Desire blazes between a beautiful arson investigator and a fire chief in the latest Silver Valley P.D. romance!

At their first meeting, sparks fly—but not the good kind—between Abi Redland and Keith Paruso. As an arson specialist contracted by Silver Valley P.D. Abi needs to work closely with the smolderingly hot fire chief, but as an undercover agent for the top-secret Trail Hiker organization, she has to hide things from him. To her chagrin, she finds the charming firefighter is really getting under her skin.

For Keith, finding the culprit who’s setting the fires and has blackened his reputation means redemption. But as the attacks escalate and Abi becomes a target, danger turns up the heat on their romance...and on everyone they love.

Abi walked toward Keith, stopping a foot from him, and his heart felt like it would explode.

“Keith, you’re a great catch for Silver Valley, I’m sure. But we’re both professionals, and we both know the intensity this case is going to require. Hanky-panky isn’t on the docket.”

“Did you just say hanky-panky?”

“I did. And we’re adults. Let’s get it out in the open so that we can let it go.”

“Like hell.”

Abi didn’t resist as he grasped her upper arms and pulled her body up against his.

“I’m sure all the girls like this Neanderthal move. It’s quite slick, actually. Do you practice—”

Keith planted a firm kiss on her lips. No tongue, no seductive caresses. Just pure lip-lock.

Abi shoved against his chest. “Really? Is that all you’ve got?” As she challenged him she fought the warmth that blazed from her lips to her midsection.

“You’ve no idea, Abi,” he growled.

* * *

We hope you enjoy the Silver Valley P.D. miniseries.

If you’re on Twitter, tell us what you

think of Harlequin Romantic Suspense!

#harlequinromsuspense

Dear Reader,

Welcome back to Silver Valley, the small town in Central Pennsylvania that has more than its share of danger and bad guys waiting around every turn. Fortunately there’s love all around, too.

Secret Agent Under Fire is the fourth Silver Valley P.D. book. We finally get to see the True Believer aka New Thought cult get its due—after it has plagued Silver Valley for the past four books.

It was my honor and privilege to write about Keith Paruso, a firefighter who is fighting to keep his professional reputation intact after being slandered by cult members in Wedding Takedown. Abi Redland is a former FBI agent and arson expert hired by the secret government shadow agency the Trail Hikers to help solve a series of arsons in Silver Valley. Abi and Keith immediately butt heads, as they are both fire-science experts and have definite opinions on how to catch their criminal. I loved writing how they fall in love no matter how dangerous the setting. I had a hard time saying goodbye to Abi and Keith at the end of the book. I hope you’ll feel the same.

Thank you for your wonderful response to the Silver Valley P.D. series. It’s a joy to write, and of course I love to highlight the area I call “home.”

I adore connecting with readers! Please sign up for my newsletter at my website, gerikrotow.com, and join me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Happy reading!

Peace,

Geri

Secret Agent Under Fire

Geri Krotow

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Former naval intelligence officer and US Naval Academy graduate GERI KROTOW draws inspiration from the global situations she’s experienced. Geri loves to hear from her readers. You can email her via her website and blog, gerikrotow.com.

MILLS & BOON

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

To my dearest Stephen—looking forward to

the next thirty years.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

Abigail Redland had never heard so many different birdcalls in her life. Hunched on the dirt floor of a long-ago abandoned play fort, she hard-swallowed a laugh. Imagine, she was having more fun in the deer-tick-infested woods of central Pennsylvania than she’d ever had in her office at FBI headquarters in Washington, DC. Cramped muscles from the long night of surveillance included. She stretched her legs in front of her, careful to remain silent as her hamstrings protested with sharp spasms.

“You still there, Abi?” Rio Ortego’s voice sounded in her earpiece and broke through her mental distraction.

“Here. Nothing.”

“Roger.” Rio was all business, as usual. Not only was Rio the Silver Valley Police Department detective who ran their current op, he was also a fellow Trail Hiker secret agent. Abi still had to pinch herself that she’d landed her new job with the autonomous government shadow agency so quickly after she’d left the FBI.

Because of its secrecy, she’d never heard of Trail Hikers. The fact that it was headquartered only two hours north of DC and yet a world away in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, had intrigued her. As had the scope of their missions, international and domestic, outlined to her by the Trail Hiker CEO, Claudia Michele, a retired Marine Corps General. That had been almost three months ago, and Abi would be forever grateful to Claudia for finding her via the FBI’s database of departing employees. Abi figured she’d have to take a job that wouldn’t use her arson expertise as a cushion between the FBI and whatever came next. Being a Trail Hiker agent was a godsend, even if she still didn’t know what was going to come next. All she knew was that she didn’t want to be taking down bad guys for the rest of her life.

Abi used her binoculars to go over every visible part of the house across the woods for what had to be the hundredth time in two hours and she all but willed their target to appear. She was at most one hundred yards from the house but the binoculars were invaluable. At least she didn’t have to rely on the night-vision goggles any longer—the sun had been up for a good hour.

As if summoned by her thoughts, two ominous booms preceded a thin line of smoke wafting on the early morning breeze—her only warning before the sight of graceful flames registered as they licked up the side of the old, abandoned home.

“We’ve got heat. Flames. Heading in.” She dropped her binoculars and began to unfold herself from her hidden position on the ground.

“No, Abi, stay put. We’ve called the fire department in. Watch for the arsonist.”

“We’ll never catch him if you keep relying on the SVFD, boss.”

Rio didn’t respond and Abi didn’t expect any different. She didn’t have anything against the local fire department—Silver Valley Fire Department wanted the bastard as much as, if not more than, the Trail Hikers and Silver Valley PD combined. They’d all been tracking this loser for the better part of three months. He’d set building after building on fire, each time leaving a fireproof message in his wake, either outside near but far enough from the blaze, or, in many cases, in a fireproof lockbox. Always a warning for Silver Valley to “listen to God” and “revert to the old ways.”

The mental image of the printed, computer-generated messages, all part of the evidence file, made her grind her teeth. Chances were that the fire starter was long gone, as most arsonists fled the scene immediately after committing their crime. He may have set the stage for the flames a day ago, to enable a quick entry and exit from the scene. Anger engulfed her as she faced the hard fact that he’d somehow sneaked in and out without her or the police or fire department’s notice. Certainly none of the SVFD’s walk-throughs had yielded hard evidence, either.

Abi resumed her vigil anyway, which was automatic from years of FBI fieldwork. She forced herself to still and listen intently for any telltale signs of a human being. There had been none when she’d arrived four hours ago, well before sunup. The fire department had searched the house, along with several other empty buildings, last night and, from what Rio had told her, SVFD had found no indication of flammables or explosives in any of the suspected structures.

She stared at the old farmhouse. A farmhouse that probably should have been razed decades ago judging from the weathered clapboards and rusty hinges visible from the outside. She hadn’t gone in to inspect it with the firefighters; as a secret Trail Hiker operative she had to remain as invisible as she could. Her cover as a special contractor to the police department worked but there was no need to push it.

Only a handful of Silver Valley PD officers knew about the Trail Hikers, and the secret government shadow agency put a capital S in secret. It was easy enough to blend into the police department, though, as it regularly had civilians coming and going. It would be much more difficult to do her work in a fire department without loaded questions regarding her identity. Besides, she didn’t think any Silver Valley FD firefighters had been read into the Trail Hikers or she’d have met them as part of this case. Trail Hikers was so classified that she wasn’t privy to who was a part of the agency and who wasn’t. Abi didn’t care about that, anyhow—she was damn grateful to have this job. It was the perfect transition to her new life, whatever that would be.

Twigs snapped and a loud thud made the ground quake. Her spine stiffened and she looked through every crack in the fort, taking care to stay as quiet as possible.

“Crap!” The oath was followed by the sound of heavy steps on the forest floor and jeans-clad legs entered her field of vision.

Carefully and intentionally, Abi crawled toward the entrance of the fort, her weapon drawn. When the feet began to sound a pattern moving away from her, she burst out of the shed.

“Police!”

She made out a tall figure, male, in a hooded sweatshirt. He turned in her direction and revealed a face covered with a ski mask. His single, deliberate hand gesture made his intention clear before he turned and ran. He zigzagged between trees and bushes, eliminating her chance at a clear shot.

Abi began pursuit.

* * *

“We’ve got the building surrounded, Chief.”

“Roger,” Keith Paruso replied to his team leader over the wireless audio system. The fires were never difficult to put out, as long as they caught them early. In this case they’d narrowed the arsonist’s next target down to three abandoned farmhouses and, sure enough, he’d struck the first one on their list. His team had been here in less than three minutes, pre-positioned on the main highway.

It was almost too easy.

If it was up to Keith, the son of a bitch wasn’t going to get away this time. As he scanned the perimeter of the scene, his spine stiffened when he spotted a hooded figure running along the far edge of the farm clearing. “I’ve got a suspect and I’m going after him.” As he spoke he shucked off his gear and then ran straight for his target, grateful he hadn’t donned his firefighting boots. He’d hoped he’d get a shot at capturing the criminal.

Was it his job to catch and apprehend an arsonist? No. That was for SVPD and other law enforcement. Keith’s job was to run his fire department and make sure they put the fires out and kept Silver Valley citizens safe.

