Bounty Hunter

ON A KILLER’S TRAIL

While on a mission to bring his sister’s killer to justice, bounty hunter Riley Martelli spots a missing FBI agent in a Colorado national park. When he calls in the tip, he’s joined in his search by Special Agent Harper Prentiss. Harper, aided by her faithful German shepherd, is determined to locate the missing agent...without falling for the charms of the handsome bounty hunter. Working together is the best option to find their targets, but it also doubles the danger they’re in. With a killer looming large, poised to end their search for good, can Riley and Harper unite to find both men without becoming the next victims?

“I’ll do my best to help find your sister’s killer.”

He studied her then looked away for a brief moment while he considered the idea. All of her resources at his disposal. That would be a huge help. He nodded and captured her gaze with his.

“All right,” he said and held out his hand, “if your boss agrees, I’m willing to go with that.”

She shook his hand and the feel of her soft fingers within his grasp made him wonder if his heart would survive the deal.

Riley looked up from Harper’s pretty eyes. If he stared into them for too long, she muddled his thoughts.

His eyes landed on a figure near the door and he froze for half a second then leaped to his feet.

* * *

CLASSIFIED K-9 UNIT:

These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners

Guardian—Terri Reed, April 2017

Sheriff—Laura Scott, May 2017

Special Agent—Valerie Hansen, June 2017

Bounty Hunter—Lynette Eason, July 2017

Bodyguard—Shirlee McCoy, August 2017

Tracker—Lenora Worth, September 2017

Classified K-9 Unit Christmas—Terri Reed and Lenora Worth, December 2017

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for joining me on Riley and Harper’s journey to catch the bad guys and find true love. Riley had a hard time with his sister’s murder (who wouldn’t?) and Harper had grown up in a tough situation. But she’d made peace with it and now trusted God to lead her. Riley was mad at God about the whole situation, but gradually sees that while on this earth, people with free will are going to make bad choices that affect other people’s lives in ways that irrevocably change them...and not always for the better. He decided he didn’t want Van to “win” and was able to move past the bitterness and anger in order to find peace and joy and a new life with Harper and Asher. I pray if there’s bitterness and anger in your life, you can find the same joy and peace, a life filled with God’s blessings and goodness. I hope you’ll look for the other books in this series. They’re all written by different, talented authors! Books 5 and 6 release after this one so be sure to tune in to find out what happens to Jake and Penny Potter! I love to hear from readers. Find me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/lynette.eason or Twitter at @lynetteeason. My website is www.lynetteeason.com, where you can learn more about me and my books!

Blessings to you,

LYNETTE EASON is a bestselling, award-winning author who makes her home in South Carolina with her husband and two teenage children. She enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and teaching at various writing conferences around the country. She is a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America) and ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). Lynette can often be found online interacting with her readers. You can find her at Facebook.com/lynette.eason and on Twitter, @lynetteeason.

Bounty Hunter

Lynette Eason

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

—Romans 12:19

Dedicated to all of the K-9 officers, two-legged and four, who put their lives on the line on a daily basis.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

Extract

Copyright

ONE

A simple twitch of his finger and his sister’s killer would be gone. His two-month quest to find Van Blackman would be over. Riley Martelli took one more long look at the man in his sights then lowered the weapon.

But he could never kill someone in cold blood. Not even the man who’d murdered his sister and put his six-year-old nephew, Asher, in the hospital with a bullet lodged near his spine.

Being a bounty hunter could be a dangerous line of work. Sometimes more dangerous than his days of being a beat cop.

It definitely had its ups and downs. Bringing in fugitives topped his list of things that made life worth living. But the stakes had never been higher. He just had to figure out how to capture Blackman without getting killed.

In the last year since changing professions, he’d been through some tough times and barely escaped with his life.

And yet none of that had dampened his determination to bring those fleeing the law to justice.

Especially this one. This one was personal.

Which was why he now found himself outside the small town of Drum Creek, Colorado, just as the sun was getting ready to go down. With little daylight left, Riley needed to quickly figure out how to approach the man and safely bring him in.

Van knelt, but Riley couldn’t see what he was doing. Soon, small puffs of smoke drifted from the patch of ground. Was he building a fire? Did that mean he was planning to stay for a while?

Riley settled the gun back on his shoulder and got a better look with the scope. Van crouched over the small flame, pushing the contents as though trying to encourage a larger blaze. Riley lowered the weapon.

