by A Caprice
TEXAS LIGHTNING
______________________________________
A. CAPRICE
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
TEXAS LIGHTNING
Copyright © 2019 A. Caprice
Cover design by Dar Albert
Originally published by Ellora’s Cave under the same title © 2015
TEXAS LIGHTNING
The talented agents of ARC, a covert paranormal agency, are tasked with saving the world from preternatural predators. Their missions are hot…and their nights even hotter.
Andie is Texas born and bred. As a member of the Texas Rangers, she can shoot with the best of them, ride a horse like nobody’s business, and take down any bad guy in her way.
What she can’t do is get rid of the yahoo who turned her world upside-down…and who doesn’t even remember their affair.
He’s invaded her office, taken over her investigation, and gone out of his way to make her seethe with that sexy little smirk of his.
She doesn’t know whether to kill him…or jump him.
Chase remembers everything about the spitfire.
Every smile.
Every moan.
Four years ago he didn’t tell her about his powers. He walked away, thinking it would keep her safe.
Now a drug dealer is targeting her streets. The drug not only can kill humans, it strips paranormals of their powers. He has no choice but to see Andie again.
Work with her.
Fall under her spell.
And now that he’s gotten a second taste, he won’t let her go.
And they’ll be hell to pay to anyone who gets in his way.
Chapter One
One thing Texas Ranger Andie Sellers prided herself on was her ability to refrain from busting in a douchebag’s nose, even when he really deserved it.
Well, that and her kick-ass boot collection. But those beauties, which required a second closet all for themselves, thank you very much, weren’t testing her now, not like her slipping self-control. Not unless she shoved the pointed toe of her turquoise Tony Llama’s straight up his a—
“It’s nice to meet you, Sellers.” The big blond ass stuck out a meaty hand. “It’s a pleasure to be working with you.”
She clenched her fist. She would not spill blood in her station. Reluctantly, she took his hand and squeezed with all her might. He didn’t so much as flinch…not until she dug her thumbnail into the back of his palm.
His wince sent a sad little thrill down her spine. “Detective McGovern. I wish I could say the same, but the pleasure will be all yours.”
He arched a golden eyebrow, managing to look superior, irritating, and sexy all at the same time.
She yanked her hand back. It was a pity she was so disciplined. His careless good looks could use the damage her right hook would inflict. His straight blade of a nose, square jaw, and smirking green gaze epitomized what her grandpappy used to say were “features more befitting a city boy.”
A pretty boy, if one could call a man pretty who towered over her own five foot eight inches by almost a foot and had muscles a Navy Seal would be proud of.
Growing up on an unforgiving Texas ranch, Andie thought that a man without scars showed a decided lack of character. The empty charm that rolled from his tongue and the fact that he was encroaching on her investigation were both good reasons to detest him on sight.
But it was the fact that the low-down, no-good sumbitch didn’t even remember her that really got her all bowed up.
“Children, this isn’t playtime.” Captain Perez of Company D Headquarters slid his hand over his bald dome. “Might I remind you that the citizens of the great state of Texas do pay us to actually do some work.” He leveled a stern look at Andie, and she sighed.
Since her move to the Rangers, she seemed to be getting that critical look a lot from her boss. Every time one of her partners requested a transfer. Each time she was reprimanded for using “unauthorized force” for the situation.
Okay, so maybe pride in her self-control was a tad undeserved.
She crossed her arms under her breasts, the handle of her Colt .45 six-shooter holstered around her waist wedging under her right elbow. “Texans didn’t pay for him to come play Ranger down here.”
“Detective McGovern is here as our guest,” Captain Perez said. “Part of being a Ranger is liaising with other law enforcement agencies, like the Michigan State Police. When they contacted us and said they wanted to send an officer to study drug trafficking at its source, I was more than happy to facilitate this training opportunity.” He planted his hands on his hips. “Since you are currently without a partner, Ranger Sellers, you will host our exchange officer for the week.”
“Thank you, Captain. And, please, call me Chase.” McGovern smiled easily at the man, and the stern expression slid from her superior’s face.
Her stomach knotted. She hated that McGovern could so easily charm those around him. That had included her one hot weekend in New Orleans four years ago, but she wouldn’t fall for his schtick this time.
He looked down at her, his emerald eyes twinkling like a boy who’d just been handed the keys to a candy store. “I’m sure that Ranger Sellers will show me what Southern hospitality is all about.”
She uncrossed her arms and rested her hand on the butt of her gun.
The detective’s eyes flickered to her waist then crinkled even more at the edges. Like she fucking amused him.
She scowled. The man obviously enjoyed riling her up. He had done that before in New Orleans, too, but in a much more pleasurable way.
So he liked poking at people, did he? He was going to learn that doing that to a Texas woman was like poking a stick at a beehive, a dangerous occupation.
