Terri Reed - Undercover Marriage

“Good job getting that out of him.”

The approval in Josh’s brown eyes made her stand a little taller. She still only reached his shoulder. “I take it the other two got away?”

“Yeah, they had a vehicle on the next block. I got a partial plate.”

“We have to put a stop to this,” Serena said. “We have to bring Munders down once and for all!”

Josh swiped a hand through his hair. “We will. First things first. Let’s finish up here and get home to St. Louis.”

Home. The word reverberated through Serena’s head like a pinball, bouncing off her thoughts. Growing up, she and Daniel had been passed around between their divorced parents like a set of candlesticks that neither really wanted but didn’t want the other to have. When Daniel had reached the age of majority he’d moved out on his own, taking Serena with him.

They’d shared an apartment ever since, but after Daniel’s death, she couldn’t take being there without him. She’d given everything to a local charity and moved into a studio. Her apartment wasn’t a home. It was a place to store her stuff and to sleep when she could.

She didn’t know if she’d ever have a real home again. Without her brother in her life, she was lost. He’d been her anchor. The one constant. Home had been where he was. Now he was gone. Thanks to Josh.

* * *

“Will we make our flight?” Serena asked, as the moving van, escorted by Houston police, pulled away from the curb.

Josh checked the time on his smartphone. “With time to spare.”

With the help of two local marshals, they’d made short work of packing the last of the McIntyre household into boxes and loading them onto the transport bound for Hawaii via Chicago and Seattle.

The Houston marshals had taken the wounded thug into custody and had obtained Josh’s and Serena’s statements. Josh wished they’d had another chance to further interrogate the guy who’d broken into the McIntyre house, but he didn’t want to get into an arm-wrestling match for control of the situation.

He’d let his superiors deal with the politics. Local marshals would interrogate the man later. And hopefully he would give up information on his cohorts.

After locking up the house, Serena placed the key in the mail slot for the landlord. The small circle of light from the porch fixture didn’t extend to the driveway, where they had parked the green four-door sedan they’d rented when they arrived in Houston this morning. Darkness shrouded the driveway and the bushes on either side.

The need for caution tripped down Josh’s spine.

He placed a hand to the small of Serena’s back. The fabric of her pantsuit felt luxurious against his palm.

She stiffened at his touch and stepped away.

Ignoring the sliver of irritation that sliced through him, he opened the passenger door and she slid into the seat. He reached inside to help untangle the seat belt strap. She shifted away from him and wouldn’t meet his gaze.

He blew out a frustrated breath and finished righting the belt before backing away and slamming the door shut.

They were both tired and cranky.

At least that was how he explained away her reaction every time he got close to her. But then again, these days she was always prickly with him.

Besides the one glimpse of vulnerability on her face when she’d been packing young Brandon’s room, Serena was her stoic self. Saying little and showing even less in her expression. The professional to the nth degree.

Her lack of emotions set his nerves on edge.

He wished she’d get mad or sad or something. She was grieving for Daniel, yet she held on to her emotions with an iron fist. He tried to emulate her. But it took a lot of energy to repress the myriad emotions raging through him at any given moment. There were times he wanted to give up, but knowing he had to stay focused and in the game for Serena’s sake kept him going.

He missed the easy friendship he and Serena had had before Daniel’s death. But since the moment she’d heard of her brother’s murder, she’d retreated behind this ascetic silence, talking to him only when necessary.

Not easy when they had to work together.

Sometimes impossible as partners assigned to a tough case.

He blew out a puff of air.

He knew she hadn’t been happy to be paired with him. But they made a good team regardless of their personal issues. Each easily anticipated the other’s need, the other’s movements. Numerous colleagues had commented on their compatibility. In fact, many people thought they were so in sync with each other that they could be a romantic couple.

So not the case.

For so many reasons.

First and foremost, Serena was Daniel’s sister and therefore off-limits. There were few people in this world Josh trusted. Daniel had been at the top of the list. Dishonoring his memory by becoming romantically involved with his sister wasn’t something he intended to do.

Besides, Josh would never do anything to jeopardize his working relationship with Serena by pursuing her romantically.

Josh had tried on numerous occasions over the past year and a half to talk to Serena about the day Daniel died, but she’d refused to engage in a conversation. Not that he wanted to explain why he’d taken a personal day or why he hadn’t answered the phone when Daniel had called him hours before his death.

What he wanted to tell Serena was how gut-wrenching it had been to learn of Daniel’s murder and then hearing Daniel’s voice message asking for backup.

Josh would live with the knowledge he’d let his fellow marshal and best friend down because of a woman. Lexi, Josh’s girlfriend of three years, had dumped him that morning, accusing him of having feelings for Serena.

Not putting any stock in the accusation, he’d dismissed Lexi’s allegations as irrational jealousy. Lexi had always been territorial, but she’d gone too far this time.

Josh wouldn’t deny he found Serena attractive, with her long dark hair captured back into a low ponytail and her wide-set eyes that saw through him. The tailored pantsuits she wore covered her from head to toe but showed off her athletic and feminine curves underneath. When Josh had first met Serena, she’d been reserved and wary, but she had warmed up over the years that Daniel had been Josh’s friend.

Josh wouldn’t have felt right about pursuing Serena, especially after she started working alongside him and Daniel. Josh had forced his attraction into a box and made himself treat Serena like a little sister when they weren’t working and like a professional colleague when they were.

None of that mattered now. Daniel was gone. Serena was now virtually a stranger, and Josh had no intention of becoming romantically involved with her. His guilt wouldn’t let him. He didn’t deserve happiness or even contentment.

He was to blame for Daniel’s death.

He would never forgive himself.

With a heavy heart, he drove out of the neighborhood and merged onto the highway heading toward Houston’s Intercontinental Airport. The evening traffic had thinned.

He glanced in the rearview mirror, noting the headlights of a black SUV. The same vehicle had been behind them since they left the suburban neighborhood. The big black beast stayed two cars back. Josh moved into the right lane to see what the SUV would do. It changed lanes, as well. At the last second Josh took the off-ramp.

“Hey!” Serena cried, reaching up for the grab-handle.

The SUV shot down the ramp behind them.

“We’re being followed,” Josh stated.

Serena swiveled in her seat to look out the back window. “I can’t make out the license plate.”

Josh stepped on the gas, heading the sedan down a side street. The back window exploded as gunfire pebbled the car.