Книга - Incriminating Evidence

Incriminating Evidence
Rachel Dylan


FIGHTING FOR JUSTICEWhen rookie prosecutor Jessica Hughes crosses the son of a major crime boss, she’s determined to bring him to justice—if his family doesn’t kill her first. And with newly-minted FBI Special Agent Zach Taylor protecting her, she believes she can succeed. Zach will do anything to stay ahead of the crime syndicate and guard Jessica while she builds her case. The more time he spends with her, the more personal the assignment becomes. It's bad timing for falling in love, but as the threats against her life escalate, Zach realizes Jessica is everything to him—and he will do everything he can to make sure she has a future.







FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE

When rookie prosecutor Jessica Hughes crosses the son of a major crime boss, she’s determined to bring him to justice—if his family doesn’t kill her first. And with newly minted FBI special agent Zach Taylor protecting her, she believes she can succeed. Zach will do anything to stay ahead of the crime syndicate and guard Jessica while she builds her case. The more time he spends with her, the more personal the assignment becomes. It’s bad timing for falling in love, but as the threats against her life escalate, Zach realizes Jessica is everything to him—and he will do everything he can to make sure she has a future.


Her breath caught, and she winced slightly as he reached out and grabbed onto her hand. She wasn’t expecting the contact.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he let go of her hand.

“No, it’s not you. I appreciate you being here.” What was she supposed to say? That she didn’t like anyone touching her because she was skittish from her violent past? And now she was understandably on edge?

“I was just petrified that you weren’t going to make it, Jessica. I prayed that God would intervene. It was a direct one-two punch between the Escalade behind us and the other truck that slammed into your side of the car.” His eyes showed his deep concern, and he leaned closer to her. “I didn’t want to fail you.”

“You didn’t fail. You did what you could.”

“The FBI is working on a safe house. It’s not safe to try to stay at your place. Not after this. I was wrong and I underestimated the threat against you. A true rookie mistake. But I won’t let it happen again. I can promise you that.”


RACHEL DYLAN writes inspirational romantic suspense. Although a Georgia girl at heart, she traded in the sunny South for the snowy Midwest. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five furkids—two dogs and three cats. She’s an animal lover and enjoys adding furry friends to her stories. You can find Rachel at racheldylan.com (http://www.racheldylan.com).




Incriminating

Evidence

Rachel Dylan







www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

and delivered me from all my fears.

—Psalms 34:4


To my husband, Aaron.

Thank you for always believing in me. I love you.


Contents

COVER (#u56c6b3d8-69ba-5130-9d67-3b94549fb660)

BACK COVER TEXT (#u6142d2bf-cf03-5213-9dcf-ffff2676d8cb)

INTRODUCTION (#u91aa294d-911c-50ef-9922-0d47c1ea5489)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (#u0db35dc5-178f-517b-8a00-0a60eb81a722)

TITLE PAGE (#u8bc1c4f0-e452-5de9-894c-e5de92db8527)

BIBLE VERSE (#uf02e7814-76be-535a-8d1b-0ee06bcd2960)

DEDICATION (#u57658b4b-a81a-5faf-ad0b-2b4975eabcb3)

ONE (#ulink_91826832-5047-583f-8853-4afa1fcfa49e)

TWO (#ulink_45ccd813-40ea-57d3-8dda-caf8356dedce)

THREE (#ulink_55e7800d-40b3-58ad-a832-58f8ad4fec76)

FOUR (#ulink_6793eb37-0424-5397-a644-d0bb3633404d)

FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

TEN (#litres_trial_promo)

ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)

Dear Reader (#litres_trial_promo)

EXTRACT (#litres_trial_promo)

COPYRIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)


ONE (#ulink_894e795a-b988-50df-bd49-039de5e12f53)

Guilty... That’s the word Jessica Hughes longed to hear after each case she argued before the jury. For now, she walked out of the Miami prosecutor’s office after another long day. Although she had graduated from the University of Florida law school only nine months ago, she had a clear goal in life. Prosecute criminals and seek justice for innocent victims. And she’d known that was what she was signing up for when she had applied to work in the Florida state attorney’s office. Or at least she’d thought she had a good idea of what was in store for her.

As she walked to her car in the Miami summer heat, she realized just how late it was. The sun had probably gone down an hour ago. She dug into her small pink purse, trying to locate her car keys before she got to her old black Chevy compact.

She had parked in the flat lot a few blocks away and now started walking more quickly as she was suddenly eager to get home. Even if the only things waiting for her were her orange tabby cat, Tiger, and a microwavable meal. As she approached the parking lot, she heard loud footsteps come up behind her.

Instinctively, she gripped her purse and picked up the pace. But the heavy steps hitting the pavement behind her only sped up and got closer. With each long step Jessica tried to take, the person followed her stride for stride and was gaining ground.

She was now on the edge of the parking lot, but her car was located in the middle. Fear gripped her body even as she kept moving. She’d grown up under rough circumstances. Bounced from foster home to foster home. She’d been forced to learn how to defend herself, but it wasn’t something she liked doing or wanted to do right now. She wasn’t a fighter—except by necessity. In fact, she’d freely give up her wallet and the five dollars she had in it.

She hadn’t heard the person behind her come closer, but the next thing she knew, strong hands grabbed on to her shoulders and pushed her hard into the side of the nearest car, a large white SUV. Turning to look at her attacker, Jessica discovered he wore a dark mask.

Immediately she started to struggle against him. He was much stronger and well over six feet tall, but she refused to just sit back and let herself be accosted. Maybe if she put up enough of a fight, he would give up. Why is he coming after me? Was this related to a case? Dear Lord, please give me strength to protect myself. She fought off violent flashbacks from the past and tried to focus on the present.

Taking advantage of her heels, Jessica lifted up her right foot and slammed it down onto the assailant’s foot as hard as she could. He howled in pain but didn’t fully loosen his grip.

“Stop it!” he said, his voice deep and commanding. He reached into his side pocket.

Her breath caught. She could clearly see the knife that he’d pulled out as the parking lot lights reflected off it. He pushed the knife up toward her neck, and immediately she stilled. She could feel the pointed edge jabbing into her tender skin. The hand was poised to use the knife to slice through her throat—one sudden move and she’d be dead.

Jessica tried to slow her breathing and stay calm. She’d been through violent situations before when she was younger and untrained; now she knew better, knew more. She just had to use what she’d learned to try to stay alive.

She made direct eye contact with the man’s menacing brown eyes. The only part of his face that wasn’t covered by the mask. What did he want from her? Was he going to kill her right there in the parking lot?

“Please,” she said. “Don’t hurt me. You can take whatever you want.”

He pressed the edge of the knife into her neck a little bit more, and she feared he’d soon be drawing blood. “I’m not here for your purse.”

“Then what do you want?” Dread poured through her body as she tried to figure out why this man had attacked her. If he didn’t want her cash, credit cards and phone, did that mean he was after her? And what was he going to do?

“This is a warning.” With his left hand he grabbed her neck and squeezed tightly. He held the knife in his right, keeping the edge of the blade against her skin.

“For what?” she croaked, barely able to get air because of his vice grip.

“You’ve messed with the wrong family. We won’t warn you again. We know who you are. We know where you live. We know everything about you. If you want to live, you need to walk away. Just walk away.”

Her vision started to blur from the lack of oxygen. Her mind tried to comprehend what the burly masked man was saying. This had to do with her work. The prosecution of Simon Hernandez. There was no other explanation. As his grip tightened, her world started to fade.

Just as she thought she was about to pass out, he loosened his grip, took a few steps away from her and then ran off into the dark of the night. Jessica stood there, stunned. Touching her neck and trying to figure out if she was actually breathing in and out. After a moment, she knew she had to do something more. But what?

