A love rekindled...

or a deadly undercover reunion?

Taken hostage in a bank robbery, the last person Detective Daniel Morley expects to find disguised as a robber is his ex-fiancée, FBI agent Bethany Walker. Now, with a mole in law enforcement putting Bethany’s life in danger, Daniel must join her undercover to protect her. But can this pretend couple confront the issues that ended their real relationship…and stay alive to claim a future together?

KATHLEEN TAILER is a senior attorney II who works for the Supreme Court of Florida in the office of the state courts administrator. She graduated from Florida State University College of Law after earning her BA from the University of New Mexico. She and her husband have eight children, five of whom they adopted from the state of Florida. She enjoys photography and playing drums on the worship team at Calvary Chapel, Thomasville, Georgia.

Also by Kathleen Tailer

Love Inspired Suspense

Under the Marshal’s Protection

The Reluctant Witness

Perilous Refuge

Quest for Justice

Undercover Jeopardy

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Undercover Jeopardy

Kathleen Tailer

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09636-2

UNDERCOVER JEOPARDY

© 2019 Kathleen Tailer

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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“Any sign of them?”

Bethany didn’t answer, and Daniel glanced in her direction. She was as white as a sheet and had pressed herself as close as possible to the truck door.

He laughed. He couldn’t help himself. The look on her face was just too comical to ignore. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head. “No. You’re wild!” The tone of her voice made it perfectly clear what she thought of his driving.

“What?” He raised an eyebrow, giving her his best innocent look.

“Remind me to never let you drive anywhere ever again,” she said under her breath. “I think I’m going to throw up all over your nice floor mats.”

“Come on. I’m a good driver,” he said with a smile.

She narrowed her eyes. “At least tell me you lost our tail.”

“Yep.”

“Then it was worth it.” She moaned. “I guess,” she qualified.

Daniel pulled up behind the storefront and killed the engine, then turned to Bethany. “Okay. Are you ready for this?”

Bethany grimaced. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.… If God be for us, who can be against us?

—Romans 8:28–31

For all the missionaries around the world who have dedicated their lives to sharing the love of Jesus Christ, including Beverly and Greg Wootton, Isaac and Clea Wootton and their wonderful children, and Connie Rose. May God continue to bless you as you do His work across the African continent and beyond.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

ONE

Detective Daniel Morley wrote the date on his deposit slip, then double-checked it against the large calendar the bank had posted on one of the columns near the customer service desk among the green pine trim and the red-and-white candy cane decorations. December 14. It had been one year since Bethany Walker had disappeared from his life. An entire year of searching and coming up empty. He was a detective—one of the best in the business, but he’d utterly failed to find her, despite his herculean efforts. She had been his fiancée but now, instead of celebrating their wedding anniversary, he was solemnly remembering the last time he’d seen her and the hurtful words he’d spoken during their argument right before she’d driven away. He should have gone after her. Now, he didn’t know if he’d ever even see her again, and the calendar before him was just one more reminder of how long she had been missing from his life.

People didn’t just disappear, and yet, Bethany seemed to have done just that. Her apartment lease had been paid in advance, but despite several evenings of surveillance, he had not seen a single person enter or leave. He’d even used his law enforcement credentials to complete a welfare check. Daniel and the landlord walked through the rooms together, but there was no sign of Bethany, or any clues as to her whereabouts. Her refrigerator was bare, and there were only a few staples left in the pantry. It was obvious that she wasn’t living there. But then where was she staying? And if she’d moved and left the Chattanooga area completely, why had she kept the lease? It was a mystery.

“Excuse me, can I please have one of those?” An older lady smiled at him as her voice brought him out of his reverie. She motioned toward the stack of deposit slips sitting in front of him, and he smiled back at her as he pushed them in her direction so they were within her reach.

“Of course. Here you go.”

The bullets from a semi-automatic machine gun slammed into the ceiling, quickly covering Daniel with dust and debris from the tiles overhead as the noise shattered the peaceful Friday morning. He instinctively crouched, taking the older woman with him and pushing her under the desk for safety. He pulled out his service 9 mm pistol, his eyes darting around the room as he assessed the situation.

“Everyone get down on the floor!” The voice was masculine and accentuated by more gunfire. Several of the customers screamed, and the fear in the room was palpable and made the air feel heavy and thick. A man in a black hoodie and jeans jumped up on the counter and started waving his rifle around. He let loose with another stream of bullets into the ceiling.

“Quiet, now! The next person who makes a noise dies!” he yelled.

The room was instantly silent, and all eyes were on the robber, awaiting his next command. The man’s face was covered by a mask that distorted his features, and he paced back and forth like a caged tiger. The mask gave away the fact that he was Caucasian and little else, and there was a grotesque smile on it that made his expression seem malevolent and evil.

The robber swung his gun toward a woman teller in a gray suit who already had tears streaming down her cheeks. She was trembling and seemed almost frozen in place. The color seemed to drain from her face once she realized the robber had focused his attention on her. “Get your hand away from the counter!” he yelled, as he fired a barrage of bullets over her head. “If you touch that silent alarm button, you’re dead.” She ducked and dropped to the floor, her body still shaking uncontrollably.

He turned back to the crowd in the lobby and immediately fired a burst toward the ceiling again. “Okay, everyone. You have five seconds to get down on the floor. Anybody still standing after five seconds will be shot. Understand? One, two...”

Daniel scanned the room. From his vantage point where he was still partially concealed by the table, he could see three other robbers. They were all wearing the same black hoodies and jeans. They even had the same masks with identical evil smiles, just like the one worn by their leader. One large muscular robber had positioned himself near the bank’s front door and had put a metal cable around the handles, effectively locking the doors and everyone inside the building while also keeping others out. This man was taller than the others and looked like he either worked out on a regular basis or, at a minimum, played a sport that kept him in excellent shape. He had disarmed the guard who had been stationed by the front door, and was motioning to him and two other men to join the rest of the hostages in the lobby of the bank.

