Undercover Marriage (2 page)

Besides the one glimpse of vulnerability on her face when she’d been packing young Brandon’s room, Serena was her stoic self. Saying little and showing even less in her expression. The professional to the nth degree.

Her lack of emotions set his nerves on edge.

He wished she’d get mad or sad or something. She was grieving for Daniel, yet she held on to her emotions with an iron fist. He tried to emulate her. But it took a lot of energy to repress the myriad emotions raging through him at any given moment. There were times he wanted to give up, but knowing he had to stay focused and in the game for Serena’s sake kept him going.

He missed the easy friendship he and Serena had had before Daniel’s death. But since the moment she’d heard of her brother’s murder, she’d retreated behind this ascetic silence, talking to him only when necessary.

Not easy when they had to work together.

Sometimes impossible as partners assigned to a tough case.

He blew out a puff of air.

He knew she hadn’t been happy to be paired with him. But they made a good team regardless of their personal issues. Each easily anticipated the other’s need, the other’s movements. Numerous colleagues had commented on their compatibility. In fact, many people thought they were so in sync with each other that they could be a romantic couple.

So not the case.

For so many reasons.

First and foremost, Serena was Daniel’s sister and therefore off-limits. There were few people in this world Josh trusted. Daniel had been at the top of the list. Dishonoring his memory by becoming romantically involved with his sister wasn’t something he intended to do.

Besides, Josh would never do anything to jeopardize his working relationship with Serena by pursuing her romantically.

Josh had tried on numerous occasions over the past year and a half to talk to Serena about the day Daniel died, but she’d refused to engage in a conversation. Not that he wanted to explain why he’d taken a personal day or why he hadn’t answered the phone when Daniel had called him hours before his death.

What he wanted to tell Serena was how gut-wrenching it had been to learn of Daniel’s murder and then hearing Daniel’s voice message asking for backup.

Josh would live with the knowledge he’d let his fellow marshal and best friend down because of a woman. Lexi, Josh’s girlfriend of three years, had dumped him that morning, accusing him of having feelings for Serena.

Not putting any stock in the accusation, he’d dismissed Lexi’s allegations as irrational jealousy. Lexi had always been territorial, but she’d gone too far this time.

Josh wouldn’t deny he found Serena attractive, with her long dark hair captured back into a low ponytail and her wide-set eyes that saw through him. The tailored pantsuits she wore covered her from head to toe but showed off her athletic and feminine curves underneath. When Josh had first met Serena, she’d been reserved and wary, but she had warmed up over the years that Daniel had been Josh’s friend.

Josh wouldn’t have felt right about pursuing Serena, especially after she started working alongside him and Daniel. Josh had forced his attraction into a box and made himself treat Serena like a little sister when they weren’t working and like a professional colleague when they were.

None of that mattered now. Daniel was gone. Serena was now virtually a stranger, and Josh had no intention of becoming romantically involved with her. His guilt wouldn’t let him. He didn’t deserve happiness or even contentment.

He was to blame for Daniel’s death.

He would never forgive himself.

With a heavy heart, he drove out of the neighborhood and merged onto the highway heading toward Houston’s Intercontinental Airport. The evening traffic had thinned.

He glanced in the rearview mirror, noting the headlights of a black SUV. The same vehicle had been behind them since they left the suburban neighborhood. The big black beast stayed two cars back. Josh moved into the right lane to see what the SUV would do. It changed lanes, as well. At the last second Josh took the off-ramp.

“Hey!” Serena cried, reaching up for the grab-handle.

The SUV shot down the ramp behind them.

“We’re being followed,” Josh stated.

Serena swiveled in her seat to look out the back window. “I can’t make out the license plate.”

Josh stepped on the gas, heading the sedan down a side street. The back window exploded as gunfire pebbled the car.

Up ahead an empty parking lot came into view. Josh made a sharp turn into the parking lot. Then, keeping his foot on the gas, he twisted the steering wheel, sending the sedan into a ninety-degree spin. When the front end faced the oncoming SUV, he stomped on the brake and threw the gear shift into Park.

Popping open the driver’s-side door with one hand, he yanked his Sig Sauer out of its holster beneath his jacket. Beside him Serena did the same with her Walther. Using the door as a shield, he aimed at the oncoming vehicle.

