up at him, her eyes wide and wary. And then she grinned. “I have a feeling this evening is about to get interesting,” she said.

“You got it,” he agreed and, not letting go of her, moved in front so he could be the one to steer them through the crowd.

In a minute, they were at the small, square table. He did his gentlemanly thing again and pulled out the chair.

He took his seat across from her and pushed one of the menus in the table’s center toward her, keeping one for himself.

“Let the games begin,” said Kelly, her smile this time appearing to challenge him.

“And may the best person win,” he agreed.

Chapter 5

“So what would you like to drink tonight?” Alan looked across the table at Kelly with an expression that suggested he might want to drink her. Her shiver indicated both nervousness...and pleasure.

Under other circumstances, she might even enjoy flirting with a man like him.

But now, caution had to win out over any sexual interest. He was most likely playing her.

Well, she could do the same to him.

“Something nice and smooth and...tasty.” She smiled at him in a way she hoped suggested she might want to taste him.

“Sounds good to me.”

Their server came over. He wore a T-shirt and jeans and acted enthused enough that he was clearly hoping for a big tip. Kelly knew the type but had no problem with that, especially since Alan was apparently treating. She ordered a rich-sounding zinfandel, while Alan asked for an imported German beer. He also requested chips and salsa so they could nibble while they drank—and talked.

The volume of conversations around them was intense, which also provided Kelly with some relief. This could be considered a date between acquaintances, and no way could they have a heavy discussion here on any topic—just the way she liked it.

Not that she was certain what this meeting was about, but she could guess. Still, because of the covert nature of the ID Division and its assignments, even if Alan was who she believed he was, and he also knew who she was, they couldn’t talk about it in this place.

The only way to hear much of what each other said here required at least some shouting, which increased the unlikelihood of getting very personal. Neither wanted anything of any importance to be overheard.

“So what made you decide to move to Blue Haven?” Alan asked loudly.

To save my nephew, for one thing, was the first response that flew into Kelly’s mind. But she kept things simple, engaging in part of the lie she was supposed to use. “I come from the DC area and always heard how wonderful things are in California. This town sounded especially nice to me, and so far I’m enjoying it.” That was a bit of an exaggeration, but it seemed to work. She regarded his truly handsome, angular face with a smile, her head cocked. “How about you? What brought you here—or are you from here originally?” She felt certain he wasn’t.

“Kind of the same thing—I just heard interesting things about this area.”

Their enthusiastic server returned with their drinks, and the rest of their somewhat loud conversation involved things Kelly would have preferred not talking about, like her background and life before she came here. But some of that was built into her cover, so it wasn’t like she had to invent entirely new things—or anything she wouldn’t want overheard. According to what she told him, she had been a restaurant server forever.

She also wondered how much of the story Alan told was true. He said he had grown up in Virginia, served in the US Army, and liked the military but not enough to stay in it. He had decided to go into private security, also in Virginia, and that was his experience before moving here.

Interesting. Believable, whether or not it was true. Kelly found herself relaxing a bit, as if this were a true date.

Not that she would ever let her defenses down. She couldn’t.

Some of the tables around them emptied, then refilled. Kelly wondered how long they had already been there. She didn’t check her phone for the time, but realized it was getting somewhat late. She kept nursing her wine, not wanting to order another—and not just because she had to drive back to her apartment when they were done.

No, she needed to stay fully alert.

But she almost spilled the small amount of it that was left when she heard a familiar voice behind her, talking loudly over the crowd.

It was Stan.

* * *

Alan had been enjoying their time together—especially since he had an agenda he hadn’t told Kelly about yet. But he would when it was over.

He intended for them to take a short walk. Now that anyone paying attention to them would figure they’d been on a date, they could be seen together even more without suspicion about their real reason for seeing each other.

But now, he noticed Kelly wince at the same time he heard Stan Grodon’s raised voice and guffaws as he marched into the lounge area with a woman Alan hadn’t yet met.

From Alan’s perspective, that was okay. To Stan, security guy Alan Correy should be just an ordinary fellow who also sought out sexy women to date.

But despite how Kelly quickly got a hold of herself, it was better if she didn’t spend a lot of time in that man’s vicinity.

Alan knew she’d been well trained, but she was only human.

Oh, was she human...and female...and sexy...

And Stan, standing behind her, had apparently just noticed her presence. He glanced down, away from his own attractive date, a blonde who was even more skimpily dressed than Kelly had been in her server outfit.

Under other circumstances, Alan might have leveled a challenging look at the guy who’d dared to zero in on his date. But he didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize his ability to remain a security provider for Stan.

Time to get her out of here.

