Kathleen Tailer - Perilous Pursuit

Evidence in their hands...

And a crime ring on their trail.

Someone will do anything to get Mackenzie Weaver’s documentary footage—even kill her. US deputy marshal Jake Riley won’t let anyone harm Mackenzie, especially since he’s beginning to see her as more than his late friend’s little sister. But exploring their growing connection isn’t an option…because keeping an emotional distance is his best hope of outmaneuvering criminals determined to make this project Mackenzie’s last.

KATHLEEN TAILERis a senior attorney II who works for the Supreme Court of Florida in the office of the state courts administrator. She graduated from Florida State University College of Law after earning her BA from the University of New Mexico. She and her husband have eight children, five of whom they adopted from the state of Florida. She enjoys photography and playing drums on the worship team at Calvary Chapel, Thomasville, Georgia.

Also By Kathleen Tailer

Under the Marshal’s Protection

The Reluctant Witness

Perilous Refuge

Quest for Justice

Undercover Jeopardy

Perilous Pursuit

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Perilous Pursuit

Kathleen Tailer

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09651-5

PERILOUS PURSUIT

© 2019 Kathleen Tailer

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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“I could have just shot you!”

Jake lowered his weapon, did a quick take of the hall and, seeing no one else, covered the distance between himself and Mackenzie in three seconds flat.

“Get out of here now!” he whispered vehemently, trying to push her toward the door, but she held her ground.

“I’m not leaving, Deputy Riley. I have a job to do, just like you.”

“We’re in pursuit of a suspect. You’re in danger here, and you just might end up in the line of fire again if you’re not careful. Now get out of here!”

“You’re wasting time. While you’re standing here arguing with me, you could be chasing him down.”

Jake’s eyes flashed. “You’re making my job very difficult, Mackenzie.”

Mackenzie frowned. “You’re not making mine very easy, either.”

Jake shook his head and motioned with his gun again. “We’ll talk about this later. For now, stay here. Do not go any farther into this building. Do you understand? The man we’re chasing is armed and isn’t afraid to shoot at anything that moves.”

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

—Isaiah 43:2

For my wonderful family, Jim, James, Bethany, Keandra, Jessica, Nathan, Joshua, Anna, Megan and our newest members, Daniel and Joshua. God is good, all the time! I have been blessed beyond measure.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

“Really?” Mackenzie Weaver groaned and shuffled the groceries in her hands, trying to get the right key in the lock so she could get into her apartment. She’d been out all day and was bone-tired after spending hours meeting with the executives involved in her latest project for the local US Marshals office. They’d finally hammered out a deal and had approved her action plan, but it had been a long and arduous process. She shifted again, still not able to get the right key in her hand. Her purse slipped from her shoulder to her elbow, and the weight made her movements even more awkward. She juggled a bit more, and two oranges fell from her grocery bag. She let out an exasperated sigh. If she wasn’t careful, the deli container of salsa she had purchased would open up and make a truly nasty mess.

Dear God, please help me make it through this day.

Her prayer was short but heartfelt. Just as she bent down to pick up the oranges, the first bullet ripped into the door frame. The sound was deafening. Splinters and paint chips spit at her as a second bullet hit just below the first. For Mackenzie, the noise from the gun was just as shocking as the sight of the bullets tearing into the wood.

She dropped her bags and hit the floor, her heart beating so hard it felt like it was about to come out of her chest. Her breath came in gasps. She scooted against the wall and then fumbled for her phone so she could call 911. She never had an opportunity. Suddenly, two rough hands pulled her to her feet and dragged her into her apartment. Another man closed the apartment door behind them.

“You idiot!” The man at the door spoke gruffly as he approached. “Why did you shoot at her? We don’t want her dead! Not yet anyway, and now the noise is going to bring us company we don’t need.” His words sent a chill down her spine, and she started shaking.