One side of her knew she should call the police, but the last thing she wanted was to get taken off this case. She’d worked too hard on Simon’s prosecution and wanted to see it through.

After taking a few deep breaths and walking the rest of the way to her car, she realized she had no choice. She pulled out her phone and called the police. Because if it came out that she hadn’t followed protocol, that would be a ding on her record she couldn’t afford as a new prosecutor. She’d just have to deal with the consequences.

* * *

FBI Special Agent Zach Taylor walked into the Miami police department at around midnight. He’d gotten called in because a prosecutor believed she’d been attacked by a member of the Hernandez organized crime syndicate. The Miami police must have thought her story credible enough to pick up the phone and call in the FBI.

Fresh out of Quantico, he’d been at the FBI field office in Miami for a month. And he’d been assigned to work the ongoing investigations of the Hernandez family. A family that was involved in more illegal businesses than he could fathom.

Of course he was working under a more seasoned agent, but the grunt work and the day to day was all given to him. It was every rookie’s dream to be a part of a case like this, and he wasn’t the kind of guy to back down from a challenge.

Zach was ushered back and stood outside one of the conference rooms where he would meet the victim. All he knew about her was her name—Jessica Hughes.

Miami PD detective Will Lang walked out of the room and greeted Zach.

“Nice to see you again,” Zach said. He’d met Will once before, right when he’d moved down to Miami.

“If it involves anything related to Hernandez, we always call in the feds right away.”

“Thank you, we appreciate that,” Zach told him.

“I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other,” Will said. “There’s always something going on with these guys. They have their hands in every criminal enterprise known to man, including money laundering and drugs. There’s no part of Miami untouched.”

“Yeah, I’m learning that quickly.”

“She’s all yours.” Will opened another door, and Zach walked into the conference room. Seated on the other side of the table was an attractive young woman dressed in a black suit. She had long wavy blond hair and bright green eyes that focused on him like laser beams.

“Ms. Hughes, I’m Special Agent Zach Taylor with the FBI.” He stretched out his hand and greeted her. She gave him a solid handshake. He examined her demeanor as he’d been taught to do at Quantico. She didn’t appear to be under any duress. The only thing he noticed were the slight dark circles under her eyes.

“Agent Taylor, I don’t know what all you’ve been told, but the FBI might be a bit of overkill.”

“Don’t worry about that,” he said. “Are you sure you’re all right? Did you receive medical attention?”

“I’m fine. I don’t need to see a doctor.”

Her toughness impressed him. Most people wouldn’t be so calm under the circumstances. “I want to hear directly from you what happened.”

She explained her attack in detail, but he had more questions than answers when she was done. This wasn’t just a random woman who’d gotten on the wrong side of the Hernandez family. The fact that she worked at the DA’s office added another complex dimension that he had to investigate.

“Ms. Hughes, you’re working on the Simon Hernandez prosecution, correct?” She looked a little young to be an attorney—especially one working on such a high-profile case.

A deep frown pulled down her lips. “Yes. It’s my primary case right now. Even though I’m a junior attorney, I’ve been tasked with the lead role because of some extenuating circumstances.”

“I’m not making any judgments, Ms. Hughes. I’m not exactly a veteran FBI agent myself. And I can tell you that I’m here speaking with you about what happened because I’m working several investigations into the Hernandez family.”

She let out a breath and adjusted her suit jacket. “Actually, it’s pretty rare that a young prosecutor has this type of opportunity. We generally do a training stint when we first start at the office and then move onto two rotations in misdemeanor and juvenile court before moving onto felony prosecution. But after my training, I got enlisted to help a senior attorney on the Simon Hernandez case. I’m sure you’re familiar with it?”

“Yes, I’m very familiar with it. Multiple charges of money laundering that encompass things like tax evasion and other financial crimes. Am I missing something?”

“Those are the current charges we have. At least with regard to Simon. We didn’t have enough on the drug trafficking to prosecute him specifically for that, but we’re using that as part of the money laundering case.”

He noticed that she’d used the word current, and that made him think she could have something else coming down the pike. He would need to get looped in eventually because he had his own investigatory work. “So you’re saying that you got brought in to help with the prosecution?”

“Yes. But unfortunately the senior attorney I was working for became seriously ill. He was diagnosed with cancer. So instead of taking the case away from me and reassigning it to another senior attorney, it was decided to let me stay on. I know the file inside and out because I’ve been working the case for the past six months, and fortunately the powers that be are letting me run with it. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime.”

This was critical information. This young lawyer sitting in front of him was the lead prosecutor in a very important case against Simon Hernandez—the son of Mick Hernandez, the leader of the powerful family. “And now the Hernandez family has found out who you are and what you’re doing and they are trying to scare you off.”

“Exactly. But I should tell you, Agent Taylor. It’s going to take a lot more than hiring a muscle-bound thug to get me to back off. They are not going to scare me that easily. There is no chance I’m just going to walk away from this case. The Hernandez family threatens the entire city as they spread their network of crime and violence on our streets. The first step to taking them down is to get to Simon. And besides that, I’ve had to fight my entire life for opportunities, and something like this doesn’t come along every day—especially for a new prosecutor.”

He felt exactly the same about his work at the FBI. This was a time for both of them to prove themselves. But as much as he empathized with her, it was his job to make sure that she was safe and was not going to be a continued target of the Hernandez family.

“I totally understand your desire to stay on this case, but the FBI will want to conduct a threat assessment.” That wasn’t all the FBI would want to do, but he didn’t want to scare her off right now. She already had that look in her eyes that said she was more than willing to face this threat alone, and he couldn’t have that.

She threw her hands up in the air, becoming much more animated by the minute. “Agent Taylor, we can’t give in to these criminals. If it’s not me prosecuting the case, another prosecutor could step in. There’s no way I’m dismissing the charges. This will move forward one way or another.”

“But they could make it very difficult on you. I’m afraid this is probably just the beginning. Do you live alone?”

She nodded. “Yes. Well, me and my cat.”

He thought about her current situation. “You’re probably not in any immediate danger tonight. I’m guessing the guy who came after you thinks he got his message across. Although I’ll talk to the guys here and get a police officer to escort you home to be on the safe side.”

“Thank you,” she said coolly.

“How far away are you from the trial starting?”

“One week.”

He grimaced. That was even sooner than he expected. For some reason he’d thought it was in a couple of months. Hadn’t he just double-checked the date last week? Something was off. “Did you move up the trial date?”

“Yes, at the end of last week. The defense didn’t have any issue with it. I think they believe he’s going to get acquitted given his power and influence in the community. They are banking on the jury being in his back pocket. And on them being afraid to find someone in the Hernandez family guilty. I can’t even imagine what they’re going to do to try to intimidate or influence them.”

“Okay. For now I’ll get you the escort home. Then tomorrow we’re going to need to speak again and go over how we’re going to handle this. I’ll need to bring in the senior agent on the file, Brodie Wilson, and get his opinion. And I assume you have to report this up the chain, as well.”

“Unfortunately, I do. It’s not a discussion I look forward to having. But I’m not planning on cutting and running. They’ll have to remove me from this case.”

He could see that this meant a lot to her and he understood that. While they were both rookies, their work was their top priority. “Who do you report to?”

“Ultimately everyone in my office reports to the Miami-Dade state attorney, but I report to one of the chief assistant state attorneys. His name is Ian Lopez. He’s one of the best, and I’m hoping I can convince him to let me see this thing play out.”

“You’ll have to let me know how that conversation goes. I’m sure he has a vested interest in all of this.”

“How long have you been at the FBI?” she asked suddenly.

He hated answering that question because he always felt there would be immediate judgment on his skill set, but he wasn’t going to pretend to be something or someone he wasn’t. “I’m fresh out of Quantico.”

“Like how fresh? A year or two?”

