“Here.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a plastic badge with the letters ATF emblazoned on top and slid it across the table.

  She picked it up. “Special Agent Micah Spokane,” she read out loud, turning it over in her hands before handing it back to him. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”

  Slowly, he nodded. “Your sister’s name is Laney Peterson. She and I are part of the same undercover operation, involving that guy you met back at Mountain Rocks. She and I are pretending to be married business partners.”

  “Which is why that man thought he knew me.”

  “Exactly. The thing is, Laney is pregnant, and she’s had some complications. Her doctor has ordered complete bed rest. We’ve been trying to figure out how to handle this without blowing anyone’s cover.”

  Pregnant. “I take it you’re not her husband?”

  “No.” Again, that flash of a smile. “Not in real life.” He took another sip of his coffee, leaning forward. “There’s a party tomorrow night she and I were supposed to attend. All the big players in Igor’s ring will be there. Obviously, that’s not happening now.” He eyed her, his expression intent. “I was planning to attend alone and make up some excuse about Lania.” He took a deep breath. “I have a better idea. How about you fill in?”

  What the what? She fought back a sudden urge to push back her chair and scramble for the exit. Instead, she forced herself to stay planted in her seat. She took a drink of her coffee and shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’m a teacher. Since it’s summer break, I’m taking it easy.”

  “A teacher?” he repeated. “What grade?”

  “Fifth.” Exhaling, she gathered up the courage to ask what she so badly wanted to know. “I’d like to meet my sister. Where is she? I’m guessing she knows about me, since you knew my name.”

  Slowly, he nodded. “She does. Though the adoption records were sealed, the agency took a look at them as part of her vetting process. She was allowed to know the results.”

  Each word felt like a knife into her heart. “That’s not fair. I know nothing, but she knows...everything.” She pressed her hand to her chest, willing away that familiar ache. “Why hasn’t she ever contacted me?”

  He held her gaze, his own steady. “She said she thought long and hard about doing so, but in the end she decided she didn’t want to disrupt your life.”

  Disrupt her life? Unexpectedly, her eyes filled with tears. Her twin mustn’t be very much like her if she thought meeting your long-lost sister would be anything but joyful.

  She pushed away the hurt. “What about our parents? Why were we given up for adoption, and more importantly, who would split up twins?”

  Instead of immediately answering, he continued to drink his coffee. “I understand you have a lot of questions. I can tell you that your birth mother is deceased, but other than that, you need to talk to Laney.”

  Practically vibrating from nerves, Jennifer nodded. “Sounds good. When can I do that?”

  He studied her, clearly considering. “After you do this favor for me. I want you to substitute for your sister. Not for very long—only until the operation is complete. We’re nearly there. I’d like you to go undercover with me and assume her identity.”

  So many emotions in such a short time. She’d gone from shock to joy to hurt. Now, anger. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. “Go undercover? That’s ridiculous. I’m not a spy.” Her voice rose. “Are you blackmailing me? Because that’s what it sounds like to me.”

  “No, not blackmail. I’m only asking for your help. Think about it,” he urged. “I could give you a quick training course, plus brief you on everything you need to know.”

  Stunned and still peeved, she sat back, unable to keep from glaring at him.

  “I wouldn’t ask if I had any other choice,” he continued. “Now that Igor has seen you, I can’t show up at his party without you. He wouldn’t like that.”

  Igor? “Who cares?” she shot back.

  Mike—Micah—actually rolled his eyes. “Come on, Jen. Live a little. If your sister can do it, so can you. Think of how impressed she’ll be with you.”

  His phone pinged, causing him to pull it out and glance at it. “I need to take this,” he said. “Please excuse me, I’ll be right back.” He smiled. “While I’m gone, please think about it. Two weeks, three tops. I wouldn’t involve you if I had any other choice. I really need your help.”

