Duty To Defend. Jill Elizabeth Nelson

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      Reynolds looked away, focusing on some spot in the corner of the ceiling behind her head. Something about this situation had her boss a little reluctant—probably her inexperience. Daci sat up straighter. Whatever the mission, she’d do her best to exceed his expectations.

      Jaxton Williams angled his body toward her. “We think you stand a good chance of bonding with Serena at her new work site, maybe even becoming a trusted friend.”

      We? Daci gaped at him. Since when did a politician get consulted on Marshals Service assignments?

      Her boss’s gaze turned hard and sharp. “Because of his professional obligations to interact with Ms. Farnam—and his experience in the Marshals Service—Jax will be your backup in the woman’s work environment. Somewhat in her home, as well...provided you succeed in getting invited into Ms. Farnam’s social circle. We need you to make that happen.”

      Daci narrowed her eyes at the suit. “You’re a marshal?”

      “Former.” A grin lifted one side of his chiseled lips. “This guy here—” he motioned toward DC Reynolds “—used to be my team partner, but I changed careers about five years ago and became a—”

      “Kiddie lawyer,” Reynolds burst out.

      A wicked smile lit Jaxton’s face, sparking his blue gaze and propelling Daci’s silly heart into a backflip. “That’s Mr. Kiddie Lawyer to you, Rey-Rey.”

      “Big talk from the guy who sits behind a partition in a warehouse reno where the phones never stop ringing and the voices never stop jabbering.”

      “I like my wide-open spaces. Beats your claustrophobic ‘splendor’ any day of the week.” His gaze traveled the circumference of the small office. “And don’t forget my private conference room in the back. It’s furnished with a top-of-the-line folding table.”

      Reynolds snorted. “We can’t all hit the big time.”

      The guys grinned at each other, and Daci heroically resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her twin brothers, Nate and Noah, used to banter like this all the time at the dinner table, which was not a bad thing—usually. But the habit drove her nuts when she was trying to have a serious family discussion, and the discussion right now was about as serious as it got.

      She still had no idea where this assignment was taking her—other than cozying up to a vicious felon’s former girlfriend. It sounded like it would be an undercover operation—certainly an unusual choice for her first assignment. How would anyone come to the conclusion she had the skill set for this?

      “What exactly is a kiddie lawyer?” Daci enunciated her question with the slightly too loud, slightly too cold precision that used to get the boys’ attention at the meal table.

      The smirks fell away, and both men fixed their stares on her. Daci raised her eyebrows. Apparently, the method worked with adults, as well. Who knew?

      Jax offered a sober nod. “I work for a nonprofit specializing in defending the rights and best interests of juveniles and/or mentally and emotionally handicapped adults who have entered the social services system. We’re not in the system ourselves, so we can take on the system to address corruption or mismanagement if we need to do so. We follow our clients closely, even making regular visits to home or caregiver sites.”

      Warmth spread through Daci’s insides. Score a big one for the suit for choosing such a difficult, yet worthwhile, career. Numerous crises embedded in her past could have used such an advocate. She smiled at the nonprofit lawyer, and he blinked back. Did his square jaw drop a few millimeters? What was up with that? Her frizzy strawberry blond locks, barely contained by a wrap net at the nape of her neck, and well-defined but ordinary features weren’t exactly knock-’em-dead material.

      Reynolds cleared his throat. “Jax has accepted a temporary assignment with the Marshals Service for this case.”

      “Very temporary and limited in scope.” Jax’s intense gaze turned toward Daci’s boss. “My primary focus will be the child—not Serena, not even Naylor. That’s where our goals and interests intersect. If I have to choose between protecting the boy or apprehending Naylor, I will choose the child.”

      “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Reynolds nodded.

      Daci tapped a finger against her lower lip. “Am I correct in understanding that this child is Ms. Farnam’s son?”

      Honestly, it was like pulling teeth to find out what this case was all about. She’d learned during her orientation that Ross Reynolds was generally forceful and direct. Something about this situation had him tiptoeing like a ballerina on a crowded bus.

      Her boss leaned his elbows on the scarred desk. “Yes, she has a little boy. A six-month-old infant that is assumed to also be Liggett Naylor’s son—another reason there’s an off chance he may try to contact her. You are assigned to shadow the mother under cover as her coworker. You and she will be starting work together on the same day, which should add additional opportunity for bonding.

      “Because Serena has problems that have called into question her fitness as a mother, she has lost custody of him—at least temporarily. Jax has been assigned to the son as his legal representative, which gets him access to monitoring the child. He also observes the mother at her workplace for confirmation that she is rehabilitating and during set times when mother and son are reunited for supervised home visits. When you’re around Serena, you and Jax are to behave as if you are strangers. But behind the scenes, the two of you will coordinate efforts on everything.”

      Daci shifted in her seat. What kind of parental-fitness problems? “How much do the people at this workplace know about the danger Serena Farnam may attract toward them? I mean, I don’t want to speak out of turn and say too much on the job.”

      “The director, Naomi Minch, knows the whole picture,” Jax answered. “I filled her in, and she agrees that Naylor would be a fool to approach his former girlfriend if he doesn’t want to be recaptured. He’s probably on his way out of the country as fast as he can go. However, she’s on board with the two of us operating under cover to keep an eye on the situation, just in case.”

      “Right.” Reynolds jerked a nod. “While Serena is aware that her former boyfriend is in the wind, she laughed when police suggested he might seek her out. According to her, before he was arrested, Naylor was already losing interest in her. He’s more than old enough to be her father and has a reputation for preying on vulnerable younger women, then discarding them. We offered protective custody or a protection detail, but she refused, so the arrangement we are discussing is Plan B. Serena has no idea we are planting undercover deputies. She needs to stay in the dark so she will trust you. Since her interaction with Jax has been somewhat adversarial, it will be important that she not realize you and he are working together. Now, go study the case file on your computer and get busy on this as of yesterday. Any further questions?”

      “Lots,” Daci said, “though I assume they will be answered in the case file. But, right now, I’d like to know why the baby is in the system.”

      Jax frowned and glanced toward his polished shoes. “Chase has fetal alcohol syndrome.”

      Daci went rigid. An image of her youngest brother Niall’s FAS-distinctive features flashed across her mind’s eye so clearly that it was as if it were only yesterday she’d so briefly held him close before he disappeared from her life.

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