This Secret Service agent is her only shot at survival

Single mom Zoe Marks knows she and her son have to stay ahead of the ruthless assassin who’s out to silence her. Secret Service agent Jude Brauer will protect the lovely witness—even if it costs him his career. His determination and unexpected caring could provide his and Zoe’s only chance at a future—if they’re alive to take it.

LISA PHILLIPS is a British-born tea-drinking, guitar-playing wife and mom of two. She and her husband lead worship together at their local church. Lisa pens high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-other love that always ends in a happily-ever-after. She understands that faith is a work in progress more exciting than any story she can dream up. You can find out more about her books at authorlisaphillips.com.

Also By Lisa Phillips

Secret Service Agents

Security Detail

Homefront Defenders

Yuletide Suspect

Witness in Hiding

Double Agent

Star Witness

Manhunt

Easy Prey

Sudden Recall

Dead End

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Witness in Hiding

Lisa Phillips

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08269-3

WITNESS IN HIDING

© 2018 Lisa Phillips

Published in Great Britain 2018

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.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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The killer hauled Zoe in front of him and lifted his weapon.

She stared down the barrel, and a sob caught in her throat. “I didn’t see anything.” Okay, that was a lie, but it was the first thing that had come to mind. “The lady looked dead. He was standing over her, and I assumed he killed her. I could be mistaken.”

She wanted to laugh through the sob. She was going crazy, seconds before she was going to die.

The killer grinned, more of a sneer. “Wrong place, seriously wrong time. And you just couldn’t let it lie. Well, turns out neither can they.”

“I won’t say anything. I promise.”

“Too late. You’ve drawn attention to yourself. Now they’re convinced you’ll blab, and that can’t happen. So instead of taking you to them, I’m ending this. No more scare tactics. No more threats. Problem solved.”

Them? Realization dawned on her that he was going to kill her, and she moved. As fast as she could. Everything in her screamed to run.

He pulled the trigger.

Dear Reader,

Thank you for taking the time to read this book. I so appreciate you, and the fact that it is an investment of your time and money each time I write a story. I hope you were entertained by Zoe and Jude’s journey to being a family.

The past hurt Zoe had experienced colored the way she saw the world—especially men—and how she saw the Lord. But God brought her through a journey that enabled her to trust Him and find happiness for her and her son, with Jude. He is a gracious Father who loves to draw us to Himself, and I am thankful for that every day.

If you have any comments or questions, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to email me at lisaphillipsbks@gmail.com and visit my website, where you can sign up for my newsletter: www. authorlisaphillips.com.

Sincerely,

Lisa Phillips

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

—Psalms 32:7

To those who struggle, stand firm and keep fighting.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

ONE

Zoe Marks was being followed. That tingle on the back of her neck was constant as she pulled her ball cap low and stepped inside the Laundromat. Had he found her? She’d been so careful, but maybe this was it...the day he finally caught up.

And killed her.

Downtown Salt Lake City was busy just after eleven at night, and she’d hoped to disappear in the crowds. Maybe it hadn’t worked.

Moose wasn’t behind the counter. The man had been recommended by a mutual contact, and he should be here. He’d said as much at their first meeting.

Moose had a craggy face, the nose that had earned him the moniker and a huge belly that hung over his belt buckle. He didn’t exactly blend in. If he was here she’d be able to spot him, but he wasn’t out behind the register tonight. Was he waiting in his office?

Zoe made her way down the center aisle, between rows of washers and dryers stacked on either side of the room. The long, low bench in the middle.

A young woman in the corner folded a pair of skinny jeans. Probably two sizes smaller than the ones Zoe wore. Her hair hung over most of her face, and she didn’t make eye contact. That was fine with Zoe. Behind the counter an older woman with purple hair sat reading a fashion magazine.

During the three weeks she’d been in hiding, Zoe had learned more than she wanted to about the criminal element. Top of the list was the fact that she had to talk the talk with these people. She couldn’t give away anything personal, or emotional. Least of all was the fact that Zoe Marks was an office assistant, a divorcée and the single mom of the most precocious seven-year-old boy in the world. No, she had to be one of them. An anonymous lady who wanted a way out of this life.

Zoe rapped her knuckles on the Formica. “Lookin’ for Moose.”

The counter woman didn’t look up from her magazine.

Zoe pushed aside the depressing thoughts of what her life had become. She couldn’t even think about Tyler, or she’d start blubbering because she hadn’t seen her son in a week—the longest they’d ever been apart. Right now, Tyler was safe with her sister, which meant it wasn’t time for crying; it was time for action. The kind that would make the two of them free of danger for the rest of their lives.

Hence, Moose. And the duffel bag of thirty thousand dollars of borrowed money she was going to have to figure out how to pay back.

Freedom wasn’t cheap.

The purple-haired woman pointed one white-tipped finger to the interior door. “Moose is back there.”

“Thanks.” Zoe straightened her shoulders and headed for the back door. Politeness wasn’t something the people in this world she’d fallen into understood, but it was ingrained in her. At the last second before she pushed the handle down, another ingrained part of her—some latent warning instinct—flared to life. Danger. She glanced back at the front door of the Laundromat just as he walked through.

Gun raised, pointed at her.

No life in his eyes.

No emotion in the flat line of his lips.

The woman folding clothes dropped her basket and ran behind him out the door. The gunman made no move to stop her.

Ice-cold terror froze every part of her. It wasn’t Zoe’s life that flashed before her eyes—it was Tyler’s. Memories raced through her mind of those long-gone happy days. Before Nathan decided he liked his girlfriend better than his wife and moved to New England.

The life Tyler once had was gone now, but he still had her. She wouldn’t let him become an orphan today. Her son was everything to her, and there was nothing she wouldn’t do to keep him safe. There was no room in her life for anything else—or anyone else. Just her son, who needed his mom alive. It was Zoe’s job to make their lives safe.

“Nice try.” The gunman smirked.

Zoe couldn’t move. All she could do was stare into his evil eyes and wait for death while her mind screamed at her to run. While images of death played across her mind. A woman, lying on the ground. The man stood over her. Her killer.

Now he’d sent this guy to silence her, so she could never tell anyone what she’d seen.

The man twisted, aimed his gun past Zoe. He pulled the trigger over and over again. The woman behind Zoe screamed and hit the floor.

“No loose ends.” His voice was as devoid of emotion as his eyes.

Zoe backed up and felt for the door handle. If she didn’t try to run he would certainly kill her. She should have bought that gun when she’d had the chance, but she didn’t know how to use one. Now she would die because she hadn’t been brave enough to overcome a simple fear of the unknown. Dead both because of what she didn’t know—how to use a gun—and because of what she did. But Zoe couldn’t think about what she’d witnessed. She only wanted to forget it. She never would. Not for the rest of her life.

Her slick fingers slipped off the door handle, but it opened anyway. Zoe didn’t know whether to rush through, or just duck.

Moose brushed past her, shotgun in his hands.

Zoe dived out of the way, behind the counter, issuing a quiet apology when she landed on the counter lady’s leg. The ball cap flew off Zoe’s head, releasing her spray of red curls. The woman was wide-eyed, a red stain on her shoulder.

“What is going—” Moose’s roared words cut off. Bang. Bang.

