The words seemed final somehow. As if Josh had accepted something was about to happen and there was no going back.

He removed her hands and crossed his arms across his chest, tilting his head to stare at the top of hers because she was frightened to meet his hazel eyes. Frightened of the desperation she might see there.

“I made you the guardian of the twins last year.”

“Without asking me?”

“Yeah. I was afraid you’d say no.” Josh shrugged and lifted the corner of his mouth in a little smile. “You asked what I was willing to do. They’re my kids, Tracey. I’ll do anything for them, including prison time.”

“Just tell me what to do.”

“Nothing. You can’t be involved in this. It has to be me.” She believed him. She had to. But she couldn’t promise to stay out of his way. She meant what she’d said about doing anything for Jackson and Sage. And if that meant she was the one who went to jail … so be it.

Hard Core Law
Angi Morgan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ANGI MORGAN writes Mills & Boon Intrigue novels where honor and danger collide with love. Her work is a multiple contest finalist, RWA Golden Heart® Award winner and Publishers Weekly bestseller. When not fostering Labradors, she drags her dogs—and husband—around Texas for research road trips so she can write off her camera. See her photos on bit.ly/aPicADay. Somehow, every detour makes it into a book. She loves to hear from fans at www.angimorgan.com or on Facebook at Angi Morgan Books.

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There is never a book without my pals Jan, Robin, Jen, Lizbeth and Janie. Lena Diaz, thanks for the brilliant ideas and personal information you shared about raising a child with diabetes. Tim … I love you, man!

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Prologue

“It was great to meet you. Night.” The last of the birthday guests waved from their cars.

Tracey Cassidy stood at the front door waving goodbye to another couple she barely knew. Two sets of little arms stretched around her thighs, squeezing with an appropriate four-and-a-half-year-old grunt.

“What are you two doing up? I tucked you in three hours ago.”

“Happy birthday,” they said in unison.

Jackson and Sage giggled until the sound of a dish breaking in the kitchen jerked them from their merriment. Their faces, so similar but different, held the same surprise and knowledge that their daddy was in super big trouble.

“Daddy’s going to get it now.” Sage nodded until her auburn curls bounced.

“Hurry.” Tracey patted them on the backsides and pointed them in the right direction. “Back upstairs before the Major has to scoop you up there himself. You know you’ll have extra chores if he catches you down here.”

The twins took each stair with a giant tiptoeing motion. It would have been hilarious to watch them, but their dad was getting a bit louder and might come looking for her to help.

“Scoot, and there’s sprinkles on Friday’s ice-cream cone.”

Bribery worked. They ran as fast as their short legs could carry them up the carpeted staircase. Tracey was sure their dad heard the bedroom door close. Then again, he was making enough noise to wake the barn cats.

“Tracey!” he finally yelled, seeking help. “Where’s the dustpan?”

Hurrying to the back of the house, she found Major Josh Parker holding several pieces of broken glass in one hand and the broom in the other. A juggler holding his act. Yep, that’s what he looked like. He was still completely out of his element in the kitchen. Or the laundry. Good thing he had a maid.

“It should have been in the closet with the broom. Here, let me take these.” She reached for the pieces of crystal covered in the remnants of spinach artichoke dip.

“I’m good.” He raised the mess out of her reach. “Sorry about the bowl. I thought I was actually helping for once. Damn thing slipped right out of my hand.”

“Here, just put it in this.” She pulled the covered trash can over to the mess and popped the lid open.

“Hell, Tracey, you don’t have your shoes on. This thing splintered into a thousand pieces.”

Two forbidden words in one conversation? She’d never seen Josh even the little tiniest bit tipsy. But the group had toasted a lot tonight. First her birthday, then an engagement, then to another couple who’d looked at each other like lovebirds. Then to her birthday again.

“Are you a little drunk?” She ignored his warning and crossed the kitchen to look for the dustpan, which was hanging on the wall of the pantry exactly where it should have been. She turned to tell Josh and walked straight into his chest.

“Well, would you look at that.” He cocked his head to the side emphasizing his boyish dimple. “If it had been a snake it would have bitten me.”

“Bitten a big chunk right out of your shoulder.” She tapped him with the corner for emphasis, but he still didn’t back up out of the doorway.

Josh leaned his forehead against the wood and exhaled a long “whew” sound. The smell of whiskey was strong. He had definitely drunk a little more than she’d ever witnessed. Maybe a little more than he should have. But he’d also been enjoying the company of his friends. Something long overdue. Most of his free time was spent with the twins.

“We need a cardboard box or something. This stuff—” He brought the glass from his side to his chest. “It’ll bust through plastic.”

His head dropped to the door frame and he closed his eyes. This time he relinquished the broken glass to her and backed up with some guidance. She helped him to the table, set a cold bottle of water in front of him and went about cleaning the floor.

Technically, it wasn’t her job. She was officially off duty because Josh was home. But she couldn’t leave him with his head on the kitchen table and glass all over the place. The kids would get up at their normal time, even if it was a Saturday. And the maid service wouldn’t stop back around until Tuesday.

“The way you look right now, this mess might still be here after school Monday.”

She moved around the edge of the tiled kitchen avoiding as much of the mess as she could. He was right about one thing, glass was everywhere. She retrieved her sandals from the living room next to the couch. She’d kicked them off while watching the men in Josh’s company interact with one another.

The wives hadn’t meant to exclude her, but she wasn’t one of them. She was the hired help. The nanny. She detested that word and told those who needed to know that she was the child care provider. In between a few bits of conversation, she silently celebrated in the corner. Not just her birthday, but also the achievement of receiving her PhD.

I need to tell him.

She pulled her sandals from where they’d crept under the couch and slipped them on her feet.

“They weren’t very...approachable tonight, were they.” A statement. Josh didn’t seem to need an answer. One hand scrubbed at his face, while the other held a depleted water bottle. “Sorry ’bout this.”

“Hey, nothing to be sorry for. The cake was out of this world.”

“Vivian ordered it.”

“Yeah, I was sorry she couldn’t stay.” Josh’s receptionist had done her best to keep Tracey involved in the conversations. “Would you sit down before you fall down?”

“I’m not drunk. Just real tired. We’ve been working a lot, you know.”

“I do. I’ve been spending way too many nights here. The neighbors are going to start talking.”

“Let ’em.” He grinned and let his head drop to the back of the couch cushions. “They can whinny all they want. And moo. Or just howl at the moon. I might even join ’em.”

“I think you need a dog to howl.”

Josh’s closest neighbor was about three miles away. He did have several horses, three barn cats and let JimBob Watts run cattle on their adjoining field. No one was really going to know if she was there all night or not.

No one but them.

They’d become lax about it recently. Whatever case the Texas Rangers were working on had been keeping him at Company F Headquarters in Waco. The case would soon be over—at least their part in it. She’d gathered that info from one or two of those whiskey toasts.

