Absolution

An Honor Guard Book

by

Diane Alberts

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 by Diane Alberts

ISBN: 978-1-61333-237-5

Cover art by Mina Carter

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution
of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright
infringement (including infringement without monetary gain) is
investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in
federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Please purchase only authorized electronic
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rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s
imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events,
locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. Except for use in any
review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or
in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means
now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written
permission of the publisher.

Published by Decadent Publishing Company,
LLC

Look for us online at:

www.decadentpublishing.com

Also by Diane Alberts

Kill Me Tomorrow

A 1Night Stand Story

Reclaimed

~
DEDICATION
~

To my editor Laura, for pointing out when my
hero didn’t have enough hands to do everything I wanted him to
do.

To Dawn, for being my beta reader and helping
me decide what government enforcement agency Joseph should belong
to.

To Kaitlyn, Hunter, Gabriel, Emmy, Mom, Dad,
Cyn, Tina and my in-laws. I love you all.

With the most love possible, to Greg, my own
ex-marine. He just might be a lot like Joseph in his stubbornness
and shooting abilities.

“Let me get this straight, sir.” Joseph
stared at Colonel Hugo Gonzales, wondering if he’d hallucinated.
“You want me, your daughter’s ex-boyfriend, to walk back into her
life and protect her from some kind of threat? Sir, six weeks ago,
Eva threw me out and screamed at me loud enough to wake the
neighbors. And you made sure to keep—”

Hugo straightened in his seat and frowned.
“I’d rather you not remind me of the past.”

Joseph laughed. “Well, I assure you she
remembers finding me passed out, naked, with a stripper next to me.
I doubt she’s forgotten.”

“You don’t need to convince me she still
hates you. Hell, I hate you. But, I also know you’re the best shot
in this city and the best option to keep her alive. And my love for
her is stronger than my hatred for you.”

Joseph didn’t find it shocking he brought out
such animosity in the man. Who wouldn’t dislike him in the same
circumstance? “She’s not going to let me inside her house, yet
alone close enough to keep her safe. The kind of vigilance she
requires is twenty-four-seven.”

“She’ll do what she’s told. These are
dangerous times in Mexico. She’ll agree to my demands, or she’ll
return to America like I’ve begged her to.”

Hugo’s arrogance hung over the room like fog,
stifling Joseph. A tug at his collar didn’t help, and he let out a
dramatic sigh. At that moment, he had difficulty remembering all
the enjoyable afternoons he’d spent fishing with Hugo…before the
incident
. “There’s another problem. Poza Rica is a good
three hours from Mexico City, where my next assignment is
located—”

“Not anymore. I spoke to your superior, and
you’re officially assigned to the case.”

“I’m not Secret Service. I don’t do
protection detail. Wouldn’t you prefer someone more experienced in
these manners?”

“You’re the best shot around, and you owe
her. I’ll accept no one else,” Hugo snarled.

“I’d been assigned to another mission.”

“Things change.”

Joseph ground his teeth in an attempt to bite
back the sarcastic remark fighting to escape, but he just couldn’t
help pushing Hugo’s buttons. “But people, obviously, don’t. You’re
still an arrogant ass who thinks he can order everyone around—even
when they don’t even work for you. And interfere in everyone’s
life.”

Hugo frowned. “I’ve earned the right to order
everyone around by busting my ass all my life. Including you. And
you will damn well treat me with respect.”

Joseph stood straight and clicked his heels
together. “Yes, sir.” Damn it all to hell, he was right. Joseph had
a duty to show this ass deference, like it or not. He was a special
agent in the ATF, and Hugo a colonel in the Mexican military.
Though Joseph wasn’t in the military, he still owed the man
respect. “What is the problem with Eva, sir?”

Hugo sighed. Opening the upper left drawer,
he pulled out a file, dropped it on his desktop, and motioned
toward it with a wave of his hand. Joseph picked up the thick
manila file and sat back in the chair that had been placed in front
of the colonel’s desk. Crossing his foot over his left knee, he
laid the file in his lap.

After a few minutes of reading, he raised his
eyes to Hugo’s. “She’s being threatened…why? What have you
done?”

“I’m in a secret investigation, working
undercover against the Cartel. My cover is Emil Riordes. I’m a
trucking company owner who turns his head when, once a month, a
shipment of guns is delivered to the coast of Falcon Lake by the
Cartel.”

Joseph sat up straighter, dread in his heart.
“Wait a second, sir. Are you referring to the same people suspected
of all the murders and pirating of boats to ship firearms? The same
group no one can seem to catch in the act?”

Hugo nodded. “Now, you see why I need you.
They demanded I up my shipments to them to twice a month, and I
refused. For the sake of my cover, I said I didn’t want to draw the
suspicion of the authorities. They insisted. I still refused. I
hoped to draw out a big shot by my refusals.” His voice wavered,
and he ran a shaky hand over his mustache. “It worked, but I never
imagined they’d find out about Eva. I got this picture today.”

