The other man drew a swift breath through his nose, sucking the black knit up tighter against his face. His eyes flashed with hate, but when he spoke, it was in the same slightly bemused tone hed used all along. You served with Captain Chandler. You were close friends.
Look who knows how to use Google.
The masked man smiled again. You served side by side with the captain in Afghanistan four years ago, and again with him in Sanselmo shortly before he died.
What did you do, memorize my service jacket? Luke asked, feigning boredom, although the intruders breadth of knowledge about his time in the Marines suggested he had some pretty well-connected sources, probably in the government.
Which meant they were up against an even tougher enemy than hed anticipated.
The intruders smile grew ugly as he saw through Lukes mask of indifference. You see, I wasnt bluffing when I told Mrs. Chandler she really had no choice but to help us find what were looking for.
She didnt think you were.
We were wondering who shed run to for help. There was a hint of innuendo in the mans tone that made Lukes skin crawl. You see, we knew shed go to the person most likely to know what her husband had been hiding from her.
But you didnt know who that was?
We do now. The masked man chuckled. Isnt technology wonderful? A phone call, a text message, and in mere moments, almost everything you need to know is at your fingertips.
You should be in a commercial. Luke made a show of looking around the spotless kitchen. Should I feel insulted that you didnt trash my place the way you did Abbys?
You havent seen the rest of the house.
Luke arched one eyebrow. Say, did you find a dark green sock anywhere? Ive been looking for it for weeks.
The mans smile faded. Seven days, Major Cooper. Mrs. Chandler clearly believes you can help her find what were looking for. If you can, I suggest you do.
Or what? Youll hurt a two-year-old? Luke sneered. What a fulfilling job you have.
The masked man took a swift step forward. Lukes gun hand twitched upward.
A second man in a black mask stepped around the corner into the kitchen and put a restraining hand on the other mans arm. He murmured something Luke couldnt quite make out.
The man with the Brahmin accent visibly took himself under control. Seven days.
Got it. Now get out of my house.
The second manAfrican-American, Luke noted, just as Abby had describednodded toward the back of the house. He went around the corner and out of sight.
The other man stayed where he was, staring Luke down. Luke didnt drop his gaze, more than happy to wait him out.
Dont let me down, the man said. Then he turned as well, disappearing around the corner on silent feet.
Luke stayed where he was, knowing that trying to stop them was a fools game that wouldnt end well. He tightened his grip on the Glock, waiting for the sound of a window opening in the back of the house.
It came, softer than hed expected. Theyd probably greased the window first to cut down on the creaks. He didnt hear it close at all, but after a couple of minutes, he decided it was safe to check the rest of the house.
The man in the mask hadnt been lying. Both bedrooms, both bathrooms and the living room had been trashed in a fast but thorough search. He suspected theyd searched the kitchen as well, though theyd clearly taken more care to hide their tracks there, apparently knowing from their earlier reconnaissance that he customarily entered through the side door. Easier to get the upper hand if they didnt leave a calling card for him to discover the second he walked through the door.
He was surprised they hadnt tried the garage.
Or had they?
Unease squirming in his belly, he raced to the garage, unlocked the door and let himself in. The place was just as hed left it, no sign of a struggle or anything out of place. Theyd probably checked here first, he realized, and, as they had with the kitchen, left it as theyd found it in order to cover their tracks.
Inside the car, Abby had shifted to the drivers side, her pale face staring back at him through the Mustangs open window.
Is it safe? she asked softly.
He thought about the ease with which Abby had broken into his house earlier. It was probably ten times easier for the intruders hed just encountered in his kitchen. And theyd been able to disable the silent alarm before it sent him a warning. Had they had access to his personal files at MSI? What else might they know about him and his life in San Diego?
No, he answered Abbys question firmly, reaching into the car to unlatch the trunk. He checked the trunk to make sure the duffel bag he kept stashed there for emergency travel was still in place. It was, and a cursory check of the contents reassured him that he had enough extra clothes and supplies inside to get him through the next few days.
Abby had gotten out of the car and come around to stand beside him, her gaze flickering down to the travel bag. Were not staying here tonight, are we?
He shook his head. No, were not.
What happened?
He told her about the intruders, keeping it short and sweet. But even his sanitized account was enough to reignite the terror that had finally started to fade from her blue eyes. She bit her lip and looked back into the car at Stevie, who was sleeping peacefully in his car seat.
Her chin came up, and when she spoke, there was not a hint of shakiness in her voice. Where are we going?
Until that moment, he hadnt thought that far ahead. But clearly, staying in San Diego would only subject them to more surprise visits from their tormentors. Luke wasnt foolish enough to assume their bark was worse than their bite; nobody played such aggressive mind games unless they were pretty damned sure they had the goods to back up their threats. Whoever their employer was, he had high-powered connections and, Luke assumed, enough firepower to do what he threatened.
Luke might be a well-trained retired Marine who could still hold his own in a fight, but going up against that kind of enemy alone was stupid. He needed backup and he needed to change the playing field to give himself the advantage. And there was only one place he could think of where hed have the upper hand.