The other two robbers were both skinnier than the man by the front door and younger, if Daniel was any judge of the way they held themselves. Maybe they were in their twenties? Their movements seemed reckless and exceedingly hyper, or they could have just been high on the adrenaline rush that came from shooting up a bank and scaring innocent people. Either way, it was obvious that they were extremely dangerous and volatile. One of the robbers approached the customers who were slower to obey, and he tossed his gun back and forth between his hands, yelling at them and forcing them into compliance. He seemed to have some sort of facial hair under his mask, and Daniel nicknamed him Hairy in his mind. The other robber followed closely behind Hairy at first, but then finally moved away and started spraying paint over the security cameras that were set in three corners of the room. Once the cameras were disabled, he tossed the spray can aside and stationed himself near a doorway that appeared to lead back to the public bathrooms. Daniel noticed he had a small limp and tended to drag his right foot a bit.

“We’re not here for you,” the leader yelled over the confusion, still pacing from his perch on the countertop. “We just want to make a small withdrawal.” He made a point of making eye contact with any of the hostages who dared to look in his direction. “No one will get hurt as long as you do everything we say.”

Daniel looked to the left and saw two men, both crawling away from the front counter area and heading toward the back of the bank where the desks and offices were found. One was wearing a suit and appeared to be a bank employee. The other was wearing shorts and a button-down shirt and seemed to be following the other one. It was apparent that both were looking for a safe place to hide. They didn’t escape the notice of the lead robber, however, who jumped down, ran so that he was directly in front of them and pointed his gun straight at their heads. “Put your faces on the floor. Both of you. Now!”

Daniel moved so he could get a better look at the leader but still be shielded by the counter. So far, he had escaped the robbers’ notice, but he knew it couldn’t last much longer. He raised his gun, taking aim at the man’s chest. One quick shot was all it would take to stop the leader in his tracks and foil this robbery attempt here and now. He might even save the two men on the floor in the process. His finger flexed on the trigger.

“Freeze.” The cold metal of the barrel pushed against his skull. He tried to turn a bit to see who was behind him, but the pressure increased against his head and he stopped. He hadn’t realized there was a fifth robber. He mentally kicked himself for missing that important fact. His inconceivable mistake might just have cost him his life.

“Hands up. Now.”

The voice sounded familiar to him, but he couldn’t place it. He guessed that the robber was a woman by the tone of her voice, even though she was obviously trying to disguise the sound by making it gritty and deeper. He slowly raised his hands as she leaned forward and grabbed his pistol, then pushed him from behind. “Get over there by the wall, hero.”

He chanced a look behind him but only got a quick glance before she pushed him again. It was enough of a look to get a basic impression of the robber, but little else. All he could tell was that she was definitely a woman. Her stature was lean but still feminine, despite the baggy jeans and hoodie she was wearing, and she was quite a bit shorter than the other robbers. Even with the mask that disguised her features, he’d also gotten a good enough look to tell that the eyes and lips were quite ladylike.

“Against the wall, everyone,” the leader yelled. The robbers continued motioning with their guns and herding the customers and bank staff toward the far wall until the whole group was lined up against it. Daniel watched the process as the woman robber marched him over to join the rest of the hostages. So far, he counted eighteen of them, including both customers and bank employees. He saw the old lady that had been near him when the robbers had entered the bank, and her eyes were large and wet beneath her glasses. Her skin had paled, and her weathered hands desperately gripped her large black pocketbook that she held close to her chest. She was obviously terrified. He glanced at the others. There were seven other women and ten men, including himself. He kept his hands up as he walked to the group of frightened people, but when he took his place at the end of the line, he didn’t sit like the others. Instead, he turned and kept his hands raised in mock surrender and took a step toward the woman robber. When he spoke, he kept his tone low and calm.

“You don’t have to do this. Nobody’s been hurt. You can turn around and walk away now before this goes any further.”

“Just shut up and do as you’re told,” she responded, her voice cold.

“Think about what you’re doing,” Daniel implored softly, still trying to sound as non-threatening as possible.

“I can assure you that we’ve given this a great deal of thought. Now have a seat.” She gestured with her gun and Daniel acknowledged her but didn’t sit. He could see the bulge of the weapon that she had taken from him and stuffed into the waistband of her jeans. No cop wanted his service pistol to end up in the hands of a criminal, and Daniel was no exception. He made a vow to recover that gun before this episode was over. Funny—she hadn’t asked why he had been carrying a gun. Tennessee did have very liberal concealed weapon permit laws, but still...

He pushed that thought aside and decided to try talking to her one more time. “The laws have gotten tougher,” he said quietly. “Bank robbery is federal. You could get a life sentence. The minimum is twenty-five years when guns are involved. If you give up now—”

“Not happening,” she said roughly, aiming her gun directly at his midriff. “Don’t be a hero. Sit down with the others.” Her voice was low but threatening.

“Is this guy giving you a problem?” Daniel turned and saw one of the younger robbers coming toward him. He thought it was Hairy, the one who had been tossing the gun around, but he couldn’t be sure. The criminal’s stance was aggressive as he approached, and Daniel braced for the battle that was heading his way.

“It’s under control,” she snarled.

“Doesn’t look like it’s under control to me.” He lifted his rifle as if to hit Daniel in the face, but before he could do anything further, the woman stepped in front of Daniel, her stance protective.

“Back off,” the woman exclaimed angrily. “I said I have it under control.”

The young man paused a moment, his body moving from foot to foot as if he was filled with energy and was about to explode. “Sure you do.”

She took a step closer to the other robber, her voice tight. “The deal was nobody gets hurt. Now stay out of my way, J.P.,” she growled.

He leaned closer and his whisper was a low hiss. “No names, remember?”

She motioned around her. “Who’s gonna hear me? I’m serious. Stay out of my way.”

“You stay out of my way, girl. I didn’t want you here in the first place.” He spun around and angrily threatened one of the other customers with his rifle. “Get back, did you hear me?” He raised the weapon up as if he was going to hit someone else, then abruptly stalked off.

* * *

Bethany blew out a breath of relief as the man moved away. Her heart was beating so strongly she was sure J.P. could hear it. What in the world was Daniel doing here, of all places? Thankfully, she had been able to distract J.P. before any further violence had happened. She had once seen J.P. beat a man into unconsciousness for borrowing his truck without asking. He was vengeful and a loose cannon, and there was no telling how far he would go if he continued unchecked. She said a small prayer of thanks under her breath, then motioned to Daniel with her gun.

“Sit with the others. Now.”

Daniel put his hands up in a motion of mock surrender, then nodded and sat. She didn’t like the way he was studying her, but it couldn’t be helped.