But this criminal was different; the entire case was different. He was certain, as was his sister’s boyfriend, Rio, that this fire starter was connected to the True Believer Cult. A cult that had been led by Leonard Wise, who’d convinced vulnerable single mothers that he was their savior. That their daughters would be the mothers of the “new community” he envisioned. The cult had been disbanded by arrests and incarcerations two decades ago, after a twelve-year-old girl reached out for help. That girl had grown into Zora Krasny, a woman relocated and raised in Silver Valley under the witness relocation program. Unfortunately, prison terms ended and the perpetrators had regrouped in Silver Valley over the past eighteen months, hundreds of miles from upstate New York, where they’d caused trouble all those years ago. Now the True Believers, still with Leonard Wise at the helm, were calling themselves the New Thought community. Suspicious activity that turned criminal and life-threatening had occurred in the usually quiet town of twenty thousand. As soon as Rio and SVPD could get the needed evidence, they’d take Leonard Wise and his cult down for good. Trail Hikers was involved because of the potential for disaster; the local law-enforcement agencies, or LEA, could handle only so much.

Keith adjusted his stride to leap over a Civil War–era fence, stomping down on thistles and brambles as he landed. The fence was a keen reminder of the violence central Pennsylvania had endured almost two centuries ago. It was ironic that the peace that emanated from the surrounding Appalachian Mountains was being disturbed again, but this time by a modern-day cult.

The toe of his running shoe caught on a tree root and he pitched forward but regained his balance quickly. When he did, he noticed a second figure on the run; a woman with her weapon drawn and in the fist of her pumping arm as she chased after the suspect. She wore a Kevlar vest. What the hell?

Was it an SVPD officer? He personally knew only one female SVPD cop, Nika Pasczenko. He didn’t know the others. Nika was taller, leaner than the definitely feminine figure streaking across the field. This woman was a stranger to him.

He ran across her path toward the suspect, figuring either he’d catch up to her or they’d corner the arsonist.

But the bastard disappeared from the horizon, only to be seen again on a dirt bike that roared as he made his escape, holding on to an accomplice who drove the vehicle.

He kept running, until he was almost even with the woman who stood stock-still, her arms still raised as if she’d get off a shot at the now long-gone bike.

He slowed to a walk and approached her from behind, and was treated to the most colorful string of epithets he’d experienced since becoming a firefighter. She was speaking to someone, probably mic’d for the stakeout he knew Rio had set up.

“Yeah, the SOB’s gone. What do you mean there aren’t any SVPD units to cut him off? Why the hell did I just spend the last night using my rudimentary camping skills if you didn’t have backup?”

His foot snapped a twig and she whirled on him, her pistol in his face.

“Whoa, there. Hey, I’m on your side. I want to catch the bad guy, too.” He held up his hands and offered a grin, still marveling at her effusive dirty language. Marvel turned to awe as huge doe eyes rounded and, after looking him over, she spoke into the small mic he saw pinned to her bulletproof vest.

“I’ve got someone here with me. What is your name?” Eyes on him again.

“Keith Paruso, Silver Valley Fire Department. Chief.”

Whoever spoke to her in her ear confirmed his identity because she lowered her weapon and holstered it, keeping her dark gaze steady on him.

“Roger. I’ll meet back up with you in a bit.” She yanked her earpiece out, her gaze steady and sparking the wrath of the devil as she leveled it on him. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting you, Chief.”

He ignored her insincere apology. “May I ask who you are and what the hell you’re doing at my fire scene?”

* * *

Dang, dang, dang, dang.

It wasn’t like she didn’t have an alibi, a practiced reason for being here. But as a Trail Hiker it would have been better if she hadn’t been tagged by the chief of SVFD, for God’s sake.

“I’m Abi. Working under contract to SVPD to support the apprehension of this arsonist.”

“Uh-huh.”

The studly fire chief didn’t buy it. She could tell from the way his hands, raised to show her his harmlessness, had lowered and were fisted on his hips. His brows, even and straight across his eyes. Brilliant, cornflower-blue eyes not unlike the sky above them appeared anything but soft and summery. More like a blast of arctic wind over glacial ice.

Sighing, she pulled out her ID. “Here. Check it yourself.”

He reached for the card and their fingers touched. The immediate sexual awareness caught her off guard. Sure, Fire Chief Keith Paruso was an attractive male and obviously in outstanding shape, but she worked with fit—even hot—men on a daily basis. Not one had ever made her feel so instantly turned on, been so quick to remind her that she was a woman underneath all the body armor and cargo pants.

“It says you’re a free agent, Abigail.”

“I am. I told you, I’m a contractor. And it’s Abi.” No one called her Abigail. Except Dad, when she was a kid, and she’d left home almost fifteen years ago. And even he called her Abi these days.

“I didn’t realize SVPD employed contractors, especially ones as prepared as you are, Abigail.”

He was clearly who he said he was and, as she looked past him, she saw the fire trucks, the firefighters hosing down the house.

“I don’t know many fire chiefs who’d leave a fire to run after a suspect. Where I’m from, you leave that to law enforcement. Unless you have a problem with SVPD? Don’t you trust them?”

His eyes narrowed and she thought he was going to either throw her ID on the ground, spit at her or turn and leave. He looked pretty pissed off.

Instead he laughed. A lot. Not a snort or chuckle, but a warm, rich sound that seemed to roll over and around her, squeezing her tight, cutting off her breath. If he hadn’t already turned her on, this would have done it.

“I’ve got a job to do, Chief Paruso.” She held her hand out to retrieve her ID. He ignored it.

“The ‘job’ you have is a case I’ve been working intensely on, along with SVPD, for over three months, and it’s affected my job for over a year. A case that could have resulted in us catching the bad guy. Since your weapon was drawn and you were at least a quarter of a mile ahead of me, I’m thinking that you had a decent chance to catch the loser. Instead, we’re here exchanging pleasantries while the dirt bag’s free to light up his next target. So forgive me, Abigail, if I’m not too impressed with how you do your job.”

* * *

How the hell had SVPD Chief Colt Todd found this one? And why hadn’t he been informed that someone else was working this case? Keith made a mental note to see how much Rio knew about Ms. Abigail Redland. Thank God he knew Rio well enough to ask him, since Rio and Keith’s sister Kayla were a couple. He was supposed to meet them for dinner tonight. Soon enough.

“I’m not being paid to impress you, Chief Paruso.” Her eyes glinted with the morning sun and her chest moved with the deep breaths she drew—was she trying to calm down? Was he making her angry, too? Not that he was looking at her chest. Although...

“You have leaves on your, um, Kevlar.”

She looked down and brushed off the dried oak leaves that were ground into her vest. Her hands were small but capable, and he imagined they’d be the perfect size to fit around his—no. He was not going there, not while this investigation was open, not with some pseudo-law-enforcement agent who probably didn’t know the difference between arson and a bonfire.

“Interesting that you have such keen observation skills, Chief Paruso. I’m curious as to why your talents haven’t caught this criminal yet.”

Anger dowsed the searing line of awareness between them, his focus no longer on his crotch but her snide comment. “How I run my investigation is none of your goddamned business, whether you’re working for SVPD or the CIA. In case you missed it, I’m the chief of the fire department. In reality, it’s law enforcement’s job to get the criminal, as you pointed out.” Who the hell did she think she was?

“Trust me, I know what your job is, Chief.” She said it as though she really did understand firefighting, and it made him even hotter under the collar. Unless she’d had firefighting training herself, she had no business saying she knew his job. None.

“What’s the problem, folks?”

Keith all but jumped at the familiar voice behind him. He’d been so wrapped up in his emotions he hadn’t heard the approaching steps.

Way to go, Keith.

“Hey, Colt.” He held out his hand to the Superintendent of the Silver Valley Police Department, Chief Colt Todd.

Colt gripped his hand firmly and gave it a quick shake before he grinned and nodded at Abigail. “Glad to see you two have met. Abi’s new to SVPD, working with us to fill in the gaps around the arson case.”

“So she said.” Keith wasn’t budging.

“Yes, we’ve met. Speaking of the case, Chief Todd, I need to get back to headquarters and compare notes with Rio and the team. If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen.” Abigail walked off as if she owned the entire field they stood in. As if she was in charge of the case.

“Those weren’t nice words I heard you two exchanging, Keith.”

“Damn it, Colt, we need to be working together on every single aspect of this case or we’re never going to get the dirt bag. Not to mention bring down the cult, if they’re truly connected. Why didn’t you tell me you had a contract employee working this? And how is it that a civilian is carrying a weapon and wearing Kevlar as if she’s more than a contractor?”

Colt’s eyes narrowed but he maintained a neutral expression. “We have several civilian staff members, Keith. Take Claudia Michele, for example. She runs our social media efforts but she’s also been intrinsic to solving a few cases.” Colt spoke about the woman Keith suspected was involved with, if not in charge of, the kind of undercover ops he suspected went on in Silver Valley. He knew that Silver Valley’s status as a quiet small town was at times lost because of the major highways that ran through the outlying area. A state turnpike and three interstate routes, heavily traveled, made Silver Valley attractive to criminals of all types. Criminals that committed crimes that required LEA ops to counter their stinging effects on the population. Ops he wasn’t privy to, not officially, but it was difficult to work as closely as he did with SVPD and not notice that some of his LEA colleagues appeared to be involved with more than local operations. And since his sister had become romantically involved with Rio, he’d had his suspicions validated by Kayla’s obvious avoidance of him when Rio was working “on a confidential case.”

“So who is Abigail Redland, Colt? Is she FBI? ATF?”

Colt shook his head. “It’s not important. And I’m not blowing you off, but just as I can’t always discuss all aspects of any one case—it’s the same with SVPD employees. I know you understand, Keith.”

