Elle James - Thunder Horse Heritage

THEY ONCE EXCHANGED THEIR WEDDING VOWS. NOW HE VOWS TO KEEP HER ALIVE.

She’d been his wife for barely a day and now FBI agent Tuck Thunder Horse was responsible for identifying her body. So he was more than shocked when Julia Anderson turned up very much alive—and on the run. Julia confessed to witnessing a murder and now needs Tuck to help her stay alive…and protect the baby he hadn’t known she’d had.

Julia and Tuck’s marriage might not have lasted, but there was no time for recriminations with a killer on their trail. As Tuck struggles to put their painful past behind them, he can’t help but find himself overwhelmed by his love for his little daughter…and his still-burning passion for Julia. Unable to trust anyone but each other, they know working together is the only way to safeguard their child. Could their one-day marriage turn into a lifelong adventure?

“I’ll keep an eye out—you feed your daughter. Unless you’re afraid of a baby?”

“I’m not afraid of my daughter.” Tuck gathered Lily into his arms and held out his hand for the bottle. “What do I do?”

“Stick it in her mouth. She knows what to do next. All you have to do is hold her.”

As he cradled his daughter, a surge of love filled every corner of his soul. Tuck’s heart swelled, so he could barely breathe. “She’s beautiful.” He’d never experienced anything as painfully wonderful as holding his own child in his arms. “Thank you for having her.”

“I’m sorry, Tuck. I should have told you about Lily. You had a right to know your daughter. And she had a right to know her father.”

Tuck could barely speak. Even with killers waiting for them, he was afraid to ruin this perfect moment.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A Golden Heart Award winner for Best Paranormal Romance in 2004, Elle James started writing when her sister issued a Y2K challenge to write a romance novel. She managed a full-time job, raised three wonderful children and she and her husband even tried their hands at ranching exotic birds (ostriches, emus and rheas) in the Texas Hill Country. Ask her, and she’ll tell you what it’s like to go toe-to-toe with an angry 350-pound bird! After leaving her successful career in information technology management, Elle is now pursuing her writing full-time. She loves building exciting stories about heroes, heroines, romance and passion. Elle loves to hear from fans. You can contact her at ellejames@earthlink.net or visit her website at www.ellejames.com.

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CAST OF CHARACTERS

Tuck Thunder Horse—Lakota Indian, North Dakota rancher and FBI special agent assigned close to home at the Bismarck, North Dakota, branch office. He didn’t believe in love at first sight until it happened to him a year before. Now he doesn’t believe in love at all.

Julia Anderson—A schoolteacher who left Tuck on the night of their wedding, who seeks his help to protect her and her daughter.

Lily Anderson—Julia’s four-month-old baby girl.

Jillian Anderson—Julia’s sister and FBI special agent, who found trouble while visiting Julia.

Ray Mullins—FBI supervisory special agent and Jillian Anderson’s boss at regional headquarters in Minneapolis.

Dante Thunder Horse—Tuck’s brother, and a helicopter pilot for the North Dakota branch of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Pierce Thunder Horse—Tuck’s older brother and fellow FBI special agent now assigned to the Bismarck office.

Walter Pickett—National Indian Gambling Commission representative in charge of overseeing the Running Buffalo Casino at Fort Yates.

Timothy Wilks—Casino manager of the Running Buffalo Casino in Fort Yates, North Dakota.

Josh Behling—Tuck’s friend and partner at the Bismarck FBI branch office.

Contents

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 One

Tuck Thunder Horse stared at his phone, debating leaving it off as his plane taxied to the gate in Bismarck, North Dakota. Off duty for the moment, with nothing on his docket but a “rest and recuperate” order to close out his latest FBI assignment, the idea was tempting. And after endless debriefing sessions followed by seven hours in transit from Quantico, Virginia, all he really wanted was to find a bed to fall into.

His sense of responsibility wouldn’t let him ignore duty. He switched the phone on and groaned as it immediately started beeping. He had no fewer than five messages and three texts. What could be so all-fired important? His supervisor knew he was on his way back to North Dakota, and his family didn’t expect him until later that night. His heartbeat kicked up a notch. Had something happened on the ranch?

Two of the three text messages read “Listen to your voice mail” and were from a buddy of his, Josh Behling, assigned with him to the FBI’s Bismarck satellite office. He and Josh went back to initial FBI training at Quantico. Their training days and a few missions that had tested their strength and mettle had forged a friendship that had lasted through the years. He looked forward to seeing his friend.

Behling had promised to meet Tuck at the airport and take him to his apartment, where he’d left his car. Tuck would stay the night there. His brother Pierce would be in from Quantico the following morning. Together they planned to head to the Thunder Horse Ranch, a good three-and-a-half-hour drive, to enjoy their

R & R together.

The last text read “911” with a phone number following.

Tuck clicked on the voice mail from Behling, frowning at the three voice mails from a “Blocked Sender.” Before Behling’s message could begin, his phone buzzed, indicating an incoming call. He hit the talk button.

“Oh, good, you must be on the ground.” Behling’s voice came over the line, intense, urgent. “I’m here to pick you up, but we’ve had a change of plan. Do you have a bag to claim?”

“No. I carried it aboard.”

The plane pulled to a stop at the gate and the fasten-seat-belt sign blinked off. Passengers filled the aisle, retrieving carry-on baggage from the overhead bins.

Tuck unbuckled and stood, bumping his head on the low storage compartments. Being over six feet tall had its disadvantages on mass transit. He muttered a curse and reached up to grab his suitcase, his hand holding the phone to his ear. “What’s the plan?”

“Well…” Josh heaved a sigh. “Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not taking you to your apartment.”

“No?” Tuck grinned. “Are we going out on the town for old times’ sake?” He inched his way down the aisle toward the hatch, juggling the cell phone against his ear and being careful not to bump the guy in front of him with his case.

“No, we had an agent of the National Indian Gaming Commission murdered tonight. His body was found along the shore of Lake Oahe. We also found a dead woman we haven’t identified yet.”