Easy Prey (Love-Inspired Suspense) Read online

  First Jonah, and now her brother. Why did everyone seem to think she was the cause of this? Even the newspaper reporter thought she had something to do with exotic animal trading, as though she would stoop to something that despicable. It was unthinkable. People who traded helpless animals like that were the worst kind of humans, deliberately harming—not only physically, but more often emotionally—a living being God had created.

  Elise hated the fact someone had been doing that at the zoo she’d so loved as a child. She’d spent hours taking care of the animals, working alongside the zookeeper who’d been killed during the flood.

  She knew he’d had enough time to transfer the larger animals and ones that required constant care out of town when the evacuation order had been given. The handful of ones that required only regular care were sent to Sienna’s ranch.

  So why had he gone back to an empty zoo? Had it been for more nefarious purposes?

  The image of Zane Ford, wearing that fedora he’d never taken off, desperately trying to save what he could of the zoo and being swallowed up by a rush of floodwaters, flew across her mind. What he must have been through, just to save the thing he loved most in the world.Elise could imagine the man going out like that. A hero to the end.

  Elise turned back to Fix. “Jonah will be back any minute. He ran after you.” She didn’t want him to escape justice. Not if he was going to end up hurting someone. But she also didn’t want to be exactly what he thought she was—the one who betrayed her family.

  Elise was stuck in the middle. Fix going to jail was right, but she didn’t have to like it.

  “It’s just like you to stick up for him.” He shoved her then. Elise lifted her arms, bracing herself even though she had no idea what was coming. Fix’s body twisted with his shoulder, and his fist swung toward her face.

  *

  Jonah saw the punch coming seconds before Fix moved. He ducked out from behind the wall and ran at Elise’s brother. Before Fix’s fist could make contact with her, Jonah slammed into the man he’d been chasing for weeks.

  Fix rolled, the momentum taking both him and Jonah over rocks and other sharp debris that cut into Jonah’s shoulders and back. But they didn’t stop. Not until Jonah had the hold on Fix that he wanted. Finally he had the man pinned, arms behind his back while Jonah pulled cuffs from his back pocket. When Fix was secured, Jonah lifted him to sit on the ground, legs outstretched in front of him.

  Jonah set one hand on his gun, and said, “Talk.”

  He’d already sent a text to his team, when he first doubled back and saw Fix approach Elise and the tiger. He’d waited to see what the man would reveal to his sister, but stepped in the minute it escalated to violence. The rest of his people should be there within ten minutes.

  Fix hunched his shoulders and looked up, his flat gaze on Jonah as though daring him to do something in front of Elise that would make her hate both of them. If Fix thought Jonah wasn’t entirely able to push aside his personal feelings, then the man had a lot to learn about how he operated as a US marshal.

  Jonah stared back, his look equally as flat as Fix’s. “I want to know who you’re working with.”

  “You think I’m just going to tell you? Just like that?”

  “I think you will if you want to make sure your family is kept safe while you’re in jail. If you’re wrapped up in what I think you are, this isn’t just about you.” Jonah paused. “So tell me what you know about exotic animal trading.”

  Fix snorted. “Stupid reporter. Got what he deserved, didn’t he?”

  “Did you kill him?”

  Elise gasped, but despite asking the question, Jonah didn’t actually think Fix had done the job. It was way too professional for that. Fix wasn’t more than an opportunist looking for a quick dollar.

  “I didn’t kill him. Don’t you dare put that on me. I was miles away.”

  “I suppose you had an alibi, too?”

  Fix sniffed. “I could get one.”

  He probably could. The man knew enough people he could pay to swear under oath that Fix was elsewhere at the time of the murder. Fix had likely been up to something else at the time. But what?

  “Tell me what you know about the reporter’s article.”

  When Fix didn’t say anything, Elise stepped forward. “Was the zoo a holdover for animals being illegally bought and sold?” Her voice was high and tight, with an edge of emotion she only just had a rein on.

