Elizabeth Heiter - Secret Agent Surrender

This undercover agent can’t disguise his true desire!

Undercover DEA agent Marcos Costa is shocked to see Brenna Hartwell—his very first crush—cozying up to the brutal drug lord he’s about to bust! He hasn’t seen her since childhood, but he never imagined she’d turn to a life of crime. What the hunky agent doesn’t know is that Brenna’s working her own bust as a rookie cop undercover.

Brenna didn’t think she’d ever see Marcos again, especially not on her first undercover mission! She knows she has to keep her distance…but while she and Marcos play out their daring ruse, their youthful passion reignites. One wrong move could blow their covers. Can two loners used to self-reliance trust their lives—and hearts—to each other?

The Lawmen: Bullets and Brawn

“So you think you’re safe? Or do we need to run now?”

She gaped at him. “We?” She shook her head. “Even if I’m compromised, you didn’t vouch for me. Whatever happens to me, I won’t betray your cover. This is about me.”

“No, it’s not. We’re a team now, you and me.”

The idea flooded her with warmth, made her feel more secure and more afraid at the same time.

If this was just about her, she wouldn’t hesitate. It was worth the risk.

But it was no longer just about her. “I don’t think he’s going to say anything, but I can’t be positive.”

Marcos nodded, stepping a little closer. “Nothing in life is a guarantee, especially in undercover work.”

Her pulse picked up again at his nearness, her body wanting to lean into him. “What do you think we should do?”

“If you don’t think you’re compromised, we stay.”

If she stayed here much longer, she was definitely going to be compromised, but in a completely different way.

Secret Agent Surrender

Elizabeth Heiter

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ELIZABETH HEITERlikes her suspense to feature strong heroines, chilling villains, psychological twists and a little romance. Her research has taken her into the minds of serial killers, through murder investigations and onto the FBI Academy’s shooting range. Elizabeth graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English literature. She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. Visit Elizabeth at www.elizabethheiter.com.

For Andrew—I couldn’t have imagined a

better real-life hero.

I love you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text This undercover agent can’t disguise his true desire! Undercover DEA agent Marcos Costa is shocked to see Brenna Hartwell—his very first crush—cozying up to the brutal drug lord he’s about to bust! He hasn’t seen her since childhood, but he never imagined she’d turn to a life of crime. What the hunky agent doesn’t know is that Brenna’s working her own bust as a rookie cop undercover. Brenna didn’t think she’d ever see Marcos again, especially not on her first undercover mission! She knows she has to keep her distance…but while she and Marcos play out their daring ruse, their youthful passion reignites. One wrong move could blow their covers. Can two loners used to self-reliance trust their lives—and hearts—to each other? The Lawmen: Bullets and Brawn

Introduction “So you think you’re safe? Or do we need to run now?” She gaped at him. “We?” She shook her head. “Even if I’m compromised, you didn’t vouch for me. Whatever happens to me, I won’t betray your cover. This is about me.” “No, it’s not. We’re a team now, you and me.” The idea flooded her with warmth, made her feel more secure and more afraid at the same time. If this was just about her, she wouldn’t hesitate. It was worth the risk. But it was no longer just about her. “I don’t think he’s going to say anything, but I can’t be positive.” Marcos nodded, stepping a little closer. “Nothing in life is a guarantee, especially in undercover work.” Her pulse picked up again at his nearness, her body wanting to lean into him. “What do you think we should do?” “If you don’t think you’re compromised, we stay.” If she stayed here much longer, she was definitely going to be compromised, but in a completely different way.

Title Page Secret Agent Surrender Elizabeth Heiter www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author ELIZABETH HEITER likes her suspense to feature strong heroines, chilling villains, psychological twists and a little romance. Her research has taken her into the minds of serial killers, through murder investigations and onto the FBI Academy’s shooting range. Elizabeth graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English literature. She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. Visit Elizabeth at www.elizabethheiter.com .

Dedication For Andrew—I couldn’t have imagined a better real-life hero. I love you!

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

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

“This is a bad idea,” Marcos Costa muttered as he drove the flashy convertible the DEA had provided him into the middle of Nowhere, Maryland. Or rather, up into the middle of nowhere. He could actually feel the altitude change as he revved the convertible up this unpaved road into the Appalachian Mountains.

“It was your idea,” his partner’s voice returned over the open cell-phone line.

“Doesn’t make it a good one,” Marcos joked. The truth was, it was a brilliant idea. So long as he lived through it.

The DEA had been trying to get an in with Carlton Wayne White for years, but the man was paranoid and slippery. Until now, they hadn’t even had an address for him.

That was, assuming the address Marcos was heading to now actually did turn out to be Carlton’s mansion and not an old coal mine where a drug lord could bury the body of an undercover agent whose cover was blown. Namely, his.

“According to the GPS, I’m close,” Marcos told his partner. “I’m going to hide the phone now. I’m only going to contact you on this again if I run into trouble.”

“Be careful.”

“Will do.” Marcos cut the call, hoping he sounded confident. Usually, he loved the thrill of an undercover meet. But this wasn’t their usual buy-bust situation, where he’d show up, flash a roll of money, then plan the meet to get the drugs and instead of doing a trade, pull his badge and his weapon. Today, he’d been invited into the home of a major heroin dealer. And if everything went like it was supposed to, he’d spend the entire weekend there, being wined and dined by Carlton.

Because right now, he wasn’t Marcos Costa, a rising star in the DEA’s ranks. He was Marco Costrales, major player in the drug world. Or, at least, aspiring major player in the drug world, with the kind of money that could buy a front-row seat in the game.

Pulling over, Marcos slid the car into Park and popped open a hidden compartment underneath the passenger seat. Ironically, the car had originally belonged to a dealer down in Florida, and the compartment had been used to hide drugs. Today, Marcos turned off his cell phone to save the battery and slipped it in there, hoping he wouldn’t need it again until he was safely out of the Appalachians.