Ranger Guardian - Angi Morgan

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they fishtailed sideways to a stop.

      “Gun it. Car to your left.”

      She heard the words and trusted the Texas Ranger next to her. She floored the gas, trying to look for crossing traffic, getting their car across the intersection. It was a good time of day to be on Northwest Highway. No one was in their path when she heard brakes from one direction and tires squealing from the other.

      The SUV they’d passed a few seconds earlier had crashed into the rear of the pink car, stopping where her sedan would have been if Heath hadn’t yelled. There was a loud bang and horns.

      “Great job, babe.” Heath patted her shoulder from where he rested his arm along the back of her seat. “I’ll check on the drivers.”

      She pulled around to protect the drivers from oncoming traffic and hit the hazard lights. Heath got out, leaving his hat in his seat. She dropped her head to the wheel, reaching for her phone to call the accident in to authorities and request a tow truck. She sat back as she gave all the appropriate information, letting out a long sigh.

      The van was out of sight. Heath was busy with the drivers, and all Kendall could do was force herself to breathe. That had been close. Too close.

      No suspect was worth what had almost happened. She had to be more careful, less reckless. Skylar Dawn needed her parents to come home. Period.

      “You okay?” Heath asked, back at the passenger door.

      She nodded, still a little stunned by it all.

      “I can’t say I’m bummed about them getting away.” The corner of his mouth barely rose as he leaned on the car.

      “What? Why’s that?”

      “Where’s the fun in catching them the first day I get to work with you again?”

      He said it with such a straight face that if she hadn’t known him, she never would’ve seen that playful gleam in his eye. Yet she couldn’t argue with the logic either. She would’ve been bummed, too.

       Chapter Five

      Heath wanted to take Kendall in his arms until she stopped shaking, but he’d jumped out of the car to check on the other drivers. Instead of helping her now, he spoke to her through the passenger door, keeping the entire front seat between them.

      Hugging your wife after an accident was allowed, in his book. He just didn’t know if it fell under the professional umbrella. He straightened, grabbing his aching ribs, worse now because of slamming into the seat belt. But he swallowed the grimace of pain, keeping it to himself. He wouldn’t mention it to the EMTs who would be arriving on the scene, judging by the distant sirens.

      Kendall stretched a couple of times as she stood from the car. “I can’t believe they missed us.”

      “You didn’t hesitate.”

      She nodded, letting the statement stand as a compliment about their teamwork. And this time, he didn’t add the frightening picture in his head of a different outcome. If she had stopped to question why he was yelling a command at her... Damn, they would be pinned between those two cars right now.

      But she hadn’t. They were unharmed. Fine to go home to Skylar Dawn. And good enough to work together tomorrow.

      “The drivers are fine.” He’d walked around the hood of the car before realizing it. His hand opened between Kendall’s shoulder blades, and he might have patted her a couple of times if he hadn’t seen the tears.

      But he had.

      Just two, but they were enough to make her curl into the crook of his arm and stand there until they heard the first siren grow close. She broke away like someone had thrown water on them.

      “Traffic needs to get through. I should probably move the car.” Her voice was awkward and strained as she looked around the intersection.

      “I can take care of it.”

      “Don’t coddle me, Heath.”

      “Whoa there, partner.” He emphasized the last word to remind her why they were there. “I’m allocating resources. You’re the better photographer. I’m going to need every angle possible before the cars move.” He stuck his hand in his pocket.

      Her mouth formed a perfect O before accepting his phone. Then she was back. Professional. Doing her job as the authorities arrived. Identifying herself as an agent and taking pictures.

      Staying out of the way, the Dallas PD officer gave him the go-ahead to move the FBI sedan. It didn’t have a scratch on it. Just as he opened the door, in a moment where no one else watched, he caught a glance between the two drivers.

      A knowing glance. Like they’d gotten away with something.

      It took him a few minutes to get the sedan back on the same side of the street as the rest of the cars. By the time he returned, both drivers stood with officers, giving their statements. After an initial check, they’d both declined the ambulance ride to a hospital.

      The woman in the pink car was crying again, her mascara smeared like his mother-in-law’s the day his world had turned upside down. It was hard not to think about it—the afternoon Skylar Dawn had broken her arm. But he pushed it from his mind.

      Something was off about the accident. Maybe he’d been hanging around Wade too much lately. His friend’s intuition seemed to be rubbing off on him. Everything about the SUV guy who had nearly T-boned them screamed that the man wanted to run.

      It had to be the highway patrol officer in him. He’d stopped more than his fair share of antsy drivers with drugs or weapons in their cars. The SUV driver shifted his weight from foot to foot. He kept looking around, especially at Kendall.

      Okay, Heath admitted that his wife was an extremely attractive woman. Nothing about her shouted married or mom. And seeing her work again was...hot. He got why men would watch her. But this guy didn’t have a look like he was trying to ask her out.

      Nope. Heath recognized the short glances. The slow quarter turns to keep her in his peripheral vision. The driver must not realize that Heath was a Ranger or anyone else significant. He hadn’t given him a second glance since Heath asked if he was okay.

      Heath leaned against the pink car’s trunk, watching both the drivers through his mirrored shades. There it was again. A specific look that acknowledged the drivers knew each other. One of the man’s eyebrows rose, and the woman’s chin lifted slightly.

      Indiscernible to anyone not watching them specifically. A look that confirmed his gut feeling that something was off. If he’d looked away for a split second, he would have missed it.

      If the drivers knew each other, they must know the men in the white van. He took a step toward Kendall, who was wrapping up with the officers. But what would he tell her?

      That his instinct told him these two apparently innocent victims had a connection to the group Kendall was looking into? They couldn’t hold the two based on his observation. His gut instinct had gotten them into this accident by encouraging her to follow the van.

      If he followed any intuition, it would be to keep his thoughts and observations to himself until they could investigate. That’s what the Rangers and FBI did. They found the facts and built cases.

      He’d wait.

      For now, he’d make it clear about his role here. No reason to let Public Exposure know he was working with Kendall. He pushed off the trunk and marched to Kendall’s side. He pulled her close to him.

      When she turned to him—most likely to express her anger—he kissed her. A full-on-the-mouth, like-she-belonged-to-him kiss. For the moment...she did. Although she may not after the next time they were alone.

      “I’ll explain when we’re alone,” he whispered. Then in a louder voice, “You ready to go, babe?”

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