Innocent Target Read online

  “Me too. And we’ll need help because I didn’t find a trace of Beth outside. I guess she came by car, but the surveillance cameras can confirm that. And if she did, the plate might give us the lead we need.”

  James nodded. “That’s another thing to check.”

  Mercy was about to offer her help when Abbie stirred. She went from a faint whimper to her little voice exploding in a full-blown cry.

  “Whoa, easy, little one. What’s going on?”

  With a faint air of panic, James went back to the conference room where the bag Bethany had left still sat.

  Mercy picked it up, placing it on the table. “What do you need? A diaper?”

  After a sniff, James shook his head. “Nope. She’s probably hungry.”

  Mercy found the baby formula and began to read the instructions when James stopped her. “I know how it works. It’ll be faster if I do it. Let’s switch.”

  And just like that, Mercy had an armful of screaming cherub, her little face red and angry as if she was being boiled alive. James disappeared, and panic replaced him as Mercy’s heart raced as if she held a live nuke. Her childhood hadn’t included even one baby, her unusual life keeping her away from them as a child. For the first time in a very long time, she felt helpless as she rocked Abbie, walking around as James did earlier to soothe the infant. Her body took on that natural rocking motion she’d seen countless people do when holding a child, her voice high pitched as she talked to the baby like she could possibly understand her desperation.

  She was about to run to the kitchen when James came back with a baby bottle. Relieved, she was ready to hand back his niece when his cell phone rang again and mouthing an apology, he handed her the bottle before vanishing once more.

  As soon as she latched on, Abbie became eerily focused, her pale eyes still full of tears, looking up at Mercy’s. Fascinated, the connection brought up the memories of her own grandmother when she was a little girl. Deep in the bayous of Louisiana, her Cajun family had always been poor, but the house had always been full of music until her grandmother had died and life had changed, becoming unrecognizable. Yet she remembered an old French lullaby her grandmother used to sing.

  The melody came back naturally as she settled in one of the comfy chairs around the conference table and started singing. The words felt rusty at first, but soon, the rhythm of each syllable replaced chaos with a meditative serenity, an unexpected bubble around them both. As she sang, Mercy allowed herself to dream a little, to fantasize about what-might-have-beens. With a mix of calmness and yearning, she observed the baby slowly emptying the bottle, her eyelids drooping.

  Abbie continued to suckle even as the bottle emptied and, with one big sigh, she went slack in sleep, releasing the bottle. With a smile, Mercy put the bottle on the table, and saw James, immobile, his green eyes almost burning her with the desire she saw in them. With his blond hair, he always had a debonair, surfer look about him, but right then, it was impossible to decipher his expression.

  Mercy stood, and James moved, rounding the table before placing a towel on his shoulder and taking his niece in his arms, his big hand firmly tapping the baby’s back until she burped. All this time, he remained close, so close Mercy wanted to lean toward him. Only sound reason and common sense screaming in her head had her stepping back and replacing the firm mask of the honed agent she wore so well.

  “Any new information?” Her voice sounded heated, but Mercy decided to ignore it. The important thing was to douse the heat between them and do it quickly.

  “Alex is on his way to get Imari, but our hacker is already hard at work. She accessed our feeds and discovered my sister had a rental, but it wasn’t under her name. The credit card name on the contract was one Cody E. Hull, aka Scorpion. He’s the President of the Havoc Henchmen, an MC whose territory varies depending on the state and their influence, but for the time being, they’re mostly up north.”

  With her head focused on the task at hand, Mercy’s brain was now rolling full speed. “Heard about them when I was in New Orleans, but they weren’t on our radar as much as other clubs. Always considered them as up-and-coming, but they were searching for their big break, their way of becoming a respected group, one of the major league players.”

  James nodded, continuously rubbing Abbie’s back while moving around. “That’s not good news. I seriously hope that Scorpion isn’t the baby’s father.”

  It was evident her coworker wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea.

