Security Breach

INTRUDER AT THE WHITE HOUSE

When White House tour director Selena Barrow is attacked in her office, the Capitol K-9 Unit goes on high alert. Selena’s cousin is a person of interest in a congressman’s shooting, and Selena has been collecting evidence to exonerate her. Could this be the break they’re looking for? Officer Nicholas Cole and his dog, Max, step in to safeguard Selena—and to keep an eye on the evidence. As the attacks escalate, Selena finds it increasingly difficult to keep her distance from her handsome protector. But with an unknown enemy watching Selena’s every move, Nicholas will become her confidant…and her lifeline.

Capitol K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners.

“I don’t see the car that was following us,” Selena said.

She turned back around in her seat. “I think you lost him.”

“Not for long.” Nicholas drove down the side street a second time. “We’re going hunting. I want to know who is so interested in us.”

Selena nodded. “Good. We need answers.”

He chuckled. “We?”

“Yes, you said we would work together on the case that might clear my cousin’s name. Or do you want me to do it alone? I will if I have to.”

* * *

CAPITOL K-9 UNIT:

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

Protection Detail—Shirlee McCoy, March 2015

Duty Bound Guardian—Terri Reed, April 2015 Trail of Evidence—Lynette Eason, May 2015 Security Breach—Margaret Daley, June 2015 Detecting Danger—Valerie Hansen, July 2015 Proof of Innocence—Lenora Worth, August 2015

MARGARET DALEY, an award-winning author of ninety books (five million sold worldwide), has been married for over forty years and is a firm believer in romance and love. When she isn’t traveling, she’s writing love stories, often with a suspense thread, and corralling her three cats that think they rule her household. To find out more about Margaret, visit her website at margaretdaley.com.

Security Breach

Margaret Daley

www.millsandboon.co.uk

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

—Romans 5:2

To the brave men and women who are K-9 officers

and their canine partners

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Epigraph

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Nicholas Cole hurried toward the White House special in-house security chief’s office in the West Wing, gripping the leash for his K-9 partner, Max. Two Secret Service agents emerged from the office, wearing gloves and carrying a folder. Both nodded toward him as he entered the room.

General Margaret Meyer stood behind her oak desk, her hands fisted on the tan blotter, a fierce expression on her face, her intense blue eyes narrowing on him. He swallowed hard. He rarely saw her this upset, but tension poured off her.

“Shut the door, Nicholas.” The general moved from behind her desk, gesturing toward its flat surface. “This office has been searched.”

After following her instruction, he came to attention in front of his boss, having a hard time shaking his military training in the Navy SEALs. “What happened?” He scanned the neat desk and the bookcase to the right, and wondered how she knew.

She straightened to her full height of five feet three inches, her shoulders thrust back. “When I went to get a folder from the bottom left-hand drawer, the stack was out of order. I have a very precise way of arranging everything in here, and thankfully I do or I might not have known someone went through the Michael Jeffries file.”

The Jeffries case was an investigation being undertaken by the Capitol K-9 Unit, comprising fourteen cops, soldiers and special agents who looked into important cases and reported to Margaret Meyer, a former four-star general who worked under the president’s direction. “Anything missing?”

“No, but it would be easy to take pictures of the papers and evidence the team has uncovered so far.”

“What do you want me to do, ma’am?” Nicholas knew the murder of Michael Jeffries—son of the prominent congressman Harland Jeffries, who had been wounded in the attack against Michael—was important to the general, as well as to his unit captain, Gavin McCord. He and the rest of the team had pledged to find who killed Michael and left his father to bleed to death.

“Coordinate with Special Agent Dan Calvert who just left. You’re to work with him on this. I want to know who was in my office. It could be the break we’ve needed on this case. I have Congressman Jeffries breathing down my neck. He wants answers to who killed his son. Not to mention Senator Eagleton insisting his daughter had nothing to do with Michael Jeffries’s murder. Those two men have never been friends, and each one has a great deal of political clout.”

Erin Eagleton, who’d been Michael Jeffries’s girlfriend, was a person of interest in Michael’s murder and the shooting of the congressman. Her starfish charm, with her initials engraved on it, had been found at the crime scene. Considering that Capitol K-9 Unit member Chase Zachary had run into Erin only hours before the murder and she’d been wearing the charm, the team desperately wanted to find Erin to bring her in for questioning. They’d been searching for her since Michael’s murder. “I noticed Dan carrying a file from your office. Is he processing it for latent prints?”