Tracey looked around the room. Plastic cups, paper plates with icing, napkins, forks. How could ten people make such a mess? A couple of the women had tried to offer their help, but everyone had seemed to leave at the same time.

Of course, the man now asleep on the couch, might have mentioned it was late. And if she worked in his office, she might misinterpret that as an order to get out. Tracey sighed and picked up a trash bag. What did one more late night matter?

Not like she had any reason to rush back to her campus apartment. She dropped two plastic cups into the bag and continued making her way around the room. She might as well clean up a little. It was mostly throwaway stuff and it wasn’t fair to make the twins help their dad.

After all, it had been her birthday party.

Josh had his hands full just keeping up with the twins. The floor would be horrible by Tuesday if she didn’t pass a mop across it. So she cleaned the floors and stored the cake—not to mention put the whiskey bottle above the refrigerator. On the second pass through the living room, she took a throw from the storage ottoman and covered her boss.

It might be triple-digit weather outside, but Josh kept the downstairs like a freezer. She draped the light blanket across him and his hand latched on to hers.

* * *

JOSH SHOULD BE ashamed of himself for letting Tracey clean up while he faked sleep. Should be. He wasn’t drunk. Far from it. He was hyperaware of every one of Tracey’s movements.

“Tonight didn’t go exactly like I planned.”

“Oh shoot. I don’t know why you scared me, but I thought you were asleep. It was fun. A total surprise.” She placed her hand on top of his, patting it as if she was ready to be let loose. She also didn’t have a mean bone in her body. She’d never intentionally hurt his feelings.

But Josh had to hold on. If he let her go, he might not ever get the courage again. “You’re lying. You were miserable. I should have invited your friends.”

“It was great. Really.” She patted his hand again. “I better head out.”

“No.” He stood, letting her hand go but trapping her shoulders under his grip. He lightened up. “I mean. Can you stay a couple of minutes? I didn’t give you your present.”

“But you threw the party and everything.”

Was it his hopeful imagination that her words were a little breathier when he touched her? Touching was a rare occurrence now that the twins walked themselves up to bed and didn’t need to be carried. Not his imagination. Her chest under the sleeveless summer shirt was rising and falling faster.

One wayward strand of dark red hair that she tried so hard to keep in place was curled in the middle of her forehead. Most of the time she shoved it back in with the rest, but he practically had her hands pinned at her sides. This time, he followed through on a simple pleasure. He took the curl between his fingers and gently tucked it away.

Josh allowed the side of his hand to caress the soft skin of Tracey’s cheek. His fingertips whispered across her lips and her eyes closed. It was time. Now. A conscious decision. No spur-of-the-moment accident.

He leaned down as he tilted her chin up. Their lips connected and his hands wrapped around her, smashing her body into his. They molded together and all the dormant parts of his soul ignited.

Four years since he’d really held a woman in his arms. The last lips he’d tasted had been a sweet goodbye. It had been a long time since he’d thought about passion.

Tracey’s eyes opened when he hesitated for a split second. He didn’t see fear or surprise—only passion waiting for him. He kissed her again, not allowing them time to think or reconsider.

Her lips tasted like the coconut-flavored lip balm she recently began using. But her mouth tasted of the butter-flavored icing from her birthday cake. Lips soft and rich. Her body was toned, yet pliant against him.

Yes, he analyzed it all. Every part of her. He wanted to remember just in case he never got another chance.

Intimacy hadn’t been his since... Since... He couldn’t allow himself to go in that direction. Tracey was in his arms. Tracey’s body was responding to his caresses.

Their lips parted. He wanted to race forward, but they needed a beginning first. He’d worked it all out a hundred times in his head. This was logical. Start with a kiss, let her know he wanted more.

“Okay, that was...surprising for a birthday present.”

No doubt about it, her voice was shaking with breathlessness.

“Sorry, that wasn’t it. I kept the box at the office so the kids couldn’t say anything. It’s in the truck.” He slipped his hands into his jeans pockets to stop them from pointing to one more thing. One step away from her and he wondered if she was breathless or so surprised she didn’t know how to react.

“Josh?”

No.

“It’ll just take a sec.”

Tracey caught up with him and followed him onto the porch. “Maybe I should go home?” She smiled and rubbed his arm like a pal.

“Right.” He slipped his thumbs inside his front pockets. He lifted his chin when he realized it was tucked to his chest.

“It’s just... Well, you’ve been drinking and I don’t want...” Her voice trailed off the same way it did when she was sharing something negative about the twins’ behavior. She didn’t want to disappoint him. Ever.

“Got it.” He marched to her car and forced himself not to yank the door off the hinges.

“Don’t be mad. It’s not that I didn’t—”

“Tracey. I got it.”

And he did. All he knew about Tracey was that she’d been there for him and the kids. Assuming she felt the same when— Dammit, he didn’t know anything about her life outside their small world here.

“I’m going to head out.” Purse over her shoulder, she waved from the front door of her car. “Night.” She waved and gently shut the door behind her.

Change is a mistake. Nah, he’d had this debate with himself for weeks. It was time to move on. He couldn’t be afraid of what might or might not happen.

Tracey’s tires spun a little in the gravel as she pulled away. He hoped like hell that he hadn’t scared her away. From him, maybe. But she wouldn’t leave the twins, right? She was the only mother they’d ever had in their lives.

For a while, he’d thought he admired her for that. But this wasn’t all about the kids. He needed her to say that she felt something for him. Because four years was long enough.

He was ready to love again.

Chapter One

Nothing. Two weeks since Josh Parker had kissed her, and then avoided her like the plague. Two weeks and she’d barely seen him. Adding insult to injury, he’d even hired a teenager to watch the kids a couple of nights.

Tracey tilted the rearview mirror to get a better view of Jackson and Sage. They were too quiet. Smiling at each other in twin language. It was ice cream Friday and they’d behaved at school, so that had meant sprinkles. And they’d enjoyed every single colored speck.

The intersection was busier than usual. The car in front of her turned and Tracey finally saw the holdup. The hood was up on a small moving van at the stop sign. She was making her way around, pulling to the side, when another car parked next to the van.

“Tracey, we’re hungry,” Sage said.

“I know, sweetheart. I’m doing my best.” She put her Mazda in Reverse trying to turn around in the street. “Can you reach your crackers, Jackson?”

“Yep, yep, yep,” he answered like the dinosaur on the old DVDs he’d been watching. She watched him tug his little backpack between the car seats and snag a cracker, then share a second with Sage.

“Just one, little man. You just had ice cream.”

Two men left the moving van and waved at her to back up. She was awfully close to the other van, but she trusted their directions. Right up until she felt her car hit. She hadn’t been going fast enough for damage, but the guy seemed to get pretty steamed and stomped toward her door.