“Looks like you’re done, right?” he said to Kelly. “I’ll get our check.”

* * *

Kelly felt relieved when, after paying their tab, Alan pulled her chair out for her, then grabbed her hand and led her through the crowd—right past Stan—and out the bar’s back door.

She had to get over this. While she was here, she was likely to run into Stan in a lot of unexpected situations, and she had to maintain her cool.

He hadn’t recognized her yet. Hopefully he never would—at least not until she had found a way to make him stop hurting Eli and pay for what he’d done to Andi.

When they reached the dimly lit parking lot, Kelly turned to Alan, planning on thanking him for the drink and his company and saying good-night, just as she would do on a date.

Instead, he smiled at her in a way she could only describe as grim, and said, “Let’s walk.”

She started to refuse, but he took her hand again, even more firmly this time, and started leading her past the rows of cars and toward the street.

“Anyone seeing us will just think we had a great enough time that we don’t want our evening to end.” His deep voice was low, but she could hear it just fine in the cool outdoor air. They soon reached the sidewalk by the bar and liquor store, and Alan led her to the left, in front of the bar. A roar of noise emanated from it, but the sound was muffled by the closed door. “But you and I are going to talk,” he added, stopping to look down at her with as sexy a grin as she had ever seen. To get her turned on—or to make anyone watching them think they were actually attracted to each other?

Oh, Kelly was attracted to Alan, all right, but she didn’t trust him.

What did he really want?

Apparently the games he’d mentioned previously were now about to actually begin.

Well, no sense just waiting for him to start. Kelly also knew how to play the game—or so she hoped.

“Great.” She clutched his hand even harder. “So what do you want to talk about?”

“You, Kelly. And Shereen Alsop.”

Even though she’d expected this, at least somewhat, she flinched—but didn’t stop walking.

“Who’s that?” she asked. Part of her training when provided with a new identity was to admit nothing, so she wasn’t about to tell Alan she recognized that name. Her real name.

“That’s good,” he said. “You’re at least complying with some of the instructions you were given. But you shouldn’t have come here. That was completely against what you were told.”

“Oh, really?” She kept her tone light. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The hand holding hers moved enough to swing her around, and suddenly Alan was looking down at her. Despite the lack of streetlight, Kelly could still see the anger on her companion’s face.

“I... I...” Before she could figure out how to finish, his mouth came down on hers.

His kiss was startlingly sexy, and so was the way his body soon molded to hers.

Get away from him! something inside her screamed. They might be in public, where they could be observed, but nobody was near them now. She could be in danger.

And yet she didn’t believe that. She threw herself even more into the amazing kiss.

When he finally pulled away, he said perhaps the last thing she’d have expected from him then. “Go home, Kelly. To your real home now, the one you were given.”

She hesitated before answering. “I understand what you’re saying and why.” She ignored the absurd hurt she felt over him kissing her like that, then tossing her away as if it had meant nothing to him.

It should have meant nothing to her, too—just a means for them to continue pretending to stay in character here.

“Then—” Alan said.

But Kelly continued, her voice very soft and trembling. “I gather you’re from the ID Division.” She looked up into his face once more and saw him give a brief, curt nod. “And you clearly know who I am. You must know why I ran away in the first place.”

Another nod.

“I came back here because I learned that my nephew, Eli—you’ve met him—he’s in danger here, being abused by his father.”

“If you’re familiar with how the ID Division works, you know that I’m here to find the hard evidence against Stan that you weren’t able to gather. I’ll work on protecting Eli, too. But you need to leave.”

“Not until I’m certain that Eli’s okay.” No matter who Alan was and what discipline he might be able to get the ID Division to rain down on her, she had to do this.

She had to save her beloved nephew, notwithstanding any consequences to herself.

“That’s your final answer?” he demanded, still staring down at her.

“It has to be. I—”

He leaned down and stopped what she was going to say with another hot, incredibly wonderful kiss. This was ridiculous. This was wonderful.

Did he really think she’d start obeying him because she was turned on by him?

“Here’s what we’re going to do, then,” he said, holding her close and whispering into her ear. “We’re going to work together to find that evidence and bring Stan down. But if you’re here, you’re going to have to listen to me so I can both train you and protect you. Got it?”

He punctuated it with another kiss that took her breath away.

On one level, she wanted to shout “No!” and run away.

But on another level, she realized that two of them working directly together might be more effective than either of them working alone.

“Got it,” she said and reached up to pull his head down to hers for another kiss.

* * *

This was merely adding to their cover, Alan assured himself as he finally pulled his head slowly back, away from Kelly’s mouth. Her kiss. And then he took a step backward, too, to distance his body from her soft, enticing curves.

