Secret Agent Boyfriend (19 page)

What horrors had this poor young girl seen?

Derek had said she was kidnapped with the intent of using her in a human trafficking ring. Had that happened and Mark rescued her, only to then use her as an expedient resource? Or was Mark a part of that, too?

She shuddered, humbled by a reality she’d never acknowledged before. She’d believed herself well aware of the problems brought on by poverty and lack of opportunity, but did she really have any idea? She’d spent the better part of the past two months feeling sorry for her own personal situation, yet here she sat with a young girl who had nothing.

Landry was entitled to her own grief and pain, but something shifted inside her as the day progressed, one long hour after another.

Reginald and Patsy’s inability to love her and parent her in a functional, positive way was on them. She’d done nothing to deserve their lack of care and yet the longer she wallowed in it, the greater disservice she did to herself.

And to Derek.

She’d recognized her error on the walk to the barn, but it was only now, when the risk she might never see him again became all too clear, that she truly understood. Love was a gift. An offering of the heart that shouldn’t come with strings. If he wanted to accept her love and share his in return, then they’d figure out their life together.

And if he didn’t, then she was still better for having loved him.

Rena cried out from her cot and Landry went to her, pulling her small body close. The child clung to her in sleep, desperate for the comfort and warmth she’d been denied for who knew how long. Landry crooned to her, soothing her with gentle words and soft strokes over her hair.

She let the moments drift, puzzling through the information she already knew. Did she have anything she could use against Mark? Anything she might hold over his head that would get him to at least release Rena?

The loud
thud
of the door woke her, and Landry realized she’d fallen asleep herself while holding the girl. Rena was still wrapped around her but the room was darker than earlier, the light through the window holding the sheen of early evening.

“Get up!”

Rena whimpered awake, her thin arms squeezed tight around Landry’s waist. Landry shifted them both to a sitting position, unwilling to cower in the face of Mark’s bullying.

Now was the time to get the information she desired.

But as she stared into his eyes, she had to question why he had done this. And how many others had he possibly hurt?

If she could get those details, she might find some way to use them, either to trip him up or to leave some bit of evidence behind for Derek and his team to use.

“You don’t have to yell. You’re scaring her.”

“Kid’s been scared for a month.”

A month?

A renewed burst of anger filled her chest but Landry held on. “Why did you do this?”

“I rescued her from that human trafficking ring. She should be thanking me and instead all she does is whine and complain.”

“Maybe because she’s still locked up, away from her family. Her life.”

“She’s got three squares and a better life here than she would have.” Mark’s eyes grew dark, the sneer he perpetually wore firmly in place. “But what would you know about that? Miss Overprivileged and Overindulged. Daddy’s little princess is now horrified to see the seamier side of things, is that it?”

“The only horror is you. You have a position of honor and bravery and you’ve thrown it away on some twisted, petty jealousy.” The words spilled forth and she refused to hold them back. “What made you crack? Was it the proof that you’ll never be as good a man as Derek?”

Mark’s face narrowed in anger but he stood his distance. It was curious, she realized. She’d have expected him to strike her for her comments. Instead he stood back, distancing himself.

The impression of cowardice she’d had wasn’t far off the mark. Despite his anger and rage, he clearly found it distasteful on some level to exact punishment directly. Other than his rough handling after he’d knocked her out with something in the stable, she was untouched. And she’d gently questioned Rena earlier to find out the girl hadn’t been physically harmed throughout her ordeal.

So why was he doing this?

“Winchester’s an ass. The office golden boy. Damn protector of the vice president so everyone thinks that makes him a hero.”

“He’s a good man.”

“He’s a phony. He acts like he’s this big family man yet he never appreciated what he had.” Mark slammed a hand over his chest. “
I
appreciated it but could never have it.”

Landry stilled as raw fury mottled his face in a vivid red. “What didn’t Derek know how to appreciate?”

“Sarah.”

“His fiancée?”

“Ex-fiancée.” Mark spit the word out on a snarl, the “ex” more significant to him than she ever could have realized.

This was all about Sarah? Mark had thrown his life away—and clearly his sanity—over a woman?

“Does she know?”

“You think I’d taint her with this?” Mark tossed a hand in Rena’s direction. “She already thinks brats like Rena take up too much of the job. Too much time and focus and attention. Why would I tell her this?”

