by Angi Morgan
The fate of the city rests in their hands.
When FBI operative Therese Ortis and Texas Ranger Wade Hamilton agree to team up, they have one goal in mind: find and stop an algorithm that could destroy Dallas—or worse. But going undercover in order to bring down a criminal organization comes with its own form of danger. If discovered, they’re bound to be torn apart. Then not only will their beloved city pay the price, but Therese and Wade will suffer unforeseen—and unimaginable—consequences.
“Asking around town for me actually got these guys all in my face. I wasn’t prepared and had to come up with some type of excuse.”
“What the hell are you sidestepping, Therese?” Maybe his words could have been a little less confrontational, a little less loud. Not really. “Dammit, I need some answers.”
“The truth is I’ve been on this case for over three years.”
Case? Three years on a case? “I knew it.” He slowed to a stop, wanting to caress her hair, all that silkiness. “You’re undercover FBI.”
Her hands waved him to silence even as her lips puckered sexily again. “Shh. Don’t say it aloud even if we’re alone. When you started asking around town for me, I shrugged it off. But then you kept asking and it’s made my boss—” she shrugged “—a little angsty.”
“Angsty enough to send your, um...protection detail?” Hit men were more like it. God, he wanted to pull her to him and kiss her. He shook it off. Men. Guns. Undercover. Favor. Focus.
CRIMINAL ALLIANCE
USA TODAY Bestselling Author
Angi Morgan
Angi Morgan writes about Texans in Texas. A USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author, her books have been finalists for several awards, including the Booksellers’ Best Award, RT Book Reviews Best Intrigue Series and the Daphne du Maurier Award. Angi and her husband live in North Texas. They foster Labradors and love to travel, snap pics and fix up their house. Hang out with her on Facebook at Angi Morgan Books. She loves to hear from fans at angimorganauthor.com.
Books by Angi Morgan
Harlequin Intrigue
Texas Brothers of Company B
Ranger Protector
Ranger Defender
Ranger Guardian
Criminal Alliance
Texas Rangers: Elite Troop
Bulletproof Badge
Shotgun Justice
Gunslinger
Hard Core Law
West Texas Watchmen
The Sheriff
The Cattleman
The Ranger
Texas Family Reckoning
Navy SEAL Surrender
The Renegade Rancher
Hill Country Holdup
.38 Caliber Cover-Up
Dangerous Memories
Protecting Their Child
The Marine’s Last Defense
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Wade Hamilton—Lieutenant in the Texas Rangers, Company B. He trusts his gut and has a habit of acting before he thinks things through.
Therese Ortis—An undercover FBI agent working hand in hand with Homeland Security. Wade owes her a favor after saving his life, and it’s time to collect.
Company B—Jack McKinnon, Heath Murray and Slate Thompson. Wade helped with their love lives; now they intend to return the favor.
Rushdan Rival—A billionaire who tried to kill Wade. He has a finger in almost every illegal pie in Dallas.
Public Exposure—A group actively promoting to use less social media. Are they real or a cover for a domestic terrorist group?
Thanks for the years of encouraging words and support, Therese! You deserve a great, capable heroine named after you. Lori, Amanda and Robin...couldn’t have done it without you.
Contents
Prologue
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
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
Excerpt from Before He Vanished by Debra Webb
Excerpt from Heartbreaker by B.J. Daniels
Prologue
Last year
“Dammit, Hamilton. It doesn’t matter if you were right. You broke every rule we have. If it were up to me, I’d kick you to the curb like you deserve.” Major Clements slapped his hand against his thigh as he paced in front of the door.
Wade Hamilton stood at attention, something he’d rarely done since becoming a Texas Ranger. Eyes straight ahead, he couldn’t see his commander walking behind him. But hey, even if he stood directly in front, Wade couldn’t focus on the major’s expressions. His left eye was still swollen from the beating he’d taken a week ago and everything was blurry. He couldn’t judge if this was the end...or just a very long reprimand.
Wade could feel Major Clements just over his right shoulder. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw the major’s hand clenched in a fist, the knuckles white from the tight grip. His supervisor had been angry before.
Yeah, several times before.
But hopefully, he could remember that Wade had saved lives. Didn’t that count for something? His partner had reminded him often enough that Wade trusted his gut too much. But this time Jack was grateful for it.
“It seems that I don’t have a final say,” the major continued. “Seems that someone at headquarters put in a good word. Who knows, maybe the woman you helped save talked with someone. Or maybe the top brass doesn’t want to have to explain why a Texas Ranger from Company B was fired after saving someone from the state fire marshal’s office. Hell, I have no idea.”
Major Clements’s boots struck the floor, paused and pivoted again.