Great what a way to begin her weekend.

The men split to either side of her car, where one gave her the signal to roll down her window. She lowered it enough to allow him to hear her, then she unbuckled and leaned to the glove compartment for her insurance card.

“Sorry about that, but your friend—” Tracey looked up and froze.

Now in a ski mask, the man next to her window shouted, pulling on the door handle, tapping on the window with the butt of a handgun before pushing the barrel inside. “Open the door!”

She hit the horn repeatedly and put the car back into gear, willing to smash it to bits in order to get away. But it was wedged in tight. Once she’d backed up, they’d quickly used two vehicles to block her, parking in front and behind, pinning her car between the three.

Would they really shoot her to carjack an old junker of a Mazda?

“You can have the car. If you want money, it’ll take a little while, but I can get that, too. You don’t have to do this.” She kept careful control of her voice. “Just let me unsnap the twins and take them with me.”

“Get out! Now!” A second gunman shouted through the glass at the passenger door.

Where were all the cars now? Why had she lowered the window an inch to answer this man’s question? What if they didn’t let her get the kids out? Her mind was racing with questions.

They shouted at her, banging on the windows. The twins knew something was wrong and began to cry. Tracey gripped the steering wheel with one hand and blared the horn with the other. Someone had to hear them. Someone would come by and see what was happening.

“Lady, you get out of the car or I’ll blow you away through the window.” Gunman One pointed the gun at her head.

“You don’t want these kids. Their dad’s the head of the Texas Rangers in this area.”

With a gun stuck in her face, Tracey didn’t know how she was speaking—especially with any intelligence. Her hands were locked, determined to stay where they were. That’s when she had the horrible feeling it wasn’t a random carjacking.

“You’re wrong, sweetheart. That’s exactly why we want them,” Gunman Two said.

“Shut up, Mack!” Gunman One screamed, hitting the top of the car. “You!” he yelled at her again. “Stop blabbing and get your butt out here before I blow your brains all over those kids.”

One of the drivers got out of his box truck with a bent pole. Not a pole. It looked like it had a climbing spike on the end.

“No!” She leaned toward the middle, attempting to block what she knew was coming.

The new guy swung, hitting the window, and it shattered into pebble-size glass rocks. The kids screamed louder. She tried to climbing into the backseat. The locks popped open and three doors flew wide.

Gunman One latched on to her ankles and yanked. Her chin bounced against the top of the seat. Jarring pain jolted across her face. Before she could grab anything or brace herself, her body tumbled out of the car. Twisted, her side and shoulder took most of the fall to the street.

She prayed someone would drive by and see what was happening. She looked everywhere for help. Wasn’t there anyone who could intervene or call the police? Her small purse was still strapped across her chest, hidden at her hip. Her cell phone was still inside so maybe she could—

Gunman One flipped open a knife and sliced the strap, nicking her neck in the process. “We wouldn’t want you to call Daddy too soon. You got that tape, Mack?” He jerked her to her feet, hitting the side of her head with his elbow. “You just had to play the hero.”

“Here ya go, Mack.” Gunman Two, already in the car, tossed him duct tape.

Gunman One smashed her face into the backseat window, winding the tape around her wrists. Both of the children were screaming her name. They knew something wasn’t right. Both were trapped in their car seats, clawing at the straps then stretching their arms toward her.

“It’s okay, guys. No one’s going to hurt you.” She tried to calm them through the glass. “Please don’t do this. Jackson has diabetes. He’s on a restricted diet and his insulin level has to be closely—”

Gunman One rolled her to her back and shoved her along the metal edge of the Mazda to the trunk.

Oh my God. They knew. She could tell by his reactions. She was right. It wasn’t a carjacking. This was a planned kidnapping of Josh Parker’s twins. Gunman One knocked her to the ground. The other men cut the seat belts holding the kids, took them from the car in their car seats, grabbing their tiny backpacks at the last minute.

How could men in ski masks be assaulting her in broad daylight and no one else see them?

“Please take me. I won’t give you any trouble. I swear I won’t. I...I can look after Jackson. Make sure he doesn’t go into shock.”

Gunman One pulled her hands. “You won’t do, sister. It’s gotta be somebody he loves.”

“Let him have crackers. Okay? He has to eat every three or four hours. Something,” she pleaded. “Sage, watch your brother!”

When this had all started, Tracey hadn’t paid attention to what the man coming to her window had looked like. An average guy that she couldn’t swear was youngish or even in his thirties. They were all decked out in college gear. She searched this man’s eyes that were bright and excited behind the green ski mask, memorizing everything about their brown darkness.

The tiny scar woven into his right eyebrow would be his downfall. He raised the butt of the gun in the air. She closed her eyes, anticipating the blow. The impact hurt, stunning her. Vision blurred, she watched them carry the twins, running to the back of the moving van. Her legs collapsed from the pain, and she hit the concrete without warning.

I’m so sorry, Josh.

Chapter Two

How were you supposed to tell someone you’d allowed their kids to be kidnapped? Tracey would have a doctorate in nutrition soon, but none of the courses she’d taken prepared her to face Josh. Or the future.

When someone found Tracey unconscious on the sidewalk and the paramedics revived her, she’d cried out his name. She could never articulate why she was calling to him. Once fully awake and by the time anyone would listen, the twins had been missing for almost an hour. Tracey hadn’t been able to explain to Josh what had happened. The police did that.

“He’s going to hate me,” she mumbled.

“I don’t think he will. I’ve dealt with a lot of kidnappings. This isn’t your fault. Major Parker will realize that faster than most.” Special Agent George Lanning had answered her with an intelligent response.

The problem was...

“Intelligence has nothing to do with emotional, gut-wrenching pain. I lost his kids. He’ll never trust me again and I don’t blame him.”

After she awoke in the hospital, she’d only been allowed to talk with one police officer, her nurse and a doctor. The door had been left open a couple of inches. She’d recognized rangers passing by, even heard them asking about her. But the officer had refused her any visitors. At least until this FBI agent showed up.

Two hours later she was sitting in a car on her way to the Parker home to face Josh for the first time. Where else was she supposed to go? She’d refused to return to her apartment as they’d suggested. “How bad is my face?”

“As in? What context do you mean?”

She flipped down the passenger mirror to see for herself. “Well, I don’t think makeup—even if I had any—would help this.” She gently touched her cheekbone that felt ten times bigger than it should. “I don’t want to look like...”

“Tracey. Four men yanked you from a car and hit you so hard they gave you a concussion. They kidnapped Jackson and Sage. No matter what you think you could have done differently, those men would still have the Parker twins.”

She wiped another tear falling down her cheek. Agent Lanning might be correct. But nothing anyone said would ever make her feel okay about what had happened.

Nothing.