Landry couldn’t imagine that his subterfuge had come off without considerable time and planning, as well, but she held her tongue. He was obviously riled and now that she had her information, her only goal was to get her and Rena out as smoothly as possible.

“Maybe you would let me talk to her? Sarah.”

“Why would I do that?”

Landry forced as much of a bored, rich girl tone as she possibly could into her voice. “I’m the new woman. It’d be easy enough to let Sarah know how right she was and what a good idea it was to walk away.”

Interest sparked in Mark’s gaze, a small, predatory smile coming to life. “That’s not a bad idea.”

“Of course it’s not.”

Mark frowned and Landry nearly thought she’d overplayed her hand when she realized his gaze had slipped away from her completely.

He swore, long and low under his breath, before slamming them all back against the wall. “Looks like your good idea is going to have to wait.”

“For what?”

“I need to go kill your boyfriend.”

* * *

The old warehouse in downtown Los Angeles brought back a series of memories Derek had pushed to the back of his mind. On his first sting after he joined the Bureau, they’d uncovered a flophouse for one of the city’s major criminal networks.

The warehouse looked abandoned—purposely so—but the place was used as a transition stop. They primarily trafficked drugs, prostitutes and any young girls they were shipping out of the country, but their capabilities far exceeded simple transportation.

Though the building appeared condemned, it had state-of-the-art security and computer capabilities that rivaled NASA.

He and the team had dismantled the place, piece by piece, securing reams of evidence that had put several criminals behind bars for life and had chipped away at a huge portion of the crime ring’s cash flow.

After Brad’s cursory glance into Mark’s files, they’d spent the afternoon digging more deeply through whatever they could get their hands on that Mark might have touched. The time and forced patience had nearly killed him, but Derek knew they had one shot at this.

One shot to get Landry and bring her home.

Whatever game Mark was playing had come to its end. And there in some obscure piece of paperwork, Derek’s patience had been rewarded. As soon as Brad snagged the building file, Derek had made the connection.

It had been Mark’s one slipup, but it had been enough for them to put the pieces together. The orders on the building had been signed off on by Mark Goodnight. And when they dug into the paperwork behind the authorization, Derek had found what he needed.

His earpiece buzzed, Leo’s voice strong and clear. “Eyes on him. Snipers got a view through the windows. Do not engage.”

“They see anyone else?”

“Negative.” Leo’s voice snapped through the line. “Hold your position, Agent Winchester.”

Derek had been through it already and knew the protocols. Mark was armed and if they tipped him off, there was no telling what he’d do.

Derek
knew
he needed to wait for the signal.

But all he could imagine was Landry inside, bound up or—worse—hurt and in need of help. In need of him.

So he held his post, standing sentinel against the battered old door on the back side of the building. He kept calm, tracing the building floor plan over and over in his mind. And he thought about all the ways he was going to tell her he loved her.

How he’d hold her close and never let her go. How he was going to ask her to marry him at the first possible opportunity.

He believed they’d see each other again, willing it with everything he was.

Whether it was the heightened direction of his thoughts or the sharp awareness of seeing this through to completion, he didn’t know, but he was already on the move when the door behind him opened.

His body flat against the wall, Derek forced Mark to walk through the door to get a good look at him. Those last few steps were necessary and compelled Mark to expose himself in the open. Despite orders and the snipers in easy range, Derek made his move.

He had Mark slammed against the doorframe, wrestling him against the wall. “Where is she? You bastard! I trusted you!”

The words tore from his lips in a hard cry, words he was barely aware of even speaking. Betrayal layered over anger until all he could see—all he could feel—was the steady slam of Mark’s head against the outer wall of the building.

Moments flashed in a blur as screams echoed down the sidewalk, his backup on him in seconds, pulling him off Mark.

And then Landry was through the door and in his arms, saying his name over and over.

“You’re okay.”

“I’m fine. Shhh.” Her arms were tight around his shoulders, her lips against his ear. “I’m fine.”

Derek clung to her, amazed she was back in his arms. He’d hoped—believed—she would be, but the reality was so much better.

“Derek.” His lips moved over her hair and she said his name again before pressing on his shoulders. “Come here. Come with me.”