Right now, he answered Abby, were going to find a cheap motel where theyll take cash and ask no questions.
And after that?
He smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time. Ever been to Alabama?
You need a bodyguard. If not for you, then for your son.
I can protect him myself. God, she sounded foolish.
Drive by here on your way out and Ill see if I can spot anybody tailing you, Luke suggested as he walked her to the door. Ill be right behind you, I promise.
She slanted a look at him, wondering if he realized just how hollow his promises sounded after what happened between them three years ago. Although he hadnt really made her any promises that night, had he? There hadnt been many words at all, just kisses and touches and a raging fire shed thrown herself into without a second thought.
For him, it might have been nothing more than a few hours of shared grief and release.
But that night with Luke Cooper had changed her world.
One Tough Marine
Paula Graves
www.millsandboon.co.uk
MILLS & BOON
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alabama native Paula Graves wrote her first book, a mystery starring herself and her neighborhood friends, at the age of six. A voracious reader, Paula loves books that pair tantalizing mystery with compelling romance. When shes not reading or writing, she works as a creative director for a Birmingham advertising agency and spends time with her family and friends. She is a member of Southern Magic Romance Writers, Heart of Dixie Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America.
Paula invites readers to visit her Web site, www.paulagraves.com.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Abby Chandler When masked men threaten to hurt her son if the marine widow cant give them what they want, Abby turns to Luke Cooper, her late husbands best friendand the unwitting father of her son.
Luke Cooper Retired from the Marine Corps, Luke lives in self-exile to protect the ones he loves from a ruthless drug lords vow of vengeance.
Stevie Chandler The two-year-old has become a pawn in a deadly game of extortion.
Eladio Cordero When Luke killed the South American drug kingpins only son, Cordero vowed to make him pay by going after the people who mean the most to Luke.
Los Tiburones Corderos hired enforcers have caught Lukes scent, dogging his trail, leaving death and destruction in their wake.
Barton Reid His job high in the U.S. State Department has given him access to a great deal of power and volatile information. Hell go to any lengths to protect his secrets.
Demetrius Damon Miles An operative in Barton Reids private army, Damon has his own hidden agenda.
Sam Cooper Lukes older brother is the only Cooper who knows the truth about Lukes self-imposed exile. Can Sam help Luke and Abby reach safety before the bad guys catch up?
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter One
Abby Chandler shifted the grocery bag to her left arm and fumbled in her pocket for her keys. Arriving home later than shed planned, thanks to a pileup on I-5, she had to hurry and put away the groceries so she could pick up Stevie by six. After six Mrs. Tamburello charged time and a half, and the budget this month couldnt take the strain.
She unlocked her apartment and pushed the door open with her foot, stumbling as her toe caught on the rubber welcome mat inside. Muttering a curse, she kicked the door shut behind her and took a half step forward before she realized what she was seeing in the dim afternoon light filtering into her apartment.
Sofa cushions, ripped apart and tossed on the floor. Paintings torn from the wall and dismantled. Her coffee table upended in the middle of the room.
Her heartbeat barely had time to notch upward when a voice, inches from her ear, sent it hurtling into hyperdrive.
Youre late, Mrs. Chandler.
At the sound of the deep male voice, her body jerked into one jangling nerve. Her keys dropped with a clatter from her numb fingers while her mind flew haphazardly through her options. Run? No, the man with the deep voice stood between her and the door. Try to outrace him to the kitchen for the knife block by the refrigerator? Not a chance.
Sorry for the mess. We became bored waiting for you. A second voice, not quite as deep as the first, spoke to her right. She heard more than a hint of Boston Brahmin in that accent.
What do you want? She felt her grip on the grocery bag slipping and tucked it to her side to keep from dropping it.
Please dont move, Mrs. Chandler, the man behind her said. We dont want things here to escalate.
Escalate to whatunadulterated terror? Too late, buster.
The second man moved into her field of visiontall, well built, dressed in black from his soft-soled shoes to his knit ski mask. Clear blue eyes, direct and confident, gazed out from the eyeholes. He was light-skinned, with a hint of freckles, she noted for future reference.
Assuming thered be a future in which to reference.
Are you going to tell me what you want? She tried not to give in to the panic buzzing like wasps in her brain. Her muscles were already beginning to ache from tension. If someone didnt start talking, she might just snap in half.
The freckled man took the grocery bag from her trembling arms and set it on the floor. Your husband took something that didnt belong to him. Were here to retrieve it.
The man behind her pushed something cold and hard against the back of her neck. It took no imagination to guess it was the barrel of a pistol.
My husbands been dead for three years. Most of his stuff has been sold or given away. Her answer had the benefit of being the truth. Matt hadnt collected much in the way of personal belongings during his foreshortened life. Most of what he possessed had been government issue, from uniforms to gear to weapons. If youve been through the trunk at the foot of my bed, youve seen all I have left of him.