Jaycee Bullard - Framed For Christmas

Holiday on the run...

Can they prove her innocence?

DNA technician Dani Jones can’t believe she’s being framed. But there’s no other explanation for the illegal drugs in her trunk—or the deadly target on her back. Though former DEA agent Gideon Marshall has learned to stay guarded, he won’t let Dani go down without a fight. But can Gideon and his retired drug-sniffing dog make sure she survives long enough to clear her name?

JAYCEE BULLARDhails from Minnesota, where a thirty-degree day in January is reason to break out short-sleeved shirts. In the ten years since graduating with a degree in classical languages, Jaycee has worked as a paralegal, an office manager and a Montessori teacher. An earlier version of Framed for Christmas won the 2016 ACFW Genesis award for Romantic Suspense. Check in and say hi on Facebook at Facebook.com/jaycee.bullard.1.

Also By Jaycee Bullard

Framed for Christmas

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Framed for Christmas

Jaycee Bullard

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08629-5

FRAMED FOR CHRISTMAS

© 2018 Jean Bullard

Published in Great Britain 2018

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 just found twenty kilos of cocaine in the back of your van.”

Dani blinked. Twice. And then asked him to repeat the statement.

“I found ten bags of cocaine in the trunk of your vehicle.” Gideon enunciated each word with careful precision. “Actually, Lou did. I’d estimate its street value to be close to a million dollars.”

She gave a gasp of surprise. “Your dog found cocaine in our van?” This had to be a joke. “Is he some sort of supersecret agent canine trained to sniff out drugs?”

The muscle flexing along Gideon’s jaw and the firm set of his mouth showed that this was no laughing matter.

“He is. And he’s got the medals to prove it. It took him less than five minutes to locate the stash of drugs hidden with the Bibles. Ironic, don’t you think?”

Her mind scrambled to make sense of this information. She supposed that, if true, it was rather ironic, but at the moment, that was the least of her concern. “Who put them there?”

“I was hoping you could tell me.”

Dear Reader,

It was 1985 when forensic scientists first tapped into the evidence encoded in our genes—DNA. Unique as fingerprints, samples of blood, hair, bone and tissue discovered at a crime scene could be analyzed, and a match to a likely suspect could be made. Over the past thirty years, DNA testing has become standard procedure in cases like the one involving Dani’s sister. It was this evidence that enabled police to find her murderer and bring closure to her grieving family. No wonder Dani dedicated her life to unlocking the mysteries of DNA.

Although I am not a scientist, I have always been fascinated by DNA. How incredible to consider these intricate details of God’s creation, which were once hidden and are now evident for all to see. We have only to look to Genesis 4:10 to find a hint about the information God has concealed in our genes. “And He said, ‘What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.’”

Thank you for joining Gideon and Dani on their winter adventure. I’d be honored to hear from you. You can email me at JayceeABullard@gmail.com, or friend me at Facebook.com/Jaycee.Bullard.1.

Warm regards,

Jaycee Bullard

To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

—Jude 1:25

Dedicated to my family. Mom and Dad, Nate, Clare, William and Nick. Paul, Jenny, Jen and Mallory. I couldn’t have done it without your love and support.

To my friends and colleagues at SPTS—Mark, Jim, Jeff, Courtney, Chris and Kathy—thank you for giving me those Thursday afternoons off to work on my writing. It meant more than you can know.

And to Dina Davis, my editor at Harlequin. I am deeply grateful for all your kindness and support.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

Dani Jones kept her head low as she lifted the nozzle from the fuel tank and set it back on the pump. It was a simple task, but her hands were trembling as she fumbled with the gas cap, trying to screw it on tight. Her eyes flickered toward the tan SUV parked behind her. It was the same vehicle that had been following her since Iowa. Same plates, same driver and passenger, with their ball caps pulled low and their eyes determinedly avoiding contact. She took a deep breath and repeated the familiar words that always steadied her nerves and calmed her racing heart. “I am safe. God is with me. No one is trying to hurt me.”

It had been more than fifteen years since her twin sister Ali’s brutal murder. Fifteen years without a single incident. She hadn’t been mugged, attacked or threatened in any way. But none of that mattered. The anxiety remained.