In Bed with the Enemy by Kathie DeNosky Read Free Book Online

“I told him I’d ride along with you when you go to serve Mercado with the court order for his financial records.”
    She slid in behind the wheel, then turned to stare at him. “Let me get this straight. You decided all of this for me, without even asking if I was agreeable. Is that correct?”
    â€œWell, it wasn’t exactly like that,” he said, buckling the shoulder harness.
    â€œThen why don’t you tell me exactly how it was?” Her eyes sparkled with anger, fascinating the hell out of him.
    Cole shrugged. “Wainwright mentioned that he had to make a trip up to Austin after he accompanied you out to Mercado’s and I volunteered to take his place.”
    â€œAnd why would you do that?” she demanded, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead. “Why aren’t you running down your own leads?”
    He had to fight the urge to reach out and run hisfingers through her auburn curls. “I am following a lead. Ricky Mercado is my prime suspect.”
    She shook her head, surprising him. “I think you’re wrong.”
    â€œWhat makes you think he’s not involved?”
    â€œFor all I know, he may be involved to some degree,” she said, starting the car. “But I don’t think he’s the mastermind of the operation.”
    â€œThe gun smuggling didn’t start until after Mercado came back from Mezcaya.” Had she already discovered something in Valente’s accounts to indicate otherwise?
    â€œThat’s true. The smuggling wasn’t discovered until after he returned. But I have a feeling it was set up to look that way.”
    â€œWomen’s intuition, huh?” he asked, laughing out loud. Instead of insisting that he get out of the car, she pulled from the parking space. Apparently, she’d been distracted by arguing with him about the case.
    Her expression anything but amused, she glanced over at him. “Never underestimate the accuracy of a woman’s instincts, Caveman.”
    â€œI’ll try to remember that while putting the cuffs on Mercado and reading him his rights, sweetheart.”

Four
    A t the sound of a car slowing down on the main road, Ricky Mercado looked up from the board he’d been measuring. What now? he wondered, watching the red sedan kick up the dry south Texas dust as it started down the lane leading to his new home. He couldn’t tell who was in the car, only that it had two passengers.
    He shook his head. It had to be more of those damn government agents, coming to harass him. They were the only visitors he seemed to have these days. Most of his friends were either too busy enjoying their first few months of wedded bliss, or avoiding him because they’d heard he was being investigated by the feds.
    Slamming the tape measure on top of the board, he marched down the steps, then folded his arms across his chest as he waited for the car to stop. He wasgetting sick and tired of answering the same questions over and over, and he had every intention of telling whoever got out of the car that if they couldn’t cough up some solid evidence against him, to leave him the hell alone.
    But when a tall, slender, auburn-haired woman got out of the driver’s side, he grinned. Maybe his luck was changing for the better. Whatever agency she was from, it sure as hell had better-looking operatives than the ATF.
    â€œMr. Mercado?” She held up a leather-encased badge. “I’m Special Agent Elise Campbell with the FBI.”
    â€œWhat can I do for you today, Agent Campbell?” Smiling, he gazed at the attractive woman walking toward him. She had a set of legs on her that wouldn’t quit, and that slim black skirt emphasized how slender and shapely she was.
    He appeared to focus his full attention on her, but years of military training and a lifetime of being a Mercado had taught him to always be aware of what was going on around him. It was what had kept him