  “It may be the case, but what I’m more interested in is if Scorpion knows about it, or if she did it behind his back. And in either case, why? MCs are possessive and protective of their families, even to violent ends.”

  When they locked gazes, it was clear the man before her had resolved to protect this newfound member of his family, even if it meant putting his own life on the line. The lightness she was used to seeing was gone, and for the very first time, Mercy appreciated the warrior he truly was.

  Voices coming from the lobby distracted her as Emme and Shane arrived. The look on her bosses’ faces as they zoomed in on James holding his niece might have been comical if the situation wasn’t so dire.

  Emme was the first to unfreeze and step toward James. “This your niece? Sorry, but with your reputation, I never thought I’d see you with a baby in your arms.” Emme smiled, caressing Abbie’s plump, rosy cheek.

  Shane crossed his arms and sighed. “For my part, I was more worried about having one of your conquests drop a baby in a basket in front of the agency.”

  Mercy worked at keeping a neutral expression. Shane’s words reminded her of the man’s nickname: Romeo. He flirted with every woman he came in contact with, but she’d forgotten for a moment. She’d almost faltered and considered becoming another notch on his belt, an image that acted like a cold shower and finished straightening her thoughts and emotions—no dreaming about this man.

  As James updated the newcomers, Mercy knew that the mission, whatever it was, would always come first. Even if she’d only known her less than an hour, it was clear in her heart that she wanted to protect the little angel and make sure Abbie was returned to the loving arms of her mother.

  “It’s clear your sister left you her child because she’s in danger. It’s the only reason why a woman, a new mother, would act the way she did.” Emme’s statement sounded correct, and that increased the level of danger in Mercy’s mind.

  James sighed, rubbing his cheek against his niece’s head. “I fear for Beth, but I won’t break the promise I made to her. I’ll protect Abbie while she can’t. However, I can’t wait and see. I need to know what’s happening to Beth. What pushed her to leave her baby.”

  Shane nodded. “I totally agree with you. Your sister and her baby are your family, and consequently, ours. We protect our family, always. Our resources and team are at your disposal. Well, except Malco and Frida until they return from their trip.”

  Emme nodded and smiled. “We’ll find your sister and figure out this whole mystery. I think that while we wait for Alex and Imari to do their thing, safety is a priority. Let’s assume that whoever is after your sister will be after her daughter, and you, too. A baby makes you more vulnerable. I suggest you find a temporary home and make sure your name isn’t tied to it. Also, you need help with security. I can ask the team who’d be available to act as your second set of eyes.”

  Without thinking, as there was no need to, Mercy stepped forward. “I’ll do it.”

  To her surprise, it was Emme who disapproved. “You’re not cleared from medical leave yet. You badly injured your hip during that last mission. The doctor said you need to be careful.”

  Mercy shook her head, ignoring James’s look of surprise.

  Only her bosses knew about that, and she had no intention of discussing her injuries, past or present, with the man who tended to be overprotective without reason. Attraction was one thing; possessiveness was another matter entirely. He’d be hard to convince, but she was as much of
an agent as any of the men at the agency.

  “I’m fine, and the pain is gone. I just haven’t had time to see the doctor yet. I think the current situation is more important than a piece of paper, don’t you?”

  Emme didn’t seem convinced but finally nodded. “Very well. Make me a list of what you need for the baby, and I’ll make sure everything is ready before you leave, James. In the meantime, let’s get the ball rolling.”

  When Shane and Emme left the room, the vibe changed, and Mercy felt a little unsteady as she turned to James. She’d inserted herself in his mission, but it was only to protect Abbie. Only for that.

  Chapter Three

  As Abbie slept on his shoulder, her little legs pulled up tight, James left one hand on her rump, making her feel secure as he wrote a list of things on a pad of paper for Emme. The truth was he had no clue what he needed apart from the obvious. He was a doting uncle, but that was different to being a full-time parent.

