Brock

CHAPTER ONE

Police officer Brock Greer stood on the rocky shoreline overlooking Lake Michigan, ignoring the cold March wind blasting his face while trying to shake off his despair. He shouldn’t have canceled the appointment with his lawyer. He should just file the divorce paperwork and be done with it.

It was some sort of weakness inside of him that prevented him from taking that final step to end a marriage that had barely begun. He hadn’t seen Liana since she’d left him four months ago, after their fight when he’d caught a glimpse of her text message with a guy named Troy agreeing to meet up the following day.

He’d accused her of cheating. She’d asked why he didn’t trust her, then she had turned and walked out of their condo. The morning after their heated exchange, she’d simply texted a brief message. This won’t work. I’m sorry.

And that was that.

For long minutes, he was numb to the icy blast washing over him. It matched the coldness in his heart. But he finally turned, hunched his shoulders, and walked toward the city. It wasn’t smart to come back to the places he and Liana had been together. Living in their Third Ward condo was hard enough.

The condo was too far away to walk from here. He’d have to grab a rideshare. His stomach rumbled with hunger, he’d skipped lunch again, so he forced himself to head to the closest restaurant to grab something to eat.

His feet took him straight to Lu Chen’s, a Chinese restaurant that had been one of Liana’s favorites. He almost turned away to find someplace else but then stubbornly opened the door and stepped inside.

He liked Lu Chen’s food; they had a wide selection of authentic meals to choose from. He stood in the doorway, looking around the place to make sure Liana wasn’t there. He didn’t really expect to see her seated in the small dining room. He’d come there often those first few weeks after she’d left him but hadn’t found her.

Tonight was no different. Although he was keenly aware of several customers openly staring at him. It took a moment to realize he was still wearing his uniform. The suspicion in their dark gazes made him sigh.

Whatever. He knew some people disliked cops on sight. There wasn’t anything he could do about that, though. He wouldn’t be here long enough for his career to be a problem. He ordered his favorite meal as a takeout, then wove his way through the restaurant toward the restrooms. He stopped abruptly when he heard low voices speaking in rapid-fire Chinese.

Too fast for him to understand; besides, he was rusty from lack of practice over these past few months. Liana had taught him the basics, but what he heard now sounded like gibberish.

He couldn’t explain why he’d pushed open the swinging door to the kitchen. Maybe it was the female voice that lured him in. He frowned and stepped in farther.

Get out! The words in furious English were aimed at him. His eyes widened when he saw a tall Asian man and a beautiful mixed-race Asian woman. She looked just like Liana.

She was Liana!

No police! The tall Asian abruptly grabbed Liana and pressed a gun to her temple. Brock’s jaw dropped as Liana stared at him with annoyance. Get out! Now!

Okay, remain calm, there’s no reason to panic. He lifted his hands, palms forward, to show he wasn’t a threat, even as icy fingers of fear ran down his back. What was going on? Why was Liana here? And why was this man threatening to kill her?

I’m warning you. The Asian man’s gaze bored into his as he spoke in a low, threatening tone. You will turn and leave now. Or she is dead.

I’m leaving. His hostage negotiation skills were failing him, big time. Brock prided himself on talking people down from the ledge, but this guy was intently focused on the mission at hand. And he had the distinct feeling the Asian would kill Liana without a second thought. He took a half step backward, forcing a calm serenity into his voice that he was far from feeling. There’s no reason to hurt her. This is all a big misunderstanding. I only came for dinner, nothing more.

The Asian scowled and pressed the gun more firmly against Liana’s temple, using enough force to make her wince. Brock took another step back. They were too far away for him to do anything but retreat. He noticed the kitchen staff darted a few quick glances in his direction but then returned to their work of chopping and cooking.

As if there wasn’t anything unusual about seeing a man holding a gun at a woman’s head, threatening to kill her.

I don’t know what’s going on here. I took a wrong turn. I only wanted to use the restroom. I don’t want any trouble. One more step backward and he’d be out of the kitchen space, and the door would swing shut. Brock hesitated, unwilling to simply leave Liana in his man’s hands. Yet what choice did he have?

Liana spoke in Chinese, and this time, he caught part of what she was saying. You’re being stupid; he’s not here because of us.

Us? As in the tall Asian was Troy? The man she’d left him for?

Brock turned to his right so that he could subtly reach for his weapon. A blur of movement caught the corner of his eye. Yanking his gun free of the holster, he dropped to one knee and brought the weapon around. Liana must have caught the Asian off guard, because she’d twisted out of his grasp and held the gun she’d taken from him.

Go! She almost spat the word at Brock. Leave us!

Leave them? Not happening. Brock didn’t understand what was going on here, but he wasn’t leaving her with a man who’d threatened to kill her. Instead, he rushed forward, taking the guy’s other arm and wrenching it behind his back.

