Harlequin Romantic Suspense March 2016 Box Set

by Carla Cassidy

  As succinctly as possible he explained to her the role of the Trail Hikers, how even he didn’t know the full extent of their reach despite working with them for several months. That they were a supersecret government shadow agency that had carte blanche to work across all levels of law enforcement to achieve their mission objectives.

  “Usually Trail Hikers work on larger, international crimes that have stymied the FBI and CIA. But they also get involved in more local cases, like the True Believers and whatever they are doing in Silver Valley. To be fair, you have to understand that there is often so much more to any one case than I ever know. It’s how we keep everyone safe.”

  “The same way classified information is compartmentalized. My parents worked in embassies and with the military at times. I understand.”

  She felt his stare and met it. “It’s okay, Rio. I’m not going to wilt. I’ve lived in some pretty rough parts of the world.”

  “As a child, with your parents and State Department protection. This is different, Kayla. Anything could go wrong at any moment and you might be the only one there to fix it. I can’t be there every minute of the day for you.”

  “As much as you’re trying to be.” She didn’t elicit the dimple she wanted to see in his right cheek. “Come on, Rio, lighten up. We’re both still here. And things like this happen all the time. We just happen to be involved in this one.”

  And she just happened to fear she was falling for Rio again.

  * * *

  He’d watched newbies come into Trail Hikers more than once, but this time was the most personal. Kayla entered the slick professional office building and spoke to the receptionist as a local small business owner, but she’d leave knowing she was going to become part of an elite group of government shadow operatives. While Kayla wouldn’t become a full-fledged agent, if she received even a fraction of the training he’d had, it would be enough to change her.

  Change was inevitable when you came up against the unrelenting evil that human beings were capable of.

  “Kayla, so nice to meet you. I’m Claudia.” Claudia shook Kayla’s hand before she pointed to the two seats in front of her polished executive desk. “Please, have a seat both of you. Hello, Rio.”

  “Claudia.”

  “Kayla, I’m sure Rio has given you a little information about the Trail Hikers and let you know we’d like you to come on board. I’m here to answer any questions you have, and then I’m going to turn you over to our instructors for three full days of training that will include weapons handling, starting tomorrow. Are you okay with this?”

  “Yes.” Kayla shot Rio a look that let him know to stay out of it.

  “Great. Welcome aboard, and let’s get down to some of the brass tacks of Trail Hikers.”

  Claudia’s informational talk lasted about a half hour, and although Rio had received the same talk with Bryce Campbell sitting next to him, he didn’t remember a whole lot of it. He’d been too anxious to get into the training. He wondered if Kayla felt the same.

  She constantly surprised him. When he’d fallen for her last year, he’d been drawn in by her sense of humor and her intelligence, yes, but mostly by her unstoppable sexiness. He was willing to admit he’d had shallow motives in that regard. Yet each time he’d been with her, she’d shown another facet of herself that made him realize she wasn’t going to be a temporary companion, not even a friend with benefits.

  Kayla was different.

  “If you’ll sign at the marked spots on these contracts, I’ll have our instructor escort you out. Do you have any questions for me?” Claudia must have said this spiel to dozens of agents—no one but Claudia knew the total number of persons involved with the Trail Hikers—but she looked as enthusiastic and solemn as she had when Rio had signed on.

  “No, none at the moment.” Kayla signed her name with a deftness that made it seem she’d always wanted to become a secret agent.

  Rio wanted the True Believers and their criminal ways taken out of town no matter what it took. But as he looked at Kayla’s bandaged ear, her scraped-up skin, and thought about how he’d feel if anything irreparable happened to her, doubt at the intelligence of allowing Kayla to get involved so deeply with the case shadowed his vision.

  * * *

  Kayla had never experienced anything like the following three days with the Trail Hikers training team. Luckily it was spring break and Jenny agreed to run the shop. They made their store hours shorter, blaming the upcoming wedding season. It was believable enough as the Charbonneau wedding was indeed consuming most of their hours and budget at the moment.

  Since Trail Hikers wasn’t going to be a permanent gig for Kayla, they’d given her an abbreviated version of the training. Enough to keep herself safe and help with the case, but not so much that she’d be overwhelmed with needless tactics and information.

  After she’d left Rio in Claudia’s office, she was taken to the most up-to-date gym she’d ever seen and given workout gear to change into. It was her exact size. She’d had to work around her bruises and ear abrasion, but the movement and self-defense classes were exhilarating when they weren’t humbling.

  At the end of the third day of her training, Wednesday, Rio was waiting as he had been each of the previous days to take her to his house. True to his word, he’d steered clear of her, allowing her time to rest and watch mindless television in the evenings while he worked on his laptop in the office off the family room.

  It was almost as if they were a real couple, except they weren’t having sex.

  “Ready to conquer the world?” he asked her as she slid onto the leather seat and buckled her belt.

  “Not quite. I wish I’d had this training before college, though. There were a few grabby dates I’d have liked to take down a time or two.”