It wasn’t the first time the major had given him a lecture. It was the first time he hadn’t been looking at Wade when he delivered it. No matter the words about how lucky he was and unknown friends at headquarters, Wade still wasn’t too sure about job security.
“I drew the line at the suggestion you be given a commendation. Rule breakers should not be rewarded. The example you’ve set is not a good one. I’m very disappointed in you, Lieutenant.” The major’s voice was tempered with sadness instead of anger.
“I understand, sir.”
“Good.” He walked back to his desk, putting both fists knuckle down on the polished wood and leaning toward Wade. “And yet, I don’t hear an apology or simple words like it won’t happen again.”
“That goes without saying, sir.”
“Do you really believe that, Wade? I hope you’ll at least try not to play the hero. You barely survived this time. But since I can’t fire you, in order to rein you in a bit...” He sat. A good sign that Wade hadn’t lost his job. �
��You’re benched.”
“Excuse me, sir?” Wade’s eyes moved to make contact with the major. One stern look was enough to have him back at attention. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Desk duty, Lieutenant. You’ll report here every day. And every day there will be files for you to work on. You are not to leave this office from the hours of nine to five. I don’t want to hear about you even going for lunch. You got me?”
“Loud and clear, sir.”
“Dismissed.”
“But what about the case, sir?” Wade looked just above the major’s head, concentrating on keeping his eyes from pleading with the man in charge of his fate. “We only touched the surface of what crimes Rushdan Reval is behind. This is our way into that scumbag’s organization.”
“We’ve been ordered to stand down, Lieutenant. I said dismissed.”
Wade left the office barely able to swallow, feeling grateful that he had a job, wondering how he’d survive sifting through files—especially paperwork that wasn’t even his—and disappointed in himself that he’d been close to accessing Reval’s group and had messed up...bad.
His partner, Jack MacKinnon, gave him a “what’s up” look from across the room. Slate Thompson and Heath Murray, along with the other Company B Rangers, gave him a wide berth and no eye contact. They all probably thought he was heading to his desk to clean it out. No one really expected him to keep his job, his rank or his anything.
He made it to his desk, still using the crutch the hospital had forced on him. Honestly, he could barely see his chair since his left eye was killing him. It was the roll-y thing behind the big block of wood. Yeah, he could joke but not laugh—the cracked ribs were too painful.
The doctors had been straight about the headaches that wouldn’t go away for a while. Even straighter about the possibility his sight might not ever be 100 percent again. Rest—sitting-down-and-not-moving kind of rest, to be more specific—was what they demanded.
They hadn’t cleared him for anything. But after two days of sitting inside his house, he’d finagled his recovering body behind the wheel of his truck and driven the fifteen minutes to headquarters. It had been more painful sliding out and hitting the ground with both feet.
He sat, putting the crutch on the floor next to the wall his desk was pushed against. He heard himself suck air through his teeth as he rolled into place.
“You okay?” Jack patted him lightly on the back. “Looks like you’re still employed.”
Dammit, he hadn’t seen Jack come up behind him. He jumped, then hissed again in pain.
“For the moment. And only at this wonderful desk.” He petted it like a dog.
“Always the cutup. How long?” his partner asked before sitting on the corner of his desk.
“You got me.” It hurt too much to shrug. And it hurt too much to focus across the aisle. Everything really was mostly a blur.
“Man, I’m not sure how long it’ll take for him to trust you again.” Jack rubbed his chin, then the back of his neck—or at least that was what it looked like through the fog. “I’m sort of surprised I’m not stuck here, too. On second thought, it was entirely your fault I was involved in the first place.”
“Don’t go there, man. Not only did you get to make a serious arrest because I asked for a favor, but you also got a girlfriend out of it. Who I should probably thank for saving my job with a word from her state-level boss. You can say that I’m responsible for setting you two lovebirds up.”
“You could say that.” Jack stood, removing his gun from his desk drawer and placing it in its holster. “But if you do, I might just have to kick your butt.” He laughed. “Your desk duty explains why I’m on loan to Dallas PD for a while.”
“They’re still shorthanded after the loss of their officers. You’d think the major would want me out there with you.”
His partner raised his eyebrows almost into his hairline. “Get real. You know I trust you with my life. But man, you got to learn to play the game. Rangers have a specific duty and—”
“And are restricted to following the law. Yeah, I know. I heard that lecture for the past hour while standing at attention. I thought the major would go harder on me if I reminded him I’m having problems standing.”
Jack clapped him on the shoulder. Wade tried not to wince. He was determined to force his body to at least stay upright.
“I was going to say,” Jack continued, “that we have a proud tradition. Our motto might be ‘One Riot, One Ranger,’ but that doesn’t mean it has to be us doing things alone. I’m here for you. Always will be. No matter what.”
