Falling Undercover

Undercover series #1

Lisa Logue

Published by Lisa Logue Books

Smyrna, TN. 2018

Text 1st Edition Copyright © 2018

All Rights Reserved

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places,

events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used

fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is

entirely coincidental.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or

otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the

publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in

which it is published and without similar condition

including this condition being imposed on the

subsequent purchaser.

Copyright © 2018 Lisa Logue Books

All rights reserved

Published by

Lisa Logue Books.

Smyrna, TN 37167

Prologue: The Witness

There he stood, gun in hand and an expression of pure rage on his face. She stared blankly

at the barrel of the gun, completely frozen despite the voice in her head screaming at her to move.

The whole thing seemed to last a lifetime, when in reality it had probably only been 30 seconds.

It hadn’t taken nearly as long for her to piss herself.

“Boss, we need to go before the police get here. C’mon!” A short, slightly balding man with a

greasy goatee and box dyed hair tugged at the free arm of the shooter.

“Let them come. I have most on the payroll anyway,” his gravelly voice made her skin crawl.

Sirens tore away at the eerie silence in the room. She covered her mouth to stifle the relieved,

tearless sobs as they bubbled up uncontrollably. Despite her better judgment, she peeked over

the bar just enough to see him light up a cigar and take one last look around the room at his handy

work. All of them were dead. The barrage of bullets only took seconds to cut them all down, and

he did so without prejudice. It was only made worse by the fact that he had no idea Leesa was

hiding behind the bar, lucky for her.

With a satisfied smile, he and his goons strolled over the dead bodies and broken glass to the

backdoor and disappeared into the foggy night. She waited until the first wave of police cars

jumped the curb and entered the bar with their guns drawn. She couldn’t speak to tell them who

she was or what had happened. Leesa just stared at them, as she did the shooter, and exhaled

a shaky breath before passing out.

While she slept, she relived the whole horrible thing over and over until eventually waking up

with a raspy scream and drenched in a cold sweat. Once the fog cleared, she realized she was

in a hospital room. It was dark, aside from the glow of the small TV mounted to the wall. She

searched for a familiar face that might be waiting, and then realized that nearly everyone she

knew had been gunned down in front of her eyes. Leesa was the sole survivor.

“Oh, you’re awake,” a woman said quietly from the other side of the room. She took a few small

steps towards Leesa, stopping about two feet away with a tight smile. “My name is Cylest. I’m a

US Marshal.” She held up her badge.

Leesa rolled her eyes. Even if she could see the damn thing, she wouldn’t know what a

Marshal’s badge was supposed to look like. “Okay. Why are you here? Where am I? Did anyone

else survive? Where is my son?” Her voice sounded far away and her head was pounding.

Cylest pulled up the chair next to the bed and rested her elbows on her knees. She moved

slowly so as not to cause alarm. Terror was written all over Leesa’s face and the last thing Cylest

wanted was to do anything else to further traumatize the poor girl. “I’m here to protect you and

make sure you’re safe. You’re at the hospital and no, no one else survived. Your son has been in

our custody while you’ve been recovering. He’s with a marshal in the waiting room. By the time

the police got there, everyone else was gone and you were shaking like a leaf, paralyzed by fear

until you eventually passed out just as the officers realized you were alive. You’re the sole survivor

and our only witness.”

Leesa nodded in acknowledgement. She heard the words, each one piercing through her like

a bullet. One for each of the friends and family who were murdered while she hid behind the bar

like a coward. She tried to sit up and wailed from the shooting pain in her side. “What the hell?”

“Try not to move too much. You were shot, but it was a through and through. You probably

didn’t even feel it at the time because of the adrenaline, but it tore through your ribs, shattering

one of them. They’ve got you taped up, but it’s going to hurt like a bitch when you move.” Cylest

leaned up and pushed a button on the side of the bed as she explained the predicament.

“Wonderful. So what am I supposed to do now? If I’m the only one that survived, isn’t he going

to come back for me? Is he going to hurt my boy?” It hurt to take any deep breaths. It hurt to talk,

really, but she needed to know anyway.

Cylest shook her head, “I doubt he even knows you were there. But, I need to ask you if you

can identify the man who did this. We are pretty sure who it was, but we’ve never had a witness

before to catch him. Will you help us?”

“You mean will I help with the investigation? Like testify and everything? Wouldn’t that be mean

putting us on his radar?” The heart monitor started jumping around erratically and the nurse came

in with a cart full of gadgets and vials.

“Yes, but once you testify, we’ll place you in witness protection and no one will find you. You

and your son will be relocated to a place that will make it very hard to find you and your identities

will be changed. We wouldn’t ask for this if we had any other way, believe me. People like him,”

she sighed. “They’re not easy to catch and rarely is there a survivor. We need you to help put him

away so he doesn’t hurt anyone else. He’s left a bloody trail all across the United States and

countless families torn apart. Please, help us put this psycho in prison.”

Well, her argument was definitely a good one. Shit. “How safe is witness protection? What’s

the likelihood we’ll be found?”

Cylest smirked, “So long as you stay out of trouble, you won’t be found. No one has ever been

found as long as they followed the rules.”

While she definitely didn’t share in Cylest’s enthusiasm, the nurse had given her something

exceptionally soothing through the IV and had her feeling pretty agreeable. “Fine, I’ll do it. But I’ll

have some requests.”

“Like what?” She asked, clearly amused. Probably the words hadn’t come out quite as Leesa

intended.

She giggled uncontrollably for a minute before remembering that Cylest has asked a question,

but every time she tried to answer, all that came out was laughter. The last thing she saw before

falling into a deep and restful sleep was Cylest’s too wide smile.

Chapter 1

“I was in the back of the restaurant, bartending, when the first shots rang out. I heard

screaming, but before I could see what was happening, the shooting started again”

“Then what happened, Ms. Notarro?” The prosecutor asked, mock sympathy painted on his

face as he turned toward the jury.

She straightened her back, wincing from the tenderness in her side, “I crouched behind the

bar, so I didn’t see every person who got shot, but I could hear the bullets cutting through glass,

the walls, tables and chairs and the disgusting noise they made when cutting through the flesh of

the people around me. Every time someone screamed, more shots followed. Some of the mirrors

behind the bar shattered as they shot them out, too.”

The courtroom was in stunned silence as they clung to her every word. Murder cases were far

from new in California, but Leesa had never been part of one. It wasn’t like everyone in LA knew

someone who’d been murdered. As it turned out, everyone she knew had been. Talk about that

statistical chance.

The attorney shook his head, “What did you see next?”

A single tear slid down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away. Sarcasm was Leesa’s coping

mechanism, but every now and again the feelings would creep their way to the surface. She

stared into the cold, dead eyes of the man responsible and took a calming breath. “The guns

weren’t going off as often so I stretched to the end of the bar and looked out just in time to watch

him shoot my mother and father in the face without flinching. The rage in his eyes was something

I’ll never forget.”

“And you’re sure the man you saw was the defendant?”

“Without a doubt. I’ll never forget those eyes. People with souls don’t have eyes like that,” she

responded solemnly.

“Objection!” The defense attorney stood abruptly.

“Sustained,” the judge answered. “The jury will disregard the witness's last statement.

Prosecutor?”

“Ms. Notarro, please only answer yes or no,” the prosecutor rephrased. “Are you sure that the

man who shot and killed your friends and family in the restaurant that night is in this courtroom

today?”

Leesa took another deep breath and looked, once again, into those same dark, rage-filled eyes

of the man who was single-handedly responsible for ruining her life. “Yes. Daniel Erikson, the

defendant, was the person who massacred a restaurant full of men, women and children, and I

watched him do it.”

“No further questions for this witness, your honor,” the prosecutor looked to her and nodded

with a curt smile. “Thank you, Ms. Notarro.”

“Defense, do you have questions for this witness?” The judge asked with clear distaste.

She watched the defense lawyer whisper something to Daniel, he shook his head, and the

lawyer looked disappointed. “No, your honor.”

“Ms. Notarro, you may step down. We will take a ten-minute recess at which time the defense

will begin with closing statements. Adjourned.”

The sound of the gavel made her jump, but she took it as her queue to run as far away from

the witness stand - and from the courtroom - as possible. His dead eyes bore holes through her

skull and she could almost feel the curse of death upon her. In some way, somewhere, at some

time, he’d come for her and there was nothing she could do to change it.

“You need to stay close to me. Where you go, I go, got me?” Cylest gripped her upper arm

fiercely

“Ow, I got it, I got it,” Leesa answered and pulled her arm free. “What now? Do I have to go

back on the stand?” She asked while rubbing her tender arm.

The prosecutor shook his head, “Unless the defense decides to call you to the stand, there’s

nothing more for you to say. You did very well.”

“As soon as the jury reaches a verdict, I’m shipping you out on the next cargo plane to the east

coast. The further you are from his reach, the better,” Cylest tried to sound supportive, but it came

out more like subdued panic.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, desperate to fight off the migraine that threatened to

overtake her, “What happens now?”

Deputy King smiled sincerely, “You and your boy get to start over, completely fresh. New

names, new town, new job, new life. Make no mistake, it will be hard and you’ll have to get used

to being someone completely different. It might be harder for your son, considering he doesn’t

understand what’s going on just yet, but we have people available for the both you if things

become difficult. Of course, you’ll have my number you can call on a special cell phone and you’ll

have some codes to memorize in case of an emergency, I’ll help you in any way I can.”

Leesa nodded absently. She often questioned whether testifying was the right thing to do, but

all those people, her family and friends, deserved justice even if that meant reluctantly putting

herself and her son in danger. No one ever made a difference standing still. At least that’s what

her father used to say. Fresh tears stung her eyes, but she refused to show how broken she really

was inside. Showing any weakness would only make him think he was winning.

“Recess is over, please take your seats,” the bailiff barked into the hall and turned back into

the courtroom as the heavy wooden doors shut behind him.

“All that’s left now is for the defense to plead their case, closing arguments, then the jury

deliberates and we find out if all our hard work pays off. Either way, you’ve been very brave.

Thank you, truly. I know you’ve had to sacrifice a lot,” the prosecutor squeezed her shoulder and

quickly ushered them back into the courtroom before Erikson.

The next few hours were painful to watch. Slideshows, autopsy reports, scientific jargon and

everything in between was utilized in an attempt to discredit Leesa’s testimony. At one point, she

had to leave the courtroom as her lunch decided to make a mass exodus into the nearest trash

can. Cylest followed her out, of course, keeping a close eye on as promised. She acting more like

her friend than handler, to which Leesa was grateful. She didn’t have anyone else to turn to.

The attorneys made their closing statements and finally the jury was left to deliberate.

Thankfully, Cylest found a separate room where they could watch the trial on a closed circuit TV

without being under constant scrutiny of the jury and Erikson. Even thinking his name sent creepy

shivers down Leesa’s spine. At some point the fear would subside, only to be replaced by anger

and resentment, but that would come later when she was alone - likely with the help of alcohol, a

hot bath, and copious amounts of chocolate.

She was jerked out of a rare sound sleep by loud noises in the room. Apparently, the jury was

back with a verdict and the anticipation was killing everyone. As Leesa hugged a throw pillow

tightly, the foreperson read their decision, “On the count of murder in the first degree, we find the

defendant guilty.” The foreperson read off the laundry list of other charges, all guilty verdicts, and

sat down slowly.

The courtroom erupted with cheers briefly as the judge closed proceedings and the bailiff

escorted Daniel Erikson away. He stared into the camera, straight into her eyes, promising to

come for her when the timing was right. “I got you, you bastard,” she whispered back. Smug

satisfaction pushed some of the fear away. That was all it took for Cylest to grab her and rush

through the back door of the courthouse, never to look back on her old life. Starting fresh, she’d

called it. If it was such a fresh start, why did it feel so wrong?

Chapter 2

“You’re assigned to Rogue PR. One of the owners of the firm has requested an investigation

for embezzlement, but it will be under cover. They know that money is missing, but they haven’t

been able to link them, yet. They are in need of a marketing manager and you fit the bill,

Detective,” Captain said.

“What’s my cover?”

“You went to college after serving your country and since graduating you’ve worked for a small

family owned PR firm in Jersey. You’ve moved to the city looking for bigger and better things.”

Joe grimaced, “Jersey?”

“Everyone wants to leave Jersey, Joe. Consider yourself lucky,” Captain Myers chucked the

case file at him.

“When’s call time?” He flipped through the file, skimming documents about missing funds and

fired partners.

Captain Myers flipped the file closed, “You sure you’re ready to be back? You can take some

more time, you know.”

“Nah, I’m fine. I’m better off workin’ anyway,” avoiding eye contact as best as possible, Joe

flipped the file back open and resumed scanning. Aversion was the best policy. It wouldn’t do

anyone any good if he actually talked about what was going on inside his head. Not to mention,

the shrink never would have cleared him for duty.

“Very well, be there at seven a.m. I’ve arranged a contact to get you an interview and the main

boss wants this handled quietly. Only the old man, our contact, and us will know about your

involvement. Don’t get made.”

“Yes, sir,” he stood and nodded to the captain before sauntering from the office.

“Welcome back, Joe,” several people clapped him on the back as he made the agonizing walk

to his desk. All Joe could do was smile and nod even though what he really wanted to do was

punch them all in the throat.

Not even a month earlier, they were blaming him for his partner’s death, but since he’d caught

the lowlife bastard who actually killed Benny Foster, everyone wanted to be his best friend.

Jackasses. Getting away from the station would be good. He’d be able to get away from everyone

who reminded him of Foster. He might even stop blaming himself - maybe.

Joe grabbed his coat and files and headed out as quickly as possible. He managed to work

the shrink to let him back on duty, but the guy wasn’t stupid. Every little thing got to Joe, after

Foster. It didn’t matter what it was and it was only a matter of time before he finally snapped.

Foster was like his brother and he couldn’t even protect him - the only thing he promised. His

blood was on Joe’s hands.

“Yo, Farello! Wait up!” A tall cop with curly black hair jogged after Joe.

He spun on his heel and sighed, “Wudduya need, Isaacs?”

“The perp who killed Foster just died in jail. Turns out some of the guys didn’t like the idea of

him killing kids and took care of him for us. I just figured you should know,” Isaacs nudged his

shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I never blamed you for what happened. Sometimes there’s just

nothing we can do, no matter how hard we try. You did your job, bro.”

Joe gritted my teeth and nodded, “Yeah, thanks. Are they gonna have a press conference or

anything? Foster’s wife should know.”

“Dunno. I kinda figured you’d tell her,” Isaacs shrugged.

“I haven’t spoken to her since,” he trailed off. “I’m not sure she’d want to speak to me.”

Isaacs put his hand on my shoulder, “You’d rather she hears about this on the news? Nah, I

think she’ll feel much better hearing it from the person who got her justice. She can’t forgive you

if you don’t give her a chance.”

“Shit, dude, when did you grow a brain?” Joe smirked.

Isaacs laughed, “Stranger things have happened, my friend. Get outta here before they try to

give you something else to do.”

He watched Isaacs jog back down the hall. Most of the other guys barely talked to him unless

they were working a case. Most of them were too prideful to admit they were wrong in accusing

him, so instead they avoided him as much as possible. Still, any time a brother fell the entire

department felt the loss. Being a police officer was a career unlike any other, and being a detective

was different, still. Even when he was in the Marines, he knew the path he’d chosen was filled

with death and loss, but there was also a good side. He could save people and get the bad guys

off the streets, hopefully bringing the victims and their families some type of justice and closure.

It was all he wanted to do from the first time he watched his sloppy, drunkard father slap his

mother around and the fear in her eyes when she saw Joe in his crosshairs. She gladly took the

beatings so Joe never had to feel the harshness of a bruise on his baby skin. People like that, like

his father, didn’t deserve the privilege of freedom - or breath.

At the end of the day, no matter how angry he was or how crazy it sounded, the job actually

kept him going. He did it for the kids who couldn’t defend themselves. He did it for the women

who didn’t know how to get away. He did it for the brothers and sisters who lost their lives and he

did it because it was the only thing he knew how to do. The job was tough, but it was what Joe

truly loved to do.

His mind stayed busy as he drove a few blocks to Rogue PR. Even though Joe didn’t have to

be there until the morning, he was nothing if not thorough. Checking out the people and the

building was just part of the job and one never goes into a case blind. Knowing the surroundings

could mean saving lives. Understanding the layout of the building was important. If there was ever

a need to evacuate or to get in or out undetected, having a good blueprint of the place was more

than necessary. Studying the exits, bathrooms, roof access, basement or boiler rooms,

maintenance hallways, and everything in between was all part of the job. Joe’s ability to be

thorough was one of the skills that ranked him among the best detectives in his unit, or so he’d

been told. Well, that and the fact that he was borderline nuts.

He parked about a block away and walked in through the revolving door into the lobby of Rogue

PR. It was a nice place. Marble floors, granite counters, glass elevators and several places to eat

so employees didn’t have to fight city traffic on a half hour lunch break. The place was impressive.

Security wasn’t great, which he noticed upon entering the building. The exterior cameras were

outdated, if they worked at all. There was a rent-a-cop guard sitting behind the receptionist,

unarmed and out of shape as per usual. They had more cameras inside, but those were also

outdated and, again, there was no indication of functionality.

No one looked at Joe as if he was out of place. They all smiled and waved or nodded and went

on their ways. On the surface, it was hard to believe the company was anything but squeaky

clean. Of course, Joe knew the owner was concerned about money hemorrhaging from accounts

in various departments, but it obviously wasn’t company news. There were way too many happy

faces than he would expect from a company with a money problem.

Joe swaggered up to the main desk and looked at the young woman kindly, “Excuse me, miss.

I have an interview in the morning, but I wanted to come early to get the lay of the land. Would

you happen to have a map of the offices?”

The girl smiled, “I don’t have a map, but there’s one of those ‘You Are Here’ things near the

elevator. Do you know who your interview is with?”

He scratched his chin and flashed a sideways smile at the pretty receptionist, “The marketing

manager, I believe. Unfortunately, I left the info in my car. Could you point me in that direction?”

“You can’t go up without an appointment unless you have a key card. I can try to buzz him for

you?”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to be a bother. I’ll just take a look at the thing by the elevator,” he

winked at her and sauntered away, fully aware of her eyes on his backside. She was new.

Probably started no more than two weeks earlier. Most receptionists have a certain flair about

them. Usually they aren’t as friendly and every answer was no. The giant map next to the elevator

was pretty detailed. It pointed out the lobby and labeled each floor with department names as well

as the names of the personnel in certain offices throughout the building. It seemed the higher on

the food chain, the higher the floor. It was good that Marketing shared a floor with Accounting,

which was on the second floor. Score.

He waved gingerly to the woman again, walked back across the lobby, and out through the

revolving door. Joe would have to put his best face on while on the case. He couldn’t be a hardass

cop, or anything close to it. Momentarily, his head flooded with doubts as to whether he even had

the capacity for that demeanor after everything he’d gone through. Most recently with Benny, but

that wasn’t all that turned him cold. There was a time, not so long ago, when he was just as happy

as the next guy. He had a wife and a son and was on his way to having that ever elusive American

Dream. Only, he traded the picket fence for a standard issue .45 and a shiny gold badge, while

his wife traded him for a bottle of tequila. Joe was on duty when he got the call that she’d been in

an accident and his gut fell to his ankles.

The bottle of tequila rolled around in the front floorboard as the fire and rescue cut her out of

the car. Their son laid lifeless on the street, covered in a coroner's sheet. They tried to save him

first, but his poor little body was thrown from the car when she hit the retaining wall. She was so

sloshed, she put him in the car seat, but never fastened him in. He was only four years old.

Part of Joe died that day. He’d lost everything because of a decision outside of his control. His

ex-wife was in prison for manslaughter and he had to bury his baby boy. It was a shitty year. The

job kept him from going off the deep end, believe it or not. It was the only place he had any type

of control. Going home to an empty house, where his son’s toys still sat and his wife’s stuff still

hung in the closet, left him barely hanging on. If he was an honest man, he’d admit it was true.

But he was numb inside and not exactly sure he’d ever be the old Joe again. That meant having

to feel things he was afraid of again, but he wouldn’t admit to that either.

Chapter 3

“Alex, get your bag sweetie, we gotta go!” She called out across the apartment.

Alex hopped on one foot as he put on his sneakers while walking down the hall, “Ya I know,

Mom. You don’t have to keep reminding me.”

“Maybe if you’d get up with your alarm, I wouldn’t have to worry about you missing the driver.

Now go. Charlie is waiting for you. Better hurry before he starts buzzing me again,” she shooed

Alex out the door, mussing his hair and blowing him a kiss as he shuffled down the hall to the

elevator. She smiled after him.

It was hard to believe it had been so long since entering the program. Nearly ten years ago,

her name was Leesa, his name was Jacob, and they were living on the other side of the country.

It took him a while to adjust to Alex, and her even longer. Kristina was her new name, though she

preferred to be called Kris. Reprogramming Alex wasn’t difficult, as he wasn’t even four at the

time, but for her it was nearly twenty years of history.

Sometimes she would pull out her license and just stare at the name: Kristina Newton of New

York City, New York. Who was Kristina Newton? Did she exist before Leesa assumed her

identity? There was no way she’d ever know and it didn’t really make a difference. All that

mattered was that Kristina Newton had a life in New York City and she and her son Alex were

safe.

The best thing about being in witness protection - no taxis. Somehow, the service had arranged

to have a car service take Kristina and Alex wherever they needed to go in the city. They told her

it was safer than cabs and the drivers were usually retired marshals who could protect them

should trouble arise. While she hated taking advantage, no one was under the illusion that Daniel

Erikson didn’t have connections on the East Coast. She assumed that was why they went through

such trouble for them. Other people in the program had a handler and little else. They were lucky.

Kris gathered her briefcase, coffee, and handbag and locked the door behind her. Charlie, the

doorman, always checked the apartment after she left, once around lunch and again before she

and Alex got home. Charlie was also a retired marshal, but he was more than that. Charlie had

become her lifeline to starting her new life in the city. Without the security and comfort he provided,

Kris wouldn’t have made it through the first six months.

“Good morning, Miss Newton. Doing well?” Charlie smiled and held the door.

Kris smiled back, “It might be too early to tell, but I think so. Did Alex get down in time for the

car?”

Charlie nodded, “Each day it’s a little later, but the car won’t leave without him.”

“Sure, but he doesn’t need to know that,” Kris laughed. “Thanks for looking out, Charlie. You’re

a lifesaver.”

“Just doing my job, Miss Newton,” he winked. “Ah, here’s your car now.

Charlie walked to the curb and pulled open the door of the town car. “Thanks, Charlie. Tell ‘em

I said you need a raise!” Kris laughed and hopped into the car. Charlie only chuckled as he shut

the door.

“Rogue PR, please,” Kris called to the driver.

“Yes ma’am,” he responded.

None of the drivers talked much. In fact, Kris was sure they were under orders not to. Awkward

silences aside, if not talking meant potentially saving their lives, Kris could live with it, no matter

how badly she wanted to talk about music, shows, movies or anything to fill the space of the car.

Instead, Kris pulled out her portfolio and read through her project notes. She was Project

Manager at Rogue PR, an independent public relations firm that focused on all types of art forms,

giving them a voice in industries where they’d normally be drowned out by the bigger wallets of

their competitors. Kris’s job was to create new platforms. She was working on peer services, such

as a network of people to spread the news of upcoming artists and shows at other events and

through social media. At least that was her work in progress

“We’re here, Miss Newton. Do you need assistance getting inside?” The driver asked, looking

at her through the rearview mirror.

“No thank you. Have a good one,” Kris jumped out at the curb and shut the door quickly, waving

once to the driver as he sped away.

The revolving door to Rogue PR was in full motion and she found a spot in the steady stream

of people. Most of them were new artists. If the clothes didn’t give them away, the guitar cases

and dollies full of other equipment did the job. It was nothing unusual at Rogue and frankly, they

wouldn’t be doing their job otherwise.

“Kristina! Totally bitchin’ to see you again,” a young guy with a frizzy reddish blond afro said

excitedly.

Kris giggled, “Jason! Yeah, long time no see. How’s it goin’?”

“Fantabulous! We’re coming in to go over our next album with the agent man. We’re tryin’ ta

branch outta the underground this time. It’s been good to us, but we gotta fly on these wings, ya

know what I mean,” Jason made the symbol of wings with his hands

“Absolutely. I look forward to hearing your new stuff. Be sure to slip me a copy?”

“Totally. See ya soon,” Jason pushed through the door with his bandmates, all waving to Kris

as they shuffled their gear behind them.

She laughed. There was nothing quite like musicians. Their passion and enthusiasm was

contagious. Her favorite artists were authors, though, but only because she read books more than

anything else. She thought the entire creative process was intriguing and authors were usually

the easiest to work with. Actors and musicians were the worst. Of course, that could also be the

main reason she liked writers better. Either way, all she did was recognize talent and add them

to a program fitting to their category and genre. She let the agents take care of the rest.

Kris stopped short of the elevator when she saw Joe Farello inside. He started as a Marketing

Manager and moved to Partner in record time. He was tall, dark and handsome and the only man

Kris had really noticed in the time she’d been in New York. Of course, he had no clue who she

was, aside from the times he requested her work on certain projects. Every time she saw him,

she had to remind herself of all the reasons not to talk to him.

She stepped onto the elevator, averting her eyes from his questioning glances. “Floor?” He

asked with a partial smile, leaving her a bit breathless.

“Uh, five please.”

“It’s Kristina, right? Project Management?” He asked, slightly amused.

“Mmhmm,” Kris nodded.

Joe waited for her to say something else, but she didn’t. He chuckled, “Is something wrong?”

“Hmm? Oh no, nothing’s wrong. Thanks for asking,” Kris smiled. Immediately she chastised

herself for sounding like such a goof. She sighed. “Sorry, I’m not very good with small talk.”

Joe smirked, “I noticed.” Kris shook her head in embarrassment.

“Well then, here’s your stop,” Joe held the door as she nodded nervously and stepped into the

hall. “See you later, Kristina.”

“Just Kris,” she said before the doors closed.

Chapter 4

Joe had been at Rogue for years and wasn’t much closer to figuring out where the money was

going. Making partner was part of the ruse, but mostly because he’d found out the money wasn’t

being handled on the management level. Someone with better access to the company was

shuffling it around, and they were very clever.

Joe was able to trace one account as fraudulent, but only after sifting through the thousands

of other accounts that were routed through it as subsidiaries. It turned out that the money made

by the subsidiary accounts were being flushed directly into the bigger account, stealing millions

from Rogue. Once he found it, shutting it down was easy. Only he had no idea who set it up in

the first place because it was virtually untraceable. Even his connections at the FBI couldn’t find

the perp.

So, each day he came to his fake job at Rogue to do his real job - finding the person or persons

responsible for embezzling the money in the first place. It was a bonus to shut down the accounts,

but the goal was to catch the guy. It frustrated him that whoever it was could be that smart, but it

was clear that the operation had been going on for a very long time.

All of the lower employees didn’t have enough pull to mount the level of conspiracy and

laundering going on, management was questionable yet unlikely, but Joe couldn’t find anything

linking any of the partners to the deal. He was running out of time and running out of options.

“Good morning, Mr. Farello,” his assistant, Annie, said cheerfully. “You have a meeting first

thing with Mr. Alcom in the eighth floor conference room.”

“Yes, of course. Thanks, Annie,” Joe smiled and shoved the door to his office open. Each

morning, he felt the same way - at least the view was good.

“Your messages are on your desk. Oh, and you have a meeting with Project Management at

lunch. There’s a new assignment that requires your approval,” she swiped her finger over the

tablet screen.

“Project Management? Is the meeting with Kristina Newton?” Joe perked up.

Annie swiped the screen again, “Looks like it.”

“Awesome, thank you Annie. Send the info to my phone, would ya?” Joe called after her as

she pulled the door to his office closed. She nodded and waved.