Keith watched the older man’s face closely. Colt ran a tight ship over at Silver Valley PD and never let the backlash of public opinion or fellow law-enforcement officers keep him from doing his job. Clearly he wasn’t going to budge on the Abigail Redland issue.

Keith relented and let his shoulders drop.

“Sorry, Colt. It’s been a long night, a fruitless morning, and we still don’t have the arsonist. I’m not convinced it’s just one person any longer, either.”

Colt’s eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

Keith debated how much to tell Colt. Because he wanted to nail this fire starter himself. He had to. To repair the damage to his professional reputation, which had been crushed under the lies and corruption of Silver Valley’s most recent administration, including an outsider mayor who was now behind bars in the state prison at Camp Hill. Worse for Keith, a couple associated with the cult had falsely accused him and his fire department of negligence at the Silver Valley Community Church fire two Christmases ago. It had cost Keith his job; he’d been placed on administrative leave for several months. Even though the charges had been dropped, thanks to Rio’s hard work, Keith felt the cloud of judgment that hung around his neck like a lead weight.

“There have been a few signs that the fires are being set differently. Same propellant, gasoline, but with different starters. This house reeks of chemicals from fireworks, and I heard two large explosions before the flames started. My firefighters staged a mile away heard them, too. Yet we saw nothing on our walk-through inspection last night.” He wondered if Abigail had heard those explosions, if that was what had alerted her to the assailant. That must have been what had prompted her to take off after him, at least.

“The first few were definitely started with matches. Maybe one was a butane lighter,” Colt mused aloud. “It’s not unusual for an arsonist to change starters, is it?”

Keith looked up at the blue sky, watched two red-tailed hawks circling each other. Freedom. That was all he ever wanted. Freedom to do his job in peace, knowing he was serving the citizens of Silver Valley, enabling them to sleep at night, knowing that if the worst happened and a fire broke out in their homes, SVFD would be there and all would be okay.

Home fires and car fires from accidental means were one thing. Pursuing an arsonist was another.

“They can, and do. But this guy seemed so methodical with the first two fires. And we’re lucky he’s stuck to unoccupied structures so far, Colt. I don’t have to tell you what’s at stake with his growing number of fires.”

“No, you don’t. I know he or she is escalating. At least that’s what Abi—” Colt pursed his lips, sized up Keith’s demeanor. “All right. I’ll tell you that she’s former FBI. And that her specialty is arson.”

“She’s just ‘former,’ huh?” Keith had never seen Colt lie, but people in law enforcement often had to play their cards close. Very close.

“Yes, definitely former. Enough said. Abi has a crap ton of experience in the analysis and psychological profiling of arsonists. And her observations are scaring the crap out of me, Keith.”

“How so?”

“We’ve seen the amping up of the frequency of fires, and the structures are getting more valuable.”

Keith had noticed that, too. It was one thing to burn down an old barn that should have been razed years ago, to set fire to it in the dead of night with little or no risk to anyone. But abandoned farm structures like barns and sheds had given way to empty commercial property, to historical homes that were awaiting refurbishment and empty homes like this morning’s farmhouse. From uninhabited dwellings to places where people lived or would be able to live soon.

The arsonist was escalating, even if it wasn’t a straight-line progression.

“What are we going to do about it, Colt?”

Colt’s eyes reflected surprise at Keith’s admission that they had to work together before he allowed a reluctant grin to cross his face.

“We are going to put our heads together and use every tool we have at our disposal to catch the bastard.”

Keith nodded. “What next?”

“Can you spare some time down at police headquarters this morning?”

“Sure. My firefighters are on this, and the station’s fully staffed.” He referred to the current fire, which his team had already radioed they’d put out. He had his full roster on 24/7 schedules. Thankfully there was no injury or family leave scheduled for the next month. “What time do you need me there?”

“Call Rio and ask him. You’ll meet with him and his team.”

Colt didn’t have to say who was on Rio’s team. Keith already knew he’d have to face Abigail Redland for the second time this morning. And while his head knew he should be more detached from her, or even annoyed at her involvement, he couldn’t ignore the anticipation he felt at the thought of having another chance to see her.

Chapter 2

Abi still wanted to scratch someone’s eyes out an hour after leaving the stakeout. An hour after meeting Silver Valley’s fire chief. She poured herself a cup of the awful SVPD coffee and waited for the rest of the case team to get their notes together for the wrap-up meeting. And of course they had to wait for the Silver Valley Fire Department officials to show up.

Which would bring her face-to-face with Fire Chief Keith Paruso again.

It’d been a couple of hours since she’d met Keith Paruso and her body had yet to stop humming from the immediate attraction he’d lit in her. It was as real, as strong as her certainty that not only was he a fire chief, he was a dog. As in capital-H hound dog. He had the bod and smile to get a lot of women in his bed, for sure. She almost giggled, thinking about how puzzled he’d appeared that she hadn’t fawned at his every word.

Focus, focus, focus. She was undercover as a Trail Hiker agent, but outwardly a special advisor to SVPD. That made any kind of romance with other LEA off-limits until this case was solved, especially with another Silver Valley public official who didn’t know what she was really doing. Who didn’t even know about Trail Hikers. There was at least one if not more arsonists to apprehend. In fact, after today, Abi was certain there was more than one and that the fires were being set individually.

So her love life had to take a backseat—nothing new. The case stretched before her as none other, however. Even with all the twisted cases and sociopaths she’d analyzed for the FBI, she had to admit the Silver Valley fire starter had even her stymied. It was a first for her in a long career of catching arsonists. A career she’d committed to while still in high school, when she’d been brokenhearted at the accidental death of her classmate in a house fire. Don’t go there. She tore her thoughts from the dark memories.

Making her way through the break room and down the corridor of the medium-size station, she stuck her head in Rio Ortego’s office.

“Hey, Rio.”

“Abi! Come on in for a bit.” He didn’t look as tired as she felt, yet he’d been up all night, too.

She sank down in a worn leather chair and took in the framed photo of Rio and his girlfriend, Kayla, that rested near his monitor. Why did everyone but her seem to have a life partner? Would a move to Silver Valley bring her love life back in line? After this case was closed, of course. Not one minute sooner.

She’d been recruited for the secret government shadow agency when she’d left the FBI after ten years of honorable service. The offer had been too good to be true; she’d work contracted missions that paid enough to maintain her Old Town Alexandria town house while traveling the world to complete missions her FBI training seemed perfect for.

Except going “home” to DC had gotten harder. The town house was nice and its location prime—for a commuter, which she no longer was. The days and weeks in between Trail Hiker missions felt longer and, in fact, boring. She’d been toying with making a move to somewhere free of DC’s political pressure, away from the abysmal traffic, away from the city life she was ready to leave behind.

“Good work out there this morning, Abi.” He didn’t look up from the report he studied, and he waved at his coffeepot. “Don’t drink that crap from the break room. Have some real joe.”

“Thanks, this is fine for now.” They had to be in the briefing room in less than twenty minutes and she needed a comfortable spot to sit more than she needed a cup of better brew.

Rio and Abi were the only Trail Hikers on the case at the moment, if she didn’t count the police chief. As such, they took pains to keep to the storyline that Abi was a contractor hired to help with the arson cases. Her prior experience as FBI wasn’t a secret and served her alibi well, as she posed as simply an arson expert. As the case was almost certainly entwined with the cult, it made her presence more validated. Since the FBI was being called in to work with SVPD to take out the True Believer Cult once and for all, no one questioned Abi’s role. And better, no one suspected she was part of anything clandestine.

“Close the door for a minute, will you?” Rio spoke quietly and she knew he needed to talk about something Trail Hiker–related.

“Sure.”

Once the door was closed Rio leaned forward, his forearms on his cluttered desk. “I can’t afford for you to be exchanging barbs with Keith Paruso. I’m pretty sure he’s aware of Trail Hikers, abstractly, but he doesn’t have any official knowledge of the agency. As much as this case may necessitate the need to pull him into TH, with his compliance, we’re still obligated to maintain our cover story.”

“I get that, Rio.” She tried to not let him see how stung she was by his statement. Did he think she was going to jump in the sack with him and tell Keith whom she really worked for? “I understand what a security clearance is.”

“It’s not about Keith as much as it’s about every other officer and firefighter who’ll never be part of TH, who don’t need to know about Trail Hikers and what we’re doing.”

“Understood.” She dug her bottom teeth into the foam cup. It felt like her father, lecturing her for dating the wrong kind of boy. And she wasn’t considering dating Keith Paruso—she didn’t know the man.

“Abi, I’m not saying this as any kind of reprimand. You’re the perfect Trail Hiker agent—Claudia doesn’t hire deadweight.” Claudia Michele, the former US Marine Corps General who was the Trail Hiker CEO, had been a tough sell when Abi had reported for her initial interview. Even though Abi had been recruited for the interview by the government shadow agency, she’d still had to prove her worthiness to Claudia, both in the field and at the desk.

“I didn’t take your comments personally, Rio. You’re not the first alpha male I’ve worked for, you know.”

He smiled. “Alpha male? What the hell does that mean? Is that like some kind of millennial code for ‘dickhead’?”

She laughed. “God, I’ve missed laughing with teammates since I left the FBI. It was the best choice for me, to make a change and come here to Silver Valley, but this kind of camaraderie is rare in the civilian world.”

Rio grunted. “I’ve found it to be nonexistent, frankly. Law enforcement is a family, for sure.”

“Working for Colt Todd has to be enjoyable at times, doesn’t it?”