  His expression froze and she reached to grab his forearm. “Oh, no, Rio, I was never assaulted. I was just trying to be funny. I’m sorry.”

  “No apology needed.” But judging by his unusually gruff tone, she’d overstepped. He was on overdrive with his need to protect her.

  “Yes, I do need to apologize. You’ve done so much for me. Maybe now that I’ve had some training you can relax a little bit?”

  “Never.”

  “What, don’t you trust me with a weapon?”

  “You’re probably a better shot than I am. That wouldn’t surprise me.”

  As he drove she noticed they weren’t taking the usual route to his house. “Where are we going?”

  “I thought I’d treat both of us to a nice meal before the shit hits the fan with the wedding.”

  “You really think it’s going to all come to the wedding itself?”

  He nodded. “Or the rehearsal dinner. If we’re lucky, whoever the second assailant is will be at the Friday function and we’ll be able to figure it all out then. That would keep the wedding intact.”

  “I can’t believe Cynthia and Charles are going to go through with it. It’s so obviously a political power move.”

  “The Charbonneau father-daughter duo is destined for political infamy.” He entered the expressway and headed south, towards Gettysburg.

  “Where is Gloria in all of this?”

  “She’s the odd one out. Tony picked her because she looked good on his arm.”

  “I don’t think they have the best of relationships, even apart from the affair. I’m surprised she stays with him.”

  “It’s about the money, honey. If he can keep her in the clothes and automobiles she loves, why would she leave him? Especially when she’s getting any extra attention she craves from Mickey.”

  “Mickey. I read the file on him.” A good part of her training had been time spent with the files pertaining to Meredith’s case that the Trail Hikers had procured. “He’s got quite the rap sheet. I’m surprised the mayor risked hiring hi
m in the first place.”

  “They go way back. They both ran with the same crowd in New Jersey. Once the mayor got elected and Mickey was entrenched in his political staff, Tony knew he couldn’t just let him go, not without blowback.”

  “But why would Mickey get involved with Gloria? He and Cynthia seemed real chummy when I watched them talking in the street to one another.”

  “Cynthia is her father’s daughter. She can charm the pants off anyone, even though she’s pretty abrasive when she’s trying to get something she wants. Not that I think she wants Mickey’s pants off.” He grinned.

  Kayla groaned. “The thought of that is gross, Rio. Mickey’s twice her age.”

  “Judge Blackwell is even older. Worse, he’s a friend of mine and I haven’t been able to talk any sense into him about her. He’s one of those guys who is so damn smart except when it comes to women.”

  They remained silent and Kayla noticed how close they were to the Gettysburg battlefield.

  “Where on earth are we going? I don’t think spending time at the battlefield is going to help relax us.”

  “We’re not going to the battlefield. Have you ever eaten at the Colonial Restaurant?”

  “The one with the restaurant in the historical cellar? I love it! Keith and I took our parents there last Thanksgiving.”

  * * *

  The mention of Keith’s name made Rio stiffen. He knew Kayla saw his reaction. It was time to come clean.

  “Kayla, about Keith...”

  “I know, Rio.”

  “You know what?” Always full of surprises, this woman.

  “Keith is the person I was talking to on the phone last night when you walked into the bedroom to get your clothes.” She’d been in bed, Rio’s bed, with her e-reader and about to fall asleep when Keith called. “I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. He told me he’d be back at work today, with all charges dropped and nothing on his record.”

  “I didn’t do anything but my job.”

  “Don’t lie to me. You didn’t have to go meet with the Sneads, but you did.” He looked at her, surprised that she knew the name of the couple. “I read the files. Claudia told me to read anything that had to do with Silver Valley and the True Believers, in case I stumble upon a connection during the wedding. Also to help me find the other suspect, if we’re sure there’s one.”

  “Back to Mickey Ippolito. I think his affair with Gloria is a way to keep her in his control. So that she doesn’t screw over Tony, pardon the pun. A woman like Gloria can be dangerous when she’s not getting the attention she craves.”

  “I guess that makes sense.”

  “I think so. Now, has anything triggered a memory of the murder night for you?”

  “Don’t change the subject, Rio. We were talking about how wonderful a detective and public servant you are. Why didn’t you tell me you’d talked to the Sneads?”

  “It wasn’t my story to tell. Keith deserved to tell you first.”

  And he had. Her older brother’s voice had been as filled with gratitude for what Rio had accomplished as it was with excitement at returning to work.

  “That was nice of you. To let Keith tell me first.”

  “I aim to please. Sometimes.” They both laughed. He pulled into the front parking lot of the restaurant. It was housed in a beautiful building built before the Revolutionary War. “They’re busy tonight.” Rio drove through the packed lot until they found a spot behind the restaurant. When he opened her door, Kayla stood up and felt the muscles in her legs and shoulders twinge.

  “You didn’t tell me I’d be getting the workout of my life the last few days.” She stretched to one side, then the other.

  “Sore, are you?” He stepped behind her and before she realized what he was doing he started kneading her shoulders with just the right amount of pressure.