It was a bitch to get a meeting with Project Management. The department was small and

Kristina wasn’t much of a talker, which of course put her on Joe’s radar right away. She seemed

awkward and an outsider, which was exactly how most criminals acted. No matter how many

times he tried talking to her, she would barely make eye contact and give short or one-word

answers. He’d finally get the chance to feel her out.

Mr. Alcom, the COO of Rogue PR, would want to know how much progress Joe had made

sniffing out the perp. He always hated meeting with Mr. Alcom. Each month, he would notify him

of the handful of fraudulent accounts that were then closed, but he still wasn’t much closer to the

root of the problem. Mr. Alcom was a nice man, but it was clear he had limited patience.

As Joe made his way up to the eighth floor, he thought about Kristina Newton. Even the

smallest amount of conversation had the girl tripping over herself. He couldn’t see her having the

capacity to pull off a major laundering scheme. Then again, the one least suspected is usually

guilty. Still, she was the only one Joe hadn’t been able to engage and the only one he felt strange

about.

“Ah, Joe. Please tell me you have some news?” Mr. Alcom greeted him with a pensive smile.

Joe nodded, “Well, I’ve managed to close down another fifteen fraudulent accounts and

recovered about five billion in total. The same name was signed to this one as the others - Lea

Resonator. I have tried every combination of names from your employee manifest and it doesn’t

seem like a code. Or at least it’s a code that has nothing to do with current employees. Does that

name mean anything to you?”

Mr. Alcom shook his head and stared begrudgingly out the window. “This is getting tiresome,

Joe. I welcome your presence, but how long can this continue before we end up going bankrupt?”

“I understand, but these things take time, sir. This job isn’t easy, but the more accounts I close,

the more frustrated this guy gets. He’s getting careless and when perps get careless, they make

mistakes. We’ll catch him, you just gotta trust me.” Hostage negotiation techniques work wonders

when trying to convince people of things that are probably half-truths at best. Joe could only be

certain that they guy was getting pissed at how much money he was losing, but the carelessness

part was yet to be determined.

Truthfully, Joe enjoyed his pretend job at Rogue. Sometimes between board meetings, project

oversight, and talent auditions, he’d forget he was a cop and the real reason he was there. It was

a welcomed change; a glimpse behind that curtain into a world Joe would never truly be a part of.

It provided an escape from his messy, complicated life and he wasn’t quite ready to leave.

Mr. Alcom stood and walked to the wet bar, “When I started this company, it was with the

dream of giving every artist a voice and a choice in their industry. The age of traditional agents is

nearly over because of what we’ve built here. My life is in this place. I don’t think I’m ready to let

it go, Joe.”

“Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. This place has a way of growin’ on ya. It makes

people like me remember why I do tha job I do, Mr. Alcom. Ya got somethin’ special goin’ on here.

I’ll do my best not to fail you further.” Joe left Brooklyn, but it never left Joe. Especially not the

rough accent. It was one of the hardest things to change. People from Jersey don’t sound the

same as people from the city.

“You’ve not failed, son. You’ve been able to recover more accounts and money than I could

have hoped. It just makes me wonder just how long this has gone on. For these accounts to be

so hard to find, one would think this has been going on for years," the old man took a deep drink.

"Probably since the beginning, sir," Joe admitted. "I need more access, more clearance.

There's gotta be something I missed and without access to those offices, I may never find it. I’ve

probably got a target on my back already since I was placed in a partner position. I’m sure at least

one of them have it out for me.”

The old man shook his head, “I can only get you temporary access or it will risk blowing your

cover. I’ll duplicate my key card and have it delivered to you before the end of the day. Do not use

it while I’m here. The system will register that my card was swiped in two places at once and that

will be considered a breach.”

“So, forgive me for asking, but why can’t I just have my own key card?

“Because,” Mr. Alcom answered. “you’re not even supposed to be working here, remember?

If you have a key card, I have to jump through hoops we’ve been trying to avoid.”

“I see,” Joe nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

Mr. Alcom stood, Joe did the same, and they shook hands. “I have one more question. What

can you tell me about Kristina Newton?”

The old man stiffened a moment and shook his head, “I’m afraid I don’t know much about her.

She’s the head of Project Management. She’s been here a few years. I know she has a son - a

single mother, I think. She hasn’t made many waves in the company, but her work is always

impeccable. She’s just the average employee, I suppose.”

Joe watched him curiously. That was the only time the old man had lied to him and Joe’s

curiosity was piqued even more with Miss Newton. “Alright. Thanks again, Mr. Alcom. I’ll be

waiting on the keycard.”

As Joe left the room, a million scenarios played out in his mind: she was secretly a hacker, her

family had her placed at the company to keep the money flowing, Mr. Alcom was really her relative

and he was using her as cover. None of them made sense, of course. Joe’s gut was telling him

that Kristina was involved in something, but he didn’t know whether it was his laundering case or

not. Lucky for him, it wasn’t long until lunch. He’d finally be able to feel her out and determine just

where she ranked on his suspect list.

Chapter 5

Kristina paced the length of the large windows that lined the far side of her office, mentally

preparing herself for the meeting with Joe. Her stomach was doing nasty flips and turns and she

eyed the trash can next to her desk, wondering whether she needed to puke. Before witness

protection, she didn’t have any problems with men. If she found someone attractive, kind and

funny, more than likely she’d go out with him. Nothing ever lasted long, but there wasn’t any hurry.

Of course, her son’s father was the closest to a husband she’d ever had, until he died. He was a

soldier in the Army and died during his first tour in Iraq. He’d asked her to marry him when he

came back and Kris was elated. Not even eight months later his mother called, barely able to

speak, and she knew without having to hear the words.

Kris missed him still, but since the trial and moving across the country, she didn’t think of him

as often. She talked to Alex about him all the time. She wanted him to know that his father was a

hero and that it wasn’t his or her choice that he wasn’t a part of their lives; he was a hero. Alex

seemed to understand. He kept his father’s flag, purple heart and service photos in a special case

on his bookshelf.

Even though she hadn’t been with another man since Alex’s father, she couldn’t deny how

lonely she was in her new life and how much she craved companionship. The most interaction

she got with people was at work and that was even brief. Charlie, the doorman, was probably her

best friend, aside from Alex, who was getting to the age of it no longer being cool to talk to your

mom. Of course the elephant in the room was wondering whether any guy she met was a super-

secret mob hitman. So there’s that.

“Miss Newton, Mr. Farello is waiting for your lunch meeting,” her assistant Eileen poked her

head in the door.

“Shit! I’ll be right there,” Kris rushed to her desk to fish out the slinky black heels she’d kicked

off earlier in the day and grabbed her purse, keys, and cardigan.

Eileen giggled, “Kris, calm down. It’s just lunch.”

“Just lunch? Right. Tell me that next time you have a meeting with one of the partners,” Kris

joked.

“Mmhmm, I think you’re just nervous about this particular partner,” she wagged her eyebrows

Kris sighed and tried not to smile, her face already turning five shades of red, “No one asked

you.

Eileen laughed heartily and slipped away so Kris could get herself together. A few deep breaths

and a shot of liquid courage later, which she kept in her desk drawer, and Kris whipped the door

open with determination. Joe was waiting just outside and jumped back when she came barreling

out.

“Oh, Mr. Farello, I wasn’t expecting you to be there,” Kris held the door jamb for support.

“Where else would I be?” He said like melted butter.

Kris smirked, “In the waiting room?”

Joe nodded, “Maybe next time.”

“Right,” Kris took the last few steps into the hall. “Eileen, please hold all calls and appointments

until I return. I’m not sure how long this is going to take and I don’t want to leave anyone waiting.”

“Sure thing, boss lady,” Eileen said while looking Joe over from the top of his messy hair to the

bottom of his perfectly polished shoes.

Kris only smiled and made a hurried escape to the elevator. Joe nonchalantly strolled behind

her, his slow and steady gait matching her high-heeled shuffle. He watched her, taking note of

her nervous mannerisms and seemingly twitchy behavior. Something was off.

“So, where are we going?” Kris asked him breathlessly

He glanced at her, “I guess that depends on what type of food you enjoy?”

She thought for a moment. Her first instinct was to pick some place upscale and expensive,

but she never cared for that crowd. Cold pizza and beer was more up her alley. In truth, she’d

often hit up the local pizza parlor near her building and a six pack and Netflix binge like a boss.

“What type of food do you like?” She decided to feel him out. If she blurted out pizza and beer,

he might think she was nuts.

Joe shrugged, “I’m a simple man.”

“So... pizza and a cold one?” Kris asked slowly. She watched as Joe’s expression changed

from apprehensive to slightly amused.

“Drinking while on the job?” He asked curtly.

“Like you don’t?”

He laughed, “Good point. So where are we going?”

“There’s this amazing place not far from here. I’m sort of a regular. Do you mind?”

Joe smiled, “Not at all.”

He watched her demeanor change from the nervous, twitchy creature that entered the elevator

to a confident, lively woman who scored some serious brownie points with suggesting pizza and

beer, most every hetero male’s meal of choice. She could have been playing him, using what she

knew most men would prefer to throw him off her trail, but Joe liked to think he was a pretty good

judge of character. Kris just didn’t fit the criminal bill.

The elevator dinged and she smiled shyly as he waved her to go ahead. As they left, the

revolving door trapped them very close together for a few seconds, smushing their bodies into

the tight space. It didn’t take long for the glass to fog and all sorts of thoughts to invade her mind,

which only made her blush more. It was like standing inside an active volcano and she almost

forgot to exhale. As they spun to freedom, she hurried to a safer distance and did her best not to

look bothered.

“I...uh..I have a car to take us wherever we need to go. It’s down at the curb, to the right,” Kris

struggled to catch her breath.

“Are you okay?” Joe asked, concerned. He’d seen enough anxiety attacks to know the

symptoms.

“Now that we’re out of that hot box, I’ll be fine. Thanks,” she shrugged off the jitters and made

her way to the car as quickly as possible. On her own turf she was comfortable; in her element.

“You’re welcome?” Joe said sarcastically. He watched her practically run to the town car and

jump into the back seat, leaving the door ajar for him. He slid across the leather seat and pulled

the door shut, wondering how she could have a personal car service on her salary.

The driver asked for a location, Kris gave him the name of the pizza parlor and the car pulled

from the curb. Kris poured herself a glass of ice water and drank it in nearly one gulp. His eyes

were on her the entire time, which made her fever worse. Eventually she’d have to tell him why

she was acting so strange, but how could she do that without bringing up witness protection? It

seemed impossible.

“So, Joe, are you from here?”

He smiled, “I thought you said you weren’t good with small talk?”

She smiled in return, “I’m not, but how else do you start a conversation where there otherwise

wouldn’t be one?” Kris poured another glass of water.

“Tell me something you wouldn’t normally say to a perfect stranger,” Joe challenged.

Kris smiled sadly, “Alright. Um. I lost my fiancé to the war and I’ve, um...well, I’ve had to raise

our son on my own for the last ten years.”

Joe was stunned, “Oh wow, I...I’m sorry.”

“No, no, it’s okay. At least now I won’t have to answer the question about whether I’m married

or seeing anyone.”

“Wait, it’s been ten years and you aren’t seeing anyone?” Joe asked incredulously.

Kris shook her head, “It’s hard to live up to a ghost. At least that’s what I’ve been told.”

“Well that’s just crazy. Clearly, you’re a catch,” Joe blurted and snapped his mouth shut. He

wasn’t really sure where it came from either. Sure, Kris was attractive, but he didn’t know her very

well and since his wife- Joe hadn’t seen anyone for a long time, either.

Kris swallowed hard and tried to keep the hurt expression from her face. Apparently, she didn’t

do a very good job, “I didn’t mean for you to compliment me, Joe. I’m not fishing for anything.”

“I didn’t think you were. Sorry to offend you,” Joe said confused.

She explained, “Usually when men learn that I’m a single parent without baggage they rush to

shower me with compliments and attention. It’s their way of trying to find the right method to get

me into bed. You don’t seem like that type of man, but it’s a point I still need to make,” Kris cleared

her throat and took a small sip from her water glass.

Joe shook his head, “You’re right, I’m not that type of man. Women are worth more than what

they can deliver between the sheets. I’m interested in what’s between their ears, first. The bed

isn’t going anywhere.”

The redness of Kristina’s cheeks increased tenfold and Joe chuckled slightly. It had been quite

some time since he’d had any effect on a woman and, admittedly, it was a good feeling. He did

his best to steer the remainder of the conversation away from the bedroom, but he found himself

intrigued.

“Ah, we’re here,” Kris nearly jumped out of the car. “I’ll ring you when we’re ready to be picked

up.”

“I will wait here, Miss Newton,” the driver said simply, yet politely. She only thanked him and

waved Joe toward the pizzeria.

“This, this is my favorite place in the whole world, Mr. Farello. I’d like to welcome you to the

best pizza on earth, Giacomo’s,” her face lit up as her stomach growled and they both laughed

and headed inside.

Chapter 6

Joe immediately felt claustrophobic. The place was packed asses to elbows and people were

still funneling in. Kris grabbed his hand and yelled over the crowd, “Whatever you do, don’t let go!

You might end up getting mistaken for someone’s lunch!” He held on tight while she navigated

the narrow walkway to the order counter

“So what’s good here?” He leaned in, talking into her ear. His breath shot goosebumps up her

arms.

“Everything,” she smiled. “Anything you don’t like?”

“Anchovies,” Joe grimaced.

“Who does?” Kris laughed heartily and called something to the boy behind the counter. He

gave her a number and two beers and she grabbed Joe’s hand, leading him to a quieter part of

the pizzeria

Once they were seated, he was able to really look around. It was definitely an old business.

Original paintings and photos hung on the walls. Italian music played through the overhead

speakers, which you could barely hear. Kris twisted the caps off both beers and handed one to

Joe

“I would have never pegged you for pizza and beer,” Joe snickered before taking a sip.

Kris smiled as the tip of the bottle touched her lips. He watched them part slightly, letting in just

enough beer to make them slick. They definitely seemed soft and inviting. Joe cleared his throat

as she threw back the rest of the bottle and wiped her mouth with a napkin

“I wasn’t for a long time, but after raising a kid all by myself, pizza becomes a life saver, no

matter how much I hate to admit it. If it wasn’t for pizza, Alex would have probably starved.

“Alex, is your son?” Joe asked. She nodded. “How old is he? If you don’t mind my asking.”

“Uh, he’s turning fourteen this year,” Kris waved her hand to the kid behind the counter and he

brought two more beers. “He’s had it rough since his father. Obviously, I’m not a man. I don’t

always know the answers to his questions. I guess both of us are out of our element.”

“My dad wasn’t around much when I was a kid. He worked a lot when he wasn’t sleeping

around or beating on my mom. I can understand where he’s coming from,” Joe popped the top

on the beer.

“Isn’t this against the rules?” Kris asked, slightly amused.

Joe raised his eyebrows, “What?”

“This. Isn’t it considered fraternizing for you?”

He laughed, “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

“Fair enough. Here’s to company policy,” she winked and clinked the top of her beer with his.

Joe laughed and shook his head. “You’re nothing like I thought you’d be. You always seem so

skiddish and secretive,” he accused.

Kris sat back and looked him over. Telling him about her unrequited love affair was definitely

not going to happen. “A girl’s gotta have her secrets. If you knew everything about me, you

wouldn't come back, would ya?”

Joe leaned forward across the small table separating them. His massive upper body

completely engulfing the tabletop. “It’s not the mystery that keeps them coming back, Kristina. It’s

the delivery.”

Her name rolling off his lips was like liquid fire. “I see. And how am I doing with that?” Kris

leaned in, closing the gap. Joe looked at her with a smug confidence that left her smoldering in

her seat, but before he could answer, the kid with the pizza came and broke up the moment.

“Thanks,” they said in unison and set out to detaching the cheesy slices. “I hope you don’t

mind, I ordered a garbage pizza. I like everything and you said the only thing you didn’t like was

anchovies so, here ya go.”

“Yeah, this looks good,” Joe took a bite and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. “Oh ma

gah,” he said with a mouthful of pizza. “Woah.”

“Right?” Kris agreed. “Nobody’s as good as Giacomo’s.”

“Ya did good, kid,” Joe finished off his beer. “Now I have a question for you that might seem

strange, but just go with it, alright?”

“Oh, god, you aren’t some serial killer are you?” She asked with half a mouth full of pizza. “That

would really suck.

Joe laughed, “No, I just need to ask if you’ve ever heard anything about anyone stealing money

or accounts from the company. Mr. Alcom and I have started noticing a pattern and it seems to

point to an employee.”

Kris stared at Joe in stunned silence. “Wait, someone’s taking money from us? Like actual

money is being taken or are they recruiting clients?

“Money is gone and clients are being misled into signing bogus contracts that we later correct

and have to redistribute back to the artists, which is a double loss for us. Whoever this is, they’re

very smart and getting very rich.”

“I can’t believe anyone would do that to these people. Ugh! That makes me so angry! These

kids come from everywhere to get hooked up with us and we sing the whole ‘we can help make

your dreams come true’ speech and then some dickwad is going to steal their money? How can

I help catch them?”

Joe shrugged, “I don’t really know. Maybe just keep an eye out for anyone who seems to have

more money than they’re supposed to?”

Kris smirked, “You know technically all of you partners have more money than you’re supposed

to. Being a boss has its perks and the bankroll to back it up.”

Joe snorted and took another swig of beer. The cogs in his head began to turn. Kristina had

the right idea. What if the money was being filtered through the partners and then they were

making the payouts? He hadn’t thought of that.

“I’d almost forgotten why we came to lunch in the first place, but I guess we should talk

business before we have to go back?” Kris smiled sheepishly as she slid her tablet across to Joe.

“I’m not sure if you know much about the project I’ve been working on, but I can’t put it into motion

until you sign off. Basically, I have set up a peer network of artists and interns. Each of them has

a platform and genre. As they find talent, they push them through the social media and viral

avenues to see who catches and once they reach a certain status, those artists will be officially

represented. The ones who haven’t, still get the publicity and options to work with Rogue artists,

but until they reach the appropriate level, they won’t have an official Rogue rep. Since this system

is based on social presence, most of the work is done before our reps even get a hand on the

newer artists. Basically, all that will be left is tours, show bookings and official media spots.”

Joe swiped through the testimonials and trials Kris had put together and couldn’t imagine why

no one had thought of something like it before. “I think it’s a great idea. Have you put any of it into

practice?”

She nodded, “I’ve had a small group working with some of their favorites independents. It

seems to be working well, but the more who are involved, the greater the reach. I’m hoping to

expand by three to five more artists or interns per quarter; if you sign off, that is.”

Joe glanced up at her and smirked, “Is that why you took me to your favorite pizza place? You

trying to butter me up?”

“No, I like the food,” she smiled. “Even if this wasn’t a work thing, I’d still bring you here, but

it’s not like there ever would have been a chance of that happening.”

“What do you mean?” Joe knocked back his beer.

Kris blushed and shook her head, “You’re, well, you. Have you looked at yourself? Look, it

doesn’t matter, forget I said anything, it wasn’t really appropriate. I’d just really like for you to

consider this project. I believe in these people and what they’re capable of and I don’t want my

big mouth to interfere with that.”

He reached across the table and placed his hand over hers,” You’ve nothing to worry about -

and you weren’t out of line.

She slid her hand out from under his, “Technically, you’re my boss so it was actually pretty

inappropriate. Now you’re just humoring me.”

“No, I’m being honest. You’re right, the pizza here is amazing. I’m kinda pissed that I haven’t

been here before, actually. But, you are wrong to think that I wouldn’t have come here with you

outside of work.

“Please, Joe. You barely knew I existed,” Kris waved over another round of beers and popped

the top off both. He could tell she was frustrated, but he had no idea what happened. They were

being playful and flirty and then all of the sudden he felt like apologizing, but had no idea what for.

“Can we just rewind here? What did I say that upset you?”

Kris sighed, “It’s hard to be a woman in my position. I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at myself. I

let my personal feelings get in the way of business and I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry to

have taken that out on you.”

Joe nodded, “So what makes this so hard? I’m not being an ass; I just want to understand.”

“Well, I’m a woman in a corporate job, which means I either got here because I’ve slept my

way to the top or someone paid for me to be here. Couple that with a very attractive and elusive

partner and I having lunch, it doesn’t look very well for my reputation,” she said shyly.

Joe tried not to laugh, “I see. So you think I think you’re trying to sleep with me to get what you

want?”

Kristina’s eyes grew dark, “No, I think other people will think I’ve slept with you to get what I

want.”

“And when you mentioned personal feelings, that meant that you didn’t want to sleep with me?”

Joe teased.

She threw her head back and huffed, “When I mentioned personal feelings, I was talking about

how I’ve not so much as looked at a man since my fiancé until you swaggered into the lobby and

you are irritatingly out of reach. That being said, I don’t know you well enough to know if I would

sleep with you.”

“Uh huh,” Joe laughed softly. “Explain to me why I’m out of reach again?

“Again, you’re my boss. While your reputation would only grow, mine would shrivel up and die

before it’s even had the chance to do me any good. Basically, you’re bad for business, Joe,” Kris

winked and took the last swig of beer.

Joe was stunned, but in a good way. She was so more than he’d expected and he was

surprised by her honesty. “Bad for business, huh? I might have to see what I can do to change

your mind.”

“There’s no changing it. This,” she motioned across the table. “This just can’t happen. There’s

no outcome in which this ends well.”

“Oh, are you a psychic?” Joe laughed. “You can tell the future?”

Kris licked her lips, “I’ve thought about this, in depth. One of us will get bored, have too much

baggage, get a better job, lose our job or something catastrophic will happen and it will end,

breaking one of our hearts. It’s the way the universe works.”

Joe leaned very close, “How long do you think we’d have?”

“Maybe six months. A man like you needs someone who can commit to you and only you, but

I can’t do that. Sooner rather than later, you’d realize that and move on,” Kris said sadly.

“You have other men in your life?” Joe asked.

“No, just one. He’s the only one I can be committed to, Joe. He’s my son,” Kris shrugged. “He’s

everything.”

Joe smiled warmly. She had a good heart and he admired that. “As he should be. Any man

who asks you to choose between him or your son isn’t a man. There is no question who comes

first, no matter the situation. Honestly, I’m a bit offended that you would think I was that type of

guy.”

“It’s not meant to offend you. You have to understand, if I am selfish, even for a minute, I’m

opening the door for him to be hurt all over again. It’s best if I cut my losses before I have the

opportunity to experience just how painful they may be,” Kris patted Joe’s arm and stood. “I’m

going to pay for the check and go to the ladies room. The car’s waiting outside if you don’t feel

like waiting.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Joe responded. The conviction in his words even made him stop

short at the implications. Sure, Kristina was interesting and funny and down to earth, but she was

also potentially a suspect and he was only playing a role. Well, most of the time he was playing

his role. The lines were beginning to blur.

Kris paid the check and hurried herself to the ladies room and back, afraid Joe would

disappear. Her stomach did a little flip when she saw him standing opposite the ladies room door,

his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I let them give the table to some folks who were waiting. We

ready to go?” He asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Kris nodded and stepped in front of him. She walked briskly back to the town car

and practically jumped inside. Joe thanked the driver for holding the door and slid in next to her.

“So, what happens now?” He asked, pretty much staring a hole into the side of her face.

Chapter 7

“What do you mean?” Kris looked over to find his gray-blue eyes fixated on her. “What?”

Joe smiled, “So we’re to go back to work as if we didn’t just have an amazing lunch together?

We’re supposed to act like we are just coworkers passing each other by? You tell me, what

happens now?”

Kris eyed him carefully, “What would you have happen, if it were up to you?”

After several seconds of agonizing silence, Joe nodded, “No, you’re right. Technically, I am

your boss and this would be bad for your career. I did have an amazing lunch, one that I wish we

could do again, but you made your point clear. While I’d never make you choose, you’ve made

up your mind and I’m definitely not the type of guy to come between a woman and her morals.

For what it’s worth, something tells me it would have been pretty amazing.”

She smiled a little, “Yeah something tells me it would have been, too.” Before Joe could see

through her facade, she turned back towards the window. It was almost hard for her to catch her

breath. She so badly wanted Joe to smash down all the walls and sweep her off her feet into the

fantasy world she’d made up in her mind, but he didn’t.

While Joe meant every word, he still had a job to do and the only way he could pursue Kristina

was if he cleared her as a suspect. After being undercover for so long, Joe was having a hard

time keeping his head straight. To make matters worse, a potential suspect was now a woman

he was rather enamored with and she had no idea who he really was or what he did for a living.

Life was just too damn complicated.

“Your project is brilliant, Kristina. I’ll sign off on it for you and I want you to start getting the

department set up. You can use the fifth floor area since it’s being remodeled anyway. Have the

builders come to me with anything you need. You shouldn’t worry so much about your reputation.

I’ve never heard anything bad about you and I don’t think that’s going to start now,” he confessed.

Kris was only halfway paying attention when she heard him talking about builders, “Wait, I’m

sorry what did you say? What about builders?”

Joe laughed, “I said your project is brilliant. I’m signing off on it and you can use the fifth floor.

I’m afraid if we didn’t invest in you, we’d lose you and I can’t let that happen on my watch.”

“Holy shit are you serious?!” Kris jumped in her seat and threw her arms around his neck. “You

have no idea how much this means to me, thank you so much!”

His stomach flipped and turned into funny knots when she pressed against him, but he didn’t

dare push her away. “You’re welcome, Miss Newton,” his voice took on a gravelly tone and she

slowly pulled away.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...”

“It’s okay. I know this project means a lot to you. We’ll keep things professional...for now,” Joe

smiled.

“For now?” Kris asked breathlessly.

Joe’s eyes turned an enticing shade of darkened blue as he leaned into her, “Let’s just say

that the next time your arms are around my neck, you’ll be begging me not to let you go.”

Kristina’s stunned silence gave him the satisfaction that things were far from over. He winked

at her and the driver held the door for him to exit. Joe tipped him forty dollars and made his way

back into Rogue, leaving Kris in the car to hang on his words

She watched him walk away completely dumbfounded. Joe was different than she’d expected,

but somehow exactly as she’d hoped. Kris shook herself back to reality, apologized to the driver

for keeping him waiting and made her way back to her office. No matter how hard she tried, Joe’s

words rang through her mind. The email indicator on her computer chimed and the signed project

request flashed onto the screen. Kris jumped up and down with delight.

“Miss Newton, this came for you while you were out to lunch,” Eileen handed her a small box

wrapped in brown paper.

“Who is it from?” Kris asked skeptically. She rarely ever received packages unless it first went

through another department.

“I don’t know. One of those delivery people dropped it by. Do you need anything?” Eileen

asked.

Kris stared at the package a moment, “Uh, no. If you’ve finished the preparations for the

project, you can leave for the day. Thank you.” Kris gave her a half smile and waited impatiently

for her to leave the office.

Once the door was shut, Kris opened each side of the brown paper and slowly slipped the box

out. It was plain, a regular mailing box, but it was lumpy, like something odd-shaped was inside.

Kris popped the tape on the edges and slowly opened the box. “Oh good god,” she gasped and

pushed back from her desk.

With shaky hands, she dialed Cylest, the marshal who was her handler. “Cylest, Cylest it’s

Kristina Newton. You need to get here now.”

An hour went by and Kristina sat, stunned, on the small leather loveseat. Her knees were

tucked in tightly to her chest and she was rocking back and forth when Cylest showed up. “Oh

Kris, what’s the matter?”

Kristina pointed to the box on her desk. Cylest crossed the room and picked up the box, sighing

when she saw the contents. It was a little ceramic monkey covering its mouth - as in speak no

evil. It was a sign that Erikson’s people know who she was, Kris felt it in her bones.

“Now, how do you know this came from one of them?” Cylest asked quietly.

Kris looked at her like she was stupid, “Who else could it be from? I don’t have any family left,

besides Alex.

“A boyfriend?”

Joe crossed her mind, but they weren’t yet at the gift-giving stage. “I haven’t had any

boyfriends, Cylest. We have to get out of here!”

“Whoa, whoa, just calm down. Let me do my job. I will track down whoever sent it and I’ll keep

extra surveillance on you and Alex. I won’t move you unless absolutely necessary. It will be okay,

Kris,” Cylest put her arm around Kris’s shoulder.