The road to the house was lined with extra cars and the yard—where they needed to park—filled with men standing around. The police escort in front of them flipped on the squad car lights with a siren burst to get people out of the way. Tracey covered her ears.

Everything hurt. Her head pounded in spite of the pain medication the doctor had given her. But she was prepared to jump out of the car as soon as it slowed down. First she needed to beg for Josh’s forgiveness. And then find out what the authorities had discovered.

“You really took a wallop,” he said. “You should probably get some rest as soon as possible.”

She had rested at the hospital, where so much had been thrown at her. Part of the argument for her going home was to sleep and meet with a forensic artist as soon as one arrived. She’d refused, telling Agent Lanning it was useless to draw a face hidden with a ski mask. Then they’d finally agreed to take her directly to Josh.

The sea of people parted and the agent parked next to cars nearer to the front porch. She didn’t wait for the engine to stop running. She jumped out, needing to explain while she still had the courage.

Moving quickly across the fading grass of the lawn, she slowed as friends stared at her running inside. She completely froze in the entryway, looking for the straight dark hair that should have towered over most of the heads in the living room. But Josh wasn’t towering anywhere. She pushed forward and someone grabbed her arm. A ranger waved him off.

Everyone directly involved in Josh’s life knew who she was. The ranger who had spotted her was Bryce Johnson. He put his hand at her back and pushed the crowd of men out of her way.

“You doing okay?” he asked, guiding her through probably every ranger who worked in or near Waco. “Need anything? Maybe some water?”

She nodded. There was already a knot in her throat preventing her from speaking. She’d assumed a lot of people would be here, but why so many? “Why aren’t you guys out looking for the twins?”

Everyone turned their attention to a man near the window seat. But she focused on the twins’ dad. Josh looked the way he did the day Gwen had died. From day one, neither of Josh or Gwen had felt like employers. They were her friends. She wanted to be there for him again, but didn’t know if he’d let her. He glanced at her, and then covered his eyes as though he were afraid to look at her.

The guy in the suit near the window jerked his head to the side and they left. All of them. Except for a woman and Josh, both seated at the opposite end of the breakfast table. They were joined by Agent Lanning, who pulled out a chair and gestured for Tracey to sit.

It was a typical waiting-on-a-ransom-demand scene from a movie. The three professionals looked the parts of FBI agents. The woman sat at something electronic that looked as if it monitored phone calls. Agent Lanning moved to the back door and turned politely to face the window. The other man, who they both seemed to defer to, uncrossed his arms and tapped Josh on the shoulder.

Josh’s head was bent, almost protected between his arms resting on the table. He hadn’t acknowledged the fact that nearly everyone had left. He hadn’t acknowledged anything.

“I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry doesn’t seem like enough,” she began.

Josh’s head jerked up along with the rest of him as he stood, tipping the chair backward to the floor. She winced at the noise. She assumed he’d be disappointed and furious and might even scream at her to get out. But feeling it, seeing it, experiencing the paralyzing fear that they might not get the kids back...

“This might sound stupid, but we need to verify that Jackson was wearing his insulin pump,” he whispered without a note of anger.

“Yes. I checked it when I picked him up.”

“Thank God. I knew you would. You always do.”

The woman opened her mouth but the agent at the window raised a finger. She immediately smashed her lips together instead. Josh covered his face with his hands again. What had she expected? That he’d be—oh, everything’s going to be okay, Tracey. Don’t worry about it Tracey. We’ll find them together, Tracey.

“Has anyone seen anything? Said anything?” she asked no one in particular.

“Let’s step into the bedroom, Miss Cassidy.” The agent by the window took a step toward her.

“She stays,” Josh ordered, holding up a hand to halt him. “I want to hear everything firsthand. Same for anything you have to say to me. She can hear it, so she stays.”

“All right. I’m Special Agent in Charge Leo McCaffrey and this is Agent Kendall Barlow. No, the kidnappers haven’t called. There’s been no ransom demand.” He pointed to the woman at the table and crossed his arms. “Have you remembered anything else that might help?”

“Not really. A van was broken down. Two men came to my car to help me back up. It seems like one purposely let me reverse into the rental van. Then one came to the passenger window and tapped. I thought they needed my insurance or license or something. They looked like college students until they pulled the masks over their faces. I have to admit that I didn’t pay any attention to their faces when they were uncovered.” Tracey latched her fingers around the edge of the kitchen chair, hoping she wouldn’t fall off as the world spun a little on its side.

“You didn’t think that was unusual?” the woman asked.

“Not really. Students walk a lot around here. That part of Waco isn’t far from downtown.”

It was weird what she noticed about Agent McCaffrey. Average height, but nice looking. His short hair had a dent around the middle like Josh’s did when he wore his Stetson. Or after an afternoon with his ball cap on. She glanced at his feet. Sure enough, he wore a pair of nice dress boots. And then she remembered the men abducting her had worn work boots.

“Wait. The men who got out of the moving truck. They both wore an older Baylor shirt from about five years ago. And they all wore the same type of work boots. I could almost swear that they were new and the same brand. The man who...who pulled me from the car...” Everyone looked at her, waiting. “He had dark brown eyes and thick eyebrows. Not thick enough to hide a scar across the right one.”

“That’s good, Miss Cassidy. Anytime something comes to you, just make sure to tell Agent Lanning. Anything special about the others?”

“I wasn’t close to the other two. It all happened so fast that I didn’t know what to do.” She choked on the last word. She hadn’t known. Still didn’t.

“When you were questioned at the hospital, you had a hard time remembering the small details, but they’ll probably come back.” The woman spoke again, pushing a pad toward the center of the table. “You should keep a notebook handy.”

“I...uh...couldn’t get to the hospital,” Josh said loudly. He swallowed hard and shook his head, looking a little lost.

Tracey had never seen that look on his face before. “I didn’t expect you to.”

“It’s just... I haven’t been there since Gwen...” Josh looked at her asking her to understand without making him say the words. “I guess I had to have been there once with Jackson.” He pushed his hand through his short hair. “But I can’t remember when for some reason.”

“I know. It’s okay,” she whispered, wanting to reach out and grab his hand. “You needed to be here.”

Major Parker was her employer, but she couldn’t stand it. Someone needed to help him. To be on his side like no other person would be. This time she shoved back from the table and her chair was the one that hit the floor. She pushed past Agent McCaffrey and covered Josh with her arms. He buried his face against her, wrapping his arms around her waist as if she were the only thing keeping him from falling off a cliff.

Until two weeks ago, they hadn’t hugged since Gwen had died. Had rarely touched each other except for an accidental brush when handing the kids to each other. Then there’d been that kiss.

An unexpected kiss after an impromptu surprise birthday party with several of his friends. A kiss that had thrown her into so many loop-de-loops, she’d been dizzy for days. But it must have thrown Josh for a loop he didn’t want. He hadn’t spoken to her except in passing. Which was the reason she’d accepted the out-of-state position.

