THE GUARDIAN (Taskforce Series) by Melton Marliss

Author:Melton, Marliss [Melton, Marliss]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: James-York Press
Published: 2012-07-16T22:00:00+00:00

**

The next evening, Lena pushed out of the store in the hopes of dispelling her agitation. Turning her back intentionally on Gateway, she admired the lavender sunset on the western horizon and dragged warm country air into her lungs.

“Howdy,” called Deputy Doug Hazelwood out the window of his cruiser. “Nice evening.”

She sent him a tight smile and a barely perceptible nod of agreement. Concentrating on the scent of freshly mowed grass and a gust of summer air, she was nonetheless aware of every cell in her body clamoring for Jackson to come visit her again tonight. Only, she knew he wouldn’t.

He had given her an ultimatum—to surrender her plans for Davis or else never again experience the intoxicating thrill of getting to know him intimately. Of course, he hadn’t worded it in such black and white terms, but she was fairly certain that it was Jackson’s way or the highway.

The only sure method to get what her body and heart yearned for was to pack her bags and head for home.

Still, she wasn’t leaving. Maybe if she got some kind of promissory note that would hold up in a court of law, she thought wryly, but probably not even then.

If she could just explain to Jackson that it wasn’t strictly a matter of trust. She was days away from her interview with Davis, an interview she’d imagined countless times in the past ten years. How could she just walk away after all she had done to prepare for his entrapment? Especially when she fully believed in her ability to make him say something incriminating. She couldn’t just give it up.

Nor could she shake the sinking certainty that, as a consequence, she was letting something extraordinary slip through her grasp.

What if Jackson never sought her out again because she’d rejected his offer and therefore him? Would this longing inside eventually subside? Or would she end up looking for his face in every crowd, wondering what might have happened between them if she’d just acceded to his wishes?

Even now, she fought the urge to turn around and search for him on the blacktop, where she could hear a basketball being dribbled. Pride alone kept her from stealing a peek as she whirled around and marched for the door.

But then a lone figure jogging on the shoulder of the highway snared her attention and, with lurch of her heart, she recognized the runner as Jackson. Slick with sweat, his limbs gleamed like oiled teak as they pumped in graceful rhythm beneath him, carrying him closer. Envisioning him driving his powerful body into hers, she gave a moan of lament before she squared her shoulders and forced herself to look away.

I didn’t come here to fall in love, she reminded herself. The four-letter word leaped so lightly into her head that it made her heart stop. I came to catch my sister’s killer.

“Maggie!”

Hearing her other name called, she glanced back to see Nadim, hustling across the highway on his way over to be interviewed. Pasting a smile onto her face, she held the door for him and waited.

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