“I don’t understand; he’s supposed to be there for life. How could he have found me?”

“I’ll figure it out, don’t worry. Is there someplace you and Alex can stay while this is going on?”

Kris shook her head. “I don’t know anyone here. I could send Alex to his friend’s house. I’ll tell

them that I’m going out of town on business. How long do you need?”

Cylest was punching information into her phone, “Let’s start with a week. You get Alex to that

friend’s house and I’ll get in touch with the local precinct. You need to go about your days as

normal. Don’t let whoever is doing this spook you. If we can’t find whoever it is, we’ll move you

guys, but that is a last resort. Do you understand?”

Kris’s hands were shaking so bad she could barely text the parents of Alex’s friend. Flashbacks

to when Erikson killed her parents played over and over in her mind to a debilitating degree. “I’ve

got it. I’m texting everyone now. Alex will grab some clothes and go before I’m even supposed to

be home and I’ll stay at a hotel if I need to. Do you think this is Erikson?”

“Not sure,” Cylest chewed her lip. “It doesn’t seem like him. He would make a bigger statement,

something more personal. Still, we can’t be too careful. You do what you need to and I’ll be in

touch.” Cylest squeezed Kris’ shoulder and hurried out of the room, her phone pressed firmly to

her ear.

After making sure Alex was safe, Kris left Rogue and headed home to pack. Cylest already

had extra security at the apartment and in the town car, but that wasn’t enough to make Kris feel

safe. She threw clothes, toiletries and a few other necessities into a suitcase and tote bag. She

armed the alarm and rushed back out with her security detail escorting her as they flew back down

to the town car. Kris closed her eyes as the lights whizzed by the window and prayed Erikson

hadn’t found them. Aside from the loneliness, she loved her life in New York and wasn’t ready to

say goodbye, yet.

Chapter 8

“Can I help you?” The desk sergeant mumbled around the toothpick sticking from the side of

his mouth.

“Cylest King, U.S. Marshal. I need to speak with your captain, now,” she flashed her badge

and the officer hopped up.

“Yes ma’am, wait here,” he ambled over to the office behind him and spoke to the man inside.

Through the blinds, Cylest watched his head pop up to see who she was, she flashed her badge

again, and the man followed the sergeant out to greet her.

“Deputy King, Captain Myers, to what do we owe the pleasure?" The Captain asked, shaking

her hand.

Cylest motioned to his office and they retreated quietly. "I apologize for dropping in

unannounced, but I have a situation with one of my charges. She was sent a mysterious package

today and is scared out of her mind. Is there any way I could get some assistance with some

added security?"

Myers scoffed, “With all due respect, this isn’t rent-a-cop, deputy.”

Cylest nodded, “I’m well aware, but this is a high profile witness and I can’t risk exposure or

worse. If the wrong people have found her, I need to buy some time to either find and apprehend

them, or relocate her under the radar. I wouldn’t ask for your help if I didn’t need it, sir.”

“Who’s the witness?” He asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“She’s a project manager at Rogue PR. Her name is Kristina Newton. Her and her son have

been in the program for the last ten years as key witnesses in a case against Daniel Erikson and

his wing of an organized crime unit is centered in Cali,” Cylest explained.

“It’s your lucky day, deputy. I have a man already undercover at Rogue. He’s been working an

organized crime case for the last few years,” Myers rang Joe to come to his office asap and hung

up before he could answer. “What is it with this Erikson guy, anyway?”

Deputy King cleared her throat, “For many years, Erikson and his particular branch of the mob

was wreaking havoc on South Central LA and beyond. The gang problem was bad enough, but

then we also had this joker coming in like he owned the place, shaking down business owners for

protection money from the gangs and such. It was like a flashback to the 80s. They’d had

undercover officers attempt to infiltrate the organization but he’d either turn them or they’d end up

dead. It was messy and there was nothing anyone could do to catch the bastard. Unfortunately

for my witness, her parents fell victim to Erikson and his cronies. They managed to massacre her

entire family and about a hundred others one night in their family restaurant. She was shot, but

survived and was the nail in the coffin for the son-of-a-bitch.

“The poor girl’s fiancé died in the war and then her parents were murdered right in front of her

eyes. She’s had a rough go at it before we scooped her up across the country and forced her to

live in a place where she knew no one. I check on her every so often, but nothing like this has

ever happened.”

Joe knocked just as Cylest finished, “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Joe Farello, this is Deputy Cylest King with the US Marshal service. It seems she has a key

witness who might be in some potential danger and I think you’re the man for the job.”

“I’m no babysitter, Cap. What’s this gotta do with me?” Joe shrugged and shook his head.

“Turns out, her witness is employed by Rogue,” Joe froze with one foot out the door. “Do you

know a Kristina Newton?” Myers asked.

“Uh, yeah, yeah. She’s in Project Management. I just had a lunch meeting earlier today. What’s

going on?” Joe looked at Cylest.

“She’s my witness and I need her protected. Your captain tells me you’re working an organized

crime case?”

Joe was stunned for a moment. The more he pieced together, the more sense it made. He felt

kind of foolish for thinking she was a suspect. “Uh, yes. There’s billions, well I guess millions now,

being funneled from Rogue’s books into accounts we can’t find. I’ve managed to figure out part

of the problem, but I can’t figure out where the rest of the money is going or how to shut it down.”

Cylest nodded, “Someone’s working through that company. It’s not clear yet whether our

suspect’s organization is to blame, but it concerns me either way. Detective, I can’t afford to lose

this witness. She’s the only one who’s ever been able to testify against Erikson and if he ever

comes up for parole or appeals, I need her testimony and I need her alive.”

“Can you get me the files from your case? If I can determine how he worked his other

businesses, I can figure out if this is his sorta thing,” Joe’s adrenaline was in full force. After nearly

three years, he’d be able to nail the bastard and get on with his life.

“Yes, but only if you agree to protect my witness,” she insisted.

Joe ran his hands through his hair, “She doesn’t know I’m undercover. I can’t compromise this

case, I’m too close.”

“I don’t care how you have to do, just get it done,” Captain Myers interjected. “Deputy King will

get the information you need.”

“Alright, fine, sure, I got it,” Joe shrugged in defeat.

“Thank you both, truly. I’m going to let her know you’re coming,” Cylest shook both their hands.

“Just, don’t tell her my name, alright? I want to explain everything to her when I get there.”

Joe left Captain Myers office, his stomach twisting into knots. He had a good feeling about the

case for the first time since it began, but apprehensive about involving Kris. At least his gut was

right in one respect; she wasn’t anything like he thought she’d be. Turns out it was because she

wasn’t really who she said she was, at least on the surface. Witness protection only guaranteed

her a safe place for as long as she went with the program, and she seemed to play her part well

enough. His phone chimed with an email containing her location and the file he’d requested. He

closed his eyes and took a deep breath before grabbing his coat and heading to blow his cover.

The traffic to the hotel was steady, which was a welcomed distraction. Joe still wasn’t sure how

to explain the situation to her, or even if he should. He thought back to his ex-wife, about how

they were happy for a while, before he started keeping secrets and she started looking for the

answers at the bottom of bottles. At one time, he thought the job wouldn’t affect other parts of his

life, but he was naive. He should have explained that to her, but she was already gone before it

even crossed his mind. He’d failed her and his son.

In another life, he could even see himself with Kris. Sparks flew during their lunch, so much so

that it was hard for him not to think about her the rest of the day. Her being in witness protection

explained a lot, but left a big question mark over whether everything she did or said was an act.

He wondered how stuff like that worked. Did people forget who they were? He’d only seen a

handful of people enter the program, none of which were very delightful in the first place so it

wasn’t like he’d reach out for a conversation.

As he pulled up to The Empire Hotel, the doorman greeted him warmly, giving a code word to

let him know that he was a marshal. He showed his badge, explained the circumstances of his

visit and the doorman gave him a ticket for the valet and assured he’d text Joe with the lot number

where his car was parked. Joe looked around at the front of the building. Deputy King had placed

several undercover units around the perimeter. A van parked diagonally across the street, near

the bank, with a CB transmitter and probably two guys inside. Another guy set up on a bench

reading the paper in Dante Park. Most people wouldn’t notice the earpiece, but Joe has worn

enough to recognize them, even at a distance.

He entered the hotel and spoke to the concierge, “Detective Farello, NYPD. I’ll be staying in

the following room,” Joe flashed the room number from his phone. “I want text alerts if the name

on this room is given. If I don’t answer, dial the backup number.” He flashed his screen again,

which just said 9-1-1.

The concierge nodded and typed notes into the computer. He gave Joe a room key, pointed

to the elevator and he was on his way. As a uniformed officer people didn’t like talking or doing

what they were told, but as soon as you carry a detective badge and wear plain clothes, all kinds

of doors tend to open. It took Joe a long time to get his shield; it cost him even more.

As the elevator doors opened, the knots tightened and he actually felt giddy about seeing her

again. It was stupid and made absolutely no sense, but obviously there was nothing he could do

about it. As he approached the door, a million thoughts ran through his mind, mostly how the hell

he was supposed to explain everything. Would she be mad at him for lying all that time? Do cops

freak her out? Did he even matter to her at all?

Joe stood in the small doorway, mentally preparing himself for the long conversation that was

about to be had and doing his best to keep it together. Kris was a victim, he was a cop, she

needed his help and it was his case. At least that’s what he kept telling himself. Finally, he took a

deep breath and tapped the secret knock on the door.

Chapter 9

Kris had just hung up with Alex when she heard the coded knock. Cylest had arranged for a

local detective to stay with her while they investigated. Kris had no idea if there was a reason to

be worried, but Cylest never let her down before. She looked through the peephole and froze.

She shook her head and looked again to make sure she was actually seeing what she thought

she was seeing.

She swung the door open, “Joe? What the hell are you doing here? How did you even know

where I was?”

Joe flashed his badge, “I’m your new security detail, sweetheart. May I come in?”

She just stood there, wide-eyed, trying to figure out if he might be joking. Finally, he pushed

passed her and closed the door, locking the many locks and putting a chair in front of the knob.

“What are you doing?” She managed to squeak out.

“If anyone does actually get through all those locks, they’ll run into that chair and make a lot of

noise, which buys us time,” he explained. “So, would you like to have a drink and talk about it?”

She stared at him incredulously, “You’re joking? I’m not supposed to be talking about anything

with you. There must be some kind of mistake.”

“There’s no mistake. The cat’s outta the bag, so there’s no need for either of us to keep up

with the pretenses.” Joe shrugged off his coat, revealing a very tight, black shirt that hugged his

body in intimate ways. Kris’s eyes dragged over his thick, muscular arms and chest, down his

lean torso to the tactical belt with a handgun, cuffs, and whatever else cops normally carry. Pulling

her eyes away felt like a sin.

She crossed to the small kitchen, grabbed two beers and handed one to Joe. She plopped on

the bed heavily, which was hard to do because the mattress was absolutely enveloping. “You’re

really a cop?”

“A detective, actually,” Joe tossed his jacket on the bed and sat next to her, leaning over to

rest his elbows on his thighs. “I’ve been working on a case at Rogue for a while and only just

learned tonight that you may be the key to cracking it wide open.”

“Me?!” Kris gasped. “I have no idea about anything going on there. I don’t even have that type

of clearance.”

“I know, but it seems we may share a common enemy. Or at least that’s what your marshal is

thinking,” he said sadly. “Would you tell me about how you ended up here? Why you’re in witness

protection?”

Kris felt the prickles of anxiety on her skin and sweat bead up between her shoulders. Not a

day went by that she didn’t think about that night and how irrevocably her life had changed. She

downed the beer and bounded off into the kitchen only to come back holding a very large bottle

of vodka and a tumbler with ice. Joe opened his mouth to speak but she held up her hand, making

it clear that she wasn’t ready to talk just yet, and went to the kitchen yet again to get the orange

juice she’d left on the counter.

“It’s a very long and painful story, Joe,” she finally responded. Pools of tears waited to spill

over. Joe was not a fan of tears.

“Okay, how about I tell my story and then if you’re comfortable, you can tell me yours?”

“Why do you even care?” she shrugged. “It’s not like you actually give a damn about me. I

mean, your job is to make me think that, right?”

“What?” He shook his head and stood up. His hands made exaggerated movements of

frustration as he talked. “No, my job is to catch the bad guys. If that means I have to go to lunch

with a beautiful woman, who am I to turn her down? I didn’t lie to you about anything, except my

job. At this point, it’s up to you and only you as to whether you believe me, but I’m not going to

defend myself when I did nothing wrong. Technically, I could make the same argument about

you.”

“Oh really?” She challenged.

“Really. For example, Kristina isn’t even your real name,” Joe griped.

Kris sat down on the bed slowly, taking small sips from her newly mixed screwdriver, “You’re

right. As much as I hate to admit it, you are. I’ve spent a lot of time being Kristina Newton, I can

barely remember who I am.”

Joe sighed, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

“No, it’s okay. I keep assuming the worst of you and you don’t deserve it. I’ve lied just as much

as you have. Actually, I’ve lied more than you have. I’m scum,” she put her hand over her face

and made a disgusted sound. Joe laughed.

“Scum, huh? Nah, I’ve seen scum. You might be sleazy, but not scum,” his heavy city accent

sounded exotic on his lips. Most other natives just sounded obnoxious, but Joe was becoming

the exception for a lot of things.

“Oh ha ha, very funny, Joe.”

His laugh was nice and she let just the smallest smile through. It was hard not to. He made her

feel safe and less alone than she’d felt since joining the program and move to the city. Of course

it had nothing to do with her daydreams of him. Yeah, right.

“So, what’s the story? How’d you get here, whatever your name is?” Joe sat back down on the

bed and nudged her shoulder with his as he sipped the beer.

Kris didn’t feel right using her birth name. She’d worked so hard to become Kristina that, oddly

enough, she was more proud of who she built than who she was born to be. “Kristina. That’s who

I am now. Who I used to be doesn’t matter anymore.”

“It absolutely matters. I don’t know many people who were in the system, but from what I can

remember, the hardest part is figuring out their identity. You had, what, almost twenty years to

live your old life? That’s not nothin’.”

Kris smiled, “Leesa. My names is, was, Leesa.”

“See, was that so hard?” Joe clinked his beer against her glass in cheers and she laughed

lightly.

They both took a gulp from their respective drinks and the room was silent for a moment. Kris

watched Joe from the corner of her eye. He was thinking about something, mulling over details.

She could tell because the little vein in the side of his head pulsed and that only happened when

he was thinking.

“So, how long have you been a cop?” Kris asked somberly.

Joe straightened and sighed heavily, “Uh, I guess about ten years. I served in the Marines

before that. I did two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before coming home and deciding to make

myself useful with the only type of work I knew how to do. What else is a roughneck from Brooklyn

supposed ta do?”

“A roughneck?” Kris shook her head. “I have no idea what that means.”

Joe cracked a smile, “It means I was on the streets a lot. I got to very intimate with the types

of people I now put away. Makes goin’ home for Sunday dinnas a little uncomfortable.” Kris

laughed and Joe gave her a strange look. “What’s so funny?”

“Your accent. Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don’t. It’s funny.”

“Ah, yeah. The New Yorker is born to stay, but the boy from Brooklyn tries to come out every

now and again. It’s something I have to work on. When I’m undercover, I’m from Jersey of all

places. Ick,” they both laughed and Kris finished the last of her screwdriver.

She went to pour another, but Joe stopped her, “Whoa, I need your head straight sweetheart.

I can’t have you stumbling around the place.”

“I’m a big girl, Joe. I can handle my liquor,” Kris remarked and began pouring again.

Joe snatched the bottle of liquor away, “Just the same, I’d feel better if you didn’t.”

Kris groaned loudly, “We’ll I’d feel better if I did!”

“Yeah well tough shit, princess,” Joe managed to wrestle her glass away and brought

everything into the kitchen, ignoring her protests. He began to flashback to the many times he

had to pick his ex-wife up off the floor from a drunken stupor. It took him a moment to shake out

of the nightmare. Kris wasn’t his ex-wife. Right now, she was merely a witness and potential lead.

At least with her being a little buzzed, she might actually talk.

“Your name should be Joe Buzzkill, you know that?” Kris scrunched up her nose and threw a

pillow at Joe

He caught the pillow and threw it back with a chuckle, “Call me whatever you want, sweetheart,

but you’re still cut off. Now, as agreed, I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours?”

Kris folded the pillow into her arms and sighed. She’d hoped to have more time to stall, but ran

out of ideas. “Yeah, fine.”

Chapter 10

Joe watched her carefully. She tried hard not to look directly at him, and when she did, she’d

quickly look away. Either the alcohol was making her jittery, or she was afraid. He couldn’t blame

her. She was in witness protection which pretty much screamed trust no one.

“When I was seventeen, I enlisted in the Marines. The war was just kicking into high gear and

most of my friends were either deadbeats or gearing up to be jarheads. I chose the latter. So, fast

forward through boot camp and I got my first deployment where I was gone for a year. I came

home for about six months and left again for the second deployment. I was perfectly ready to

make a career out of it, but my girlfriend at the time became pregnant with our son, so I let my

contract expire and once my second deployment was over, I was done.”

“I didn’t know you have a family,” Kris hugged the pillow a little tighter. Suddenly, feeling overly

self-conscious.

Joe shook his head once, “I had a family. Once I started working as a police officer, my then

wife decided to look for affection from Jim, Jack and Jose. The hours are long and the job eats

away at you. Unfortunately, it ate away at her as well. One day, she and my son were in the car

and she was intoxicated. She, uh, lost control and hydroplaned and hit the retaining wall.”

“Oh my god, Joe,” Kris put her hand on his shoulder.

“My son was ejected from the vehicle. She never buckled the harness on his car seat, so when

she hit the retaining wall, he never had a chance. After that, my wife was arrested and I couldn’t

bear to even look at her. I divorced her right after she was sentenced to eight years for vehicular

manslaughter.”

“How long does she have left?”

Joe cleared his throat, “The last notice I got said she had three more years. Apparently, she

got herself into trouble on the inside. She used to write me letters, but I never responded so she

stopped. No matter how many times she apologized, it wouldn’t bring my son back.”

Kris squeezed Joe’s shoulder. Joe absently put his hand over hers as she consoled him. “I had

no idea, I’m sorry. That must be a terrible burden.”

“Some days, it is. As sad as it sounds, this job is the only thing keeping me sane. If I can put

enough bad guys away, maybe I can do something good for my son since I couldn’t do it while he

was alive.”

"Don't do that. Don't put the blame on yourself. You weren't the one who got into that car," Kris

leaned closer, trying to make him look at her, but he wouldn't.

"No, but I knew what she was. It was only a matter of time, and I didn't do anything to stop it,"

Joe slid from the bed and walked to the large sliding balcony door.

Kris shook her head, "Your guilt is misplaced. You did what you had to do to provide for your

family and she betrayed you. Her next buzz became more important than you or your son. No

matter what you try to say is your fault, it will never be true. I may not know you well, but I know

a good man when I see one."

Joe stared out into the lights of the city and desperately wanted to believe her words.

Somewhere in his heart, he knew his ex-wife was really to blame, but it was hard not to feel

responsible. He knew the signs before it became obvious. His mother once had to watch the baby

because his wife was in rehab, but he wanted to believe that she was better. It was that hope that

cost him everything.

"I think the jury is still out on that one," Joe mumbled and turned to face her. It had been quite

some time since anyone took his breath away, yet he was finding it harder and harder to breathe.

Kris smiled crookedly, "We'll see."

Joe snorted and shrugged, "Enough about my demons. You promised you'd tell your story

now."

"Did I?" She asked sarcastically. "I don't recall saying those words."

"If you don't tell me, I can't help you, Kristina," he reminded. "Your bad guy and my bad guy

might be the same guy and if I can’t catch him, you might just be stuck with me."

Her eyes twinkled, “Would that be such a bad thing?”

“Aside from the part where you and your son would be hiding all the time, no probably not,”

Joe boasted. “I mean, I don’t know about you, but a life on the run is what I’ve always dreamed

of.”

“Alright, alright, I got it. You don’t have to be so smug,” Kris griped.

“Sure I do, it’s part of the whole package.”

Her eyebrows went up as she thought about what else the package would entail, and, aside

from a mischievous smirk, she didn’t say a word. Joe seemed to know exactly what she had been

thinking and winked, which made her blush horribly and curse under her breath. He was such a

jerk.

“Uh,” she looked away. “I don’t really know where to start.”

“Wherever you’d like. We have all the time in the world, princess.”

“Stop calling me that,” she bristled. “Anyway, I used to live in California. My parents weren’t

from there, but they moved because of the weather and tourists. They dreamed of living on the

beach and owning a restaurant and that’s exactly what they did. Growing up, I pretty much lived

on the sand and then I’d work alongside them until I didn’t need their help anymore. It was my

way of helping out, I guess.

“I met my fiancé in high school. We dated off and on, but it didn’t get serious until our last year

of school. We were engaged soon after graduation and I couldn’t have been happier. He always

looked at me like I hung the moon and stars and no one has looked at me that way since. Not

unlike you, he decided the best thing he could do for us was to enlist and after that I only saw him

another six months before he left for his deployment. I never saw him again and Alex was only

two. My heart was broken into tiny little pieces and the only thing holding them in place is my son.

He’s my everything.”

“I’m sorry. I knew many great men who didn’t make it home. I hate that you had to go through

that,” Joe rubbed his hands through his hair, trying very hard to keep his distance.

Kris wiped away a single tear and smiled sadly, “Thanks, so do I.”

“Want some water?” He asked quietly. Kris was worried that she’d struck a nerve.

“That would be great, thanks.” While he was banging around in the kitchen, Kris recalled the

last time she saw the great love of her live. He looked similar to Joe, except he was more boyish

and light hearted. They spent weeks preparing for his deployment and his spirits were high the

entire time. The only negative thing he said was how he’d hate being away from her and Alex,

well, Jacob was his name at that time. She smiled and took a cleansing breath.

Joe cleared his throat and Kris snapped out of her memory, “Oh, sorry.”

“No problem,” he sat beside her on the bed, propping his feet on the flat top of the bed post

attached to the footboard. “Whenever you’re ready...”

The water tasted flat, which was likely due to the cotton mouth she had going on from the

liquor, but she drank almost the entire glass in only a few seconds. “I was thirstier than I thought,

apparently,” she set the glass on the end table and leaned back against the headboard, still

clutching the pillow. “About a year later, once I was finally able to get out of bed and into some

semblance of a normal life, I started working at the restaurant again. It was so hard to put on a

smile when I was so broken inside.

“After a while, I didn’t feel quite so broken and living became easier, except for the stresses

from the restaurant. We were hemorrhaging money. I couldn’t tell how because everything was

accounted for and according to the books, we should have been making a significant amount of

money, but we were barely breaking even; losing thousands of dollars a day. When I asked my

father, all he said was that he’d take care of it and that was that.

“What I didn’t know was that Erikson had approached my father and asked to use the

restaurant as a private facility for his businesses. Erikson showed him the money and my father

looked at it as someone investing in our future. So when Erikson asked him to hire some of his

friends, he thought nothing of it. The guys worked just the same, only my father didn’t have to pay

them. It was a win-win. Until Erikson started making other demands

“At the very end, Erikson entrapped my father into his mock business and he and my mother

were executed for not being able to provide Erikson with what he needed anymore. Erikson didn’t

know I was in the restaurant the night he killed them. Thankfully, he never put together that I was

their daughter until he saw me at the trial. He told me then that he’d kill me and Alex and, knowing

what he’s capable of, I knew he’d do it if given the opportunity.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Joe confided.

Kris patted his arm, “You can’t be with me or Alex every second of everyday, Joe. We both

have jobs to do and Alex has school. The marshals do a great job with surveillance and

chaperoning. I’m sure Alex hates it, but the kids at his school think he’s mega rich since he has a

town car taking him everywhere. There’s a perk, right?”

Chapter 11

Kris was really quiet for a while, which nearly drove Joe insane. He could see the sadness and

fear in her eyes, but she refused to talk to him. Which, if he was being honest, wasn’t really that

strange considering they’d only been on a first name basis for less than twenty-four hours.

Impatience should have been his middle name.

“Can I ask you something?” Joe couldn’t take it anymore, he had to break the silence. Kris just

looked at him expectantly. “Why haven’t you settled down? Living this life has to be lonely and

I’m betting there’ve been many men who would have loved to been given the opportunity.”

Kris busted into uncontrollable laughter, to the point where her eyes watered and her sides

began to hurt. Joe’s unamused expression only fueled her hilarity and Joe just shook his head

and waited for her to be done. “I’m...I’m sorry. Oh god, that was funny. My sides hurt.” Kris

wheezed.

“I don’t know why that was funny,” Joe remarked.

Kris stood up from the bed and wiped her eyes with the bottom of her shirt. She giggled a few

more times, willing herself to calm down. She grabbed the glass from the nightstand and went to

the kitchen to refill and was finally able to speak without needing to catch her breath. Joe was still

in the same spot, sitting and waiting for an answer.

She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath, “None of them have looked at me the way

he used to. No one has taken the time or patience to fall in love with me, with my son, and take

us away from this life. But most importantly, none of them were able to put the pieces of my

shattered heart back together. I need more than what they’re willing to give me.”

“Oh,” he looked away.

Kris crossed the room to where he lay on the bed. “Did I disappoint you?” She stared down at

him, her hair falling into her face. Joe fought the urge to push it back.

“Uh, no. I just thought the reason would be a little less intimate. From the way you laughed...”

“I laughed because I’ve asked myself the same questions since I came to this city and it took

a long time for me to figure out the answer. I also laughed because I think you give me too much

credit. I mean, I’m kind of a wreck.”

Joe finally laughed and Kris bit her lip. “Kind of?”

“Jerk,” she snorted, which only made him laugh harder.

“Ah, I’m just bustin’ ya bawls,” he cleared his throat. “Sorry, I let the accent slip again.”

“Don’t be sorry. You’re probably the only person it sounds good on,” Kris caught herself just

as the last few words passed her lips and she clapped her hand to her mouth. “I’m sorry.”

The smug look returned and Joe stood up slowly, deliberately too close. Her hair stood on end

and she managed to keep herself from shaking. He didn’t say anything, only stood there and

stared into her big brown eyes. He wanted to touch her, but he couldn’t. He found himself afraid

of actually making a move, which annoyed him. He’d never had a problem with making a move

on a woman before Kris. A knock on the door made them both jump and Kris spilled the water on

herself. She leapt back and covered her almost transparent white shirt and scurried to the

bathroom. Joe cursed under his breath as he went to the door.

He looked out of the peephole to see one of the uniforms. Joe spoke through the door, “Who

is it?”

“We have a situation,” the officer replied.

“What is it?” He called back, sliding his hand to where his gun was holstered.

The cop cleared his throat, “The cruiser’s got a flat and I don’t have a spare.”

Joe’s breath caught. It was code for an officer possibly being down and not having back up.

“Can you get to the cruiser to call the shop?”

“Yeah, but you’ll have to take the bus home,” the officer’s message was received as if he made

it to the car, Joe may not make it out alive.

He exhaled a rough breath and sent a text message to his captain and Deputy King about the

situation. “Alright, go on and get that flat fixed. I’ll find my own way. Be safe.”

“Yeah you, too.” The officer slid something under the door and Joe bent to see it was a small

folded piece of paper.

Nothing is confirmed. Keep package secured until backup arrives. Partner never returned from

rounds. Hunker down.

Kris emerged from the bathroom to see Joe standing in the foyer with a note in hand and his

other hovering over his holster. Her stomach dropped to the floor. He held up a finger to his lips

and Kris nodded. She crossed to the closet and changed into a jeans and a sports bra, racerback

tank top, lightweight leather coat, and cross trainers. Joe watched her with one eye, doing his

best to respect her privacy while also making sure no one was trying to enter through the balcony.