Rio’s eyes flashed. “Chief Todd’s the best, hands-down. And you know he’s fully invested with the Trail Hikers, too, but more on a need-to-know basis.”

Abi grunted. “From what I’ve seen, he’s more than interested in Claudia.”

Rio’s eyes sharpened. “Don’t be so quick to judge, Abi. All of us in Silver Valley end up working very closely together. It’s inevitable that the dangerous circumstances and heroics required to keep Silver Valley safe lead to deeper relationships off the clock.”

“Like you and Kayla.”

Rio’s expression faltered and she saw a red tinge on his cheekbones. He-man, detective and Trail Hiker team lead was blushing over his woman?

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, Rio, I didn’t mean to fluster you, for God’s sake.”

“Save it. You know you fit in almost too well here, don’t you, Abi?”

“Maybe. How did you meet Kayla?” Rio’s girlfriend was a local florist Abi had met at the SVPD police picnic last week. Before the arson case had escalated.

Rio’s smile disappeared and his jaw tensed. “At a murder scene. The second time.”

“Oh, God. I’m so sorry, Rio.”

“It wasn’t a personal friend of either of ours, but by the time we closed the case Kayla had been shot at, more than once.”

“She sounds pretty tough.”

“That she is.” The look of bemusement and absolute adoration that changed Rio’s demeanor from grim to grateful shot stabs of jealousy through Abi. Would she ever elicit that kind of emotion from a man?

She sure hadn’t in DC: all the more reason to consider her relocation to Silver Valley permanent. As the song said, a change might do her good.

A short rap on Rio’s office door interrupted her thoughts and was the only warning they had before the door opened and Keith Paruso entered.

“Hey, Rio, great work—” He cut himself off as he took in Abi’s presence. “Abigail.”

“I’ve already told you, Chief, it’s ‘Abi.’” She stood and held out her hand. “Nice to see you again.”

“Right.” Despite the doubt in his reply he took her hand, and she had to admit she wasn’t impartial to the heat, the damned sexual electricity that she felt engulf her as fully as his hand enveloped hers. “Only if you call me Keith.”

“Fine. Keith.” She smiled and sat back down. Keith didn’t take a seat but stood near Rio’s desk as he greeted Rio.

Damp hair and the pungent scent of soap weren’t all that told her he’d gone home and had a quick shower. His worn but clean jeans and collared shirt emphasized his broad shoulders and how his torso tapered to the waist of his unbelted jeans, where she noted he had a button fly.

Oh, God, was there anything sexier than a man in button-fly jeans?

Can it, Redland. Rarely had she become involved with a fellow officer or agent on any case. It seldom ended well and, in her case, it had been disastrous. A flash of memory had her in the stifled surroundings where a drug dealer’s last stand had cornered her and Frederick. Fred, the one man she’d ever thought she could make a life with...

Until he’d married said drug dealer’s daughter, after freeing her from the clutches of the crime ring.

“That’s where Abi comes in. Abi?”

“Abigail. You’re up.” Keith’s hand was on her bare forearm, his breath whispering over her cheeks as she looked up at him. She looked at his hand, strong and warm against her skin. His face revealed nothing save professional courtesy and collegial concern. But his eyes flickered with—patronizing glee. Wait, did he think he was doing her a favor by touching her? Did he think she needed the male attention? That she’d react to his touch?

And he’d called her Abigail again, damn it.

“Sorry, my mind wandered. Just piecing together the evidence we have so far.” She lifted his hand from her using two fingers and pulled her arm away. She looked at Rio. “I’ve already told Colt my thoughts.”

“Which are?” Keith spoke up, no hint in his tone of the emotion he’d revealed a moment earlier, or of her obvious rebuff of his he-man tactics.

“I don’t like how this fire starter has gone from burning down, what, six or seven barns? To all of a sudden move up to larger commercial properties, like the convenience store last month, and before today he aimed at historical landmarks. Today, the run-down farmhouse. It’s not usual, not for a straightforward profile. This isn’t someone who gets off on simply lighting fires.”

“Tell us something we don’t already know.” Keith crossed his arms over his chest. So the man had smarts to go with the cocky player attitude. Abi could overlook a sexy man but the sexiest attribute to her was always intelligence. Followed by a sense of humor, which Keith was demonstrating through his obvious need to tease her with his blatant come-on behavior.

Ignoring the way his biceps flexed against his chest, Abi shrugged. “Right. So it’s obvious to me that you probably have more than one arsonist. Even though the notes left at the scenes are all the same, from the same paper stock and ink. One person, one entity may be directing several different people to commit the arsons. That’s why I’m not convinced these are hard-boiled fire starters.”

“I’ve thought the same thing.” Keith looked at Rio. “I told you this three weeks ago, and I mentioned it to Colt this morning. Today’s spotting of the suspect makes it three out of a total of eight fires after which we’ve seen the suspect take off once the engines arrive.”

Rio’s brow creased and he leaned on his forearms. “Three times none of us caught him, damn it.”

“He had an escape vehicle and a driver. There has to have been another vehicle they drove the ATV to. And then, maybe some kind of hidey-hole in the Appalachians. No one disappears this easily without help.” Abi stopped before she said anything about the Trail Hikers supersecret command post buried deep behind a cave, which had long ago been sealed from tourists. Keith Paruso wasn’t a Trail Hiker.

“What else do you have, Abi?” Keith’s voice was like a caress, damn it. It made her thoughts jumble as a guilty heat ran up her chest, her throat, her face. She wasn’t sure how, but somehow he knew she’d been thinking of him and not the case. More like he assumed she was thinking of only him. She could practically see the planets revolving around his head—this man really did think it was all about him.

“Nothing that’s worth talking about right now.” She stood. “I need to get some notes together before the big meeting. I’ll meet you both in the briefing room.”

* * *

“You seem to have Abi riled up but good, Keith. Care to explain?” Rio grinned and all Keith thought about was how pissed his sister Kayla would be if he gave her boyfriend a black eye.

“No, I don’t. This morning’s the first time I’ve ever seen her. You never mentioned a contractor working at SVPD before today.”

“No reason to bring it up. We have contractors in every now and then. It’s not usual, but it happens. This just happens to be a more visible case. And Abi is, well, more visible, too.” Keith knew with certainty that Rio’s heart was all for Kayla. He never even mentioned that he thought another woman was attractive. As Kayla’s brother, Keith was glad, but as a man, the thought of one woman having such control over his emotions made him cringe. “You seem to like what you see. In our contractor.” Rio’s grin widened.

“You are so damn lucky my sister is in love with you.”

“If things go right, we might be brothers, Keith.” Rio’s expression sobered.

“You’re kidding? Does Kayla know?”

“No, and please don’t say anything. She doesn’t want to hurry our relationship, but, frankly, I’ve been ready to marry her since we started dating again, when I was still working your case.”

Keith nodded. During his “case,” he’d been falsely accused of endangering the lives of citizens who’d been in church when it was set on fire. During its most well-attended service of the year—the children’s Christmas pageant. The incident and its aftermath had changed his life...and his professional reputation. No matter how much his colleagues claimed it didn’t matter, he knew better. It would haunt him until they shattered open the cult.

“Go for it, Rio. You both deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks, man.”

Rio’s bemused expression had Keith smiling in response. He was genuinely happy for Kayla and Rio, maybe even a little jealous. Especially with a woman like Abigail Redland in town.

Hell. He needed to stop this line of thinking before it torched something deeper inside him. He wasn’t the type to settle down, not yet. There was the matter of his professional reputation, which he knew would be restored once he caught the arsonist. Nothing else mattered.

* * *

Claudia Michele sprayed her silver bob with the expensive hairspray her hairstylist had convinced her would make her thick mane “manageable but still touchable.” She didn’t know how many times she’d done her hair, put her makeup on, hoping that the men she worked with would notice her as more than a fellow Marine. There’d been a handful through the years that she’d thought would become more than casual relationships, but with the US Marine Corps as her career, the mission had always been her priority and had overshadowed every chance at long-lasting love.

Until she’d retired from the corps and agreed to head up the Trail Hikers. Trail Hikers was her new baby, but she’d made a promise to herself that she’d put her personal life first whenever she could from now on. The chances to have her own children had passed, but she wasn’t ready to give up on love. Not completely.

And Colt Todd seemed heaven-sent. The Silver Valley police chief had caught her eye from the first time they’d met. It had been over the True Believer Cult case, which they were still pursuing. Would the degenerate group’s evil hold on Silver Valley ever let go?

Her phone vibrated as she picked it up to throw into her Kate Spade tote. One perk of no longer being in uniform and earning a decent paycheck was the fun fashion accessories. She particularly liked this bag because it held her .45 as easily as her Poppy Red lipstick.

“Hi, Colt.”

“Claudia.” God, she’d never grow tired of his deep voice, the way her stomach tingled each time she heard it. “How are you today?”

“I’m well. On my way in to the office.”

“Mine or yours?”

“Mine—I have some message traffic to read. That’s email in your lingo. And we’re indoctrinating a couple of new agents specifically to aid in the cult takedown.”

“Are you allowed to tell me that? About the new agents?”

“You don’t officially know who they are or what they’re for, but with the need for more manpower to take down the True Believers, I think it’s safe to let you in on it.”

“I’d rather you let me in on something else.”

“Colt...”

“Sorry, sorry. I can’t seem to help myself whether I’m next to you or miles away on the phone.”

A silence fell between them and images of Colt’s lips kissing every inch of her body threatened to weaken her focus on the case. “Thank you for this weekend, Colt. It was lovely.”