  He could feel Mercy’s eyes on him, but he didn’t dare look at her, or he’d lose his cool. That she’d received an injury on the last mission, and nobody had told him, filled him with rage. That she had purposely hidden it from him had him seeing red.

  James knew if he said anything, he’d end up in an argument with the beautiful, stubborn woman he couldn’t get out of his mind. He’d thought he was getting somewhere with her, breaking down her barriers to at least a friendship level, but apparently, all that was a lie and that hurt more than it fucking should have.

  “James?”

  He flinched when she touched his shoulder and he spun around to face her. He knew his hurt was written all over his face. “You don’t need to help me. We can get someone else to watch my six while I take care of Abbie.”

  He saw hurt cross her pretty features before she closed it down. Crossing her arms, her eyes burned with fire. “Why the hell are you behaving like this? I can watch your back as well as any of the men.”

  So that was what this was about. Mercy always seemed to have something to prove. She was tougher, harder, colder, stronger. It was always a competition with her. “It has fuck all to do with your abilities as an agent. There’s nobody I’d rather have at my back than you, but I need someone I can trust in this situation.”

  Her cheeks reddened, her pale skin showing the flush of anger. “Are you suggesting I can’t be trusted?”

  “I don’t know, Mercy, can you? You seemed to find it easy enough to hide your injury from me. Friends don’t do that.”

  Mercy threw her hands in the air as she paced away from him and then rounded on him again. “I couldn’t tell you. Every time I get hurt or even have a fucking hangnail, you go all alpha protective on me.”

  “Well, pardon me for caring about you.”

  He saw the grief and regret move through her eyes before she spoke softly and with genuine feeling. “I can’t let you care, James, because if you do, I will too, and it will end in tears, trust me on that.”

  He wanted to deny her words, to tell her she was wrong, but he didn’t. He knew she wouldn’t believe him anyway. Maybe he could use this time to show her instead. “What about a friend, Merc? Can you be that? Because I could do with one of those about now too.”

  Relief hit her eyes, and he wondered if it was because he’d given up or if it was because he hadn’t, and deep down she knew it. “That, I can be.”

  She moved toward him, reached up on tiptoes and hugged him lightly with Abbie in between and as he felt his cock twitch, he thanked God his niece was too young to remember this.

  “Need some help with that list?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I have no clue.”

  Mercy smirked. “Me either but Google does.”

  Pleased to have the air cleared between them, he let her sit at the computer, and he plopped into a low couch, laying Abbie across his legs, his hand on her back.

  James kept thinking back over every word his sister had said, trying to analyze what she didn’t say for any clues as to what the fuck was going on. She’d seemed frail, not like the sister he knew, but that could be because she was a new mom. He didn’t know from experience obviously but having a baby must be physically brutal on the body, and she was only a few weeks postpartum.

  “I can hear your brain ticking, Romeo.”

  James glanced up at Mercy, hating that she was back to calling him that and knowing she was using his nickname as a shield. Any other time he might call her on it, but things were fragile right now, and he needed her as a friend far too much to push her away.

  “I’m worried about Beth. Abbie is so young, and she looked frail, like she hadn’t been eating.”

  Mercy sat beside him, laying a hand on his forearm that made his skin prickle with attraction. “We’ll find her, but we need to get Abbie safe first. Scorpion is a dangerous man, and if he’s Abbie’s dad, you don’t want him anywhere near her.”

  “I know, it’s just my older sister suffered from postpartum depression and it makes me worry about Beth having it too.”

  “I won’t pretend to know a lot about that, but I hear it’s awful.”

  James nodded, his eyes far away. “Mel had it, and she thought her baby was better off without her. It took a good amount of support from her husband and our parents to get her to see someone about it. She kept putting it down to tiredness, but it was depression.”

  “You think Beth might have it, and that’s why she ran?”

  “I doubt that’s the only reason, but it would play into it.”