She held him, feeling the rapid beating of his heart through the hospital scrubs they’d given her. They had so much to face and right now he needed to be comforted as much as she did.

Someone at the hospital had said she was just the nanny. She didn’t feel like just the hired help. She’d avoided that particular title and thought it demeaning when Josh’s friends referred to her that way. Months when the rent was hard to come by, her friends asked her why she didn’t move in to take care of the twins.

At first it had been because she thought it was a temporary job. Eventually Josh would hire a real nanny. Then she’d been certain Josh would eventually date and remarry, so she hadn’t wanted to complicate the situation. And this past year it had been because she was falling in love with him.

Now the word nanny didn’t seem complex enough for their situation. She’d been a part of the twins’ lives from infancy. She’d been told to go home and stay there with a protection detail so she could be easily reached if needed. She was just the nanny.

Just the person who provided day care—and any other time of the day care when Josh was on a case. But his lost look was the reason she hadn’t obeyed the order.

Technically, Tracey knew she was just the nanny. Yet, her heart had been ripped from her body—twice. Once for each child.

She held Josh tight until Agent McCaffrey cleared his throat. She sat in the chair next to Josh. Bryce brought the bottle of water he’d offered when she first arrived and dropped back to the living room doorway.

“Is this a vendetta or revenge for one of the men you’ve put away?” Tracey asked Josh, who finally looked her in the eyes. “I tried to convince them to take me instead. They said it needed to be someone you loved.”

Chapter Three

Someone you loved...

Did she know? Josh searched her face, seeing nothing but concern for his kids. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her they would have gotten it right if she’d been taken.

That sounds ridiculous.

He didn’t want her abducted any more than he wanted the twins to be gone. He reached out, touching her swollen cheek.

“They hurt you.” Stupid statement. It was obvious, but he didn’t know what else to say. “Of course they did. They took you to the hospital.”

He noticed what she was wearing, the streak of blood still on her neck, the bandage at her hairline. Hospital scrubs because her clothes had been ruined.

Time to shed the shaking figure of a lost father. Tenoreno had hit his family—the only place he considered himself vulnerable. But he was stronger than this. He needed to show everyone—including himself. Gathering some courage, he straightened his backbone and placed both palms flat on the table to keep himself there.

He knew what McCaffrey was thinking. The agent had repeated his questions about Tracey’s possible motives more than once. Agent Kendall Barlow had been ordered to run a thorough background check on “the nanny.” If Tracey heard them call her that she’d let them know she was a child care provider and personal nutritionist.

Definitely not the nanny.

The FBI might have doubts about Tracey—he didn’t. First and foremost, she had no motive. They might need to rule her out as a suspect. No one in the room had mentioned Tenoreno by name. But Josh knew who was responsible.

Drawing air deep into his lungs, he readied himself to get started. Ready to fight Tenoreno or whoever he’d hired to take his kids.

“The agents need to know how long Jackson’s insulin will be okay. Can you give them more details?” All the extra chatter around him died. He took Tracey’s hand in his. “I took a guess, but you know a lot more about it than I do. These guys need an accurate estimate. I couldn’t think straight earlier.”

“It depends.” She drew in a deep breath and blew it out, puffing her cheeks. “There are stress factors I can’t estimate. A lot will be determined by what they give the twins to eat, of course. The cartridge can last three days, but he might be in trouble for numerous reasons. They could give him the wrong food or the tube might get clogged. The battery should be fine.”

“Hear that everybody? My son has forty-eight hours that we can count on. Seventy-two before he slips into a diabetic coma. Why are you still here?” He used his I’m-the-ranger-in-charge voice.

It worked. All the rangers, cops and friends left the house.

“I’m more worried that Sage might try to imitate what I do with the bolus when he eats. She knows not to touch it. But she also knows that when Jackson eats, I calculate how much extra insulin to give him. She’s a little mother hen and might try since I’m not there.”

“What’s a bolus?” George Lanning asked.

“An extra shot of insulin from his pump. You calculate, it injects.” The female agent shrugged. “I read and prepare for my cases.”

Josh hated diabetes.

Bryce stayed by the kitchen door. He’d driven Josh and wouldn’t leave until he had confirmation of orders that the two of them had already discussed. Unofficial orders when no one had been listening. Ranger headquarters had someone on the way to relieve him as Company F commander. Whoever was now in charge would make certain every rule was followed to the letter and that personnel kept their actions impeccable.

“Everyone is working off the assumption that the Tenoreno family is behind this. Right?” he asked McCaffrey, finally stating what everyone thought.

The FBI agents’ reactions were about what he expected. No one would confirm. They zipped their lips tight and avoided eye contact. But their actions were all the confirmation he needed.

The Mafia family connection was the reason the FBI had been called as soon as Josh had received the news. He’d rather have his Company in charge, but the conflict of interest was too great.

Bryce stood in the doorway and shook his head, warning him not to push the issue. They’d talked through the short list of pros and cons about confronting anyone called in to handle the kidnapping.

The more they forced the issue, the less likely the FBI would be inclined to share information. It could all blow up in his face. But it was like a big bright red button with a flashing neon sign that said Do Not Push.

The longer the agents avoided answering, the brighter the button blinked, tempting him to hit it.

“The Tenoreno family?”

Tracey was the only one left who didn’t know who they were. She needed to know what faced them because she was certain to be used by the Mafia-like family. No one wanted to explain so it was up to him to bring her up to speed.

Two hours and thirty-eight minutes after Tracey was found unconscious on a sidewalk, his phone rang. Brooks & Dunn’s “Put a Girl in It” blasted through the kitchen.

“That’s my ringtone for Tracey. They’re using her phone. It’s the kidnappers.”

* * *

EVERYONE STARED AT the phone. Only one person moved. Agent Barlow pulled a headset onto her ears, clicked or pushed buttons, then pointed to Agent McCaffrey. It really was like being a part of a scripted movie. Tracey could only watch.

“You know what to do, Josh. Try to keep them on the line as long as possible,” Agent McCaffrey said.

Tracey cupped her hands over her mouth to stop the words she wanted to scream. They would only antagonize the kidnappers and would probably get her dragged from the room. She needed to hear what those masked men were about to say.

Agent Barlow clicked on Josh’s cell.

“This is Parker.” Josh’s fingers curled into fists.

“You won’t hear from us again as long as you’re working with the FBI.” The line went dead.

“No. Wait!” Josh hammered his hand against the wood tabletop. But his face told her he knew it was no use.

“What just happened? Shouldn’t they let us know how to get in touch with them?” Tracey looked around the room, wanting answers. What did this mean? “You do have a plan, right?”

Agent McCaffrey clasped Josh’s shoulder, then patted it—while staring into Tracey’s eyes. “That’s what we expected.”

