Kathleen Tailer - Under the Marshal's Protection

“I help you out, and you let me be there when my brother is arrested.”

Dominic narrowed his eyes. “The deal was, you help, and I do my best to keep Michael alive. That’s all there was to it. It’s not safe for you to be involved with the arrest.”

Jessica stiffened her spine and squared her shoulders. “If I want to be target practice for the bad guys, that’s my business, not yours. Look, Mr. U.S. Deputy Marshal. Michael trusts me. If I’m there, maybe he’ll turn himself in without a fight.”

“And maybe he won’t. Until I know you’re safe, you’re not leaving the marshals’ custody.”

“Oh, yes, I am!” She glared at him and headed for the door, but Dominic wasn’t moving. He was big and strong and looked absolutely magnificent as he blocked the door. A hint of attraction swept over her, and she gritted her teeth.

The last thing she wanted was to be attracted to this tall, bullheaded deputy.

is an attorney who works for the Supreme Court of Florida in the Office of the State Courts Administrator where she works on programs that are designed to enhance and improve dependency courts throughout the state. She previously worked for the Florida Department of Children and Families handling child abuse cases both as a line attorney, and in the DCF General Counsel’s Office. She and her husband have eight children, five of whom they adopted. When not in the office, Kathleen spends most of her time cheering for her kids at different events or spending quiet time (hah!) at home. Kathleen has previously published two articles for Fostering Families Today, a magazine for foster families, and self-published a book entitled Children in the Wind, available through Amazon.com. She also plays drums on the worship team at her church.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:6–7

For my husband, Jim, and all of my wonderful children: Bethany, Keandra, Jessica, Nathan, Joshua, Anna, Megan and James. You are all a tremendous blessing to me.

Also for my parents, Ken and Jane Ingham, who always supported me in every endeavor and encouraged me to reach for the stars.

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 EIGHTEEN

EPILOGUE

LETTER TO READER

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Dominic knocked on the white screen door and took a step back. His eyes swept back and forth between the wide front porch of the aging country home and the spacious yard that surrounded it. An enormous live oak tree dominated the yard, and a wooden swing suspended from the lowest branch swung softly in the breeze. It was summertime in Tallahassee, Florida, and the grass was deep green and fragrant due to all of the recent afternoon rains. Dragonflies darted around the bushes, and a group of yellow butterflies congregated on the ground near the driveway. The setting was picturesque and almost looked like a Norman Rockwell painting.

It would have been a great place to sit and relax, if he wasn’t on such an important mission.

Dominic turned and knocked again, bending slightly to see if he could catch a glimpse of anyone at home through the large open window. He didn’t hear anything except his own feet making the porch floorboards creak and the soft squeak of the screen door as it moved slightly on its old rusted hinges.

He saw the barrel of the rifle out of the corner of his eye just a split second before he heard the woman’s threatening voice coming from the side of the wraparound porch.

“Freeze, buddy.”

He turned and raised his hands slowly. A woman dressed in faded jeans, an old burgundy T-shirt and a Florida State baseball cap approached him pointing a rifle straight at his heart. Her eyes were an electrifying blue that seemed to drill right through him. They were angry yet fearful at the same time, and her gaze swept over him very carefully, taking stock of him from head to toe. Her blond hair was pulled back and lay in a long braid down her back, and her lips were set in a thin line of determination. When she spoke, her voice was low and threatening. “You want to explain what you’re doing on my front porch?”

Dominic kept his hands up, hoping his passive stance would put the lady at ease. “U.S. Deputy Marshal, ma’am. I just want to ask you a few questions.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Prove it.”

“Okay. I have my badge and ID in my back pocket. Can I reach for it without you shooting me?”

She eyed him warily but finally nodded, keeping the rifle trained on his chest. Dominic could tell she had noticed the 9 mm pistol strapped to his hip and was keeping a close eye on his hands. He slowly reached his right hand behind him and pulled out his ID wallet. He flipped it open and held it up to her.

“Drop it and step back.”

Dominic obeyed, considering whether or not it was worth it to try to make a grab for the rifle when she picked up the wallet. Although he was sure he could overpower her and wrench the rifle out of her hands, from the way her eyes were filled with hard, gritty determination, he wasn’t entirely certain he could do it without hurting her. He made his decision and took a step back, keeping his hands held high. At this point, it wasn’t worth the risk. After all, she wasn’t the fugitive he was searching for. She was just the missing man’s sister.

He let her get the wallet without incident and watched as she examined his credentials. She looked back and forth between the photo on the ID and his face, her suspicious blue eyes carefully studying his features.

“I think you can get a badge like this on eBay for about five bucks.”

Dominic shook his head and smiled, hoping to pacify her. “No, ma’am, you can’t. It’s a real badge, and I’m a real U.S. Deputy Marshal. Look, lady, if I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it already. I’m just here to ask some questions. That’s it.”

The rifle never wavered in her hands. “Just take your fake ID and get off my property. I don’t want to answer any of your questions no matter who you are.”

“Actually, you don’t have a choice. Please put the rifle down, ma’am. You’re threatening a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon. That’s a felony, you know.”

He watched her eyes carefully and could see her actually considering his words and weighing out the truth of them. There was wariness in those blue depths, as well as a strength of purpose that he actually found himself admiring.