by Barb Han
* * *
MARIA HAD DONNED her Kevlar vest and put on her black FBI hat, keeping it low on her brow in order to shield her face as the officer who’d picked her and Austin up at the field office drove the van through the quiet streets of the suburbs on the east side of Austin.
It was late afternoon in the early days of summer. Watchful mothers kept tabs on kids as they played outside in their yards, taking advantage of the small window of good weather before the blazing Texas sun practically melted the concrete and it was too hot to do anything but splash around in the pool. Even that water would warm at some point, taking away the refreshing feeling of a cold dip. And then it would just be hot.
Vic would be in the mobile command unit with Special Agent Wheeler, who was on tap to make the arrest. He had already touched base with local law enforcement and had an officer assigned to work with him.
If Maria had her preference, she’d be in the mobile command vehicle where the action would be. But she knew better than to push her luck. This was close enough and she was grateful to be included. She wouldn’t ask Vic, or Austin for that matter, for more. Besides, if Halpern took one look at her the sting would be busted. There was no way she’d risk the operation.
Adrenaline had her hands trembling as she touched the butt of her gun for reassurance. The grip fit her hand perfectly and there was something comforting about knowing she could protect herself. For Maria, her job had always been about protecting children even when it put her in harm’s way.
The operation had been set up quickly and that meant more things could go wrong. Agencies hadn’t had a chance to rehearse the sting and that lack of knowledge about how each person liked to operate could end in tragedy if everyone wasn’t on constant vigil. The perimeter was unsecure, as well. Maria took everything into account as she prepped her mind. The truth was that stings could and did go wrong. She needed to mentally calculate risk factors in order to provide the best help possible. She could only pray that no one else would be hurt on this assignment.
She’d been paired with a local off-duty cop by the name of Henry Adrienne for the ride over and she’d been told that Special Agent Kendrick waited inside the sting headquarters, which was the house.
Officer Adrienne pulled into the parking garage in the small brick ranch-style home on Pilsner Street.
Maria walked inside first and was greeted by Kendrick. He was on the short side with a stocky build and determined gray eyes.
“Everything’s been quiet so far,” Kendrick said after introducing himself to Austin.
“I’ve done my part,” Officer Adrienne said. “As much as I’d like to stick around, and believe me when I say that I would, I’ve been told my role is over once I successfully hand over ‘the package.’”
“Thanks for the ride,” Maria said, offering a handshake.
Austin, who’d been quiet up until then, offered his thanks as he escorted Adrienne out.
“Is the decoy in place?” Maria asked Kendrick.
“Affirmative,” Kendrick said, walking her over to the monitor.
The setup wasn’t bad given such short notice. A laptop was connected to a separate 52-inch monitor on top of the breakfast bar. Austin returned and the trio huddled around the screen, which was a live feed of the strip shopping center. Cars eased by on the nearby road. Austin traffic seemed to be at a crawl most of the day and for a second Maria worried Halpern might be stuck somewhere in it.
“How long has he been there?” Maria asked, referring to the kid. He was actually a young undercover officer posing as a thirteen-year-old boy and looked the part based on his screen image, which had been doctored using a photo-alteration program.
“Ten minutes at the most,” Kendrick said after glancing at his watch. He pushed a few buttons on the laptop, raising the volume, and she could hear static from the breeze.
Waiting was the worst.
“How long has the mobile unit been in place?” Maria asked for lack of anything else to say. Austin had been quiet and she knew that he was assessing the situation.
“A couple of hours,” Kendrick said. “If he shows and says the right words, we’re ready to go.”
The snick of a bullet being engaged in a chamber sounded behind them a second before the blast ripped through the air.
All three of them dropped to the floor in a huddle and Maria immediately saw blood splattered on Austin. Kendrick’s blood. He’d been shot in the head.
Maria looked up and there stood Halpern, legs wide in an athletic stance. The end of his gun barrel pointed at her. All she could think was that this couldn’t be how her life ended.
“I knew you’d be here. All I had to do was follow the marked car. I used to be in the military and am ex–law enforcement and you think I can’t spot a setup when I see it? You think I’ve never worked a case with a doctored photo before?” he asked with a grunt. “I tried to cut you out of the equation before, make your death look like an accident or a random attack but you are persistent.”
“What do you want with me?” she asked.
“At first?” His laugh was haughty. “I knew when you didn’t recognize me as I passed you outside your building the other day that you’d forgotten who I was. It was only a matter of time before your memories came back after I hit you on the skull. I would’ve killed you then if I hadn’t been interrupted. But the waitress came out for a smoke and I had to take off. You’d figured me out and I have no plans to go to jail.”
Austin used his large frame to block her and she took that second to pull her standard-issue weapon. Austin had been banned from bringing his gun, which meant it was her against Halpern and his weapon was already drawn. If she so much as flinched, Halpern would fire and one of them would be dead. Even wearing a bulletproof vest, it was too risky for her to make a move. Austin was in the line of fire and she couldn’t allow anything to happen to him.
