“Be safe,” she said. “I worry that when we catch up to him this time, he’ll be shooting to kill instead of just using his gun as a bat.”

  “You stay safely inside. No going out to sunbathe or stroll along the beach.”

  She smiled at him. “I think you know me better than that. Not until after we nail him.” She gave him another kiss.

  Before he left, he asked, “You really are considering moving to Alaska to be with me?” He was thrilled, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up if she hadn’t really intended to do that.

  “You’d be safer as an Arctic wolf there.”

  “Thanks for worrying about me as a wolf. We’re known as Alaskan tundra wolves, or barren-ground wolves. Alaska has one of the largest gray wolf populations in the United States, and you would be known as an interior Alaskan wolf if anyone caught sight of you. Their pelts are anywhere from black to white to every shade of tan and gray in between so you’d fit right in. You wouldn’t miss the warmer temperatures in Houston? All those hot, green days? We have long white days and long dark nights and long daylight periods. Some can’t get used to it. What if you came up there and tried it out for a year first to see if you could live with it?”

  “I suspect you can make those long dark nights just as memorable as the long sunny days. If I can’t live with it, we can talk about it then.”

  “If you can’t, I’ll move anywhere you want to go. Hell, even Seattle, where that Arctic wolf pack is going, might work.”

  “That’s not a good idea. I could see us constantly having to take care of them when they can’t go out during the full moon. Not that I don’t like helping people out, but we both have jobs and have to have time for us.”

  “All right. Let me go do this, and hopefully, we’ll find this guy quickly. How hard can it be on an island this size?”

  Chapter 10

  Three days later, they still hadn’t found Rizzo, and neither the FBI agents nor the special agents for the FWS could hide their disappointment. Stacey and Andrew had continued to make love to each other—unconsummated, though they were about ready to make the commitment for life.

  “He must be holed up somewhere, afraid to show his face,” Kim said as they gathered together in the living room of Stacey and Andrew’s cabana.

  It had become the gathering spot for making plans, eating meals, and just letting their hair down.

  “Or he’s left the island, or he never arrived and the word we had from informants wasn’t correct, or he got spooked, fearing we knew where he was headed and made other plans.” Stacey was tired of this and ready to finish the job. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she could have helped to locate him, being an active member of the team, but sitting in the cabana, unable to leave it day after day, was really wearing on her nerves. Especially when she wanted to get out-of-doors during the day and at least enjoy the scenery.

  “We can’t stay here forever,” Garcia said. “Our boss is already saying Rizzo has probably slipped through our net again and we’ve lost him. He’s ready for us to return home.”

  Stacey knew that was coming next. The whole idea was that they would arrest Rizzo, and she and Andrew could have some vacation time for the rest of the week. If they had to chase after him somewhere else that he might have gone, that would be the end of having any fun in paradise. She wanted to pull her hair out, she was so irritated. Though she had been working on getting a job with the FWS in Alaska in the meantime. Because of her background, she already had their attention. She had to tell her boss she was making the move whether she got the job up there right away or not so he could fill her vacancy.

  He’d tried to convince her that the FBI agent whom she’d fallen for should take up residency in Houston. She couldn’t tell her boss that she needed to be somewhere that an Arctic wolf could live. Not to mention it would make it easier for her to be seen in the wild up there too. Luckily, the few times she’d been seen in state parks in the Houston area, they only believed she was a dog running loose. Not that she wanted to be referred to as a dog or have animal control trying to pick her up, but it was safer than if someone thought she was a wolf. Still, they’d found red wolf-coyote mixes near Galveston, so what if they found a rare gray wolf in the area? She could just imagine being tagged and monitored!

  She took a deep breath, thinking about the situation here again.

  Sure, she and Andrew had run as wolves along the beach late at night when nobody was out and about, but she wanted to do some fun things with him during the day too. Even just looking for Rizzo while she was with Andrew made it more fun!

  “Do you think he’s on to us, if he’s here and hiding away?” Stacey asked.

  “Could be. Even the police might have tipped him off accidentally, and he left already,” Garcia said. “But while we’re here, this is what Kim and I are going to do today. We’re going to pose as a couple. We’ll dress like tourists and hit the beaches, though I’m sure he won’t be lying around on the sand, nor will he be strolling along the water’s edge. But we’ll do like she did earlier—duck into the restaurants and check out hotel lobbies.”

  “I’ll wait for word from all of you. As usual,” Stacey said, unable to hide how glum she was feeling. She really had believed they’d find him quickly, but if he was hiding in a room, like she was at the cabana, who knew when they’d find him? It could take forever. With the kind of money he was making from all his illegal operations, he could probably stay here for a long time. They had to get back to their jobs and new missions. But she didn’t want to leave the island unless she knew for sure that he had flown the coop.

  “What if I go out and you can follow me, or one of you can, and the others can watch to see if he shows himself, like to leave or to come after me. I imagine that it would be more than likely he’d leave to avoid apprehension,” Stacey said.

  “No,” Garcia said, everyone else agreeing with him. “It’s too iffy that we’d catch up to him in time.”

  “I’ll bring you your favorite strawberry ice cream when I return for lunch,” Andrew said, giving her a kiss.

  She knew he didn’t think that would make up for her being stuck here, but she was glad he offered. She let out her breath on a heavy sigh. “Thank you. I’m okay. I just wish we could catch the bastard.”

  “We all do.” Andrew gave her a hug and a kiss. And then he left with the others.