She glanced over at J.P., who was stalking the floor, threatening anyone who dared to look up. The kid was a hothead, and she had been trying to avoid him ever since she’d infiltrated this band for the FBI a year ago. He was always challenging her, and if anyone was going to blow her cover, it would probably be him.

She looked down at Daniel and her heart continued to pound. She didn’t think he had recognized her, and she wondered how long she could keep her identity a secret from him if this robbery took longer than expected. Her feelings were in a jumbled mess where Daniel was concerned. She had loved him once, or thought she had, but that seemed like a lifetime ago. Their last words had been said in anger, and she had taken this undercover assignment only a few days later. It had been an excellent escape and helped her refocus her energy after their breakup. Now that a year had passed, she had no desire to bring those feelings to the surface and sort through them all over again. The past was better left in the past.

“Okay, I want everyone’s cell phones. Now!” She turned to see their leader, Jackson, swinging his gun around and carrying a trash can. He walked down the line of hostages and waited impatiently as they each deposited their cell phones in the metal can. The captives were all in different stages between panic and disbelief. A couple of the women were crying, and a few of the men were pale and withdrawn, but they all complied with Jackson’s orders. When he came to Daniel, he stopped and Bethany held her breath, hoping that neither Jackson nor Daniel would start an altercation. Being undercover meant sometimes walking a thin line between the legal and illegal. Her participation in this bank robbery had been authorized by her handler at the FBI, so they could trace the stolen money and make bigger arrests, but it was hard to see anyone get hurt. Still, she would blow her cover in a heartbeat if any of the robbers tried to kill an innocent victim. The problem was that she knew Daniel was a fellow officer who would do everything within his power to foil this robbery. She held her breath, not sure what to expect, her body tense and ready to react.

“Was this man giving you trouble?” Jackson asked, looking between Daniel and the other robbers.

A cold sweat ran down her back. Should she tell their leader that Daniel was a cop? Her mind focused on the heaviness of Daniel’s weapon resting in the waistband of her jeans. If he saw Daniel’s police badge or somehow discovered that she’d known he was law enforcement and hadn’t said anything, it could blow her cover. But if she did tell, Jackson might lose his temper and try to hurt Daniel, and she would be forced to intervene. There was no telling what he would do if he found out one of the hostages was a detective with the local police department. This entire assignment could blow up in the next few moments if she didn’t quickly think of a solution. Her mind was spinning when surprisingly J.P. solved her problem for her.

“He was mouthing off. I had to show him who was in charge,” J.P. offered with a sardonic grin.

Bethany blew out a breath of relief, her dilemma temporarily fixed. She watched Jackson carefully, waiting for his reaction.

Jackson finally nodded, apparently accepting the response, and pointed his gun at Daniel’s head. “Give me your cell phone.”

Daniel’s pulled out his cell phone that was clipped to his belt and in the same motion, surreptitiously pushed his detective shield into his pocket, hiding it from view. Bethany noticed and quickly looked down so it seemed like she wasn’t paying attention. He dropped the phone in the trash can with the others and Jackson continued down the line, none the wiser.

Suddenly a shot rang out, and J.P. shrieked and grabbed his side. A dark circle of blood appeared on the hoodie near J.P.’s abdomen, and J.P. slowly sank to the floor, his face contorted with pain. Bethany crouched, her weapon ready, searching the room for the source of the shot. Would the next bullet take her out?

TWO

Bethany turned just in time to see a security guard slip back behind a corner in the hallway leading to the back of the building. She fired back, but made sure her shots were high. Good grief! Hadn’t Jackson cleared the building? She noticed Jackson motioning to Terrell, the big, well-built robber who had locked the front doors and was closer to the guard’s hiding place than any of the other robbers. They had all studied the floor plans of the bank before the theft, and they all knew that if Terrell was careful, he could sneak up on the guard from behind and disarm him by going through a second hallway that was accessible from behind the tellers’ counter. Terrell nodded to Jackson and silently disappeared through the door. Bethany hoped Terrell would be reasonable and not hurt the guard. He was a true believer in the cause, but he wasn’t by nature a violent person. A few minutes later, they heard some shouting from the hallway, and Terrell led the security guard out with his hands up and forced him to join the line of hostages. He had been disarmed and had a recalcitrant expression on his face, but he didn’t look injured. Bethany was instantly relieved. Her biggest dread in participating in this crime was that someone innocent would get hurt or killed. It was bad enough that J.P. got shot. She surely didn’t want any other casualties.

“Trying to be a hero?” Jackson sneered when the guard and Terrell reached the group. The guard didn’t answer, and Bethany glanced at her watch. Things were going downhill, fast. They needed to get into the vault, get what they came for and get out of here. This whole robbery was taking way too long. A wave of anxiety washed over her as she watched Jackson motion to the guard with his gun. “Sit down with the others.” The guard complied, warily eyeing J.P., who was still laying on the floor, bleeding and moaning loudly and intermittently. He was right to be worried. If J.P. weren’t hurt so badly, he surely would have been so angry about being shot that he would have killed the guard outright just for revenge. J.P. had always been the one wild card in the whole operation. It was almost a blessing that he was out of the mix and wouldn’t be able to hurt anybody. Still, she didn’t want him to die.

As Jackson gave orders for Terrell to sweep the place and make sure no one else was hiding in the back, Bethany went over to J.P.’s side. She put her rifle down and pulled up J.P.’s shirt so she could examine his wound. The fabric was already soaked with blood. He grabbed her arm and squeezed her hard. “I can’t believe he shot me. Help me, Hailey. He wasn’t supposed to shoot me.”

Bethany nodded and met his eye, trying to reassure him. “Sure thing, J.P. Just let me take a look.” Hailey was her undercover name, yet it still sounded odd to her ears. She thought she’d eventually get used to it, especially since she’d been undercover for a year with this group.