  Fix looked up at her. Not the look one would expect from an older brother only recently reunited with his sister. But then, Fix had never thought much of little Elise. She’d adored him, and he’d brushed off her affection at best.

  He turned to Jonah. “I’m not giving you his name.”

  “Because you don’t know, or because it’s your only leverage?”

  “I want a deal.”

  Of course he did. Everyone wanted to make a bargain when they had nothing left. No criminal he’d ever met was willing to accept the consequences of their actions. They only ever wanted to escape justice.

  “Just tell me about the zoo right now.”

  Fix worked his jaw from side to side. “The reporter died because he knew too much. Shouldn’t have dipped his nose in if he couldn’t protect himself, should he?”

  “If you’re worried the same will happen to you, being in custody comes with our protection.”

  “That’s exactly why you’re not taking me in.” Fix’s mouth pressed into a tight line. “I can’t afford to be on paper where he’ll get to me. Why do you think the bomb in the office exploded all the evidence? It’s why I was coming here.”

  “Not because you heard your sister was back in town, or because you worried someone would get hurt.” Jonah figured Fix had been heading there to get the evidence for himself before it was destroyed so he’d actually have concrete leverage when the time came.

  “I’m dead if I can’t give him a reason to keep me alive.”

  Elise whispered, “I can’t believe you’d be a part of this.”

  “I needed the money.” Fix turned his hard stare to his sister. “And now I’m dead because of it.”

  Jonah said, “Why is he doing this?”

  “Wrapping things up.” Fix glanced around, like the man he was talking about might be listening. “Starting fresh somewhere else, doesn’t want to leave lose ends.”

  Elise stepped in front of Jonah. “And you don’t care that he’s trying to kill me, too?”

  Jonah was glad she didn’t mention Nathan. He didn’t want Fix to get any ideas about using his nephew in all this.

  “Why would I?” Fix shrugged, belligerence clear on his face. “It’s not like you cared at all about us while you were living the high life.”

  Parker, Ames and Hanning made their approach, surrounding them. When Parker reached Elise, Jonah nodded without taking his gaze from Fix.

  “Why don’t we step over here?” Parker’s words weren’t a question. He held Elise’s elbow as he led her away from her brother.

  Every criminal they chased was considered a flight risk, and Fix was no exception. But the opportunity to get to the bottom of this couldn’t be ignored. If they took Fix into custody, then Elise would still be in danger, and her brother would likely shut down and desist giving them any more intel. Fix knew who was behind this, he just didn’t want to give it up.

  But if Jonah could get on the inside, he had a chance to catch the man for himself and end the danger to Elise.

  He studied Fix, wondering just how connected the man was. Between the person at the root of the illegal animal trading and the person who had killed the reporter and shot at Elise, Jonah figured there were at least two involved. Fix would make the third, an expendable extra at best, given that he had little to no skills to speak of aside from time and what came out of his mouth. Fix had always been able to talk his way out of trouble—it was why his mom was so sweet on him, at the expense of Elise.

  Fix’s eyes narrowed. Jonah didn’t much care if he di
dn’t like the look on his face. “You have this guy’s number?”

  Fix said, “Supposed to do a job for him soon.”

  Jonah figured there wasn’t a lot of time if the illegal animal trader was wrapping up his operation and moving it elsewhere. Jonah needed to beat this guy to the trigger if he was going to keep Elise—and Nathan—safe. And if he secured Fix’s cooperation now, he would still be able to ensure justice for the crimes Fix had committed later.

  The fact that the job had become personal wasn’t lost on him. Jonah could be objective, but that was going to go out the window fast, and everyone on his team knew it. If he didn’t finish this, the window of opportunity would close. The trader would move on to the next place never to be found, and Elise would be dead.

  Jonah hauled Fix to his feet. “I want an introduction.”