She returned his smile, but hers was full of teeth and anticipated revenge. His own wide grin faltered. “You’re right, Captain. Detective McGovern is a guest here and I will be happy to show him what the great state of Texas is all about.”
“Good.” Perez slapped her shoulder. “Why don’t you start with the Kostya drug ring? That case is a textbook example of what we’re facing down here and one of our more prominent convictions.” He stuck out his hand to McGovern who shook it slowly with a wary glance at Andie. “Take the desk across from Sellers. It’s been empty for a while.”
“Thanks, but…” His voice drifted off as the captain loped away.
Andie swept a hand out in front of her. “Shall we?” She led him to his desk and cocked a hip to rest on it. Planting a boot on the seat of his chair, she kicked it out, smirking when it rolled into his knees.
He rested his hands on the arms of the chair and leaned down to look her in the eye. Face to face, inches apart, she couldn’t help but inhale the delicious scent of his aftershave, bringing to mind tangled sheets and sweaty bodies.
She gritted her teeth. Why did he have to still smell the same way he had four years ago when she had her arms and legs wrapped around him, her face buried in the crook of his neck as he—
“It looks like I was laboring under a misconception about Southern hospitality. I get the distinct impression that you don’t want me here.” He regarded her evenly, and Andie felt her temper spike.
How dare he be so indifferent to seeing her again? When she’d seen him talking to her captain, she’d felt like she was on board a r
olling ship, unable to get her sea legs underneath her.
Oh, yeah, because he didn’t remember screwing her six ways to Sunday. That’s how he could be indifferent. It must be nice to have the memory span of a gnat.
“The first thing you’ll learn is there’s a difference between Southern and Texan. Go to Georgia if you want some Southern belle pouring you lemonade and cooing over your every word. If I don’t let you die of thirst in the desert, well, that’s me being hospitable.” She ignored his clenched jaw and reached for the daily briefing sheet on her desk. “Now, why don’t you read this while I go get the Kostya file?”
She sauntered across the open floor plan of the Weslaco Ranger station and tapped the elevator’s down button like she didn’t have a care in the world. The second the doors slid closed to take her to the file room, she snapped straight, her posture rigid once again.
She paced the small space like a caged animal. It was just for a week. She could survive anything for a week. Even the company of an insufferable egotist who had been the best lover she’d ever had and then had the temerity to give her a fake phone number.
She had been an investigator with the Houston district attorney’s office at the time and had the resources to get the number for a then Detroit police detective, but pride wouldn’t let her sink that low. His giving her a fake number had been the coward’s way of telling her he didn’t want to see her again, and she wouldn’t waste one more minute of her life pining over a yellow-bellied dog.
After a couple of minutes, she reentered the main room with the Kostya file in hand and jerked to a stop when she saw three of her coworkers chatting with McGovern, jostling for position like he was the last frozen margarita on a hot summer day.
All of them were female.
One was flipping her hair over her shoulder and leaning so close to the Michigan detective that he could probably hear the pounding of her hopeful heart.
Andie’s stomach clenched, but she forced herself to take a deep, relaxing breath. She was calm. She was disciplined. And she wasn’t going to let the sumbitch get under her skin.
She squared her shoulders and wedged her way into the throng. She slapped the file down on his borrowed desk before circling around to her own chair. She stared at the other ranger and two administrative assistants who ringed his chair. “Don’t all y’all have some work to do? I just know there is some crime being committed in Texas that needs solving.” She raised an eyebrow as she looked at each one in turn.
With heavy sighs and some rolled eyes, the trio said goodbye to their new friend and wandered back to their desks.
“They were just being friendly,” he said. “You are familiar with the concept, I presume.” He leaned back in his chair, and it creaked ominously underneath his large frame.
She rested her elbows on her desk. “Look, I’ve reconciled myself to being stuck with you for a week, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to let you waste my time. I have a lot of important cases that need my attention.”
His green eyes never left hers. Those eyes had entranced her once. They were like the Rio Grande, jade green when calm, but the glints of brown becoming more prominent when he got worked up, like the muddy run-off after a storm.
Her cheeks heated. She was glad she had never shared such a fanciful notion with the man.
“Important cases like finding out who’s behind the spread of NU-216?” he asked.
One of her elbows slid out from under her, and she jerked forward before catching her balance. Her breath quickened. “What do you know about NU-216? Why are you asking about it?”
“I know NU-216, street name Heaven, has been responsible for several deaths in the metro Houston and Dallas areas. I think it might be responsible for some in Detroit as well. The drug is supposed to give the user the ultimate high, makes a person feel omnipotent. Unfortunately, it has a nasty side effect of making some of the users’ hearts explode. Since Texas was the first market, we’re assuming that the drug is coming up from Mexico.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk, mirroring her body language. His chair squealed in protest. “What do you know about it?”