She examined the wound carefully, then gingerly rolled him to his side so she could see if the bullet had gone out his back. Thankfully, she found an exit wound. Even though it was bleeding profusely, she thought it was merely a flesh wound. If she could just stop the blood flow, he should be back to his normal nasty self in only a few weeks. She carefully pulled off her hoodie, found some scissors in a drawer in a nearby worker’s desk and cut the sweatshirt into strips, thankful for the latex gloves that the robbers were all wearing that kept her hands free of the blood. She kept her mask in place and still had on the black T-shirt she had been wearing underneath the hoodie, but now it was clear to everyone that she was a woman. There was no way to hide her body shape or her dark blond hair that was pulled back in a slick ponytail. She made a bandage out of the fabric and applied pressure for a few minutes before wrapping the rest of the strips around him to securely hold the bandage in place. Once she finished dressing his wound, she tied a knot and leaned over him.

“Alright, J.P.,” she whispered for his ears only. “You lie still, okay?” She put his hands on top of the knot. “Hold that bandage right there as tightly as you can to stop the bleeding. Got it?” She squeezed his arm. God, please save his life and change his heart.

She grabbed her rifle again and stood. At least now J.P. had a fighting chance. She glanced nonchalantly in Daniel’s direction, but a sliver of fear slid down her spine when she saw the look on his face. His eyes were burning into her like hot coals. It was obvious that he had recognized her, and anger and frustration radiated from his head to his toes. Now that he knew who she was, would he blow her cover? She met his eyes, which were following her every movement. Maybe it wasn’t anger she saw there but confusion and hurt instead. She looked away, not ready to confront Daniel or the emotions that caused a tightening in her chest.

* * *

Bethany Walker, his ex-fiancée, stood not twenty feet from him. Daniel still couldn’t believe it. But what was she doing robbing banks? He sat up a little straighter and watched her carefully as she tended to the other robber. He wanted to march right over to her and demand an explanation, but something inside of him urged caution. Bethany was a top special agent for the FBI. She had to be on assignment. Still, law enforcement was in the business of preventing crime, not creating crime, so why was she involved in an illegal activity like bank robbery? In Daniel’s book, Bethany’s actions violated the oath of a law enforcement officer. How could she protect and serve if she was the one wielding the rifle?

Daniel’s attention was quickly diverted as the leader abruptly shot another stream of bullets into the ceiling. “Alright, who is the manager here?” He paced in front of the terrified group of hostages. All of the other robbers besides Hairy, wait, what had Bethany called him? Oh, yeah, J.P. All of the robbers besides J.P. stood behind the leader, keeping a wary eye on the situation, their guns at the ready. J.P. lay moaning on the floor right where he had fallen. The leader moved closer to one of the men who obviously worked at the bank. “Are you the manager?”

The man put his hands up in mock surrender and shook his head. “No, no, it’s that guy.” He pointed to an older man in a dark suit who gave him a withering look.

The leader smiled and sauntered over to the manager. He motioned with his gun. “Get up, mister manager. I’d like to see the inside of your vault.”

“It’s time locked,” the man sputtered.

“You’re quite right,” the leader said with a smile as he checked his watch. “Isn’t it wonderful that we’re here at precisely the correct time? Now, if you’ll just come punch your code into the keypad, we’ll be in business.”

Daniel could tell the man was terrified but was also trying his best to stall and protect the bank. His hesitance wasn’t lost on the leader either, who grabbed the manager’s tie and brought him to his feet. Then he pushed him toward the back of the bank where the vault was located. The man stumbled but righted himself and started walking. The leader, the robber with the limp and the bodybuilder robber all followed him, each carrying a large black duffel bag they had brought in with them when they’d first entered the bank. Daniel noticed there were two other bags of supplies the robbers had carried in, and he wondered briefly what was inside of them. He remembered that bank robberies usually averaged six minutes from start to finish, and he wondered fleetingly when this team was planning to make their escape. They had already been in the bank quite a long time by robbery standards and had gone way past the average.

Bethany was the only robber left to watch the hostages, although J.P. was still lying on the floor, suffering from his injuries. She took over the pacing in front of the line of people, and Daniel watched her carefully, wondering if there was any way he could find an opportunity to talk to her in private so he could figure out what was going on.

The phone suddenly rang, the shrill sound startling the group. Bethany ignored it, but after the tenth ring or so, Daniel spoke up. “Want me to answer that for you?”

“Stay where you are,” she said flatly, pointing her gun at him. Now that he knew her identity, Daniel knew he wasn’t in danger and she wouldn’t fire, but he didn’t want to push her too far and ruin her cover either. Still, he had big questions for her. How could he get her alone to talk? Was it even possible in the confines of this insane robbery situation?

The ringing continued.

“Look, you must know this is taking too long. The police are probably already outside surrounding the place. They’re undoubtedly controlling the phones, and that’s a negotiator calling to talk you through this mess. You need to listen to him.” A couple of the other hostages groaned when he spoke, apparently frustrated with his goading.

“Shut up,” Bethany said roughly, taking a step in his direction. “It’s too early for the police to be here.”

The ringing continued.

Daniel couldn’t help himself. All of the hurt and frustration he’d felt at losing Bethany suddenly came to a head, and now that he had found her, he had to push forward, regardless of the circumstances. “It’s got to be them,” he said, not knowing if it really was or not, but trying hard to sell the bluff. He started to stand and confront her, but she moved in closer and actually pointed the gun directly at his head. When she spoke, her voice was low and cold like ice. “I said, stay where you are. Don’t move again unless you want a new hole in your head.”

He looked up into her eyes, those gray-blue eyes that reminded him of polished steel, and backed off. There was strength there, and memories flooded back at him. He remembered her laughing during a funny part of a movie and accepting his comfort when her cat died. They had shared a lot during their relationship, but the woman standing in front of him brandishing the gun as part of a robbery gang seemed like a total stranger. Yet, the love remained. He couldn’t erase it, no matter how much he had tried to forget her during the last year. He eyed her critically, noticing small details about her. She was thinner now, and her hair was a bit longer, but now that he knew her identity, it was hard to figure out why he hadn’t identified her sooner, even with the mask distorting her facial features.

Why? Why had she left him without an explanation? Had she never loved him in the first place? Why had she never followed through and walked down the aisle with him? Where had she been for the last year? Pain slashed across his chest, but he tried his best to push those questions out of his mind. As much as he wanted to confront her and demand answers, they would have to wait. This wasn’t the time or place. In fact, he might never get a chance to talk to Bethany privately during this bank robbery. Right now, he needed to focus on stopping this crime, if it was possible, and make sure nobody got hurt, including the woman he loved.

