PROTECTING THE SINGLE MOM
When a fellow FBI agent is kidnapped and a protected witness vanishes, Leo Gallagher will stop at nothing to find them both. So when he discovers a link between the case and a single mother in Wyoming, Leo and his trusty K-9 partner rush to question Alicia Duncan. Could she be the key to locating the missing persons? Not if a killer has anything to say about it. Someone is determined to keep Alicia from talking, so Leo and his chocolate Lab must keep her and her little boy safe on their family ranch. With danger lurking around every corner, Leo must work overtime to not lose another person whos important to him.
Agent Gallagher.
Alicias soft voice stopped him on the upstairs landing of her ranch house. Please, call me Leo, he said. Were going to be in close quarters for a while.
She nodded but her eyebrows pinched together. Leo. I appreciate what youre doing for us.
He nodded. Keeping you and your family safe is my job, Alicia.
And finding the man who wants your witness dead, she pointed out.
Yes, that, too.
Ill pray that you find him. Her words wrapped around him. The common bond of faith pleased him. He could use all the help he could get.
CLASSIFIED K-9 UNIT:
These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners
GuardianTerri Reed, April 2017
SheriffLaura Scott, May 2017
Special AgentValerie Hansen, June 2017
Bounty HunterLynette Eason, July 2017
BodyguardShirlee McCoy, August 2017
TrackerLenora Worth, September 2017
Classified K-9 Unit ChristmasTerri Reed and Lenora Worth, December 2017
Dear Reader,
Writing about K-9 officers and their handlers is always a pleasure. True was a heroic dog and learning about water search-and-rescue was fascinating. Im always amazed and impressed by the abilities of canines.
FBI agent Leo Gallagher, Trues human partner, overcame a traumatic past to become a hero. So often we humans let our past define us just as Leo had done, but with the help and love of the right woman for him, he was able to look to the future with hope.
For widow Alicia Duncan, trust didnt come easy after the hurt and betrayal of her late husband. For her sons sake, she chose not to let bitterness take root, which allowed her to be open to finding love again with a man of integrity and honor.
I hope youve enjoyed the first book in the new Love Inspired Suspense continuity series. If youd like to see Zara and Dylans story, look online for Agent-in-Training. And keep an eye out for the next five installments in the series to see how the men and woman of the FBI Tactical K-9 Unit rescue Jake and take down the Duprees.
Until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you in His care,
TERRI REEDs romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on the Publishers Weekly top twenty-five and Nielsen BookScans top one hundred lists, and have been featured in USA TODAY, Christian Fiction Magazine and RT Book Reviews. Her books have been finalists for the Romance Writers of America RITA® Award and the National Readers Choice Award and finalists three times for the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award. Contact Terri at terrireed.com or PO Box 19555, Portland, OR 97224.
Guardian
Terri Reed
www.millsandboon.co.uk
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.
Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
In You I take shelter.
Psalms 143:9
Thank you to the editors at Love Inspired for the opportunity to work on this continuity. And a huge shout-out of gratitude for the brainstorming, encouragement and friendship to the other authors in this series: Laura Scott, Valerie Hansen, Lynette Eason, Shirlee McCoy and Lenora Worth.
Contents
Cover
Back Cover Text
Introduction
Dear Reader
About the Author
Title Page
Bible Verse
Dedication
PROLOGUE
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
EPILOGUE
Extract
Copyright
PROLOGUE
The daylight broke over the horizon of the Los Angeles industrial district and muted morning light slashed through the high windows of the large two-floor warehouse. FBI agent Leo Gallagher pressed his back to the wall inside the cavernous structures south entrance. The air was cool, but heavy with a mix of anticipation and vigilance.
His heart rate increased, not much, but enough that he took a calming breath. He tightened his hold on the leash of his canine partner, a chocolate Labrador named True.
The open floor plan of the bottom level was filled with containers and pallets that provided too many hiding places. That could be a problem. Shadows lurked above and in the recesses of the corners. No one said this job was easy. Far from it, and sweat beaded on his forehead behind his helmet.
Almost time? Leo glanced at fellow FBI agent Jake Morrow and his canine, a Belgian Malinois named Buddy.
Behind his tactical face guard, Jake nodded and signaled for Leo and True to proceed into the murky depths of the purported hideout of the notorious Dupree syndicate, the criminal organization that the elite FBI Tactical K-9 Unit had been working around the clock to bring down for months.
But every time the team got close, the crime boss, Reginald Dupree, and his uncle and second in command, Angus, managed to escape.
Not going to happen again. The first time could have been coincidence, but after the second and third instances, he knew something else was going on. That was why Leos boss had been tight-lipped about this raid. No one outside the tight circle of the team knew of todays operation in case there was a leak somewhere in the Bureau.