Andie pressed her lips tight. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? This ‘exchange officer, I just want to learn about the drug trade through the border’ is a bunch of bull crap. You only came down here to learn about Heaven.”
“Would you have a problem with that if I did?” He leaned forward a bit more, the movement pulling his navy shirt tight, straining the buttons.
She ran her eyes down the thick column of his neck to the golden hairs that peeked out from the vee his shirt made at his chest. The light cotton stretched across his chest, the muscles clearly defined. She shifted in her seat then snapped her focus back to his eyes, hoping he hadn’t noticed her perusal. “I have a problem with the subterfuge. Why didn’t you just come out and say you were investigating this drug?”
He shrugged. “Some law enforcement agencies get squirrelly about their open investigations. I find that if I approach them saying I just want to learn about an area they have expertise in, I get a much better reception.”
“So lying is okay if it makes life easier for you?” She snorted. “It’s nice to know how you northern boys think.”
His jaw clenched. “That’s not quite what I meant.”
“No, that’s exactly what you meant. You just don’t like how it sounds when someone calls you on it.” Andie held up a hand when he opened his mouth to argue. “Regardless, I would be happy to share what I know on NU-216.”
He raised his eyebrows.
Andie huffed. Why did people think law enforcement got territorial with their information? If another agency wanted to assist on one of her open cases, she was all for it. She just wanted a safer Texas.
If she wanted to think the worst about Chase, and she did, she’d guess that his suspicion about the candor of other LEOs stemmed from his own lack of honesty.
But that was neither here nor there. “This drug has a small market share right now,” she said, “but I don’t think that will last. It has a low cost comparative to other party drugs and promises the ultimate high. I think it has the potential to become an epidemic in our inner cities, and if it’s reached Michigan already, you have a right to know everything I do.”
He nodded stiffly. “Thank you.”
She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a thin manila folder. She tossed it on his desk and he opened it up to look at the few pages inside. “What’s this?” he asked.
“Everything I know.”
His jaw dropped. “This file—”
“Is as skinny as an underfed rattlesnake, I know.” She heaved a sigh. “I haven’t even bothered to upload most of that to our computer files. There’s something about this drug…”
McGovern tensed and his shoulders seemed to double in size.
She touched her throat. How did he find shirts to cover all those muscles?
“What do you mean?” he asked.
She cleared her throat. Leaning back in her chair, she hooked her thumbs in the belt of her holster and steered her mind away from naughty memories. “I mean, this case is what my grandpappy would call a real hooter. You know the owl is there because you can hear him, but you can’t see him in the dark.”
He snorted. “While that’s very colorful, it doesn’t answer my question.”
She picked up a pencil and began flicking it against the desktop. “I can feel the presence of the man behind Heaven, but I can’t get any information on him. The dealers I’ve talked to act like he’s the chupacabra, some mystical figure that they are scared to death of. The drug isn’t coming through our known cartel channels.”
“How do you know it’s coming from the south? Why can’t it be produced here?”
“It could but I don’t think so.” She leaned across her desk and tapped the pencil on the file in front of him. “An ICE agent caught a woman acting as a mule crossing the dese
rt with a variety of drugs, including NU-216. The fact that she crossed the border alone was unusual enough. When he started asking her about Heaven, she flipped out. She was so scared to talk about how she got that drug that she smashed her head down on the interview table. Repeatedly. Gave herself a broken nose and brain damage.”
“Was she high?”
“Tox screen came back clean as a whistle. She just didn’t want to talk. I think she would rather have killed herself than face the consequences of giving up info on Heaven.” Andie examined the man who had given her the best few days of her life, and who’d hurt her more than any other. Faint wrinkles etched the corners of his eyes, lines that hadn’t been there four years ago. They made him look more experienced. More empathetic.
Sexier, damn them.
She gritted her teeth. “If we’re going to be working together on this for a week, I need you to understand something. I’ve had partners leave me because of the risks I’ve taken to get information on this drug. I won’t apologize if my actions are outside of the Texas Ranger handbook. Two months ago I held the hand of a fifteen-year-old girl as she died after ingesting NU-216. There pretty much isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to find the man responsible. If you can’t handle that, then stay out of my way this week. Got it?”
“Got it.” He tilted his head to the side. “And if you find the man responsible? And he’s living in Chiapas, out of your jurisdiction?”
“As it has been made abundantly clear, the Mexico-U.S. border isn’t secure. It doesn’t protect the innocent. Why should it protect the guilty?”
He frowned. “Ranger Sellers…”
Andie stood, her chair rolling out behind her from the sudden motion. “You’ll only be here for a week. You don’t have to worry about what I’ll do when I finally get my hands on the man.”
“Which is?”
A smile stretched across her face, hiding the tightness in her chest. “He thinks he can show people heaven? Well, I’m going to introduce him to hell.”
