Free Fearless by Diana Palmer

prosecuted held life cheap compared to profit. They wouldn’t hesitate to do anything in their power to harm her, including doing damage to a pet.
    “I have a very small apartment,” she hedged. “And my last job was working for a temporary agency. I worked odd hours.”
    So did he, when he wasn’t pretending to run a truck farm. He’d considered taking overseas work instead of this undercover assignment, but he’d thought that Sarina and Bernadette would be living here in Jacobsville and he might get a glimpse of them from time to time. In retrospect, that had been a stupid idea. Bernadette could have blown his cover sky high without realizing it. His mind hadn’t been working well just after Sarina and Colby Lane had renewed their marriage vows in a small ceremony. His heart had been broken.
    “We’ll have some odd hours here, for a while, as well,” he said suddenly, thinking about what was coming up for his assignment.
    “Putting up all the new fruit, you mean?” she asked.
    He took a last puff on the cigarette and flung it out into the sand of the front yard. “No. I mean that I’ll be in and out. I have some new contacts that I’m meeting. Some of them may come down to overlook the operation before they sign on with us.”
    “It’s a very good little farm,” she said absently. “I know it’s hard work to grow fruits and vegetables, because I’ve tried to.” She laughed. “My tomatoes burned up in the drought and I planted things in the wrong season. It’s hard work.”
    “It’s hard, but I enjoy it. It’s relaxing work.”
    “Relaxing?” she exclaimed, turning slightly toward him. “It’s backbreaking!”
    He chuckled. “Not for me,” he reminded her. “I oversee. I don’t hoe or harvest.”
    “You have a good crew that does that,” she agreed. “Is Marco going to work here?”
    He hesitated. “Yes,” he said. “For a while.”
    “Consuelo will be glad.”
    He leaned toward her in the dim light coming from the house. “He may bring one or two of his friends with him occasionally. If he does, stay out of their way. Don’t be tempted to walk around outside, even in broad daylight.”
    She stared at him, pretending surprise. “Is he dangerous?”
    “All men are dangerous, given the right set of circumstances,” he told her flatly. “Don’t ask questions. Just do what I say.”
    She saluted him.
    He burst out laughing. “For a woman with a ragged upbringing, you cope well.”
    “Coping isn’t a choice,” she replied lightly. “We can’t live in the past.”
    “I know,” he replied, and he sounded torn.
    She wanted to say something comforting, but nothing came to mind. It was too late, anyway. He got to his feet with that lazy elegance that was so much a part of him.
    “I have to make an early start tomorrow. Remember, if you and Consuelo need more hands in the kitchen, we can manage one or two more people.”
    “Thanks,” she said. “But we’re doing okay.”
    “Good night.”
    “Good night.”
    She watched him go, aware of the faint spice of his cologne, the clean smell of his body and his clothing. He was immaculate. Certainly he didn’t smell like a man who worked with his hands at hard labor.
    She got up from the swing and moved slowly toward the front door. She was tired. It had been a very long day.
     
    Sometime before morning, she woke suddenly. She didn’t know why. There was a sound, a mixture of sounds, human and insistent.
    She lay on her back staring up at the ceiling. A man was arguing with someone. Yelling. She didn’t recognize the voice, but it wasn’t Rodrigo’s. She bit her lower lip. She didn’t like loud voices.
    After a minute, there was the sound of a car door slamming, and then an engine revving up. Gravel went flying audibly as the vehicle took off down the driveway. She’d have to ask Consuelo what was going on. It sounded as if there had been a serious quarrel.

5
    W HEN G LORY DRESSED AND went to the kitchen for breakfast, she