He shook his head. Might as well tell the whole truth. “As in I’ve been here at the Miami field office a month.”

She surprised him by smiling. “Then you probably understand how I feel.”

“I can relate. But I also have a job to do, and my goals may not be compatible with yours.”

She put her hand over her mouth, stifling a yawn. “Am I done here? It’s been a long day.”

He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was exhausted. “Sure. But let me get your escort set up.”

She held her hand up. “I’ve changed my mind. That’s not really necessary.”

He stood up. “Actually, it is. We can’t take any risks right now.” This strong-willed, beautiful woman didn’t seem to realize how serious the situation was. And even though they had just met, he already felt a responsibility to protect her. Maybe it was because he understood what it was like to be starting out in his career and have something to prove.

“I see that arguing with you won’t make any difference.” She stood up, as well, and he could now see the very high heels she’d mentioned in her story.

“You were smart to use those as a weapon.”

“A girl’s gotta be resourceful.”

He reached out and touched her arm, and she flinched. “I’m sorry.” He quickly let go and wondered if she was sore from the attack. “But I just want to make sure you really get who and what you’re dealing with here. This isn’t any time to be flippant about your personal security.”

“I’ve worked on this case for months. I know about the dangers involved.”

“Do you know that once Mick Hernandez wants you dead, you’re dead? No questions asked?”

She cocked her head to the side. “They have a lot of illegal businesses, but it isn’t like they’re ordering hits to take people out every day. You’re being a bit melodramatic.”

“I’m not, Ms. Hughes.”

“Let’s cut with the formalities. You can call me Jessica.”

“All right, Jessica. And you can call me Zach. But I don’t want you to discount what happened to you tonight. I know you want to prove yourself and you have a job to do, but you need to be alive to do all of those things.”

“I hear you.”

“Let’s get out of here.” He ushered her out of the room, but he couldn’t help but feel as if the threat against this young lawyer was far from over.

* * *

The next morning Jessica felt exhausted. The physical attack, plus a night of barely any sleep, was taking its toll. Every time she’d closed her eyes she’d had awful nightmares about the masked man. And in those horrific dreams, he’d gone further and really hurt her.

She’d been hurt before. The scars she wore now were largely more emotional than physical, but they were ever present. She couldn’t deny that the pain of her childhood had driven her to a career in seeking justice. To stand up for those victims who couldn’t fight for themselves. In a small way trying to do her part. But she was afraid she might not be able to do that anymore if she got removed from the Hernandez case.

As she walked toward Chief Assistant State Attorney Ian Lopez’s office, she dreaded the discussion. But she had to put on a brave face, wash away her doubts and convince him that she was the woman for the job.

His door was open, and she walked right in. Ian was usually quite informal in the office. She realized she wasn’t alone. She stopped short just inside the door when she saw Zach Taylor.

The handsome dark-haired FBI agent looked the same as he had last night, wearing a similar black suit and red tie. Beside Zach was a man in a navy suit with streaks of gray at his temples. She assumed he was the senior agent that Zach had mentioned.

Ian was at his desk. “Jessica, come on in.” He motioned for her to step farther into the room. He was impeccably dressed as always in a navy suit and checkered tie. Ian was a tall, slim man with short black hair and dark eyes. She believed he was seriously vying to be the next state attorney. She hoped that his ambition would work to her advantage. If he took over and personally tried the case and lost, it would tarnish his record.

“Jessica, I understand that you met Agent Taylor last night. And this is Agent Brodie Wilson.”

She shook hands with both men, and then they all took seats in the chairs across from Ian’s desk.

“So I hear we have a situation,” Ian continued. As always he was perfectly diplomatic. She’d call it a lot more than a situation, but it was better for her to downplay everything right now.

“Yes, sir. But I really don’t believe there’s any cause for alarm.”

Ian frowned. “Judging by the bruises on your neck, I don’t think I’d say that.”

Ugh. She’d tried to use as much makeup as possible to cover them up, but nothing had really worked. “I’m doing okay.”

“Well, the FBI has briefed me this morning on what happened to you and the threats that were made. I want to know how you feel about continuing to push forward with this case.”

She leaned toward him in her seat. “Sir, I definitely want to keep working on it. I don’t want to back down because of this incident.”

Ian nodded. “While I appreciate your enthusiasm, Jessica, the FBI has some strong opinions on this.”

Uh-oh. Here’s where they were going to drop the hammer. She literally held her breath waiting for one of them to speak.

“We don’t take threats like this from the Hernandez family lightly,” Agent Wilson explained.

“I can be more careful.” At this point she was going to say whatever she needed to convince them.

“That’s not going to be enough,” Ian replied.

She didn’t like where this was going. Were they going to pull her off the case? “So what do you want me to do?” She looked at the three men and waited for one to answer her.

Ian spoke up. “If you want, you are absolutely free to step away from this case. No one would judge you here in the department. You got thrown front and center of this litigation because of Michael’s illness. I—”

“Sir, with all due respect,” she interrupted.

He lifted up his hand. “Let me finish. I can tell that option isn’t something that would interest you, so I’ve worked with the FBI on a compromise.”

“And that is?” she asked expectantly.

“I’m willing to let you keep working the case as the lead counsel if you agree to work with the FBI and let them provide you with the necessary security.”

“What exactly does that mean?” Her mind started to race with different scenarios of how that would play out.

“You’d be working directly with me,” Zach said.

“Yes,” Ian confirmed. “The FBI is actually working a couple of additional angles on the Hernandez family, including a special investigation into Simon’s sister, Ana. We know that it’s highly unlikely we’ll ever get the father because he has multiple layers of protection around him and leaves zero paper trail. But the kids are a different story. Not to mention Luke, the estranged brother who actually works for Miami PD.”

Yes, she did know that there was one family member who had turned out to be one of the good guys.

“So I’m saying all of this,” Ian went on, “to let you know that you’ll work with the FBI closely, and maybe we can get another prosecution out of this. And you’ll also be protected by Agent Taylor. It’s a win-win.”

She didn’t really like the idea of someone being her supposed protector, but her main goal was continuing with the prosecution. She’d have to deal with whatever strings they attached to that. “But I can stay on the case?”

“Yes,” Ian said. “But if at any point you want out, just say the word. I can’t promise you ultimate protection and neither can the FBI. This is still a dangerous assignment. When you go to law school, this isn’t exactly the type of thing you sign up for.”

But that’s where Ian was wrong. This was exactly what she had signed up for. Taking down those criminals that preyed on innocent people. No matter how dangerous they were. “I’m in, Ian. I won’t cut and run.”

Her boss smiled. “If you need me, I’m here. And I’ll expect regular updates, especially since we’re only days away from the start of the trial.”

“Of course.” As distracting as working with the FBI would be, maybe she could turn this into an opportunity. How difficult could dealing with one rookie agent be?

“Great,” Ian said. “I think you should take Agent Taylor to your office and debrief him on the case and see how he can help. I’m sure then he’ll have some security-related things to go over with you.”

“Of course. And thank you again, Ian, for having faith in my ability to handle this case and everything that goes with it.”

He nodded and stood up from his chair. “You’ve been a superstar since you interned here during law school. I expect nothing less than the best from you, Jessica. Keep up the good work.”

His words of praise warmed her heart. It was nice to have someone build her up instead of tear her down.

“It was nice to meet you, Jessica,” Agent Wilson said. “If you need me at any point, just let me know. But you’re in good hands with Agent Taylor.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“I’ll walk Agent Wilson out, so you can meet with Agent Taylor,” Ian said.

“This way,” she said to Zach. They walked down the long hallway to her much smaller office.

She closed the door so they could speak freely and took a seat behind her desk. He sat across from her. She had one extra chair, her desk and a bookshelf. That was it. Most of the attorneys at her level had the small offices.