Everyone’s stare turned to Agent Barlow, who shook her head. “Nothing. We’ve been monitoring for Miss Cassidy’s phone, they fired it up, made the call and probably pulled the battery again.”

“So we’re back to square one.” Agent Lanning tapped on the window, silently bringing attention to the suits monitoring the outside of the house.

“We have instructions.” Josh stared at the only other ranger left in the house—Bryce.

Tracey was confused. It was as if they were speaking in some sort of code. Or maybe they were stating something obvious and the concussion was keeping her from recognizing it. The others shook their heads.

“You don’t want to do that, Josh.” Agent McCaffrey kept his cool. He clearly didn’t want whatever Josh had just silently communicated to Bryce. “This case is going to be difficult—”

“It’s not a case. They’re my kids.” Josh hit his chest with his fist. “Mine.”

“You need our resources.” Barlow dropped the headphones on the table.

“I need you to leave. I’ve told you that from the beginning.” Josh stood. Calmly this time, without tipping the chair to the floor. “I’ve played along for the past couple of hours hoping it’s not what we thought, but it is. These guys aren’t going to play games. They either get what they want or they kill—”

“You can’t do this,” Barlow said.

The agent seemed a little dramatic, but what did Tracey know?

“Yes, I can. It’s my right to refuse your help.” Josh gestured for Tracey to lead the way to the back staircase.

“Look...” Agent McCaffrey lowered his voice. “We’ll admit that the kidnapping involves Tenoreno. We assume these men are going to ask you to do something illegal. You’re better off if we stay.”

“I haven’t done anything illegal. You need to go.” Josh took the Texas Ranger Star he was so proud of and dropped it in the agent’s open palm. “Bryce. You know what to do.”

Josh caught Tracey under her elbow and led her up the staircase. They went to the kids’ bedroom, where he shut the door.

“What is Bryce going to do?”

“First thing is to get my badge back. I shouldn’t have given it to McCaffrey. But the agent wanted it for show in case the kidnappers are watching. I’ll surrender it to the new Company commander if they ask me to resign, not before. Then he’ll get everyone out of the house. Before the FBI arrived, we assumed we knew who was behind the kidnapping. There’s really no other motive. It’s not like I have a ton of money to pay a ransom.”

Tracey winced, but Josh was looking out the window and couldn’t have seen. The twins’ kidnapping didn’t have anything to do with her. The man said it has to be someone he loves. He meant someone Josh loves. Right?

“What if...” She hesitated to ask, to broach the subject that this entire incident might be her fault. She cleared her throat. “What are you going to do without the FBI’s help?”

“Get things done. Bryce has already arranged for friends in the Waco PD to watch the agents who will be watching us.” He quirked a brow at his cleverness, sitting on the footstool between the twin beds.

His wife’s parents had chosen that stool to match a rocker Gwen had never gotten to hold her children in. She’d been too weak. It’s where Josh refused to sit. The stool was as close as he’d get. The chair was where Tracey had rocked the babies to sleep.

“Have you told Gwen’s parents?”

“There’s nothing they could do. McCaffrey thinks it’s better to wait.”

“The FBI will be following us when we leave the house.” He stood again, wiping his palms on his jeans. “They’ll wait for me to issue an order to my men. I’d be breaking the law since I’ve been asked to step away from my command. Then they’ll swoop back in like vultures and take control of things.”

“Will you?”

“What? Leave? Don’t worry.” He straightened books on the shelf. “When I do, I’ll make sure someone’s here with you. Bryce will be close. I won’t leave you alone.”

“No. That’s not what I’m talking about. Will you break the law?”

He gawked at her with a blank look of incredulousness. Either surprised that she’d asked, insulting his ranger integrity. Or surprised that she questioned...

“What are you willing to do to save Jackson and Sage?” She tried not to move the rocker. She was serious and needed to know how far he’d go. “For the record, I’m willing to do anything. And I mean anything, including breaking the law.”

Did he look a little insulted as he bent and picked up Jackson’s pj’s from the floor? Well, she didn’t care. It was something she needed to hear him say out loud.

“Don’t look so surprised. I’ve heard about the integrity of the Texas Rangers since the first day I met you. How could I not after listening to the countless kitchen table conversations on the subject? Not to mention this past year when three of your company men might have been straddling the integrity fence, but managed to come out squeaky clean heroes.”

“You act like having integrity is a bad thing.” He clutched the pajamas and moved to the window instead of placing them back in the dresser.

“Not at all.” She stood and joined him, wishing she could blink and make this all go away.

All she could do was wrap her palms around his upper arm, offering the comfort of a friend. Even though they’d been raising his children together for four years, she couldn’t make the decisions he’d soon be faced with.

“Are you going to tell me about the Tenoreno family? At least more than what I’ve heard about them in the news? Are you in charge of the case?”

Josh didn’t shrug her away. They stood shoulder to shoulder at the pastel curtains sprinkled with baby farm animals. He stared at something in the far distance past the lake. Tracey just stared at him.

“In charge of the case? No. Company F has prepared Paul Tenoreno’s transportation route from Huntsville to Austin. I finalized the details this morning. Now that this...the kidnapping, your injuries...” He paused and took a couple of shallow breaths. “Tenoreno’s transport to trial has to be what this is all about. Thing is, state authorities are sure to change everything. It’s why they brought the FBI onto the case so quickly.”

“Is Tenoreno mixed up in the Mafia like the news insinuates?”

“Tenoreno is the Mafia in Texas.”

A chill scurried up her spine. The words seemed final somehow. As if Josh had accepted something was about to happen and there was no going back. He hadn’t answered her question about how far he’d go. But he wouldn’t let the Mafia take his kids. He just wouldn’t.

“You need to make me a promise, Tracey.”

“Anything.”

He removed her hands and crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head to stare at the top of hers because he was frightened to meet her hazel eyes. Frightened of the desperation she might see in his face.

“Hear me out before you give me what for. I made you the guardian of the twins last year.”

“Without asking me?”

“Yeah. I was afraid you’d say no.” Josh shrugged and lifted the corner of his mouth in a little smile.

It was Tracey’s turn to look incredulous. “Seriously? When have I ever told you that I wouldn’t do something for those kids?”

He nodded, agreeing. “I need you to promise that no matter what happens to me...”

“I promise, but nothing’s going to happen to you.”

Of course, she didn’t know that. This afternoon when she’d headed to the day care to pick up the twins, she wouldn’t have believed anything could have happened to any of them. It has been an ordinary day. She’d finally made up her mind to talk with Josh about finding a permanent nanny to take her place.

“You asked what I was willing to do. They’re my kids, Tracey. I’ll do anything for them, including prison time.” Josh still had the pj’s wrapped in his hand. “Believe me, that’s not my intention, but you have to know it’s a possibility.”

