The Baby Assignment. Christy Barritt

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СКАЧАТЬ a risk we can’t take.”

      She took the phone Tanner handed her and nodded.

      “You can’t tell anyone where we are, either,” Tanner said. “You understand that, right? One wrong move, and there will be more people hurt.”

      Her blood chilled. No more trauma. No more people suffering at the hands of evil men.

      Just then, Tanner’s phone rang. He put it to his ear and muttered something into the mouth piece. When he hung up, he turned to her.

      Something else was wrong, Macy realized.

      “Tanner?”

      He pulled his gaze to meet hers. “My partner—the one who was at Third Day with me—just died. This is no longer about stopping people from getting hurt. It’s about stopping anyone else from dying.”

      * * *

      Tanner paced the safe house’s living room, trying to sort out his thoughts. Mourning the loss of his friend. Wondering how the man’s family was taking the news.

      He’d call later and show his respects. He still couldn’t believe that Frank was gone, though. It only fueled his desire to get to the bottom of this. Addie needed protection. Frank and his family needed justice.

      As nighttime fell and some of the shock wore off, the residents of the house had nibbled on some food that one of the agents had brought. It was just some fresh fruit and bagels, but it would do. No one seemed to be especially hungry right now.

      Tanner continued to pace and mentally reviewed all the precautions that needed to be in place to ensure Macy and Addie’s well-being here at the safe house.

      One agent was stationed at each door. And with Tanner there as well, it meant three men, for one baby—and one beautiful woman.

      The years between them had only made Macy look more appealing. He hadn’t thought that was possible. To Tanner she’d always been knock-him-over gorgeous. Easily the most good-looking woman in the room—and one of the most humble as well.

      Seeing her with Addie in her arms brought back images of what had once been his dreams of a future with Macy. Those dreams had died a quick and painful death.

      He’d assumed their paths would never cross again, given he was in law enforcement and she’d moved to a new state and worked as a psychologist. Their ties had been severed.

      Until now.

      But sitting next to her on the couch, smelling the sweet aroma of her perfume, and seeing those flecks of emotions in her eyes had taken him back in time. Taken him back to when they’d been in love. When she’d offered hopeful grins and gentle touches and the promise of forever.

      He shoved those thoughts aside.

      The only thing he needed to think about was this assignment.

      Saul had made it clear that this investigation was their first priority. Tanner wasn’t usually in the bodyguard business, but he’d do whatever necessary to see this through to completion.

      This was just the most bizarre case he’d ever encountered. And it had him more on edge than almost any other investigation he’d worked before. What was going on with baby Addie? Was she a part of a baby smuggling ring?

      If so, did smugglers really go so far as to send trained gunmen to kidnap babies? Did they really kill people just to sell a child on the black market? It seemed so unlikely.

      Yet what other reason could there be for Addie to be such a commodity?

      Macy had mentioned a custody dispute. The actions of the last day would be extreme, even in that scenario.

      So what else did this leave?

      “I’m sorry about your partner.” Macy’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

      “Thank you.”

      She continued to observe him from her seat on the couch. “You’re nervous.”

      He paused and realized that even though there was a crossword puzzle on her lap, her attention had been on him. She’d always been a watcher this way, perfectly content to stand back and observe life going on around her. It wasn’t that she didn’t play an active part. It was just that she liked trying to figure people out.

      She could still read him, the same way Tanner could still read her. The fact made him more uncomfortable than he liked to admit. Could Macy see how much she’d hurt him? Could she sense that he hadn’t had a serious relationship since then, that his heart still hadn’t quite recovered?

      You’re nervous, she’d said.

      He stopped pacing and stood in front of her, unease still jostling inside him. “The stakes are high.”

      “You didn’t get into this position with the FBI by not being great at what you do,” Macy said with a frown. “I know you can handle it. It’s what you’ve always lived for.”

      Was there a touch of bitterness to her voice? Why? She was the one who’d left him without a good explanation. He didn’t feel like this was the time or place to address their past. Not when people’s lives were on the line.

      “Macy, I thought those other agents could handle things today also, and look what happened. I don’t want to scare you, and maybe I’m speaking too honestly, but I’ve always been able to speak my mind with you.”

      Something flickered through her intelligent brown eyes. “Please do. I prefer the truth.”

      He took off his hat for just long enough to run a hand through his hair. “Something about all of this just doesn’t make sense to me.”

      She readjusted her legs beneath her. “You can’t pinpoint what?”

      He shook his head. “Not yet. I can’t imagine someone’s motive for going through all this trouble, though.”

      “Can you tell me again about what happened when the baby was dropped off at your office?”

      “A woman came by in a cab,” Tanner started. “She acted panicked. She told us the baby’s name was Addie, and they were both in trouble. She didn’t want her baby to be harmed.”

      “Didn’t you try to stop her from leaving?” Macy asked.

      “Of course. But she left the baby with a guard outside the parking lot. He didn’t have time to do anything except hold the baby and call for help.”

      Macy nodded thoughtfully. “Why didn’t you call Social Services? Isn’t that the norm in a case like this?”

      “We decided to check everything out first. We didn’t want to put an innocent foster family in danger, in case there was any truth in this woman’s words.”

      “I’m surprised the mom didn’t leave Addie with someone in her family.” She glanced at the baby sleeping in the portable crib in the corner.

      “Families СКАЧАТЬ