“Thanks, Jack. It’s appreciated.”
“Keep your head down and fly under the radar. Don’t go looking for trouble.”
“I never look, man. It just always seems to find me. Watch your back since I won’t be there to protect you.”
“Like you did by getting beat up so bad you can’t stand?”
“Three cracked ribs isn’t too bad.” He squinted through his good eye. “Besides, they took me by surprise.”
“Right.”
Wade watched his partner leave the office without him, passing one of the clerks on his way. A clerk with a box, heading straight toward his desk.
“Major Clements said you should go through these, Wade.” She dropped the box on the floor next to his chair. “You need to verify that all the appropriate reports are in order and scanned or the data inputted. Basically, that everything’s ready for trial or to turn over to headquarters. When you’re done, I have the rest of the alphabet waiting.” She turned to leave but pivoted back to his desk. “Remember that these files need to be locked up each night.”
Wade lifted the lid and pulled the folder at the end... Carla Byrnhearst. “That’s just great.” One box got him through two letters. He shoved the file back inside and pulled the Ader file from the other end.
Keep his head down.
Do the time at his desk.
Accept the punishment.
Keep his job.
He could do this. He’d wanted to be a Texas Ranger for too long. One man had put everything on the line to keep him from a life of crime. After that, all his focus had been toward obtaining that goal. College, Texas DPS, the highway patrol, three long years near the border and finally an opening and assignment to Company B.
These men were his brothers now. His desk phone rang and he answered.
“Hey, sexy. Just checking up on you.”
Therese. Trouble did have a habit of finding him.
God, just the woman’s voice sent electricity shooting through his veins. Where had she been? Where was she now? Last week in the hospital, he’d forced another ranger to run Therese Ortis’s name. She should have been awaiting trial for her involvement with Rushdan Reval, the Dallas crime syndicate leader who had just tried to kill him. But there had been nothing.
“I guess I owe you something—at least dinner—for saving my life.” His mind was already following the steps to have the call traced.
He’d seen her once. Spoken to her fewer than half a dozen times. And he was caught, dangling at the end of her string. In fact, he’d swallowed her enticing voice and innuendos hook, line and sinker.
“Even though I’d enjoy that very much, I don’t think it would help you get off desk duty,” she purred.
“You’re the one who kept me my job?”
“Ladies never kiss and tell, Wade.” She paused long enough to let the words have their desired effect. “Gotta run, Ranger Big Man. Till next time.”
“Wait...”
Too late. The line disconnected. He didn’t have to inquire about the number—he knew it would be a dead end. Just like each time before. His mystery woman had a habit of swooping in for the save and disappearing until she needed him again.
He opened the file and started. With any luck, he could g
et through a letter each day. Twenty-six days stuck in a chair. Behind a desk. Watching his fellow rangers do the heavy lifting.
No playing hero.
Most investigating happened from a chair anyway. Sitting here would give him plenty of time to discover just what the mystery surrounding his lady was all about. Yeah, he could do this. Especially now that he was properly motivated.
And man oh man...he was definitely motivated to find Therese Ortis.
Chapter One
Present day
Just another two-for-one longneck Friday special. Wade sat on the same barstool he’d ended his nights on and had claimed for years. This particular stool was the last one next to the wall, located where no one could catch him by surprise. Only his right side was open to patrons. Better for his vision, especially now that it got fuzzy from time to time.
He should be somewhere else.
Maybe somewhere more respectable for a Texas Ranger. That wasn’t here. Someplace he could share that he was a ranger. Or maybe be with his friends. But they all had girlfriends. Heath was back home with his wife. Slate might as well be married. And Jack—his so-called partner—was engaged.
He should find some other friends. Maybe some who liked to...to what? Watch a game? Play trivia over some chicken wings? It didn’t matter where he went or what barstool he ended up on. He’d still be looking at every dark-haired woman who walked in the door to see if it was her.
Dammit. He couldn’t keep this up. Six weeks was long enough visiting bars on lower Greenville Avenue. His search for Agent Therese Ortis needed to end.
Soon. No. Tonight. He’d shown his face once too often in other dives. Earlier the barkeeps had waved him past their place, in a hurry to get the discouraged ranger on his way. His badge was far from good for their business.
So here he sat. His go-to joint that knew him from way back. The one place where they gave him a pass for having a badge.
Twisting the rest of his lime slice into his Mexican beer, he studied the peel—more interested in the citrus than in anyone around him. He needed to take Jack’s advice. If Therese wanted to get in touch... Well, she knew how. She’d done it before to save Megan and a second time to save his hide before Rushdan Reval blew him up inside a building.