  * * *

  Micah answered as he stepped outside. The caller, Carlos, was another member of Igor’s group of gun smugglers. In this business, it was every man for himself, though everyone took care to stay on Igor’s good side. If they didn’t, they were likely to end up dead. Carlos constantly tried to make deals outside Igor’s group. Either he had a death wish, or Micah was being tested. Micah had been fending this guy off for months now, refusing his offers while pretending to lead him on. It was nerve-racking balancing on a precarious edge.

  From what he could tell, Carlos had the same sort of ruthless cruelty as Igor, though on a less powerful scale. So far, Carlos hadn’t gotten brave enough to try an actual coup against Igor, though he did a lot of posturing.

  Saying as little as possible, Micah listened to Carlos rant. The gist of his gripe was that he felt he could make better deals than Igor did, thus bringing in more money. Finally, he ended the call, promising to talk more at the party tomorrow night.

  Tomorrow night. Micah’s stomach turned. He’d acted impulsively, asking Laney’s twin to help him out. This was a hell of a nightmare job even for seasoned undercover operatives like him and Laney. He could imagine a hundred ways a nervous and innocent newbie could mess things up.

  Yet his gut told him having Jennifer step in was the right move. As long as he could manage to ignore the unexpected flash of attraction he felt toward her, this could work. Would work. He’d long ago made it a practice to trust his gut instincts. Igor was in the middle of arranging the biggest illegal arms trade of his career. It wouldn’t be long before everything went down and the ATF swooped in and arrested them all. They were after bigger fish than even Igor, and from the sounds of things, they’d soon have them all. Micah knew he’d particularly relish walking Igor out in cuffs. Maybe then he could finally wash off the unrelenting stench of the other man’s amoral wickedness.

  Shaking his head as if he could shake off the evil, Micah turned to make his way back inside the coffee shop. When he spotted the lovely Jennifer still sipping her coffee, he heaved a sigh of relief. Gut instincts aside, he still wasn’t sure he was doing the right thing, asking a civilian to fill in for a fully trained ATF operative. Certainly, were his superiors to get wind of it, he’d find himself in a hell of a lot of trouble.

  But hey, these days trouble was his middle name. Though he’d dedicated his life to his job, this undercover assignment had been the worst one ever. Part of him felt as if some of the evil he spent time with every day had leached inside him, into his blood. He’d spent years getting close to a lot of awful people. Some nights he took two showers, as if he could wash the taint off his skin.

  “Well,” he said brightly as he approached Jennifer. As she raised her big brown eyes to his, he felt a jolt of attraction so strong he sucked in his breath. What the hell? He and Laney had worked together for years, and there’d never been even the faintest spark between them.

  Ignoring it, he sat down. “Have you thought about it? I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t really need your help.”

  “I know you wouldn’t,” she said softly, as if she knew something he didn’t. “If my sister trusts you, then so will I. So yes, I’m in. Tell me what I need to do.”

  He should have felt guilt, he knew. Laney would have his hide if she found out about this. Which she would, eventually. But not until the entire operation had been wrapped up and Igor and his cohorts had been arrested.

  “Perfect.” Picking up his cup, he drained the last of his coffee before pulling out his phone. “What’s your number?”

  Typing it in as she gave it to him, he created a new contact. Then he called her so she could do the same. “Go on home, pack a suitcase with essentials and call me. You won’t need a lot of clothes. You and Laney appear to be the same size, and she left an extensive wardrobe at the apartment. I’ll come and pick you up in, say, two hours?”

  “Okay.” She got to her feet, eyeing him. “Would you like my address?”

  “That’s okay, I have it.”

  Her eyes widened, but she only nodded.

  “Whatever you do, don’t tell your friends and family where you are. Say you’re going on vacation or something. Can you do that?”

  “Of course.” Drawing herself up to her full height, she looked him straight in the face. “Before I go, do you happen to have any pictures of my sister that you can share?”