Was he aware that she was willing to join him? She meant what she’d said about doing anything for Jackson and Sage. And if that meant she was the one who went to jail—so be it. And if it came down to it, she’d do anything to keep them with their father.

“Just tell me what to do, Josh.”

“Nothing. If Tenoreno’s people contact you, tell me. You can’t be involved in this. It has to be me.” He gripped her shoulders and then framed her cheeks. One of his thumbs skated across the bruised area and settled at her temple. “You got that? I’m the one who’s going to rescue my kids and pay the consequences.”

She believed him. She had to. But she couldn’t promise to stay out of his way. She might have the answer. What if money could solve their problem? Even if it wouldn’t, now wasn’t the time to tell him she’d never let him be separated from the twins.

Chapter Four

Josh pulled Tracey to his chest, wrapping his arms around her, keeping someone he cared about safe. He stared at the green pajamas decorated with pictures of yellow trucks—dump trucks, earthmovers, cranes and he didn’t know what else. He used to know.

How long had it been since he’d played in the sandbox with the kids? Since he’d been there for dinner and their bath time?

Mixed feelings fired through his brain. He couldn’t start down the regret road. He needed to concentrate on the twins’ safety. The overpowering urge to protect Tracey wasn’t just because she was an unofficial member of the family.

Tenoreno had hired someone to assault her and steal his children. Her cuts and bruises—dammit, he should have been there to protect her. To protect all of them.

“There has to be something we can do to make this go faster.” She pressed her face against his chest and cried.

It was the first time to cry since she’d entered the house today. He fought the urge to join her, but once a day was his limit. If he broke down again, he wouldn’t be able to function. Or act like the guy who might know what he was doing.

A knock at the door broke them apart. Tracey went to the corner table and pulled a couple of Kleenex from the box.

“Yeah?” It could only be one of two people on the other side. Bryce or Agent McCaffrey.

“You fill her in yet?” McCaffrey stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

Tracey looked up after politely blowing her nose; a questioning look crinkled her forehead.

“We were just getting there.”

“Here’s the phone you can use to contact us. We won’t be far away.”

“But far enough no one’s going to notice.” Josh took the phone and slid it into his back pocket.

“Anyone following you will see the obvious cars. They’ll lose you after a couple of miles, but George and I will be there.”

“Josh?” Tracey said his name with all the confusion she should be experiencing. After all, he’d just demanded the FBI and police leave him alone, get out of his house and off the case.

“It’s okay, Tracey. All part of the plan. We need the kidnappers to think I’m in this on my own. No help from anyone. Hopefully that’ll limit what they ask me to do.”

When he left the house he’d have a line of cars following and hoped it didn’t look like a convoy. A bad feeling smothered any comfort he had that law enforcement would be close by.

“So everything you just said—”

“Was the truth. Every word.” He shot her a look asking her to keep that info to herself.

He knew that stubborn look, the compressed lips, the crossed arms. It would soon be followed by a long exhale after holding her breath. Sometimes he wanted to squeeze the air from her lungs because she held on to it so long. Each time he knew she wasn’t just controlling her breathing. She was also controlling her tongue because she disagreed with what he was saying or doing.

Mainly about the kids.

Lately, it had been about how often he worked late or how he had avoided necessary conversations. Like the one congratulating her on finishing her thesis. Yeah, he’d avoided that because it would open the door to her resignation. What they needed to talk about was serious. She’d most likely accepted a position somewhere—other than Waco. If he could, he’d also like to avoid a conversation about what happened two weeks ago when they’d kissed.

This time, he could see that she didn’t believe the lines he was spouting to the FBI. He just hoped that Special Agent McCaffrey couldn’t read her like a book, too. Then he might suspect Josh had his own agenda.

“I don’t think they’ll wait very long to make contact after I leave.” The agent unbuttoned his jacket and stuck his hands in his pockets. “My belief is that they knew about Jackson’s diabetes and believe it will scare you into following their orders faster. If they didn’t, they’ve seen the pump by now and are scared something might happen to him. Either way, I don’t think they’re really out to hurt the kids.”

Agent McCaffrey stood straight—without emotion—in his official suit and tie. Just how official—they’d find out if he kept their deal to let Josh work the case from the inside.

“But you can’t be sure of that,” Tracey said. “How can anyone predict what will happen.”

Tracey was right about part of Josh’s inner core. He was a Texas Ranger through and through. He’d try it the legal way. But if that didn’t work, they’d see a part of him he rarely drew upon.

“George said you held up at the hospital exceptionally well, Miss Cassidy.”

McCaffrey had a complimentary approach, where George looked like a laid-back lanky cowboy leaning on a fence post. Josh had met George several times on cases. He trusted him. George had given his word that McCaffrey would be on board. But Tracey didn’t know any of that history. She had no reason to trust any of them.

“Don’t I get a phone for you to keep track of my location?” Tracey asked.

“Actually, yes.” McCaffrey handed her an identical cheap phone to what they’d given him. “By accepting this, you’re allowing us to monitor it.”

The man just didn’t have the most winning personality. Josh saw the indignation building within Tracey and couldn’t stop her.

“Were you really going to wait for my permission? That seems rather silly to ask. Just do it.” Her words seemed more like a dare. She was ready to go toe to toe with someone.

“Tracey. That’s not the way things are.” Standing up for the FBI wasn’t his best choice at this precise moment. Tracey looked like she needed to vent.

“Have you ruled me out as a suspect?” she asked.

Why was she holding her breath this time? Did she have something to hide? Josh opened his mouth to reason with her, but McCaffrey waved him off.

“I have a lot of experience with kidnappings, Tracey. I imagine you’re familiar with the statistics that most children are abducted by someone in their immediate family or life. My people ran our standard background check on you first thing. We would have been reckless not to.” He leaned against the doorjamb not seeming rushed for time or bothered by her hostility. “A reference phone call cleared you.”

Tracey stiffened. She drew her arms close across her chest, hugging herself, rubbing her biceps like she was cold. Her hand slipped higher, one finger covering her lips, then her eyes darted toward the window. She was hiding something and McCaffrey had just threatened to expose whatever it was.

“Tracey, what’s going on?”

“We’re good, Josh.” The agent looked at Tracey.

She nodded her head. “I don’t know why I said anything. I was never going to keep you from tracking this phone.” Tracey sank to the footstool. “I already told you I’d cooperate and do anything for Jackson and Sage.”

The special agent in charge crossed the room and patted Tracey’s shoulder. He’d done the same thing to Josh earlier, but it didn’t seem to ease Tracey. There was nothing insincere in his gesture. But it seemed a more calculated action, as though McCaffrey knew it was effective. Not because it was real comfort.

Josh wanted to throw the agent out of his kids’ room and be done with the FBI. “Do you need anything else?” he asked instead.