Suddenly, another man from the middle of the group started to stand, as well. Bethany swung her rifle in his direction and let fly a short burst of bullets. She must have aimed high on purpose, because each shot missed and hit the wood paneling about two feet above his head. Still, the shots had the desired effect, and the man quickly sat back down again, his eyes wide with fear. She took a few steps back, apparently making sure she had a good view of all the hostages.

When she spoke, her voice was tough as nails, and her body language said she was more than just angry. “I said, stay where you are, all of you. Make no mistake, I am in control of this room and I missed on purpose. The next person that moves will be dead. Got it? I don’t have to miss. I’m an excellent shot. We’ll be out of here in just a few more minutes, and then you can all go back to your lives. Until then, you stay quiet and out of our way.”

Daniel couldn’t keep silent despite her orders. He changed his tactic, knowing Bethany would always want to make sure a life wasn’t lost during an operation but also ensuring he didn’t make her appear vulnerable in front of the other hostages. The last thing he needed was for the hostages to feel empowered and attempt to rush her or try to take away her weapon. “We get it. You’re in charge. But please, let someone take your man outside. He’s injured and needs medical attention.” Daniel paused, waiting to see how Bethany would respond to his argument. Seeing no change in her expression, he tried a different approach. “If he dies, it will go worse for you in the long run.” Daniel knew she had a better chance of keeping her cover intact if no one died during this operation, and if law enforcement could interrogate the robber lying on the floor, all the better.

She laughed. She actually laughed at his suggestion. “So the police can arrest him on sight? No, thank you.”

Was she being sincere, or acting the part? He honestly couldn’t tell. Maybe he didn’t know her anymore after all. A lot could change in a year. “He’ll die if he doesn’t get help. He’ll also slow down your escape.” He pointed to one of the stronger looking men. “Let him do it. He can carry the guy out and make sure he gets the help he needs.”

He waited as the seconds slowly ticked by, stretching into minutes. The air felt thick.

THREE

As if on cue, the phone started ringing again, slicing into the silence. Bethany eyed her watch, then the doorway that led to the vault. Something must have gone wrong; they were taking way too long to get the money and emerge from the back room where the vault was located. She knew that Jackson had already knocked out the video feeds and alarm system, but she wondered fleetingly if there was an issue with the bank manager’s code. Jackson swore he could bypass the electronic lock on the vault by doing some fancy wiring if he had to, but she wasn’t as confident in his abilities as he was. If he wasn’t going to be able to open it after all, her undercover mission was going to last even longer than she’d thought. The group she had infiltrated needed money to operate, and if they didn’t get it here and now, they would have to commit more crimes in the future to fund their operation. It was better all-around if they were successful here today. Then she could focus on building her case and making her arrests as the robbers put their more devious plans into motion.

She eyed the group of hostages in front of her and tried to look tough and demanding. So far, she was confident that they wouldn’t do anything foolish—except for Daniel, that is. She could tell he was testing her. Maybe if their relationship hadn’t ended so badly he wouldn’t be challenging her, but now he knew her true identity, and she wasn’t sure what to expect. No matter what, she couldn’t blow her cover. Not here and now when she had come so far and given this operation a year of her life.

“Let me get that phone for you,” Daniel suggested again. She swung back and stalked toward him. She doubted that the ringing phone was the police. This was a place of business after all, and phones probably rang constantly throughout the day. Still, the sound was eerily annoying, but not as annoying as the look of hurt in Daniel’s eyes that he was apparently unable to hide. His expression surprised her. Hadn’t they both said angry words to each other on that fateful day when they had ended their relationship? Pride made her push past the feelings that were starting to bubble in her chest.

Maybe she had hurt him by not giving him an opportunity to explain after the big blowup. He never apologized, but she had basically vanished and never given him a chance to do so. She paused, reliving some of the argument in her mind. She was mature enough to realize that the fault had been hers, as well. Her disappearance had been swift after their relationship had collapsed, but her superiors had required an immediate response when they had offered her this assignment, and there had been no time to contact anyone. She had jumped at the opportunity to go undercover and further her career, but it had also been an excellent way to avoid the hurt and anger she had felt and evade any further confrontation. She had never thought of herself as a coward, but she had definitely wanted to avoid ever running into Daniel again. She glanced at him now and another wave of emotion swept over her. Why did he have to be here today? He was already pushing her buttons. Why wouldn’t he just sit down and stay out of her way?

Terrell suddenly emerged from the back room, which instantly stopped her woolgathering and made her alert. His hands were empty except for the rifle, and he approached Bethany and leaned forward so only she could hear. “Jackson is having trouble with the safe. The manager couldn’t get his code to work, so Jackson is working on the wiring. He’s trying to override the system.”

“We don’t have time for this,” she hissed. “The cops will be here in no time.”

“Jackson wants to wait. He’s convinced he can open it if he’s just given a few more minutes.”

“J.P. might die.”

Terrell laughed. “I never liked him anyway, and I sure never thought you’d care with the way he treats you.”

“I’ve never liked him either,” she whispered back. “But that doesn’t mean I want him to die.” She glanced around at the people lined against the counter, then at her watch. “We really need to get out of here. Forget the vault. Let’s get the cash out of the registers and bounce.” Fear swept down her spine. She wasn’t afraid of getting caught. Her FBI handler would deal with that if she were arrested. But the longer this robbery stretched out, the more probable it became that someone would get hurt.

As if to accent the point, the phone started ringing again.

Terrell motioned toward the phone. “Go ahead and answer it. I’ll keep an eye on these folks. If it’s the cops, we need to start the dialogue so they don’t raid the place.”

She hesitated but finally slung her rifle over her back and walked over to where the phone was ringing on the desk. She picked it up. “What?”

“This is Sergeant Michaels with the police department. Who am I talking to?”

“You can call me Bonnie.” Bethany smiled, thinking of Bonnie and Clyde. “By the way, you get an A+ for response time. I must say, you got here quicker than we expected.”

“We aim to serve,” he responded dryly. “Am I speaking to the one in charge?”

“Not likely.”

“Well, who would that be?”

“He’s a bit busy right now. We’ll have to hold introductions later.”

Sergeant Michaels paused, obviously taking notes. “Alright, Bonnie. Is anybody hurt in there?”

“We’ve had a few mishaps.”

“Do you want to let me send in some emergency techs to take care of them?”