  Stomach clenching, he nodded and scrolled past photos on his phone. “Here,” he said. “This was the two of us at one of Igor’s parties.” Laney wore a formfitting, shimmery dress and sky-high heels. She wore her long, dark hair in a sophisticated chignon, and even though she and Jennifer had the same features and slender figures, something about the way Laney carried herself spoke of sophistication and elegance. Jennifer, on the other hand, appeared more down-to-earth and easygoing. He found her natural beauty a hundred times more appealing than he should have.

  “She’s stunning,” Jennifer breathed, her eyes wide.

  He shrugged. “She looks just like you,” he said. If she heard the compliment, she didn’t comment, only continued staring at the photo of her twin.

  “Would you text that to me?” she asked. “I’d like to keep it, if you don’t mind.”

  He did as she’d requested. Her phone chimed and she nodded, then flashed him a smile so brilliant it took his breath away. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll pick you up in two hours,” he reminded her, still puzzling over the way she affected him.

  “Okay.” Back straight, she turned and walked away.

  He watched her go, enjoying the casual yet sensual grace with which she walked. Though she and Laney looked identical, there were enough subtle differences between them to make someone who knew Laney well notice. Luckily, Laney’s undercover persona would be easy to imitate, and Micah felt confident that her twin sister would be up to the task.

  Still watching, he waited until she’d climbed into her small SUV and driven away. Then he tossed his coffee cup into the trash and walked outside to the black Corvette he’d been assigned as part of his cover. He drove back to the luxury apartment the ATF had rented for him and Laney to use.

  Two hours later, he pulled up in front of the town house in Longmont where Jennifer lived. Parking, he headed up the sidewalk. The front door opened, and Jennifer stepped out.

  “You really did know where I live,” she said. “I wasn’t sure I believed you.”

  Smiling, he kept his voice casual. “Are you ready to go? I’ll be happy to carry your luggage to the car.” Even though she hadn’t brought any out with her.

  She eyed his ’Vette. “Like luggage will fit in that thing.”

  “You’d be surprised.”

  “Maybe so.” Her gaze slid from his car to his face. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

  “You have a point.” He decided he might as well level with her. “I’m not sure it is, either. Truthfully, after having Igor spot you at the sporting goods store, the story Laney and I cooked up to explain her sudden disappearance would no longer fly.”

  Arms crossed, Jennifer waited to hear more.

  Micah sighed. “Look, I considered it a huge stroke of good luck that I happened to have been there at the same time as you. I shudder to imagine what might have happened if Igor had approached you and you’d brushed him off as inconsequential.”

  “Who is he?” she asked. “And why are you so worried about what he thinks?”

  “He’s the head of an extremely violent group of domestic terrorists,” he told her, bracing himself for her reaction. She deserved nothing but the truth, even if that same truth might make her change her mind about helping.

  “Domestic terrorists?” Her eyes had gone huge. “Like with bombs?”

  “Guns, mostly. He’s a dangerous guy. That’s why I had to step in when he thought you were Lania. In all the time I’ve spent getting to know Igor, the one thing certain to send him into a rage is being treated as if he was unimportant. And that’s what he would have thought you were doing had you claimed not to know him.”

  Despite the summer afternoon heat, Jennifer shivered. “That’s...terrifying.”

  “Yes.” Micah nodded. “I actually went to the store because I was following Igor. I saw the expression on his face when he spotted you.” It had made his stomach churn—raw lust combined with the laser-focused stare of a hunter about to take down smaller prey.

  Jennifer frowned, her confusion plain. “Expression? What do you mean?”

  “Igor has never made any secret of his desire for Lania. Your sister walked a careful tightrope, managing to discourage him while still doing business with him. She and I had even amped up our supposed relationship, and I made it clear that I felt extremely possessive of my business partner–slash–lover.”

  Silence as Jennifer took this all in.

  “Were you and my sister lovers?” she asked.