“Yeah, well, there’s more where that came from. As soon as we round up these criminals.”

“I agree. I was hoping you had some good news.”

“Like that one of our officers happened upon Leonard Wise at the right moment and was able to take them all down? I wish.” She heard the ding of a car alarm. “I’m back at the station after spending all morning at the stakeout with the fire department trying to piece together what little evidence we have.”

“Any luck? I haven’t received a report from Abi or Rio yet.” From Colt’s tone, she suspected the stakeout had proved fruitless. Colt always took it personally when they didn’t get their man or woman after such a concerted effort. It was the mark of a true professional, she thought.

“A little. The bastard got away but we did have eyes on him, and Abi came very close to taking him out.”

“What the hell happened?” Abi was one of her recent hires, a secret undercover agent for TH. Former FBI, Abi was one of the most well-trained “new” agents they’d hired to date.

“He had backup and got away.”

“I’ll be seeing Abi when I get to my office. She’s not going to be in a great mood then, I take it.”

“Most certainly not. And her run-in with Keith Paruso didn’t help.”

“Keith?” Claudia laughed. “He strikes me as incredibly personable, especially considering what he’s been through since last year.”

“Personable to you when he thought you were an admin assistant for the PD’s social media, sure. But on the morning after being up all night waiting for a suspected serial arsonist to strike, and then not catching the criminal?”

Colt laughed with her. His laugh reminded her of how he chuckled whenever he visibly aroused her, how his strong profile had been backlit by the sunset this weekend at the shore. When they’d had dessert before dinner and gone to her private back deck to make love before the day was done.

“Claudia?”

“Sorry. I was just thinking about something else.”

“I know. Me, too.”

Chapter 3

They’d run all around him but never found him. The “rabbit” Mr. Wise had hired, the decoy who made it look like someone else had set the fire, was long gone on the ATV. His back and thighs ached from being in such an uncomfortable position for hours, waiting to verify that the blaze had been set and the message sent to the ignoramuses who were Silver Valley PD and Silver Valley FD. He felt smart, clever that he’d evaded them and was able to get here, to the safe haven Mr. Wise had made for them.

The trailer park looked like any other mobile home neighborhood in America. Neat roads, similarly decorated miniature front yards with flags and animal statues—no silly decorations like gnomes or fairies. Mr. Wise said they were of the devil. But the real difference in their neighborhood was the people. They were all saved from society’s ills, all living together in the New Thought community for the same purpose. To save the people of the world from their sins, their evil. Mr. Wise said their job was to warn folks.

“What do you mean he was seen by the police?” Leonard Wise’s eyes bulged from red-rimmed sockets and his hands were gnarled balls of flesh and arthritic bone as they rested on the recliner he sat in. They were in the trailer no one was ever allowed in without the escort of Wise’s two main brothers. He figured they were like bodyguards, but Mr. Wise was doing what was right for the people of Silver Valley. He needn’t fear their wrath or harm from them.

But Lionel feared Mr. Wise right now.

“Sir, I don’t mean to alarm you. They got away. The plan went as predicted.”

“Predicted?” Spittle flew out of Wise’s mouth, and one of the New Thought sisters who stood behind the recliner reached forward and gently dabbed the old man’s mouth. He batted her ministrations away. “Leave me, woman! Both of you, go!” The women, no older than Lionel’s teenage granddaughters, scuffled out of the room, eyes downcast.

Who was going to wipe Wise’s mouth now?

“We don’t leave our mission to prediction! I’ve told you once, I’ve told you twice, I’ve told you a million times to eternity, Lionel. When I give you an order it’s not for me, for anyone, but for the good of the people! And the evil is rising in Silver Valley. We can’t afford any mistakes. And it was a mistake this morning, I say! If the law-enforcement demons got that close to our decoys, you failed! Why didn’t you stand up and let them get you while you were at it?”

Sweat that had gathered on his upper lip and in the middle of his back started to bead and drip off him. Lionel fought to retain control of his bowels. Mr. Wise didn’t mean...

“Get him out of here! You will repent, Lionel, repent!”

Lionel heard a scream that sounded like a woman in childbirth but also on the brink of death. As the brothers surrounded him and grabbed him by the arms and legs, he realized the sound was coming from him.

“No, no, not the place of peace! Please, I tell you, the operation went fine! Please!” He started to sob but it was too late. In a few short minutes he was shoved into the back of a windowless van and shaken about as it made its way up into the deepest parts of the Appalachian Mountains that surrounded Silver Valley.

* * *

Abi was summoned to Trail Hiker headquarters the day after she’d allowed the arsonist to escape. Claudia hadn’t seemed upset with her yesterday at SVPD headquarters, but then again, Claudia was a professional. If she were about to reprimand Abi or, worse, fire her, she wouldn’t do it in front of anyone else. Especially not at SVPD or anywhere outside of Trail Hiker spaces. After all, it was a secret agency that didn’t officially exist.

Inhaling deeply, she steeled herself against self-recrimination and entered her personal code into the outside door lock, after which she entered a very small, confined space in front of the real entry. As she peered into the retinal scanner and placed her finger atop the print reader, she tried to convince herself that she wasn’t about to get fired. Claudia might be angry at the situation but Abi hadn’t been hired so much to apprehend the suspect in the field as to get inside his or her mind.

The door beeped before the loud clicks of several locks opening. When the light panel glowed green, Abi turned the lever handle and opened the twelve-inch-thick steel door into the reception area. She still wasn’t used to the plush appointments in the Trail Hikers headquarters office. Located in an office park on the outskirts of Silver Valley, it was minutes from Harrisburg and within twenty miles of several local, private runways. Trail Hiker agents were flown all over the world to participate in time-critical missions. It was far enough from the obvious headquarter sites like New York City and DC to be safe from prying eyes and collateral damage from a terrorist strike, but close enough to get to either place quickly.

Apparently there were a lot of missions at the moment as she felt the practiced, faux-casual glances of several persons seated on the leather chairs in the waiting area. She stepped to the high desk and spoke quietly.

“Hi, Laurel. I’m Claudia’s eight o’clock.”

“Yes, good morning. She’s on the phone. As soon as she’s free I’ll let you in.” Laurel was strikingly beautiful and looked like she could be a supermodel if she wanted to. But Abi suspected she was also trained to handle the worst of situations—all associated with Trail Hikers needed to be able to pull for the team. It was what had appealed to her when Claudia had first approached her for TH work. Abi had been certain she was done with law enforcement but knew she was going to miss the camaraderie she’d come to rely upon in the FBI. And, since her TH work was supposedly part-time, the generous paycheck and benefits allowed her to pursue her other passions as she’d never been able to do as an FBI agent.

Problem was that she had no idea what her passions were. She’d signed up for a yoga class, taken floral arrangement workshops, worked at the local pet rescue, but none of those endeavors had sparked any sense of her true calling.

Not like working for the Trail Hikers did.

“Claudia’s ready for you, Abi. Go on in.”

“Thanks.”

The thick, soundproof doors clicked shut behind her as she entered Claudia’s sleekly decorated office. CEO of Trail Hikers, Ltd., and retired US Marine Corps General, Claudia Michele looked ready to take on the biggest shark of Wall Street in her Armani suit and designer pumps. While her shoes weren’t five-or even four-inch heels, Claudia wore them better than women decades younger.

“Good morning, Abi. Have a seat.”

Claudia’s perfectly manicured hand motioned to the chrome-and-leather set of chairs in front of her executive desk. Abi held back a grin. She doubted Claudia’s manicurist knew the same hands had probably not only fired deadly weapons but were able to kill without any weapons other than Claudia’s skill and quick thinking.

“Thank you. I’ll get right to it. Yesterday morning was a bust and it’s my fault. I didn’t get the guy, and I even had him in my sights. I didn’t want to reveal as much at SVPD headquarters yesterday.”

“So I’ve heard. Colt Todd gave me a quick report earlier.”

Abi inwardly cringed. Had they discussed how incompetent her actions had been?

“I’m sorry, Claudia. I thought I’d get him—”

Claudia held up a hand. “Stop. He got away. While I’m less than thrilled that it’s a negative mark against the Trail Hikers, it happens. If you thought this was going to be like any other case you’ve worked, this should underscore what we’ve been dealing with since Leonard Wise and his thugs moved to Silver Valley.”

“You are certain the cult is behind the arsons, then?”

Claudia shrugged. “Hell, no. I have no idea, not on all of the fires. That’s why we brought you into this. Your FBI experience is priceless to the team.”

“It was worthless yesterday morning.”

“You’re going to let one slip-up affect your sense of duty, Abi? Really?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Claudia. We’re both civilians here.” Claudia was adamant that she was no longer in the military and that they keep to first names only, like other corporations in the business world. It helped prevent breaking the silence on their existence.

“Claudia. No, I’ve never let a criminal stop me and I’m not starting now. But this fire starter is far more polished than even I expected. He had someone on an ATV waiting for him, at just the right spot that even if I was close enough I couldn’t get a clear shot at him. There were too many trees and the ground was too uneven. Everything was in his favor for escape. And we had SVPD, SVFD and TH surrounding him.”

“You’ve already developed a solid profile on him, haven’t you?” Claudia’s eyes narrowed on her and Abi resisted doing a worm squirm.

“Not on one, but several arsonists. There is no way, in my professional opinion, that these fires were all started by the same person. The notes are all the same, from the same source, giving us a clue as to where the next fire will be. My impression is that there are at least two but probably three or more, working on starting fires in specific locations.”