  The door opened, and Imari walked in with Alex behind her. The hacker was beautiful but cool, reserved. When she saw Abbie though, she walked straight over, her face creasing into a smile.

  Crouching at his legs, she tipped her head to get a better look at Abbie and James felt pride fill his chest. “She’s adorable. How old?”

  James smiled at Imari. “A couple of weeks.”

  “Well, that’s good for you. The first few weeks they sleep a lot. It’s around six weeks when they really come alive. My mom always said it was like they were leading you into a false sense of security, and then boom, no more sleep for you.”

  Alex stepped up behind Imari, tilting his head. “How the hell do you know all this?”

  “I have six younger siblings.”

  “Oh, wow.”

  “I know, right. My parents couldn’t keep it in their pants.”

  “Do we have a plan?” Alex moved to the bank of computers.

  “Mercy and I are going to head north and hide out with Abbie. We suspect the leader of the Havoc Henchmen MC may be Abbie’s father. We can’t let him find her. Then we need to find my sister and find out why she ran.”

  Imari slipped into the seat, her fingers flying over the keys as he spoke.

  “When are you leaving?” Alex asked as he took a seat beside Imari, bracing his hands on his legs.

  “As soon as we have what we need.”

  The door swung open, and Emme walked into the room. “Cleo just called. She said to email her the list of what you need, and she’ll have it here before you leave in the morning.”

  Mercy grinned. “That woman is a saint.”

  Abbie wriggled beneath his hand, and he lifted her to cradle her in his arms. Worrying about her being cold, he reached for the blanket in the bag Beth had left and pulled it out. As he did, a note dropped out.

  “What the hell?”

  He reached for it, but Mercy beat him to it, picking it up and passing it to him as she came to sit beside him.

  With quick fingers, he unfolded it and began to read.

  James,

  I know this is a shock, but Abbie isn’t safe with me. I heard something I shouldn’t have, and now my only option is to run. I give you full power of attorney over Abbie. Her father is a dangerous man called Scorpion. I made a mistake getting caught up with the Henchmen, but now I plan to put it right. Keep my baby safe and tell her I love her always.

  Love,

  Beth

  xx
/>   James felt his stomach churn with fear for his sister. Mercy took the letter and read it aloud for the others. He tried to process the words and struggled. He could practically taste the terror and pain in his sister’s note.

  “So, Scorpion is where we start.” Imari glanced at Alex, who pulled himself to the keyboard and began to type.

  The two seemed to have some hidden rhythm that worked between them. Only a few weeks together and they already worked flawlessly as a team.

  “Why don’t you get some sleep? I can watch Abbie,” Mercy offered.

  James shook his head. “I won’t sleep anyway. I’d rather stay here and find out what I can before we leave.”

  Mercy smiled at him, and his heart constricted. He wished she could see how much he cared for her, but maybe a few days alone would give him the time he needed to turn this around. However, his priority was Beth and Abbie right now. Finding Beth and keeping his niece safe was imperative. First though, he needed to warn his family.

  “I need to call Mel and my parents.”

  “Do you think Beth will go there?”

  “Doubtful, but Scorpion might if he’s looking for my sister. I don’t want them in danger or blindsided by the fact they have a granddaughter.”

  “I’ll have Cain and Caitlin fly up and keep an eye on your parents,” Shane said from the doorway.

  James felt relief fill him and dipped his head. “Thank you.”

  “No problem. I told you, we’re family.”

  James had never been more grateful than he was right now for Alliance.

  Chapter Four

  Not a sound came from the bedroom where James was trying to lull Abbie to sleep and Mercy thought it was a good sign as she emptied the food Cleo had packed for them into the fridge. Cleo, true to her word, had by some miracle got everything they needed delivered within two hours and then they had hit the road. They had food enough to avoid going into town for several days. Since they’d left the Agency in the early hours of the morning to head for the safe house, the three-hour drive had been anything but peaceful, and as James had his hands full, Mercy had made sure the area was secure as they settled for the night.