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A dead body is no way to start the day... a fake marriage makes it a special brand of hell.
When her witness is murdered, DEA Agent Hannah Thalberg knows she's the next target. The only way she can stay close to the case is to lie about getting married and hope her one-time lover goes along with the deception.
Karl 'Bart' Bartholomew's Army career ended his first marriage before an injury ended his career. Now the owner of a popular truck stop, he stays close to the action by keeping local DEA and law enforcement informed of suspicious activity.
Can Hannah and Bart break the case and save lives before the passion between them breaks apart their friendship?
Don't miss the other RC Investigations novels: The Thief, The Witness, The Hostage, and now The Suit
Excerpt:
"I can still contribute here,"
Hannah said.
"No." Her boss shook his
head. "It's too dangerous."
"My instincts got us this close.
That's obvious by the way they retaliated."
"Hannah, I wish it was that
simple. Do you have a relocation request or do you want me to handle
it?"
"What about my vacation time?"
"You can use that to get settled
in your new area."
She sighed. "Then I request
Virginia."
"Absolutely the wrong direction.
You cannot stay on this case."
Absolutely? She thought about
the wiretap. What on earth did they think tapping Bart's phones would
accomplish? The man frequently assisted the DEA with tips about
potential illegal activity with truck drivers or cargo that came
through his truck stop. It was how she'd first met him last year.
"What about the Pacific
Northwest?"
Her hand instinctively went to her
belly and she masked the tell-tale move by fiddling with the jacket
buttons on her pale blue linen summer suit.
"Maybe."
"It's beautiful country. Lots of
things to do besides round up the bad guys. You'll love it."
"Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"Yes. Before the cartel manages to
do it on their terms."
She preferred to avoid that outcome as
well. "Okay. Fine. I'll get my things packed up and report next
week."
"I'll have you on a flight
tomorrow morning."
"I have vacation time," she
insisted. "I can't leave tomorrow, there's too much to do."
"We have admin for that."
"Thanks for the offer, but can't
you give me the weekend at least?" She needed time to figure out
who was looking at Bart's business and why. Needed time to tell him
about the baby.
"I'll get the paperwork ready.
Admin will handle the logistics. It's early enough we might be able
to get you out tonight."
"Hang on. This is ridiculous. You
have a protective detail assigned –"
He pulled off his wire-rimmed glasses
and glared at her. "This, Agent Thalberg, is reality."
"Then you'd better start the
paperwork for two IDs," she said, rolling back her shoulders.
His gaze narrowed. "Why?"
She was working the timeline in her
head, praying she could swing by her apartment on her way out of
town. "Because if you're relocating me immediately my husband
will want to come along and I'm not sure he can get away as early as
tonight." A small voice in her head clamored that Bart would
never want to see her again after telling that whopping lie. But she
had to get out of the office, shake her protective detail, and find
some way to warn him.
Her boss's mouth dropped open. She
understood how he felt. The previously unmentioned marriage was a
shock to her as well.
"You're married."
She nodded once.
"Since when?"
"A few weeks back." She
swallowed the lump in her throat. "That trip I took to Las
Vegas." She slid a glance at her watch, knew she had at least
two more hours before offices opened in Nevada and her lie could be
exposed.
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