Blinding light from the high beams made him wince. He fired off a shot, taking out one headlight.

Undeterred, the SUV barreled toward them.

Panic cramped Josh’s chest.

The crazy driver wasn’t going to stop.

TWO

“L
ook out!” Serena cried, as the SUV headed for a collision course with the sedan.

Her heart crawled into her throat and constricted her breathing. Galvanized by self-preservation, she scrambled away from the open passenger door. Anticipation of the SUV crashing into Josh’s sedan stiffened every muscle in her body. She braced herself for the impact and glanced back. Josh hadn’t moved!

“Josh!” Why wasn’t he getting out of the way? “Move it. Now!”

He squeezed off several rounds, hitting the front of the SUV.

At the last second the SUV veered to the left, roaring past the driver’s side of the sedan. The barrel of an assault rifle stuck out the open back passenger window.

A barrage of gunfire split the air. Bullets riddled the fender and door of the rental sedan. The deafening noise echoed inside Serena’s head.

Josh dove inside the car.

Serena rolled to her knees, aimed and fired, hitting the back window. The SUV screamed out of the parking lot and disappeared down the street.

Heavy silence descended.

Fear for Josh overwhelmed Serena.
Please, dear Lord, don’t let him be dead
.

She jumped to her feet and rushed to the car. “Josh! Are you hurt?”

Josh jolted to a seated position to pound his palm against the steering wheel, his frustration obvious. He yanked out his cell and called 911.

She sagged forward with relief that he was okay and braced a hand on the car roof. Losing her brother had sent her into an emotional tailspin that she’d barely begun to come out of. Losing a partner wasn’t something she wanted to go through, no matter what her personal feelings for said partner were.

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the edges of her professionalism and pulled it tightly around her before stepping back to allow Josh to climb out of the car.

“Did you happen to see the shooters?” he asked.

“No, the windows were tinted. Do you think they were the same perps from the house?”

“Pretty likely that it was. We saw their faces.” His usually warm brown eyes hardened. “I’m sure they figured if they got rid of us then there’d be no one to ID them.”

“Except the guy I shot could identify them,” Serena said. “We need to let the local marshals know they might have a potential target on their hands.”

“Good idea.” He loosened his tie then swiped a hand down his face.

A smear of blood on the back of his hand caught her attention. “You’re hurt.”

He glanced down at the cut where flying glass had scraped across his skin. “Hazard of the job.”

Right. She knew all too well the dangers that came with being a U.S. marshal. Her brother died in the line of duty. Would she and Josh suffer the same fate?

* * *

The next morning Josh rolled into work five minutes before eight. A sleek skyscraper in downtown St. Louis housed the U.S. Marshals Service district office. Josh took the elevator to the fourth floor and made his way to his desk. Serena was already seated at her station a few feet away. She glanced up, gave him a tight smile and returned her focus to the file in front of her.

In contrast to her neat and tidy desk, Josh’s desk had a mound of files stacked precariously close to the edge. A desktop weekly planner, sporting coffee stains, still showed the previous month. He took a seat and ripped the top sheet off the calendar so that June would show. He powered up his laptop.

“Hey, McCall.” Marshal Burke Trier stopped beside Josh’s desk. Tall and lean with dark eyes, dark hair and a dimpled chin, Burke was the resident ladies’ man. “Glad to see you made it back in one piece. We heard about the ambush last night.”

“News travels fast,” Josh remarked. “What’s happening with the Munders case?”

Burke shrugged. “We’re stalled out. Without the evidence McIntyre promised we’re going nowhere real fast.”

“Not his fault the thumb drive containing the evidence went missing while in our custody,” Josh shot back.

“Yeah, well, if there was anything on it to begin with,” Burke stated. “Maybe McIntyre lifted it while we had our backs turned.”

Josh’s fingers curled. “Dylan McIntyre was trying to do the right thing. He wouldn’t—”

“Any leads on the missing Baby Kay or her mother?” Serena interjected. “That’s what we need to keep focused on.”

Josh’s gut twisted. Leave it to Serena to use the one thing that would defuse the situation. A few months back a woman named Emma Bullock had been found beaten and unconscious in Minneapolis. When she awoke, she couldn’t remember who she was or who’d hurt her. However, she remembered being in possession of a baby at the time of the attack. But the baby was nowhere to be found.