Zoe scrambled across the floor. The shotgun went off, then the gunman’s weapon—shot after shot. She covered her ears. There was nowhere to go. She was pinned behind the counter with no way out, and that man was coming for her.

Defenseless and innocent. Why did she have to die like a criminal? It was proof God’s love for her, His grace, had been withdrawn. For whatever reason, He wasn’t on her side anymore. His love and support had been rich during those years with Nathan and Tyler. They’d been together as a family and her life had been good. Now, nothing. God’s place in her heart was empty—He’d abandoned her.

Otherwise she wouldn’t be about to die on the dirty linoleum floor of a Laundromat.

* * *

Secret Service agent Jude Brauer had gone on alert the moment the first shot rang out. He tossed his notebook back on the driver’s seat and slammed the car door, palming his weapon instead. Question time would have to come later. There wasn’t even time to wait for police backup. He’d seen people inside and heard the gun battle. Jude couldn’t let an innocent person die. Seconds counted for everything in situations like this.

The windows of the Laundromat were glass, the lights on inside. His view was crystal clear between the red letters of the store name.

One assailant, center of the room.

A man down, discarded shotgun on the floor. Jude was pretty sure that was Moose, the man he’d been coming to meet. Moose was dead, which meant Jude would never get answers from him now.

The gunman advanced. The second of two women had dived behind the counter. Jude couldn’t let anyone else die.

Gun drawn, Jude pushed the front door open with his foot. “Secret Service, put your hands up!”

The guy spun, already firing, not even bothering to aim—but two shots later the clip in his gun emptied. Jude wasn’t hit.

Thank You, God.

He put two rounds from his Sig Sauer in the man’s chest. He hated to use lethal force, but there was no telling if this man had additional weapons or ammunition. The threat had to be taken out before anyone else was hurt.

The gunman’s body jerked as the shots impacted, but he didn’t go down. He actually grinned. “Won’t work, pig.” He said it like he thought he was invincible. High on something? His eyes were glassy, and that bravado had to come from somewhere. It was more than the protective vest he might have under his jacket.

As he stepped closer, Jude wondered if this had to do with his case or something else entirely. The task force he was part of was investigating a local pharmaceutical company with ties to foreign money. Moose might be the key to the whole thing, but it was only a hunch Jude had. He hadn’t brought anyone else in case it turned out to be nothing. Now Moose was dead.

The gunman ran to the interior door, where he glanced once behind the counter and said, “See you soon, Zoe.”

Then he raced through to whatever back rooms were beyond it.

Jude sprinted after him. He did the same glance maneuver the gunman had and saw a beautiful redhead on the floor, her wide green eyes looking up at him. Jude ordered, “Stay here,” to her and the purple-haired woman she lay there with. A woman who’d been shot. “And call an ambulance.”

He didn’t wait for her to nod; he just ran after the man into a fluorescent-lit hall with bland white walls. Two rooms. The gunman ignored both and hit the exit bar on the door at the end of the hall before he raced out into the night.

The guy had to have been wearing a vest to absorb those shots. Jude wasn’t wearing his, not on what should’ve been a routine interview. He had to be careful. This guy wasn’t afraid to kill.

And then there was the woman. Zoe, he’d called her. Who was she, and why did the gunman know her? The man had threatened her, and yet he’d let her live while he killed the man Jude had been there to see.

Had he shot Moose because of the shotgun, or because Moose knew too much? Maybe there was another reason entirely.

Jude reached the exit door, stood where there was cover and looked out before he moved to pursue the man. It wouldn’t do him any good to rush out and have the gunman attack him because he hadn’t been cautious. But the man wasn’t waiting.

The peal of car tires screeched out the parking lot and the killer tore off at top speed in a silver, low-slung, rusty car. No plates. The undercarriage scraped the asphalt on the way out, and then the guy was gone.

Lost him.

Jude slammed the flat of his hand on the door frame. That man—whoever he was and whatever his motive might be—had just killed the best lead Jude had been able to find on his case.

He pulled out his phone and called 9-1-1 to report what had happened.

Jude’s job was mostly to identity theft investigations and illegal transactions. White-collar crimes involving money and state-of-the-art technology that cost this country millions each year. Jude would dig into the problem. He would solve the mystery of what was happening and who was involved.

In this particular case, the pharmaceutical company and a South American cartel were moving money back and forth. It hadn’t been easy to trace the international transactions. But when Jude had found the Laundromat listed on one, he’d jumped on the information. He didn’t have enough evidence to obtain a warrant yet, but that hadn’t stopped him from heading over to the Laundromat to see what Moose had to say.

Online banking was the new cash. Huge transfers could be divided up into hundreds of small transactions or transfers between online accounts. It was the job of the Secret Service to recognize evidence of possible money laundering. The question was, who had been sending the pharmaceutical company so much money, and why?

Now his only lead was a rusty car. He’d have to get a description of the vehicle and the gunman to the cops and pray for a result.

Jude trailed back through the hall to a now open door. The other was signed as a bathroom. Before he got there, he glanced around. Security cameras had been installed at the corner where the wall met the ceiling. Did they work? Maybe he could get an image of the killer and run it through the Secret Service database as well as the FBI’s system. They could get the man’s identity from that.

If he knew who the guy was, Jude would be one step closer to figuring out what had just happened. And whether it was tied to his case.

Jude looked in the office then and found the redhead at the desk, her back to him as she rifled through papers in a frantic search of Moose’s documents. Was she stealing from the man? A duffel lay on the floor beside her, bulky with something.

The idea that such a beautiful, obviously scared woman could be a criminal stopped his forward progress. Jude knew looks could be deceiving, but that wouldn’t change his job. His personal feelings, even a rush of protectiveness, didn’t matter when the law came into the equation. Justice showed no partiality toward people.

At least, it shouldn’t.

Jude waited at the door with his gun hand loose at his side. Whether or not she was a thief, something told him she wasn’t dangerous. So he simply watched her to see what she would do.

“No, no, no.” She shoved papers off the desk, picked up a manila envelope and looked inside. “Please be here.” She made a noise of frustration and threw it on the desk. “Please be here.” She renewed her search.

“Cops are on their way.”

The woman—Zoe, the man had called her—squealed and spun around. Wide eyes stared at him, so green they were like the forest after a spring rain. Really? Poetry? Jude pushed aside the errant thoughts and reminded himself she could well be a criminal. He said, “You might want to wrap up your thievery before they get here.”

“Thievery?”

Jude shrugged one shoulder. “First word that came to mind when I saw you rummaging through a man’s office.”

She lifted two pale palms, though one was red marked. She’d been hurt? That reminded him of the other woman. He needed this woman to accompany him so he could check on her. The last thing he needed was two people disappearing.

“As you can see,” she said, “I haven’t stolen anything.”

“Which begs the question, what are you looking for?”

* * *

Yes, it did seem to lead to that question. Too bad Zoe had no intention of telling this guy anything at all. She’d faced enough questions from the injured woman out front.

Before she shoved away Zoe’s attempt to help her. Like it was Zoe’s fault her shoulder was bleeding.

Cute though this guy was, with dark blond hair in need of a cut curling around his ears, she couldn’t trust him. Nice suit. But not too nice; it just fit him really well. She’d always disliked guys who tried too hard to look put-together, or who used styling product in their hair—which was basically the same thing. This guy was clean-cut, and he looked...low-key.