“I can’t help you if you keep me out of the loop, Josh.” McCaffrey quirked an eyebrow at Josh’s lack of a reaction. “You’ve got to work with my people to get the children back. We stick with the plan.”

“That’s all nice and reasonable, but we both know that there’s nothing logical about a kidnapping. You can never predict what’s going to happen.”

“The quicker you pick up that phone and let us know what they want the better.”

“The quicker you clear out of here, the faster they’ll contact us.” Josh’s hands were tied. He had to work with the FBI, use their resources, find the kidnappers. Or at least act like he was being cooperative. He sighed in relief when the agent left and softly closed the door behind him.

What the hell was wrong with him?

His twins had been kidnapped. It was natural to want to bash some heads together. But for a split second there, he’d wanted to just do whatever Tenoreno’s men wanted and hold his kids again.

Tracey was visibly shaken by whatever McCaffrey’s team had uncovered. His background check five years ago when he’d hired her hadn’t uncovered it. And in the time that she’d been around his family, she’d never shared it. He had his own five years of character reference. No one else’s mattered.

“I don’t know what that was about.” He jerked his thumb toward the closed door. Should he ask? “Right now I don’t care.”

“I swear I was never... It’s just something I keep private. But I can fill you in. I mean, unless it’s going to distract you. This shouldn’t be about me.”

“Will it make a difference to what’s going to happen?” Sure, he was curious, but what if she was right and it did distract him? The FBI didn’t think it was relevant. He could wait until his family was back where they belonged. “You know, we have more important things to worry about, so save it.”

“Okay.” Tracey sat straight, ready to get started. “So how is this going to work? Do you think the kidnappers will use my phone to call yours again? Wait!” She popped to her feet. “We don’t have your phone. It’s downstairs.”

Josh blocked her with an outstretched arm. “If it rings, Bryce will let us know. He’ll come up here before he leaves and that won’t be until everyone else is out of the house.”

They stared a second or two at each other. He wanted to know what she was hiding from him. She bit her lip, held her breath, and then couldn’t look him in the eyes.

“Tracey, we have to trust each other. If you don’t want to go through with this...”

“Of course I want to help. It’s my fault they’re missing. I don’t know how you’re being kind to me at all or even staying alone in the same room. I’m not sure I could do it.”

“I don’t blame you for what’s happened. How can I?” He kept a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t fight to get away. “I’m beating myself up that I didn’t put a security detail on all of you. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. Tenoreno has come after three of my men and their families. Why did I think you or the kids weren’t vulnerable?”

“We have to stop blaming ourselves,” she said softly. “If you have a plan, now might be the time to share it with me.”

“It’s not so much a plan as backup. What I said before McCaffrey came in, I meant it. But if I can keep the FBI on my side...we’re all better off.”

A gentle knock stopped the conversation again. “They’ve cleared out, Major. I’ve secured all the windows and doors. Here’s your phone.” Ranger Johnson said through the door.

Josh turned the knob and stuck out his hand. “Thanks, Bryce. You guys know what to do. My temporary replacement’s going to have a tough time. The other men are going to resent that he’s there. They’re also going to want to help with the kidnapping. You’ve got to make the men understand that none of you can get involved and that those orders come from me.”

“Good luck. And sir—” Bryce shook his hand, clasping his left on top of it “—let’s make sure it’s just a temporary replacement. You know we’re all here when you need us.”

“We appreciate that.”

“I think this is one time that One Riot, One Ranger shouldn’t apply. I’ll take care of things.” Bryce walked downstairs.

Tracey gently pushed past Josh, nudging herself into the hall. “I can’t stay in their room any longer. And I really think I need a drink.”

Josh followed her. “But you don’t drink. And probably shouldn’t, with a concussion.”

“Don’t you have some Wild Turkey or Jim Beam? Something’s on top of the refrigerator, right? It’s the perfect time to start.”

“Yeah, but you might not want to start with that.” How did she know where he kept his only bottle of whiskey?

“Actually, Josh, I went to college. Just because you’ve never seen me drink doesn’t mean it’s never happened. A shot of whiskey isn’t going to impair my judgment.”

She was in the kitchen, pulling a chair over to reach the high cabinet before he could think twice about helping or stopping. He sort of stared while she pulled two highball glasses reserved for poker night that had been collecting dust awhile. A finger’s width—his, not her tiny fingers—was in the glass and she frowned before sliding it toward him across the breakfast bar.

“Drink up. You need it worse than I do.”

He stared at it. And at her.

She suddenly didn’t look like a college student. He noticed the little laugh lines at the corner of her eyes and how deep a green they were. It took him all this time to realize she was wearing a Waco Fire Department T-shirt under the baggy scrub top. Something he’d never seen her wear before.

She threw the whiskey back and poured herself another. “Am I drinking alone?”

He swirled the liquid, took a whiff. That was enough for him. Clearheaded. Ready to get on the road. That’s what he needed more than the sting and momentary warmth the shot would provide.

Tracey threw the second shot back, closing her eyes and letting the glass tip on its side. Her eyes popped open as if she’d been startled. Then they dropped to the phone that was resting next to his hand, vibrating.

Her hand covered the cell.

His hand covered hers.

“Wait. Three rings. It’ll allow the FBI time to get their game face on.”

Ring three he uncovered her hand and slid through the password, then pushed Speaker.

“Time for round one, Ranger Parker. You get a new phone from a store in Richland Mall. We’ll contact you there in half an hour. Bring the woman.”

The line disconnected.

“Do they really think that no one is listening to those instructions he just gave us?” Tracey asked.

“We follow everything he says. He’ll try to get us clear of everyone. We get the phone, but the next time he makes contact—before we do anything else—we get proof of life.” Josh dropped the phone in his shirt pocket realizing that the kidnappers had just made Tracey a vital part of their plan. “I hoped they’d leave you out of this. We just need to know both kids are okay before I argue to take you out of the equation.”

“Of course.” She hurried around the end of the breakfast bar, grabbing the counter as she passed.

“You look a little wobbly. You up for this?”

“You probably should have stopped me from drinking alcohol when I have a head injury and they gave me pain meds.” Tracey touched her swollen cheek and the side of her head, then winced.

Josh held up a finger, delaying their departure. He walked around her and pulled an ice pack from the freezer, tossing her an emergency compress. “This should help a little.” Then he pulled insulin cartridges from the fridge, stuffing them inside Jackson’s travel and emergency supplies bag.

Instead of her cheekbone, Tracey dropped the cold compress on her forehead and slid it over her eyes. “You’re right.” She took off to the front door. “You should definitely drive.”

Proof of life. That’s what they needed. He looked around his home. Different from the madhouse an hour ago. Different because the housekeeper had come by this morning. Different because Gwen was no longer a part of it.

Different because Tracey was.

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