The Defender

Turning back, Russ stared down at her, took in those amazing blue eyes and decided he was cooked.

* * *

DAMNED RUSSELL VOIGHT. Completely infuriating. Always brewing for a fight with her. At least, that was what it felt like. Still, Elizabeth Brooks was in trouble and had come to Penny hoping to make a deal with the FBI. It was Penny’s rotten luck that the lead agent on the Colin Heath case happened to be one she’d previously dismantled in court. Not that it had been his fault. During her research, she’d discovered an exemplary investigator and had prepared for him like no other witness.

Now, from his side of this deal, special agent Russell Voight could create all sorts of chaos for Penny’s client.

“I have a client to protect. As you know, Russell, Colin Heath is dangerous and Elizabeth has a son to raise.”

He gave her the hard stare. He probably didn’t like being called Russell. Too bad, because calling men by their given names with just a hint of sarcasm had been a trick Penny used to maximum effect. She called it the Mommy Game and she hadn’t met a man yet who could withstand it.

“Which is exactly why I won’t let you screw around. We’re either making a deal, Penny, or we’re not. No games. Are you in or out?”

Huh. Maybe the Mommy Game wasn’t so surefire with this particular man.

“Of course I’m in. You need to give me assurances, though. I won’t have the feds leaving my client—or her son—to face a murderer.”

“What’s with the son? That’s the second time you’ve brought him up.”

Because I’m terrified for him. Penny sighed. Blame it on the madman who’d opened fire on the courthouse today, but the plan she’d mapped out for this conversation had evaporated, simply imploded under the terror that came with watching those around her, including her father, drop to the ground. Standing on those steps, for a few brief seconds she’d thought her father was dead, shot down in front of her eyes. The panic from earlier whipped inside her, curling her stomach into tight knots, each one of them squeezing, squeezing, squeezing.

She glanced back at Russ, hands on his lean hips, all chiseled face and alpha among alphas, and her stomach let up. She’d guessed his height to be around five-ten, but he carried enough power and presence to fill a giant. With Russ came a sense of strength. Control. She didn’t doubt he could be a hothead, but he also understood how to maneuver a conversation.

She let out a breath. “I have to be able to trust you.”

“Be straight with me and you can trust me. I’ve been working this case for over a year. Don’t waste my time. Don’t waste the bureau’s time. If my guess is right, Colin Heath is running this scam in multiple states. We’ve got agents all over the country chasing leads on this guy.”

Penny held her hand to the chair, but he stared down at her, eyes a little squinty. “Please sit. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

He sat. Woo-hoo! At least she’d kept him from leaving. Back to work here. “As you know, Elizabeth Brooks is a licensed stockbroker.”

“Correct.”

“After the husband’s murder, Colin Heath realized there was money unaccounted for.”

“You’re telling me Sam Brooks was ripping off Heath?”

She nodded.

“Of course he was. What do these animals expect? They rip off innocent people and then expect their partners not to make off with the profits?”

Penny waited a moment. Russ remained silent. Her turn to speak again. “Right. So, Colin went to Elizabeth soon after Sam’s death and told her the money was missing. Obviously, he wanted it, but she didn’t know anything about it.”

“Come on, Penny.”

Seemed the FBI agent trusted no one. Probably a good trait in an investigator. “It’s the truth. She loved her husband. Maybe she suspected a few of his stock deals were off, but when she questioned him, he schmoozed his way around it. She made the mistake of trusting her husband. Women can’t be convicted for that.”

That got her the hard look he’d leveled on her five months ago from the witness stand. “They can when they’re involved in criminal activity.”

Penny rolled her eyes. “Heath is as cynical as you are and thought she was lying about not knowing where the money was. He told her she’d have to work off her husband’s debt by doing trades for him. She refused and he sent her a photo of her son with an X over his head.”

“He threatened her son.”