Zoe bit the inside of her cheek. “I should go.”

He didn’t move, even though she needed to get past him so she could leave this building of horrors empty-handed. Don’t think about that. But she had to. She needed the reminder of everything that could go wrong to push her to be smart and cautious, to do everything she had to in order to keep her family alive.

This should have been her last stop. Her ticket out for herself, her sister and her son. They would have been on their way. Free.

That was gone now. All she had was nothing but a bag full of cash and no hope.

Not to mention, the police would be here soon.

“How about you stay for a minute. Introduce yourself?” He didn’t voice it like a question, even though technically it was. “I’ll even start.” He touched his chest. “Jude Brauer, Secret Service.”

So that was what the badge on his belt signified. Zoe glanced at the wall like she could see outside and said, “Is the president in town?”

He winced. “I’m local, not on the president’s detail.”

“This is a nice chat and all, but I really should be going.” Where, she had no idea. But anywhere was fine when it would be away from a dead man, a woman who’d been shot and the end of all her options.

“And you’re Zoe.”

He wasn’t going to listen. He was trying to get her to open up when she had zero intention of doing so. Zoe moved then, and some distant, still hopeful part of her prayed he’d just step aside and let her pass. Like prayer would actually work for her now, when it hadn’t so far.

He held out a hand. While not actually touching her, it was still a gentleman’s attempt to get her to stay. The fact that he didn’t force her to stop resonated in that same distant, hopeful part of her from which she’d just prayed. Zoe didn’t let it penetrate. She couldn’t, or she’d stop and maybe entertain the idea that this guy might actually be able to help her.

Which he couldn’t. No one could.

She stepped past him, into the hallway. “Zoe.” His voice was almost kind. She’d been through something traumatic and he adjusted accordingly. His wife probably loved that gentle voice. Zoe chose to ignore it.

She didn’t go back to the front of the store. There was nothing but blood and death up there, and the woman who had been shot hadn’t wanted her help. Zoe had called for the ambulance, then realized she had to find the ID’s Moose had made for her before the cops came. Now she needed to get out of here before they asked too many questions. Before her name ended up on a police record, and her whereabouts were discovered. Anything that could lead to her would do exactly that—and the wrong people would find her.

Zoe moved to the exit door at the end of the hall. Jude Brauer had told her to stay put. Right. The last time she’d stayed it had ruined her life. Not again. No way.

“You can’t leave, Zoe. You just witnessed a crime. Wait for the cops so you can give your statement.”

“I didn’t see anything.” The words slipped from her mouth and she winced.

“You’re going to lie?”

No, she wasn’t going to lie. “I can’t talk to the cops.”

“That guy knew you, and yet he didn’t kill you.” Jude cocked his head to the side. “Was that because I was here?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“I’m guessing that you know a whole lot more than you want to admit to me right now.”

She didn’t say anything, because he was right. Sirens grew in volume. They were right outside. An ambulance. Cops. She couldn’t trust the cops. That had been made completely plain to her when she’d tried to report what she’d seen. No one had believed her, and then she and Tyler had been followed. They’d barely escaped.

Zoe had no intention of repeating that frightful afternoon.

Jude turned toward the sound. While his gaze was averted, Zoe slipped out the back door.

Still, part of her almost wanted to stay.

Almost.

TWO

She’d ditched him. Jude could hardly believe she’d actually done it. Slipped out the back door right when his back was turned, leaving him standing in the hallway talking to himself. He sprinted to the door and ran outside. Looked around. She was gone from the areas lit by streetlights. Had she hidden in the shadows?

“Police!” a voice called from the front door. “Anyone here?”

A woman screamed. Not Zoe; it must have been the purple-haired woman from behind the counter. She needed help.

What he wanted to do was search all the dark places out back for Zoe. Instead, Jude announced himself as he strode into the Laundromat, then explained to the responding officers what had happened. An ambulance showed up, and the injured woman was taken to the hospital. Then two suited detectives and a couple of crime scene investigators arrived. Moose’s body had to be processed.

He explained again what had happened, but all Jude could think about was those wide green eyes. Terrified. Scared of him, and searching for a way out.

“She just left?”

Jude nodded. “I only turned around for a second and she was gone.”

The detectives shared a look.

“She was scared. Jittery. I’m going to search the back parking lot some more. Maybe you can pull feed from the security cameras. Get a picture of her.”

“If Moose actually had real cameras instead of fake plastic ones then that might be doable.”

Jude sighed. His lead was gone, and so was the woman. Now he was back to square one on who had been sending money to the pharmaceutical company. Or why. He said, “I’m going to look out back.”

What he should do was head back to the office and write a report on what he’d tried—and failed—to do. Though he’d rather drive the streets in this area and try to find the woman. He’d probably never see her again.

Why that bothered him Jude didn’t want to think about. She was probably a criminal involved in a deal with Moose, walking the darker side of the law.

The detectives shook his hand. One said, “We’ll call if we need anything.”

Jude nodded and headed to the door, his thoughts still on Zoe. The fear in her eyes had been real. She’d been scared. Frustrated she couldn’t find whatever she was looking for. Had she stuck around, Jude might have been able to find out more about her. If she needed help, she should have asked him for it.

Jude clicked the locks on his car and realized he’d left it unlocked when he heard the gunshots. Thankfully no one had stolen it while he was inside. Couldn’t be too careful in this part of town. He slid in behind the wheel, ruminating about the case.

Everything about it smelled of a powerful broker who needed...something from the Salt Lake City–based pharmaceutical company. Money laundering, but why had they used this approach? Surely there were easier ways to do it than using the many accounts held by such a high-profile company.

As Jude drove in the general direction of the office, his phone rang. He touched the display screen, and said, “Agent Brauer.”

“Jude, honey. It’s Mrs. McAffrey.”

“Is something wrong with you or Turner?” Mrs. McAffrey was his eighty-six-year-old neighbor, the widow of a Salt Lake City police officer.

Turner was Jude’s dog, who she kept an eye on. He figured she left the gate between their yards open because she wanted the company of his old mutt. She also gave him so many treats, and scraps of chicken, Jude hardly needed to feed him.

“No, honey.” She used the endearment like it was going out of style. “He was out barking at the squirrels an hour ago, but it’s all quiet now.”

“Oh, good. What can I help you with?”

“Well, see, the water in my bathroom sink won’t shut off. I’ve turned and turned the knob but it just keeps streaming out.” She paused, and then in her hopeful voice said, “Could you come look at it, honey?”

“I’m at work right now, but I can call a plumber for you.” He knew she didn’t sleep much, but had she looked at the time?

“And have some stranger traipsing through my house?” There it was, her hopeful voice again.

Jude ground his teeth, but heard a noise in his backseat. It didn’t sound like any of the debris rolling around back there. Instead, it almost sounded like a giggle. He glanced in the rearview, but couldn’t see anything. He needed to keep his eyes on the road, not lower the mirror’s angle. He made a right-hand turn instead of getting on the freeway, and headed for a store parking lot.

He explained to Mrs. McAffrey how to shut off the water using the valve in the cupboard under the sink.

“It’s very tight. I’m not sure...” She went quiet for a second. “I did it!”