Joe silently crossed the room and wrapped an arm around Kris’s waist, pushing her into the

closet while shielding her body with his. “I’m going to check out what’s going on. I want you to

stay in this closet for fifteen minutes exactly. If I’m not back, take this gun and get your ass out of

here as fast as you can,” he half-whispered in her ear.

“Forget it, I’m coming with you. I won’t be a sitting duck,” she whispered back and reached

around him to a box behind the shoe sorter. She pulled out a thigh holster for each leg with

matching Beretta PX4 Storm Compact handguns. She checked the magazine and loaded each

chamber, checked the safety, and slipped them into the holsters with a click. “I can take care of

myself.”

Joe smiled wide, “That was fucking sexy. You’ll have to show me that again.”

She gave him a strange look, “Tell ya what, you get us out of here alive, and I’ll put the holsters

on without the pants. Is that motivation enough?”

“Stay close, princess,” Joe smirked and pressed his lips to hers, drawing her body in with

forcible passion. Kris had always imagined kissing Joe, but never in a million years had she

predicted it would actually happen, and especially not like that. Her whole body just barely started

to tingle when he reluctantly cut their moment short. “How’s that for motivation?” He asked with a

cocky expression.

Kris grinned crookedly and curled her fingers around a belt loop, “Lead the way, G.I. Joe.”

“Nice one,” he nodded and she shrugged and made a satisfied grunt.

He moved slowly across the room, Kris in tow, watching for any sign of suspicious movement.

He peeked outside the balcony door. The entire area was lit up without a soul in sight. Joe moved

toward the main door and looked out the peephole again. Kris tried to think about every possible

soothing thing to keep herself calm. It was working until she heard voices on the other side of the

door.

Joe grabbed Kris and flattened her between himself and the wall. His back was to her and he

had his handgun pointed at the door. He waited a few seconds before taking the three steps to

the peephole. Kris remained against the wall, her heart beating out of her chest. Seconds later a

familiar knock sounded and Joe holstered his weapon.

“Deputy King is here. She’s brought my captain. Go put those guns away so I don’t have to

explain why you have them. Just don’t put them too far out of reach, we had a deal, princess,”

Joe winked and Kris made a noise of mock disgust.

Once she was out of sight, Joe opened the door slowly, his hand still hovering over his weapon.

“Are you alone?”

Cylest nodded, “Yeah, but we’ve got news.”

Joe stepped aside and let them in, checking the hall before shutting and locking the door again.

He could feel the tension and knew something was very wrong. Kris emerged from the closet and

it took all of three seconds for her to catch the vibe, too.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“Kristina, we’ve exhausted all of our efforts looking, actually we’ve been at it all night...”

“What are you talking about?” Kris and Joe said almost in unison.

Chapter 12

“Kristina, Alex is missing,” Cylest finally confessed.

Kris immediately felt like she was drowning, “How could you have lost him? Marshals or

security guards take him everywhere. Your people take him everywhere!”

“After Alex left your apartment, he asked to stop and get a few snacks to take to his friend’s

house. The driver got out and watched him go into the store, had eyes on him the whole time and

then he said in less than a blink, he’d vanished,” Cylest explained with such sincere sadness, Joe

felt sorry for her.

Kris ran into the bathroom and threw up between bellowed cries and Cylest rushed in after her.

Joe winced. He hated crying. He wanted to fix it all, but there wasn’t anything that could be done

except to help find Alex and whoever took him.

“Did you see the unis on your way up?” Joe asked Captain Myers quietly.

Captain Myers shrugged, “What unis? We only had marshals assigned to your detail.”

His stomach nearly fell to his toes. “About twenty minutes ago, a uniformed officer was here.

He told me there was another officer either down or missing and that he was going to try making

it to the cruiser to call for backup.”

“I’m telling you, Joe. I didn’t have any officers assigned to your detail.”

“How would they have known we were here?” Joe asked. “No one else knew aside from the

four of us and the marshals posted here.”

Cylest managed to get Kristina out of the bathroom. She was still crying, just not hysterically.

Joe paced the small foyer, mulling over every possible scenario. No one other than the marshals

knew about Kristina and Alex. Joe took several different routes and changed cars twice before

reaching the hotel. He spoke to the desk clerk, told him the room he’d be in and came straight up.

“This doesn’t make any sense. No one knew about Kristina. We arrived at separate times and

the marshals reserved at least five rooms on different floors so no one knew which one she was

actually in. The doorman was a marshal, the concierge was a civilian and there was no one else

on the floor.”

Kristina looked up at his through damp eyes, “They weren’t here for me.” Everyone turned to

look at Kris simultaneously. “No one knew I was here. The marshals brought me through the

service entrance and I was wearing a hoodie. No one saw me.”

“But, Alex?”

“I have a theory, if you want to hear it?” Cylest said quietly. Joe and Kris looked at her with

hopeful expressions. “I think this may have to do with your work at Rogue. Erikson doesn’t play

these types of games. He would have executed everyone in minutes and left the room. Someone

there has found out what you’re doing and they suspect Kris is involved. The person who is out

to get you has stumbled into a shit storm.”

“I am no closer today to figuring out who’s behind it than I was a year ago. Whoever this person

is, they have connections with some very talented people,” Joe chewed his lip.

Kristina’s ringing cell phone has her on her feet in seconds, “It’s Alex!” She quickly answered,

“Alex, Alex, where are you?” Her eyes raced from side to side as she listened to the voice on the

other end. “Okay, stay there, I’m coming to get you now. I swear to God if you aren’t there when

I get back, I’ll kill you myself. I mean it, Alex. I’ll be there in less than twenty minutes. You stay

quiet and keep your head down. Don’t talk to anyone. I’ll see you soon.”

She shrugged off her blanket and ran back into the closet, strapping on her gear again. Joe,

Cylest and Captain Myers looked on with anticipation. “Kris, what’s going on?” Joe finally asked.

Her head snapped up, realizing they others were there, “Oh, uh, Alex is at a diner about eight

blocks from here. He said that after the driver stopped at the market, someone approached him

and told him not to get back in the car because his life was in danger. He said the person who

approached him was a woman.”

“A woman?” Cylest asked. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“Either you have some dirty marshals, or our perp is female, and clever,” Joe grabbed his

jacket from the bed. “Kris and I will go pick up the kid, you two need to figure out where the leak

is.”

“Where are you going to go?” Cylest jumped up. “If I don’t know where you are, how am I

supposed to make sure she’s secured?”

Captain Myers put a hand on Deputy King’s shoulder, “Joe is the best detective I’ve got and a

retired Marine. If anyone knows how to go off the grid, it’s him. They’ll be safe with him.”

“I’ll follow protocol, sir, but right now I need to get them somewhere safe,” Kris handed Joe her

duffle bag and he slung it over his shoulder. “I’ll contact you in forty-eight hours.”

“I’ll be expecting your call,” Captain Myers shook his hand.

Cylest hugged Kris and sighed, “Please keep them safe, Joe. I may be her handler, but I’m

also her friend.

Joe shook Cylest’s hand and practically shoved Kris out the door. “Get that hood up on your

jacket and don’t look at anyone.” Joe told her as they entered the stairwell. He felt around the

collar of her jacket and in the pockets.

“What the hell are you doing?” She squirmed.

Joe tugged something out of the inside of her jacket, “Cylest put a bug on you.”

“What?!”

“It’s common procedure. They don’t want to lose their witness so they’re going to track you.

The problem is that if she has dirty marshals, any of them could find you. Now I’ve taken care of

it and we need to get the hell out of here and go get Alex,” Joe threw on his ball cap and coat and

took the stairs down three at a time. Kris kept up, only adrenaline and utter fear pushed her forward. Resting wasn’t an option until Alex was with her.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Joe turned to Kris, “I’m going to go out the front

door, just like I came in. I want you to wait thirty seconds and casually leave the stairwell, walk

through the lobby and out the door. Once you get to the door, walk across the street to the bench

at the park and sit there. Don’t talk to anyone, don’t look at anyone, just sit there.”

“Where are you going?” She tried to sound calm when really she was about ten seconds from

puking all over the place.

Joe straightened the bag on his shoulder. “I have to find us a car. At the park, you’re in plain

view of the road and there’s no way anyone would try hurting you in public. I won’t be more than

three minutes.”

“How do you know that?

“Do you trust me?” Joe put a hand on either side of her face, forcing her to look directly into

his eyes. She nodded slightly. “Good, I’ll be there in three minutes.” He kissed her softly, leaving

her lips trembling before he slipped soundlessly from the stairwell. Kris counted to thirty and

casually opened the door and pushed her way into the lobby.

There were so many people. Everyone was in a hurry to go nowhere and Kris did her best not

to look at them. She kept her head down and walked quickly, but naturally through the lobby and

eventually onto the sidewalk. Lucky for her, the light was beckoning her to cross and she made it

to the bench without incident. Once she sat down, she was able to relax slightly. She made it out

of the hotel and Joe said he’d be there in three minutes.

She looked at her phone; one minute had passed. She shifted uncomfortably on the bench as

her thoughts flooded to Alex and whether he was okay at the diner. Kris shook her head in

frustration. Alex needed her and Joe wouldn’t let her lag behind. Her worst fears were coming

true and she was doing well not to run screaming in the opposite direction. Her racing heart was

enough to tell her she was capable of more than just breathing.

A dark SUV pulled up onto the curb and she jumped back, afraid it might be one of the goons

who were surely after them. The window on the passenger side slid down, “Get in!” Joe called

and she didn’t waste time hesitating.

Her ass hit the seat just as he took off, cutting off several cars whose horns blared from all

directions, and they headed to the diner. Kris held onto the dash and door handle for her life.

She’d take the marshals driving her any day over Joe. The way he weaved in and out of traffic

left her stomach on her feet and the jury was still out on whether she’d peed herself.

“Joe, I’d like to get there alive,” she gasped as headlights from an oncoming vehicle barely

missed her side of the SUV.

“We’re almost there,” he grunted and cut the wheel.

“Dammit, Joe, slow the hell down!” She screamed and hit his arm. “If you kill me before I can

get to my son I swear to God I will haunt the shit out of you!” It took a few more slaps before he

finally stopped the car.

“You know, technically you just assaulted a police officer,” he had a hold of her wrist. “I could

arrest you.”

Kris glared at him, “Fine, arrest me, after I get my son.” She broke free of his grasp and he had

to rush to stop her.

“You can’t just run in there, Kris. If people are waiting for either of us, we need to be cautious.

You go in and I’ll walk behind you. Just don’t reach for any weapons. No one knows what’s going

on, alright?”

“Yeah, fine, whatever, I’m going,” Joe managed to get a decent hold on the back of her pants

before she got too far ahead. Her disgruntled noises were better than her head getting blown off.

They walked quickly, yet purposefully down the alley beside the diner. Joe stopped her and

scanned the street. Most people didn’t even glance at them, which was encouraging. He nudged

her forward and they were off again. Only he moved to her side, his arm around her shoulder so

they could walk as a couple. She kept her eyes forward as Joe scanned for anything unusual.

When they reached the door, Joe grabbed her hand and he entered first, taking stock of every

patron, every exit and entrance and every set of eyes that met his. At the end of the long bar

counter sat a boy, about a head shorter than Joe and shaggy hair reaching slightly past his ears.

He moved to get up, but Joe shook his head and the boy quickly adjusted his coat and sat back

down. Kris was nearly hyperventilating at the site of Alex. They walked to the corner seats next

to him at the counter. Kris’s grip on Joe’s had would have been painful except that it was numb.

Lucky him.

“Alex, were you followed?” Joe asked looking at Kris as if they were having an intimate

conversation.

Alex just barely shook his head and Kris sniffled, “I’m alright, Mom.”

“Alright well we’ve got about five seconds before your mom loses it so we’re going to walk out

of here like she’s sick okay? Slide one of her arms over your head and I’ll do the same and we’ll

carry her out. Kris, can you faint for me? Don’t make a huge scene, just make it noticeable.” Both

agreed and Joe waved to the waitress and asked for a coffee.

While her back was turned, Kris made a gasping noise and slid off her stool, into the floor.

“Sweetie! Sweetie, can you hear me?” Joe jumped to her aid. “Hey buddy can you help me get

my wife to the car? Her meds are in the car.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Alex bent down and held up Kris as Joe instructed, and let him lead

the way out of the restaurant. Once they were back in the alley, Kris threw her arms around Alex

and hugged him tight enough to cut off oxygen.

“Oh my God, Alex, I’m so sorry. No one hurt you? You sure you’re alright?” Kris moved his

face from left to right with her hands and checked him for any cuts or bruises.

“Mom,” Alex sighed. “Mom, stop, I’m fine.”

Kris hugged him again, “I’ll never let you out of my site again. I’m so sorry, Alex.”

“You didn’t do anything, please stop apologizing. I’m okay, no one hurt me and I stayed at the

diner, just like you told me to,” he held Kris’s hands in his. “I do have a question, though.”

Kris smiled, “What?”

Alex glanced behind her, “Who is that guy?”

Joe smirked and approached Kris and her son. “My name is Joe Farello. I’m a detective with

the NYPD. Your mom and I sort of work together. It’s good to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot

about you Alex.”

Alex grabbed Joe’s extended hand and shook, “Well I’ve never heard of you.”

“That’s probably because we just started working together. Turns out, I’m also your new

security and we need to get outta here before whoever is fallowin’ ya decides ta swing down this

alley. C’mon, the car’s dis way,” Joe chewed his lip. That damn accent liked to pop out at the

worst times.

Kris ushered Alex to the backseat and ran around to the passenger side, but not before

stopping Joe, “Thank you for doing this. You didn’t have to help me.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Because it’s your job...” Kris nodded.

“Nah, becawse ya love ya son and I know how it feels ta have that taken away. He’s awll ya

got, I get it,” Joe spit and shook his head. Kris only smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She reached up with her tip-toes and was able to touch her lips to his.

It was sweet, a little salty from her tears, but full of restrained passion that made him forget

where he was for a moment. His knees started to go weak, but he wrapped his arms around her

waist to pull her closer, despite the very real possibility that he’d lose control of his legs. The dust

that built up in his chest began to blow away with each breath he took of her.

Kris was using every ounce of her strength to remain standing. Joe was hesitant and gentle,

which she hadn’t expected. It was almost like he was afraid to touch her, like she might break or

shatter from his touch. It was endearing and kinda sexy, like he needed any help in that

department. She wanted their moment to last much longer, but they’d spent too much time out in

the open and Alex was probably watching from inside the SUV

“Joe, we need to go,” she whispered when her trembling lips broke free. “Alex is in the car and

we’ve been here too long.”

He stared down at her with an odd expression and she blushed, “I’m not going to act like this

didn’t just happen. I’m also not going to act like I don’t want to do it again. And I’m most certainly

not going to forget how absolutely perfect you feel in my arms.”

She took a shaky breath, “I didn’t ask you to.”

“Good,” he led her to the passenger side and shut the door once she got inside. He jogged

around to the driver’s side and to a deep breath. Later, he’d think about the ramifications of what

had happened. Until then, he had a job to do.

Chapter 13

Once Joe left the city, he stuck to back roads and detours. If anyone tried to follow, they’d have

absolutely no idea where they were headed. One thing Joe learned while working undercover

was that sometimes shit would hit the fan and all you could do was hideout until the bad guys

made a sloppy mistake. This case was no different, except he had two other lives to look out for.

No pressure.

Kris was asleep with her head resting against the passenger window. Her jacket was draped

in front like a blanket and she barely moved aside from the steady rise and fall of her chest and

arms. Joe glanced in the rearview mirror to find Alex staring at him. He blew out a heavy breath.

“Are you in love with my mom?” Alex blurted.

Joe chuckled, “Not one for small talk, either, huh?”

Alex shifted uncomfortably, “I guess not. You gonna answer my question?”

“It’s not really an easy question to answer. Your mom and I haven’t known each other long.

Love isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s not like it is in the movies, ya know,” Joe

scratched his head. “I guess the best answer is that I can see a future with her. Satisfied?”

“I’m not sure yet. I don’t know if I like you,” Alex shrugged. “You seem nice enough, but we’ve

been through a lot and she’s deserves to be happy. Do you think you would make her happy?”

Joe turned slightly to look over his shoulder in disbelief. He was seriously getting the talk from

a fourteen-year-old. “Honestly, I’d probably make her the most miserable person on the planet,

but I’d never stop trying.”

He didn’t say anything for a while, which actually made Joe uncomfortable. How can someone

ask a question like that and just end a conversation? It was clear he wanted Kris to be happy, but

Joe wasn’t sure Alex understood that love doesn’t always mean you’ll be happy every day. It’s

messy and disappointing and most of the time downright infuriating, but it’s also beautiful and

passionate and fulfilling. The parts that make it a disaster are also what makes it that much

sweeter.

“Do you have any kids?” Alex interrupted Joe’s inner monologue, catching him off guard. He’d

talked more about his son in twenty-four hours than in the years he’d been gone.

“My son died when he was small. It was a car accident,” Joe answered around the lump in his

throat.

“Oh,” Alex replied. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to..”

Joe made a clicking noise with his tongue, “Nah, don’t worry about it.”

“Are you married?”

Jeez this kid, Joe thought. “I was married, but my wife was sick and did some bad things and

ended up in prison.”

“Is that why you aren’t married anymore?” Alex asked, still staring at Joe through the rearview.

He blew out a sigh, “Pretty much. My wife caused the car accident that killed our son because

she was drunk driving. I couldn’t forgive her for what she had done.”

Alex made a tsk noise, “I don’t think I could have either. Still, I’m sorry about what happened.

It’s sad when people you love die. My dad died when I was a baby. I don’t remember him, but

Mom gave me a box filled with a lot of pictures. He died in the war. Did you fight in the war, too?”

“Yeah, I was in the Marines. I fought overseas for two years and then became a cop when I

came home. I bet that was going to be your next question, huh?” Joe smirked.

Alex snorted, “Well if you and mom start dating or something, I should probably know stuff

about you, right?”

Joe shrugged, “Don’t get ahead of yourself, kid. Regardless of how I may feel about your mom,

it’s up to her as to what happens between us. It takes two.”

“Yeah, but she likes you.”

“How do you figure?”

Alex chewed his lip, “Well, she kissed you in front of me. I’ve never seen her kiss anyone, ever.

Not to mention she looks at you differently. I don’t think she knows she does it, but she does.”

Joe smiled, “Your mom is a very special person, Alex. I’d only be so lucky.”

“Lucky for what?” Kris yawned and stretched.

Joe’s stomach fluttered, “Oh, just guy talk, ya know.”

She gave him a sour look, but didn’t push the issue. “Whatever, are we close to stopping? My

legs are asleep.”

Almost as if she’d wished it into existence, Joe turned onto the dirt road that led to the safe

house. It was way, way back in the woods, completely surrounded by trees and brush. It was a

two-bedroom cabin with a small arsenal of weapons, enough food to last a year and a hybrid

generator that would last months with just the fuel stored on site. It was the best place to go and

not a soul knew it existed. After Joe lost everything, he had some free time and built the place

himself.

“Does anyone know about this place?” Kris wondered out loud as they bounced down the

bumpy dirt path.

“No. I built this place a few years ago and I’ve never brought anyone up here. It might look like

an old log cabin, but it’s outfitted with some of the best security equipment, a small arsenal and

enough food and electricity to survive for quite some time.”

Kris gave Joe a wide eyed grin, “You sound like a crazy person, Joe.”

He glanced at her and smirked, “You have no idea, princess.”

Alex tried to hide his laughter with a cough and Kris turned to see him smiling, “What’s so

funny?”

“Nothing,” he choked on his laughter again.

“Mmhmm,” Kris cut her eyes to Joe who shrugged. “Don’t you rub off on him. Last thing I need

is him looking for trouble trying to be some type of hero.”

“I’d rather him try to be a hero than a thug,” Joe pointed out.

Kris groaned, “Ugh, don’t say things like that! He’s only fourteen!”

“Mom, I’m not a little kid. You don’t have to worry so much,” Alex put a hand on her shoulder.

Instinctively, she placed her hand over his.

“Oh, Alex,” she kissed his hand. “That’s exactly why I have to worry so much. You’re all I’ve

got, kiddo.”

A ping in Joe’s gut made him remember that same feeling and his mood shifted. He had no

one left. The son he imagined would one day be Alex’s age, asking the tough questions and

enjoying the same interests was long since gone. The wife he thought would be at his side until

the last ounce of air left his lungs was long since gone. He could have tried to forgive her, but his

heart was too battered and bruised. Just as he began to feel again, he was reminded of how

terrible life, loss, and love could truly be.

He felt a hand on his arm, “Are you alright?” Kris asked with weighted words. She didn’t even

know the man, but almost instantly she’d felt his mood shift.

Joe pulled his arm from under her hand deliberately, yet gently. “Sure.”

Kris was confused. She found that most of the time she spent with him was confusing. One

moment he was sarcastic and crude, the next tender, and then next completely withdrawn and

stand offish. It was enough to give a person whiplash.

“We’re here. Give me a minute to check the perimeter. I’ll come get you when I’m done,” he

slipped from the car and crossed in front of the headlights before disappearing into the darkness.

“I think he’s sad about his family,” Alex said after Joe was out of earshot. “He told me about

them when you were sleeping.”

“Why would he be sad?” Kris asked absently as she tried searching for him out the window.

“Well,” Alex scratched his head. “I think because he doesn’t have one anymore. When you

were talking about me being all you have, I think he got sad.”

Kris turned in her seat, “What happened to his family was sad. I don’t think it has anything to

do with me.”

“Okay, if you say so,” Alex shook his head and went back to looking out the window. Kris stared

at him a moment, wondering how he'd grown up so much, so fast, without her even realizing.

When Joe returned, he opened both their doors simultaneously and ushered them outside.

Once the car was locked and secured, they followed him down a narrow path that led around the

back of the cabin. Alex kept a watchful eye on his mother, mostly because she was often clumsy.

They’d been sitting in the car so long she probably couldn’t feel her legs. Kris was clinging to

Joe’s jacket for dear life and Alex had to fight laughing. His mother was absolutely clueless, but

pushing the issue would make it worse.

Joe stopped at the door and put a finger to his lips, signaling them to be quiet. Slowly, the door

creaked open and he used the small Maglite to guide his way. The living room and kitchen were

clear and looked exactly as it did when he left it. He side stepped to the left towards the short

hallway that contained the two bedrooms. He checked one room at a time, both clear and walked

back to the door, flicking on the dim lights as he went.

“It’s all good, come on in,” he waved to Kris and Alex.

The cabin was exactly as Kris had expected, except, well, nicer. She’d assumed that safe

houses were supposed to be run down and trashy, but was pleasantly surprised. “Wow, Joe. This

place is actually really nice.”

They were standing in a small dining area that doubled as a foyer and, although the lights were

dim, she could clearly see a small furnished living room with a large burgundy area rug covered

by a sofa and two recliners that were adjacent to the fireplace. A sofa table with a small wet bar

set up was neatly placed behind the couch with a floor lamp next to it.

Each recliner had an end table with built in lamps, which were probably great for reading, Kris

thought to herself. The most surprising thing was that all the furniture matched. Men normally

didn’t care what it looked like over the function.

“Alex, you can take the left bedroom. I’m sure you’re tired. There’s a bathroom in there so you

can shower and we do have Wi-Fi so feel free to browse the internet on the laptop on the desk in

there. Do me a favor, though, and leave your phone a stuff out here? We need to make sure no

one can track us. Oh, and don’t tell anyone where we are.

“I don’t even know where we are,” Alex responded and Joe smiled.

“Good boy. Go on, get situated. We might be here awhile,” Joe took off his coat and hung it on

a hook by the door. Kris shrugged hers off, too and he grabbed it before she could hang it and

checked once more for any bugs. “Just being safe,” he assured her.

“So, what do we do now?” Kris looked around the cabin, suddenly feeling exceptionally out of

her element.

Chapter 14

Joe noticed Kris’s retreat almost immediately. “Hey, we’ll be alright here. We just need to figure

out what we know. I’ll be in contact with the captain and we’ll figure out what they know and we’ll

go from there.”

Kris shook her head, “I don’t know anything, though. I don’t even have any friends at Rogue to

speak of aside from you and my assistant.”

“Look,” Joe took a step toward her and hesitated. He wasn’t sure where he stood with her and

was afraid that whatever he thought was going between them was only in his head. He dropped

his hands at his side and sighed, “I know you’re eager to figure this out tonight, but it’s been a

long day. I’d rather take a few hours, maybe eat or drink something, and pretend like this is a mini

vacation. You hungry?”

“I could eat, I guess,” she agreed. “What kind of food do you have in this place?”

“Just about everything. What are you in the mood for?” He ran his hands through his hair and

Kris’ stomach fluttered. He was disturbingly sexy.

“Uh,” she struggled with words. “Nothing I can eat,” she managed to mumble.

“What was that?” Joe smirked. He was pretty sure of what she said, but hearing her repeat it

out loud would be too good.

“Hmm? I didn’t say anything.” She blushed so hard her face looked like it might burst.

“Listen, I need to ask you something and I’d really appreciate if you can answer me honestly,”

Joe’s stomach was twisting into so many knots. It had been a long time since he’d felt anything

significant for anyone.

Kris nodded slowly, “Okay...”

“What’s going on here? With us, I mean. One second you’re flirty and playful and I feel these

sparks and then next, you’re acting like I've kicked your cat or something. I can’t keep up this

yo-yo thing, you know?”

At some point, they both knew they’d have to have the big conversation, but Kris thought she

might have more time to figure out exactly how she felt. It was so hard to look at Joe and not

imagine a future, but he needed someone who can settle down. At any time, the marshals could

decide it’s time for them to move again and she couldn’t expect Joe to leave his life behind for

her.

“That’s not an easy question to answer,” she scratched her head. “There’s not just one answer

and I’m not quite sure what you’re expecting me to say.”

“All I want is your honestly. We said we wouldn’t lie anymore, right?” Joe put his hands on

either of her arms and gave a light squeeze. “That’s all I want.”

Working up the courage to talk about whatever intimacy they had felt like high school all over

again. If her life wasn’t so messy, she’d welcome Joe into her life without a second thought. “I

want there to be something, but I don’t think it’s possible.”

Joe’s eyebrows furrowed, “And why is that?”

“At any point, the marshals could move me and Alex. We’d have to start completely over and

I couldn’t ask you to leave your life behind for me,” she confessed. “If things weren’t so

complicated...”

“Our lives will always be complicated, Kris. Every moment will be us guessing if what we’re

doing is absolute craziness or crazy beautiful. I don’t want a cookie-cutter, out of the box life. I

want it messy and annoying and frustrating with all the passion and love to balance it out. I’m

perfectly fine not being perfect,” Joe explained while pouring them both a drink from the small wet

bar. “But I know perfection when I see it.”

He handed Kris her glass. “I’m not perfect. Not by a long shot,” she admitted.

“No, you may not be perfect, but you’re perfect for me,” he knocked back the glass and Kris

look at him incredulously.

“Oh, be serious, Joe. You barely know me. Sure we’re attracted to each other and we have

some similar interests, but there is nothing about me that is worth sticking around for.” She sipped

the bitter liquor and walked around the table to the sofa. “The sooner you realize that, the better

off we’ll both be.”

Joe felt his temper begin to stir. She was probably the most frustratingly passive aggressive

person he’d ever met. Every tactic she tried was geared towards making him run screaming in

the other direction, but he wasn’t biting. She was scared and didn’t want to take responsibility for

it. Instead, she wanted to be able to blame it on events that may or may not happen. “Bullshit,” he

retorted

“Excuse me?” Kris huffed.

“It’s all bullshit, Kris. You feel the same things I do, don’t you?” He challenged, knowing that

she’d have a hard time admitting it.

Kris tried not to choke on her drink, “How could I possibly know how you feel? I’m not a mind

reader.”

Joe crossed around to where she sat on the couch and leaned in very close, “I think you do

know. I think you feel it, too.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” her breath was thin and fast as Joe sucked the oxygen from her

lungs.

“So when you kissed me earlier tonight, you felt nothing?” He challenged again, still very close

to her. “Even with our bodies pressed together, our arms wrapped around one another, you still

felt nothing?”