Apparently a young woman named Lonnie had asked Emma to safeguard her child while she ran an errand but had never returned. The marshals were called in because of the illegal adoption ring they were on the cusp of busting. Josh was sure the kidnapping of Baby Kay had something to do with Munders and the Perfect Family Adoption Agency. The police and the Marshals Service were still searching for the baby and the young mother.

Burke shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. The Minneapolis P.D. is staying on top of the search and will keep us informed if anything develops.”

Josh let out a frustrated grunt for a reply. He prayed the young mother and baby were still alive.

“Burke, what do you hear from Hunter?” Serena asked. She rested her elbows on the desktop and steepled her hands as she waited for an answer.

Hunter Davis had been their team leader until he’d taken an extended leave of absence. He’d fallen in love with a witness he’d been protecting. But he was still consulting on the baby-smuggling case via telephone from time to time.

“He and Annie got married. Didn’t invite any of us.” The disgruntled note in Burke’s voice was understandable. He and Hunter had been roommates before Hunter met Annie. She’d entered the witness protection program to testify against the men who’d killed her husband and tried to kidnap her daughter.

“Good for them,” Serena said.

Josh stared at her. Had he just seen a flash of longing? She met his gaze and immediately her dark brown eyes cooled before she turned her attention to the file in front of her. Nah. He’d been dreaming. The only thing in her eyes was pure steel.

“Good morning, children.” A booming voice echoed through the offices as recently retired U.S. marshal Bud Hollingsworth approached, bearing a box of treats from a local bakery. Tall with a potbelly, the sixty-something veteran was having a hard time adjusting to retirement, if his frequent appearances at the office were any indication. “I understand you two had some trouble over in Houston.”

“Does everyone know?” Josh asked. “How did you hear?”

Bud shrugged and lifted the lid on the box to offer Josh a pastry. “The chief. He asked me to come in and consult on this development. I’m going to liaison with the Houston P.D. to try to catch these guys. We can’t have our witness compromised.”

Josh’s defenses rose. “He wasn’t. There were no labels on anything. No way anyone could find out where the McIntyre family has been relocated to.”

“Josh. Serena,” Chief U.S. Marshal Wendell Harrison called from the doorway of his office. In his fifties, lean and wiry, Wendell exuded energy without trying. “A word, please.”

Exchanging a curious glance with Serena, Josh pushed out of his chair and stood. He followed Serena into the chief’s office. The chief sat behind his desk. Another man wearing a gray pin-striped suit rose as they entered. About five foot five, muscular, with a chiseled jaw and swept-back blond hair, the man oozed fed.

“Marshal McCall and Marshal Summers, you know FBI Special Agent Todd Bishop,” Harrison said.

Bishop shook Josh’s hand, then Serena’s. “Marshals,” Bishop said. “You two have been doing good work.”

“Thank you,” Serena said, looking pleased. She was a woman who liked to be praised for her work. Compliments about anything else were met with a silent stare.

Without preamble, the chief said in a loud booming voice, “In light of last night’s development and close call, I’m taking you two off the Munders case and reassigning you to a new case. We’ll be coordinating with Agent Bishop.”

The air rushed from Josh’s lungs as if he’d been socked in the stomach. Six months ago when he and Serena had been assigned to this special operation, he’d welcomed the chance to coordinate with the FBI in tracking down and apprehending criminals connected to the illegal adoption ring.

Anything to distract himself from the anguish of his best friend’s murder. Though investigating wasn’t within the scope of the Marshals Service, Josh had done what he could to find Daniel’s killer as well as monitored the local police and federal investigation, but they, too, had hit dead ends at every turn.

Now to be taken off the special operation they’d toiled at for so many months chafed.

“What? No.” Serena’s protest drew the attention of everyone in the outer offices. “We’ve worked too hard on this case to be taken off now.”

Harrison held up a hand. “Please. I understand you’re upset. But this is for your protection.”

Josh tucked in his chin. “Our protection? We’re doing fine. We have each other’s back.”

Harrison regarded them steadily with steely blue eyes. “Shut the door and take a seat.”

Serena pushed the door closed. “I’d rather stand.”

Josh took the seat opposite his boss. Special Agent Bishop moved to hitch a hip onto the edge of the desk.