“Good,” he said. Half his attention was on the backseat, but he didn’t hear anything else from that direction. “It’s still broken, but at least you’re not leaking water anymore. I’ll come by first thing in the morning and check it out.” Hopefully it would be an easy problem, like a worn-down washer.

“Thank you, honey.”

“No problem, Mrs. McAffrey.” Jude hung up and pulled into a parking space. He got out of the car and drew his weapon, stepped to the back door and yanked it open.

The redhead with green eyes sat in the foot well behind the driver’s seat, one hand over her mouth as tears streamed down her face. Zoe took a breath, let go of her mouth and burst out laughing. “That was hilarious. That old woman totally bamboozled you.” She seemed on the verge of hysterics.

“Get out of my car.”

Even though she was laughing uncontrollably and tears still rolled down her face, she shook her head. She clambered onto the backseat and shifted away from him at the same time, the duffel over one shoulder so that it bunched against the backrest and lifted her elbow that lay on it.

“Don’t get out the other side.” If she ran again, he’d have to chase her.

She leaned forward. That was the moment Jude knew she’d completely lost it. The hysterical laughing turned to hysterical crying and lasted long enough for Jude to child lock the rear doors on both sides before shutting her in. Then he got back in the front seat and pulled the wad of coffee house napkins from the glove box. “Here.”

She looked at him. She was still pretty, but this might be what his sister called ugly crying. He didn’t put his weapon away, but he did wait until she had pulled herself together before he said, “Why are you in my car?”

Zoe shook her head. Her hair snagged under the strap of the duffel on her shoulder and...shifted. Jude blinked before he realized what was happening. “You’re wearing a wig?”

She blew out a breath and pulled the long, gorgeous red hair from her head. Shame. Still, the dark hair pinned against her head wasn’t unappealing. Those eyes though...

Wait. Was she wearing colored contacts? Maybe everything that drew him to her was fake. Jude’s stomach churned at the idea he’d been duped. This beautiful, innocent-seeming woman was clearly a fraud. He’d been right to be suspicious, and now he was harboring a criminal.

“What do you want, Zoe? Or is that even your real name?” He didn’t like the hard edge to his voice, but what did she expect after she lied to him? At least she had the decency to wince. Jude was out of patience. “Either start talking or get out.” A thought occurred to him. “You ran out of the Laundromat. You left. You could have gotten away clean. Why are you in my car? And how did you get in it without being seen, since those cops pulled up right beside it?”

“They were inside,” she said. “They didn’t see me, and neither did anyone else.” Why did it seem like she didn’t know if that was good or bad?

“You should’ve stayed and talked to the cops. They need your statement.”

She shook her head then, and a fresh tear rolled down her face. “I can’t talk to the cops.”

“You witnessed a crime.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to testify. They can’t make me if I don’t want to tell them anything.”

Jude frowned. Why was she in his car if she didn’t want to talk to the cops? He was law enforcement. “Sure, they can’t force you to say anything, but isn’t the right thing to tell them what you know? It could help catch that guy.”

Her gaze flicked away.

“He knew you.” When she didn’t say anything, Jude said, “He used your name.”

* * *

He had. And this man, Secret Service agent Jude Brauer, had heard it. When she’d run out the back door she’d only gone two steps before she ducked to the side and hid behind the Dumpster. If movies were to be trusted, Jude would run past her, expecting her to be ahead of him. Hardly anyone thought to check right where the chase started.

And so she’d hidden, the same way she’d been hiding for three weeks now—right under their noses.

Zoe should be miles away by now, but she was out of options. Her final plan—the fake passports Moose had made—was out of reach now. Zoe had no one to turn to. She was out of ideas.

Enter Jude Brauer.

For whatever reason she didn’t much want to ponder, Zoe had crept from that hiding spot and around the building to the imposing car with government plates. He’d looked at her with so much compassion, and she hadn’t been ready to let that go.

As soon as the coast had been clear, she’d booked it across the lot, not really sure what she’d been expecting to do. And then she thanked God a million times his car had been unlocked. She’d been able to hide. God might not like her right now, but she knew when thanks were due.

His car. That phone call. For a few minutes everything she’d been through had washed away and she’d actually felt...safe.

He held out his hand from the front seat of his SUV. Zoe stared at it. She wasn’t agreeing to anything; she wasn’t trusting him, but she had to do something.

So she put her hand in his. Strong, warm fingers closed around hers. His eyes glowed with approval. Attraction wasn’t something she could deal with right now, so she pushed the feeling aside. Safety meant so much more.

“It’s nice to meet you, Zoe. I’m Jude.”

“Hi, Jude.”

He let go, but the feeling didn’t dissipate. Inside this car she actually felt safe. It was so foreign she almost didn’t recognize it. Some part of her had seen him in that hallway and just...known. Either way, she knew she’d done the right thing.

It didn’t mean she was trusting him, but Zoe had to face the fact that she seriously needed help. Moose was dead. That guy, the one who had been chasing her for three weeks, so close she’d almost been able to feel his breath hot on her neck...he’d shot Moose and let her live. He must have been given orders to keep her alive, but why? Silencing her would mean the truth died with her. She had nothing but questions—and no way to find answers.

Echoing her thoughts, Jude asked, “So, what now?”

Zoe shook her head. “I have no idea.”

“Why do I think you don’t just mean you have no idea where we should go right now?” His lips curled into a smile. “Maybe I meant coffee, or dinner.”

Zoe set her hand over her queasy stomach as the image of Moose falling to the floor played through her mind. “I don’t think I’m going to eat for a week after that.”

“I know what you mean.” His face turned grim.

“Is that woman okay?”

Jude nodded. “We do need to talk. You’re obviously in trouble, or you need help. I’d like to know why.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” The words burst from her lips, the need to defend herself as strong as it always had been.

“I’m not saying you did. What I meant was, why would you turn to me?”

“You were there.”

He waited. Then said, “And?”

Zoe shrugged. It wasn’t the connection. There was one, but that wasn’t it. She hadn’t known before she got in the car that being in here with Jude Brauer would feel so...safe.

“You have to talk, Zoe. You have to tell me something so I know how to help you.”

“What about getting back to work? That’s the excuse you gave Mrs. McAffrey.”

“It wasn’t an excuse. I am working—it’s why I was at the Laundromat. To talk with Moose.”

Her arm on the duffel bag tightened on a reflex. Jude’s glance went to it, not missing a single thing. Why couldn’t she have been better at this cloak-and-dagger, superspy stuff?

Zoe sighed. “That’s why I can’t talk to the cops. They’ll think I had something to do with Moose’s business.” Technically, they wouldn’t be wrong. No, she wasn’t a regular customer. She didn’t know, or want to know, who his usual customers were. But she had hired his services. If Jude wanted to question her about Moose, she wouldn’t have anything to tell him. She hadn’t transacted anything with Moose before he died. The introduction had been conducted through a third party, and today was only the second time she’d even seen the man.

Jude studied her. Great. He probably thought she was a criminal. “How did that shooter know you?”

Zoe measured her words. “I’ve seen him before, several times over the past three weeks. Usually just out the corner of my eye, or on the street. Today was the closest he’s come, and look at what happened.”