He had to think. To make himself remember a similar situation between a CIU operative and the person the ID Division was protecting that had worked out, even though the result of that case would be quite different from this one.

“As enjoyable as this is,” he said, “and as helpful as it may be to ensure that anyone paying attention to us believes we’re together now and thinks they know why, it isn’t helping us accomplish what we need to.”

“You’re right.” Kelly sounded breathless, but as he regarded her in the low light between street lamps, he saw that her smile was wry. “I agree that, since I’m staying here, we need to work together. Your main goal is to get proof against Stan, and I’m all for that. But my real focus now is to make sure Eli’s okay, then I’ll go after Stan.”

“I get that.” He reached out for her hand once more and started walking slowly down the wide sidewalk again, away from the bar since a few patrons had just come out. “And you’re right. Young Eli needs a guardian angel.”

She stopped, pulled herself in front of him. Her lovely face twisted into an expression of concern and fear. “What do you mean?”

Maybe he shouldn’t reveal this to her here. Maybe he shouldn’t reveal it to her anywhere.

But she had a right to know.

“There’s actually a good reason for you to be here,” he said in a tone that was more compassionate than the one he usually used. “Let’s walk some more and I’ll explain.”

“No,” she said. “Explain now.”

He’d suspected it wouldn’t be easy to work with this woman. For one thing, he had been affiliated with the military, and now government agencies, long enough to believe that orders were orders, and disobeying them only brought trouble. You could discuss them, maybe, depending on the circumstances and factors like time, in case there were better alternatives or ways to comply. But disobey them completely—never.

And here he was, about to risk his career to work with a woman who disobeyed a direct order that she’d had to expressly agree to in order to get the benefits and protections offered to her by the ID Division.

Yet as much as he disliked the concept, he could understand, under these circumstances, why she did it.

She needed to know that, and why he was actually considering making an exception in her case.

“This isn’t the right time or place to get into detail,” he said. “If necessary, I’ll do so later, when we’re truly in private and can talk.”

“What?” she demanded, but at least she continued walking with him.

“Well...since I’ve been here I have seen indications that Stan Grodon isn’t always kind to his son, Eli. I mean, I’ve seen—”

“That bruise on Eli’s face.” It wasn’t a question but a statement, and Alan wasn’t surprised she focused on that.

“Right. And more.”

“Like what?” She snapped to a halt and stared up at him.

“As I said, we’ll talk about it later. Right now, I’m just going to express regrets that I probably haven’t handled this as well as I should have.” He would never admit it to her—he even hated admitting it to himself—but his job here might become a little easier if Stan increased the cruelty to his son, particularly his criticisms while the city council security detail was in his presence. Alan had been around enough to observe some of that. And if the SOB did more, even if Alan hadn’t yet found evidence he could use against Stan for possible murder, he might obtain enough to have him arrested for child abuse.

Then, maybe more physical evidence of what had happened to his wife could be found when Alan got the right to enter Stan’s home to seek evidence of child abuse to keep the guy incarcerated for a while.

But really? He couldn’t, wouldn’t wish any more of that on the kid. He would find a way to succeed no matter what. And certainly would never admit to Kelly these cruel and nasty thoughts.

Even the idea would undoubtedly make her hate him enough to draw away immediately and refuse to work with him despite her own precarious situation.

Which would be justifiable, under the circumstances.

“What are you talking about?” Kelly demanded.

“Let’s just say that, on reflection, I can see why Eli Grodon needs someone on his side, no matter what else is going on around him—and around this town. I’ll certainly cooperate—” now “—but I’m probably not the right person to protect him. You, on the other hand, are—”

“The perfect person to protect him,” Kelly said. “And you can be sure I will. Now—are we meeting somewhere away from here for dinner tomorrow, on a supposed date if anyone asks?”

“That’s probably the best plan,” Alan acknowledged.

“Fine.” Without asking his permission, she turned, grabbed his hand and began leading him back to the bar.

He admired that she was, to some extent, playing the role he had created for her.

He only hoped she wouldn’t come to regret it—and make their working together here for a somewhat common purpose completely ineffective.

He regained at least some hope after they hurried back down the driveway and into the parking lot behind the bar. Kelly dragged him along to right beside her car, where she reached up, pulled his head down and involved him in one heck of a long, hot and sexy kiss.

He liked that she sounded completely out of breath when the kiss finally ended.

He didn’t do much better—especially when he couldn’t help pulling her back into his arms and kissing her again.

For show, he told himself, even as his body, which had already responded, grew even harder.

But soon Kelly backed off once more.

“See you tomorrow,” she said, then opened her door and got in.

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