Cowboy Behind the Badge by Delores Fossen Read Free Book Online

Tucker pressed.
    She swallowed hard. “Remember when you had me fired from the undercover investigation?”
    He nearly reminded her again that he’d merely asked that she be reassigned because of their old baggage. His supervisor had agreed with him. End of story.
    Except it obviously wasn’t.
    â€œWhat’d you do?” Tucker asked, once he got his teeth unclenched.
    â€œThe case was important to me,” she said, her chin coming up in a defiant pose. Just as quickly, it came down, and she dodged his gaze. “I didn’t want to just drop it because you and I couldn’t get along. I wanted to help find those women and babies.”
    Yeah, so had he.
    By all accounts, there were dozens of missing women and babies lost in the maze of a massive black-market baby ring. Not just illegal adoptions, but illegal surrogacies, as well. Even pregnant women who were kidnapped until their babies were born, at which point the new mothers were murdered.
    Cooper had helped to uncover and shut down a baby farm. That was a start. But there was evidence of many other farms.
    And just as many cold-blooded killers operating them.
    â€œPlease tell me you didn’t do anything dangerous or stupid,” Tucker said.
    Laine sure didn’t jump to tell him that she hadn’t. Which meant she had.
    Tucker groaned. “What’d you do?” he repeated.
    â€œI used some of the criminal informant contacts from the investigation to try to find another baby farm.” She paused, her gaze coming back to his. “And I found one.”
    â€œWhere?” But unfortunately Tucker had to wave off her answer when he heard a soft whistle.
    It was Colt.
    And the whistle was a signal they’d used since they were kids playing cops and robbers. It was just to let Tucker know he was approaching so he wouldn’t mistake him for a bad guy. Or in this case, shoot him.
    Tucker glanced back and spotted Colt making his way across the road. His brother wasn’t headed inside the house with them, but rather toward Rayanne and the prisoners.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Laine asked, and despite having both arms filled with babies, she hurried to the door beside Tucker and looked out. The medics were lifting the wounded prisoner into the ambulance.
    â€œRayanne, can you ride in the ambulance and keep an eye on this guy?” Tucker asked. “Colt and I will get someone else there shortly, but first I need to settle some things with Laine.”
    â€œLaine?” she repeated in an unfriendly tone. “As in Laine Braddock?”
    Tucker nodded, knowing the confirmation wasn’t going to help the venom in Rayanne’s eyes. Unlike Rayanne, he didn’t care much about their mother’s upcoming trial, but he didn’t want his dad and brothers dragged into it. The Braddocks, especially Laine’s mother, had threatened to do just that. She’d tossed around plenty of accusations about obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence.
    All unfounded and untrue.
    So basically Tucker was caught in the middle. Not a comfortable place to be, especially with Laine right by his side and an estranged sister snarling at both of them.
    â€œYou mean you called me out here to save her sorry butt?” Rayanne spat out.
    â€œNot just her,” Tucker explained. “She had two newborns with her. Even you wouldn’t refuse to help little babies.”
    Despite the rain and storm winds lashing at her, Rayanne stood there, glaring at him. Glaring at Laine, too, since she was now peering over Tucker’s shoulder.
    â€œLet me guess,” Rayanne snapped, shifting her glare back to Tucker. “They’re your kids?”
    Now it was time for Tucker to give her an eye roll. “I’m not exactly the daddy type, now, am I? No, these are babies that Laine rescued.”
    He hoped.
    If he was to believe anything their attacker said, then it was a strong possibility that Laine