She’d always been able to slip away, and yet it seemed like he’d known exactly where she would be today. Had Moose, or the man who’d introduced her to him, sold her out? No, Moose had come out and confronted the man with a shotgun. The man who made the introductions had been killed in a drive-by the week before.

Zoe rubbed her hands down her face. That random “accident” suddenly didn’t seem so random. Had this whole thing been a setup?

Jude didn’t let up. “He didn’t hurt you. Does he have other plans for you?”

She lifted her gaze to his. “I don’t know.”

That was the truth—ish. Zoe did know why the man wanted her, she didn’t know what he was going to do with her.

Jude sighed, then started up the car.

“Are you taking me to the police, or turning me into your people?” She’d come so close to actually getting herself and her son and sister out of this. Instead, this was the end of the line. Unless she could somehow convince Jude she hadn’t done anything to warrant being turned in.

Could she talk about it? That night had been so harrowing she didn’t even know if she could say it out loud.

“I’m not taking you in,” he said in a tight voice. Trying to convince himself?

Zoe glanced out the window, relieved he wasn’t pushing her. If she asked, would he drive her where she wanted to go? There was only one way to find out. “Take the next exit.” Zoe needed to hold her son. “Please.” Her voice sounded small even to her own ears.

He took the exit. He could drop her a few streets over from the house her sister had rented with cash, and he would never know where she was headed. So long as he didn’t follow her. She’d have to be careful.

Jude said, “I really want to take you back to the office. You have no idea how badly I want to do that.”

Zoe nodded, whether he saw it or not. She knew he’d locked the rear doors of the SUV while she’d been laugh-crying. She hadn’t been oblivious.

“Maybe you should.” It was tempting. So tempting. “But you should know, the last time I talked to the police I was followed home that same day. I never heard from the officer again, and I didn’t want to call him if he was the one who betrayed me. After that, I went to my local church. I guess I figured at least God would be on a minister’s side.” She shook her head. What a mess. “No one can help me, Jude.”

“Maybe I can.”

“I can’t trust you with what I know. As much as I want to, I can’t tell you what I saw—” She slapped a hand over her own mouth to stop the flow of words.

“Why get in my SUV if you don’t want my help?”

“I don’t even know what I want.” Maybe that was a lie, maybe she wanted the connection of someone else in the world—apart from her son and her sister—knowing she was here and that she needed help. Just knowing.

Jude frowned, but headed in the direction she indicated. Ten minutes later he pulled into the neighborhood behind the one where the house was located. She could cross the park behind this street and cut through to the street behind.

“What is...”

She glanced over and saw him peer through the passenger window to a cloud of smoke. Zoe cracked the door and a waft of burning wood hit her nostrils.

“Fire.”

THREE

Zoe practically dived out of the car and set off running down the street. Jude got out and locked the car, then chased after her as she ran down an alley between two houses.

He pursued her toward the fire. Her house? Did she know if there were people inside?

At the end of the alley, he stumbled off the sidewalk onto grass. The fence gave way to an open space. Trees and a playground. Jude had spent many Friday nights hanging out at parks just like this as a rebellious teen, pushing back against his father, a pastor. He’d excelled at doing what everyone said was wrong and had the scars to prove it.

Zoe tore across the park like everything she loved, or cared about, was in danger. Was she married? She had no ring, but some people didn’t wear one. She could have a husband or boyfriend at home, though in his opinion no man worth anything sent a woman into a dangerous situation alone. And that was exactly what she’d done. Zoe had walked into—and out of—that Laundromat by herself.

Jude didn’t know whether to be impressed or exasperated by her.

He followed Zoe until the source of the smoke was in view, a tiny square house whose peeling paint was now melting from the siding. She raced down the sidewalk, and he knew what she was going to do. It would be so tempting to go inside and try to save whoever she had left behind. To play the part of hero, instead of waiting for the fire department. But it was too dangerous—the fire was too advanced.

He pumped his arms and legs and caught up to her just as she was about to cross the grass. Jude grabbed her. Before she could wriggle out of his grip, he wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t. You can’t go in.”

Hot wind blew at them as the flames licked at the house. All around the outside it was on fire. “Let me go!” She kicked her legs, but Jude didn’t release her.

“You can’t save them.”

“I have to. Tyler—” She grunted, and struggled against him.

The knowledge she had a man in her life stung, even though there was nothing between them. “The fire department—”

“Let go of me.” She kicked at his shins.

A neighbor ran over. “I hooked up my hose.” He thumbed the end and the pouring water sprayed in an arc.

Jude wrestled with Zoe, but she kicked him again. Then elbowed his side. He sucked in a breath and released his grip only a fraction, but it was enough for her. Zoe broke free. “Aim for the front door,” she ordered the neighbor. “I have to get Tyler out.”

She raced for the wet, scorched door. Jude ran with her. Zoe reached for the handle with her bare hand.

He yelled, “No!”

She turned to him, her gaze as scorching as the fire. “I’m going in and you aren’t going to stop me.”

“That handle will burn the skin off your hand.”

Before she could bluster, or do anything else crazy, he kicked the wood beside the handle. The door splintered, but the lock remained intact. What on earth?

He checked the lock without touching it. A black substance had been poured inside the mechanism where the key would be inserted. To keep whoever was inside from getting out?

Jude shuddered. Zoe stepped up beside him, and he said, “Be careful.” If she was going to risk her life, then Jude would go with her and make sure she didn’t get hurt simply because her instinct to protect this Tyler overrode her common sense.

He held her elbow as she clambered over the broken door. Inside was thick with smoke. Jude unbuttoned his shirt, thankful his father had instilled in him the need for an undershirt, and ripped it in two. He handed half of his dress shirt to her.

“Tie this over your nose and mouth.” He couldn’t help adding, “This is reckless. You aren’t a firefighter, are you?” He was pretty sure she wasn’t. A firefighter would have known about the handle.

“I’m not a firefighter.”

“Then we should go outside. This is crazy.” They couldn’t even see anything, and yet Zoe knew where she was going. “Is this your house?”

She shot him a look, then yelled, “Tyler!” A second later, she yelled, “Ember!”

Who was Ember? “Who are we looking for? They probably ran out back when the fire started.”

“Tyler is my son.” Zoe made her way down a hall. “Ember is my sister, and she was watching him.”

“Your son?” He looked around. The outside had been far more burned than the interior seemed to be. The fire still raged, and yet in here there were no visible flames. It was like someone had doused every wall and door of the exterior and set it ablaze. Inside was scorched and hot, but not burning. Had Zoe’s family been trapped inside a house burning down from the outside?

He shivered. “How old is Tyler?”

“He’s seven, but he’s tall for his age so everyone thinks he’s older.” There was a note of pride along with the worry. “I hope they got out. I do.” She coughed. “But we can’t wait to check while they could be suffocating in here.”

“Instead it’s us who are suffocating. Firefighters have equipment for this.” He choked out the words through his raspy throat, but she wouldn’t be swayed. “Thirty seconds. If you don’t find them, I’m getting us out of here whether you agree or not, Zoe.” He paused. “Is that even your real name?”

“Of course it is.” She pushed open a door with her foot. A master bedroom. “Tyler. Ember.” Zoe moved to the closet. Door open, empty. He followed her to the en suite bathroom. The curtain had been pulled down and discarded and the shower was running.

