Assumed Identity(75)



Unfortunately, Jake followed the information about the cartel and hit man better than a couple of other things. “I’m Joe Lonergan?”

“He goes by Jake now,” Robin volunteered.

“Your head really is scrambled, isn’t it?” The perpetual grin faded from Nash’s expression. “So no memory of killing Graciela or feeding us enough intel to close down his pipeline into the U.S.?”

Jake shook his head. “The doctors say my memory may never return.”

Agent Nash nodded. “I’ll send you copies of the mission briefings and your reports up until the day we lost contact. You can read up and see what a pain you were—and see all the good work you got done for us.”

“Thanks.” Jake laced his fingers together with Robin’s. “So I’m a good guy, after all. Is that a deal breaker?”

She tightened her fingers around his. “What deal are you talking about?”

Whatever Nash was to Jake—boss, friend, coworker—he was a little slow about picking up the signals that Jake wanted some time alone with this very brave, very special woman.

“Your job’s waiting for you if you want to come back,” Nash offered.

Jake nodded his appreciation. “I’ll need some time to think about it. My brain has a lot of catching up to do.”

And he knew he wouldn’t be leaving K.C. until the potential threat to Robin and Emma was resolved and the Rose Red Rapist case was finally closed.

Agent Nash shook hands with Jake and stood. “Take whatever time you need. But we’ll keep in touch this time. No more going into hiding and covering your tracks. Come see me in Houston. And I’ll check in next time I’m in Kansas City. Ma’am.” He nodded to Robin. He tapped his finger against Emma’s nose and she giggled. “Cutie.” Then he was hopping off the ambulance. “Take care. If you need anything, call.”

“Agent Nash?”

He turned. “It’s just Nash. Or Charlie if we’ve been drinking.”

Jake nodded. Nash. Still not ringing a bell, but it was hard not to like the guy. “Can you answer a question for me?”

“Anything.”

“Am I married? Do I have kids?”

Nash shook his head. “Your philosophy was that the work you did was too dangerous to have any kind of family. Your parents are both gone. You’ve got no siblings—some cousins and an aunt in San Antonio, I think. But that’s one of the reasons you volunteered for the long-term deep-cover op. You were a free man.”

Jake tunneled his fingers into the silky waves at Robin’s temple. “Not anymore.” He couldn’t take his gaze away from those pretty eyes that seemed to like looking at him. “Thanks for finding me, Nash.”

“Yeah, well next time you get shot in the head, don’t make it so hard to track you down.”

Nash left and Jake scooted forward on the gurney, slipping his good arm around Robin’s waist and pulling her closer. “I don’t want to be a free man. I want connections. I want to be tied to a home and a family.”

She lay her hand against his scarred face. “Anyone in particular?”

“The Carter girls. If they’ll have me. I happen to have fallen in love with both of them.”

“All right, Joe.”

He frowned. That didn’t sound right. “Call me Jake.”

“Okay. Jake.”

He pulled her up to his chest and covered her mouth with his, claiming her lips, claiming her heart, claiming this family. They traded a dozen more kisses, some hard and fast, others sensual and lingering, and still others that were gentle and healing and perfect.

The doors closed and the ambulance shifted into gear. Jake settled both the Carter girls into his arms. He was dozing off toward a peaceful sleep when he realized the unthinkable and sat up. “Hey. Did I just win an argument?”

* * * * *

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