She prayed like hell that he wouldn’t go maverick on her, trying to save her by throwing himself in front of a bullet instead. And that’s exactly what someone like him would do.
“The way I see things, this could be a very bad ending for you. It’s not too late to get out of this alive,” she said to Halpern.
“Oh, but it is for—” he said, and before he could finish his sentence Austin tackled him.
Maria pointed her weapon at Halpern but Austin was in the way as the two tumbled onto the floor. A bullet fired and she immediately called for backup as she watched the two men in a death roll. She couldn’t get close enough to see what was really going on without putting Austin in more danger.
Her heart pounded against her ribs and she struggled to breathe against the heavy vest that felt like it was closing in around her. If she moved too close Halpern could use her against Austin. She wouldn’t make that mistake. The end of her barrel struggled to find Halpern’s body or head, given that he was underneath Austin. Dammit. She couldn’t get off a clean shot. The twist of bodies rolled toward her and she had to jump back in order to ensure that Halpern couldn’t get anywhere near her weapon. She scanned the floor for Halpern’s gun but couldn’t see it.
Watching the man she loved on the ground fighting for his life was horrific. Maria couldn’t imagine worse. She leveled her weapon the second she thought she might be able to get off a clean shot. Austin shifted position, blocking her line of sight. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.
Maria took another step back. And then she saw metal. Halpern’s gun was between him and her rancher, and Austin was wrestling for control.
The gun fired. Maria gasped. A bullet whizzed past her head and lodged into the wall behind her.
Maria frantically scanned Austin for signs of a wound. There was no relief because he had blood spatter all over him and she couldn’t get a good visual to see if it was from Kendrick—her heart broke for him as he lay on the floor, lifeless—or if
Austin had been shot.
“There’s no way you’re getting out of this, Halpern, even if you do get the best of him. Stop this now. Hand over your weapon and you’ve got a chance,” she said, forcing herself to follow protocol by moving behind the breakfast bar in the open-concept space.
Crouched there, pointing her weapon, she realized how much her hands were shaking. Her legs felt like rubber even though she was on her knees as her worst-case scenario played out in front of her.
Every movement she witnessed sent her stomach soaring like she’d been shot out of an airplane. If there was a chance to help Austin, she would take it. But none was coming and she was getting desperate as she could do nothing more than watch as her husband and Halpern fought for dominance. If she did anything to upset the balance, it could cost Austin his life.
Her heart was in her throat as she helplessly watched as the two of them scrambled around on the floor, kicking and grunting.
Nothing could happen to Austin, dammit. Not after it had taken so long to find their way back to each other.
“Surrender your weapon, Halpern. We know who you are. There’s nowhere to go that we won’t find you. I’m your way out of this. I’m your only choice.” She used a louder, urgent, high-pitched tone this time. Halpern would recognize the law enforcement tactic meant to catch him off guard.
There was no response, only more grunting and more struggle. And more of her heartbeat hammering her throat. She heard the back door open and Vic ask for clearance.
“Make them go away,” Halpern managed to grunt.
“Can you move out?” Vic asked.
“Negative, sir. I won’t leave,” she said. “We have an agent down and a man in trouble. I’m taking the first clear shot I see.” She said that last part especially loudly for Halpern’s benefit. He wasn’t going to stop until either he or Austin couldn’t get up. As it was, Austin had a chance. But if Halpern believed that he was going to kill the man she loved and walk away he was sadly mistaken. Halpern was either going to jail or to the grave today. She had no plans to let him slip through her fingers this time. And especially not if he got the best of Austin.
In the next second, Austin rolled on top of Halpern. Both of his hands gripped Halpern’s. Another bullet split the air, veering left. Austin looked to have Halpern somewhat under control.
Maria was on her feet, crouched low, ready to seize if the right opportunity presented itself.
A moment later, Austin had control of the gun. His knees were a viselike grip around Halpern’s torso and arms. The weapon was pointed at his forehead.
“Go ahead and shoot,” Halpern said with a sneer, trying to wiggle away.
Maria called for reinforcement. FBI flooded the place. And before she could process what had just happened—her freedom—Halpern was facedown and being zip-cuffed.
Austin rolled onto his back, panting, and she rushed to his side as other agents attended to Kendrick. She said a silent prayer for the slain agent and her heart grieved for the loss.
An hour later, statements had been given and they’d both cleaned up and been given fresh shirts.
It was over. Tears streamed down Maria’s face as she repeated those words over and over again.
“I’m done here. Take me home,” she said to her husband.
* * *
A GOOD NIGHT of sleep gave Maria much-needed reprieve. She woke thinking it was time to gain a new perspective. There’d been so much loss. It was time to focus forward and create a new life. She stretched, missing the feel of Austin’s warm body.
Noises came from the kitchen and she could hear her husband talking to the dogs. The smell of fresh coffee convinced her to get out of bed.
