SUSPICION OF GUILT
When Special Agent in Charge Max West and his K-9 partner, Opal, look into a series of bombings in Northern California, horse trainer Katerina Garwood instantly seems suspicious. As the ex-fiancée of a man tied to the criminal Dupree family, Katerina may know more than sheâs letting onâespecially since the infamous syndicate is targeting her. And Max isnât sure he can believe her when she says she knows nothing. Despite his reservations, though, he canât deny his attraction...or the impulse to protect her. And with the criminals closing in, Max must separate the truth from lies, or he and Katerina may not live to share tomorrow...
âDonât touch it. There may be fingerprints.â
âI doubt it,â Katerina said. âI think I felt gloves, not bare skin.â
He lifted the folded paper with two fingers at a corner and laid it on a bare spot atop the dresser, then used a pencil to carefully unfold it. He stepped back and watched her reaction as she scanned the note.
ââTurn over the stash and weâll leave you aloneâ?â she read aloud. âWhatâs that supposed to mean? I donât know anything about any stash. Do they mean drugs?â
âYour guess is better than mine,â Max countered. âWhat do you think?â
She threw up her hands and began to pace. âHow should I know? I donât have a clue.â
âI wish I could believe you.â
âYeah,â Katerina said, scowling at the piece of paper, âI wish you could, too.â
CLASSIFIED K-9 UNIT:
These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners
GuardianâTerri Reed, April 2017
SheriffâLaura Scott, May 2017 Special AgentâValerie Hansen, June 2017 Bounty HunterâLynette Eason, July 2017 BodyguardâShirlee McCoy, August 2017 TrackerâLenora Worth, September 2017 Classified K-9 Unit ChristmasâTerri Reed and Lenora Worth, December 2017
Dear Reader,
As my pastor is fond of pointing out, the past does not have to dictate our future unless we let it. We can be forgiven and turn the page to a new life in Christ if we will surrender to Him. Yes, there may be lingering consequences, but the Lord will help us deal with those and make something great out of what weâve learned from past mistakes.
Katerina was too naive and Max too hardened by life, yet they found a middle ground and allowed themselves to embrace change as well as forgiveness.
Every new day is a gift to you from your Father in Heaven. Donât waste it wishing you could change the past. Look toward the future and trust the Creator.
Blessings,
VALERIE HANSEN was thirty when she awoke to the presence of the Lord in her life and turned to Jesus. She now lives in a renovated farmhouse in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and is privileged to share her personal faith by telling the stories of her heart for Love Inspired. Life doesnât get much better than that!
For You have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
âPsalms 116:8
Many thanks to fellow series authors Terri Reed, Laura Scott, Lynette Eason, Shirlee McCoy and Lenora Worthâplus editor Emily Rodmell, who keeps us all on track.
And to my Joe, who is with me in spirit.
He always will be.
ONE
FBI agent Max West squared his shoulders and forced himself to walk away from the latest scene of destruction.
His job there was done. Unfortunately, the Dupree family crime syndicate, at least what was left of it, seemed determined to keep him and his team scrambling by randomly setting off bombs. Opal, his K-9 explosives detection partner, worked very well but it was frustrating to be called in after the fact.
He paused in the shade of an enormous oak and phoned Dylan OâLeary, the teamâs computer guru, on his cell. âIâm done with this one. Just the usual leftover components and a lot of jumpy people.â Max sighed. âAt least there was no loss of life this time. That family caught in the blast zone on the last one nearly made me turn in my badge.â
âSo, what now?â Dylan asked. âYou thinking of leaving Northern California and heading home to Billings?â
âMaybe soon. I thought Iâd look into the backgrounds of some of the Dupree underlings weâve scooped up while Iâm in the neighborhood. See if we missed anything on the first sweep.â
âLittle fish in a big pond,â Dylan reminded him. âWe got Reginald Dupree, the real brains behind the drug operation.â
Max nodded. âWhile his uncle Angus kidnapped one of our best men and escaped. Has there been any word on Agent Morrowâs whereabouts?â
âSorry. No.â
âOkay.â Max opened the rear door to his black SUV to air it out before letting his brown-and-white Boxer, Opal, get in. âI checked our files last night and was on my way to the Garwood Horse Ranch when I got diverted to this call. Vern Kowalski, one of the Dupree drug runners, had ties there. When we arrested him he insisted he was working alone but it wonât hurt to check. I can use a break and so can Opal.â