Now, in a very secluded area of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, Van moved to stand next to a black SUV just a few yards ahead of him. Grand Lake was calm and serene behind him. A sense of peace and satisfaction flooded Riley even as his adrenaline spiked. It might be July in Colorado, but it was cold at night, dropping into the forties. Van wore a black ski cap pulled low over his ears, but his tall height and broad shoulders were harder to disguise. Riley’s heart pounded. Finally, he was going to make his sister’s killer pay. He shifted the rifle on his shoulder for one more look through the scope. He scanned his prey’s body, watched the way he held his hands. His target kept touching his hip, which meant he probably had a gun there.

The man turned and Riley now had a full-on view of his face—and his heart stuttered.

It wasn’t Van Blackman.

Disappointment shot through him. He had the wrong man. Riley lowered the rifle with a frustrated sigh. Then frowned and lifted it to stare through the scope once again. The man’s face was familiar. Where had he seen him before? Television? Yeah, that was it. Could it be—? He focused again.

Yep. That was the missing FBI agent that had been all over the news lately. Morrow was his last name. Jack? Jeff? No, Jake. Jake Morrow. And there was a hundred thousand dollars being offered as a reward for his safe return.

It had been reported that he’d been kidnapped by the Dupree crime family and that he might have escaped, but still needed help.

The Dupree family had long been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, and from what Riley had been able to piece together, the feds had almost managed to capture them. Only things had gone wrong in a raid on a warehouse in Los Angeles.

While tracking Reginald Dupree and his uncle Angus Dupree, Morrow had disappeared from the warehouse. From what Riley remembered, a Dupree helicopter was able to get away during the shootout. It was suspected that Morrow was on that chopper, held against his will by Angus. Reginald and two of his associates had subsequently been arrested and were still in custody.

The weird thing was, Jake had been spotted all over the country, but the last report had him near Billings, Montana. So, of all places for him to show up, why here?

Riley lowered the rifle yet again and stood. “Special Agent Jake Morrow?”

The man froze and Riley raised his hands, along with the rifle, over his head and started walking slowly toward him. He stayed on the path that led to the little campsite clearing, bypassing the large rocks and tangled bushes as well as enormous trees. “I’m Riley Martelli. I’m a bounty hunter and I’ve been tracking a guy. I thought you were him. Imagine my surprise when you turned—”

The man palmed his weapon in a move so fast Riley didn’t have time to blink. Morrow aimed the gun at him. Riley’s street training didn’t allow him to freeze, he just dove behind the nearest tree as the gun cracked.

The bullet pinged off the large trunk, sending debris stinging against his face. “Hey! I’m one of the good guys! What are you doing?” Another bullet zipped past him and he raised his own rifle to his shoulder once again. “Stop shooting! I’m not trying to hurt you!” He peered around the rock, his blood pumping. His eyes met Morrow’s and the man glared at him for another few seconds before he raised his weapon once again to aim it at Riley’s face.

Riley pulled back just as another pop sounded then he heard the engine of the SUV roar to life.

Riley rose to his feet once again and watched the agent drive away while his heart thundered in his ears. Why had Agent Morrow reacted that way? Had he not heard him calling out to him? Of course he’d heard and still opened fire. His aim had been deliberate. Close shots that meant business. If the look in his eyes meant anything, Jake Morrow wasn’t lost and he definitely didn’t want to be found.

Riley reached for his cell phone, checked that he had a signal, and went to the news website. The number he’d seen on the television last night regarding reporting tips for Jake Morrow sightings was on the home page. He tapped the number and lifted his phone to his ear.

* * *

FBI Special Agent Harper Prentiss lowered her feet from her desk and leaned forward, her attention totally focused on what she was hearing. She’d been about to walk out the door to head home for the evening when the call had come through. Could this finally be the tip they were waiting for? “Tell me again. I want to make sure I didn’t miss anything.” And that his story didn’t change.

The man on the other side of the conversation had identified himself as Riley Martelli and said he’d spotted Jake Morrow in Drum Creek, Colorado. Skepticism was her first reaction. They’d had so many bogus tips that her head hadn’t stopped spinning with all the information she’d had to sift through. But the more this guy talked, the more she wondered if he’d really seen Jake.

He repeated the story word for word. The details didn’t change. Nothing left out, nothing added.

They had to check it out.

“Hold on a second.”

“Sure.”

She did a quick Google search. It was about a ten-hour drive to Drum Creek. If they left within the hour, they’d have time for a couple of hours of sleep before jumping on the case. She pondered taking the choppers, but they’d need their vehicles for the dogs.

Then again, she wanted to get there before too much time passed and Jake had a chance to move on. Or, there was another option. One that made the most logistical sense. “All right, I’ll tell you what. If I take a chopper, I can be there within a couple of hours. The others drive up with the vehicles and meet me there, but at least I can start searching.”

“No sense in hurrying,” Riley Martelli answered. “You’re going to want to start your search where I last saw him, I’m sure. There’s no searching in the dark. Not in that area, trust me.”