Kris thought back to that moment and her body began to tingle. He was close enough to touch,

and her hands were itching to wrap around his neck, but she fought it. “I can’t say it was nothing.”

“Then what’s stopping you?”

She looked into his eyes briefly, suddenly feeling very naked. Her eyes would give her away

absolutely and Joe was the best at reading people. “You deserve better. You’ve lost enough in

your life, and I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep. I don't want to be the person behind the

sadness in your eyes or the tremble in your voice.”

Joe huffed, “You’re lying again, Kris. Just admit that you’re afraid.”

“What could I possibly have to be afraid of?” She scoffed. He was absolutely relentless! She

tried to turn away, but his hand found the side of her face, turning it gently to face him. She held

her breath with anticipation.

Joe closed the gap between them, finally giving in to the urge to kiss her. She sighed lightly

and her lips parted enough for the tip of his tongue to find hers. Kris was in a fog, completely

swept up in Joe’s sweet lips. He was a drug to her and she wasn’t ready to quit just yet.

“Kris...” he whispered against her lips. “I’m scared, too.”

She pulled back to see his sparkling eyes, “What?”

“I’m scared that when this is over, you’ll walk away and never look back and I’ll be left here,

pining for the woman who could have been the one to save me. I’m scared that everything I’m

feeling will disappear forever. And I’m scared that you won’t realize just how incredibly perfect we

will be together. But I don’t care that I’m scared, you want to know why?”

“Why?” She swallowed hard. Joe slid a warm hand up her inner thigh. Her eyes rolled back

slightly and she placed her hand over his. She didn’t know whether she was ready for that line to

be crossed just yet.

Joe leaned in again, placing light kisses behind her ear and down her jawline and neck as he

spoke, “Because being afraid means that everything I’m feeling is exactly right. It means that

every second of every minute will be worth the risk and the only way I’d regret it is not taking the

risk in the first place. It means that I’ll always be on my toes for the fear of losing you. And it

means that we’ll be perfectly imperfect together, and I don’t want it any other way.”

Kris’ heart was full after hearing Joe’s words. She was afraid, but not for the reasons he

thought. Her heart couldn’t take losing him. She’d already endured the death of the only man she

thought she’d ever love, but to do it again felt like suicide. “I...I can’t...Joe, I can’t,” Kris reluctantly

pushed him away. “I want to, more than you probably could imagine, but I just can’t.”

Joe couldn’t hide his disappointment. “Yeah, alright,” he pulled away and sat back on the

couch, looking everywhere but at her face. He reached back and grabbed a bottle of scotch. “It’s

fine.” He unscrewed the top and took a hefty drink.

“No, it isn’t fine. Will you let me explain?”

“Nah, you don’t need ta explain, Kris. I heard ya loud and clea’,” Joe took another hard drink.

Kris sighed, “Just shut up for a minute, would ya?” He gave her a sour look and made a zipping

motion over his lips. “The reason I’m afraid has nothing to do with whether things would work out.

I’m afraid because I don’t think I could stand falling in love and losing another man. After Alex’s

father died, I was so broken I could barely speak. For months, I was like a zombie, moving from

one task to the other without even realizing what I was doing. I almost lost my son, Joe. I can’t do

that again.”

Joe shook his head, “Why would you think you’d lose me?”

“People are after us. You’re a cop. I’m in witness protection with a very pissed off felon trying

to track me down every chance he gets. Need I go on?” Kris grabbed the bottle from Joe and took

a gulp.

“Right,” Joe nodded in defeat. “Why don’t you go to bed, Kris. We’ve got a busy day ahead of

us."

"Don't be that way," she pleaded. "I'm just trying to be realistic here."

His sarcastic laughter stopped her. Joe usually had a good poker face, but he didn't have the

energy to hide it from her any longer. "How am I supposed to react, Kristina? I know we don't

know each other well, but there's a thing here and it feels good." He stood up and paced slowly,

shrugging his shoulders as if trying to shake away his feelings. "For the first time in years, I felt

something other than grief or pain. The best part is that it's with someone who shares a similar

past and can understand how lonely and insane I've been. You'd think I lucked out?"

"Joe, I..." Kris tried to talk but he held up his hand.

"Let me finish, please," she conceded and sat back on the couch. "You are gorgeous and crazy

smart. There's a wild side you like to hide that is so fucking sexy, and I love how you only let it

show when you want to, not because of anyone else. You've got a great kid and you're nothing

like I thought you'd be, which only makes me want to know more. I don't care about my job or

your situation because I don't think it would change anything. But I'm not going to give up and

walk away and make this easy for you, Kris. I can't do that."

Her heart was racing, "Why can't you?"

"Because," he shrugged again. "I just can't walk away when you look at me like that and then

expect me not to notice. I can't walk away when I think about the times we've kissed and how I

feel when I’m with you. But I think the main reason I won't let it go is because you can't tell me,

honestly, that you don't feel the exact same way."

Kris watched him stumble over words and he had a hard time looking straight at her when he

spoke. It was so hard for him to tell her how he felt and she felt like an ass. “You’re right, I can’t

tell you that. What makes this so hard is that I do care for you. I do feel something between us

and I do want you in my life. But why do we have to make this decision now? Why does it have

to be tonight?”

“Tonight might be all we have,” Joe said quietly, staring into Kris’ eyes with a lingering sadness.

She returned his gaze with a reluctance of her own. Joe was phenomenal at reading people and

she knew her intentions were spelled out on her face. Sure, she wanted Joe, but it wasn’t just her

future she was worried about.

She stood and slowly wrapped her arms affectionately around his neck. “I’m not going

anywhere if you’re not. But you have to realize that decisions I make about my future affect Alex,

too. He’s just as much a part of this as I am.”

Joe nuzzled her neck and his heart squeezed. He wasn’t ready to let her go yet, “Alex is a

good kid and he wants you to be happy.”

“I know, but he needs to be happy, too. That’s the way it works, alright?” Joe nodded. “We’ve

got time to figure it out.”

He bent his head and kissed her lightly, doing his best to keep from diving into her completely.

Her lips trembled beneath his and she wound her fingers through the hair on the back of his head,

causing a long intake of breath from him as chills ran the length of his body. Joe wrapped his free

arm around her upper waist ever so lightly and she mirrored his reaction. Joe was used to taking

control of the situation, but he decided to let Kris set the pace to see what would happen. He’d

always respect her wishes, but he couldn’t deny his own.

Feeling his fingers at the small of her back sent violent shivers throughout her body. Her brain

was yelling at her to keep it short and sweet, but everything else wasn’t ready to let go just yet.

Joe’s lips left hers as he trailed hot, breathy kisses down her jaw and the side of her neck. Her

eyes were closed and her hands clenched a little tighter at his hair. It wasn’t clear whether she’d

moaned, but it was a likely possibility. It was very hard to resist him.

As he kissed her neck, the smallest of noises escaped her lips. For whatever reason, she was

afraid to show pleasure in their stolen moments of passion, but Joe relished in them. Kris would

lose her composure and let out a moan or inhale sharply, and he took a mental note each time

she let herself slip. Like how she had a spot right at her collarbone that made her shiver and grab

him tighter.

“We should probably stop,” Joe mumbled against her skin. “We both need sleep.”

It took a few moments for Kris to respond, “Where are you sleeping?” She asked breathlessly.

“Sofa bed,” he responded and resumed his sensual assault on the sweet spot at her

collarbone. She bit her lip and Joe smiled to himself.

“Don’t give up your bed for me,” she managed to whisper. “You should sleep on your own bed.”

“Mmm,” he answered. “But where would you sleep?”

Kris rolled her head forward and pulled Joe’s mouth back to hers. What began as a small,

sensual kiss turned into very hot and heavy petting. Consciously, Kris was trying to find a way to

stop, but subconsciously, she didn’t dare remove herself from his embrace. “I don’t want to have

sex tonight, but I don’t want you to stop, either,” she admitted. “Are you disappointed?”

To her surprise, Joe swept her up in his arms and carried her the short distance to the bedroom,

kicking the door shut with his foot. Once they reached the foot of the bed, he gave her a very long,

very deep, head spinning kiss. “Whatever you want. You could never disappoint me.”

“Don’t speak too soon, lover boy. You haven’t seen the monster I become in the morning. It’s

really not pleasant,” Kris smiled wide.

“Good thing I wear contacts, then. I won’t be able to see anything anyway,” she slapped his

arm and laughed uncontrollably as he tickled her sides in retaliation. It took only a few seconds

for his arms to wrap around her waist once again.

Her whole body shivered, a welcomed response for him, and she bit her bottom lip while

averting his gaze. “You make it very hard to say no to you,” she shook her head.

“Then don’t,” Joe answered simply.

Chapter 15

When it came to the bedroom, Kris was severely lacking in experience. Aside from Alex’s

father, there were only three men she’d slept with, and all of them were after several weeks of

dating. Sex wasn’t something she took lightly, but Joe made her feel ways she never felt before.

Making the situation more awkward was Alex in the next room. At least in her apartment, the

rooms were on opposite sides.

She stood on her tiptoes to press her mouth to his. He was eager, but holding back for her

sake. She smiled. “You’re torturing me, woman,” he groaned.

“I’m sorry,” she laughed lightly. “I want to have sex with you, but just not tonight. I need to know

you better and I need for you to know me. Yes, we have this amazing connection, or whatever

this is, but I don’t want this to be purely physical. I need more.”

He nodded, “It’s okay.”

Kris smiled, “I can promise you one thing, though.”

“What’s that?” Joe asked.

“I’m definitely worth the wait,” she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened their

embrace. His hands lightly trailed down the small of her back to her bottom, where he cupped

both cheeks and lifted her off the floor and against his body.

Holding back was painful, but he was at her mercy. If only her body didn’t feel so soft under

his touch. If only she didn’t make such enticing sounds when he touched her sensitive parts. If

only he could make love to her... but he’d wait. If he had to wait an eternity, she’d be worth every

moment of suffocating passion.

Joe laid her gently on the bed and kissed her one last time. Letting go meant it had to end,

which neither of them wanted. Several agonizing moments of passion lingered before Joe finally

broke free. Kris’s already plump lips were dark pink and swollen and Joe had lip gloss smeared

across his lips, chin and neck. “We really should sleep,” he whispered while looking into her big

brown eyes.

“I know, but I’m not very tired,” Kris was still pinned under him on the bed. It was absolute

torture. She felt every muscle, including the one desperately trying to escape his jeans. Her body

was on fire. She wanted him so badly it was taking every ounce of willpower.

Joe tilted his head and kissed the side of her neck, flicking his tongue out ever so lightly as he

made his way to her chest. As her breath got heavier, her fantastically plump breasts thrust closer

to his mouth and he groaned. “Good god, woman.” He mumbled and nipped her nipples through

her thin shirt. Her back arched slightly and Joe reacted, cupping one side of her ass and pressing

his hard on between her legs.

Kris gasped, “Joe!” She panted and grabbed at any part of his body she could find. “We need

to stop before we both make a decision we’re going to regret.”

“Definitely no regrets,” Joe’s words were muffled by Kris’s shirt covered breast.

She grabbed the back of his head and pulled his mouth to hers. What she’d meant as a

distraction turned into something much more when she felt the full length of his deliciously hard

penis against her well shielded lady parts. If it wasn’t for her jeans, she would have lost all

semblance of self-control, if she even had any left.

Joe’s hand made contact with bare skin at her side and caressed with a sensual roughness

that stirred something very wild inside her. His hand slid higher and higher until it reached her

breast. He was warm and safe and all the things she craved to an unhealthy degree. It had been

a long time since she was touched that way and she wanted it to last forever. He seemed to be

perfectly fine with the semi-dry sex so long as he was able to touch and kiss her.

The sharp intake of breath was enough to make Joe groan against her mouth when he found

her rock hard nipple between his fingers. Her sweet moans were like her begging for a release

that he knew wouldn’t come. He was subconsciously waiting for her to tell him to stop and praying

she wouldn’t at the same time.

“You’re making this very hard for me,” she gasped and rolled her pelvis into his.

“Hard for you?” He asked sarcastically and Kris giggled. “Whenever you want me to stop, just

say the word.”

“That’s the problem,” she said between gasps and moans. “I don’t want you to stop.”

“That’s the opposite of a problem,” he smirked and brought his mouth to meet her succulent

breast. Kris whimpered and bit down on her bottom lip, grinding herself against Joe harder. “You

want me to make the pressure go away, baby?” He curled his tongue around her nipple and

sucked it into his mouth. Her fingernails dug into the skin of his bicep and he shuddered.

“Oh god yes” Kris begged and Joe moved to the side, cradling her against his body as his hand

unbuttoned her pants and slid inside. She was so wet and inviting, his penis throbbed with desire.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as he explored with his fingers. It would have been much easier

without the jeans, but he didn’t want to push his luck. Instead, he kept his fingers busy and mouth

occupied. Kris was in the throes of passion, Joe consuming her whichever way he could. He found

the sweet spot and quickened the pace, only it wasn’t enough. Kris pushed her jeans down and

used her legs to shimmy them the rest of the way off.

He continued to rub her clit and shivered each time her hips tweaked to his touch. His grunts

were from both pain and pleasure as he only grew harder. “You like that, huh?” He whispered in

her ear and nipped the lobe.

She nodded, “Uh-huh.” Her eyes were closed, the blanket balled in one fist and the other hand

was precariously close to his penis. All he wanted was to feel her touch it, but it didn’t seem like

she knew what to do. His jeans were becoming painfully tight so he stopped and undid them, just

enough to get relief. “Joe...” Kris whispered and he shook his head.

“Don’t worry, I’m just making room,” he kissed her and slowly inserted his fingers again. “Hang

on, princess, this is gonna get bumpy,” he smirked and her eyes rolled to the back of her head

again while he rocked his fingers up and down quickly, plucking her g-spot. Her whole body began

to shake and shiver and her eyes were wild.

“Oh fuck,” she exclaimed through clenched teeth. “Oh fuck me!”

Joe guided her hand to his penis and she shivered when she touched it. Joe groaned loudly

as her hand rubbed his shaft and he nearly climbed on top of her when she put her hand to her

mouth to wet her fingers before continuing to stroke him. “That was so fucking sexy,” he groaned.

She smiled slightly before her whole body convulsed violently. As he pulled his fingers out, he felt

the pressure leaving her and saw the short squirt of liquid coming from her tight folds.

“Oh god, what just happened?” Kris was still shaking and helplessly dazed and Joe was utterly

and completely seduced by every move.

Joe tapped his fingers against her clit a few times and some more liquid streamed out and Kris

curled herself around his arm. “You had an orgasm.”

“That... was different,” she gasped and still managed to keep her hand in a steady motion,

which made it hard for him to think straight. “What did you do?”

“G-spot. Mmm,” Joe responded as she picked up pace. She licked her fingers again and he

grabbed a handful of her inner thigh. Of course, Kris only wanted him inside her more, but she

couldn’t give in.

She pushed Joe onto his back and kneeled over him, placing her mouth around the head as

her hand worked the shaft. Joe’s massive hand gripped her bottom tightly, even smacked it a few

times as she worked faster. When he grabbed part of her hair, she knew he was getting close

and worked faster, still. His hips matched her speed and he moaned and grunted and eventually

pushed her mouth away and clasped his hand over hers to help finish the job. It was incredibly

messy, but satisfying on a level neither of them had had in quite some time.

“You do strange things to me, Joe Farello,” Kris wiped the corners of her mouth.

“You do great things to me, Miss Newton,” Joe pulled his shirt off over the back of his head

and kissed her. “Now, I need a shower. Care to join me?”

She laughed, “I think I’ve done enough damage, don’t you?”

“Absolutely not. You need to do as much damage as you can possibly handle. I offer to be the

guinea pig.”

“Oh just go take a shower already! Don’t use up all the hot water, either,” Kris called after him

and he made the sign of an x like he was crossing his heart. She shook her head and gathered

up her clothes.

The fog began to clear from her mind while she sat alone on the bed. What had she done?

Moments before that started, all she could talk about was how it was stupid to try any type of

relationship and there she was, practically having sex with the man. Her body still felt warm and

fuzzy, but as the passion subsided, she shivered.

She felt like a such a fool. Joe clearly had much more experience and wasn't the slightest bit

shy. How long would he really wait for her? There was clearly passion between them, but how

much of it would remain? Surely he's been with women who were able to keep up. She’d never

be able to satisfy him completely.

“Why do you look like you regret everything that just happened?” He asked from the doorway

of the bathroom, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist and steam billowing behind him.

“Uh,” she lost her thoughts as she looked him over. “N..no I don’t regret it. You’re just much

more experienced than I am.”

“Why would you be worried about that?” Joe walked to the small closet and turned, giving Kris

a beautiful view of his muscular back.

“Well, um...I guess whenever or if ever we have sex, I may not be enough. I haven’t had a

partner in a long time and, even then, there haven’t been many. I don’t think it’s really like riding

a bike like they say. I mean, you have had better women,” Kris blurted and then hid her face in

her partially torn shirt.

Joe slipped a cotton white t-shirt over his head and sauntered to the bed. “If there’s one thing

I’ve learned about you in this short time, it’s that you have a darker side that you like to keep

hidden away. It’s the side that wears incredibly sexy thigh holsters and leather. It’s also the side

you don’t want anyone to know exists because you are afraid of it yourself. I don’t care how many

partners I’ve had, which hasn’t been many either by the way, it’s not the experience that makes it

worthwhile, it’s the person and emotions you share.”

Kris blushed and Joe kissed her cheek. “How can you be this guy? How can you be this uber

badass cop and then an amazingly sensitive guy? How can you be this scary, calculated tactician

and then the next moment be a modern day Prince Charming? Where did you come from, Joe?”

He smiled and shook his head, “I’m not so sure about any of that, but I’m pretty sure my motha

would be proud.”

“She would,” Kris crawled to the edge of the bed and brushed her lips against his. “I can’t wait

to meet her.” she smiled and walked past him to the bathroom. He was pretty sure that meant she

was sticking around and his stomach fluttered just a little.

Kris was everything he wanted, but never knew existed. He normally didn’t believe in fate or

destiny, but how else could he explain the situation coming together? He just happened to be

undercover at Rogue and she just happened to have a meeting and then gets targeted? Nope,

there was a reason and his job was finding out who was chasing them down and why. Now if only

he could keep his hands to himself long enough to do it.

Chapter 16

Even though she couldn’t stop thinking about how good his hands felt on her body, Kris wasn’t

about to let Alex see her being intimate at all with Joe. She barely knew him and it wasn’t good

for Alex to see them together in that way. She felt absolutely terrible for asking Joe to keep it quiet

after the night they’d spent almost having sex. “We can tell him after all of this is over. He’s never

met you before, Joe. How awkward for him to meet you one night and the very next morning he

sees us acting like a couple? That’s not how these things work.”

“You do realize he’s old enough to see it on his own, right? Are you trying to protect him or

you?” Joe slipped a new shirt over his head, pulling his dog tags out of the collar. “He’s at the age

where girls are obvious and he might even have a girlfriend. Have you asked him?”

“No,” she groaned. “I don’t want to know if he’s got a girlfriend. I know I need to know; I just

don’t want to.” She zipped her calf length boots up and straightened her baseball tee as she stood.

“Would you tell your mom that stuff?”

“I told my mom everything, but then again, I was the youngest boy so I went everywhere she

did. Having four sisters and two brothers older than me wasn’t a picnic. I took a lot of beatings to

the ego, but I also learned how to treat women and how to defend myself, so I guess it wasn’t all

bad. I don’t think I’m the right person to ask,” Joe shook his head.

Kris pulled the loose bun out and shook her hair free before crossing the room. She wrapped

her arms around Joe’s waist and looked up into his mysterious eyes. “Hey, if we’re going to try to

be a couple, that means my son is part of our lives. I know you didn’t get the chance to be a father

long, but I couldn’t think of anyone better to ask these questions. If this works out between us, he

might be your step-son one day. I think we both know that is going to take some work for all of

us.”

“Ah, yes, but since he doesn’t know about it right now, it doesn’t have to start today,” Joe

tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. “Nice try, though.”

She made a flustered sound and he kissed her. Each time she tried to talk or move, he’d kiss

her again until eventually she forgot what they had been talking about. “You’re an ass, you know

that?” She slapped his chest playfully.

“I am what I am, princess,” Joe winked and tapped her on the bottom as she walked away.

Kris did a little half-skip and glared over her shoulder in a most unconvincing manner and he

laughed as he watched her walk out of the bedroom.

Alex wasn’t yet out of his room, which didn’t mean much. He was probably glued to the

computer all night, or even still there. Kris decided that breakfast was the best bet and whipped

up whatever she could find in the stockpile: eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, bagels and cream

cheese, and hash browns. She was completely lost in her culinary therapy that she didn’t even

hear Joe speaking.

“Earth to Kristina!” He yelled.

“Hmm, what? Did you say something?” Kris snapped back to reality. “Sorry, it’s been a while

since being in the kitchen. It feels nice. I haven’t cooked in a long time, not like this anyway.”

“Oh,” Joe sipped some orange juice. “Well I was just saying that we need to start narrowing

down suspects. We need to focus on females first, since that’s who approached Alex. They should

be women who work at Rogue, possibly between our two areas and then get their staff pictures

to the boy so he can tell us if any of them approached him.”

“What if it’s no one at Rogue?”

He made a clicking sound with his tongue and Kris flinched; she hated that noise. “I guess we’ll

get him to do a sketch then. It might be the only way to I.D. our mystery woman.” He sniffed the

air over her shoulder,” Mmm, that smells great,”

“Thanks,” Kris said shyly. “Would you mind getting Alex up to eat?”

Joe gave her a strange look. “Why me?”

“Because unless you want your food burnt from me having to walk away from this ancient

contraption you call a stove, I have to stay here. Is it that difficult to just knock on the door?”

“No,” Joe answered reluctantly and crossed down the hall and knocked on Alex’s door. “Hey

kid, your mom’s cooked breakfast this morning. Time to get up.”

Nothing. No response.

“Alex, get up, your mom is waiting for you,” Joe put his ear to the door and still couldn’t hear

anything. He looked upward as if to pray and whispered, “Please don’t let him be jerkin’ it.” He

turned the knob and the door opened to Alex sprawled across the bed with a pair of noise

cancelling headphones on his head and a steady stream of drool pouring from one side of his

mouth. He’d fallen asleep playing some game on the laptop. Joe pulled the headphones off and

Alex jumped.

“What the hell, man?” He yelled at Joe before realizing who it was. “Oh, sorry. I forgot where I

was for a minute, and who you were. I guess I fell asleep on the game.”

“Mmhmm,” Joe tossed the headphone back on the bed. “Get cleaned up. Your mom made

breakfast.”

Alex sighed and lifted himself off the bed slowly, “Yeah alright.”

“Hey, kid,” Alex turned to face Joe. “You may not like it here or you might think this is somehow

inconveniencing your life, but I don’t really care. We’re out here to keep you and your mom safe.

There are people trying to kill the both of you, and maybe even me, and we have no idea who it

is. So how about you put that attitude away and show some respect for the people trying to save

your life?”

Alex smirked, “What, you think you’re my dad or something?”

Joe shook his head, “No one could ever replace your dad, Alex. Just like no one could ever

replace my son, but you need to wake up, kiddo. Your mom will lay down and die for you and

because of that, so would I. You’re the only reason she’s got for living and it would be awfully

selfish of you to take advantage of that by not even acting like you give a damn about her. So get

your ass cleaned up and make the best of it for her because you and her are all that matter.”

Joe’s words stung and made him feel one inch tall and pathetic. His mom risked her life to find

him at that diner and she’d do it a million times if she had to, and he was a douche for not even

thanking her. Joe might have been a hardass, but he was right. Alex had no idea what to say, so

he just nodded in defeat and sulked into the bathroom. It was sort of hard growing up without a

father, but he couldn’t bring him back to life. His mom was always so afraid of everything that she

never even tried getting serious with anyone since the whole witness protection thing.

It didn’t take him long to shower and dress in clean clothes. He stood in the bathroom and

stared at himself in the mirror. He looked like him; his father. The only thing he shared with his

mother were his eyes. Plain, dark brown eyes that looked almost identical to her’s and half the

time he couldn’t even look at her because he didn’t know how to tell her that he was the reason

for all the trouble.

Joe and Kris were sitting at the small table when Alex finally emerged, hair dripping wet and

all. “Morning, did you sleep alright?” Kris asked and squeezed his shoulder.

“Fell asleep playing my game again. Sorry,” Alex gave a half smile and broke a piece of toast

in half. “I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was.”

“It’s okay. Plus, there’s not a lot to do here anyway. You can get back to your game later, but

we’ll need your help this morning,” Kris shoved some bacon in her mouth and took a big gulp of

orange juice. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate. It might have been lunch with Joe, but

that was almost two days earlier.

Alex swallowed hard, “What do you need me for?”

Joe clicked his tongue again, “We need you to identify the woman who approached you. We’ve

got some names and pictures. After we’re done eating, I want you to look through them and tell

me if any of them is the same girl.”

“Oh,” Alex replied and ate the rest of his breakfast in silence.

Kris watched him carefully, but continued her conversation with Joe. Something was very

wrong with Alex, but for whatever reason, he didn’t want to talk about it. He wasn’t usually

withdrawn or depressed looking. Even in the days leading up to their unfortunate situation, he

was always talkative and smiling. Immediately, she worried whether he’d heard anything that

happened with Joe the night before. Once they were finished she cleaned the table and took to

cleaning up the mess she made in the kitchen. Alex stood silently beside her doing the dishes.

“So, are you going to ignore me for the duration of this little vacation or are you going to tell

me what’s on your mind?” Kris nudged his elbow.

Alex shrugged, “I’m not ignoring you.”

Kris shook her head, “Don’t make me use the mom voice.”

He stared into the soapy water, battling with himself over how much trouble he’d gotten himself

into and what it would cost. The only way to fix it was to come clean and take the wrath of his

mother, since that’s what he deserved. “There’s something I need to tell you and you’re going to

get really mad at me.”

“How do you know I’ll get mad?” She challenged.

“Because I’m the reason we’re here,” Alex looked at his mother’s worried face with tear filled

eyes. “It’s all my fault, Mom. I’m so sorry.” The dish slipped from his hands and he collapsed

against8 the sink in a fit of tears. Kris had never seen Alex so upset and her heart melted.

Joe rushed into the room when he heard the loud sobbing to find Kris and Alex curled together

on the kitchen floor. He backed away and hid in the hall between rooms. He didn’t want to interfere

with their family business. Family drama was nothing new, but this family wasn’t his to fix; maybe

not ever, but at least not yet.

“Hey, hey, shhh, it’s alright. Please, just tell me what’s going on? Why do you think it’s your

fault?” Kris asked while brushing his wild hair back from his face.

He blew his nose loudly, “You might want to get Joe. He’s going to need to hear this, too.” Alex

stood up and splashed some cold water on his face. Kris called out to Joe and he popped into the

room in record time. Alex jogged to his temporary room and grabbed the laptop which he set up

on the kitchen table.

“What’s going on?” Joe lightly draped his arm across Kris’s shoulders and she was speechless.

“I think I know why people are after us. It’s kind of a long story.” Joe and Kris crossed the room

with trepidation as Alex began.

Chapter 17

“I have a friend from school that I play this game with online and he’s like this crazy good

hacker. He always knows the cheat codes in the game and how to get free stuff and what not. At

first it was cool because he would be able to pretty much get whatever I wanted for the game and

it was awesome. I mean, most people spend years getting my kind of character maxed out with

all the best loot so I thought I had it made.

“Anyway, he eventually started asking if I could hook him up with stuff, too. He’s my age, but

he pretty much lives by himself. His parents are always gone, some kind of rich people, so

sometimes he’ll go for months without seeing them. There was one time his parents were gone

for six months and he barely left his room. They have like maids or housekeepers or something

that were supposed to be taking care of him, but it didn’t seem like they cared much. He seemed

to be in pretty bad shape or like depressed or something, so I offered to help. I went to his house

one day after school and brought some snack and junk food and my laptop and we played the

game for a while and then I left. That happened probably every few weeks.