A squeak came from Zoe, and she rushed over. Jude followed to see what had caught her eye, and saw as she did the two huddled in the bathtub. Both soaking wet, a young woman with dark hair was curled around a little boy. The woman had a nasty burn up the outside of her arm.

Zoe crouched. “Tyler.” She touched the woman’s cheek. “Em.”

Jude reached down and pressed two fingers to the woman’s neck. She couldn’t be more than nineteen. This was Zoe’s sister?

Zoe gasped, but he said, “She has a pulse.”

The boy’s eyes snapped open. “Mom—” The word dissolved into coughing and Zoe reached for him. The woman never stirred.

Zoe held her son to her. “Tyler.”

“We couldn’t get out, Mom. He trapped us inside.”

Tyler wrapped his arms around her neck, and Jude found himself wanting to soak in the sight of the two of them so closely entwined. The way he’d done with his mom as a kid when he got hurt. But there was no time for that now. “We have to get out of here.”

He picked up the woman and they trailed back outside, and he handed the woman off to two EMTs. A firefighter strode over. “Anyone else inside?”

He looked at Zoe, who shook her head. She still hadn’t released her son.

“Why’d you go in there? You could’ve died, and we’d have been pulling out four instead of two.”

Jude waved the man away from Zoe, then said, “Go see the EMTs, okay?”

She nodded. She didn’t need the fire chief’s ire, even if it had been a crazy idea to go inside. He flashed his badge at the man. “Jude Brauer, Secret Service.” Like that justified his actions.

“It was a dumb move.”

Jude didn’t back down. “They were trapped in there, but now everyone’s safe.”

The firefighter muttered something and wandered off. Truth was, Jude didn’t want to think about why he’d followed Zoe into the house. What mattered was that her son and sister were alive, and none of them were too badly hurt.

So why didn’t he think this was even close to being over?

* * *

Zoe pulled Tyler to her in a hug and just let herself feel his skinny, little-boy body against hers. His arms around her back, he mumbled something against her jacket. She relaxed her arms and he leaned back to look up at her with his soot-covered face. “I’m fine, Mom. But Aunty Ember isn’t.”

Zoe nodded. “Let’s go see.”

He needed to get checked out, as well. They walked hand in hand to the ambulance Ember had been loaded into. She still hadn’t woken up. “Is she going to be okay?”

The EMT had Tyler sit up inside the ambulance, which he thought was awesome judging by his grin, and put an oxygen mask on him. “Breathe deep, kiddo.” Then he pointed at Ember, passed out on the bed with an oxygen mask already over her nose and mouth. “She’s your babysitter?”

“My sister.” Ember was her stepsister, but that qualification didn’t matter to either of them. Neither did the nearly ten-year age difference between Zoe and Ember. They were still close, and her younger sister had risked her life for Tyler.

Was that how the killer had found the house? Zoe hardly spoke to anyone in her old life anymore. Still, it was possible the house had been discovered because of their connection.

The EMT said, “I’m going to need some information on your sister.”

Zoe reminded herself this wasn’t an interrogation and answered his questions. Personal information, medical history. Finally, Zoe had maxed out on her ability to be cordial. “Is she going to be okay?”

They wouldn’t be asking all that stuff if Ember wasn’t going to make it, would they? She didn’t want Tyler to hear it if Ember was still in danger, but she couldn’t wait any longer for an answer.

“We need to get her to the hospital before we’ll know for sure. Are you coming?”

Zoe glanced back to where Jude stood, still talking to the firefighter. Should she go?

“You and your son need to be checked out, as well.”

She nodded and tore her gaze from him. “I know.”

Still, she saw realization dawn at the last second.

The EMT said, “He isn’t coughing. I suppose if you keep a close eye on him tonight, his pediatrician can see him first thing. Doesn’t have to be at the hospital.”

A hospital could be the safest place for them at this point.

“That sound okay?”

Zoe nodded. She glanced at Jude again, and he saw it. Broke off his conversation to make his way over to her. “Everything okay?”

“They’re taking Ember in.” Would he send them with her, call someone to protect them? She wanted it to be Jude. But how could she ask that when they barely knew each other?

Tyler tore off the mask, his eyes pleading. “I wanna stay with you.”

Zoe nodded. She felt the same way.

Her son looked up at Jude like he was one of those expert warriors from his library books. The ones who fought bad guys on a daily basis and won, unscathed. Every time.

The EMT shook Tyler’s hand, which her son thought was hilarious. “Take it easy, kid.” Then he looked at her. “If he so much as coughs twice...”

She nodded. “I’ll watch him closely.”

“You, too.” He gave her a pointed look. “Your son will likely be fine, but I don’t want you taking any chances. Smoke is nothing to mess with.”

“Understood.”

Tyler launched himself from the ambulance into her arms. She hugged him and then lowered him to the ground. The doors were shut, and the flashing lights receded. She turned to Jude, not really knowing what they were supposed to do now.

Tyler tugged on her hand. “Jude, this is Tyler. My son.” She smiled down at him. “Tyler, this is Jude.” She leaned down slightly and whispered, “He’s a Secret Service agent.”

Tyler’s eyes widened and he looked at Jude with something a lot like awe. “Sweet.”

Jude chuckled, but Zoe just couldn’t find the energy to do the same. She said, “What are we supposed to do now?”

His eyes widened at her question.

“I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I asked you that.” He didn’t know them, and certainly didn’t owe them anything. “You helped me get Tyler and Ember from the house and I never thanked you.”

He shook his head. “Of course.” And yet he hadn’t even known she had a son when he ran into that burning house with her.

“Seriously, I can’t thank you enough.”

Why did she want to fall into his arms for a hug? Or maybe cry. Or both. But she couldn’t, because Tyler was relying on her to be strong. No one except Ember had helped her with him since her husband signed away his rights and left with his girlfriend.

Men couldn’t be trusted. She knew that. And yes, she meant all men. Zoe had never met one who kept his word and didn’t eventually choose himself over the people he should have cared about. She knew the trust issue went deep, because she’d even had a hard time fully trusting God.

Now she had no idea what she was going to do. Where they would live, or how they would even have clothes for tomorrow. “My duffel bag.” She glanced toward the park. “I left it in your car.”

“All locked up.” He patted his pocket. “After we make sure the police are good, we can walk over—”

“Why do we need to talk to the police?” There were a couple of their cars here, the officers checking out what was happening.

“Because the fire was deliberately set. They’re going to open an investigation and they need our statements.”

Zoe didn’t know what she could tell them. She hadn’t even been here at the time the fire was set. Meanwhile her son and sister had been trapped inside with nothing but the knowledge they were about to be burned alive.

Jude frowned. “We just need to make sure we’re free to go.”

“I’m free.” She could just leave, couldn’t she?

So why then did she feel trapped?

“Zoe—” He stepped closer to her.

Stars blinked in the edges of her vision.

“Mom?”

Tyler’s voice sounded far away.

“Zoe.” Jude’s warm hands settled on her shoulders. “You need to take a breath.”

“I don’t want to talk to the police.” The words came out broken. She couldn’t catch her breath. It hadn’t gone well the last time, and he knew that. “I’m free to leave whenever I want.”

“The way you left the Laundromat? That’s running, and it doesn’t mean you’re free—it means you’re being chased.” He leaned in close. “Breathe, Zoe.”