The chief’s expression was grim, but there was something else in his assessing eyes that made Josh guess there was more to this. “Sir? What’s
really
going on?”

Harrison’s mouth twitched. “You are a perceptive man, McCall.”

“I try, sir.”

“Serena, close the blinds, please,” Harrison instructed.

Once the blinds were closed, Serena stood behind the empty chair next to Josh, her hands gripping the back.

Harrison leaned forward. “I’m not taking you off the Munders case,” he said, his voice low, intense. “That bit was for show. I don’t want whoever our leak is to know what you’re actually going to be doing.”

“Which is?” Josh prompted, anxious.

“You’re going undercover,” Agent Bishop stated.

Surprise washed through Josh. “Isn’t that something the FBI should be doing?” A few months ago, FBI agent Lisette Sutton had gone undercover in a fertility clinic. The Marshals Service had provided support in the form of U.S. marshal Colton Phillips.

“Normally, yes,” Bishop said. “But these are special circumstances that will require you to wear the mantle of investigator. We have every confidence in the two of you.”

Josh wasn’t sure he shared Bishop’s certainty. They hadn’t been successful yet in plugging the department leak or apprehending the man known as “Mr. Big.”

“We need hard evidence against Munders and the Perfect Family Adoption Agency to take to the state attorney general,” the chief said. “I want you two to get it.”

“Where are we going undercover and as what?” Serena asked in a tone mixed with equal parts excitement and apprehension. Josh felt that same mix in his gut. He waited for the chief’s answer.

Harrison sat back. “Before I go into the details, bring Agent Bishop up to speed on where we are in the investigation.”

“I’ve read the reports, but I’d like to hear your observations,” Agent Bishop said.

Josh looked to Serena. Her gaze slid to meet his. Her eyebrows inched up in question. Josh nodded, indicating for her to speak.

“Six months ago a routine court witness protection detail went south,” she said, addressing Agent Bishop. “We apprehended a suspect who had tried to take out the witness and offered him protection in exchange for information regarding human trafficking. Babies, to be exact. The thug was working for someone dubbed ‘Mr. Big.’ We have yet to find this man.

“However, following the lead the suspect provided, we ascertained that there is indeed an illegal ring of baby smugglers operating out of the U.S. We believe the headquarters are here in St. Louis. We discovered a connection between Mexico and a law firm here, Munders and Moore.

“We believe the law firm is arranging for infants to be brought across the border and sold to American families through an adoption agency.”

“The Perfect Family Adoption Agency,” Harrison murmured. “Why there?”

“The agency is owned and operated by Matilda Munders, wife of Fred Munders. Fred has been implicated in witness tampering, several kidnappings and murder.”

The chief stroked his chin. “It’s imperative we bring these criminals to justice. Are you two prepared to do what it takes?”

Josh blinked at the ominous words. He glanced at Special Agent Bishop. The man stared back at him with sharp eyes, reminding Josh of a shark.

“Yes, sir,” Serena answered quickly.

“Josh?” Harrison eyed him with an intensity that made Josh want to squirm.

But Josh held himself still. “Of course, sir.”

“Good.” Agent Bishop handed each of them a file folder. “Inside this dossier you will find everything you need for your cover. Publically you will be reassigned to work on a fugitive task force coordinating with the FBI.”

Josh opened the dossier and scanned the overview sheet. His heart beat in his throat. He slanted a glance at Serena. She stood frozen in place, her gaze trained on the papers in her hand. Slowly she lifted her gaze to meet his. Shock and denial swirled in the depths of her chocolate-brown eyes.

Swiftly she jerked her gaze away from Josh to address the chief. “No. I can’t. I won’t.”

Josh’s fingers tightened around the folder. He’d never known Serena to back away from a challenge. And this would be challenging.

The chief stared back at her unflinchingly. “This is too dangerous a task to give to a civilian. You and McCall are the perfect choices.”

She sputtered. “But...but...posing as husband and wife?”

“It’s the perfect cover,” Bishop said. “You’ll be Mr. and Mrs. Andrews from Alaska, recently relocated to St. Louis because of Mr. Andrews’s promotion to bank executive at First National. You are desperate to have a child. You’ve tried everything and are at your wits’ end.”