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PROLOGUE
THURSDAY
I’m going to kill her. The need burns, twitching my fingers and racing my heart, and it’s taking all my patience to just enjoy the moment—that special time between the buildup and the kill. A twilight time much like that floating feeling before going to sleep or waking up snug in your bed. That’s how it feels in the seconds before I kill. I’m relaxed and not crazed like some would imagine. I’m patient, like a wild animal hunting its prey. The right moment will come and when it does, I’ll strike and someone will die.
It hadn’t taken long to seduce her. Lonely women are easy to find. They work and go to an empty home each night, have few friends, and need to work long hours to pay the bills. There are some who’ve been through nasty divorces, some who don’t trust men—until they meet me. You see, I’m a nice guy. I look good and know how to charm the skin off a snake. I’ve had practice. Charm comes naturally to me, so no one ever suspects I’m a threat.
I met Dakota Slade at the general store, working at the counter. A quiet woman, mid-twenties, with a face you’d forget in a second. My “confused guy looking for something” gets them every time. The moment I made contact I isolated her by taking her from behind the counter. I asked her advice, became more confused, and after leaving with a few purchases returned the next day, and referred to her by name as if we were old friends. I asked her advice about setting up a home in Black Rock Falls. Acting dumb sometimes works wonders, and rather than leave me all alone and confused, she accepted my invitation to lunch in the park to talk more, even though outside was freezing and snow was forecast. You see, the park is “safe” for women like Dakota. It’s not a date but a “get to know you better” situation. It always works and now here I am standing on her front porch after accepting an invitation to watch my favorite show with her. She opens the door and I smile. “My, you look pretty enough to make a grown man cry.”
“You say the nicest things.” Dakota stands to one side, holding the door wide. “Come in out of the cold.”
No smell of home-cooked food greets me as I check out the neat home. The furniture is dated. The cushions on the sofa yawn at the base. The thick brocade covering is damaged in places as if a cat had sharpened its claws there at one time. I don’t smell a cat, but a hint of perfume lingers in the air. Maybe Dakota used an air freshener to remove the old-house smell. The rug in front of the fire is new and its bright colors make the rest of the decor appear dreary and tired. There’s a flat screen in the family room and she urges me to sit on the sofa, but I shrug and just look at her. “I feel stupid coming here to ask you to watch a show. My stuff should arrive soon, but you know how it is when you have a favorite show. You can’t wait to watch the next episode, right?”
“It’s my favorite show too.” Dakota smiles shyly at me. “I’ll enjoy your company.”
I don’t want to touch anything, least of all sit on the filthy sofa. I meet her eyes. They are uncertain and she tries to avoid my gaze. “You’ve been so kind to me. How about I cook you a fine dinner when I get settled?” I give her my best smile and lower my lashes. They all fall for that one. It makes me look shy.
“That would be very nice, but I don’t date.” Her gaze moved over me and she tensed. Suddenly I was a threat. She looked at her hands. “Can we just be friends?”
Why did they always do that? I stare at her. Her refusal wakes me from my twilight slumber. The time is now. I can already see her dead. Her sightless eyes watching an endless stream of reruns. Will anyone even find her body? I try to keep the hunger to kill from my expression and nod. “I understand.” I look past her and wave toward the door. “Mind if I use your bathroom?”
“Sure, it’s the first door along the passageway.” Dakota turns on the TV and looks at me over one shoulder. “Don’t take long. The show is about to start.”
As she turns her attention to the screen, I walk behind the sofa. The urge to kill shoots through my veins in an explosive jolt. My lips tug back into a smile as I step into my reality. My hand closes around the handle of my weapon. Silent but deadly. “Yeah, it sure is.”
ONE
FRIDAY
It was hard to believe that Thanksgiving was just around the corner, and Jenna had already made a list of things that needed doing. The medical examiner, Dr. Shane Wolfe, and his family; agents Jo and Carter; and Deputy Rio and his brother and sister always came to Thanksgiving dinner at the ranch. This year, Tauri asked if Atohi Blackhawk could join them, and to Jenna’s delight, Blackhawk had agreed. She peered out of the window, checking the gray sky for snow. The last couple of weeks had been quiet in the office and she welcomed a break after Halloween, although a past sting operation run by the Snakeskin Gully field office had dragged her husband and ex-special forces operative, Deputy David Kane, into a dangerous situation. His weapons expertise had made him the perfect choice to impersonate the spokesperson for a militant organization attempting to buy weapons from the cartel.
