Sometimes the only way to do your job—and discover love—is to trust your instincts.
D’Marcus ‘Snap’ Jefferson is a DEA agent who has worked hard to keep drugs from hitting the streets of Houston. So when Kenneth Santos walks in, claiming to have information about an upcoming drug shipment, Snap must make the choice whether to trust the stranger or not.
Kenneth Santos is a recovering addict and ex-con trying to clean up his act. Some mysterious informant has chosen him to act as the go-between with Agent Jefferson. It’s a precarious line Ken must walk because his life could be in danger if the cartels discover he’s working with Snap and the DEA.
Neither man expects to fall in love while playing such a dangerous game. Yet Snap always trusts his gut and it’s telling him that loving Ken could be the best decision he’s ever made.
Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of torture.
General Release Date: 17th April 2015
“Hey, Jefferson,” Epstein, one of D’Marcus ‘Snap’ Jefferson’s fellow DEA agents yelled to him.
“What?” he shouted back without looking up from his computer.
“Some guy is here from Customs and Border Patrol. Says he has something that might interest you.” Epstein’s raised voice held disbelief.
Snap felt kind of the same way, but he couldn’t blow the guy off. He never knew when he might be working with the CBP and it paid to have a good relationship with them.
“All right. I’ll be right there.”
“I put him in Interrogation Two,” Epstein told him.
He grunted in reply, doing his best to get his report done before he went to talk to the guy. One of the few things that pissed him off about being an agent—and a cop in general—was all the damn paperwork. Even now that most of the forms were on computer and he didn’t have to write them up by hand, he still hated having to spend part of his day at his desk, trying to justify why he had done what he did, or trying to explain why they’d failed to catch Victor Delarosa yet again.
Snap hit save then send. Standing, he lifted his arms above his head and stretched, listening as his spine cracked and creaked. Dalton Lillien, his partner, laughed.
“You’re getting old, man. Soon you’ll be promoted to a permanent desk job,” Dalton joked.
“I’ll retire before that happens. Go get a cushy sheriff’s job somewhere in Montana.”
“Montana? Dude, you wouldn’t be able to handle the winters up there. You’re a Southern boy born and bred. Your blood’s too thin for snow and ice.” Dalton hooted in amusement.
Flipping him the finger was the only reply Snap made as he turned to head to the interrogation room. Why would Border Patrol come all the way here to talk to me? Why not just call me? It could have something to do with the Delarosa case, but still Snap figured it would have just been easier to call.
As he approached the room, a guy stepped out of it, and Snap grinned. “Amirez, what the hell did you bring me?”
Agent Amirez was a long-time friend of Snap’s and now that he knew who it was, he had a feeling that whatever Amirez had brought him was going to be important.
“Snap,” Amirez said, holding out his hand. “It’s good to see you. Someday I’m going to have to get back up here when it’s not business.”
“Yeah. You’ve missed a few poker games.”
They shook hands then Amirez gestured to the door behind him.
“I brought you something interesting to puzzle out. You guys get to figure out whether he’s telling the truth or not.”
“Who?”
He led the way to the small room to the right of the main interrogation area, then looked through the one-way glass at the man sitting at the table. He was younger than Snap and had dark brown hair that curled around his ears. When the guy glanced up as though he knew Snap was watching him, Snap swore.
“What? Do you know him?”
“No, but he looks like someone I do know. What’s his story?”
Amirez pulled out a notebook and flipped through some pages until he found what he was looking for. “Yesterday evening, around nine, he showed up at the Veterans border crossing in Brownsville and was pulled out of line to be searched. Once they took him into the office, he said that he had some information about some drug movements over the border. When the agents pressed, he said he wouldn’t talk to anyone but you.”
Snap frowned. “Me? I don’t know who he is. Why would he ask for me?”
“I don’t know, man. He stopped talking after that. I was running up here for a meeting with the Rangers, so I got volunteered to bring him to you. Just keep us in the loop.” Amirez slapped Snap on the back. “I’ve got to head out or I’ll be late.”
“I’ll be contacting them myself in a few.” Snap had a feeling he was going to need to talk to one particular Ranger. He followed his friend out before he went to find his supervisor. After he knocked on his boss’s door, he stuck his head in. “I need to discuss something with you. Can you come with me?”
Penn stood without saying a word, joining Snap who also gestured for Dalton to come with them. As they returned to the observation room, he filled them in on what Amirez had told him.
“Why did you want me here? Just go in and talk to him. I don’t know if he’ll have anything, but if he’s willing to talk to you, then take advantage of it.” Penn folded his arms over his chest and glared at him.
“I want to get permission to bring the Rangers in on this,” he informed his boss.
Dalton gave him a narrow-eyed stare, then turned to look at the man in the other room. When the guy lifted his head from where he’d laid it on the table, Dalton grunted.
“Do you see it?” Snap wanted to make sure he wasn’t crazy.
“Yeah. I get why you want to contact the Rangers. Calling Guzman, huh?”
After glancing between them, Penn huffed in annoyance. “Fine. It’s nice to see that you two know what’s going on. Go ahead and call the Rangers. If you get some flak, have them contact me.”
“Thank you, sir.” Snap waited until Penn left before he pulled out his phone to call Guzman. “It’s uncanny how much they look alike.”
“Yet there are differences. This guy looks like he’s lived some hard years in his life. I’d say he’s a year or two older than Tanner.” Dalton propped his hip on the edge of the desk.
Snap nodded, listening to the phone ring.
“Guzman,” a hard voice answered.
“Mac, it’s Snap. How’s it going?”
Mac chuckled. “As good as it can be hunting bad guys. How are you doing, Snap? Bust any drug dealers lately?”
“All the time, but not the big one yet.” Snap and Macario ‘Mac’ Guzman had been friends for a long time, ever since Mac had moved to Houston from California and started working with the Rangers.
“Well, Delarosa has managed to survive the cutthroat world of a drug lord for this long. I’m pretty sure it’s going to take better men than you and me to take him down,” Mac commiserated.
Snap sniffed. “I plan on taking the man down before I retire and if you’re nice to me, I might give you some credit when the time comes.”
Mac’s laugh held disbelief, yet he didn’t tell Snap he was crazy. “What can I do for you? You aren’t calling to cancel dinner, are you?”
“No. I’ll be there at six on Saturday. This is a work call. I probably should’ve gone through official channels, but I want you to see something. Once you get a look, then you can decide how to handle getting you involved with what I’m doing.” Snap let his gaze wander to the stranger waiting for him. “My gut’s telling me something weird is going on. Can you come over to the DEA offices?”
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