“I mentioned to him at one point where you worked and he must have looked it up because he

became kind of obsessed. He constantly asked questions about the types of talent you saw and

who I knew that you’d signed. I didn’t think it was a big deal, mostly because he didn’t have

parents to obsess over, but I was wrong and I should have come to you about this sooner,” Alex

turned the laptop around and Kris and Joe looked on.

“My friend figured out that there was someone who was skimming money from the company.

He was able to create a computer program that tracked the movements of the person responsible

and every amount that was shuffled around with exact precision. When I asked why he was even

looking into the company’s finances, he said that he’d asked his parents if he could audition and

his father said that if the company wasn’t grossing a certain amount of money a year it wasn’t

worth his time. I know there were better ways he could go about it, but without him, we wouldn’t

know who is behind it all,” Alex pushed the enter key and Kris gasped. Joe’s eyes grew wide and

he punched the table.

The face staring back at them was one they both saw every day and would never think capable

of such a thing. “Where is this friend of yours, Alex?” Kris finally managed to say.

“I don’t know. I’ve tried getting a hold of him for a few days and he’s either in hiding or

something’s happened,” Alex admitted and covered his face with his hands. “I’m so sorry, Mom.”

“It’s not your fault. You can’t control this boy any more than his parents could,” Kris reached

across the small table and squeezed his arm reassuringly.

Joe was on his satellite phone, viciously typing a text message and dialing phone numbers.

He rambled on some secret language that Kris had never heard, but she didn’t even ask. After a

few minutes, he sat back at the table with tension heavy on his face. Something was wrong.

“What’s the matter?” She asked, although she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“Our perp is also your mole, Kris. Apparently, they were placed there to secure your position

in the company, about six months before you showed up, and ordered to stay as long as you did.

In that time, they were let go from the marshal service, which left you with a very pissed off ex-

marshal. The only credit the marshals get here is the level of training. I’ve been undercover at

that firm for years and I wasn’t any closer to figuring this out.”

Kris was up and pacing, running through the many conversations in her head. She’d told her

about Alex and his father. About how she was mostly alone in New York with the cover of starting

over after his father died. She never told Kris about being a marshal. In truth, she didn’t tell Kris

much of anything. “Son of a bitch, I should have known. We only ever talked about me. I don’t

know anything personal about her except the name she gave. I’m such an idiot.”

“If you’re an idiot, so am I,” Joe said. “I’m a detective for Christ’s sake and I couldn’t figure it

out. She’s good, I’ll give her that.”

“The problem,” Alex interrupted. “Is that my friend’s been missing or unreachable for at least

three days. I tried going to look for him, but that’s when I was approached by someone who told

me that she was watching and would help me throw off the trail if I went to that diner and called

you right away. She said her name was Annie.”

Joe perked up, “Wait, Annie helped you? Is this what she looked like?” He flashed his assistant

Annie’s picture and Alex nodded.

“She probably saved my life,” Alex admitted.

“So Annie knew about this, too? What the hell is going on, Joe?” Kris pleaded.

“I don’t understand,” Alex interrupted. “Who is the girl in picture I showed you? Mom?”

Kris bit her lip and shook her head, “That’s Eileen. She’s been my assistant since we came to

New York. I thought she was someone I could trust; apparently I was wrong.”

“None of this is anyone’s fault here, okay? The marshals should have replaced her long ago

and kept tabs on her after she defected, but they didn’t. On top of that, we need to figure out how

Annie is involved since she’s now popped up in this mess. Alex, I need every type of contact info

you have for your friend. Kris, if you have anything on Eileen, I need that, too.

“No one can contact anyone on the outside and I’ve got to try to find someone I know we can

trust, which seems like more of a stretch than it did yesterday. I’m not sure who is compromised

anymore and I won’t put either of you at risk,” Joe pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

“Thank you, Alex. This helps a lot. You did good, kiddo.”

Alex nodded and set out typing something on his laptop and Kris gave him a longing look. Her

baby boy was in way over his head and there was nothing he could have done to stop it. His

compassion for others led him down a path that none of them could have foreseen. Her heart hurt

more and more each second. If it hadn’t been for Annie stepping in and Joe being there, it was a

very real possibility that they’d both be dead. Talk about guardian angels.

“Kris, do you know anything about Eileen that might help me?”

“Like what?” She asked quietly. “I’m not even sure if Eileen is her real name. Cylest didn’t even

tell me that she was a marshal.”

“Probably because Cylest didn’t put her there. Do you have an emergency number you’d use

to contact Cylest?”

“Sure. We have a code to use if I’ve been compromised,” Kris affirmed. She’d never had to

use the number or the code before, but it seemed to be her lucky day.

Joe scratched his head, “The last thing we need are a bunch of marshals converging on my

safe house. Can you text the number and tell her what’s going on? My sat phone is untraceable.”

“If I’m ever in trouble, I have to call the emergency number. Hang on, I’ll get it,” Kris pulled her

cellphone out of her purse.

“Don’t turn that on, Kris. The GPS can be enabled and we’d be screwed. I need you to pull the

SIM card out of that phone and we’ll put it in a reader to get the info.”

“Oh, right, sorry,” Kris popped the back cover and fished out the small card. “Here.”

Joe wrapped his hand around hers and rubbed his thumb on her palm to try to subtly reassure

her that he would figure it out. Kris was protective of Alex and any blatant gesture would be too

much. Her worried eyes stared back into his and he saw something flicker there. Maybe it was

just his reflection, but he could have sworn he saw something more. Kris eventually pulled her

hand from his and sat beside Alex at the table.

After they closed the case and were no longer in danger, he wanted a life with them. He could

see taking Alex to the beach and throwing around a football while Kris sat in a lounge chair reading

and sipping mimosas. Or going to the pier and shopping while Alex surfed with friends. Or even

living at his house just outside the city. He’d put his little boy’s precious belongings in a special

place and gladly allow Alex to have his old room. Kris’ stuff would take its rightful place in the

closets and drawers and he’d never have to be reminded of his tragic past. He’d dealt with that

long enough and Kris was everything he wanted of the future.

Joe went to the closet in his room, pushed the hanging clothes to the left and knelt down.

Behind the shoe boxes, about six inches from the floor, was a hidden panel. Inside Joe kept some

high tech gadgets, passports, money, a few extra handguns and ammunition, as well as a field

first aid kit and MREs. He was trained to be prepared to handle almost any situation, not only from

the Marines, but also from his experience as a cop. He learned a lot from his partners and

superiors over the years, mainly one can never be too prepared.

He pulled out the SIM card reader, replaced the panel, and headed back to where Alex sat

with the computer. Kris watched them attach the reader and talk techie for a few until her phone

list appeared on the screen. “Red Robin. The emergency number is under Red Robin,” Kris

recalled aloud as Alex scrolled through the options.

“What’s the password you’re supposed to give her?” Joe asked, already punching the number

into the sat phone.

“It doesn’t matter if you try to give her the code, the only way it will work is if she talks to me.

Otherwise, she’ll assume you’re in on it. That’s the way it goes,” she shrugged. “I’ll need to talk to

her once you dial.”

Joe shook his head and handed her the phone. It was very hard for him to not take total control

of the situation, and if he were stuck there with anyone else, it would have already happened, but

he couldn’t bring himself to do that to her. Not to mention, the last thing he wanted Alex to think

was that he was some sort of jerk cop. “We have to keep the call less than three minutes. Give

her the code, tell her what we’ve found out and hang up.”

“What if she asks where we are or how we know?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he shook his head. “At this point, the only people we can trust are in this

room. We don’t know what anyone else knows, but seeing as how Deputy King hasn’t attempted

to pull strings, I’m going to go with her being on our side. The last thing you want to do is give her

information that could compromise her if she were to be captured. You don’t want to tell her where

we are, only that we’re safe and that we found the mole and then hang up.”

“Joe,” her nose scrunched as she made a squinting face. “I can’t just hang up on her! I’ll tell

her we’re safe, what we found out and that I’ll contact her with more information as we receive it.

What if she needs to contact us?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. The woman drove him crazy, “Tell her to email me. The

captain can give her the address. My email is synced to my phone so I don’t have to login on

anything.”

“Good,” she nodded and set out to making the call. He watched her intently, memorizing the

numbers she keyed, the lines of her face, and the way she licked her lips nervously. Joe tried to

look disinterested, but it probably wasn’t working. Alex was beginning to look like he was going to

burst apart and the last thing he needed to see was Joe eyeing his mom. Alex wanted Kris to be

happy, that much Joe knew, but the timing wasn't right.

Kris paced between the bar-type kitchen counter and the table where the computer was

perched. "Cardinal 22590. The nest is safe. Mole is a Rogue. Captain has email for contact. Going

dark in five," Kris repeated twice on the voice mail and handed the phone back to Joe. "How was

that?"

He smirked, "What's up with the bird reference?"

"Part of it references my case number, the rest I just kind of improvised. I know, don't quit the

day job," Kris rolled her eyes.

"Nah, it was good. Of course you may have to quit your day job anyway, but that's beside the

point," Joe shrugged and patted Alex on the back. "It takes guts to tell us all this, kiddo. Do you

think you could buckle down and use any untraceable means at your disposal to find your friend?"

"Yeah, I could try. I'm not as good as he was, though."

"All I ask is to do your best, alright?" Alex nodded and flipped the computer closed before

heading back to his room. He felt responsible and Joe actually felt sad for the boy.

Kris was impressed by Joe's calm demeanor. He treated Alex with respect even though he told

them information that would have been useful hours prior and saved them from the headache.

"Thank you," she turned to him with soft eyes.

"Fa what?" Joe's accent was nagging at this jaw. "I haven't done anything."

"You made him feel better. That's something," she crossed the room slowly as she talked. "I

keep saying that you don’t have to do this for us. I can’t imagine how this makes your job harder.

If I would have known..."

With one fluid motion, Joe grabbed Kris's hand, pulled her close to his body and kissed her so

fervently, her heart almost couldn't keep up. "I'd do anything for you," Joe whispered against her

mouth. Her body shivered against his and his grip tightened momentarily. “When you’re ready,

just say the word,” Joe said as he pulled his lips away. Just as fast as it started, it was over, and

Kris was dumbfounded.

She watched him walk away from her with a tense demeanor and realized that he was walking

away because he had to, not because it was what he wanted. It was easy to think of Joe as being

a womanizer and a man who wasn’t easily settled, but he was the exact opposite. If she were

honest, she’d admit to being intimidated by his blatant intentions. Men weren’t normally forceful

and sensitive at once. What exactly did she have to offer a man like him?

Moments later Joe’s laptop chimed and he sat roughly in the chair. “Looks like she got our

message,” his eyebrows pulled together as he read.

“What does it say?” Kris was anxious, her stomach turning into angry knots.

“She says that the marshals are tracking down a few leads, but she’s keeping the search party

to the highest security clearance. It doesn’t seem like she knows about Eileen and Annie, or

whatever their names are,” Joe seemed unsettled, which made Kris even more anxious.

She hugged herself, prepared to hear the worst, “What’s wrong? Why do you look like you’re

about to freak out?”

“I don’t think Cylest is the one who sent this message. Either that or she’s compromised as

well. The wording is off for someone in law enforcement. She doesn’t use any terminology or cop

speak. This is all very strange, Kris. I don’t like it.”

“You? Think about how I feel! They’re after us, not you. You’re free to do whatever you want,

but I have to be on the run now. I never wanted this for Alex. God, I was stupid to think our lives

would change,” Kris hid her face in her hands. “What do we do now?”

“Well, we hope that Alex finds something. We wait here through the night and tomorrow we

move again. I’ll keep moving you guys until we figure out what’s going on,” he squeezed her

shoulder. “I promised you I’d keep you save until we catch this perp.”

She shook him off, “I can’t ask you to do that. You’ve already compromised yourself. We aren’t

worth all this, Joe. This manhunt is ridiculous.”

“It’s not up to you to decide for me. We get moving in the morning until we can get someone

on the inside to prove it’s safe to return.”

“And if that never happens?” She challenged.

Chapter 18

Joe turned toward her slowly with an incredulous look. “Do you want to die? Is that it? I’m

giving you a way to survive and not be on your own and you’re fighting me every step of the way.

What’s your problem?”

“You’re my problem! You swoop in from nowhere and all of the sudden you want to rescue me

and...and...and Alex. You don’t know me, Joe. You don’t know anything about us and what we’ve

been through and yet you’re so ready to lay your life on the line for me, for us?” Kris wiped her

tear-streaked cheeks with her sleeve.

“Look, I know you may think that I’m making this huge sacrifice for you, but I’m a cop, Kris. I’m

also a Marine and I know how to survive in situations that seem unsurvivable. No matter what my

personal feelings are, my primary objective is to be sure you and Alex are safe before securing

my target,” Joe explained slowly.

Kris sniffled, “So you are only doing this because you’re a cop?”

He smiled, “No. I am doing this because in the short time I’ve known you, you drive me

absolutely crazy and I know there is something building between us that will make us both either

madly in love or certifiably insane. But, before we happened, I had a job to do. I’m obligated to do

my job, but I won’t let my job interfere with our lives.”

“In case you didn’t notice, this is my life,” Kris shook her head. “Always looking over my

shoulder, never able to really feel safe, constantly scared for Alex and everywhere he goes; this

is my reality.”

Joe crossed the space between them and lightly placed a hand on either of Kris’ arms, “I

promise you, I will do everything in my power to change that. You’ll never have to be afraid again,

Kris. I don’t care what it takes.”

“You don’t mean that,” she sniffled again and briefly looked at Joe’s determined face.

He moved his hands up to her face, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Kristina, I won’t leave your

side. Wherever you go, I go. Wherever Alex goes, we go. I will follow you anywhere and keep you

safe if that’s what you need from me. Do you understand? You stubborn, stubborn woman.”

“I hear the words, I just don’t understand why,” she whispered, afraid anything more would

show just how badly he affected her.

His lips brushed against hers, not quite a kiss, but enough for her face to flush. “If you can’t

feel why I say these things, then I need to be more convincing.” His mischievous smile made her

giggle and before she knew it her tears had completely vanished. “Now, let me do my job and

save our asses so we can get see what our future holds, okay?”

“Okay, if you say so,” Kris bit her bottom lip. “But on one condition.”

“What’s that?” Joe grinned.

“You promise me that after this is done and we go back to some type of normal life that you’re

serious about this. I can’t bring you into our lives only to have you walk away after realizing the

excitement is no longer there. Alex deserves to see that there are men out there that he can look

up to and I want you to be that man. Are you?”

His smiled faded and, for a moment, Kris thought she’d finally found the straw that would break

the camel’s back. It wasn’t until that moment that Joe understood why Kris was so reluctant to

even entertain the idea of his feelings for her. “I would never do anything to hurt your or Alex. I

want to be the man he can look up to, just as I would have for my own son, had I gotten the

chance. It isn’t the excitement of the case that draws me to you -- I’m excited because I haven’t

felt anything for anyone in a very long time, and I couldn’t be happier that my heart chose you. I

promise you that I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me to, alright?”

Kris nodded and folded herself into Joe’s massive arms. The truth in his words resonated

through her and, despite the chaos surrounding them, she found her home in him. It wasn’t easy,

but she wanted to open her heart to Joe. Their fight was about to get hairy and she felt better

saying her piece before life on the run caught up to them.

A barely audible thud caught Joe’s ear and his arms tightened. Kris started to speak, but he

put a finger to his lips and silently told her to crouch below the table. Joe pulled the handgun from

his hip holster and scanned the length of the cabin before taking silent steps toward the sound.

First, he thought it was from his room, but another thud steered him toward Alex’s room. Joe took

a deep breath when he reached the door. In one swift motion, the door flew open, Joe aimed his

gun and he was blown back into the hallway, smashing into the wall and knocking the wind from

his lungs.

Kris wanted to scream when Joe flew through the air, instead she bit into her lip hard enough

to taste blood. When no one emerged from Alex’s room, she crawled quickly to the small weapons

cache Joe kept in the kitchen. The first gun she grabbed was a forty caliber handgun that,

thankfully, held a fully loaded clip. Kris slid on her knees to the end of the island and peered

around the corner. She had a clear line of vision into Alex’s room, but couldn’t see him. Joe was

still lying on the floor, covered in the debris as it settled on the floor in the small hallway.

As she stood to make her way toward Alex’s room, she heard a buzzing noise whiz by her ear

and realized something had been thrown in her direction. Cursing under her breath, she dove into

the doorway of Joe’s room as a flashbang combusted and left her momentarily disoriented. She

scrambled to her feet just as a pair of hands touched her shoulders. She whirled, pointing the gun

at her would-be assailant and screaming profanities she was sure sounded like gibberish. Another

hand covered her mouth and her vision cleared enough to recognize Joe standing in front of her.

She still couldn’t hear anything from the flashbang and kept shaking her head.

Frustrated, Joe pushed her into the bathroom and made a gesture for her to stay put. Kris

started to protest, but he stopped her. “You stay here. I need to find Alex,” he mouthed and closed

the door as tightly as possible.

Whoever was staging the scene was obviously just trying to incapacitate, or he would have

been dead already. Probably the door was on a pressure switch and the flashbang was simply

just to keep everyone out of the way. It was suspicious. Joe made it to Alex’s room quickly. The

laptop that normally sat on the desk was gone and as far as he could tell, so was Alex. The only

clue was a flash drive near the edge of the bed. Probably, he’d placed somewhere out of sight,

but the pressure bomb caused everything to shift. The kid was smart. Joe swept through the rest

of cabin and reluctantly pulled Kris from the bathroom floor.

“Where’s Alex? Is he okay?” She asked before Joe even opened the door all the way.

“I don’t know where he is, but he’s alive. Whoever took him obviously needs him for something

and he left us this,” Joe held up the flash drive. “I know you will want to freak out, but right now I

need your help to get him back and catch who did this, okay. Can you do that?”

Kris ran back into the bathroom and threw up anything that was left in her stomach. Between

the shock of the flashbang and Alex missing, her stomach decided to make room for the anxiety

to set in completely. After a few minutes of more puking and crying, she managed to compose

herself long enough to clean up and emerge with her head cleared. “What do you need me to

do?” She asked gruffly. Joe looked up at her with defeated eyes and pointed to the suitcase. It

wasn’t a time for talking, she thought, he was blaming himself and needed time to think it all over.

So, she grabbed the piece of paper Joe had scribbled a list onto and set about packing bags and

gathering supplies with Joe collected his thoughts and planned his next course of action.

While Kris was packing, Joe pushed the flash drive into his computer. The folder popped up

with a light dinging noise and he just stared at the screen, telling himself he needed to know what

was on it to find Alex. His gut was in knots and he had a feeling Alex was mixed up in something

with the friend he’d told them about, if that kid was even real in the first place.

The drive folder consisted of five subfolders, all of which were untitled. Alex was a tech junkie,

which meant any folder could be encrypted or his entire computer could blow up just by clicking

on one of the folders. Joe sighed and moved the mouse pointer over the first untitled folder and

clicked. The screen flashed black for a second and Joe leaned away, expecting something to pop

or catch fire. But the screen came back on and he was staring at Alex’s worried face behind the

play icon of a video.

Kris looked up and saw the still frame of Alex and froze. Joe had found something on the flash

drive. Her stomach felt as if it rested on her knees. “Joe?” Her hand was at her throat as she

crossed the room slowly and stood behind him. “Aren’t you going to play it? We need to see what

he has to say.”

“I’m afraid to, honestly. I don’t want to believe he could have gotten himself into something.

He’s a good kid,” Joe admitted.

She nodded and reached around him, pressing the mouse button. The screen flashed a

moment and Alex appeared on screen again. He was sitting at the desk in the cabin, his face

resting in his hands. He sighed and looked up at the camera. In that moment, he looked so much

like his father.

“If you’re watching this, Mom,” Alex began. “Then something has happened to me. I know

you’ve tried to protect me from the world, and I’m sorry for not listening to you, but I think we both

know that wasn’t going to work forever.

“I haven’t done anything illegal, if that’s what you’re thinking, but I have made some very

powerful people very angry. I’m sure I told you about my friend who became obsessive about

Rogue PR. Yes, he’s real, but I didn’t tell you everything. My friend’s name is Derek Olivier.”

“Christ,” Joe shook his head and paused the video.

“What? What are you doing?” Kris tried to reach over him to turn the video back on, but Joe

caught her hand and shook his head.

“Kris, do you know who the Olivier’s are? Have you ever heard the name?” He asked with

worried creases between his eyebrows. Joe was unusually tense, which was making her tense.

She shook her head and he sighed. “The Olivier’s are the people who funded Rogue. They’re the

reason why you have a job and also why half of the crime happens in this city. They have their

hands in everything.”

Kris finally exhaled, “So this is like what happened all those years ago, except Alex is caught

up in it. Talk about the past repeating itself. Jesus. What now?”

He closed his eyes. If he was a lesser man, he’d call the feds or another agency to handle the

case because it was way over his pay grade. Truthfully, he knew what he was going to do even

before Kris asked. He was going to be a crazy person and pretty much walk into wherever Alex

was being held and shoot up the place until they gave him back. Dammit.

“Well, you’re not gonna like it,” Joe sighed. “But I have no choice. I’ve gotta GI Joe this shit.”

Chapter 19

Joe was absolutely, one hundred percent serious and Kris knew it without a doubt. She hadn’t

even realized the laughter bubbling up in her chest until it was rolling from her mouth. Why was

she laughing? Joe was talking about a suicide mission and Kris wasn’t going to let him go alone,

which meant she was going, too. Maybe it was shock? Either way, Joe looked at her like she’d

completely lost it.

“Oh,” she breathed through the hand that covered her mouth. “Oh god, I’m sorry. I can only

guess that I’ve finally cracked. I’m sorry.”

Joe shook his head almost imperceptibly, “It’s all good. We’ve all been there.”

“I do have another question, though,” her previous humor completely gone. “How do we know

it’s the Olivier’s that have Alex and how do we find them?”

“Technically, that’s two questions,” Joe smirked. Kris rolled her eyes and he continued, “The

Olivier’s are well connected, but secretive. I have some connections from other undercover work

as well as contacts in other precincts. We’ll have to be careful, though. Everything has to be

organic. If any of these C.I.’s feels like I’m fishing, they’ll alert the entire network and we’ll be

fucked.”

“Okay, so how do we figure out whether the Olivier’s have him?” Kris chewed her lip.

“That,” Joe said as he wheeled himself in the computer chair towards an armoire on the far

side of the bedroom, “would be for my cameras to answer.”

A small security setup turned into something exceedingly high tech as Joe slid out drawers

containing sophisticated looking equipment and numerous monitors. A large dial in the center

controlled the playback of the tapes with what looked like a ten-key pad on either side to control

everything from zoom to night vision to camera angle and height. She was impressed, mostly

because the highest tech item she’d ever witness Joe use was a gun. He wasn’t a caveman after

all.

Joe caught Kris’ smiling reflection in one of the monitors, “Something amusing to you?”

“Not in particular. I’m just realizing that you’re quite the Renaissance Man. Cop, Marine, high

tech surveillance expert, professional stunt driver, knight in shining armor, you know, the usual

things every girl looks for in a man,” Kris patted him on the shoulder and he looked at her

sideways.

“Some of the best parts are yet to come, princess. I’ll be glad to elaborate on my many talents,

once we have Alex back and I kick the bad guy’s ass,” Joe winked and Kris smiled while wiping

away a tear that shook loose from her troubled eyes.

“I’ll hold you to it,” she blinked away the rest of the tears. It wouldn’t help any of them for her

to lose it yet. Alex needed everyone on the same page and she needed Joe to tell her what to do

to get her boy back.

“Push play on the video, will ya? We’ll listen while I search this footage. Tha bastud who took

tha boy will be right hea.” He didn’t even try to correct his accent. Kris crossed the small space

and clicked the mouse, bringing Alex’s face back into view. His voice rang out through the mostly

quiet room.

“Derek became obsessed with Rogue for many reasons. Apparently, he’d heard the name from

his father as well as various artists who credited Rogue with their big break. Derek didn’t

understand the connection, but once he did, it was like he couldn’t satisfy his own curiosity. It

turns out that Derek is too good at snooping because he uncovered a billion-dollar fraud that was

being masked by layers and layers of funding that didn’t really exist.

“The companies being funded were nothing more than non-profit organizations set up to raise

money for arts and music and the like, but really, the money was just being routed through these

companies on a rotation that wouldn’t cause any alarm. It was Derek that triggered the police

investigation into Rogue, which is why Joe was placed there. Sorry, Joe. I didn’t want to betray

your trust, mostly because I know how you and my mom feel about each other, but I was afraid

to tell you that I knew who you were because I didn’t know how far this would all go,” Alex put his

face in his hands as if to wipe away the disgust he felt with himself.

“Mom, you have been there since we moved to New York. Derek found out that the Marshal

Service put you there because they felt the company was big enough to hide you, but that’s only

part of the truth. The woman in the picture I showed you was supposed to be your protection,

instead she was a mole. She’s been on the payroll of Daniel Erikson from before his trial. Derek

speculates that they were an item, but I don’t know how true that is. Anyway, she’s been spying

for Erikson, of course telling him our every move. She left that monkey in your office, which Derek

told me about, after you officially met Joe as a warning, but once the Marshals got involved again,

she couldn’t take the risk of them suspecting her, so she went to the only place she knew she’d

be safe; the Olivier’s.

“The two families haven’t always been kosher, but since Erikson has been in prison, he’s relied

on his connections in New York to keep the flow of business going. I’m assuming that means

drugs. I haven’t seen too much evidence of this, aside from the phone conversations between

Erikson and Eileen, except her name is really Kathleen. Kathleen Hult. She facilitates Erikson’s

business here and has ever since the beginning.

“Derek’s parents owed Erikson a favor for some reason or another and they actually sent their

people after you and Joe. Initially, it was just for information, but after the few attempts with no

success, they decided to eliminate everyone; including me. Derek tried keeping my name out of

the system, but our connections were always recorded, so that wasn't going to work. Before Derek

went missing, he told me about most of this, but it wasn’t until this morning that I received an email

about the rest. I decided to record the story just in case something also happens to me. I’m sorry,

Mom. I didn’t think any of this would happen. I know how hard you’ve worked to keep things

normal, or at least as normal as you could. I want to thank you for that. If you get the chance, I

want you to be happy. Whether that’s with Joe or someone else, you deserve it more than anyone

I know. Joe’s a good guy and he’d be stupid not to have you, Mom.” Alex smirked his father’s

smirk and Kris’ heart nearly exploded.

“I know they’ll be coming for us because Annie said she would try to hold them off as long as

she could, although I’m not sure what that really means. So, hopefully when you watch this I will

still be alive and have left a good enough trail for you to be able to find me. I took the tracking

beacon from my cell phone from the marshals and reversed the signal to Joe’s sat phone. So

long as the signal is transmitting, you can follow it. If, for some reason, you can’t find me or we

get separated or something else bad happens, I love you, Mom. Joe, please take care of her.

She’ll need someone who can be there for her like she’s been there for me.”

The video stopped and Kris stared blankly at his fearful little face. How could she not have

noticed? How could she have just kept letting him out of her sight? So many questions, but

answers didn’t come. She had been a fool to think their lives could be even remotely normal. Here

she was, sending her son to the same type of criminals that got them where they were in the first

place. Mother of the fucking year.

Joe cleared his throat and Kris turned toward him absently. “This camera caught her. She was

good. None of my alarms were tripped and she was able to get him out through that same window.

The noises we heard were likely from him putting up a fight, but from what I see on this video,

he’s okay.”

“Sure,” Kris was still only halfway listening. Inside, she was running through every possible

scenario of what could happen to him and she was absolutely helpless. Joe was trying to make it

better, but he realized that there wasn’t too much he could do until she was ready to snap out of

it and join in the effort to find Alex. He sighed and went back to packing while Kris sat and stared

and cried.

