Read Online Showdown in Mudbug by Jana DeLeon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jana DeLeon
Ads: Link
catch-22, huh? Your man has honor and integrity, but since he was FBI, that means he’ll always be keeping things from you. Welcome to my world. Could be worse. At least you knew what Beau was when you met him.”
Sabine’s frown relaxed. “That’s true.” Maryse’s husband, Luc, an agent for the Department of Environmental Quality, had been working undercover when Maryse met him. In fact, he was undercover investigating Maryse. Not the smoothest way to start a relationship, for sure.
“So,” Maryse said and grinned at Raissa, “is that your official FBI undercover investigating sort of outfit? Because I have to say, it’s kinda hot.”
Raissa smiled. “Actually, I was at a confession.”
Maryse hooted. “And what did they confess to?”
“Nothing I was hoping to hear, unfortunately.”
Maryse sobered and nodded. “You’re looking for that little girl, right? Have the police been giving you trouble since you handed them information you shouldn’t have?”
“Just one,” Raissa replied, and felt a blush creep across her chest and up her neck.
“Oh, no,” Maryse said and poked Sabine in the side with her elbow. “I’ve seen that look. What exactly does Just One look like?”
Raissa sighed. “Hot enough to melt rubber.”
“That sucks.”
“You’re doomed.” Maryse and Sabine spoke at the same time, shaking their heads in sympathy. After all, they’d already been there, done that.
“You can’t let him find out who you really are, right?” Maryse asked.
“Well…since Sonny knows who I am, there’s really no use hiding any longer.” Her mind flashed back to the bar—her fingertip pressed against Zach’s face and every square inch of her body screaming for her to make it more.
Maryse snapped her fingers in front of Raissa’s face and brought her back to reality. “Earth to Raissa,” Maryse said. “Where did you fade off to exactly? Oh, no, you like him.”
“I barely know him.”
Maryse and Sabine gave each other knowing looks. “But you’d like to jump him,” Maryse said.
“Jeez,” Raissa said, “you’re not long on meaningless conversation, are you?”
Sabine laughed. “Especially not when she happens to be right.”
Raissa groaned. “Nine years of avoiding men because I can’t afford to get anyone involved with mysituation—for my sake and theirs—and my body’s in overdrive for a man I should be avoiding like the plague. Not to mention, I find out that the very people I thought I was hiding from know exactly who I am and probably have for a while, which adds to my general confusion in about a million different ways.”
Maryse nodded and wrinkled her brow. “It is strange. I mean, if the Heberts know who you are and where to find you, I’d figure you for keeping Helena company, you know?”
“I know. That’s the part that confuses me the most. There is no love lost between me and Sonny Hebert, and as soon as the FBI gets a line on me, they’ll rush him to trial and have me testify. There’s a ten-year statute of limitations on racketeering, which is the biggie. The limit runs out on what I know in six months.”
“Wow!” Maryse said. “So do you think them asking Hank to kill you was your cue to get the hell out of Dodge? Why bother now?”
Raissa frowned. “I’m just guessing, but there’s only six months left that my word is any good in court, unless I turn up dead. If the government can prove conspiracy, then the statute would start on the date of the last conspiracy act. I put the police on my track when I told them about the girls. The FBI won’t be far behind, applying pressure as only the FBI can do.”
“I get it. No statute of limitations on murder, and they might crawl all the way up Sonny’s butt, especially over an agent.”
“Exactly.”
“Still, that’s not going to stop the feds from coming to collect you as soon as they know where you are. How much time do you have before Just One sets off the alarms?”
“My
Sabine’s frown relaxed. “That’s true.” Maryse’s husband, Luc, an agent for the Department of Environmental Quality, had been working undercover when Maryse met him. In fact, he was undercover investigating Maryse. Not the smoothest way to start a relationship, for sure.
“So,” Maryse said and grinned at Raissa, “is that your official FBI undercover investigating sort of outfit? Because I have to say, it’s kinda hot.”
Raissa smiled. “Actually, I was at a confession.”
Maryse hooted. “And what did they confess to?”
“Nothing I was hoping to hear, unfortunately.”
Maryse sobered and nodded. “You’re looking for that little girl, right? Have the police been giving you trouble since you handed them information you shouldn’t have?”
“Just one,” Raissa replied, and felt a blush creep across her chest and up her neck.
“Oh, no,” Maryse said and poked Sabine in the side with her elbow. “I’ve seen that look. What exactly does Just One look like?”
Raissa sighed. “Hot enough to melt rubber.”
“That sucks.”
“You’re doomed.” Maryse and Sabine spoke at the same time, shaking their heads in sympathy. After all, they’d already been there, done that.
“You can’t let him find out who you really are, right?” Maryse asked.
“Well…since Sonny knows who I am, there’s really no use hiding any longer.” Her mind flashed back to the bar—her fingertip pressed against Zach’s face and every square inch of her body screaming for her to make it more.
Maryse snapped her fingers in front of Raissa’s face and brought her back to reality. “Earth to Raissa,” Maryse said. “Where did you fade off to exactly? Oh, no, you like him.”
“I barely know him.”
Maryse and Sabine gave each other knowing looks. “But you’d like to jump him,” Maryse said.
“Jeez,” Raissa said, “you’re not long on meaningless conversation, are you?”
Sabine laughed. “Especially not when she happens to be right.”
Raissa groaned. “Nine years of avoiding men because I can’t afford to get anyone involved with mysituation—for my sake and theirs—and my body’s in overdrive for a man I should be avoiding like the plague. Not to mention, I find out that the very people I thought I was hiding from know exactly who I am and probably have for a while, which adds to my general confusion in about a million different ways.”
Maryse nodded and wrinkled her brow. “It is strange. I mean, if the Heberts know who you are and where to find you, I’d figure you for keeping Helena company, you know?”
“I know. That’s the part that confuses me the most. There is no love lost between me and Sonny Hebert, and as soon as the FBI gets a line on me, they’ll rush him to trial and have me testify. There’s a ten-year statute of limitations on racketeering, which is the biggie. The limit runs out on what I know in six months.”
“Wow!” Maryse said. “So do you think them asking Hank to kill you was your cue to get the hell out of Dodge? Why bother now?”
Raissa frowned. “I’m just guessing, but there’s only six months left that my word is any good in court, unless I turn up dead. If the government can prove conspiracy, then the statute would start on the date of the last conspiracy act. I put the police on my track when I told them about the girls. The FBI won’t be far behind, applying pressure as only the FBI can do.”
“I get it. No statute of limitations on murder, and they might crawl all the way up Sonny’s butt, especially over an agent.”
“Exactly.”
“Still, that’s not going to stop the feds from coming to collect you as soon as they know where you are. How much time do you have before Just One sets off the alarms?”
“My
Similar Books