Russ let out a long breath and his shoulders dipped forward. The man had a soft spot for kids. Good to know. Suddenly, she wondered if he had children. None of her previous research had indicated such. From what she knew, he was in his early thirties and had never been married. Didn’t mean he hadn’t had a relationship that resulted in a baby. She could have overlooked certain aspects of his personal life.

“Unless she agreed to do the trades,” Penny said, “the photo implied her boy would be in danger. So she did it. What devoted mother wouldn’t break the law to protect her child? Let’s not forget she’s a grieving widow. Until last week, she’d been unable to go through Sam’s things. When she finally worked up the nerve, she found multiple safe-deposit-box keys hidden in the attic. Those safe-deposit boxes contained five million dollars in cash.”

Russ’s eyebrows flew up. “Not bad.”

“Assuming it was the stolen money, she cleaned out the boxes and took the money to Heath. She figured the debt would be paid and that would be the end of it.”

“How naive is this woman?”

Penny shrugged. “More desperate than naive. Heath took the money, but told her she’d have to continue making trades or else... Fearing she’d be prosecuted if she went to the FBI, she came to me.”

“And here we are.”

“Yes. She wants out. She can give you account numbers, how the scheme works, everything. She just wants a new life somewhere safe.”

Penny sat back and waited. She’d done her job and presented her offer. Now the FBI would have to decide how to handle it.

Again, Russ drummed his fingers, his gaze on her, unyielding, analyzing. Trying to figure her angle. No angle. Just an attorney trying to give her client peace of mind.

Penny leaned forward, touched the arm of his chair. “She’s a mom, Russell. Her husband is dead and she’s trying to make a life for her son. She knows she broke the law. She wants to make it right. Can you help her?”

Russ glanced down at her hand on the armrest, then brought his gaze back to her face. She wouldn’t attempt a guess at his thoughts. Cynics tended to surprise her, so she’d long ago given up trying to figure them out.

“Let me talk to my supervisor,” he said. “Elizabeth is willing to give us everything? No screwing around?”

First step complete. Go, Penny. “No screwing around. I promise.”

Someone rapped on her door and she glanced up to see her brother Zac and his girlfriend standing in the doorway. They’re back. “Hey, guys. Is Dad okay?”

“He’s fine. I figured we’d check on you and take you home.”

Zac slid a questioning gaze to Russ, then came back to her. Right. Introductions. “Special Agent Voight, this is my brother Zachary and his girlfriend, Emma. Zac and Emma, meet Russell Voight from the FBI”

Emma made an oh face. “Are we interrupting?”

As usual, the sight of Emma, her dark hair pulled back in a way that resembled a cute third-grade teacher, settled Penny’s rattled nerves. Which was saying something, because not many people in Penny’s world had that kind of influence. Funny in an easy, disarming way, she carried a reserved calm about her. Emma, being the complete opposite in all matters concerning looks, fashion, outspokenness and Penny’s general affection for chaos, was special.

And considering she’d started out as Penny’s client when she’d thrown herself into proving her wrongfully convicted brother’s innocence, Penny liked to brag that she’d found Emma before Zac. Depending on the day, Penny either took credit for bringing them together or accused her brother of being a pig for seducing her then client and now close friend.

“I think we’re about done here,” Russ said, turning toward Zac and Emma.

Zac adjusted his posture, squeaking out a few more millimeters of height while he took stock of the other male in the room. Fascinated, Penny shifted her gaze to Russ’s back and the excellent fit of his jacket. At first glance, the differences between Russ Voight and Zac Hennings weren’t hard to miss. Where Zac was tall and broad-shouldered with blond hair, Russ Voight’s short dark hair stood out. His height clocked in over a few inches shorter than Zac’s and maybe his body was more compact, but the set of his shoulders, that thrown-back I’m-in-charge stance, not to mention his predatory grace, indicated all male, all the time. Something churned low in Penny’s belly. Maybe it was lower. Lower than her belly, higher than her thighs. Pure sexual attraction.

Russ shook Zac’s hand. “You’re the Cook County ASA. Criminal Prosecutions Bureau, right?”