“Give me the location.”

“Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s about an hour and forty minutes from Denver and about fifteen minutes from Drum Creek. It’s got tons of camping areas, lakes and other great hiding places. I repeat, you won’t find him in the dark.”

Harper bit her lip, her frustration raging. She didn’t want to have to wait until morning to start looking for Jake, but apparently she wasn’t going to have a choice. They could chopper in lights and other equipment, but that was still risky. They could miss something important on the fringes of the light.

No, they’d have to start the search at dawn. “All right, we can be there first thing in the morning. Can you recommend a place to stay that can accommodate six team members and six dogs?”

“Sure. There’s a hotel in downtown Drum Creek. I’m staying there right now. The owner is a friend of mine. What do you need? Six rooms?”

“Yes.” Harper worried her bottom lip with her teeth. They had to be careful how they approached this. They still didn’t know what they were dealing with. Was Special Agent Morrow an agent in need of help or was he a double agent, actually working for the very mafia kingpin they’d been trying to put away for months now? She just didn’t know. But she was going to find out.

“Keep this confidential, will you? We’re going to make a big enough splash with our vehicles and the dogs, but if you can help us fly as far under the radar as possible, that would be great.”

Keeping the press and the public unaware of their classified missions was the only way to ensure the success of the team. However, with the dogs, the handlers had to be identifiable in certain situations so the FBI provided a variety of uniforms and gear for different occasions. Max West, their team leader, would have to figure out the best option for this situation.

“I’ll do my best and I’ll reserve the rooms for you,” the bounty hunter was saying. “Like I said, the guy who owns the hotel and works the early morning desk is a friend of mine. He can keep his mouth shut—and if you park in the back, your vehicles won’t be seen from the main road.”

“Perfect.”

“I’ll meet you in the lobby at 5:30 sharp. Sunrise is around 5:45. If we get out of town and head into the park early, there won’t be a lot of traffic or inquiries.”

“Good. Our vehicles are black Suburbans. No flashy logos or anything.” But the dogs would attract attention. They gathered stares wherever they went. She sighed. Well, they could only do their best.

“Sounds good.”

“Thank you, Mr. Martelli.”

“Call me Riley.”

“All right, Riley, see you in the morning.”

She hung up and sent an email to her team. She was a member of the elite FBI Tactical K-9 Unit. While the FBI started its K-9 program many years ago, the Tactical K-9 Unit was started by the agency ten years ago in response to the increased levels of terrorism haunting the country. They ultimately answered to the FBI Director, but her team was special in that they had very little micromanaging from above. They were good at their jobs and the director knew it. He left them alone, only requiring debriefs as necessary from their team leader.

Harper’s computer dinged as the responses came in. Good, everyone would be ready to leave by five this afternoon. They’d drive to Colorado, check into the hotel, sleep a couple of hours and be ready to roll by 5:30 a.m. She shut the laptop and placed it in her bag.

They had to find Jake. He’d disappeared in the shootout with the Dupree kingpin and his uncle, Angus Dupree, in Los Angeles, California. Jake’s Malinois, Buddy, was injured in the shootout and was slowly recovering. Unfortunately, as smart as he was, he couldn’t talk and tell them what happened or where his partner went. It was up to Jake’s team to find him and bring him home.

Or bring him to justice.

* * *

Riley glanced at his watch. 5:28. On any other morning, it would be too early for the motel to have breakfast ready, but he had requested that pastries and juice be available for the team. Since the two of them were friends, the manager had been happy to oblige and had even added scrambled eggs and bacon to the spread. Special agents milled around the buffet, their expressions solemn, determined and ready for anything. Each one had a highly trained, working dog. He didn’t see how they would be able to fly under the radar, but working in the early morning hours while most people still slept or late into the evening would help.

His gaze moved back to the woman who had captured his interest the moment she’d entered the breakfast area. She was one of two females in the group and he assumed she was the one he’d spoken to on the phone yesterday.

Harper Prentiss. He liked her name and thought it suited her. She looked to be in her late twenties. Her dark hair was cut short, but in a style that flattered her face. Her blue eyes had locked with his just moments before and he figured she’d be heading his way after she finished her bagel. He swallowed another sip of coffee. He hadn’t expected her to be so pretty.

Special Agent Prentiss took her last bite and walked over. Her German shepherd stayed at her heel and sat when Harper stopped in front of him. “Riley Martelli?”

He stood and held out a hand. “Yes, ma’am.”

“You’re here early.”

“I like to be prepared.”

A faint smile curved her lips and small creases formed at the corners of her eyes. “Thank you for reserving the rooms. We needed them by the time we got here.”

“Hope you got some rest.”