She took a moment and looked at Zach more closely. Yes, there was no denying that the tall agent with the big chocolate-colored eyes and sweet smile was attractive. But it would take a lot more than a handsome face to make her trust him. Would he be friend or foe? It was time to find out. “So,” she said.

“Where do we begin?” he asked.

“Before we get into the details of the case and your investigation, why don’t we jump right into what you have in mind for my security.”

He smiled. “You’re worried about that, aren’t you?”

“I like having my space.” That was an understatement, but she didn’t want to be too difficult. They were just starting this process together.

He leaned forward in his chair. “I can appreciate that, but I can tell you right now that’s just not going to be possible.”

“Exactly what are you suggesting?”

“I’m going to be your shadow.”

Jessica didn’t like the sound of that. “You can’t be with me 24/7.”

“As close to it as possible. We should discuss a safe house.”

“Absolutely not. I’m staying in my apartment with my cat. Just me and him. Are we clear?”

He laughed. “Do you want to stay on this case or not?”

“Of course I do.” In her mind there had to be a middle ground somewhere.

“Then, I hate to tell you, but you’re stuck with me. Brodie ran this all the way up the chain to the special agent in charge of our office, Ford Cox. He’s the ultimate boss in Miami, and he was very clear that we had to take an aggressive approach with your personal security.”

She blew out a breath. “I don’t think this is going to work.”

Zach’s phone rang, and he looked down. “Sorry, I have to get this.”

She sat patiently while he took the phone call. Judging by the frown on his face and the serious tone in his voice, it appeared to be bad news. He ended the call and looked up at her.

“We have a problem,” he said.

“What?”

“Do you know a Denise Landers?”

“Yes, she’s my star witness.”

“Not anymore, Jessica. She’s dead.”


TWO (#ulink_af877d95-75a0-50df-acc8-a129d7f6788a)

Zach glanced over at Jessica, who was standing on the sandy beach with her gray high heels in her hand. The crime scene was currently being secured, and he wanted to get a good look at things for himself.

Jessica had refused to wait in the car, and given the circumstances he felt better having her right there close to his side. After all, that was the agreement he’d made with his boss. Zach had to commit not to let the blonde powerhouse rookie prosecutor out of his sight. Most importantly to protect her from the Hernandez family, but also because Brodie wanted to make sure Zach was tuned in to any information that she had that could help the FBI investigations.

As her wavy mane blew away from her face, he took a minute to really study her. He’d have to be oblivious not to notice how pretty she was. Not to mention that she was also bright, witty, and driven. She was the kind of woman he’d be looking for—if he were looking. But he had a job to do, and romance was the last item on his list of priorities.

Just then she turned her face toward him.

“Sorry, I know you aren’t exactly dressed for a walk on the beach,” he said.

She wore a gray skirt suit, but, given the blistering Miami heat, she’d taken off the jacket and removed her heels to be able to navigate the sand.

“Don’t you worry about me, Zach. You’re going to come to find out very soon that I’m highly adaptable.”

Was there a backstory that had given Jessica such a tough exterior? He could tell from his own life experience that she was probably hiding some hurt underneath. He watched as she took a few steps closer to the water.

Detective Will Lang was on the scene and headed his way.

“What do you have?” Zach asked him.

The tall blond detective frowned. “The body washed up onto the shore and was called in by someone on the beach. But it doesn’t appear that it was dumped too far out.”

“Which means they wanted us to find the victim’s body quickly,” Zach said. It helped to verbalize his thoughts as he tried to piece together this puzzle.

“Exactly, and I don’t like it one bit,” Will said. “FBI is taking lead, but we’re providing support in any way we can.” Will’s eyes shifted over to Jessica. “What’s up with her?”

“It’s a long story, but for now she’s under FBI protection because of the threat against her.”

Will chuckled. “Well, maybe you need to go back to Quantico to get a lesson on protective detail.”

“Why do you say that?” Zach asked.

“Because your girl’s on the move.”

Zach turned around and saw Jessica taking long strides down to where the body was lying near the edge of the water. They’d covered it out of respect. He took off in a jog to catch up to her.

“Jessica,” he yelled. “Wait up.”

She turned around and looked at him and then kept walking. It only took him a moment to catch up to her. “What do you think you’re doing? We agreed that you’d stay back until the team got done with their initial work.”

She shifted her weight. “No, Zach. You told me that was what I was going to do. I never said that I’d just follow along with your bidding.” She smiled at him and kept walking.

Seriously? She should know his directions were intended to protect her in any situation, but she wasn’t going to take to his command easily. This woman was going to be a challenge. He grabbed on to her arm before she got too far and pulled her back, noticing once again that she flinched when he touched her.

“You can’t go any further. We can’t risk any more contamination to the crime scene.”

“This is a public beach. The damage has already been done with all the hundreds of onlookers about before the police even made it to the scene.”

“Regardless, what is it you hope to gain by getting closer?”

“I just want to get a better feel for what happened here.”

He ushered her away from the body and back up the beach. “What happened here is that the Hernandez family killed Denise Landers and purposely put her body where they knew it would wash up onshore sooner rather than later.”

“They had to know that Denise was the star witness for the prosecution. As the accountant for the family, she was a treasure trove of information. They take her out, and it’s a much different case I’ll be making. A much harder one.” Jessica paused and looked up at him. “I think they also did this to send a message.”

“You aren’t really fazed by much, are you?” He appreciated her tenacity, but he thought she was still a bit too cavalier about her security and their investigation.

“I’d rather get to the bottom of this and then get back to work.” She pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “The Hernandez family needs to answer for this senseless murder. The taking of a completely innocent life. Denise was doing the right thing, and it got her killed.”

He watched Jessica bite her bottom lip. While she was trying to keep up a strong face, he could tell this murder impacted her. And he wanted to reassure her that law enforcement was on it.

“That’s why the police are here now,” he said. “They will help build a case.”

“But nothing will bring her back. She’s gone and that’s a reality I know I have to deal with but I really don’t want to face right now.”

* * *

Later that evening in her office, Jessica took a deep breath as she looked into Zach’s eyes filled with a bit of wariness. But she wanted to see things for herself and make her own assessments. That’s why she’d tried to get a closer look at the crime scene. But with the body covered up, she hadn’t been able to garner much information.

“I understand we both have a job to do here,” she said.

“I agree, and that’s why I think it’s important for us to work together and not against each other. I get that you don’t want me to be your shadow, but given you want to stay on this case and I have no alternative, we need to call a truce.”

She couldn’t help but smile. He did have a disarming quality about him. “Let’s talk about what happened to Denise.”

“This has the Hernandez family’s mark all over it.”

“I agree. Why don’t we discuss the family? We haven’t had a chance to really pick each other’s brains yet about what we know.”

“That’s a great idea.”

She nodded. “You start.”

“All right. The head of the family is Mick Hernandez. Ultimate crime boss who calls all the shots but rarely gets his hands dirty. He’s married to Fern Hernandez. She largely stays out of the spotlight, but my hunch is that she plays critical roles behind the scenes.”

“Right, and then there’s Simon. The son that I’m prosecuting. Although without Denise serving as my witness who can testify about the forgeries and money laundering given her role as their accountant, it’s going to be super tough to present the level of proof we need for a conviction.”

“I’ll see if there’s anything we can add that could be helpful given these latest developments.”

“They’re not going to stop until they squash this prosecution,” she said more to herself than to him.

“We’re not going to let that happen.”

“And what about the other two siblings?” she asked. “I also have my eye on the sister, Ana. But I’m trying to focus on this case first before I attempt to build another one and charge a second member of the family. Depending on how this trial goes, though, Ana would definitely be next on my list.”

“Funny you say that, because Ana is our prime focus right now.”