Drawing handcuffs from his utility belt, he proceeded to slap the silver bracelets onto the Asian man’s wrists. Liana heaved a sigh and stepped back and tossed the Asian man’s weapon onto the closest surface.

Why are you here? Her voice was a low hiss as she raked her free hand through her long, straight black hair. Do you realize what you’ve done?

I came to get dinner. He finished cuffing the man, then turned to look at her. And yeah, looks like I may have saved your life.

Not even close! She took a step toward him, her dark eyes flashing with anger. You blew my cover.

Her cover? He shook his head as if unable to comprehend what she was saying. What cover? What are you talking about?

She sighed and tipped her head back to stare at the ceiling as if seeking wisdom in the face of his stupidity. And in that moment, he understood.

Liana had been working as an undercover police officer.

Despite her annoyance at how Brock had burst into the kitchen, sending Bai Chow into panic mode and ultimately blowing her cover, Liana had to admit it was good to see him. She’d missed him terribly.

More than she’d thought possible. But not enough to distract her from the mission.

The way he stared at her in complete shock made her realize he hadn’t known anything about the op. And if that was true, why was he here?

You’re working undercover? Brock’s tone was incredulous. All this time? Ever since you left?

Yes. She swallowed a sigh, knowing her handler would not be happy about this latest turn of events. Months of work were about to be flushed down the drain.

Get him out of here. She waved at Bai. Book him for menacing with a deadly weapon. I have to go.

Where? Brock shoved Bai aside and took a step toward her. Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?

Not really. She did, of course, but not here. And not now. Later, okay? We’ll meet at PK’s.

He shook his head, taking another step forward. Nope. Don’t trust you’ll show. In fact, I’d bet my pension that you won’t.

His comment hurt, although she understood why he was leery. Leaving him hadn’t been easy. But it had been a necessity. She held his gaze, willing him to believe her. I promise I’ll be at PK’s in one hour.

Brock reached for her arm, but she moved quickly to avoid his grasp. Then she turned and fled through the kitchen, heading for the back door. She felt certain he wouldn’t follow, not when he had Bai Chow in custody.

Outside, the cold air made her shiver. Her mind whirled as she tried to come up with a mitigation strategy. The kitchen staff at Lu Chen’s were well trained to ignore anything that happened on the premises. As far as she could tell, they hadn’t paid her and Bai’s altercation any attention. Not even when he’d pulled a gun on her. Yet the Chinese people in general were wary of the police. It would not go over well that a cop had entered the kitchen, taking their restaurant manager into custody.

Think. She needed to think! She couldn’t lose the ground she’d gained over the past few months.

Bringing her one step closer to the man only known as Twisted Snake, the leader of the sex-trafficking operation.

And to saving Mai Shi’s life.

Darting through streets and back alleys, Liana tried to come up with a plausible excuse. One that would protect her cover. She could try to turn the tables on Bai. Make it sound as if he’d led the police to the restaurant. She had been there first, with Bai arriving fifteen minutes later.

She nodded to herself as she walked swiftly through the street. Yes, she may be able to make the scenario work.

Unless Bai Chow decided to talk. She inwardly winced. If that happened? There would be no way to salvage the operation.

When she’d put at least a mile between herself and the restaurant, she pulled out her disposable phone. She slowed her pace and did her best to calm her breathing. After a long moment, she made the call.

Bai was followed to Lu, she said, using the abbreviated version of the restaurant’s name. The police arrived.

The curse on the other end of the phone was slightly reassuring. So far, so good.

Of course, he was frisked, and his weapon confiscated. He was arrested on the spot, she continued. I managed to slip out the back.

Stay out of sight, the male voice instructed her. I will be in touch.

Soon, I hope, she agreed, then quickly disconnected from the call. If she pressed too much, it would look suspicious.

Even now, she couldn’t be sure Muchin had believed her version of events. She swallowed hard and shook her head. What had possessed Brock to show up at the restaurant? To come into the kitchen of all things?

She abruptly stopped. Had he been following her?

No, she always made sure there was no one behind her. And she felt certain Brock’s surprise at seeing her had been real.

Rotten timing, she thought with a sigh. Or maybe divine intervention.

Working undercover meant she couldn’t follow any of her old routines in her previous life. Most of the time, she didn’t even think about her real identity. She’d become Feng Chi in her mind. Not Liana Wong.

But seeing Brock had brought memories of their time together cascading over her like warm waves washing over the shore. Reminding her of the wonderful life she’d turned her back on.

The love they’d shared. Well, at least on her part. Brock hadn’t loved her the way she had loved him.

She turned a corner and nearly ran into a large African American man. Murmuring an apology in Chinese, she attempted to skirt around him.

A beefy hand shot out and grabbed her arm. She whirled and lashed out with her foot, kicking him in the groin. He instantly released her, letting out a howl of pain.

As he doubled over, cursing at her, Liana broke into a run, putting badly needed distance between them. She was annoyed with herself for letting her guard down. This area of the city that had become her home turf wasn’t exactly a nice part of town.