The Tactical K-9 Unit was a special, classified branch of the FBI that had settled in a nondescript building in downtown Billings, Montana. The secret nature of the teams cases needed anonymity to function. They worked across the country, under the radar, to solve tough crimes and deliver swift justice.
The thought of someone they knew and trusted double-crossing them burned, and Leo hoped that wasnt the case, but lives were at stake, either way. He took a silent step. True stayed at his side.
Eerie silence scraped along Leos nerves. The anonymous tip theyd received, sending the team to this location, had guaranteed them that Reginald and Angus would be here. Plums ripe for the taking.
Across the expanse of open space, Leo saw fellow team member Harper Prentiss, along with Star, her German shepherd, and their boss, special agent in charge Max West and his canine, a boxer by the name of Opal, slip through another door and climb a staircase to the second floor.
A strange itch at the back of Leos neck had him tensing. Hed been in this situation many times before, but this didnt feel right.
Glancing upward at the second-story balcony that rimmed the edges of the warehouse, he narrowed his gaze on the office doors. That itch worsened. Were Reginald and Angus Dupree up there? Waiting? Planning an ambush? If so, his team members would be in trouble.
Needing to provide his boss and fellow agent cover, Leo gestured to Jake. Morrow gave him the thumbs-up sign. In tandem they carefully moved farther into the warehouse, not wanting to draw attention to their presence.
Trues ears perked up. The scruff of his neck rose. A deep growl emitted from his throat.
Breath stalling, Leo paused as he scanned the perimeter for whatever threat his partner sensed.
Then total pandemonium broke out.
Four men with automatic weapons appeared from around the sides of the two containers. A barrage of gunfire erupted. The deafening noise bounced off the walls.
Leos heart revved into overdrive. Adrenaline surged. His pulse pounded in his ears as he dropped to one knee to return fire.
Down! Leo shouted to True. The dog dropped to his belly.
Take cover! Jake yelled.
Leo grabbed Trues collar and tugged him behind a large container.
Something metal hit the concrete floor and a hissing filled the air, followed by a cloudy haze. Leo gritted his teeth and fought past the stinging in his eyes and nose from the pepper-infused smoke sneaking beneath the face shield on his helmet.
The sound of a dogs yelp jolted through Leo. His heart slammed against his ribs. True! He quickly checked the dogs taut body for injury. None.
It had to be Buddy. Leo searched the gloom for Jake and his dog. He couldnt see either one. Had they retreated? Was Buddy hurt? Jake?
Leo flattened himself on the ground next to True, then tapped the canine on the flank. Together, they scuttled backward toward the door, keeping their heads down and out of the line of fire. A squad of Los Angeles police officers, dressed in tactical gear, filed past them.
With the arrival of backup, relief flooded through Leo.
Outside, he found Buddy lying on the ground, blood oozing from a wound in his hindquarters. Leos stomach dropped. He knelt beside the dog, tore off his glove and used it as a compress against Buddys injury. The dog whimpered.
Wheres Jake? Leo rasped, wishing the dog could speak.
The whir of rotors close by had him jerking to his feet.
Buddy barked and, in a burst of energy, jumped up and took off, leading Leo and True around another building just as a black helicopter with no markings lifted from the ground. Buddy whined and continued to bark, his agitation clear as he sniffed a puddle of blood near where the helicopter had sat. Jakes blood?
A vise tightened around Leos heart. He shaded his eyes but couldnt see inside the tinted windows of the bird as it disappeared from view. This wasnt one of theirs. That meant...
Gallagher!
Leo turned to see his boss escorting Reginald Dupree from the warehouse while other officers brought out several of Duprees henchmen.
Agent Harper Prentiss jogged over. Angus Dupree escaped but we got Reginald. She tilted her head. You okay?
No. His voice sounded ragged, the way he felt inside. He glanced at Buddy. The dogs distress tore at Leo. Jakes been taken.
The team had captured the head honcho of the Dupree crime syndicate, but theyd lost a good agent in the process.
Guilt ate through Leos gut like acid. Hed failed his team. Hed failed Jake. With fists clenched, Leo vowed hed track down Angus Dupree and rescue his comrade, if it was the last thing he did on this earth.
ONE
Mommy, where are the fishies?
Hey, be careful, buddy. Dont slip off the rock. Heart lurching, Alicia Duncan grabbed her son, Charlie, by the back of his green life vest. If he leaned over any farther, he would go headlong into Wyomings Blackthorn River. His fishing pole clattered against the outcropping of smooth rocks, where theyd plopped down to fish. The exact place shed fished from as a kid and teen. Hang on to your pole, sweetie.