“Then maybe we can help each other.” This might actually work out after all. Especially if her prosecution of Simon got railroaded, then maybe with the FBI’s help she’d be able to start working up evidence against Ana.

“Ana is dirty—there’s no doubt about it. She’s known on the streets as the most ruthless sibling, but she’s working with someone in the organization to make sure she stays as clean as possible. But she can’t hide forever.”

Jessica’s pulse quickened just thinking about constructing arguments against Ana. “She has a few businesses in town that she uses as fronts, right?”

“Yes, two actually. A dry-cleaning service and a restaurant.”

“You know who we haven’t talked about yet?” she asked.

“The only person in the family who supposedly isn’t a criminal?” Zach raised an eyebrow.

“You’re skeptical that the golden boy is really golden?”

“Luke Hernandez may be a cop, but I don’t trust him.”

She shook her head. “Everything I’ve researched has him coming up completely clean. The only member with zero ties to any family business or any crimes at all. Got out young and never looked back.”

“Why would Mick Hernandez let his youngest son become a cop? I’m sorry, Jessica—I’m not buying it. There’s an ulterior motive going on even if it hasn’t presented itself yet. I wouldn’t trust him.”

“He works homicide,” Jessica said. “Supposedly he’s quite good and highly respected in the unit.”

Zach laughed. “When you grow up in a family of criminals it would make you a good cop. You know all the ins and outs.”

“Wait a minute. You can’t judge Luke purely based on his upbringing.” After the words were out of her mouth, she realized that she sounded a bit too defensive.

He leaned forward in his seat. She could tell that he was sizing her up.

“I’m sorry if I’m skeptical about Luke. I just find it really hard to believe that his father wouldn’t have killed him by now if he was really an upstanding cop.”

“Luke is still his son. And more importantly, he’s Fern’s baby. From everything I’ve researched, I think Fran has kept Luke off the table.”

“You think even though he’s gone over to the other side and sold out his family, that his mother will still protect him?”

“That’s where you have it wrong, Zach. What has Luke ever done to sell out his family? Nothing.”

“Well, he better be walled off from working this homicide. Because the Hernandez clan is definitely behind the death of Denise Landers.”

“Cut the guy a break. Shouldn’t we applaud him for stepping out of the life of crime and all the comforts that come with it?”

Zach shrugged. “I guess if I truly believed he was clean, that would be one thing.”

This wasn’t going to get them anywhere. “It doesn’t matter. I can tell you right now, I’m not going after Luke Hernandez. I think he’s a solid cop trying to do the best he can. I’d rather keep our focus on the case I’m supposed to be trying against Simon.”

“Agreed. What are you going to do now without Denise to ensure a conviction?”

“That’s the million-dollar question. We do have a videotape of Denise’s deposition testimony. But that’s never as effective as a live witness. Plus the defense will try to exclude the testimony.”

“On what basis?”

“That he lacked the opportunity for a proper cross-examination.”

“How so?”

Jessica remembered that day well. “The defense attorney cooked up a story about a personal family emergency and had to leave before he could finish his questions. He cut the deposition short, and we never rescheduled because Denise committed to being available for trial. That was a big mistake in hindsight.”

“And who is the defense attorney?”

“Mateo Tyson.”

Zach groaned loudly. “That guy is the worst.”

“But he’s a very effective lawyer who has successfully defended the Hernandez family and other criminals for years.” She rubbed her eyes as exhaustion started to set in again.

“It’s getting late. Why don’t we get you home? Once we’re there, we can talk about the threat assessment and the security part of this operation.”

“I live in a one-bedroom apartment. I don’t think that’s exactly conducive to having a bodyguard.” She didn’t like the idea of someone invading her personal space, but there was a tiny part of her that was happy that she wouldn’t be alone tonight. And that Zach would be the one protecting her. Seeing Denise’s lifeless body on that beach today shook her up even though she was desperately trying not to show it.

“I can sleep in the living room. This isn’t about me having luxury accommodations. It’s about keeping you alive. When they sent someone to scare you, that was one thing. But now that they’ve killed a person connected to your case, we have to step it up. We’ll stay at your place tonight and then regroup and talk to Agent Wilson about a safe house and any other security precautions he wants to put into place.”

“I have faith that I’ll be all right.” And she believed that in the deepest fiber of her being.

Zach narrowed his eyes at her. “Faith as in the general concept, or faith as in faith in God?”

“Faith in God.”

He nodded. “I totally understand. My faith has gotten me through some tough times in life, too.”

It was nice to hear that Zach shared the same beliefs. And she also knew he was right. Now wasn’t the time be alone. Not when the threat loomed large. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Great. I’ll drive you and have another agent take your car back to your place. From here on out, you’re not going anywhere solo.”

Jessica was quickly realizing that she was going to have to pick her battles with Zach. And this definitely wasn’t something to argue about.

When she got into his government-issued SUV, she allowed herself to take a few deep breaths and try to decompress. The past twenty-four hours had been crazy.

“Are you from Florida?” he asked.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Does your family still live here?”

The dreaded question that everyone always seemed curious about. Most people assumed it was totally innocent. But it was far from a benign question for her. Jessica figured that since they’d be working together she probably needed to be up front. “I actually don’t have a family.”

“What do you mean?”

“I grew up in the state of Florida foster care system. I was never adopted. So I don’t have any family.”

Silence filled the air for a moment. “I’m sorry—I didn’t know,” he said.

“No need to apologize. I’ve been on my own basically forever, so I’m quite used to it.”

“I feel bad for asking you.”

“Please don’t. I’d like to hear about your family,” she said.

“It’s not exactly an uplifting story, either, although it seems like nothing compared to what you went through. My dad split when I was a baby. I don’t even remember him. It was just me and my mom growing up. She had a tough time, and our relationship is rocky to say the least. We don’t talk very much. It’s a difficult situation.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I guess we all have our baggage.” And hers just happened to weigh a hefty amount. She was relieved when he let them ride in silence. Thankfully, they weren’t far from her apartment.

Jessica was jerked out of her thoughts as Zach floored it. “What in the world are you doing?” she asked. Was he trying to be some kind of hotshot all of a sudden? That wouldn’t make any sense especially given how cautious his approach had been so far.

“I think we’ve got a tail.” He gripped the wheel tightly.

“Are you serious?” She craned her neck and took a look out the back window. It was still light out, and she could see a dark Escalade approaching them quickly from behind. This was not good.

“Hang on tight.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to try to lose them.”

She grabbed the sides of her seat and said a prayer asking for protection. Zach accelerated again, and she turned to look back. The Escalade was gaining on them and getting much too close.

She watched nervously as the SUV closed the gap between the two vehicles. “Can you go any faster?” she asked.

“I’m doing the best I can.” Zach jerked the wheel to one side, causing her body to slam against the door.

But his evasive maneuver only gave them a moment of respite. With the vehicle not far behind them, she knew there was no way out of this. The only thing she could do was keep praying. Because she realized that the person driving that Escalade wasn’t just playing games. No, he was out for blood.

When the first impact occurred, she continued to brace herself. But the second time, the Escalade pounded into the back of the car just as a truck approaching them from the side came barreling toward them.

Jessica heard herself scream as she readied for a direct hit. Screeching tires and the sound of crashing metal filled her ears, and her body shook in pain. And then there was nothing.


THREE (#ulink_46e6583b-0938-5e4a-8296-09b3b0b5631f)

Jessica woke with a major headache and slowly realized that she was not at home in her own bed but in a hospital. An IV was hooked into her left hand. It all came rushing back to her. The car accident—which was probably no accident at all, but another attempt by the Hernandez family to intimidate her. Unless...they were through with threats and the car crash had been meant to get rid of her.