  Going undercover wasn’t completely unorthodox in his line of work, though it wasn’t usually necessary. He was going to have to fill out a whole load of paperwork to justify it, but Jonah found he didn’t much care about that.

  Fix’s eyes widened. “You want…what?”

  “From now on, I’m your new best friend.”

  TEN

  Elise stood back while Jonah ordered the tall one, Parker, and the mouthy one, Ames, to stay on Fix. They were letting him go?

  Parker nodded, like this was business as usual. “I’ll put a bug on him, and we’ll stick close, but out of sight. We don’t want the trader to spot us and then run.”

  Jonah said, “Great.”

  The two marshals walked Fix away from her, something that didn’t bother Elise much. It hadn’t exactly been a happy reunion with her brother. He was going to jail, and she was going to try not to get killed.

  Eric stepped close to Jonah. “I’m going to head to Hailey’s and check on Nathan. Make sure they’re all doing okay.”

  Jonah nodded.

  He wandered over to Elise. Apparently they didn’t have anywhere to be, the way everyone else seemed to. His lips tilted up in a smile. “He just wants to tell his girls good-night. Hailey lives with her dad, and her daughter—she’s thirteen—already calls Eric ‘dad.’ She didn’t want to wait for the wedding.”

  Elise smiled. “That’s cute.” She looked around, suddenly overwhelmed by all the work there was. But she didn’t have to do it tonight. The mayor knew it would take weeks to get things back to normal, much like the rest of the town’s slow recovery after the flood.

  “Do you want me to go over things with you? Explain what’s happening with Fix?”

  Elise shrugged. She grabbed her notebook and meandered around debris to her discarded backpack.

  “We’ll keep a close eye on him for now, let him go about his business while we’re watching. Parker and Ames will be able to track him, and if Fix has a phone they’ll put a trace on it. We’ll be able to hear when he gets a call, and if it’s the animal trader, then we’ll be able to run a voice analysis.”

  She turned to him and Jonah continued. “I’ve explained to Fix what we want. For him to set a meeting, and I’ll join him as his ‘partner.’ We’ll go to see the trader wherever Fix is supposed to meet up with the man, and I’ll find out who it is. It’s a sting operation, but it’s also the only way I’m going to get close enough to this guy to find out who it is and be able to catch him in the act so we can arrest him.”

  She measured his words. The buzz of doing his job and enjoying it was there, but also something else. “I don’t need you to justify it to me. Fix doesn’t want me in his life.”

  “I’m not going to let him hurt you.”

  If she was honest, it was too late for that. Jonah understood a need for physical safety, but he had no jurisdiction over Fix’s ability to bruise her emotionally. He never had.

  That was just something Elise had to live with, and deal with, considering the fact Fix would always be her brother.

  “It’s been years.” She glanced at the trees, shadowed in the evening darkness. “I thought they couldn’t hurt me because I was gone, like that would keep me from heartache. Nathan filled a lot of corners, a lot of spaces in my heart that were just…bare. I thought that would be enough, but my heart refuses to quit recognizing Fix, and my mother, as family.”

  She shook her head. “No matter what they do, or how they are, they shouldn’t have the ability to bruise me like this. They don’t care, so why should I?”

  “When you left, how did you know you were supposed to go?” He hesitated a second. “I know you had a job offer, but you could’ve stayed and worked here at the zoo. How did you know you were making the right decision for you, and then for Nathan?”

  He looked so unsure, Elise wanted to reach out and comfort him. Would Jonah accept that, when he was still in his “work” mode? They were alone, but it wasn’t like they were close now.

  She thought about his question. “I didn’t know about Nathan until after I was in Idaho. But God gave me peace about it. Actually the where didn’t matter too much. But I didn’t want to come home. I wanted a new place. I just knew that wherever I was, and whatever I was doing, that God would take care of me and Nathan. He wasn’t going to leave us hanging.”

  “God?”

  “First I had to make peace with Him, it’s contingent on that. Then He can give you His peace.” She locked eyes with him. “He’s never let me down. Not once.”