“You think there’s a team of them working together?”

Abi shook her head. “Absolutely not. I think they are all reporting to the same entity, be it a person or group, who tells them where and when to set the blazes. They have different methods, different profiles. Each fire starter has used a different accelerant, at least in the first two I’ve been assigned to. We’ll have to wait another week to hear about yesterday’s fire, I’m sure.”

Claudia shook her head. “No, actually, we already know. This time it was aerosol cooking oil.”

“The pressurized can was the explosion I heard, then.” She’d thought it was fireworks, but the use of run-of-the-mill cooking spray made more sense.

“We’re lucky none of the firefighters had gone in yet.” Claudia tapped her pencil on her desk as if in thought but there was no mistaking the direct look she gave Abi.

“It had to stretch them awfully thin, to have so many firefighting teams at the ready in separate locations throughout Silver Valley this morning.”

“It did. They called in every department from the county. There were even two from other counties.”

“Claudia, don’t we risk word getting out about the op against Leonard Wise and the cult with more law-enforcement types?”

“It doesn’t matter. As long as Trail Hikers isn’t exposed, we’re good. In truth, there isn’t a law-enforcement department, local, county or state, who isn’t aware of what’s ongoing. Colt has put feelers out all the way back to where Wise started his evil web, before his long-term imprisonment. The FBI is handling it at the national level, to facilitate the exchange of intel between New York and Pennsylvania.”

“I am impressed with Silver Valley PD. They don’t leave anything to chance.”

Claudia nodded. “Which is why so many of them are also Trail Hiker agents. We can’t call on them as often as someone like you, who is able to work for us almost exclusively, but when we do, I never have to concern myself with bringing them up to speed on local ops, as I do the other agents.”

“Understood.” Abi knew that the vast majority of secret operations didn’t occur in Silver Valley, where the TH headquarters was located, but rather wherever they were needed around the globe.

Claudia’s pencil stopped. “You didn’t mention the Silver Valley Fire Department, Abi. You’ve been around them enough the past couple of months since you’ve started. Haven’t they impressed you?”

“I haven’t had much to do with them, except for my run-in, I mean—”

Claudia laughed. “It’s okay to call your unexpected introduction to Keith Paruso what it was. A cluster-frapple.”

“That’s the cleanest version of that I’ve ever heard.” Abi used the f-bomb frequently in her more difficult cases, and was almost relieved to know that Claudia wouldn’t be offended if she were to let one slide out of her mouth during a stressful op.

“It means the same. As for Keith, I think you know what I’m going to have to ask of you.”

Abi really wanted to drop the f-bomb now. “Claudia, I don’t need his help on this.”

“Yes, you do. True, you are the expert at investigating and profiling the arsonist, but Keith has the field practice you don’t. He has years, thousands of cases, behind him, Abi.”

“That’s impossible. He can’t be more than two or three years older than me.”

“He’s two years younger.” Claudia’s statement made Abi blush. So she was getting turned on by a younger dude? So what? “But he went to firefighting school right out of high school and worked as a volunteer through college. He got an associate’s degree in fire science, then went on to get his bachelor’s in criminology. After he got his bachelor’s degree he took on a paid position with the department. He’s been offered state-level positions in law enforcement but turned them down immediately. Keith is a local man who’s happiest putting out Silver Valley fires.”

“Leonard Wise and his cult aren’t just focused on local fires, though, Claudia. Has anyone looked into where these fires are leading? What they’re supposed to be accomplishing?”

“That’s why I want you to work with Keith, Abi. With your global and his local experiences, you’ll be unbeatable. Silver Valley’s arson prevention dream team. But keep in mind that he isn’t a Trail Hiker and has no need to know about us. Yet.”

“You don’t think he’ll need to know what we’re about before this is over?”

“I’m prepared to read him in for informational purposes, but Keith Paruso is a firefighter at heart. His calling is to rescue people, not take out hardened criminals.”

“It’s just so difficult, working side by side, without being able to totally trust one another.” Keith shouldn’t trust her, as she wasn’t even who she’d said she was.

“I know Keith’s an attractive man, Abi, but you’ve worked through sexual attraction before and not let it disrupt a case, I’m sure.”

Abi knew Claudia was trying to lighten the mood but she found nothing casual about working with Keith Paruso. After meeting him only two times she knew that his still waters ran deep. And by her primal reaction to him, she knew that any involvement on her part was going to lead to emotional disaster. Because, unlike Fred, Keith wouldn’t break her heart. He’d shatter it.

“This is against my better judgment, Claudia, but you’re the boss.”

“Thank you, Abi. I knew you’d figure it out.”

Abi left, marveling at how getting in and out of the Trail Hiker “corporate” office was more complicated than any FBI facility she’d worked in.

As she sat in her car, contemplating how to contact Keith, she wondered if she had time to run home and freshen up before facing the sexy fire chief. And then she immediately started the car and headed for the fire department. She wasn’t in the business of appearing attractive to a man she was about to spend countless work hours with. The sooner she drew the line on her personal boundaries for herself, the better.

Abi didn’t date work colleagues. She’d learned the hardest way that it never worked out well.

* * *

The next morning Abi parked her car in the small but incredibly functional Silver Valley parking garage. Two stories high, it sat behind the original façade of a general mercantile. According to the historical plaque, the town general store had burned down in the nineteenth century but the façade had remained as a testament to the origins of the town. The parking garage had been erected ten years ago, to keep up with the again bustling nature of the historic downtown.

Walking down the sidewalk it wasn’t hard to imagine the concrete under her feet as wooden planks, the sound of horses’s hooves and the smell of fresh manure all around. As much as Abi loved nature and the outdoors, she was very happy that she’d been born to enjoy the modern conveniences of the twenty-first century.

Reimer’s Real Estate’s display of dozens of photos caught her eye and she paused under their green-and-white-striped awning. Several properties were for sale or rent, most in the town itself. An apartment or small house in Silver Valley proper would be nice, and much quieter compared to DC. But if she wanted to live in more of a city atmosphere she’d live in Harrisburg, only fifteen minutes and one quick ride over the Susquehanna River away.

Abi wanted something more rural.

She squared her shoulders and opened the front door of the realtor’s office, relishing the jingle of the overhead bell.

An hour later Abi wanted coffee and to share her good news with someone. She grabbed a to-go cappuccino from the coffee trolley in the middle of the square and made the short walk to the town’s best florist in less than five minutes.

Kayla Paruso looked up from her screen and smiled when she saw Abi.

“There’s our new gal. How are you today, Abi?”

“Great.” It felt so damned good to have someone greet her with such warmth, as if she were already a part of this town. “I’m checking things out and well...” She looked at the huge bouquet of pink and white tulips on the counter behind Kayla. “Wow. Those are absolutely stunning.”

“They are, aren’t they? It’s that time of year. We get the cuttings three times a week from Baltimore. Interested in some?”

“Not yet—I’m still in the hotel. That’s why I came in here, though. I had to tell someone that I think I’ve found a great house to rent.”

Kayla’s eyes crinkled with her wide grin. “Fantastic! I wanted to ask Rio if you’d found anything yet.” Kayla was smooth but Abi picked up on the real meaning.

“You mean, am I thinking about settling down here?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe. I mean yes, I want to set down roots, start my own business, even. It’s just so difficult to know if I’m acting too quickly or too slowly—will I miss the boat on a great deal or am I throwing my money away trying to start a small business? I love police work but it’s time to move on and think about something different.” Something that would allow her to finally let go of her past and the drive to solve every arson case in her path. Maybe even to be present for a future family, not that she had any delusions that was happening in the near future.

Kayla watched her, her bemusement clear. “You know, Abi, Rio doesn’t bring work home very much. But he has said that you’re an incredible addition to the department. It’s not your work skills he was talking about—it’s how you’ve fit in with the other officers, how you seem to enjoy all of the local folks you meet.”

Abi grunted. “Rio’s my boss on this case we’re working, so of course he’s going to be nice.” Kayla should see what a certain Chief Paruso had to say.

Kayla waved her doubt away with a flick of her callused hand. Floral work had to be incredibly tough on the skin. Abi got it. Handling a weapon, digging through arson scenes—they weren’t easy on the hands, either. She took a swig of her drink.

“Have you met anyone else in the area, Abi? Any cute, single guys?”

Abi choked on her coffee. “Jeez, you don’t waste any time, do you?” She’d met Kayla at the Silver Valley PD annual fund-raiser when she’d first arrived in town almost three months ago. They’d immediately hit it off, but Abi hadn’t taken Kayla up on her offer of friendship. Until this morning.

“Hey, we all need love.” Kayla’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God. I hope I haven’t offended you, Abi. I’ll stop now.”

Abi laughed. “I am single, for sure, and I’d love to meet a guy to hang with after this case is done.”

“I have a single brother. Wait, you should have met him already. Keith Paruso?”

Blood left Abi’s head as she looked at the business card holder near the register. Kayla Paruso, Florist. Oh, no.

“No way.” She gulped. “I didn’t put it together.”

“No reason you should have. And, from your face, I can tell you did meet my brother and let me guess—he was his usual complete butt-headed self?”

Abi’s face went hot. “That’s not the word I’d use. He’s obviously dedicated to his job.”

Kayla threw a pair of shears she’d been using to cut florist’s tape onto the counter. “He’s a damned bastard to women. Did he make a pass at you already?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. At all. God, no.”

“He will, trust me. My brother’s a bit of a player, I’ll admit. I could blame it on recent political events in town, which could have cost him his job, but I’d be lying. He’s always been able to make women eat out of the palm of his hand.”

