Page 5 of Wyoming Cowboy Undercover

Mercy never should’ve let it show how empowered and happy she felt after a training session. Should’ve hidden her feelings better. She’d been well-trained and had let her guard falter.

You idiot. Stupid fool.

She’d brought this onto herself. It had always been a matter of time before Empyrean would take away the one thing that she had which was untouched by the movement.

“I’m certain my father will discuss it with me later. Thank you for the ride.” Even though she didn’t mean it, there was no reason to be rude.

She got out and closed the door.

A passerby looked at her from head to toe, taking in her Shining Light pendant that dangled from her neck—a crescent moon with a sun—plain white T-shirt, matching leggings and canvas shoes. The woman’s mouth pressed into a thin line before she crossed the street like she didn’t want to get too close to her.

Lowering her head, Mercy hurried down the street to USD, hating that this would be her last session. She pushed through the front door and shoved aside the creeping sensation of doom.

“MYAPOLOGIESFORbeing late. It couldn’t be helped,” said FBI Supervisory Special Agent Nash Garner, taking a seat at the head of the conference room table, where the rest of the team had been waiting for him. “I’m sorry you lost your CI last night.”

Nash oversaw the special task force. Their mission was to investigate the Shining Light cult and determine their threat level as possible domestic terrorists. Throughout their investigation, an arms dealer had come onto their radar, one who was supplying the cult with their cache of weapons.

Rocco slapped his hand down on the evidence bag that contained the bloodstained piece of paper with a date. “Percy died trying to tell me something. Whatever it is will happen in five days. I need permission to implement plan C.” Alpha and Bravo had failed, leaving them with no other recourse.

Wary glances were exchanged around the room.

Special Agent Becca Hammond rested a hand on her pregnant stomach and rubbed what looked like a basketball under her shirt. She was only six months along and already all belly, but he’d never seen her more content to be working a desk instead of out in the field. “There has to be another way,” she said.

It wasn’t how he wanted to proceed either. Rushed. Haphazardly. But now that a CI had been discovered—murdered—his task force was out of time.

Figuratively and literally.

Taking a breath, Rocco glanced at his watch. Mercy was at USD by now, waiting on him. To be early was to be on time for her. A trait he admired. He’d texted his cousin and asked Charlie not to let her leave. “They killed Percy because they’re aware the authorities are looking into them. Any steps we take will be more dangerous now than ever before. The one informant you had embedded in that cult went quiet because they got scared,” Rocco said to Becca.

She lowered her gaze. Whoever her CI was—she had never revealed their identity—had abruptly cut off communication last month. Now with Percy gone they were dead in the water.

“We need to find that arms dealer,” Rocco said. “The same one supplying the Shining Light. And we’ve only got five days to figure out whatever is supposed to happen and stop it.”Something important. Something horrible.“Mercy McCoy is the key.”

Brian Bradshaw, a detective with the LPD, leaned forward. “Are you sure that’s the only move?” The question coming from his best friend—who was also close to becoming family as he was in a serious relationship with his cousin, Charlie—gave him a moment of pause.

But only one. Rocco was aware that everyone at the table was wondering the same thing. “I’m sure. Unless someone else has a better idea.”

Silence.

The only sound in the room came from Becca opening a bag of pretzels. It was the only thing he’d seen her tolerate while she had morning sickness, which for her, lasted all day and throughout the pregnancy so far.

He did not envy women.

“I need an answer. Now.” He needed it ten minutes ago.

“How close is Mercy to being recruited as an asset?” Becca asked. “I got the impression from your reports that she wasn’t ready yet.”

Her impression was spot-on. Mercy had shown signs of discontentment with the movement, but that didn’t mean she’d be disloyal. Rocco didn’t know if she would ever be prepared to spy on her father. “I want to approach it from a different angle. I already threw one person into the fire and got them killed.” The weight of that rested heavy on his shoulders. He couldn’t even give his condolences to Mrs. Tiggs and take responsibility for what had happened because it would expose his identity.

“It wasn’t your fault that Percival was murdered,” Nash said.

But the words rang hollow to Rocco. Sure, he hadn’t been the one to pull the trigger. All the same, he’d made Percy a target.

“I won’t endanger Mercy like that.” She was young and kind. And beautiful. Had her whole life ahead of her. She hadn’t asked to be born into a cult. But the day she’d walked into his cousin’s school, asking about self-defense classes, looking like a lost lamb, he’d seen a golden opportunity to cultivate the best asset. Over the months, he’d gotten to know her. First through group training sessions. Then later, one-on-one with him. He’d grown quite fond of her. If he was being honest, it was more than that. Every time they were alone together it was getting harder to resist the fierce attraction between them, but he forced himself to tamp the feeling down. Way down deep into oblivion. The last thing he could afford was any kind of attachment to a potential asset. “I don’t know what her father would do to her if he found out.”

Becca opened a bottle of water and took a sip. “From what I know of Marshall McCoy based on his psych profile, he wouldn’t kill his daughter.” She was the resident expert on the Shining Light.

“There are some punishments worse than death,” Rocco said. “Are you positive that he wouldn’t hurt her?”

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