Alex was smart. He knew there was information he couldn’t say because the whole story was

more convoluted than anyone might have guessed. It made sense that the Olivier family was

mixed in with Erikson. There was a steady stream of drugs that no one could intercept and enough

cops on the payroll they were practically considered personal security for the Olivier bunch.

Erikson must have bought off some of those cops to take the heat off them when he got put in

prison. Joe ran through every scenario that didn’t entail one of them dying, but none seemed to

pan out. Kris would insist on coming with him, he’d be too worried about protecting her, they’d

both get hurt. He’d have to figure out what to do about that when the time came.

“Joe,” she croaked from the computer chair. “I know what you’re thinking.

“You do?” He questioned.

She sighed, “You think we’re all going to die, don’t you?”

“No,” he started, but wasn’t sure how to finish.

“Don’t lie to me. What are our chances?” Her puffy eyes looked back at him and he was

defeated. She’d make her own conclusions if he didn’t do it for her.

“Statistically, they’re holding Alex as bait to draw us out. Once we find them, he’s expendable,

but then so are we once they’re done with whatever they’re planning. The key is to get there

without them knowing and take out as many as possible without being detected. If we can even

the playing field, we have better chances of all of us getting out alive.”

“What if they have Cylest, too? Do you think she’s been in on this?”

Joe thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No, if Cylest had been involved, she wouldn’t

have gone to my captain. She wouldn’t have wanted local law enforcement anywhere near this.

That would complicate matters and possibly lead to more dead bodies. Plus, cop killers are hunted

like dogs. These guys wouldn’t make it five minutes without the whole of the NYPD on their asses.”

“Maybe that’s what we need. It seems they’ve been ahead of us every step of the way. They

even found us here. I thought you said we couldn’t be tracked?” She wiped her nose on her

stretched sleeve.

“I said we should be okay to lay low here. People who are good at what they do can track

anyone from anywhere, Kris. I could, if I were on their side,” Joe said matter-of-factly.

Kris looked at him again, seeing a blur of the man she was trusting her son’s life to. “I need

you to find him, Joe. I don’t care what you have to do, just find him. If it turns out he’s done

something illegal, we’ll face that when the time comes, but he’s only a boy. I know what Erikson

is capable of, but I don’t know these other people. If they’re just as bad, there’s no telling what

they’re doing to my baby.”

Joe opened his mouth to answer when a knock echoed through the cabin. Kris jumped from

her chair and grabbed one of the handguns from the bed. Her entire demeanor changed, like she

was about to fight for her life, which may not have been entirely wrong, but bad guys usually didn’t

knock.

She trailed closely behind Joe as he walked out of his room to the door. He pushed a button

on the wall and a small screen, about the size of a cell phone, displayed the picture of the person

outside. To both of their surprise, Annie stood on the porch. Joe held the gun to the inside of the

door, pointed directly to Annie’s stomach as he opened it. “Annie, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Cut the shit, Joe. We both know what’s going on, let me in,” she snapped, looking behind her

every few seconds.

Joe glared, “Why the hell would I let you in? I don’t even know how you found this place.”

“Your captain gave me the info you sent to him and I was able to ping your sat phone. Let me

in, please, so I can explain,” she gritted her teeth.

“Give me your gun and I’ll let you in,” Joe held out his hand.

She stared at him incredulously, “You’re serious? We have crazy people hunting you and you

want me to give you my gun?”

“If I feel you’re telling the truth and not here to kill me, I’ll give it back.”

“Whatever,” she slipped her gun from the holster and plopped it into his hand. “There, now let

me in.”

“Uh uh, the ankle piece, too.”

“Damnit,” she trailed off with a few other obscenities as she followed his instructions and he

moved aside, allowing just enough room for her to slip in, his handgun trained on her the whole

time.

Kris emerged from the corner, her gun fixated on Annie as well. She wasted no time putting

herself in position. She may not be as trained as Joe, but enough time at the range made her a

damned good shot.

“Ah, hello Kristina. I figured you two would be together. Where’s Alex? Did you find him?” Annie

looked around the cabin.

Kris’ breath caught and Joe stepped gingerly between her and Annie. He was worried that she

might accidentally shoot if Annie kept talking. “Yes,” he said. “We found Alex. But it looks like

Eileen or Kathleen or whatever her name is decided to crash our little family vacation. Tell me

what’s going on and what any of this has to do with Alex.”

Annie sighed, “Can I sit? I’ve been on my feet all night. And a glass of water would be fantastic.”

“Five star accommodations begin when you start saying something useful,” Kris spat and Joe

almost smirked.

“Alright,” Annie blew her hair from her face. “Alex and Derek stumbled on the Rogue fiasco by

chance. When the Olivier’s found out, Alex wasn’t on their radar at first until they contacted Eileen.

Apparently, she is connected to the whole syndicate through Erikson somehow. Anyway, they

figured out that Alex was your son and who you really were and Old Man Olivier lost his marbles.

I’m not sure how they found out about you, Joe, but it wasn’t until you two went to lunch that shit

really hit the fan.

“When you left, I found Eileen in the basement garage talking to some shady looking guy about

picking up the punks and that you would be back soon so she had to make it all look like a special

delivery from an old friend. Of course she didn’t know I was there, but that gave me enough to

start looking at things. It became clear that there was more to her story.”

“Okay, wait, how do you know who we are and all these other people?” Joe asked, keeping

his gun leveled on her. He believed her story, but the dots weren’t connecting yet,

“I was the marshal who was supposed to take Eileen’s place, but when they found out that she

was working with Erikson and the other bunch, they, uh, they decided to keep her there to see

who else they could tie to them with the hopes of shutting down the entire operation. It was a very

hush, hush with only the highest clearance. That’s why Cylest didn’t know what was going on.

She is considered my subordinate.”

Kris made a strange noise, “You mean to tell me that after that monster put my family through

hell, you all decided it was okay to just let them keep fucking with my life, like I wasn’t already

completely and utterly scared out of my mind for myself and most of all my son who has now been

kidnapped! What the fuck is wrong with you people?!”

Annie shook her head, “The both of you were under constant surveillance. I always knew where

you two were at any time. I also knew where Eileen was. It wasn’t until Derek started messing

with everything that things got complicated. When Alex was there, I couldn’t protect him because

the Olivier’s have a very high tech security system that blocks any type of signal while inside their

perimeter. The more time he spent there, I knew something was going on. I did my best to alert

everyone involved, which is why I got to Alex first and told him how to get away.”

“What do they want? Why are they doing this now?” Kris asked, dropping her hands in defeat.

She was exhausted.

Annie looked at the woman and instantly felt guilty. She should have never agreed to allow

such a reckless plan, “Erikson asked them for a favor and the Olivier’s are desperate to be done

with him. He has a way of making people do things for him, but once a debt is paid, their business

is done. The Olivier’s are mostly into their drug business, but Erikson has taken everything with

you rather personally. He created a persona, Lea Resonator, to communicate with Rogue. That

account is what is linked to all of those transactions, right?” Joe nodded at Annie. “It’s an anagram

for Leesa Notarro. He used your name to launder all that money. He laundered the money so he

could fund his own business because he knew the Olivier’s owed him and he nearly bankrupted

them trying to put his plan, presumably this plan, into motion. Alex nearly found him, too. That’s

when Erikson gave the order for you both to go.”

“I don’t understand how Alex or Derek could have possibly known anything about this. They’re

just kids,” Kris shook her head, a look of utter defeat showing through her strong facade.

Annie sighed and unclipped something from the dog tags she wore around her neck. Kris

winced away, raising her gun slightly. Joe moved to her side, placing his hand over top of the gun

and easing it down, “It’s alright, Kris. I got this.” He reached across the small space and Annie

dropped the small flash drive into the palm of his hand.

“This is everything I’ve got on the case. Erikson’s aliases, business dealings, financials and

what not along with phone records and other communications. It also has yours and Kristina’s

files, as well as the Olivier’s and Alex. Take a look, then decide for yourself whether I’m telling the

truth,” Annie crossed her arms and shrugged. Kristina was scared and upset, which meant she

was also reckless. If Joe wasn’t there to keep her in line, Annie knew she’d have to detain her. Of

course that would be counterproductive, but she wasn’t going to trust her life to a frightened

witness.

Joe ushered Kris into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He wasn’t sure whether

he trusted Annie, either, but he wasn’t going to let Kris make a stupid choice in the process.

“Listen, I’m going to take a look at this and see if this all makes sense. I want you to stay in here

and keep the safety on that thing unless you’re about to use it, okay?”

“Who said I wasn’t about to use it?” Kris narrowed her eyes. “I’m not losing it, I’m being

cautious. I don’t trust her and neither should you.”

Joe put a hand on each of her shoulders and bent so his eyes met hers, “I don’t trust her, but

I’m willing to see what information she has. This is part of my job, alright? Just please, stay here

for right now. I’ll come back as soon as I’m finished. Yeah?”

“You’d better come back. I’m going to be pissed if I have to shoot a marshal,” Kris huffed and

sat on the bed. Joe chuckled, kissed her forehead and left the room, shutting the door behind him

with a quiet click.

Chapter 20

“Is she alright?” Annie asked when Joe reemerged.

“I dunno,” he shrugged, “would you be alright if you were just told the people who were

supposed to be protecting you actually conspired against you, and are ultimately the reason why

your son was kidnapped and you’re on the run?”

Annie pinched her nose, “We didn’t think...”

“You’re right, you didn’t think,” he interrupted. “How you people could ever think that was a

good idea is pretty unbelievable. I’m NYPD and we’re not even that stupid,” he did his best to

keep his temper in check. What he really wanted to do was deck her in the face.

She didn’t say anything else as Joe managed to fish out a small laptop from his supply closet

and set it on the table in the kitchen. “If anything in this file incriminates you, I’m arresting you.

Just so we’re clear.”

Annie nodded, “That’s fine, but you won’t see anything like that. I’m telling the truth.”

“We’ll see. Sit there. Don’t touch anythin or I might just let Kris shoot ya next time,” Joe ground

his teeth as the Brooklyn boy threatened to make an appearance. He grabbed a beer for himself

and a bottle of water for Annie, tossing it to her as he sat down.

The files were labeled as she stated, one for each member of the investigation. Joe scanned

through them, picking out key words as he made his way through each one. Annie was telling the

truth about the investigation, but something seemed off to him, still. “So tell me, how did Erikson

find out they were even in New York? He was in prison, essentially cut off from the Olivier’s.”

“I told you, Kathleen has been working both sides. She knew because she was supposed to

be our handler on the ground. She knew everything,” Annie took a drink of her water, looking very

defeated.

“That money was being laundered under that alias for a long time, Annie. What you’re telling

doesn’t make any sense. The timeline doesn’t make sense.”

Annie sighed, “Look, all I know is that the Olivier’s are owned by Erikson. He foot the bill for

their operations at some point, I’m not sure if it was willingly or otherwise, but they have been in

his debt for a long time. Prior to Kris’ arrival, The Olivier Group was in control of Rogue, but it was

just a shell company under a different name. All of the money was filtered through their company

and they held onto the business for Erikson, as part of their deal, but when he went to prison they

sold it. Only they didn’t realize that the person they sold it to was Erikson, operating under one of

his aliases.”

“So Alcom didn’t start the company?”

“Alcom started Rogue PR, he just doesn’t fund it. As with many startups, they need investors.

Alcom and his group sought out anyone who would buy their idea and Erikson’s people latched

on as soon as they could. They couldn’t take the chance of losing the company, so they just

rebranded and restructured to meet Alcom’s design. Rogue PR became a success and Erikson

didn’t lose his nest egg,” Annie shrugged.

Joe leaned forward, “Why, if Erikson operated on the west coast, would he give a damn about

a shell company on the east coast? Doesn’t he own half of Cali?”

Annie sighed, “I can only guess that he was planning an expansion before going to prison and

that Olivier was his ticket. When Kris threw a wrench in his plans, he lost most of his holdings on

the east coast and since so much money was laundered through this one, he would lose even

more if it was sold to people he couldn’t control. The only way to ensure he wouldn’t completely

lose everything he worked hard for was to get some of his own people in place.

“We think,” Annie stretched her neck to the side and it cracked, “that Kathleen was a plant by

Erikson, too, as a way for him to keep an eye on his prize. He’s always known where Kris and

Alex have been. Always.”

The bedroom door opened and a puffy-eyed Kris stepped through the doorway, “Why now,

then? If he could have taken his revenge out on me at any time, why do it now?”

Annie’s face fell and Joe could see the true remorse she felt for putting them at such a risk.

She was responsible, and she knew damn well she’d made the wrong call. “He’s obsessed with

you, Kristina. Only I haven’t been able to get anyone close enough to him to find out his endgame.

My intel stops at what’s on that drive. I’m afraid your son found out more than I did. You have no

idea how sorry I am. We didn’t realize how deep his reach was until it was too late.”

“Have you found out anything about his plans? Anything we could use?” Joe asked impatiently.

He didn’t care about Erikson’s plan, he cared about finding Alex. He couldn’t find Alex without

figuring out where Erikson might have taken him, which meant that he had to know more about

Erikson’s plan. Christ, he had a headache.

Annie shook her head, “It’s hard to tell what’s useful anymore. We had gathered decent intel

for years, then Kathleen happened and we had to completely rethink everything. There’s a file

called Bluebird on the drive. That file has all of the information from Kathleen’s bug.

Conversations, navigation records, where her cell pinged, credit card receipts, toll receipts, the

whole sha-bang. I figure, if you want to find the man, you start with the woman.”

Joe opened the file and exhaled slowly. There was way too much information and they didn’t

have the time to go through it all. He needed a different approach. He closed the laptop and

pinched the bridge of his nose. “We don’t have the time or the man-power to go through all that.

We need to start with what we know.”

“But we don’t know anything. Haven’t we already established that?” Kris wiped her nose on

her sleeve. “We don’t know where they’re going. We don’t really know why. The only thing we

have is the info Alex left us and the files on this massive pile of shit you call a case.”

“Right, we have the flash drive that Alex left us. He probably left us something else we can

use,” Joe dashed into the bedroom, extracted the drive, and all but dove back onto the sofa. He

plugged Alex’s drive into another port and loaded the contents again. “When we played the video

before, we only clicked on the first file. There are others here. Alex is a smart kid. He would have

put something on here for us, like a trail of breadcrumbs.”

Joe clicked the next untitled folder and a password box appeared. He looked at Kris, “How well

do you know your son?”

She swallowed heavily, “Until the last few days, I thought I knew him like the back of my hand,

but now? Now I’m not so sure I know him at all.”

“I’m gonna need you to flip the switch Kris. I need you to think with your brains and not your

emotions, okay? Right now, you are the key to these files. You’re the only one who’s going to

know answers to any of the questions.”

Kris shook her head, “And if I don’t know the answers?”

Joe sighed, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, but right now, you can’t think like that,

arite?”

After a few seconds, Kris squared her shoulders and cleared her throat. Alex was her son. She

wasn’t going to give up until she tried everything. “Okay, let’s go.”

“This first password clue says the place I lost my world,” Joe read aloud.

“The place I lost my world,” Kris whispered, thinking back to the night their lives changed so

drastically. The screams, the gunshots, the blood -- the heaviness that lingered in the air with the

gunpowder. She shuddered. “He’s talking about when our family was killed. The place was our

family restaurant. Try Notarro’s.” The ticks from the keyboard seemed to echo throughout the

room while they all held their breath.

“Accepted. Now we’re in business. Great job.” Joe was giddy as he clicked through the files.

Alex had copied files from the main computer his friend was using to look into Rogue and its

people. Every person from Alcom and the board to the baristas in the lobby had a file. It was better

than some of the intel the marshals had. “You might want to hire this kid to find some of your

people there, Annie. He’s good.”

“My son isn’t going anywhere near the marshal service after all this is said and done,” Kris’

eyes flared with a dizzying rage as they bore into Annie. She put her hands up in surrender, but

didn’t say a word. Kris would have probably ripped the tongue out of her mouth anyway.

Joe clicked another file and the password box popped up again. “Alright Kris. This next one

just has some numbers. Eleven dash twenty dash eighty-six. Do you know what that is?”

A tear slid down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away, “Yes, that’s my birthday. I’m not

sure how he phrased it, but that’s my birthday.”

Joe tried a few different attempts before getting it right. Alex had a failed password lock on

each file so if he tried too many times, the file would lock permanently until a master password

was administered, so he had to be careful not to mess up too much.

“This file is interesting. It looks like blueprints, maybe? There are buildings here I’m not familiar

with, but this could maybe be the Olivier compound. You said it’s a dead spot there, right?” Joe

asked Annie while sifting through the digital prints.

She nodded, “Yeah it’s like the place has its own barrier. Radios and cells are scrambled there,

but it also has those dish satellite things all around, so we’ve guessed it’s all setup with a secure

network of some kind.”

Alex had managed to save a little bit of everything. Whether he knew at first what he was

actually downloading from his friend, he had apparently figured it out. He’d risked a lot to get the

information, but Joe didn’t want to think out loud. Kris was having a hard enough time holding it

together. Every second, she looked like she was going to jump out of her skin and climb the walls.

“Alright so it looks like we have plans of the place and some records of personnel at Rogue.

The blueprints will help us get there, but I don’t like the idea of going in blind,” Joe scratched his

head. “Annie, do your people have surveillance there?”

“We try, but we can’t get very close. We can’t even fly drones over the place because of this

grid silence thing he has going on. The closest we get is maybe two blocks before our equipment

starts bugging out. That’s one of the reasons we didn’t have any intel about the kids digging

around. We had no way to monitor it until after it happened and they’d called attention to

themselves,” she said tentatively.

Kris cleared her throat and stretched her neck from side-to-side, “So are we thinking they’re at

this compound? Wherever these Olivier’s live?”

Joe eyed her, “There’s no way to be sure if the cell won’t ping there. If it’s a dead spot, nothing

is going to work until it’s outside of the perimeter or until it’s on the closed circuit.”

“Have you tried pinging it to see if you get a signal? I mean, it would give us a start, at least,”

Annie asked.

Joe double clicked the icon for his security system and entered a few commands. After a

minute or two, a red dot appeared on the screen. “I show a signal, but it’s hard to tell whether it’s

legitimate. It’s possible it could be planted to throw us off.”

“How do we check it?” Kris bit her cheek. Keeping herself together was taking immense effort.

Not only was she on the verge of tears, she was also prepared to murder the shoddy marshal

who swore to protect her family.

Annie cleared her throat, “I know neither of you know whether to trust me, but if you give me a

chance, I can prove that I’m on your side? I want to find your son and put the bad guys away for

good so I can clean up my mess and fulfil my duty of protecting you and your son. I have a few

people working with me who have been fully vetted and aren’t connected in any way to either

family. Would you let me call them? They can run a detail and check it out. They only report to

me and no one else knows anything about this case unless I give the word to bring in more hands.

What do you say?”

“Do I have permission to shoot you in the face if it turns out you’re lying?” Kris asked dryly.

“Without question,” Annie smirked. “Can I use your sat phone? It’s untraceable, right?”

Joe pulled the phone out of his pocket, “I thought it was untraceable until you showed up, but

feel free to use it anyway. Just make sure you’re not fucking us over. I’d hate to have to set my

favorite hideout on fire to cover up Kris’ killing you.”

Annie chuckled and took the phone from Joe’s outstretched hand. She dialed a number and

waited almost an eternity before someone answered. “Detective Philips. Yeah I need Mars and

Jefferson to head to a location for me. Yeah. I’m sending it to their phones now. What’s the ETA?

Alright I’ll call back.”

“How long?” Kris asked before Annie even ended the call.

“About twenty minutes out. I’ll call them back in fifteen,” Annie answered. She cleared her

throat before addressing the elephant in the room. “Listen, Kristina, when the detectives get there,

what they find might not be what we’re hoping for. Are you prepared to face that?”

Kris swallowed hard, “Worst case scenario, they’ve killed my son just as they did the rest of

my family, except this time, I was the one who put him in danger. If that’s the case, I don’t know

what I will do. If he’s not there, I know he would have tried to leave another clue to help us find

him. Either way, no matter how it has to happen, I will have my son back today.”

Joe reached across and lightly rubbed Kris’ back. From an officer’s perspective, the longer it

took them to find Alex, the chances of him being alive, nevertheless unharmed, were slimmer by

the second. As a parent, you never stop clinging to the hope that your child will be completely

unharmed and safe. He knew the odds; he just didn’t want to have that talk with her yet. “We’ll

get him, Kris. No matter what,” Joe squeezed her shoulder.

“I know, you promised, remember?” She gave him a sad smile before brushing his hand away

and standing up from the couch. “I’m gonna start packing up,” she walked quickly from the room

and shut the bedroom door. It wasn’t a secret that she fell apart as soon as the door clicked shut,

but it made her feel better that at least no one could see it happen.

Chapter 21

“You think she’ll make it through this?” Annie asked Joe as they both stared at the closed door.

He shrugged and looked back at Annie, “I think she’s been through plenty of stuff just like this

and knows how to handle herself, but I also think she’s holding on by a thread.”

Annie shook her head, “I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to either of them.”

“I don’t think any of us would forgive you either,” Joe sighed. “Look, I get why you did it. Being

a cop, sometimes you’ve gotta think like a criminal to catch the criminals. The problem is, we

forget that we’re dealing in people’s lives, Annie. What makes us any better than the bad guys if

we forget what we swore to do in the first place?”

“I know, you’re right. Working for the government complicates things sometimes. The calls we

have to make in order to catch the worst of the worst,” Annie exhaled roughly, “sometimes I

question what side of the law we’re on, too.”

“I don’t envy you. When I served, there were some pretty shitty things we had to do. But, I think

what separates us from the bad guys is that we know those things are wrong, but also that doing

those wrong things will help us make sure the bad guys don’t hurt anyone anymore. Just make

sure whatever call you’re making is for the right reasons, ya know,” he pointed to the sat phone,

“speaking of calls.”

She hit redial and waited for the detective to pick up again. “Detective Philips. Yeah patch me

through. 10-4.” She grabbed a notepad and pen from her pants pocket and held up one finger,

signaling she was on hold.

Joe jogged to the kitchen and grabbed two more waters from the fridge while she waited for

her dispatch to connect with the detectives she had on the ground. He blew through every possible

scenario in his mind of what they might find there. None of it was good, which gave him a nervous

twitch. He wanted to be wrong, for Kris’s sake, but his years in the line of duty taught him better.

They would be lucky to find anything in their favor.

“Right. Make sure everything is bagged and tagged. I want it all locked down. No one aside

from you two babysitting for now. I’ll be there asap. Make sure to ID and scan the local personnel

before allowing them access to the scene and don’t let anyone through without checking. Not

even me.”

Joe’s stomach fell to his feet. There was a crime scene to process, that much was clear, but

exactly what there was to investigate was his fear. The last thing he wanted to do was tell Kris

that he’d failed her and Alex was gone forever. That would be another child he’d have to lose

before he even got the chance to be a father. The universe sure loved to fuck him over.

“My guys found what looks to be the site of a hand off. There was one car still there, two guys

inside shot execution style. Local PD is on its way, but I’ve got my guys keeping watch. Seems

like Alex was delivered,” Annie recounted the details and tried not to look Joe in the eye. She’d

seen the look he had before. It was the look cops get before they do something stupid.

“We gotta go,” he shrugged. “I’ve gotta see it and we gotta get the kid. There’s no other way.”

She nodded, “Yup. Can I have my guns back now?”

Joe eyed her carefully. Worst case, she was full of shit and they’d all be murdered. Best case,

she really was on their side and just made a shitty call. Unfortunately, Joe didn’t have time to

debate. They needed to go if he was going to keep his promise and catch the bad guy, too. “Here.

If you’re lying about any of this, I’ll let her shoot you.”

Annie nodded again and slowly holstered her guns. She watched Joe zip around the cabin

packing provisions and gathering supplies. As a former Marine, he was trained in ways not many

cops were and his track record was proof of it. She’d learned a long time ago not to ask veterans

too many questions, seeing as how her ex-husband was one and had a severe case of PTSD,

but Joe was quite different. “What did you do when you were in the Marines that you have all this

equipment and can do all these G.I. Joe type things? No pun intended,” she smirked.

“If I told you, I’d have to kill you,” Joe said sarcastically. “Suffice it to say, I was trained to be

everywhere and nowhere and how to survive in unsurvivable conditions. Made me the perfect

soldier.”

“I’ll bet,” Annie pursed her lips. She never saw him in this light. As an executive at Rogue, he

was always so carefully poised. While he was ruggedly handsome, seeing him in his element

made him even sexier. Too bad she thought to herself. There was no way she’d ever have a

chance. The way he looked at Kristina was enough to tell her where his head, and his heart, were.

Joe threw a duffle at Annie and pointed her outside, “There’s a shed out there with extra ammo.

Grab as much as you can carry. We need all the extra clips, mags, grenades, whatever, just in

case. Watch your six.” He banged open the side door to the cabin with one hand while the other

held a rifle and swept side-to-side before he cleared her to go out. Once she entered the door of

the shed, he turned for the bedroom.

Kris sat on the bed, twirling her necklace between her fingers. Her mind was racing through

every possible conversation for the last few weeks, trying to think of anything that could help find

Alex. Nothing stood out and it was frustrating. She’d been wrapped up in work and her new project

and didn’t pay as much attention as she should have been and then, of course, going to lunch

with Joe threw the entire plan into motion. Had she just stayed...

“We’ve gotta go, princess. Grab your stuff,” Joe rushed in. Kris stood and froze, listening for

gunfire or explosions or anything that meant sudden doom. “Hey, look at me,” Joe grabbed the

sides of her face, “we are fine, alright? We have a lead and we have to go now.”

“We as in all three of us?” Kris couldn’t help her distaste. She wasn’t exactly trusting of the

woman who was responsible for having her son kidnapped.

Joe glanced at her and shook his head, “Yeah, the three of us. There’s a detail waiting for us

where they suspect a handoff was made. If I’m to keep my promise to you and bring Alex home,

we have to go before the trail runs cold. This is the kind of stuff I’m trained for, remember?”

She nodded, “I know, I’m sorry. I just don’t trust her.”

“That doesn’t matter right now. I figure there are one of two things that will happen. Door

number one: she’s telling the truth and she helps us find Alex and stop the bad guys. Door number

two: she’s working with the bad guys and will bring us to them anyway. If door number two is her

option, then you can shoot her in the head and I won’t do anything to stop you.” He threw the last

of the supplies in his duffle and turned to see Kris absentmindedly packing her things into her own

bag. “We’ll find him. I’ll get him back for you. I promised, didn’t I?”

She glanced up at him with tearful eyes, “Yeah we’ll find him.” She wiped her eyes with the

ends of her sleeves and cleared her throat. “I think I’ve got everything. I’m ready when you are.”

Joe took a few steps toward her and reached out his hand, “Let’s go get our boy.”

Kris smiled and took his outstretched hand. Although she questioned whether Joe would

actually be able to save Alex, his confidence eased her worry, even if for a short while. Focusing

on the task at hand was more important than her worries, whether she liked it or not. He was

highly trained so if anyone could pull it off, it would be him, but the question that kept plaguing her

mind was whether Alex was even still alive.

Annie was waiting by her car when Joe and Kris finally left the cabin. The duffle of ammo was

in the front passenger floorboard and the engine was running. She nodded to Joe and averted

her eyes from Kris, “The bag is on the floor up front. I’ll sit in back and let you drive. We’ll follow

the GPS.”

“Did you sweep the car?” Joe kneeled to look at the undercarriage of the town car as he spoke.

He handed Kris his bag while he searched, not really listening to anything Annie had to say

because he’d made up his mind to search it again regardless.

Annie smirked, “It doesn’t really matter if I did, does it?”

“No, not really,” Kris replied curtly.

“Right,” Annie said before hopping into the backseat with a sigh. It was going to be a long ass

ride.

Joe finished his sweep and took the bags from Kris, “Doesn’t hurt to be thorough, yeah?”

“I expect nothing less from you,” Kris smiled sadly.

“Right,” Joe opened the passenger door and gave Kris a quick kiss securing her into the seat.