“No, Sergeant, I don’t think that would be a good idea. In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve strapped some C-4 on the doors. It would get a bit exciting if you tried to get in here.”

There was another pause. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt here.”

Bethany nodded, switching the phone from one ear to the other so she could keep a better eye on Terrell and the hostages. “We share that goal.” She lowered her voice. “My boss, however, isn’t as concerned about that as we are. I urge you not to try to breech the front or the back of the bank.” There. She’d warned them. Her handler should have already notified the local authorities of her role in the heist and of what they were facing, but there were no guarantees. She had notified her handler of the details and he, in turn, had passed on the details, such as the explosives at the doors, to the local teams. Still, she knew she was in a risky position, and there was always a possibility that things could go terribly wrong. Since banks were federally insured, the FBI always got called in when a robbery occurred, but that didn’t mean the communication between the various law enforcement agencies was decent or accurate.

Sergeant Michaels cleared his throat. “Can you give your boss a message for me?”

“Sure thing, Sergeant.”

“Well, Bonnie, first let him know we’ve got control of the landlines coming out of the bank, so you can reach us by picking up any of the phones in the building. Anytime you or your boss want to talk, I’ll be available.”

“Aren’t you the Southern gentleman?” She let a tad of sarcasm touch her voice. She was supposed to be a bank robber after all. Sergeant Michaels didn’t take the bait though, and when he spoke again, his voice was calm and controlled.

“You should also know that we have this bank surrounded. You’re not going to be able to get out of there without my help.” He paused. “You believe that, don’t you, Bonnie? That I’m here to help you?”

She laughed. “Sure. You’ll help me all the way to a prison cell.”

Again, he didn’t react to her taunting. “I’m here to help make sure you don’t get killed. I don’t want any more bloodshed. Let’s end this peacefully. I want you to be able to see tomorrow.”

“Sergeant, let me remind you that we have eighteen hostages in here. If you want them all to walk out of here, you’ll keep your distance. Otherwise, you’ll be picking up the pieces.”

“Well, Bonnie, like I said, my goal today is to make sure no one gets hurt. What can I do for you to make sure we resolve this quickly and quietly?”

“I’ll get back to you on that.” She hung up, not willing to drag out the conversation. She was sure they were recording her voice and doing a voice recognition test. Hopefully that would remind them that she was law enforcement and the snipers that would inevitably be put in place wouldn’t put a target on her.

She glanced at her watch and noted the time. Jackson was taking way too long to get into that safe. They’d had a plan in place if the police showed up before they could escape, but it was dangerous. Now they had no choice but to start following it. She thought about J.P. lying on the floor and stole a glance in his direction. He was still grimacing and holding his side where he’d been shot, but he was moving around less. His face was also much paler, and she wondered if he was going into shock. She decided to check on him and went back over to his side. She bent and took a look under his bandages while Terrell checked in with Jackson at the vault. She kept a close eye on the hostages while she did so, but none of them seemed anxious to challenge her authority this time, even though she had to lay down her rifle to check J.P.’s wounds.

“How’s it look?” J.P. asked, his voice laced with pain.

“Not so good,” she said softly. She kept the panic out of her voice, but she was deeply concerned about the amount of blood on the bandages. Daniel was right. J.P. needed a doctor, and he needed one now. If he didn’t get one, he might end up bleeding out right there on the floor. She adjusted the bandages and tied them a bit tighter. “Don’t worry, J.P. I’m going to get you some help.”

He grabbed her arm and held it way too tightly. “Don’t turn me over to the cops,” he hissed.

“I don’t have a choice. If I don’t, you’ll die right here and right now. Is that what you want?”

“Don’t do it, Hailey. I’m warning you.”

“Warning me?” she laughed, even though there was no mirth in her voice. “What do you plan to do to me if you’re six feet under, pushing up daisies?”

He tried to pull himself up but groaned and fell back against the floor. He grabbed for her arm again, but she stayed just out of reach. “I’d rather die than get caught. If you turn me over to the cops, I’ll end up in prison, and it will be all your fault. If that happens, I’ll make you pay. I swear I will.”

“Maybe,” she said with a frown. “But at least you’ll be alive.” She knew J.P. was a true believer in the cause, and the chances of him ratting them out were next to nil once he was arrested, but she took his threat against her seriously. J.P. was a dangerous enemy to have. Still, she couldn’t just let him die.

“How is he?” Terrell asked as he reappeared and sauntered over to her side. He must have noticed her worried expression because some of the confidence went out of his step as he looked between her and J.P.

“Not good.” She stood and motioned toward the vault. “How’s the progress back there?”

Terrell shrugged. “The same. Slow but steady.”

She motioned to J.P. “He’s going to die if we don’t get him some help. He’s bleeding way too much.”

Terrell shook his head. “Then he dies. The boss won’t like it if we let anybody in here or if we let them take him to a hospital. You know the rules.”

J.P. called out to Terrell. “Hey, man. Don’t let her turn me over to the cops.”

Bethany moved so she was blocking Terrell’s view of J.P. and caught the bigger man’s eye. “Did you hear what I said? He’ll die if we don’t get him to a hospital.”

“Then let him die,” Terrell suddenly yelled, his voice filling with anger. “Aren’t you listening? There’s a bigger picture here, woman. You can’t take a chance that he’ll talk.” He stalked up to Bethany and leaned over her, his stance threatening. “The cause is the only thing that matters.”

She didn’t back down. “I won’t let him die.”

“It’s not up to you. Listen to what he’s saying. He doesn’t even want your help.”

“Do you want his death on your conscience?” she spat. She knew Terrell was twice her size and strength, but she had to stand up to him. This was important. This was life and death. She looked into his eyes and wondered how far he would go. He looked angry enough to shoot her just for daring to challenge him. Or would he shoot J.P. himself and make the whole argument moot? Despite his glare, she couldn’t back down. “I don’t want him on my conscience when I know I could have saved him.”

“The boss will not be happy about it. Let him die.”

Bethany looked from J.P. to Terrell, both of whom were glowering. Her insides were fighting a raging battle. Was this the end of her undercover assignment right here and now? Even if it meant she had wasted a year of her life on this mission, life was too precious to just throw it away.

“I’m sorry, boys. I can’t just stand here and do nothing. I won’t.”