She was alone in the hospital room, and her heart immediately sank as she started to worry about Zach. Was he okay? There was no one around for her to ask. Her heartbeat started to race, and with it the beeping monitor she was attached to.

A petite gray-haired nurse walked quickly into the room. By her side was a uniformed police officer. “You’re awake,” the nurse stated with enthusiasm.

“Yes, I just woke up. Where is Zach?” Jessica couldn’t bring herself to ask the dreaded question as to whether he was alive. What if he had died trying to protect her?

“He just went down to the cafeteria to get some coffee. He’ll be back any minute.” The nurse motioned toward the officer. “And this is your security detail that has been assigned to you during your stay. But don’t worry. You’ll be very safe here.”

Jessica let out a huge breath. She wasn’t that worried about herself right now. She was just thankful that Zach was alive. “So Zach’s fine?”

“A few bumps and bruises, but you got the worst of it. How are you feeling this morning?”

Morning. She must’ve been out all night. “My head hurts.”

The nurse walked over to her. “I saw a picture of the SUV you were in. Honey, the fact that you weren’t more seriously injured is absolutely amazing. The doctors couldn’t believe it.”

Jessica took a moment and closed her eyes and thanked God for watching over the both of them last night. From the nurse’s words and the serious look on her face, Jessica understood that it could’ve been so much worse. “My head?”

“A concussion. Plus lots of bruising all over your body, and I’m sure you’re sore. But CT scan and an MRI confirmed no internal bleeding and nothing is broken. We’re giving you fluids to keep you hydrated and antibiotics to ward off infections from some of the cuts you suffered from the car metal.”

Jessica nodded slightly, realizing it hurt to move to her head.

Zach walked into the room holding coffee, sporting a bandage over his left eyebrow. His eyes widened when he saw her. He approached the side of the hospital bed. “I am so glad you’re awake.”

“Me, too.”

“Okay, you can talk for a few minutes, Agent Taylor,” the nurse said. “Then she’ll need to rest a bit.” The nurse walked out of the room with the officer, leaving her and Zach alone.

He pulled the chair up right beside her and took a seat. Her breath caught and she winced slightly as he reached out and grabbed her hand. She wasn’t expecting the contact.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he let go.

“No, it’s not you. I appreciate you being here.” What was she supposed to say? That she didn’t like anyone touching her because she was skittish from her violent past? Growing up in the foster care system, she’d lived through physical abuse. The foster parents that were supposed to protect her had ended up causing her the most harm—both physically and emotionally. And now she was understandably on edge.

“I thought you weren’t going to make it, Jessica. I prayed that God would intervene. It was a direct one-two punch between the Escalade behind us and the other truck that slammed into your side of the car.” His eyes showed his deep concern, and he leaned closer toward her. “I didn’t want to fail you.”

“And you didn’t. You did what you could.”

“The FBI is working on a safe house. It’s too dangerous to stay at your place. Not after this. I was wrong, and I underestimated the threat against you. A true rookie mistake. But I won’t let it happen again. I can promise you that.”

“Please, don’t beat yourself up over this.” She took a breath. “But I do need some help. My cat, Tiger, will need to be fed. When do you think they’ll let me out of here? And I want to take him with me if we go to a safe house. I don’t want to leave him there alone.”

Zach nodded. “We’ll have to figure out those logistics. But there’s actually a Miami PD officer at your apartment standing guard just in case the Hernandez family sent someone else. And as far as moving forward with the safe house, wouldn’t the cat be happier in his own surroundings?”

Her head pounded, and it all became just too much. “I’ll think about it later. In the meantime, can you just please have the officer feed him and put out fresh water?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Thank you.” She could no longer keep her eyes open and fell back asleep.

* * *

That afternoon, after being issued a brand-new vehicle, Zach drove Jessica back to her apartment. Once she’d been alert enough, they’d picked up right where their conversation had ended. She’d been insistent about getting Tiger and packing up some things before going to the safe house.

He was still in awe of the fact that Jessica walked away with only a concussion, scrapes and bruises. The Lord had really been looking out for her.

Zach’s mom had never gone to church, so he hadn’t, either. It wasn’t until he went away to college and had started attending the chapel on campus that he found out what faith in God really meant. It had changed his life forever—and for the better.

When Jessica had spoken about her faith, it seemed so natural to her. For Zach, it hadn’t been a natural process but something he had grown into. It had taken him all four years of college to really find out what it meant to be a man of God. It was refreshing to see someone who had been through so much have such a resilient belief in God. When Zach had been young, he had always associated religion with wishful thinking. People wanting some supernatural force to solve all their problems. He now understood what it was to have the comfort of knowing that God was going to be with him no matter what. When he looked at Jessica, he saw something special and different in her. It made him want to know more about her.

“This is me,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. “I’m on the second floor.”

He pulled up into the parking space in front of her place. “Wait for me before you get out,” he said.

She didn’t argue and sat quietly as he exited the car and walked around to the passenger side. He was beginning to think that the attack last night had served as a wake-up call that she was really in danger.

He opened her car door and took her gently by the arm, guiding her out. She insisted she was fine to walk on her own, but he was going to be guarding her much more closely.

“Are you going to be okay to walk up the steps?” he asked.

“Yes, I can handle them. I promise you.” She gave him a weak smile.

He’d called ahead to speak with Officer Lewis and make sure he was expecting them. Even though it was Jessica’s apartment, he knocked on the door to be extra cautious.

Uniformed police officer Sampson Lewis answered the door. The short and stocky African American officer smiled. “Glad you two made it.” Sampson looked at Jessica. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m Officer Lewis.”

“Thank you, Officer Lewis. I appreciate you keeping an eye on things here at the apartment and watching Tiger.”

Officer Lewis grinned widely. “That cat was very skeptical of me at first. But once I started feeding him, I became his new best friend. Curled right up next to me on the couch.” He looked at Zach. “It’s all been quiet here, Agent Taylor. Not a peep of any kind.”

“That’s good.” The last thing they needed was more action.

Jessica walked over and picked up Tiger. “I’m going to go start packing up a few things. It won’t take me long.”

After she walked to her bedroom, Zach looked at Officer Lewis. “Thanks for taking this on.”

“No problem. She looked pretty banged up.”

“Yeah, the crash was no joke. She’s got cuts and bruising all on her face, neck and arms.”

“You think it’s tied to the Hernandez family?”

“Yes, unfortunately so.”

“Just keep your eyes open, man. I’ve heard some scary stories about what that family is capable of. I have to ask you. Do you think Ms. Hughes even realizes what kind of target is on her back?”

“If she didn’t before last night, I think she does now.”

True to her word, Jessica walked back out of her room just a few minutes later.

“Ms. Hughes,” Office Lewis said. “We just lost our cat of seventeen years a couple of months ago. My daughter is off at college, and my wife and I would be more than happy to pet-sit for you while you get through this ordeal. Tiger would be more than welcome at our place.”

Zach watched her hesitate and protectively tighten her grip on Tiger, pulling him close to her body.

“I know you want to be with him,” Zach said. “But it will actually be safer for him if he stays with Officer Lewis and his wife.”

Jessica continued to hold on to Tiger. Zach was surprised when her eyes started to mist over. She’d been through a lot so far, but he hadn’t seen her get emotional. It was clear that her pet was special to her.

“I can’t just give him away,” she said.

Officer Lewis walked closer to her. “Absolutely not. As soon as you’re in the clear, Tiger will be ready for you. I wouldn’t think of taking him from you. This is just temporary.”

She nodded. “Thank you for being so kind. And my hesitation isn’t because of you. I just don’t want him to think that I’m abandoning him.”

It hit Zach at that moment that Jessica probably felt such a strong connection to Tiger because he was the only family she had. Given her childhood, she probably had totally understandable issues with abandonment. “Jessica, if it’ll make you feel better, we’ll work something out and take him with us to the safe house.”