“He and Rio get along. Rio doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who’d be more than polite to another man he didn’t respect.”

Kayla’s face got all...mushy. “Rio loves me, so he’s going to love anyone related to me. It’s how he is. Trust me, though, if Rio thought Keith was a real jerk he’d be protective of me around him. And he’s never done that. They’ve worked together longer than I’ve known Rio.”

“Especially the last few months, I imagine.”

“Make it the last year and a half. It’s been nuts in this town. You know we lived all over as kids—Belgium, other places. Our parents worked for the government. We were exposed to so much, so young. It doesn’t take a lot to faze me. Or my brother. But having the entire town shook up by this crazy quasi-religious group, and Keith being accused of not doing his job right, along with the mayor being fired and a corrupt mayor getting elected before he got arrested, it’s been insane. Don’t think this is how Silver Valley normally is. We’re quiet here.”

“I think a lot of towns across Pennsylvania and the US are going through the same thing. Not with a nutso cult, but with drugs, violence. Heroin trafficking, the crimes related to addicts needing money for drugs—it’s all mushrooming.”

Kayla leveled her gaze on Abi—the same look Keith was fond of shooting at her and she’d only known him for three days so far. Was it usual to see a familial connection so quickly? To feel a sense of knowing these people she’d only just met?

“I know the facts, Abi. I read the paper online, along with other stuff. I really love reading the New Yorker. I get it. What’s hard is making the transition to the reality that these influences have landed in Silver Valley. Just five years ago it was so much quieter.”

It’d always been busy and “insane” in DC, so Abi couldn’t relate to that part. The sense of being out of control of her surroundings, of having her quiet world shattered by a freak accident when life had been going so well until then? Yeah, she got that part.

“Hopefully the work we’re doing at the station will help put Silver Valley back in the ‘sleepy’ category.” She took a last sip of her coffee before looking around for a waste bin.

“Here.” Kayla pointed at the chrome, bullet-shaped container at the end of the counter. “Sleepy sounds good about now.” She fiddled with a second tulip arrangement. This one was smaller, almost miniature, with pale peach tulips and daisies. And some other greenery Abi didn’t recognize.

“You mentioned starting a small business. What do you have in mind, Abi?”

“I’ve no earthly idea.” Actually, the tiny niggle of an idea had sprouted over the last day or two, but she wasn’t ready to commit to it. Commitment regarding anything wasn’t viable. Not until they dismantled the cult and Abi was at the epicenter of the takedown ops.

“You’ll figure it out. Have you thought of going back to school?”

“I did, but I’m not interested. I’ve spent enough time in classrooms.” And workshops and continuing certification for her weapons handling, physical fitness and knowledge of arson forensics. It made for a great résumé but Abi preferred to be outdoors, with no one grading her actions.

“Understandable.” The shop phone rang. Kayla looked at the ID. “I’ve got to take this, sorry. But I wanted to mention to you that there’s a great yoga class every Saturday morning in town. I think you’d enjoy meeting the other women that attend.”

“I’ll think about it. Take your call—it’s okay, I’m on my way out. Thanks for letting me chat.”

“Here you go.” Kayla handed Abi the peach tulip bouquet, now wrapped in a doily and cellophane and tied with a huge cream ribbon.

“Oh, thank you, Kayla!” Abi’s arms instinctively rose to give Kayla a hug but she was already answering the call. Kayla gave her a wink and a wave before giving her total attention to the person on the other end of the line.

Abi left the shop in a bit of a fugue. People being positive and upbeat for apparently no reason. This was what daily happiness was all about. Something that had eluded her during her time with the FBI, save for the brief fling and quick but doomed engagement to Fred.

Yeah, she could get used to a place like Silver Valley. Especially the “belonging” feelings. When she reached her car she dialed Keith’s number. He picked up on the second ring, his voice guarded.

But in less than thirty seconds they had scheduled a meet-up.

Chapter 4

Keith waited for Abi at Cumberland Café, Silver Valley’s favorite breakfast spot. The place was jumping, as always, be it the Sunday morning after-church crowd or parents who’d stopped to let someone else prepare their breakfast after rushing their gremlins off to school. He kept his focus on the menu, trying like hell to ignore the way his anticipation roiled in his gut. He hadn’t looked forward to seeing a woman, professionally or personally, in forever. Or longer. At any rate, too long.

The bell above the door perked his attention and he allowed himself the gift of watching Abigail walk into the diner. She wasn’t tall but definitely not petite, either. Her figure was athletic, a testament to the chase she’d given the arsonist two days ago. It didn’t surprise him that his body responded to her sheer attractiveness, not that he was used to getting erections in public. The scorch of annoyance that he found it difficult to control his baser instincts made him stand and reach out his hand to hers before she was in arm’s reach. For crap’s sake, he must look like some kind of grade-school kid meeting the babysitter he had a secret crush on.

Her eyes widened fractionally in recognition of him before she walked toward the table. As she neared, her eyes flickered to his outstretched hand and a mocking smile curved her pink-lipsticked mouth. She placed her hand in his. “So nice to see you again, Keith.”

“Hello, Abi.” He grasped her hand but allowed her to control the shake. One single, firm movement. No up-and-down ritual or enthusiastic pumping. Abigail was a full-fledged professional and had obviously worked in a man’s world for a long time. She shook hands like a man.

But her hand didn’t feel like anything other than a soft, smooth, feminine asset. Underscored by the flowery scent she gave off. He wondered if it was perfume or if she liked expensive soaps. The thought of soaping her down in a shower...

Son of a whoopie pie.

Abigail Redland was off-limits. Not only because it was good to keep definite boundaries with the people he worked with, but because he wasn’t looking for even a short relationship with a woman he knew nothing about. After getting burned by local community members that he’d saved during a fire, trust wasn’t his strongest virtue at the moment. He felt safer with casual liaisons that had a preset time limit agreed upon by both parties. There were enough women in Silver Valley who felt the same way. He didn’t need to act on his feelings for Abi. Not that he had feelings for her. Feelings were complications he couldn’t afford.

“Thanks for saving us a seat.” She pulled her hand away and slid into the booth. He liked how she looked around the diner as if it were an artifact in a museum. “I absolutely adore the diners in Silver Valley. When I lived in DC, I got used to a few local places but nothing as fun as a diner. I missed them from when I grew up.” She pointed at the menu. “What’s the best dish here, in your opinion?”

He slid back into his bench seat. “You must not have been in Silver Valley very long if you don’t have your own favorite by now.”

“I’ve been here long enough.” She frowned at the list of variations on French toast. “There’s not one version I don’t want to try. Except maybe for the scrapple.”

“Scrapple has its place. Not quite sausage, not quite...grease. Meaty lard. Very tasty.”

“Huh. I’ll tell you what... I’ll bet it was good for the farmers here about two centuries ago, when it was cold out. I’ll pass on it for today and go for the carbs. The wild berry French toast looks delicious.”

“That’s a good choice. They freeze fresh berries in the summer and use them all year.”

“How do you know that?”

“I dated a girl in high school whose parents owned a berry farm.”

She blinked. “Is that a thing?”

“Of course. There are farms for just about everything. But most do grow a variety of produce. It’s hard enough making a living with several different crops.”

“I grew up in the city, so farming isn’t something I’m familiar with.”

Wow, was Abigail Redland admitting she didn’t know something? “Are you feeling well, Abi?”

Her eyes were bright, which lent a depth to their chocolate hue he hadn’t noticed yet. “What do you mean? I’m fine.”

“It’s just that I thought FBI types never admitted when they were wrong or didn’t know something.”

She pursed her lips and raised her brow in mock disapproval. “Very funny, Mr. Who-the-Hell-Are-You-at-My-Fire-Scene.”

Abi sat opposite him in a cherry-red wool jacket, and he noticed that the buttons were the shape of little white sheep. Another, softer side of her? As she unwrapped her fuzzy scarf, it snagged on one of the ewe buttons.

“Careful. You’re tearing up your scarf.” He pointed and she looked down. Her fingers deftly untangled the button and she shrugged out of her coat, revealing a slim-fitting, long-sleeved red top.

“It’s okay. I can make another one.”

“You made your scarf?” He wasn’t any kind of expert but the lacy thing didn’t look like anything handmade he’d ever seen before.

She nodded. “And this jacket, actually. It’s boiled wool. Felted. Meaning I knitted it about ten sizes too big and then shrunk it in a huge soup pot on my stove. Hot water felts untreated wool.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, I wish I were. I’m a fiber nerd with a law-enforcement hobby.”

“And your favorite color is red?”

“Bingo.” She picked the menu back up. “Maybe I’ll save the French toast for next time. I can’t decide between the gluten-free cherry crepes or the hearty hot cereal.”

“Go for the gusto. Their cherry crepes are renowned.”

“So you’ve had them?”

He laughed. “I’m a Silver Valley native and Cumberland Café has been here as long as I remember. My family used to come in here regularly once we settled in the area, when I was still in middle school. So, yes, between family meals and high school dates, I’ve had just about everything on the menu at least a time or two.”

“Only high school dates? Where do people go on adult dates here?” Her expression of sincere curiosity made him smile.

“Oh, we like to go four-wheeling while doing some chew, spitting it out on the way to the firing range.”

“I’m not one of the transplants who thinks this is some kind of hick town, Keith.” Her eyes softened. “I like it here. A lot.”

“Where are you from?” He didn’t think it was DC.