Terrell nodded. “Okay. You’ve made your choice.”

He raised his weapon.

FOUR

Daniel watched the confrontation and felt his adrenaline surge as his protective instincts kicked in. Even if it cost him his life, he would not stand by and watch Bethany get hurt. He didn’t know if the bodybuilder robber would actually shoot her or not, but he couldn’t wait and find out. Daniel didn’t like the way the man was holding his rifle. He stood and moved toward them. “Hey now.”

In one fleeting second, all of the bigger man’s anger focused on Daniel. He took several steps toward him and raised the butt of his weapon as if preparing to hit Daniel across the face. “You stay back, do you hear me?”

Daniel put his hands up and retreated a few steps. He had accomplished his objective—he had distracted him and gotten him to move away from Bethany. “Yeah, I hear you.”

The bodybuilder loomed threateningly over him, and Daniel could see the red in his eyes and smell garlic on his breath even through the mask. “Sit back down! Now! Or I’ll make sure you never stand up again!”

Daniel obeyed, his hands still up in front of him. He didn’t know what to expect and wouldn’t have been surprised if the robber had bashed him with the rifle just for good measure. The man was so angry his hands were shaking. It had to be the stress. This heist was taking longer than any of them had probably expected, and the threat of capture had to be looming in all of their minds. Daniel wondered if they were criminals by trade or if this was a one-time deal.

The phone broke the silence once again with a steady ring.

Bethany held back and didn’t move. She simply looked at the big man, apparently waiting for permission before answering the phone or doing anything else. Daniel didn’t blame her. The robber was an incredibly large man with heavily developed muscles and a threatening presence. He would be a dangerous foe in any situation, and in his current stance of agitation, it wasn’t worth challenging him without a very good reason.

The phone stopped ringing, then started again after about thirty seconds or so. No one else said a word. The air felt heavy. Even the other hostages were smart enough to stay quiet and subdued.

Finally, the bodybuilder relented. He motioned with his weapon toward the phone, then started pacing in front of the hostages, glaring at them as he did so. “Fine, answer the stupid phone and do whatever you want to do with J.P., but I’m not taking the blame. When the boss finds out, it’ll be you who answers to him. Not me.”

Bethany nodded and swung her rifle behind her, then walked over and quickly picked up the receiver. “Yeah?”

She was silent as she listened, then turned and looked into the other robber’s eyes as she spoke. “Look, we’ve got a man down. He’s been shot, and he needs a doctor. I want you to send in someone to get him. One man and a stretcher. That’s it.”

She listened again and then stood straighter as her eyes narrowed. “No, I’m not letting a hostage take him outside. You’re going to send in one EMT with a stretcher on wheels and he’s going to come in and get the guy, and then he’s going to turn around and leave. If he’s armed, I’ll kill him. If he does anything foolish, I’ll kill him. Got it?”

She listened some more and then slammed down the phone and turned to the bodybuilder. “Okay, they’re sending in a guy with a stretcher. Can you let him in the front door?”

The big robber blew out a breath, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess. The boss is going to blow a gasket over this. Cover me while I work.”

J.P. groaned loudly. “Don’t hand me over to them.” He tried to sit up again but failed miserably. “I’ll get you back, Hailey. I promise you that.”

Daniel was surprised that the wounded man said Bethany’s undercover name out loud. Hailey must be what Bethany was calling herself these days. He could tell it was a major breach of etiquette for the robbers to mention names because even the bodybuilder balked at his words.

“Shut up, man. Just close your mouth and keep it closed.”

Daniel watched as the bodybuilder slung his rifle behind him and went to the front door and undid some wires, apparently disarming the bomb temporarily so the doors could be opened. Then he released the cables that were holding the door shut and opened one of them. A man dressed as an emergency tech pushed in a yellow stretcher on wheels, noticed the man lying on the floor and rushed to his side, but Bethany frisked him before she let him get close to the wounded man, and she searched the bags he brought in, presumably for any weapons or other suspicious devices. Meanwhile, the bodybuilder robber stayed near the front door and pulled his gun back around to the front and held it ready, his eyes following the EMT’s every movement.

When the EMT approached him, J.P. started thrashing his arms around, trying to keep the EMT away from him. Bethany pointed her weapon at Daniel and motioned toward the fallen man. “Hey, hero. Help him get that man on the stretcher. Now.”

Daniel nodded and moved quickly to help the EMT, glad that Bethany had allowed him to help. He glanced at the rest of the hostages as he did so, but although a few were watching the scene unfold, most were turned away and trying to stay as uninvolved as possible. It was probably wise of them not to challenge the robbers like he had, but doing nothing went against his basic ideals, and he knew Bethany was a cop, which gave him the advantage. He was also driven to help resolve this problem and was grateful to play even a small part in the resolution. He grabbed and secured the injured man’s hands and helped lift him to the stretcher, being careful of the man’s wound as he did so. Then he continued holding the man steady as the EMT strapped him to the gurney. Once the injured man couldn’t pull away or fight any longer, the EMT checked his wound and re-bandaged it, then started an IV.

“Is he going to live?” Bethany asked.

“Looks like it,” the EMT answered. “You called us just in time. He’s lost a lot of blood and is in shock, but the hospital is close. I think he’ll make it.”

Bethany nodded, but kept her gun trained on the tech even as he spoke to her. She even kept it on him as he turned and pushed the gurney back out through the front door. Once he was gone, the bodybuilder lost no time in rewiring the door and securing the door handles with the cables.

“Why don’t you let the women go?” Daniel asked quietly. “You’ll still have plenty of hostages...”

Bethany swung around and pointed her weapon right at Daniel’s chest. “Shut up.” She motioned toward the line of hostages. “Sit back down and keep quiet.”

He put up his hands again but didn’t obey. “Look, you just did something decent. Don’t stop now. Let the women go. You’ll still have all of the men...”

The bodybuilder advanced quicker than Daniel had expected and loomed above him, his weapon once again pulled back like a club. “She told you to sit down and shut up. I’ve had enough of you and your mouth. Do you hear me? Do as she says, buddy, or I’ll make you comply. Got it?”