She shook her head. “No, Officer Lewis is right. I need to think about what is best for Tiger. Not my own feelings.”

“All right,” Zach said. “But if you change your mind, you can just let me know.”

She turned her attention back to the officer. “I need you to promise me something, though, and it’s a big promise.”

“Sure,” he said.

“If something happens to me, you’ll help find him a new home. A good home. You won’t take him to the shelter.”

Officer Lewis’s dark eyes widened. “First off, nothing is going to happen to you. But secondly, you have my word that I’ll personally take care of Tiger. Don’t think another thought about it.”

“Thank you.” She held the cat for another minute and then looked back at Zach.

“All right,” she said quietly. “I guess we should go.”

“Don’t you worry, Ms. Hughes. We’ll take great care of Tiger. And we’ll keep you updated.” He looked at Zach. “Any reason for me to continue standing watch here?”

“No,” Zach said. “Just wait for us to leave, give it a few and you and Tiger can get out of here.”

Jessica didn’t speak until they had been on the road a few minutes.

“How exactly am I supposed to work on the case? Are you expecting me to prepare for trial out of the safe house?”

“I’m afraid it’s gotten a bit complicated where that is concerned.”

“How so?”

“You should talk to your boss. But I think it’s a possibility that there may be some sort of postponement.”

“No! Absolutely not. That’s exactly what they want to happen. We can’t give in to them.”

“The trial and all surrounding it isn’t the FBI’s call. It’s your boss’s decision.”

“This was just a setback. It’s not reason enough to call it quits. I can do this, Zach. I’m fully cooperating with you and whatever you want as far as security goes, but I need to try this case.”

“I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m taking a circuitous route to the safe house to ensure we aren’t being followed.” He paused. “And, Jessica, I’m sorry about Tiger. I didn’t think the whole thing through.” He’d touched a nerve and needed to smooth this over.

“Thank you, Zach. He’s all I have, and I’m committed to taking care of him and giving him a great life.”

“You’re a good person, Jessica.”

“I did what I had to do to survive. And I thank God that He’s been by my side each step of the way—including last night in the crash.”

“I can tell that your faith is strong.”

“Honestly, Zach, it’s the only thing that kept me going through some incredibly dark years. One of my middle school classmates invited me to church with her family, and it changed everything for me. None of my foster parents were believers, but most of them didn’t mind if I went to church because it at least got me out of their hair for a bit. I know there are good foster families out there. But for some reason, I had a stretch of a few really bad ones.”

He could tell the memories brought her a lot of pain. But he felt as if he needed to understand her better and give her a chance to talk if she wanted to. “Do you feel like sharing?”

“They’re not good memories I enjoy talking about.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“No. You should probably hear this. It will explain why I have certain hang-ups. Why I chose the path of becoming a prosecutor.” She paused for a while as if gathering the courage to continue. “There was some physical abuse that took place while I lived in the foster homes. Which is why I started taking self-defense classes in college. I no longer wanted to feel like a victim and wanted to be able to protect myself if I was attacked again.”

“I can’t even imagine.” It sickened him to think about what Jessica had gone through as a child.

“Yeah, a couple of the foster parents had issues with drugs and alcohol. When they drank they got violent. In one house it was the man, and in another house it was the woman. I never could understand how a mother could beat a child—but there was one that hit both me and her own kids. It was a terrible situation.”

“All I can do is say that I’m sorry for the awful pain that you went through. And to say that you haven’t let those obstacles stand in your way. Your strength is evident, Jessica. And your faith shines brightly.”

“It means a lot to hear you say that. I don’t want anyone’s pity or sympathy for what happened to me. But I’ve shared this with you so that you can understand why I care so deeply about my work as a prosecutor. Helping innocent victims means the world to me.”

He admired her conviction. The more time they spent together, the more he grew to really like this woman. But it couldn’t be more than that.

He looked down at his phone where the GPS was directing him. “We’re almost there,” he said, changing the subject.

“Good. My head is pounding.”

“You need to rest. Once we’re at the safe house, you can lie down. It’s perfectly normal considering the concussion and other trauma your body suffered.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Hang tight. We’re less than five minutes out.”

* * *

Jessica had crashed right after they’d arrived at their new location. They were in the middle of an upscale Coral Gables neighborhood about fifteen minutes from downtown Miami. The upstairs bedroom she was in was half the size of her apartment. The two-story Old Spanish–style house was nicer than any Jessica had ever been in. She’d expected something more low-key.

She looked at her watch and realized she’d slept for a few hours. It was time to venture out of her room and see what was going on with Zach.

As she walked out of the bedroom and toward the stairs, she heard male voices. It took her a second to realize that Ian Lopez was there. This couldn’t be good.

She was careful to hold on to the railing as she quickly made her way down the stairs. She hated to admit it, but she was still far from 100 percent.

She followed the voices and walked into the kitchen, where Ian, Zach and Brodie were seated around a large table. Each man had a coffee mug in front of him. And by the serious tones of their voices, they weren’t having a casual conversation.

“You’re up,” Zach said. “How’re you feeling?”

“Better than I did before, but still sore.” She wasn’t going to let on to the group that her head still hurt pretty badly. “What’s going on here?”

Ian looked at her. “Jessica, I was so worried about you when the FBI called and told me about the car accident. Which I understand now wasn’t an accident in the least bit.”

“I’m fine, though. I’ll be okay, and I’m ready to move forward with my job.”

“That’s what I’m here to talk about,” Ian said.

She needed to try to get out ahead of this before Ian went all the way down a path that would be difficult to walk him back from. “Before you say anything, you need to know that I’m able to try this case, Ian. I’ve been working around the clock the past two months to prepare.”

He nodded. “Jessica, I’m not questioning your abilities, but I am worried about your safety. We can’t have your body washing up on the beach.”

She cringed, thinking about Denise. “I can finish preparing out of the safe house. Then we can have additional security for the trial. We can do this, Ian.” She changed to the word we to make sure he felt invested in this, as well. If she was able to get a conviction, he’d look good. And if not, he’d just say it was her fault. It was a low-risk proposition for him.

“This is against my better judgment, Jessica,” Ian said. “Let’s proceed as if we are going to trial. I reserve the right to pull you if this thing gets out of control. As long as you think you can adequately prepare out of here, then I will try to give this another go. It’s important that we don’t let criminals think they can dictate how we prosecute people.”

She nodded. “You’re right, Ian. I’ll just need to get access to a few paper files, and the rest I have electronically and can access from my laptop. One of the paralegals is working on the exhibit list, and that’s almost complete.” She looked over at Zach and Brodie, who had been incredibly quiet. “What do you guys think?”

“We’re going to protect you,” Zach said. “I don’t like you being a direct target, but you two make a good point. We can’t let a criminal organization determine who is going to be prosecuted or not. The legal system has to continue to function.”

“Zach’s right,” Brodie said. “You have the full support of the FBI. We’ll make sure security is airtight so you can push through and try this case.”

“Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate it.”

The doorbell rang, and the three men shot up out of their seats.

“Were you expecting someone?” Ian asked.

“No,” Zach said.

“I’ll go see who it is,” Brodie said. “Zach, you stay here with Jessica.”

Jessica could feel the tension mounting in the room. Was the person at the door there to try to finish the job? How would anyone have found her?

After a few moments she heard voices but couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying. A few more minutes passed, and then Brodie returned to the kitchen with a man in a gray suit by his side.

He was tall and dark-haired—and looking directly at her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d seen him before, but she couldn’t place him.

“Hello, Ms. Hughes. We haven’t met, but I needed to come here to talk to you.”

“And you are?” she asked.

“I’m Detective Luke Hernandez.”