Under the FBI’s watchful eye, six months previously Kane had agreed to Carter’s plan and they’d flown to California. Being fluent in many languages, he easily passed all the tests the cartel had put him through to verify his identity. Unable to wear a wire, he had a tiny transmitter fitted inside his nose. After a successful arrest, he’d been required to pick out the members of the cartel in a lineup and be available to give evidence in court. His testimony would take down underworld kingpin Eduardo Souza and his henchman Mateo. The initial court case would be rushed forward to avoid the holidays, and Kane had received a summons to appear.
The problem of Kane testifying concerned her. They had a good life together, including a young adopted son, Tauri, and she hated the idea of Kane being involved in cartel business. She’d started her life as DEA Agent Avril Parker and ended up in Black Rock Falls in witness protection with a new face and name because she’d testified against a drug cartel. Kane’s circumstances were much the same but far more serious. With an international bounty on his head, he’d undergone extensive facial reconstruction and a change of name before arriving in town, and he still remained on active duty. His work in Black Rock Falls as a deputy was only a respite. As a US asset, he could be called upon by POTUS to engage with the enemy at any time. She glanced up as Deputy Zac Rio walked into the office. “Is there a problem?”
“Maybe.” Rio’s brow creased into a frown. “Dakota Slade, one of the salespeople at the general store didn’t show for work. This never happens, so the owner called her and got no response. He called 911 while I was on patrol and Maggie asked me to drop by for a welfare check. I stopped by her home and got no reply. I looked through the window and she’s just sitting in front of the TV.” He gave a helpless shrug. “No amount of knocking or yelling got her attention. Rowley’s out at the ski resort on a complaint. I didn’t want to break in without due cause.”
“I’ll go with you. Duke needs a walk.” Kane rubbed his bloodhound’s ears and then looked at Rio from across his desk. “No sign of a break-in? No blood?”
“Nope. She’s just sitting there watching TV.” Rio rubbed a hand down his face. “Maybe she just died, but she’s only in her twenties.”
Concerned, Jenna stood and gathered her things. “We’ll follow you. I’ve got nothing to do here and Maggie can handle the office.”
As they went down the stairs to the counter, Jenna informed their receptionist, Maggie Brewster, of their destination. “If we’re not back soon, tell Rowley to stay and mind the store.”
“Not a problem.” Maggie pushed a lock of black curls under her woolen hat and smiled. “Mind you bundle up. It’s looking like snow.”
Jenna gave her a wave and followed Kane to his tricked-out bombproof black truck, affectionately known as the Beast, and climbed inside. She waited for Kane to adjust Duke’s coat and attach his harness to the seatbelt. “We don’t need a case right now. Not with you heading off soon to LA to give evidence.”
“It will only take a few days and I’ll have Wolfe to watch my back. He’s checked out the arrangements and it’s all good.” Kane shrugged and followed Rio along Main. “My identity has been suppressed, so I won’t get any kickback. I know you’re worried, but the idea is to take down criminals, right?”
Biting her bottom lip, she looked at him. “My identity was supposed to be suppressed too, but the press was everywhere when I left court and I was threatened by Victor Carlos right in front of the judge.” She shook her head. “They probably already know who you are and where you live. What happens if your secret identity is exposed? We’ll have bounty hunters worldwide trying to get a piece of you.”
“That can never happen. My file is sealed and anyone remotely involved from my time before I came here believes I’m dead.” Kane touched her cheek. “I went into the meeting in disguise, wearing a beard and mustache, and my skin was darkened. I speak many languages like a native and this makes it easy for me to fool people, Jenna. Stop worrying.” Kane snorted. “Do you honestly believe anyone could take me down?”
Shaking her head, Jenna couldn’t shake the underlying anxiety. “Then it was just you, Dave. Now we’re married and we have Tauri. This madness puts both of us at risk and we could be used as leverage against you.”
“You’re safe at home and at the office.” Kane glanced at her. “Tauri is under protection. That kindergarten has been approved safe, so has Nanny Raya’s home. She’s a capable operative as well as a super nanny. Nothing is going to happen. Once we have the main man behind bars, the dominos will topple. During the raid conducted during the event, the FBI seized information from every part of the syndicate. There won’t be anyone left once they have a conviction.” He smiled at her. “Do you honestly believe they’ll discover my true identity, Jenna? Heck, you don’t even know who I am, and you’re my wife.”