“A few hours, but we’re used to going without when we have to.” She looked around and he noticed the others clearing their trash. Her gaze landed back on his. “We’ll be ready to roll in just a few minutes.”

“All right. Your vehicles look like they’ll hold up to the rugged terrain.”

“They will.” She paused. “This is an afterthought, but I don’t suppose you got a picture of the guy you saw?”

“Nope, but his face has been plastered all over the news and that was the guy.”

“And he shot at you,” she murmured.

“He did. And kept shooting even after I identified myself with my arms up and my weapon held over my head. Trust me, he wasn’t interested in being helped. The bullets he fired weren’t warning shots. They were way too close for comfort. If he could have killed me, he would have. He wanted me dead.”

She frowned and exchanged a look of concern with the man on her left. He’d been listening to the exchange and now he nodded and stood. “Guys? Let’s do a quick introduction and get going. You all about ready?”

A chorus of yeses answered him. One by one, each team member stepped up to introduce himself and his partner. A tall, green-eyed agent with short blond hair held out a hand. “I’m Leo Gallagher.” He gestured to the chocolate Lab at his side. “This is True. Nice to meet you.”

Riley nodded. Next was the other pretty woman on the team. “Julianne Martinez and Thunder.” The foxhound’s ears twitched at his name and he looked up at her. She patted his head and they followed Leo out the door.

“Max West.” He was the one who’d stood and told them all to head out. Max was tall with short blond hair and blue eyes. He had a wicked-looking scar on his left cheek and Riley couldn’t help but wonder what had happened. “This is Opal.”

Riley shook his hand.

Harper leaned over as Max headed out the door. “Max is the boss,” she whispered. “Everything goes through him.”

“Right.”

All of the agents were friendly enough, but the walls were there. Riley didn’t take it personally. He’d been in law enforcement once upon a time so he got it. They didn’t know anything about him. He could be some thrill seeker who got his kicks by calling in false leads and making everyone jump through hoops. He’d have to prove himself, or at least prove he wasn’t mistaken—or lying—about spotting Morrow.

Another tall, muscular man stepped up and held out a hand. “Ian Slade.” He scratched the ears of the Belgian Malinois at his side. “This is King. Thanks for your help.” He moved on toward the door.

“And last, but not least, I’m Zeke Morrow and this guy here is Cheetah.” The Australian shepherd was a gorgeous animal. All of the dogs were.

“Morrow?” Riley asked.

“Jake’s my brother.”

“Okay, then. I hope we find him fast.”

“That makes all of us.” Zeke’s lips flattened and he walked out the door.

Harper sighed and met Riley’s gaze. “He’s having a hard time.”

“I’m sure,” Riley murmured.

“Now that you’ve met the team, we can get going. We’re all ready to find Jake and put this case to bed. Why don’t you ride with me? Star here has her own area in the vehicle.”

He nodded and followed her out the door to climb into the passenger seat. Star slipped into the back and Harper slid into the driver’s seat. Leo and True walked over. “Is there room for us? There’s no reason to take all the vehicles.”

“Of course. There’s room for True in there with Star for this ride. It’s not that long a trip according to the GPS.” They climbed in and True settled into the designated area with Star. The custom-designed vehicle came with a climate-controlled spot where the dogs had been trained to ride.

The other agents and dogs dispersed themselves between two of the other vehicles. Harper cranked the Chevy and pulled out of the hotel parking lot.

For the next twenty minutes, the three of them made small talk and he learned Harper had graduated from high school and then gone straight into the army. “You didn’t want to make a career of it?”

“Nope, just wanted my degree in Criminal Justice. As soon as I had that and the loans paid off I got out and applied to the FBI. I had pretty decent grades in high school, but nothing that stood out so the army made sense for me. My dad took off when I was little and my mom found her comfort at the bottom of a bottle and eventually died from alcohol poisoning.” She slid a glance at him. “My options were pretty limited. I just knew I didn’t want to be like either of my parents.”

“You’re pretty open about all that.”

She shrugged and smiled. “I’ve come to grips with it. Every once in a while I’ll get asked to do a demonstration at a school and instead of just making it all about the dog, I decided that sharing about my past might help someone make better decisions for their future. Kind of a ‘you might have it bad right now at home, but that doesn’t have to define your future’ thing.”

Riley found himself fascinated by Harper after that short snippet. Fascinated and wanting to know more about her. Which made him leery. He’d just met her so why did she hold such attraction for him? “Where’d you grow up?” he asked before he could bite his tongue on the question.

“In San Diego.”

“Any brothers and sisters?”

“No, I’m an only child.” Her lips twisted. “I was kind of sad about it when I was younger, but all things considered, it was better that way.” She shot him a glance. “What about you?”