FOUR (#ulink_c236e450-eef8-5257-ae82-c8fe4b8590a2)

Zach couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. Why was Luke Hernandez standing in the kitchen in the middle of the safe house? And how had he found out the location? His mind immediately went to a possible security breach and the implications that would have for Jessica’s safety.

Zach didn’t trust Luke one bit. He protectively took a step closer to Jessica. “How did you find out about this location?”

“I talked to Will Lang,” Luke responded calmly. As if it were perfectly normal for him to have received that type of sensitive information.

Zach shook his head. “What’s the point of a safe house if everyone on the Miami police department knows the location?” A security breach like that was unthinkable. He supported the Miami PD, but they needed to get their act together quickly.

“This is completely unacceptable,” Brodie added.

Zach was thankful that he and Brodie appeared to be on the exact same page.

Luke held up his hand. “I didn’t come here to argue with any of you. And I can see that I’m not welcome. But I felt I had to speak up.”

“About what?” Jessica asked.

Luke looked at Jessica, his dark eyes focused solely on her. “You obviously know that you’re in danger or else you wouldn’t be here.”

“Right,” she said.

“But I don’t think you realize how intent my father is on making sure my brother’s trial doesn’t move forward. He’s not going to stop until he brings this prosecution to a screeching halt. And his methods have no boundaries. He’ll persevere until his goal is reached no matter what the cost or the collateral damage along the way.”

“And you needed to come here in person to tell us something we already knew?” Zach asked. He wasn’t buying any of this coming from Luke. There was something else going on here.

“No. But I did want to tell you that it’s only a matter of time. I give it forty-eight hours max before the people that work for my family find this house. You’re not safe here for long. You need to go off the grid.”

“I’m not going to do that,” Jessica said, her voice louder than normal. “I’m going to move forward with this case.”

Luke nodded. “I figured you’d say that, but I thought the more information you had the better. And that maybe the FBI could be more cautious given the circumstances.”

“What’s your angle in all of this?” Ian spoke up.

“It’s no secret that I’m the only member of my family who hasn’t chosen a life of crime. And I hate to see innocent people hurt. It’s one of the reasons I became a cop. If there’s something I can do to help Ms. Hughes, I intend to do it.” He paused and looked directly at Zach. “Even if my assistance isn’t wanted.”

“Thank you, Luke,” Jessica said. “I think it’s an admirable decision you made to go against your family and get into law enforcement. And since I’m the target here, I’m happy to have your help.”

Luke nodded. “If there’s anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Brodie took a step toward Luke. “I understand that you think you’re helping the situation here, but from now on it would probably be better if you let the FBI handle it.” Brodie handed Luke his business card. “You can call me if you have any pertinent information to relay.”

Zach was relieved that Brodie had stepped up. Zach didn’t like how Luke had taken a special interest in Jessica.

“I can see myself out,” Luke said. It was clear he wasn’t interested in engaging in any arguments.

After Luke walked out of the room, silence remained until Brodie spoke up. “Even if he is law enforcement, I don’t like the fact that Will Lang divulged the location of the safe house to him. Unfortunately, we don’t have a better alternative right now. I’m going to have extra security posted outside just in case there is any further breach of protocol. We already had an on-call team, so I’ll have them come over now.” Brodie pulled out his phone to text the team.

Zach nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. Then we can reevaluate our options tomorrow.” Zach could tell by the frown on Jessica’s face that she was still bothered by the Luke situation. He turned toward her. “I’m sorry if that seemed rude with how we handled Luke, but we aren’t in a position to be taking chances right now.”

She looked up at him. “You have absolutely no evidence that Luke isn’t one of the good guys. He took a risk just by coming here to try to help me. So I think all of you should just cut the poor guy some slack and back off. He’s not the enemy we’re facing. Let’s not forget that.”

Zach looked at his watch. “I’m sorry to have upset you, but we’re trying to do the job to the best of our ability.”

“I understand that,” she said softly.

“I know you must be hungry.” He made an effort to change the subject and defuse the tense situation. “We’ve got an agent bringing food in about half an hour.”

“That would be great. Now that you mention it, I’m starving.”

“Jessica, I think you have your marching orders,” Ian chimed in. “The plan will be to start the trial on schedule. You’re well on your way with all the prep work you’ve done. Let’s push through and get this thing done.”

“That won’t be an issue, Ian,” she said. “Thanks for bringing me a laptop to work on.”

Jessica would be able to access her files and prepare her case from the remote location. Zach’s main concern was what was going to happen once the trial started. He felt that he could keep her out of danger in the cocoon that was the safe house, but outside of it was another story.

“If you need anything, you know where to find me,” Ian said. Then he turned and looked at Zach. “I’m entrusting her security to you.”

“I understand,” Zach said.

Brodie stayed with them until he got the confirmation that the protective detail had arrived. “I’ll head out, too,” Brodie said. “Everything should be all set here.”

Between the complex high-tech security system and the extra security posted outside, Zach was confident they were well protected. Much better than he would’ve felt at Jessica’s apartment. This was the first time he’d ever done this type of work, but he was catching on quickly and having Brodie’s confidence in him helped build his own.

It wasn’t long before one of the agents delivered their dinner, a combination of Thai food that he and Jessica had no trouble putting away quickly. As they sat at the kitchen table after the meal, he took a moment to assess how she was doing.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Besides the headache that won’t seem to go away, I’m doing all right.”

It was obvious to him that she was still in pain. “Maybe a good night’s rest will help.”

“Tomorrow’s Thursday. I need to get in a full day of work. The trial starts Monday.”

“What can I do to help?”

She pushed her hair behind her ear and leaned back in the chair. “As long as you’re focused on making sure no one attacks us, I can handle the legal work.”

“I’ve got the security element covered.”

“Good. Now I have to figure out how to make this case against Simon with only the limited video deposition testimony from Denise. And if the judge disallows the recorded testimony, then I’m really in a world of hurt.”

“You always need a backup plan.” Something they had drilled into his head from day one at Quantico.

“In an ideal world, but unfortunately my backup plan is flimsy and purely circumstantial evidence. Any defense attorney who knows what he’s doing will tear that apart. And Mateo Tyson is one of the best. It’s tough preparing for a battle that you feel like you don’t have the ammunition to fight. And knowing that the reason for that is because the Hernandez family got rid of my main witness. It seems so wrong to me, but I can’t bring up the fact at trial that my star witness was murdered. The judge won’t allow that because it’s too prejudicial to the defense. I won’t be able to explain to the jury why the witness isn’t testifying in person.”

He could see that she was at a low point, and it bothered him that he couldn’t just fix the situation. “You can’t feel defeated before you even start. There’s always a way, Jessica. You just have to find it.”

“Aren’t you the optimist?”

“I believe that half of our battles in life take place in the mind. If you psych yourself out, you’ll set yourself up for failure. You have to believe that a jury will convict Simon. If you walk in there with your tail between your legs, the jury will sense your lack of confidence from day one. I don’t want to see that happen.”

She leaned back in her chair again. “I understand your point, but I think it’s better to be realistic. I’m going to do my absolute best to get a conviction, but I have to go to trial with the evidence I have. I can’t change it. No amount of positive thinking will bring Denise back. The type of testimony she could’ve provided as one of the top accountants for the Hernandez family would’ve been invaluable. She had access to all the financial records.” She paused. “She was a nice woman. A brave woman who was taking a stand against them. She most certainly didn’t deserve this. If only I could’ve done more to protect her.”

“I’m sorry.” He thought for a minute. “Why wasn’t she under some sort of security detail?”

Jessica looked down and then back up at him. “I tried to talk her into it. But she refused. I don’t think she thought that they’d actually hurt her. Scare her maybe, but not this. It’s awful. I should’ve been more insistent with her. If I hadn’t given up on trying to convince her to take the security detail, then she’d still be here.”





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