Time blurred in a series of impressions and he fought to stay with her as she reached for his hand. “Come on. I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

Landry pulled him back through the doorway, into the dark, dank space of the building. He nearly pulled her back out, unwilling to have her spend even another minute there, when he saw her.

Rena.

Her tall, gangly body was draped in a T-shirt and jeans, her feet bare.

“We found her, Derek.” Landry’s voice was quiet as she pulled him closer to the young girl. “She’s safe.”

Derek fell into a crouch before the girl, unwilling to startle her after all she’d been through.

Landry moved to stand next to Rena, her arm draping those slim shoulders. “He’s the one I was telling you about. He wouldn’t rest until they found you.”

Rena glanced up at Landry, trust swimming in her quiet eyes. And then she moved, all arms and legs, and threw herself into Derek’s arms. And as he looked over Rena’s head, into the eyes of the woman he loved, Derek knew he’d found his partner. The woman who understood him. Who accepted him for who he was and who he wanted to be.

And for her, he’d do anything. She was his life. His love.

His forever.

Epilogue

“T
hey caught her.” Landry snuggled deeper into her robe and wondered why that statement didn't make her feel worse.

Rachel's eyes widened from the opposite couch. “Your mother?”

“Yep. She's being extradited as we speak, ripped from the arms of her European lover, under investigation for the acts perpetrated against Elizabeth.”

“Oh, Landry, I'm so sorry.” Rachel moved to sit next to her and laid a soothing hand on Landry's leg. Her eyebrows did shoot up in clear surprise. “But a lover?”

Landry wanted to be angry—knew she would have been even a few weeks ago—but she simply didn't have the time or attention to care about her mother's poor choices any longer. “Apparently she's been seeing Raphael for the last year. She was actually with him the night my father was shot so she's cleared of suspicion there.”

“I'm still sorry.”

“I'm not. She needs to own up to her part in what happened to Elizabeth.” Landry thought over the past forty-eight hours. The rescue in the warehouse. Rena's return to her family. Even Noah's agreement to take a DNA test.

All of it was coming to a resolution, and Patsy's extradition was another necessary chapter closed.

Rachel offered up another soothing pat. “Then we'll agree to bury this in the friend vault and only pull it out from time to time if you need to discuss it.”

Landry pulled Rachel close in a hug. “You've got a deal.”

They drifted to other topics—namely how they'd both gone overboard purchasing baby outfits—when Noah walked into the room. “I wanted us all to be together for this.”

“For what?” Landry watched as her entire family trooped in, with Derek closing the line, an envelope in his hands. His gaze was somber as he sought her out, subdued from the brighter joy that had marked him since they returned from LA.

When he came over and took the seat next to her, his hand closing over hers, she squeezed back. She knew that envelope held Noah's future, and she was glad they would share the moment together.

“I should probably get going.” Rachel stood but Noah pressed her back to the couch.

“Please stay. I'd like you to be here.”

Rachel nodded, her green gaze solemn. “Of course.”

“Derek? Please.” Noah took the envelope from Derek, his hands steady as he ripped through the thin seal. “I've had some time to think about what's in here. And I've come to accept that you all did what you thought was best.”

“Noah—” Whit halted before adding, “You're our family. You mean the world to us and you always have. No matter what's in there, we're here for you. We're always here for you.”

Noah nodded before his gaze landed on Landry. She reveled in the warmth there and the love, always so evident in his gaze. “I know that. And almost losing Landry was a really crappy way to be reminded of how much you all mean to me, too.”

Derek wrapped an arm around her and she moved closer to that protection and, to the very depth of her soul, knew Noah was right. Family—the ones you were born with and the ones you made—were what made life worth living. And in a matter of months, she and Derek would solidify their feelings by marrying and becoming a family of their own.

Noah slid the papers out and Landry marveled at how so few pages could change a man's life. He scanned the top page but it was his words that sent shock waves through the room.

“I'm Jackson Adair.”

* * * * *

Don't miss the next
ADAIR AFFAIRS
book
from Elle James in May 2015!
And if you love Addison Fox,
be sure to pick up her other stories:

THE MANHATTAN ENCOUNTER
THE ROME AFFAIR
THE LONDON DECEPTION
THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT

Available now from Harlequin Romantic Suspense!

Keep reading for an excerpt from JOINT ENGAGEMENT by Karen Anders