“I can put my own seatbelt on, Joe. I’m not five,” she scoffed.

He winked, “I know.”

She shook her head and snatched the bag out of his hand. While he whipped around the car,

she positioned both the bags at her feet, unzipping them and setting them up for easy access. If

they were in some type of firefight, she needed to be able to reach everything without much

trouble. She managed to check and reload her handguns and threw an extra clip to Annie. Sure,

she could be arming the enemy, but it seemed she was on the up and up at the moment.

“Where did you learn about all of this stuff? Nothing in your files said anything about you being

familiar with weapons or even anything remotely close to it,” Annie asked with piqued interest.

Kris turned to face her, “When you have someone hunting you down, you take it upon yourself

to do everything you can to learn how to protect you and yours. When knowing how to disarm

someone or shoot faster or better could be the only way to survive, you do what you have to do

to learn.”

Kris’ intensity struck Annie to the bone. It was clear that, deep down, she always knew that

she wasn’t truly safe in the program. She felt it and knew it was more than necessary to learn how

to protect herself and her son and it was best if no one knew. She was smarter than they’d given

her credit for, it seemed.

“For what it’s worth, if I would have known how deep this went, I would have made a different

choice. I know you don’t believe a word that comes out of my mouth, and I don’t blame you, but

I’ll do everything I can to make this right.”

“And what if Alex is dead? How would you make that right?” Kris’ anger welled up again.

“He isn’t dead,” Joe interjected as he hopped in the driver’s seat. “They’ve left a trail for us to

follow, that means they want us to find them and where they’ve taken Alex. If the goal had been

to kill him, they would have just blown up the cabin. There’s a reason they took him, we just

haven’t figured out what it is yet, but he is not dead.”

Neither Kris nor Annie dared to argue. Joe's words hung heavily in the air, nearly suffocating

them all. Alex wasn’t dead -- he couldn't be dead. If he were dead, that meant Joe couldn’t keep

his promise and he refused to believe that was even an option. He couldn’t save his son, but

maybe he could save Alex.

Chapter 21

The car ride was mostly quiet aside from the occasional phone call between Annie and her

people. Kris had a hard time sitting still. Between the headlights of the cars whipping past and her

heart racing, she was ready to scream. Patience was never her strong suit, but it was virtually

nonexistent when it came to Alex. If he was hurt or worse, they’d have to shoot her because she

was going on a rampage.

“Take the next left into the shipyard. My guys are posted up behind aisle EE. You’ll see the red

and blues,” Annie called out and Joe grunted and laid hard into the turn, squealing the tired as he

followed her directions.

All three of them were ready to run as soon as the car stopped. The doors flew open before

Joe even had the SUV in park and Kris was the first to the yellow tape. “Let me in,” she spat at

the marshal on the other side of the tape. He raised his eyebrows, but the sharp look from Annie

told him to comply or regret it. As the tape was lifted, Annie put her hand on Kris’ arm to guide her

around the scene.

“Keep to the perimeter and anything that has a marker next to it is being photographed and

processed. We can’t touch it, but you can look at it, okay? This is all evidence and it has to be

collected correctly in order to use it against them,” Annie instructed. “Remember, I’m trying to fix

my fuck up.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” Kris replied. “Don’t ever fucking touch me again.”

Joe managed to catch up just as Annie swiftly removed her hand from Kris’ arm and he sighed.

The last thing he needed was a cat fight, but there was no way Kris was going to chill out unless

there was something concrete to change her mind. Lord help them all

He glanced around the scene, taking in the evidence placards that were being swabbed and

photographed. The smashed cell phone was among them - which he’d expected. The first thing

anyone does when kidnapping someone is to destroy their means of communication and

detection. It wouldn’t be very effective to allow them to keep the one thing they can use to get you

caught. There were a lot of shoe prints in the dusty asphalt and some drops of what could be

blood, but it wasn’t enough to cause alarm. There were also tire tracks, which were clearly also

expected, but it was the amount of tire tracks that were unusual.

“Annie, do you see this?” Joe called out while he pointed at the ground. “I’ve got tracks from a

presumably large vehicle, probably an SUV. It was parked here and it looks like another over

there, but then there are these smaller treads in the tracks. What do you make of that?

Annie knelt down to look closer and took some photos with her phone where she could zoom

and see it more clearly. “Could that be an ATV or a motorcycle?”

She handed the phone to Joe and he examined the tracks, too. They were definitely from a

smaller, two-wheeled vehicle. Most likely a motorcycle or a sport bike to be more precise. The

cruisers had much larger tires where the tracks they were seeing were much smaller, but still fairly

defined.

“Anyone get the cam footage yet?” Joe asked absently while checking out the rest of the scene.

Kris watched him closely, waiting for any indication of a clue. She was ready to run around

screaming Alex’s name at the top of her lungs, but clearly that would be counterproductive.

Annie called one of her detectives and they brought her a tablet with a mostly clear video of

the exchange. Joe and Kris peered over her shoulder as they watched the events unfold with

trepidation.

Two large SUVs were parked and waiting when the third car pulled up and a woman,

presumably Kathleen, got out and pulled Alex from the back seat. It looked like his hands were

zip tied, and he stumbled to the ground in between the cars. A few seconds later, about four men

emerged from the SUVs and walked to the front of the cars, near Alex. The last man got out and

walked slowly until he was immediately in front of Alex and knelt to help him up.

Not one of them breathed while the video continued to play. Presumably, the man in front of

Alex was Erikson. One of the goons to the right searched Alex and tossed his phone to the ground

and stomped on it and then Erikson proceeded to slap Kathleen across the face - probably

because she didn’t seize the cell phone when she snatched Alex. Alex then spit at Erikson and

he moved toward Alex, but stopped suddenly when a motorcycle sped directly for Erikson and

caused him to dive off to the side. Alex hopped on the back of the bike and took off and the other

cars gave chase through the shipyard. The video cut out just as the SUVs sped off and Kathleen

managed to pick herself up off the ground and get back into the sedan.

“What the hell did we just see?” Kris shook her head. “So another person just swooped in a

snatched Alex? Is that what’s happening now?”

Annie glanced up at Joe who frowned at her in an intense way. She was making it increasingly

difficult for him to do his job. “It seems someone else did come to his rescue,” Annie answered

while rewinding and searching the tape.

“But...they left us a clue, too.” She handed Joe the tablet and pointed to the bike, “It has a

vanity plate. Can you make it out?”

Joe zoomed in on the pixelated image and forced his eyes to make out whatever they could of

the plate. “It looks like E-R-K-S-N-2. Erikson two, maybe?

“Erikson two? Like another Erikson or bike number two?” Annie thought out loud.

Joe shook his head and handed the tablet back to Annie, “Run it and get out a BOLO. We

need all the info possible about that owner. Whoever that was, now has Alex and we know nothing

more now than we did when we got here.”

Annie shared in Joe’s frustration and jogged over to her guys to get out the BOLO and trace

the bike. Meanwhile, Kris stared out over the scene, envisioning it as if she’d been there, trying

to play it out in her head. She walked around in a slow, deliberate circle, placing people in the

places the video showed, matching footprints and tire tracks. Something became fairly clear to

her as she replayed the scene in her mind; whoever rescued Alex had been waiting from the start,

hidden in the shadows. It wasn’t by happenstance - it was planned.

“Joe, they knew the hand off was happening here, the person on the bike I mean. Look at the

tire marks,” she walked over to where they began. “Why would the bike come from this direction?

Why wouldn't it have come from either direction of the cars? Whoever this is knew that Alex would

be handed over at this spot so they came here and waited. We didn’t see any tracks leading up

to the entrance of the bike so they probably were here while the yard was still open and the other

machinery was running. The tracks would have been destroyed, right? So now, the whole place

is pretty much shut down and this random bike appears out of thin air? Likely, they were perched

up in or on a container until they needed to swoop in.”

Joe followed her logic. It was reasonable to think that if the marshals had a mole, the bad guys

did as well. The question remained, was the rescuer another bad guy or a good guy and did Alex

know who it was? Could this have been his missing buddy? “You’re probably right. Annie,” Joe

called. “Have your guys go through all the footage from today and figure out where else that bike

pops up. We’re on the clock here so chop-chop.

Annie signed okay to Joe, while cursing him under her breath. She’d already told her guys to

check all the footage. She wasn’t a rookie - even if she had made a pretty rookie mistake. NYPD

had a good cop in Joe, but he was annoying as piss when he tried to tell her how to do her job.

She glanced at Kris, who was staring out into the night, and pangs of guilt tugged at her heart.

Alex was gone, yet again, and this time they had absolutely no clue who was involved.

Kris stared in the direction the bike fled, willing for some type of telepathic epiphany. Something

about the entire situation was so off - like there was a giant piece of the puzzle sitting right in front

of her face and she just wasn’t seeing it. There was something she felt she should know, but didn’t

have the slightest clue what is actually was and it was driving her mad. Alex was always one to

keep himself out of trouble, so why was it so important for him to keep digging this time? What

did he find that was so important that he didn’t turn in all these criminals? He knew about Joe. He

knew about Kathleen and Annie, but he didn’t tell her a thing about it. What the hell did he find?

“You look like your head is about to explode, princess. What’s up?” Joe draped a blanket over

Kris’ shoulders. Apparently she had been shivering, but didn’t notice until attempting to talk.

“Alex has never been the type to hide anything, Joe. He’s usually brutally honest. What

happened this time? What did he find that made him keep this a secret? Why would he even think

to keep it a secret when he saw how massive this was? None of this makes any sense and I feel

like I’m missing something significant,” Kris sniffled and wiped her nose with her sleeve. “What

has happened to my son?”

Joe sighed and wrapped massive arms around her shivering body. “Welcome to what it feels

like to be a cop. We see and hear all the evidence and have to find the missing pieces for it all to

make sense. Sometimes we never get all the pieces and other times, we never expect what we

find. That’s one reason why this job takes a toll. People’s lives depend on us being able to figure

out the ultimate puzzle and when we can’t people can die. But when we get it right, that makes

the win that much sweeter.

“Do you think we’ll win this one?” She looked into his sad eyes and knew he was going to lie

to her because he wanted it to be true himself.

Joe looked into her big brown eyes and felt his heart break a little. His cop brain was playing

statistics, but his civilian brain was praying to God the statistics were on their side. It was hard to

see the sadness in her eyes and lie. “I know we’ll find Alex and whoever has taken him. I can

make you that promise, at least.”

She nodded, “Do you think he’s hurt? Do you think he’s alive?”

“Oh sweetie,” he kissed her forehead. “I think Alex is a strong kid and resilient. I think he’s

going to do everything he can to survive. Realistically, the sooner we find him, the better the

chance of him being alive or unharmed. I want to tell you that he will be one hundred percent

perfect when we find him, but I can’t. Just take my word that I’ll do everything I can to find him.”

“Thanks for not lying to me. I know you want to,” she smirked. “It means a lot that you’re still

here and sticking by us. I’ll owe you my, and potentially Alex’s, life after this.”

He wrapped his arms around her a bit tighter, “I’ll take you, and Alex, up on that.” Joe held her

as tight as he could for as long as he could before Annie interrupted their moment.

“Sorry guys, but I’ve got a lead. We’ve gotta go,” she ushered them back to the car. “There’s

a bike registered to a Jacob Eyers with that vanity plate up town. I’ve punched the address into

the GPS.”

“Why would someone have ERKSN2 as their plate if they aren’t related to Erikson? That

doesn’t make any sense,” Kris wondered out loud. Joe just grunted and raced toward their new

potential crime scene.

Chapter 22

When they finally exited the freeway, Joe managed to maneuver the SUV between several

lanes of traffic with relative ease while Annie and Kris clinged to the door handles for dear life.

Kris bit the inside of her cheek as they squealed around another turn and gave Joe a sharp look.

While she appreciated his enthusiasm, it would have been nice to get there alive.

“Sorry,” he glanced over at her and shook his head. “I just want to find him.”

She reached over and squeezed his arm, “I know, me too. Just try to keep all the wheels on

the ground. We can’t find him if we’re dead.”

The GPS chimed that they were reaching their destination and Joe slowed substantially,

searching everywhere for the bike. At the last turn, he pulled the car into a lot between some

warehouses. The sun was setting and it was going to be a bitch to navigate through the decrepit

buildings, but there were three of them and enough firepower to probably level at least one of the

buildings.

“So how are we doing this?” Annie asked while sifting through the duffle of ammo. It took a

grand total of five seconds for her to realize she was the only one making any moves. She looked

up to ask what the deal was when she say Kris and Joe staring wide-eyed out of the windshield.

About one hundred feet in front of the car, Alex stood with his hands zip tied in front of him,

tears streaming down his cheeks, and dried blood at the corner of his mouth. The silhouette of a

man behind him had them all on alert - not knowing whether the perp had a gun or knife or any

manner of weapon.

Kris rolled her window down and called out, “Alex! Are you alright?”

“Mom!” Alex yelled back. “Mom, stay in the car!” The collar of his sweatshirt was jerked back

and he made a gagging sound. Kris immediately cocked the handgun and slipped it in the back

of her pants to match the one shoved into her boot, before jumping from the car.

Joe tried to grab her, but it was no use. She ran to the front of the car and held out her hands,

“You don’t want him, he’s just a kid! He has nothing to do with this!”

Alex was shoved forward and he stumbled a bit, only to be caught by the back of his sweatshirt

again. Puffs of smoky breath surrounded him, obscuring the perp even more. Kris was trying to

keep her cool, but every time Alex winced or made a reaction like he was in pain, she inched

closer and closer to recklessness.

“You’ve still not figured it out, have you?” The perp finally spoke, still shielded by Alex’s body.

“All this time you’ve had to figure it out and you still are just as clueless as back then.”

“Mom, don’t listen...” Alex coughed as his sweater was jerked back, choking him.

Kris hissed, “Don’t you fucking touch him again, or I will kill you.”

“Please,” the man said condescendingly. “Don’t make me laugh. You think you have the

stomach for something like that? I mean, you don’t even like scary movies.”

“You know nothing about me,” Kris spat. Slowly, Joe took advantage of the distraction and

slipped out of the SUV to lie on the ground where he had a clear shot of the perp. All he needed

was one excuse.

“Don’t I?” He pushed Alex out of the way and stepped into the light.

It took a full fifteen seconds before Kris recognized him. Fifteen seconds felt like an eternity

when she recalled the moments they’d spent together within them. Fifteen seconds to fit together

all the pieces of the puzzle. Fifteen seconds for her heart to break all over again.

“Jake?” Her voice trembled. “But you died. You were dead. What....”

“Well, no, I didn’t die. That was a cover. At the time, I didn’t want to do it, but it was necessary.

Things were getting...complicated,” Jake shrugged. “I mean, your family owed my family money

and I was only supposed to be there to make sure everything was on the up and up, not to knock

up their daughter.”

She felt like a lead weight dropped in her stomach, “Owed you money? What are you talking

about?”

“I was never a soldier, Leesa. Oh wait, it’s Kristina now, right? Whatever, it doesn’t really

matter. I was in over my head and my father decided it was time to pay the piper. So, he set me

up to leave and I didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter. I mean, I tried to get you to

leave, but you wouldn’t. I didn’t want my son to be mixed up in that either, but you refused to go

anywhere. What was I supposed to do? My father warned me that it might come to pass and I

had to deal with the consequences.”

“So,” Kris felt the anger bubble to the surface with a fury. “You left us to die because we were

consequences? You did a great job acting. I mean, really, you should get a fucking Oscar. I really

thought you were in love with me, but I guess I was supposed to. Your father definitely raised you

in his image. Look at you, taking over the syndicate and everything. He must be proud.”

“He’s dead,” Jake replied flatly. “My father died in prison about six months ago. Since then,

I’ve been cleaning up his messes, trying to tie up loose ends and get the hell out of dodge. I’m

sure you can imagine my surprise when I realize my step-mother is an undercover double agent

who’s kept tabs on you since you were thrown into witness protection with my son and they didn’t

tell me. Imagine, losing everything and then finding out they were actually just hidden from you.”

Kris laughed, “Oh spare me the sob story! My family was murdered right in front of my eyes.

You didn’t seem to give a shit then, did you. Oh, and he’s not your son. Not anymore. The day

you decided to let us die for your father’s vendetta is the day he ceased to be your son. For your

own good, I suggest you hand him over.”

Jake smiled menacingly, “Why? So your boyfriend can swoop in and save the day? The great

Detective Joe Farello of the NYPD! Did you know he got his partner killed before he took on his

little white collar case at Rogue? Well, I guess he didn’t actual get him killed, but he definitely

didn’t do anything to stop it. Pretty shitty cop, if you ask me.”

Joe smirked, thinking it would be great to shoot the guy right in the balls. Kris laughed and

shook her head, “Man, you have a death wish. I don’t care what you’re planning to do with your

crime syndicate, just give Alex to me and we’ll go.”

“HIS NAME IS JACOB!” Kris jumped as Jake yelled in her face.

“My name,” Alex said between clenched teeth. “Is Alex Newton. You are not my father and I’m

sorry to even share the same gene pool as you. And don’t you ever yell at my mom again!” Alex

charged after Jake, knocking him down to the ground with extreme force.

Just as Jake’s upper body hit the ground, so did the hand holding the handgun. Shots rang out

as Kris dove to shield Alex with her body. Her ears were ringing and her head felt like it was on

fire, but her only concern was Alex. Within seconds the shooting stopped and she rolled sideways

to see Alex’s shivering face staring at his now deceased father’s bullet riddled body as it lay on

the ground.

“Alex. Alex look at me!” She grabbed his face and forced his gaze away from the gruesome

scene. “Alex, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

He shook his head no, but shivered still. He was in shock, but alive and that’s all that mattered.

“Joe! Annie!” She called out and Annie ran to where they were lying on the ground. She scooped

Alex into her arms and ushered him over to their SUV.

Joe checked Jake’s vitals and mentally recorded his time of death after kicking away the guns

and anything else that could be used as a weapon. He’d already called in their location and details

to dispatch. Now, they just had to wait for the caravan and it would all be over.

Kris sat on the ground, blankly staring at the wreckage in front of her. She stared at the face

of the man who’d stolen her heart so long ago and wondered how much of it was actually true, if

at all. Did he ever love her? Was he always just on the payroll? Clearly, he couldn’t have cared

too much if he managed to leave them behind to endure the wrath of his father.

“Kris, are you alright?” Joe asked softly. She jumped anyway, remembering where she was

and what had happened.

Kris reached out for Joe’s hand and he gently helped her off the ground. “Is Alex alright? Is he

still in shock?” She asked shakily.

Joe nodded, “He’ll be fine. He’s a brave kid, I’ll give him that one. A little dumb, but brave. Are

you alright?”

She nodded her head repeatedly, trying to will her tears away. After all those years, it shouldn’t

matter to her what happened with Jake, but regretfully, it did. “I didn’t know. How could I not have

known? I was just so stupid.” Kris sobbed into Joe’s shirt.

Sirens wailed in the distance and Joe breathed a little easier. They’d caught one of the bad

guys and the others could wait a few days. He’d kept his promise and found Alex and he and Kris

were more or less safe. He wrapped his arms tighter around Kris and she wailed in pain.

“What’s wrong? What hurts?” He searched her eyes for the answer, but they rolled into the

back of her head as she fainted in his arms. Panic shook him as he searched for it, the bullet

wound he hoped missed her when Jake hit the ground. There it was, about an inch above her

heart, soaking her blue shirt to a deep red.

“Oh no, no, no, you stay with me, Kris!” He applied heavy pressure to the wound to stop more

blood from escaping. Of course it was too much to ask to come out complete unscathed. Luckily,

the ambulance pulled in a few minutes later and he sat silently beside the EMTs as they worked

to save the woman he loved.

Chapter 23

Kris awoke under the haze of heavy pain killers and trashy tv in the background. Looking

around the hospital room, she saw Alex sitting in a chair with his legs propped over the side,

eating a bag of chips with one arm in a sling. Annie was clicking away at her laptop which was

propped in the window sill. Her eyes moved slower than usual, which was frustrating, but she

didn’t want to move yet.

“Hey beautiful,” Joe whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek softly. “You kinda scared the

shit outta me.”

Kris smiled, “Good. Consider it payback for your shitty driving,” she croaked.

“Mom!” Alex jumped up and ran to the bed, throwing himself across her body. “How do you

feel? Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

Joe laughed, “Well, aside from having a hundred and twenty-pound kid suffocating her, I’m

sure she feels amazing.”

Kris wrapped her heavy arms around her son and squeezed him as tight as she could. She

wasn’t sure how long she was out of it, but it felt like years. “Are you okay?”

Alex looked at her with a sour expression, “Really, Mom? You’re lying in a hospital bed and

you’re asking me if I’m okay?”

Kris tried to laugh, but it hurt enough she winced. “Ow, that doesn’t feel great.”

“Do you need the nurse? I’ll go get the nurse,” Annie rushed from the room without another

word.

Kris raised her eyebrows and Joe chuckled, “She feels horrible about all of this. She’s been

overcompensating a bit. I don’t blame her; I’d feel pretty shitty if my witness almost died after

solving her own case.”

Alex snorted and Kris frowned at Joe. “I didn’t solve my own case and don’t be mean to her. It

could have been must worse. At least we’re all safe now.”

Her words hung in the air as they all knew the truth. Where one kingpin fell, another filled his

place. The still hadn’t caught up with Olivier or Kathleen. The marshals were gathering intel and

vetting all their personnel. Annie wasn’t going to let the same thing happen again - or at the very

least she was going to do her part to keep everyone safe.

Alex kissed Kris on the cheek and she squeezed his hand. He nodded at Joe and left the room

to give them some privacy. It still amazed her how grown he’d become when she wasn’t looking.

It was scary to think that he’d soon be out on his own and wouldn’t need her anymore. Then again,

she was pretty proud of that, too.

Joe kissed the hand he held onto tightly, “Well, you’ll have a sweet scar to show for all of this,

so that’s cool. I have a few I can show you someday. If you want to see them, of course.”

“Thank you,” they locked eyes. “You kept your word and I couldn’t be more thankful. You saved

our lives, Joe.”

“It was the least I could do,” he shrugged.

“I know it was your job and all...”

“That’s not what I mean,” he interjected. “Saving your lives was the least I could do because

you saved mine, Kristina. I didn’t like the man I was before meeting you and stumbling into this

crazy case. If I had to save your life every day for the rest of my life, I would.”

A tear slid down the side of her face, “Alright, Romeo. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. I

mean, we’ve only known each other for a week.”

Joe smiled and nodded, “You’re right. I’ll wait a few days longer.”

They both laughed and Kris coughed again. A few minutes later, the nurse came in and gave

her whatever medicine was needed to make her feel like less ass. Getting shot sucked. Her left

arm felt sore and her lungs were on fire if she breathed in too deeply. Overall, it could have been

much, much worse, so she didn’t really care.

A few days later, she was released to go home and was giddy to finally leave the hospital. She

couldn’t wait to be back in her bed and in her home with all her things and surrounded by

everything that made up her new life. She was never more willing to shut the door on her past

than after finding out the man she’d been grieving half her life was really part of the mafia family

that killed everyone she loved and ruined her life. Good riddance.

“So, I have a surprise for you,” Joe said as they drove away from the hospital.

“Should I be worried?” She teased.

“Ha ha,” he said flatly and glanced at her sideways. “No, this is a good surprise. Put on that

blindfold for me.”

“Joe, I don’t think...”

Alex sighed, “Just do it, Mom.” She made a face at him and reluctantly put the blindfold over

her eyes and held out the ends for Alex to tie, since she couldn’t really lift her left arm.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a long drive from the hospital to wherever they were going, but her

patience was mostly gone. She didn’t entirely love surprises, so Joe was lucky she was falling for

him. The thought stopped her short - she was actually falling in love with him. The man had literally

put his life on the line for her and Alex and stuck around after the excitement was gone, just like

he said he would. She had to admit, it kind of gave her butterflies in her stomach.

“Alright, we’re here. Hang on, I’ll help you out,” Joe jumped from the car and quickly ran around

to the passenger side. “Here we go.” Alex hopped out of the car, too, and stood between Joe and

his mom. He wanted to see her face more than anything.

“Okay, go ahead and take off the blindfold,” Joe said softly and she slipped it off her head

quickly.

He stood in front of her with both hands balled up and held out like he was holding something.

“So, after you got shot and passed out in my arms, I realized two things. One, with the exception

of my son, I’d never been so scared of losing someone in my life. For the hours you were in

surgery, until the day you opened your eyes again, I was in agony. I love you, Kris. There’s no

question of that.

“Two, there’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight any time soon and until there’s official word,

you can’t go back to the place you were living before because it isn’t safe for either of you. The

people out there who might still try looking for either of you know where you live and how to get

to you. So, you need a new place to live, which I have.

“I figured, you have two options here. You can pick a hand and whatever is in that hand, you

get to keep. If you pick the key, you can live here while they find you another place to stay and I’ll

stay out of your hair, if you want. Or, you can pick the ring and promise to marry me one day.”

Her heart was beating out of her chest, “No.”

“No?” His smile faded a bit.

“If you’re going to ask me to marry you, you better do that shit right, Joe Farello. I’m not going

to engage myself to you,” she smiled.

Realization flashed across his eyes and he grabbed her hands in his and knelt down, “Kristina,

I have fallen in love with you under the messiest and most inconvenient circumstances anyone

could ever imagine and I wouldn’t change it for a second. I want nothing more than to spend the

rest of my messy and inconvenient life with you. Will you marry me?”

Kris glanced and Alex and he smiled and nodded to her. “Yes, Joe. I’ll marry you,” she smiled

brightly and threw her arms around his neck. He laughed lightly and stood, pulling her up off the

ground and kissing her everywhere he could. “I guess that means I get the key, too, right?”

Joe laughed out loud, “You can have anything you want, princess.”

Books by Lisa Logue

Legacy of Secrets Series:

Cursed Secrets: Book 1

Fire & Ice: A Legacy of Secrets Novella (1.5)

Binding Secrets: Book 2

Soul Covenant: A Legacy of Secrets Novella (2.5)

Fiery Secrets: Book 3

Blood Promise: A Legacy of Secrets Novella (3.5) (Winter 2018)

Shattered Secrets: Book 4 (coming soon)

The Beginning: A Legacy of Secrets Novella (4.5) (coming soon)

A Shifter’s Tale

Thea’s Reawakening

Leyla’s Vindication (Spring 2019)

Undercover Series

Falling Undercover

Loving Undercover (coming soon)

...and many more!!

Lisa Logue has written everything from poetry and short stories to her debut novel Cursed

Secrets. Originally from Long Island, NY, she now resides in Tennessee with her family

including

her

two

sons.

At the age of seven, Lisa began writing short stories depicting dramatic scenes of abusive

relationships and murder/mysteries. After several calls home from the teacher, Lisa made it

clear that while the stories seemed real, her imagination created the drama. But it didn't stop

there. After the short stories came poetry, with which she received many awards and won

several contests. Her earlier poems were published in coffee table books and various online

websites,

proving

she's

no

stranger

to

the

written

word.

After a long two years, the first edition of Cursed Secrets was finally published in February

2012. Lisa is constantly working to improve and adapt her writing to intrigue and entice

readers. As an avid reader herself, creating "real" characters has been an important part of

the project. While Cursed Secrets encompasses a variety of supernatural characters, the

human

element

is

prominent

and

relatable.

When Lisa isn't writing, she's spending time with her family, working, or attending classes

for her degree. She also loves to read and often finds herself curled up in a snuggie with a

glass of wine. Spending time with her boyfriend of almost five years and their friends is

another enjoyment and break from crazy daily life.

“A successful person is a dreamer whom someone believed in…”

Find more information about Lisa and her books at:

http://www.lisaloguebooks.com

Follow Lisa on Twitter at:

www.twitter.com/littlelisa22

Follow Lisa on Instagram at:

http://instagram.com/all_things_lisa

Like Lisa’s fanpage on Facebook at:

www.facebook.com/lisaloguebooks

See Lisa’s blog journal at:

http://www.lisaloguebooks.com/journal