Daniel backed down and sat on the floor again, but he kept his eyes on Bethany. She had done the right thing by getting the injured man to safety, but how far was she going to take this robbery? She could put an end to it right now if she wanted to, and with his help, they could arrest the bodybuilder and catch the robbers in the vault unprepared and unaware. What was holding her back? Was she actually going to see this robbery through to the end? A chill went through him as he considered the possibilities. What was their endgame? What was the bigger picture that the bodybuilder had alluded to earlier? He didn’t want to blow her cover, but he didn’t want anyone else to get hurt either. As long as the robbers were in the bank, more violence could erupt at any moment.

* * *

Bethany’s teeth chattered and she realized they had turned off the heat in the building and the temperature was slowly dropping. She’d given up her hoodie to make bandages for J.P., and the T-shirt she was wearing did little to stave off the cold. They were going straight down the law enforcement playbook. Step one was make them uncomfortable by cutting off the heat. Step two was keep the communication lines open while SWAT got into place in case a tactical operation was required. She was sure they already had snipers in place, looking for a clear shot if the negotiator couldn’t talk them out of the building.

She glanced around the bank’s interior and noticed all of the Christmas decorations for the first time. Wreaths were placed under each teller station, and candles with pine cones and ribbon decorated some of the counters. She had been so wrapped up in this robbery that she hadn’t given much thought to the season. Christmas had always been her favorite holiday—that is, until she and Daniel had broken up last year just a few days before the special day had arrived. She stole a look in his direction. He was still as attractive as ever, with dark hair in a short military cut and piercing blue eyes. His features were clearly defined, and he had a strong jaw and firm chin. He took good care of himself, and his athletic build showed it. She wondered if he still ran five miles every morning the way he had back when they were together. He had been on a serious health kick back then and played basketball with his squad on a regular basis. If she had to guess, she’d bet he had probably thrown himself into his exercise routines with gusto after their breakup. That had always been his way of dealing with stress or problems in his life as long as she’d known him.

She turned, trying to push the memories away. Their relationship was over and had been for over a year. She didn’t need to be wallowing in the past; she needed to be looking forward. She wished he wasn’t here now, forcing these memories to come flooding back in the middle of this operation. Once this undercover assignment was over, she would have her pick of assignments. Maybe it would be better if she moved out of state and started over someplace where there was no possibility of ever running into him again. Yes, that was a good plan. She’d heard Florida was nice this time of year. Or maybe South Carolina near the beach...

The phone rang again, bringing her out of her reverie. Terrell nodded at her, tacitly giving her permission to answer it. She slung her rifle to her back and walked over to the phone, then picked up the receiver.

“Hello,” she answered.

“Your man is doing well,” Sergeant Michaels stated.

“Good to know,” Bethany answered.

“Can your boss come to the phone now?”

Bethany looked toward the back of the bank, but there had been no news from the vault. She assumed the rest of the robbers were still working on opening it. “Nope.”

“Well, I need to get the rest of those hostages out of there before someone else gets hurt. What can I do to help move this along?”

“Sit tight and wait,” she replied caustically. “We’ll be out of your hair soon enough.”

Sergeant Michaels seemed undaunted. “You have eighteen hostages. What would it take to get you to release ten of them?” Bethany’s gut tightened. She wanted the people out of danger, but she worried about moving forward with the negotiations without Jackson’s approval. He was already going to be upset that J.P. was gone. He might get even angrier if she went in the back to talk to him and interrupted his work while he was trying to open the vault. Jackson was usually a benevolent leader, but he was sometimes hard to read, and she never knew what was going to set him off. When he did get angry, his actions were often unexpected and violent. This robbery had already gone down a road they hadn’t expected. She suddenly found herself in an uncomfortable position but didn’t know quite how to get out of it.

Lost in thought, Bethany didn’t answer, so Sergeant Michaels pushed forward. “Look, Bonnie. You probably realize we have an entry team ready to roll. We also have snipers in place, but we don’t want to use force. We want this to end peacefully. Tell me what I need to do to make that happen.”

Bethany was stuck. She knew that if she didn’t give Sergeant Michaels something, it was going to push law enforcement into acting sooner than they wanted them to, and Jackson apparently needed more time to work on the vault. Michaels was also right about one thing. If the robbers and the police did have a confrontation, more violence was going to erupt. “Alright. We got in here before we ate lunch, and now you’ve got us freezing because you turned off the heat. Turn the heat back on and send in some pizzas, and I’ll give you five hostages. That’s the deal, and it’s not negotiable.” She hung up, trying to stay in character. Terrell was watching her every move, and the last thing she wanted was to make him suspicious. Too late, she realized Terrell’s eyes had narrowed and his back had stiffened. He was angry once again.

“You’re giving away hostages? Who put you in charge?” He stood and walked toward her, his stance threatening. Had she blown her cover, or was he just angry about her involving the hostages? A sliver of fear went down her spine as she replayed the words she’d spoken in her mind. Little details mattered in undercover work. One slip and it could mean her life. She knew that a single misstep or, even in some circles, mispronunciation could set off alarm bells, and she couldn’t afford to have even little finger cymbals going off. She needed to be constantly without any suspicion whatsoever.

“First you give them J.P., and now you’re giving them five more? Why? What’s wrong with you?”

“Hey,” she answered defensively, staying in character. “You’re the one who told me to answer the phone. I’m just following your instructions and keeping the cops busy while we get into that vault, and I don’t want to go back to the vault and interrupt them in the middle of their work either. If you want to talk to the guy on the phone instead of me, be my guest. They’re threatening to bust in here with an assault team, not to mention taking potshots at us with snipers. Feel free to start negotiating with them instead of me any time you want. I’m just trying to buy the boss enough time to get the job done.”

Terrell stopped a few steps away from her, his weapon held tightly in his hands. “No one put you in charge,” he said, his tone deceptively soft and threatening. “You shouldn’t be giving those cops anything. Jackson said our job was just to keep the hostages quiet. That’s it. Now, because of you, J.P. has been arrested and you’ve got someone coming in here delivering pizza. Did you order extra cheese?” Now his voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“The boss didn’t know the police were going to threaten to burst in, or that J.P. was going to get shot. Now he’s alive because of me. Don’t forget that,” she said, straightening and meeting his eye.

“Yeah, well, I would have just let him die. For all we know, he’s out there singing like a bird, giving them a complete list of our members including birth dates and shoe sizes. You’ve put this job in jeopardy.” He took a step closer. “You put the organization in jeopardy.”

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