  “We’re in broad daylight, Rio.” Still, a moan of pleasure worked past her lips. His fingers were magic.

  “I’m massaging your shoulders, that’s all. Unless you want more?”

  “Stop teasing. We have an agreement.”

  “We did. Before. And I don’t remember putting anything in writing.” But he stopped. She turned to face him. A cool spring breeze made what could have been a warm night chilly and she wrapped her large scarf more tightly around her.

  “We still do, right? We’re in the middle of the biggest thing I’ve ever faced. And it’s not just about us anymore, is it?” She searched his face, his eyes. In the dimming light she saw the desire in his eyes, but his serious expression told her that he was every bit as focused as she was on finding the murderer.

  “No, it isn’t.”

  He touched her forehead with his and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. “I wish it was simpler, babe.” The way he said the word babe made her want to insist they get back in the car and go home. To his place, to make love all night.

  Now that she was a Trail Hiker, no matter how temporary her position with the agency, she had an obligation to the greater good. To her home and Rio’s.

  “The events of the past week make being upset at you for being a cop seem so petty.”

  “All things are relative.”

  “You didn’t lie, not outright.”

  He chuckled. “No, but I didn’t tell you everything, either. That was my first mistake.”

  “There were more?”

  “I’m not going to talk about that tonight. Let’s go in and have a nice meal. Take a break from all of the work that awaits us over the next few days.” He brushed her lips with his, lightly, sweetly.

  It touched her more deeply than the intensely passionate kisses they’d shared while making love.

  * * *

  The tinkling spring ran next to their table and Kayla looked at her dinner companion in the dim light. Candles were all that lit the dining room, which consisted of several booths and tables placed closely together in the former colonial family cellar.

  “I love coming here and imagining how the first owners lived here. These walls lived through the American Revolution.”

  “I agree. I’m a pretty big colonial history buff.”

  “Me, too. Who’s your favorite historical figure?”

  “Benjamin Franklin. Yours?”

  “Same. Although I’ve been reading quite a bit lately about the women who played key roles during the revolution. We always get left out of the history books.”

  “Do you fancy yourself as a colonial spy?”

  “Funny you should ask. In high school we were living in the Netherlands and I was attending an international school. I did a report on the revolution and included facts about how the Americans used espionage and guerrilla warfare, much to the dismay of the British.”

  “American innovation. We still have it.”

  “Do we ever. If I had ever doubted that, being read into TH would certainly have changed my mind...” She drifted and took a long sip of her ale. They’d picked a beer on tap that they both enjoyed instead of sharing a bottle of wine. She couldn’t handle more than one drink after such long, exhausting training, and Rio was driving.

  “Listen, Kayla. I know things are still crazy right now. But we need to talk more. About us.” His tone had changed and the flutters in her stomach told her so had his intent. He put down his beer and reached over for her hands. “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea from me. I’m staying away, keeping my distance, because you need the time and energy to devote to what you’ve just learned. It’s a lot to absorb, going from full-time florist to part-time undercover agent. Who is facing a lot of dangerous situations during this investigation, by the way.”

  “Well, I’ve been trained now, at least in some basic tactics and evasions. So hopefully, there won’t be any more close calls.”

  “
It’s not so simple, Kayla. Training and feeling confident in the instructional scenarios is quite different from when it happens in real life.”

  “Don’t you think I already know that? This is very real to me, Rio. I saw Meredith get shot. I was in the next room while the mayor’s wife was scheming with her lover. I just wish I’d had the training then...”

  He squeezed her hands. “You didn’t, and you did fine. If you’d had the training, you might have tried to take down a dangerous man.”

  “Maybe I would have gotten him, though—and then no one else would be in danger.”

  * * *

  Rio didn’t have the heart to tell Kayla that her chances of catching and apprehending the suspect without getting badly hurt—or worse—were slim to none.

  “You may be right.” Her hands were so soft and the easy way she accepted his affection made it difficult to keep his promise to himself, and to her, to put their relationship on hold until after the case was wrapped up.

  “I know I’m just a part-time helper, in the big picture of law enforcement, and what I’ve just learned is basically how to keep myself safe while not getting in the way of the professionals. Like you.” She gave him an impish smile and he reflexively smiled back. “Still, it feels good to be part of the team and not just flat-out prey to whoever we’re dealing with.”

  “I’ve been amazed by your bravery this entire time.” He brushed the side of her cheek with his fingertips and then released her hands completely, leaning back as the waitress delivered their food.

  “Oh, my goodness, I had no idea how I hungry I was until I smelled this.” She dug into her crock of French onion soup, pulling up a long strand of melted mozzarella. “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

  As he watched her enjoyment, he had to agree.

  CHAPTER 15

  “Is there any way to figure out how the cult is connected to the charges against Mayor Donner, like you did with Keith Paruso?” Colt Todd ate a doughnut while discussing the role of the True Believers in Silver Valley’s political doings. Rio found it odd that his boss was giving in to his sweet tooth a day earlier than usual. Usually the superintendent only indulged on Fridays.