  A darkness flickered in his eyes, like he’d taken on something she hadn’t intended to say. She hadn’t been thinking about her and Jonah. God was on a different plane. He didn’t shift and change the way people did, but it was true that nearly everyone in her life had let her down.

  Jonah knew that sad truth. But he also needed to know she hadn’t spent years wallowing. She’d rested in God’s gifts of joy and peace, and raised her son. She’d found her strength in God.

  He gifted her a small smile. “I don’t think I’ve had any peace at all since my dad died.”

  She nodded. It had been hard for her, too. Though not as hard as it was for him, Martin or Bernadette. Losing Nathan Senior had been a blow. “You have to find it for yourself. You can’t piggyback off someone else’s faith. You have to make peace with God on your own.”

  Elise figured if explaining this to Jonah, planting that seed for God to grow his faith, was the only reason she’d come home, she was fine with it. Thank you, Lord. She’d wondered a lot over the years where Jonah was, how his walk with the Lord was. Now she knew. And while it saddened her that he’d missed so many years of being in fellowship with God, she also knew it was never too late to turn around.

  And while she could push him to make a decision now, Jonah was the kind of man who had to think through all the angles before he made a choice. It was why his leaving to join the marines bothered her so much. Obviously he’d thought long about it before leaving. He just hadn’t talked it over with her.

  His head titled to the side. “What is it?”

  Elise didn’t think. She just blurted it out. “Why did you leave?”

  *

  Did she really want him to answer that question? Elise was in no way ready for the truth about how strong his feelings for her had been back then. She’d been fifteen, much too young for what—only a few years later—would have been perfectly acceptable.

  The only thing for him to do was put space between them. Their friendship had been strong enough it would have survived the years and the distance. Or so he’d thought.

  “Are you going to tell me why you married my brother of all people?”

  Jonah loved Martin, but his brother had been the party one. How he’d managed to convince Elise to marry him was anyone’s guess. She needed someone steady, not the guy who did things on a whim.

  Jonah followed her as she strode, head high, in the direction of his truck. Apparently they weren’t going to talk about that now. Eventually they’d have to lay it all out, but it could come later. He was willing to let her have time now. He’d waited long enough already. He would get his an
swers, though. It was too important to just let it go. Again.

  Or maybe he didn’t want to know. If he’d known when he left that she wasn’t going to wait for him, he’d probably have stayed. But then he’d have had to see her every day knowing she didn’t feel the same way he felt. He’d rather undergo severe torture than have to face that.

  What if she didn’t feel the way he did?

  Jonah blew out a breath and started the engine, not looking at Elise lest he see it written there on her face.

  Her words about peace with God were still with him. Maybe that was what he needed. He barely even knew why he’d voiced the question. Usually he didn’t suffer attacks of doubt over operational decisions. That had never happened until she showed up.

  The truth was, the cost had reached staggering proportions. There was no way he was going to allow himself to be beaten. Not this time. If Elise and Nathan’s presence here meant he had to double back and rethink everything, that was fine. So long as they were still moving somehow.

  As much as he could, Jonah was going to keep them safe. It was the variables that worried him so much, those thousand things he had absolutely no control over.

  Whether Elise reciprocated or not, Jonah still cared about her. He cared for his nephew, even though he barely knew the teen. They were his family, and they always had been even though he’d been an idiot not to track Elise down for himself. He’d needed her in his life.

  Plain and simple.

  He’d just needed her.

  There was something about Elise that brought him to his knees. It was like being cracked open and laid bare for everyone in the world to see. The scariest thing in the world, and yet the one thing he didn’t think he could live without. The years had proven that, if nothing else.

  And she’d brought something else with her that she hadn’t possessed before. Elise now had a wisdom that drew him in and made him believe there might be a God who would never let him fall. Despite the fact his father and brother had died. Despite the fact she’d left.