And, like that, the sparkle in her eyes was gone. She didn’t meet his glance as she sipped her ice water. “Originally? Philadelphia. After I joined the FBI, I worked in a few different places but mostly DC. You? You said your family ‘settled’ here?”

“Yes, when I was thirteen. My folks were Foreign Service Officers, and my sisters and I lived all over the world. My older sister lives in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with her family—she’s working for the State Department, just like Dad did. My other sister lives here in town and owns the local floral shop. Once Dad could retire from the government job, he did, and now my parents still travel as much as they can afford to. And run a gift-shop-slash-international-interior-decorating business in town and online, with treasures they find all over.”

“Treasures as in archaeological or more like knickknacks?”

“Definitely knickknacks. Which is why I have nothing of the sort in my place.” Crap—would she think he was hitting on her, suggesting she’d be at his place to see what he had?

The waitress came and took their orders. Abi tilted her head after he placed his.

“You ordered it just because I did?”

“No, I happen to like cherry crepes, too.”

Keith studied her and didn’t care if it made her uncomfortable or if he was being too forward. “Abi, you didn’t answer my question. Tell me more about where you’re from. What made you pick the FBI and, more relevant, why arson?”

She remained apparently relaxed as she leaned on her forearms, her hands atop one another. She wasn’t at ease, though. The tightening of her fingers around her wrist, the slight jut of her jawbone wouldn’t have been noticed by anyone unless they were watching for it. And Keith was watching.

“Full disclosure—I was just at your sister’s flower shop. I hadn’t put you two together yet. And I really like her.”

Unlike you. Keith snorted. “Kayla’s got a nice little business going. She might not have the benefits I do working for the town, but she’s raking it in now that her shop is well established.”

“‘Little business’? Would you call this restaurant a ‘little’ business?”

“Chill. I’m not the jerk you’re trying to make me out to be. I’m pro-woman.” He gave her his best smile.

Abi raised a brow and motioned at his face. “Really? You think a Cheshire Cat grin is going to change my mind about you?”

Ow. Sucker punch to the ego, that one.

“Back to you, Abi. Tell me why you do what you do.”

Her eyes—a man could take a long dip in them. Nothing permanent, of course. But a nice, long, leisurely swim. Naked.

She looked away. “I was always interested in law enforcement, so I had two majors in college—criminal justice and studio art. After I graduated, the FBI was a logical choice.” He really wanted to know why she’d picked arson but sensed it wasn’t the time to ask. She’d tell him when she was ready.

“I understood that they don’t take college grads as agents, that you have to work for a couple of years in the real world first.”

She grinned. It warmed her entire face, illuminated her dark eyes and the freckles on her nose. “That’s where the studio art major came into play. I managed a large craft store franchise until I was eligible to apply to be an agent. It took me a few times, believe me.”

“So why have you quit the FBI? Are you going to sell fabric paint on QVC?”

“How do you know so much about crafting and home television shopping?”

It was his turn to feel interrogated. “I was home a lot last year.” He wasn’t about to tell her his struggle with the depression he’d slipped into when he’d been falsely accused of wrongdoing. When all he’d ever worked for had been destroyed along with his professional reputation. “It’s a long story and nothing for today. Tell me about you, Abi. Why did you leave the FBI?”

Her eyes narrowed and her grin vanished. He’d discovered Abi’s line in the sand.

“No one reason. I never really intended for the agency to be a career. It was a chance to gain experience before I...” She stirred her water with the straw, the ice clunking against the plastic glass, and it was as if she were looking into a crystal ball. “I guess I thought I’d end up in local law enforcement or at a fire station like my dad. But I can’t say law enforcement’s what I plan to do for the rest of my life. I needed a change, that’s all.”

“So your dad is a firefighter.”

“Was.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, nothing that awful. He’s still alive and still working. He just...he just switched jobs midcareer.” With that her eyes clouded and she closed her mouth into a grave line.

He’d expected to be annoyed when she stopped being open to him. Instead he couldn’t hide from the sliver of excitement that flipped in his gut. Keith loved a challenge and was finding that, in the short time he’d spent with Abigail Redland, she’d been nothing less than a complex puzzle to figure out. He loved puzzles, complicated problems. Abi fit the bill. So what was with the shaky feeling in his midsection?

Why should he care what the full picture of Abi would reveal?

* * *

Abi enjoyed her brunch with Keith but was very aware of his being on edge, or, rather, at the edge of asking her more questions. Instead she kept things on the case or on her background, minus the Trail Hikers part. It shouldn’t bother her so much to leave out this one part of her job here. She was used to never discussing her work with close friends and colleagues. It was the way of an FBI agent, and it was her way. She’d chosen fire science and arson investigation out of guilt over a teen stunt gone horribly wrong. A decision that had cost her best friend’s life and her father’s firefighting career.

But here in Silver Valley it felt different. As if she were in a place where no one cared about her past. Or maybe it was Keith. She didn’t like admitting it to herself, no more than she enjoyed working with someone when she wasn’t being completely truthful. But she had no choice when it came to her Trail Hiker role.

She smiled at Keith.

“Chief Todd and Rio think we need to work closely together. That I need to bring you along with me as I go through each arson site again.”

Keith’s eyes narrowed and he set his knife and fork down. “Bring me along?”

“I mean, let you know where and when so that you can meet me, if you want to. Although since I plan on hitting each site over the next couple of days, it might be easier to drive together.”

He started shoveling his crepes into his mouth again. “That’s better,” he mumbled around the food, and Abi thought that maybe she wasn’t feeling herself. Because the very kind of rude table manners that normally annoyed her seemed...sensual. Manly. For scrapple’s sake, Keith Paruso made everything he did appear manly. The guy didn’t know how to do anything in a usual, regular guy kind of way.

“So you want to come along with me? Meet me?”

“Either I can pick you up where you live, or you can come get me.” He pulled out a business card and quickly wrote on the back. “That’s my address and email. The cell number on the front is my only phone.” She flipped over the card and noticed the Silver Valley Fire Department seal.

“Thanks. Nice business card. Can you start today?”

“I should be able to. I’ll check in with the station when we’re done.”

Abi was relieved when her phone vibrated. The screen lit up with a text from the real-estate manager she’d been working with for the past two weeks.

“I’m sorry to cut this short, Keith, but I’m going to have to cut out of here a bit sooner than I thought.”

“Is it about the case?”

“No.” At his unrelenting stare, she capitulated. “I’m on the hunt for a more permanent rental than the business suite I’ve been staying at. As much as I love the free buffet breakfast every morning, I need more space.”

“We’re not done, Abi. We need to figure out what role each of us has in this and how we’re going to get to the bottom of the arsons.” His expression was back to being totally professional without a hint of the genuine interest she’d sensed moments ago.

“Real-estate agents can be tough to pin down and I’d rather not have to reschedule with her.” He’d take the hint, surely?

“Does she have a place for you?”

“Looks like it.” And it was the rent-to-own situation she’d discovered in the real-estate office window, which she was very excited about. Finally she was thinking about settling down somewhere that wasn’t in the middle of a big city. She’d found that living in one could be the loneliest place on the planet when all you did was work, sleep, repeat.

“Where is it, Abi? If you don’t mind my asking?”

“Of course not. You just gave me yours. Not that it’s like belly buttons or, um, whatever. You know, you show me yours, I’ll show you mine.” What the hell was wrong with her?

Keith grinned. “I don’t think that expression refers to belly buttons.”

“Oh.” She felt her face redden but Keith’s calm expression, the lack of judgment in his eyes, helped her feel safe despite her jumbled simile. Was there anything in her that wasn’t shaken up by Keith’s presence?

She broke eye contact and gave him her address. Oddly, she didn’t mind telling him. She got nothing but healthy, albeit wary, vibes from Keith Paruso. Plus maybe some more intense feelings that could lead to an intimacy she wasn’t ready for, might never be ready for. She’d examine those later.

“That’s the old Pearson farm, right?”

“I’ve no idea who owned it before but, yes, it’s a couple-of-centuries-old farmhouse, originally.” And when she’d scoured the photos and description at the real-estate office it had looked absolutely delicious. Stone walls, dark roof, the rectangular building sat on the highest point of a hill that overlooked Silver Valley. It was in the middle of farm fields all around but the tree line for the Appalachian Trail was visible from the driveway’s entrance. The trail had called to her since she’d arrived in Silver Valley. Abi loved hiking and camping.

“You’re not worried about living in a farmhouse with the current case?” Keith’s brow furrowed and Abi tried to ignore the warm fuzzies that blossomed in her center.

“No. Don’t forget, I’ve been trained by the FBI. And it would be stupid for the arsonists to target me—they’d get caught.”

“I like how you think, Abi. I’d like to meet you there. In about ten minutes. That is, if you don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind.”

His face infused with relief. “I’ve always wanted to get a look inside that house. It was in the same family for so long and they didn’t have kids in our generation, so I’ve never seen it.”

“Glad to oblige. We can finish our discussion there.” She reached for the check and his hand beat her to it. One instant later and their hands would have collided. Keith’s hands felt like he looked. Strong, masculine, sexy. She wished he’d grabbed her hand instead of the check.

“I’ve got this, Abi. You can buy the next one.” His tone was so certain, so sure that there would be a “next” time that she had to resist her natural instinct to buck against his strong will. No one, no man she barely knew, told her what to do or what her future would be. She opened her mouth to tell Keith something to that effect, but he was already at the cash register, his wide grin splitting his handsome face as he spoke with the diner manager.

Keith Paruso was not a man who was easily directed.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.