The Texas Billionaire's Bride / The Texas Bodyguard's Proposal. Karen Rose Smith

her Gabi had finally drifted off to sleep, completely unaware that life as she knew it was gone.

      * * *

      The helicopter hovered above the large Miami estate as Kendrick Boudreaux assessed the situation below. As expected there were two tactical teams in place and no signs of anything out of order. This was a simple package pickup and delivery and by the good grace of God he wouldn’t even have to unholster his weapon. He liked missions like this one—an easy in and out that didn’t require him putting himself or his team in too much danger. Kendrick’s tenure with the Secret Service usually put him in situations that took some maneuvering to get out of. His missions with the FBI had looked like child’s play in comparison. He signaled for the pilot to land.

      Minutes later he took off his headphones as the pilot shut down the UH-60 Blackhawk aircraft. Exiting, Kendrick ducked low against the slowing whir and blow of the helicopter’s blades. He crossed an expanse of perfectly manicured lawn, shifting into work mode as a squad leader met him at the entrance to the large home. The man led him through the foyer, into the living space. He was surprised to find Kelly Layton, one of the unit directors, standing in wait. Kendrick bristled, something suddenly not feeling right. He could count on both hands the number of times a unit director had ever shown up for a simple package pickup, and still have ten fingers left.

      He nodded his head in greeting. “SSA Layton, what brings you here?”

      She tossed him a quick look. “It’s good to see you, too, Boudreaux,” she said as she began to brief him. “Your package is a key witness against a local kingpin named Marcus Bennett. He’s wanted by this agency and a half-dozen others for crimes that run the gamut from financial fraud to human trafficking. Our witness was there when he gunned down his competition and a room full of civilians got in the way. She also has firsthand knowledge of his business dealings with Pedro Fierro, one of the victims.”

      Kendrick tensed. “Pedro Fierro of the Umberto Harbor cartel?”

      “You know him?” Layton questioned, lifting her eyes to meet his.

      He nodded. “Sayed and I took down his predecessor on one of our last assignments.”

      “Well, Marcus Bennett took Fierro out. Our witness was personally connected to Bennett. We also think she knows more than she’s willing to say. We need her.”

      “So where’s she going?” Kendrick asked.

      “The safe house in Baton Rouge. They’re expecting you.”

      “Baton Rouge?” Kendrick paused. He took a deep breath. “Why Baton Rouge?” he asked.

      She shrugged. “Those are the orders.” Layton gestured for him to follow her.

      As he moved into the home’s open family space, Kendrick’s eyes assessed the room, shifting rapidly from one side to the other. There was an adorable little girl jumping up and down on the family room sofa, her eyes wide with curiosity. Behind the child stood an extremely attractive young woman whose own eyes were narrowed suspiciously. Concern blanketed her demeanor and Kendrick instantly sensed that she would have given anything to have been as far away from them all as she could. Layton made the introductions.

      “Vanessa Harrison, this is Agent Kendrick Boudreaux. You’re going to be in his custody until you get to the safe house.”

      Kendrick met the woman’s intense stare, her gaze skewering him where he stood. Vanessa was tall, nearly as tall as him. And she was lean, with a nice hint of curve to her hips and breasts. She had a dancer’s build, and he imagined her movements would be easy and graceful. She was wearing a white sundress that billowed around her body as it complemented the sun-kissed tone of her warm complexion. Her hair was jet black, the extensive length falling to the middle of her back. She bore a striking resemblance to the Puerto Rican fashion model Joan Smalls, a woman who had graced the cover of a recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. It was the only copy of the magazine that Kendrick had ever kept.

      SSA Layton suddenly stepped out of the room. Vanessa’s eyes followed her for a brief moment before shifting back toward him. He smiled, the warmth of it soothing the tension between them.

      “Are these all your bags?” he asked, gesturing to the leather luggage that rested on the floor in the doorway.

      She nodded. “Mine and Gabi’s,” she answered, gesturing to the little girl, who was leaning against the sofa back as she stared at them.

      Kendrick nodded.

      There was still something about the situation that didn’t feel right to him. Something felt off. Why was Layton there? And why the safe house in Baton Rouge, a property that sat smack-dab in the middle of cartel territory? A house that had been compromised previously? Fierro’s name attached to this meant there were bigger players involved, even if the man was dead. Where did Bennett fall in the bad-guy hierarchy? And just how much did the beautiful woman standing in front of him really know? Nothing about his orders felt right. Trusting his instincts, he was suddenly on edge. He stole a quick glance at the watch on his wrist.

      Layton suddenly stepped back into the room. “Change of plans,” the commander noted, pressing her hand to the earpiece in her ear. There was a moment of hesitation as she paused, listening to someone on the other end.

      Kendrick and Vanessa cut an eye at each other, both knowing that nothing good could come from plans being changed so sudden.

      “You have new orders, Agent Boudreaux. I need you to take Ms. Harrison and disappear. Are you and Sayed still in touch?”

      Kendrick nodded. “Yeah,” he said, not bothering to mention that the man had just married his sister. “We speak every now and again.”

      “Leave a number with him. No one else should know where you are or how to get in contact with you. When we can be sure about Vanessa’s safety, I’ll pass a message on to him. You are not to trust communications from anyone else.”

      Kendrick’s gaze skipped from side to side. “But where...? How long...?”

      Layton held up her hand. “Those are your orders. And you need to leave now. We might have a situation.” She held out Vanessa’s cell phone, a text message on the screen.

      “That’s my phone,” Vanessa suddenly exclaimed. She took a step forward then stopped.

      Kendrick took the appliance from Layton’s hand and read the message quickly.

      “What does it say?” Vanessa chimed.

      Kendrick lifted his eyes to meet hers. “‘I have eyes on you. You can’t hide,’” Kendrick said, reading the text message out loud.

      Vanessa’s eyes widened. She took a deep breath.

      “Agent Boudreaux will keep you safe,” Agent Layton intoned.

      Vanessa reached for Gabrielle, pulling the toddler into her arms. “I’m not leaving Gabi.”

      Layton shook her head. “That’s not possible. Gabi’s going to be fine.”

      “You don’t know that,” Vanessa stated. “Her parents trusted me. So until you find her grandparents and I can personally hand her over to them, I am not leaving her,” she said emphatically. “Either she goes with me or I don’t testify, and I don’t care what my father promised you. I can go back to the embassy. It doesn’t matter to me.”

      Chatter on all their radios interrupted the moment. Layton tossed Kendrick a questioning stare, their exchange silent. She turned and moved back into the kitchen, Kendrick following on her heels.

      “Who’s her father?” Kendrick questioned.

      Layton was leaning against the kitchen counter, strumming her fingers against the countertop. She tossed him a look. “Alonzo Braga, the Mexican ambassador to the United States.”

      “She doesn’t use his name?”

      “He’s very high profile. She said she didn’t