  The question shouldn’t have startled him, but it did. Even though he couldn’t blame her for asking. “Hell, no. We’re partners, that’s all. Laney is happily married to a buddy of mine, Tanner Green.”

  Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she sighed. “I assume my sister lives close to here, then? In Colorado, maybe even the Denver metro area?”

  “She does.”

  “But she never reached out, so I’m guessing she didn’t want to be found.” Pain faintly tinged the edge of her voice.

  “I can’t speak for Laney. I’m not sure how long she’s known about you, even. All I can say is that for the past two years, she and I have been deep undercover working this case.”

  “Two years?” Up went her brows. “Isn’t that unusual?”

  “It depends on the case,” he replied. “But yes, two years is a long time for anyone to stay undercover. Laney and I managed, though most nights Laney snuck off to spend with her real-life husband.” He smiled. “We even had a plan in case she was discovered. Her persona proved she was a powerful, tough woman, with many appetites.”

  To his amusement, Jennifer blushed. “I see,” she said, her voice faint. “Let me get my bags.”

  She disappeared inside. A moment later, she returned with a single overnight bag. “Perfect,” he said, trying to take it from her. Instead, she hung on.

  “I’ll keep it with me, if you don’t mind,” she said.

  Once she had gotten settled in the passenger seat with her bag on her lap, she eyed the instrument panel. “Since when do ATF agents get expensive sports cars to drive?”

  Her question made him grin. “It’s my undercover persona. Mike—that’s me—is a hard-drinking, heavy-partying, rich SOB who lives life in the fast lane.”

  “I see.” She sat up straight in her seat, her lush mouth set in almost prim lines. “What kind of car does my sister drive?”

  “A Mercedes-Benz.”

  She shook her head. “That’s nice. A bit over-the-top, but nice.”

  “Not over-the-top at all, not for the role you’re going to be playing. Luckily, we’ve got time to give you a crash course before the party tomorrow. We’ll start small today, and we’ll do a bit more intensive training starting tomorrow. How handy are you with a firearm?”

  “A gun?” She looked askance at him. “I’ve never shot one. I don’t like them. Why?”

  Though he kept his gaze on the road, he grimaced. “Well, for this job, you’ve got to become more than passing comfortable with a pistol. Your life could very well depend on it. Mine, too.”

  She didn’t argue, which he appreciated. The drive back into Denver wasn’t a long one—less than an hour, depending on traffic. Again, he thought of her sister, his partner, and how pissed she’d be once she learned he’d involved Jennifer.

  Laney hadn’t wanted to back out, not at such a crucial stage. They could work her pregnancy in, she’d insisted, vetoing the protests from her husband, Tanner. After all, they just needed a few more weeks. She’d be fine. They were at too crucial a stage for her absence to put the entire thing at risk.

  But her doctor had overridden her. If she didn’t go on complete bed rest, the probability of her losing her baby would be high.

  “I’m guessing since you’re a teacher, you are off for the summer?” he asked Jennifer. “That’s how you’re able to take time off with such short notice?”

  “That’s right,” she replied. “Since we’re on summer break, time off isn’t an issue.”

  “What about your family?” he pressed, all too aware they could leave nothing to chance. “And your friends. What did you tell them?”

  When she didn’t immediately reply, he glanced at her. “Let me guess. You haven’t.”

  “Not yet. I was in too big of a rush to pack. Now that it’s all finally sinking in, I realize I have to come up with something plausible.” She shrugged. “I was thinking of telling everyone I took off on a journey of self-discovery. Kind of like an Eat, Pray, Love–type thing.”

  Careful to remain neutral, he nodded. “Would that be something you would actually do?”

  “I don’t know. But my parents are artsy types, and they’d be thrilled. My mom is ill, so leaving her worries me some, but I think she’ll be all right.” She stared straight ahead, twisting a beaded bracelet over and over on her wrist. “I’ll need my best friend to take my cat. She’s got a key to my house, so that won’t be a problem.”