She washed her face and brushed her teeth before joining him. He smiled at her and kissed her. And she couldn’t think of a better way to start each day.
“Got a call from Dallas,” he said.
“What happened with Bea and Ezra?” she asked, taking the mug he offered.
“They’re going to jail for the rest of their lives. Bea confessed that everything had been her idea. Turns out she’d been the one trying to cut a deal with McCabe and she thought she’d get access to the back acreage if she threw in her share of the ranch to entice us.”
“McCabe must’ve been offering a lot of money,” she said, taking a sip.
“He had a lot to burn before being sent to prison,” he agreed. “She thought it was all over after his arrest but Tommy was getting too close to figuring out the truth so she tried to erase evidence.”
“And that’s what she was doing at the house the other day when Denali almost got her busted.” Maria shook her head, thinking that greed rarely got people what they truly wanted. “And Ezra was set up to look suspicious all this time because he’d have an ironclad alibi...her.”
Austin nodded, those intense green eyes on her.
“We decided their shares of the ranch will go to Tommy. He’s more like family than our aunt and uncle ever could be.”
Maria set down her cup and threw her arms around Austin’s neck. “That’s one of the many things I love about this family. You really are the good guys.”
Austin looped his arms around her. “I’m having some unholy thoughts right now.”
She laughed.
“Not so fast, Ivy League. We need to talk first,” she said.
“That’s a mood killer,” he teased. And she could tell he was joking by the sparkle in his eyes. After all they’d been through, they needed humor.
“I’m done with the Bureau,” Maria said to her husband.
“But I thought you loved your job.” Austin didn’t seem able to hide his shock.
“I loved the idea of helping kids, really helping them. Locking someone away and making them pay for what they did was...satisfying on some level. But no matter how many bad guys I put behind bars, I couldn’t quiet my own demons,” she said.
“Are you sure that will help? I’m all for you quitting for the right reasons. Don’t do this for me,” he warned. “Because I love you no matter what line of work you’re in and above all I want you to be happy.”
“There are so many ways to help children that don’t involve a gun,” she said. “The way it is now I lock the bad guy away and say that I’ve done my job but what happens to the kids next? They’ve been traumatized by someone and then what? Everything’s supposed to be okay just because the person who hurt them is behind bars? That’s temporary, you know? They have to face getting through the ordeal and that’s where we fall short. I’d rather become a counselor and work with them when everyone disappears and the dust settles, when they’re supposed to pick up with their lives and move on. Only they can’t possibly know how.”
She looked at him, his bold green eyes examining her.
“I think I know what you mean.” He kissed her. “You want to be there to help them put the pieces of their lives back together.”
“Exactly. I wish there would’ve been someone around to help me do that,” she said.
“What about Vic?” Austin rubbed the scruff on his chin. “He’ll be devastated if you leave.”
Maria laughed. She wouldn’t deny that statement was partly true. “I’ll give him plenty of time to replace me. There’s no shortage of good people willing and able to do my job.”
“You’re sure about all this?” Austin asked. There was more hope in his eyes than he’d ever admit.
She ran her finger lazily along his muscled arm. “I wouldn’t be walking away just to be a fancy farmer’s wife.”
He started to protest her use of the word farmer. She stopped him.
“Before you get all crazy detailing out the difference between a farmer and a rancher, I’d like to say something else,” she said.
He smirked.
“I might be wal
king away from something, but I’ll be walking toward a job that will mean more to me than everything but the man I love, my husband. You,” she said, like he needed clarification.
That really did elicit a smile from her Texas rancher.
“I’ll be walking toward a job that I want to do rather than need to hide inside,” she added.
His smile broadened, revealing his perfect white teeth.
“And I’ll be walking toward a project that I’ve been wanting to talk to you about,” she said, searching his gaze.
“You already know I’ll go along with whatever you want. All you have to do is ask,” he said, his grip tightening around her waist.
“I was hoping you’d say that because what I want is...a big deal,” she said.
“Are you planning to tell me or keep me in suspense all day,” he teased.
“A baby.”
Fear seized her when he didn’t immediately respond. Was this too much, too soon?
He picked her up and walked her straight to the bedroom without saying a word. Before she could ask what he was thinking, he was on top of her, balancing most of his weight on muscled arms and strong knees. He dipped down to kiss her before locking onto her gaze.
“That project might take a little time, so I think it’d be best if we started working on it right now,” he said with the sexiest little smile.
Maria pulled him down on top of her, loving the feel of his weight on her and how it pressed her back into the mattress. “I can’t think of a better time to start than now.”
He kissed her so hard it robbed her of breath. All she could think was that she’d finally found it...the place that she truly belonged...she’d found home.
* * * * *
Look for a brand-new miniseries from
USA TODAY bestselling author Barb Han
in 2018!
And don’t miss the previous titles in the
CATTLEMEN CRIME CLUB miniseries:
STOCKYARD SNATCHING
DELIVERING JUSTICE