She didn’t want to be having this conversation in front of Tyler, but Jude wasn’t giving her another option. “We’ll be safe. We just need my duffel and then we’ll be gone.”

“Where? Where are you going to go?”

“Does it matter?”

Jude sighed. Zoe moved to go around him, to get out of there. He sidestepped.

She frowned at him. “Let us go.”

“I’m not keeping you here, I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

Zoe nearly laughed then. “We will be. I’m going to make sure of it.”

“How?” He crossed his arms.

“I don’t need your help. I already thanked you for what you’ve done. Please come to the car with us and I’ll get my stuff and you can forget all about us.”

“Like that’s going to happen.” The words were muttered, but she heard them nonetheless.

“I’m serious, Jude. You don’t have to worry about us.”

“You can say it as much as you want, but so far tonight a man almost shot you. He did shoot two other people. And your house burned down.”

Tyler gripped her hand harder, and she circled him with her arms again. To make her feel better, or him?

Did it matter? Comfort was comfort, and they were a team.

Jude ran his hands through his hair. He let his hands drop to his sides. “You aren’t going to let me help you?”

“Why do you want to?”

“What?”

“Why do you want to take care of me?”

“Because—”

Across the street a man stood, glaring at them. The man from the Laundromat. Same lifeless eyes, same bulky jacket. Did he have the gun he’d used to kill Moose hidden in there?

Zoe gasped. “That’s him. That’s the—” Jude was already running across the street, chasing down the man. What did he want with her? Whatever it was, Tyler would be caught in the crossfire. “Come on.”

She didn’t need that duffel. Zoe would find the money to get by somewhere else. She had no idea where but that wasn’t the point. She couldn’t stay here right now.

Anywhere else would be safer than this.

FOUR

Jude raced after the man. Anger coursed through him, a burst of energy to his fatigued muscles. The long day. The shooting. The fire. All of it he left behind with every step he took as he sprinted across the street like it was six in the morning on the trail and he was freshly rested from a full night of sleep. Thank You, Lord.

He’d seen the moment recognition sparked in the man’s eyes—the only sign of life he’d noticed since that poor attempt at humor in the Laundromat. This man wasn’t going to hurt anyone else. Not if Jude could do something about it.

One of the cops yelled, but Jude couldn’t explain. He just called after the man, “Secret Service. Stop!”

He didn’t. This guy clearly cared more about the freedom to do whatever he wanted than the law. And the fact that he’d placed himself firmly on the wrong side of it.

Seconds later, Jude got within touching distance. He grabbed the man’s arm and got a handful of jacket before his fingers lost grip. More speed. The corner at the end of the street was coming up. Jude could cut it slightly, and try to tackle the man. He kept pumping his arms and legs as best he could in the suit.

The man pivoted at the corner and before Jude could figure out the move, his elbow came up. Pain burst through Jude’s skull and light flashed behind his eyes, but he didn’t go down. He grasped on to the jacket again, but the man shrugged out of it and raced away, leaving Jude with his jacket and nothing else. Jude took off after him, but only got two steps before he weaved with dizziness and collided with a fence. Splinters raked his arm and he hissed.

The cops ran up. One said, “What—”

There wasn’t time to let him finish; the gunman was getting away. “Murder suspect.” Jude sucked in a breath and hung his head. It hurt. He’d probably have a headache for days. He reached up and gently felt his forehead. There was a knot already.

One cop took off after the suspect. The other stood with Jude. “You all right?”

He felt around the jacket. It smelled like gasoline. Had he set the fire, or simply been close enough to it that the scent of accelerant was on his clothes? There was nothing in the bottom pockets, but the inside pocket held something bulky. He found a wallet and opened it. Two hundred in cash was folded up along with a pharmacy receipt for Oxycodone and a driver’s license.

“Want me to take that?”

Jude took a photo of both sides of the license so he could look it up later, then handed it over to the cop, who could add it to evidence. “It’s probably a fake so he can get his meds.” He gave the officer the name of the detectives investigating the Laundromat shooting.

The officer nodded. “I’ll get this squared away for ya.”

Jude pushed off the wall and headed back to the now smoldering house. Only the smell of the fire remained. Even Zoe and Tyler were gone. He searched up and down the street for them. She’d done it again, ditched him even though her duffel was locked in his Suburban.

He knew she didn’t trust him. That went both ways. But why did it bother him so much? It wasn’t like they knew each other.

Part of him wanted to stick with her—to convince her that she should trust him with what was happening to her. Sure, if he got answers that helped him with his case at the same time, then great. Moose was dead, but Zoe might know something about the man’s business.

In return, he could help her be safe, even find whoever was targeting her. So long as he didn’t have to chase anybody else. The way he was feeling right now, they would probably get away, as the gunman had.

Jude blew out a breath. Why was he messing this up at every turn? He was supposed to be on the right path now, doing the right thing. Career first, and then personal life. Yet it still seemed as though he couldn’t get his life right. No wonder she didn’t trust him. She was probably right to simply rely on herself and not invite him to assist.

But whether she was willing to ask for his help or not, it was obvious that she needed it. The fact that Tyler was in the picture wasn’t a negative, but it had to be taken into account. They were both clearly in danger.

Zoe and her family had been targeted separately.

Jude sighed again, and started toward the park. Maybe they’d headed to the SUV as a safe haven and were waiting for him there. Twice tonight the same guy had shown up. Why did he want Zoe, but not seem to want her dead? The fire might have been a statement, but had the killer gone out of his way to do that so Zoe would find it? That seemed overly elaborate.

It made more sense that they were all in danger. With her son’s life being used to threaten Zoe.

Jude couldn’t ask her what the man wanted with her because she wasn’t around that he could see. He clicked the locks and opened the back door. The black duffel lay on the seat, and he pulled the zipper back. His eyes widened. Inside were rolls of twenties, secured by rubber bands. Tens of thousands of dollars by the look of it. He whistled.

“You need to give that to me.”

He spun around, half expecting her to be holding a weapon on him, given her threatening tone of voice. There was no gun in her hand, but the determination in her expression made it clear she wouldn’t be backing down.

“Maybe you don’t need my help after all,” he said. “Looks like you have the means to go anywhere you want. Is that what you were looking for in Moose’s office, new ID’s? Passports, maybe?”

Her eyes flared. Bingo.

“You could flee the country. Except they’ll likely come after you still. Which means you and Tyler will live the rest of your lives with targets on your backs, never knowing which day will be the one they’ll find you.”

She paled, but didn’t say anything. Tyler looked more mad than scared.

“Purchasing fake identification is a crime.”

Zoe lifted her chin at that. “I didn’t purchase anything. Not yet anyway.”

He was almost proud of her for the way she stood her ground. The woman had backbone—she had to or she’d have crumbled long before now. She likely would have purchased the ID had Moose not been killed. What had pushed her to such lengths? Her house had burned down after that decision had been made. After the man left her alive.

Jude was fine being the one responsible for the fact that she was alive, unharmed and with her son. If Jude was going to help then he needed to know why she was being threatened.

He just couldn’t help the errant thought that the attempt to buy fake ID’s wasn’t her only foray into the wrong side of the law. Dangerous men were after her—and her unwillingness to trust the authorities sent up red flags.