She needed to keep her wits about her. No more thinking about Brock until she made it to PK’s.

Liana turned down her street, keeping a sharp eye out for anyone lingering nearby. She needed to get her vehicle, a rusty sedan that looked to be on its last leg but had a decent engine, thanks to the undercover squad at the MPD. And she also needed to grab her weapon. Normally, she didn’t carry one, as that wasn’t part of her role. Yet she couldn’t be sure Muchin would believe her story. If he didn’t and decided to send someone after her, she needed to be ready.

She really, really wished Brock hadn’t blown her cover.

Slipping into her apartment building, she took the stairs to the second floor. She paused outside her door, listening intently before putting her key in the lock and pushing the door open.

Standing off to the side, she peered quickly around the doorjamb to scan the room. Nothing seemed out of place. She always took care to scatter items around in what appeared to be haphazard way.

But she knew exactly where every item was supposed to be.

Reassured her apartment hadn’t been searched, she ducked inside and closed the door behind her. Then she cautiously crept toward the hallway where the bedroom and bathroom were located.

Both were empty.

There was no time to waste. She entered her bedroom and quickly used a screwdriver to open a panel in her window air conditioner to retrieve her service weapon. Not the most original hiding spot in the world, but the stark apartment didn’t offer many options.

Then she grabbed her keys from beneath a pile of mail and headed back outside. This part of the city didn’t have luxuries like underground parking lots. Or any parking lots. There was only street parking that was on a first come, first served basis. And in winter, the rule of parking on only one side of the street, alternating days to make room for snowplows, made those precious parking spaces even more difficult to find.

Her vehicle was four blocks away, but she didn’t go straight there. Taking her usual surveillance precautions, she headed in the opposite direction for three blocks before circling back, her sharp gaze making sure she hadn’t been followed.

By the time she reached her sedan, her fingers were numb from the cold. She only wore thin gloves and a worn coat in keeping with her disguise of living in a low-income neighborhood and had to blow into her cupped palms to warm up before she could get inside the vehicle.

All this because Brock had stumbled into her meeting with Bai.

Rather than scraping the ice from her windshield, she sat in the car and waited for it to melt. Then she had to finagle the car back and forth to get out of the tight space, before heading to the Third Ward.

Patty’s Kitchen was a small diner not far from the condo she’d once shared with Brock. They had enjoyed many pancake breakfasts there, and the occasional lunch too. They hadn’t gone there for dinner often, but she knew they’d be open until nine. Just pulling into the small parking lot filled her with nostalgia.

She hadn’t allowed herself to think about her life with Brock. The only way to survive an undercover assignment like this was to immerse yourself in the role. As if she wasn’t Brock’s wife and fellow cop.

She was Feng Chi, a woman involved in Muchin’s sex-trafficking operation. Of course, her girls were not given to prostitution rings the way Muchin paid her to do. She managed to help them escape but provided the cash to Muchin through Bai Chow as if they were on the job.

Constantly walking a fine line between saving girls and being caught and killed.

But now she sat in her car, staring at the restaurant, desperately wishing she could just walk back into Brock’s arms, leaving the horrifying world of sex trafficking behind. Especially since she hadn’t been able to find Mai Shi.

It was tempting to put the gear shift into reverse and drive far away from there. But she couldn’t do that to Brock.

Not again. Leaving him the first time had been difficult enough.

Drawing in a deep breath, she shut down the car and slid out from behind the wheel. She headed inside, easily spotting Brock in the corner booth.

Their booth.

His green gaze pierced hers as she moved forward. His expression remained hard as stone, without an ounce of welcome or compassion.

His frank hostility caught her off guard.

I guess I should be honored you kept your word for once, he said as she slid across from him.

She shrugged. I told you I would.

You said a lot of things, Liana, he shot back. Like ‘until death do us part.’

It was no surprise he’d tossed their wedding vows in her face. She’d known she’d hurt him, but she also wasn’t going to sit there like a lamb, tolerating his verbal punching. She held his gaze. Be civil or I’m gone.

Brock’s gaze narrowed. He opened his mouth, then seemed to think better of it. A server came over with menus. Can I get you anything to drink?

Coffee, she and Brock answered in unison.

The woman laughed. I’ll be right back.

There was a long silence before Brock spoke. Who is Troy?

She nodded, remembering their argument. She waited until their server brought their coffee before saying, Lieutenant Troy Wallace. He’s my handler in this undercover op.

Are you sleeping with him? Brock asked.

Her fingers itched to slap his face. No, Brock. I’m working an undercover assignment. One I was forbidden to tell you about.

That’s insane. Why wouldn’t you tell me about it?

Because you would have interfered. And don’t try to pretend otherwise.

He scowled but didn’t argue. He knew she was right.

You saw my text messages because you went through my phone. She kept her voice even. "I assume you didn’t trust me back then either, so it’s no surprise you don’t trust me now. That’s your choice,