Free Witness Protection (Defenders of Love Book 1) by Carolyn LaRoche

Lucy was embarrassed to have loved a man who could sell women and girls like they were cattle.
    Logan was quiet as Lucy worked through all the anger and frustration and sadness that had been locked away for so long. The emotions of it nearly overwhelmed her. The anger surfaced all over again as she remembered the dark cargo container, the smell of feces and urine and fear that mingled together in a pungent mix that made her want to throw up even now.
    Logan reached for her and pulled her close; Lucy didn't fight the embrace. She didn't want to.
    Logan's arms felt so good, so safe, and she had been alone for so long. He had rescued her, not once but twice, and for a woman used to taking care of herself it was awfully nice to have someone to depend on. It didn't hurt that his hand on the back of her neck while he played with the curls that had returned after her shower felt so good.
    She pulled back and studied Logan for a moment before speaking. "One night I met Sal for dinner at his uncle's restaurant. Things were pretty serious by that time but I kept telling myself it was all part of my cover. Still, when he handed me the little blue box from Tiffany's with the most beautiful diamond solitaire you would ever see, I knew things had gone too far. I wanted to say yes, in the worst way."
    "Did you?" Logan asked coldly, eyeing her left hand. If Lucy weren't mistaken, he actually sounded jealous.
    "I told him I would let him know the next day. That it was all so sudden. I don't make rash decisions and our romance was a whirlwind of impetuous behavior. The idea of marriage to anyone after such a tumultuous affair frightened me and that's what I told him. Sal was angry, but he covered it well. For me, it was a hard slap in the face. I had gotten too deep into my cover and I had no idea how to backpedal without blowing the entire operation. My hasty answer was supposed to buy me some time to either figure a way out or return to the precinct, tail between my legs, and admit defeat."
    Logan studied her intently, his eyes full of compassion. "What did you end up telling him?"
    "I never got the opportunity to discuss it with him again. His cell rang when we were choking down
    dessert. Salvatore was all about appearances. It was blasphemy to walk out on an Italian meal before it was complete—even one you paid for."
    "Who called him?"
    "I never found out. All I knew was that the call was important. He cut dinner short with a cold goodbye, dropped some money on the table, and left."
    "I'm not sure if I see a connection between all that and witness protection."
    "I followed him when he left the restaurant."
    "Ohhh...." Logan let out a long, low whistle.
    "I knew something big...something important...was going down. Sal never left the table without finishing his dessert and at least two cups of coffee. Anyway, I figured this was the big break I'd been waiting for, so I followed him. We were just a few blocks from Chelsea Piers. When he didn't get in a cab but instead made his way down the street to the water, I knew the phone call had been related to work."
    "And so you followed this man alone ? What is wrong with you, girl?"
    She didn't understand why Logan was so angry with her. She was a cop on an undercover assignment. It was her job to find out what sort of secrets Sal was harboring.
    "I was undercover! Of course I went alone! If it was nothing, I could explain away my presence with our little lovers' quarrel, beg forgiveness. But if an army of SWAT cops descended upon him, the operation was over."
    Logan nodded in agreement, placated somewhat. He reached for her hand again and held it in his large, warm one as he stared at her intently waiting for the rest of the story. Lucy couldn't explain why but
    his touch was oddly comforting.
    The warmth radiated through her body, saturating her brain with long dormant desire. How easily this man awakened feelings she had all but forgotten existed. Her own body was betraying her again.
    Pulling