“Did you...do something?” He didn’t want to talk plainly in front of Tyler, not knowing what the boy was aware of and what he wasn’t. “Is that why you won’t talk to the police?” Perhaps he should simply load them both into the SUV and drive them to his office to explain it all.

“You think I did something?” She looked almost as though he’d betrayed her, which helped reassure him. “I know it looks bad, but I’m not the criminal here.”

The boy spoke then. “My mom hasn’t done anything wrong!”

“Tyler.” She admonished him with just his name.

Jude held up one hand. “I’m a cop, Tyler. I have to ask every question, even the hard ones.”

* * *

Zoe turned to Tyler. “Why don’t you sit in the car?” She didn’t give him an option; she simply steered him to the open door. “Don’t worry about Jude, okay? I can handle him.” Tyler climbed over the duffel and lay down, and Zoe shut the door.

What could she say to Jude to explain this whole mess? She was so tired and frazzled from the whole exhausting day she didn’t even know where to begin.

She shook her head and realized her hair was still pinned from being under the wig. She reached up and started to pull out the clips.

He stared at her.

“What?” Maybe she was more tired than she’d thought because Jude Brauer was watching her as if he might be interested. That didn’t make sense, did it? He thought she was a criminal. And even if she could understand why he might think that way, the accusation still hurt. She hadn’t done anything but try to be a good mother and provide for her son.

“You look...” His voice trailed off.

“Like I was in a fire?” She cocked her head to the side, pulling out the last pin and letting her chin-length brown hair hang loose.

“You know what I mean.”

Yes, she did. Unfortunately. She was totally wrong about his interest, of course—the man thought she looked like a bedraggled waif. Lovely. “You could take us to a motel, I guess. Unless you have a better idea.”

He studied her, then said, “I might.”

Zoe lifted her arms, then let them fall back to her sides. “I’m open to suggestions. But only because it’s been a long day and I’m exhausted, my son is exhausted and he’s been through a traumatic experience.”

Zoe wiped a stray tear from her cheek and shut her eyes. “I have no idea where we’re going to go now, or what we’re going to do.” When she opened them his face was soft, his eyes warm. Compassion had been in short supply lately. She didn’t want to soak it up now, especially from a man she wasn’t sure she could trust, but it was like an unexpected present.

“I can help you, Zoe.” His voice was soft. “I want to help you and Tyler be safe.”

“But only if I tell you everything?”

“I know you don’t trust me, but you can trust the cops.”

“The first one I talked to was killed the same day. I told you. And I doubt it was simply a coincidence, given there have been a whole lot of seemingly unrelated coincidences happening to me lately.”

“Because of something you saw?”

She’d let that slip before, and apparently he hadn’t forgotten it. Zoe nodded. “Yes.”

“So you’re a witness.”

“And Tyler and I are in danger because of it.” She clutched two handfuls of her hair and tugged, but it didn’t relieve her frustration. “I tried to do the right thing, Jude. I really did. But I feel like the world is against me, and I can’t get out in front of it long enough for something to go right.” She took a breath. “Now Ember is in the hospital, and I don’t even know if she’s going to make it. But I’m too scared I’ll put her in danger if I go and see her.”

He stepped closer. “I can’t promise you everything will be okay. I don’t have the kind of power to guarantee that. I will pray, and I’m not going to stop praying for you until all this has been resolved. Until you and Tyler have nothing to worry about except him getting to soccer practice on time.”

“He plays football.”

Jude said, “You know what I mean.”

“I do. And thank you. You’ve done so much, I feel guilty asking you for more.”

“Don’t.” He shook his head. “It’s my pleasure to help you.”

She thought for a second he might hug her, but instead he stepped back and motioned to the car.

“Get in. I’ll find you somewhere safe you can clean up and get some rest. In the morning we can make a plan to get you and Tyler safe permanently.”

She climbed in the back, tired enough to just hand him her whole life and ask him to fix it. But she had to hold back. No man had ever proved to her that was a good move. Every time she thought she’d found the exception, she’d just get her heart broken again.

Zoe only knew one way to trust and that was all in, no holds barred. It had gotten her in trouble in nearly every relationship. Now she saw the same traits in Tyler. Ever since Nathan had left, she’d been so careful in the influences she allowed around her son, not wanting him to get attached to anyone who might hurt him. If they let Jude into their lives it would end badly for both of them.

Sure, Jude would probably fix her problems regardless. She could see he was capable, even though he hadn’t said whether he’d caught that man or not. She figured it meant he hadn’t. But even with the gunman still on the loose, Jude wasn’t any less of a hero to her. He’d stuck by her side.

She just wished she could believe it would continue. That he’d never leave, or fail her. But that was human nature. It was better to simply rely on herself. She understood her own weaknesses. Jude could help, but she wouldn’t give him control of her life. And she wasn’t going to count on him—not completely.

He had a job to do after all, as well as a personal life of his own. One he wouldn’t want clogged up by her and her son. Men didn’t like that; they liked their space. “Aren’t you going to fix Mrs. McAffrey’s sink tomorrow?”

He pulled up at a red light and glanced back to flash her a grin in the dark of the car. “I guess I did say I was going to do that.”

She nodded, though she wasn’t sure he could see her. Zoe adjusted her hold on her son, trying not to let the middle seat belt dig into his tummy too much. “I’m sure Tyler and I will be okay.” They’d need clothes, a backpack. Her son would need books or games to occupy him when he got restless. The list of things flitted through her mind, overwhelming her.

Zoe glanced at the roadside speeding past and tried to pray, as Jude had suggested he would. It seemed so false. How had God helped her so far? She was too tired to figure out the answer.

Half an hour later Jude pulled into the parking lot of a church.

“Uh...” Had God been listening? Maybe He thought she needed to really seek Him, so He’d directed Jude to bring her to a church. Busted. Okay, so they hadn’t exactly been on the same page lately, but really? “Is there something you’re trying to tell me?”

Jude put the car in park and turned to her. “What’s that?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head, not ready to share this, either. Jude didn’t need to know that she and God weren’t exactly on speaking terms. It was enough of a struggle to convince herself to tell him exactly what was going on, let alone adding her spiritual problems.

“Want me to get Tyler?”

He wanted to carry her son? “Sure. Thanks.” Why was it so easy to say that? She was exhausted enough she could accept the help, but didn’t think it was the real reason she was so comfortable with him.

He strode around to a side door of the church like he was arriving home after a long day of work. At the door, he handed her his keys. “The gold one.”

Zoe let them in, and Jude flicked the light on to reveal a long hall. “There are some rooms back here—one has a set of bunk beds you guys can use, bathroom is attached. The room is between two exits.” He motioned up and down the hall. “In case something happens, you can get out easily.”

Zoe nodded. “I really appreciate—” she hardly knew where to start “—all of this.” The duffel was heavy on her shoulder, and the quicker they got to sleep the quicker they could get up and get out of here. Jude wouldn’t need to worry then.

A man cleared his throat. But not Jude. Zoe spun around to find an older man in pajamas and slippers. His bald head reflected the overhead light. He almost looked like—

The old man shifted. “I guess you have some things to explain, considering y’all smell like smoke and look like you’re still in shock.” He paused. “Not exactly the normal scenario for when your son brings a woman and child home to meet you.”

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