Ian said. “But if at any point you want out, just say the word. I can’t promise you ultimate protection and neither can the FBI. This is still a dangerous assignment. When you go to law school, this isn’t exactly the type of thing you sign up for.”
But that’s where Ian was wrong. This was exactly what she had signed up for. Taking down those criminals that preyed on innocent people. No matter how dangerous they were. “I’m in, Ian. I won’t cut and run.”
Her boss smiled. “If you need me, I’m here. And I’ll expect regular updates, especially since we’re only days away from the start of the trial.”
“Of course.” As distracting as working with the FBI would be, maybe she could turn this into an opportunity. How difficult could dealing with one rookie agent be?
“Great,” Ian said. “I think you should take Agent Taylor to your office and debrief him on the case and see how he can help. I’m sure then he’ll have some security-related things to go over with you.”
“Of course. And thank you again, Ian, for having faith in my ability to handle this case and everything that goes with it.”
He nodded and stood up from his chair. “You’ve been a superstar since you interned here during law school. I expect nothing less than the best from you, Jessica. Keep up the good work.”
His words of praise warmed her heart. It was nice to have someone build her up instead of tear her down.
“It was nice to meet you, Jessica,” Agent Wilson said. “If you need me at any point, just let me know. But you’re in good hands with Agent Taylor.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“I’ll walk Agent Wilson out, so you can meet with Agent Taylor,” Ian said.
“This way,” she said to Zach. They walked down the long hallway to her much smaller office.
She closed the door so they could speak freely and took a seat behind her desk. He sat across from her. She had one extra chair, her desk and a bookshelf. That was it. Most of the attorneys at her level had the small offices.
She took a moment and looked at Zach more closely. Yes, there was no denying that the tall agent with the big chocolate-colored eyes and sweet smile was attractive. But it would take a lot more than a handsome face to make her trust him. Would he be friend or foe? It was time to find out. “So,” she said.
“Where do we begin?” he asked.
“Before we get into the details of the case and your investigation, why don’t we jump right into what you have in mind for my security.”
He smiled. “You’re worried about that, aren’t you?”
“I like having my space.” That was an understatement, but she didn’t want to be too difficult. They were just starting this process together.
He leaned forward in his chair. “I can appreciate that, but I can tell you right now that’s just not going to be possible.”
“Exactly what are you suggesting?”
“I’m going to be your shadow.”
Jessica didn’t like the sound of that. “You can’t be with me 24/7.”
“As close to it as possible. We should discuss a safe house.”
“Absolutely not. I’m staying in my apartment with my cat. Just me and him. Are we clear?”
He laughed. “Do you want to stay on this case or not?”
“Of course I do.” In her mind there had to be a middle ground somewhere.
“Then, I hate to tell you, but you’re stuck with me. Brodie ran this all the way up the chain to the special agent in charge of our office, Ford Cox. He’s the ultimate boss in Miami, and he was very clear that we had to take an aggressive approach with your personal security.”
She blew out a breath. “I don’t think this is going to work.”
Zach’s phone rang, and he looked down. “Sorry, I have to get this.”
She sat patiently while he took the phone call. Judging by the frown on his face and the serious tone in his voice, it appeared to be bad news. He ended the call and looked up at her.
“We have a problem,” he said.
“What?”
“Do you know a Denise Landers?”
“Yes, she’s my star witness.”
“Not anymore, Jessica. She’s dead.”
Zach glanced over at Jessica, who was standing on the sandy beach with her gray high heels in her hand. The crime scene was currently being secured, and he wanted to get a good look at things for himself.
Jessica had refused to wait in the car, and given the circumstances he felt better having her right there close to his side. After all, that was the agreement he’d made with his boss. Zach had to commit not to let the blonde powerhouse rookie prosecutor out of his sight. Most importantly to protect her from the Hernandez family, but also because Brodie wanted to make sure Zach was tuned in to any information that she had that could help the FBI investigations.
As her wavy mane blew away from her face, he took a minute to really study her. He’d have to be oblivious not to notice how pretty she was. Not to mention that she was also bright, witty, and driven. She was the kind of woman he’d be looking for—if he were looking. But he had a job to do, and romance was the last item on his list of priorities.
Just then she turned her face toward him.
“Sorry, I know you aren’t exactly dressed for a walk on the beach,” he said.
She wore a gray skirt suit, but, given the blistering Miami heat, she’d taken off the jacket and removed her heels to be able to navigate the sand.
“Don’t you worry about me, Zach. You’re going to come to find out very soon that I’m highly adaptable.”
Was there a backstory that had given Jessica such a tough exterior? He could tell from his own life experience that she was probably hiding some hurt underneath. He watched as she took a few steps closer to the water.
Detective Will Lang was on the scene and headed his way.
“What do you have?” Zach asked him.
The tall blond detective frowned. “The body washed up onto the shore and was called in by someone on the beach. But it doesn’t appear that it was dumped too far out.”
“Which means they wanted us to find the victim’s body quickly,” Zach said. It helped to verbalize his thoughts as he tried to piece together this puzzle.
“Exactly, and I don’t like it one bit,” Will said. “FBI is taking