Hugo took the photo of Eva leaving the school
where she worked. On her face, smack between the eyes, someone had
drawn a red X. Nothing more, nothing less. But the meaning couldn’t
have been clearer. Joseph shoved the picture into the file before
slamming it back on the desk.

“How long until the operation is over?”

“Three days. We expect to catch a very big
fish.”

He ground his teeth and closed his eyes. Aw,
shit. Eva would probably murder
him
before the mission
reached completion.

“One of the Cartel’s top men, Captain Soto,
is coming to Poza Rica for a huge shipment—and to deal with me.
He’s suspected of murdering two border patrolmen a month ago, and
the CIA wants him. Bad. The truck has been booked, and an
undercover agent is the driver. After this all goes down, the
threat will have been removed, and I’ll be off the case. And far
away from this hellhole.”

“For both of our sakes, you should consider
another option. I know a man who is excellent at guarding—”

“No.” Hugo shoved up from his chair and
snapped, “Only the best will do.”

“Sir, with all due respect—”

Hugo opened the same drawer the picture of
Eva had been in and pulled out another photo, shoving it under his
nose. “Look at this. This is the last woman they murdered. Her
fiancé managed to anger them enough that they shot him in the head
and then stole his woman to rape her before mutilating her.
Afterwards, they sent us her location to mock us. They left her
next to a dumpster in an abandoned alleyway. Like garbage.”

Joseph looked down and fought the bile rising
in his throat. The woman had been stripped naked and stabbed, the
number of times impossible to tell due to all the blood. Not to
mention the ear-to-ear slit throat—deep enough so he could see a
peek of her vertebrae, creating a mockery of a smile.

“Still want someone else to protect Eva?”
Hugo snarled.

Joseph threw the picture back on the desk.
“Where do I find her?”

He wasn’t about to let Eva turn up in an
alleyway like the woman in the photo. She might hate his guts, but
he couldn’t say the same of his feelings for her.

In fact, he loved her.

***

Eva walked out of the school and slipped her
sunglasses on. The sun glared against the white cement, and she had
to blink a few times to adjust, even with the dark lenses over her
eyes. No wonder her students hadn’t given her even half their
attention throughout the day. They all wanted to go out and play.
She couldn’t blame them. She could use a bit of playing herself.
And she had a date later to prove how badly she needed a night of
fun.

She and Antonio had come into the coffee shop
at the same time every day, and after a ton of light flirtation,
he’d asked her out. Her love life had been a bit slow going the
past six weeks, since her ex had broken her heart and stomped it
into itty-bitty pieces. Not only had he cheated on her, but he’d
also had the audacity to pass out naked and drunk afterwards. With
a stripper.

In their bed.

But why dwell on the past? She had a hot date
with a new guy.

“Eva,” a voice called from behind her.

She stopped dead in her tracks. His voice
washed over her like an electric shock, causing her heart to race
and her knees to go weak. Oh, hell no. Anyone but him. Did he
somehow sense he was on her mind? With a moan, she squeezed her
eyes shut tight.
No, it has to be a coincidence. My
imagination
.

“Eva, look at me,” he said, his voice
sounding closer.

She shook her head, wiping her shaky hands on
her khakis.

His face swam into her mind. The only logical
explanation for his voice echoing in her ears was pure fancy. She
just
thought
it was him. When she turned around, she would
see someone else who sounded like Joseph. A trick of the mind.

“I’m not going to disappear if you refuse to
look at me.”

Why me
?
Why is he back
?
What
the heck did I do to deserve such torture
?

Opening her eyes, Eva took a calming breath
and spun to face him. She hadn’t seen him since she’d kicked him
out of her bed and life six weeks ago. Her heart ached from just
one look at him. Damn it, he looked good. His hotness served to
make her more furious, and she welcomed the emotion with open
arms.

“Really? I was so hoping you would. But you
know what does work? Me, walking away. Which I’m doing now.”

She turned, took a step, and found her escape
thwarted by his hand on her elbow. When she tried to yank loose, he
tightened his grip and stepped closer, his chest brushing against
her shoulder. Jolts of lust shot through her.

Damn him.

“Let go.” She fought to control her
emotions.

He released her, and ran an unsteady hand
through his exceptionally perfect auburn hair. Ha, at least he
wasn’t unaffected by her, either. Good.

“I’m leaving, and you’re going back to
wherever the hell you came from.”

“Sorry, pumpkin, but that’s not an option,”
he said,
almost
pulling off an apologetic tone. His
endearment made her heart lurch.

“Don’t call me that. You lost the right to
use your nickname for me when you fucked a stripper in our
bed.”

Joseph paled and backed up a step. “I’m not
going anywhere. I’m here to guard you. You’re my new
assignment.”