  She moved her chair over to the window to people watch like she’d been doing, seeing the couples and individuals running or walking along the beach, kids creating sandcastles, and a few people wading in the surf. She might not be able to leave the cabana in search of Rizzo, but at least she could feel like she was looking for him. She really didn’t expect to see him walking along the beach.

  After an hour, she stopped to get a glass of iced tea, then sat down to observe the people coming and going again.

  That was when she thought she saw Rizzo. Or at least she thought it was him. She jumped up from her chair. He was walking along the beach with a blond babe hanging off his arm. Someone he picked up here? Or someone he was with already? If it was Rizzo. He was wearing colorful board shorts and a tank top. She was wearing a bikini and a sarong, and they were both carrying their sandals.

  Stacey couldn’t lose sight of the man, just in case it was him. She grabbed her big, floppy hat and a pair of sunglasses and her phone, then headed outside. Even though she didn’t want to jeopardize the mission by showing herself to him, she knew if she lost him now, they might never learn if he was their man or not.

  She locked the place up, then texted Andrew: It might not be Rizzo, but there’s a guy walking along the beach with a blond, and it sure looks like him. I’m following him to see where he goes, and you can check it out.

  Andrew texted back: I’ll let everyone know. Don’t let him see you. I don’t want you hurt.

  She was glad he didn’t tell her to return to the cabana because she might blow their case, that he was more concerned about her safety. Not that she would have listened to him. If this was Rizzo, they needed to know it pronto.

  She texted: I’m sufficiently disguised.

  She didn’t believe Rizzo would recognize her or figure she was out here following him if he was clueless that she was here.

  Andrew texted: I’ll park the car at our cabana and meet up with you on the beach.

  She texted: They’re headed south.

  Then she took some pictures of the couple and sent them to Andrew and the others.

  She texted: I wasn’t able to get a shot of them from the front, but it looks like his build, swarthy, tanned skin, and dark, curly hair. When I first saw him, I thought it was his distinctive profile.

  Andrew texted: Yeah, that looks like him from the back side. Okay, parking at the cabana now. Garcia said he and Kim would head in the direction that would mean they’d approach Rizzo and they can see for sure if it’s him. I’m on the beach now, jogging to catch up to you. I see you wearing your white shorts and pink halter top.

  She turned to look and smiled to see Andrew sprinting to catch up to her. He was wearing board shorts and sandals and had his T-shirt in hand—sexy and all wolf. She continued to walk at a fast pace, not about to slow down and then have to jog after Rizzo, if it was him. Andrew didn’t take long to catch up to her, and to her surprise, he grabbed her up and swung her around, like he was totally thrilled to see her, and she nearly lost her hat. But she was laughing and glad he wasn’t upset with her for leaving the cabana.

  Maybe he was glad they might have some resolution in the case. Then he set her down on the sand and kissed her. “Good job,” he said for her ears only as the seagulls called out to one another, the breeze tossed her hair about, and the waves crashed on the beach.

  Then Rizzo stopped and talked to the blond.

  Stacey and Andrew were a long way from the suspect, but still, should they keep walking, pause and look at the ocean, or wade into the water? She figured it would look less suspicious if they just kept walking.

  Then the guy nodded to the woman, and he and she started walking again. Stacey took a breath of relief. “We’re mating tonight,” she told Andrew. She’d decided she didn’t want to wait. She knew in her heart that he was the right one for her. They needed to get their affairs in order, including her getting a new job and moving her things to Alaska to join him.

  “Hot damn! You sure you want to wait until tonight?”

  She chuckled and grabbed his hand and hurried him along the beach. “We have a mission first.”

  “Somehow I knew you’d say that.”

  “Do you think it’s him?” she asked.

  “It’s a good possibility.”

  They saw Garcia and Kim coming from the opposite direction, playing in the water as they walked, dodging waves as they broke onto shore, and laughing like a newlywed couple. Stacey hadn’t realized her friend could be such a consummate actress.

  Suddenly, the man they thought was Rizzo and his companion turned and headed toward a hotel. Now they had to be careful so that Rizzo wouldn’t realize they were following them, but they couldn’t lose the couple either.

  Garcia and Kim played in the surf right where they were, not moving from the spot, but they were watching Rizzo.

  “Want to get a drink at the café?” Andrew asked Stacey, not waiting for her answer but hurrying her toward the beachside café of the hotel.

  “Yeah. I’ll sit outside, and you can run inside and get us drinks.” She didn’t really mean it. The part about her sitting outside, yes, since she needed to keep her hat and sunglasses on. But Andrew getting her a drink, no. She knew Andrew didn’t mean it either, that he was going to head in after Rizzo and see where he went.

  When Andrew came back outside with two bottles of water and a couple of menus, she was surprised. He leaned down and kissed her. “I need to run to the restroom, honey. They’re inside, ordering lunch. I thought we could too.”

  “Okay, sure.” She began looking over the menu. “What do you want? I can order while you run back inside.”

  “Grilled salmon.”

  “Okay, I’ll have the shrimp salad.”

  “Thanks.” Then he went back inside, she figured to see what was going on with their suspects.

  Garcia and Kim passed her table, not bothering to look at her, and went inside.

  Stacey took a relieved breath. She and Andrew couldn’t watch Rizzo inside the restaurant, if that was who it was, but Garcia and Kim could.

  Then everything went to hell.

  With her enhanced hearing, she heard Garcia and Andrew say, “Rizzo…you’re under arrest for trafficking and prostitution.”

  Rizzo made a break for it, and Stacey was there to stop him. He had a gun out and was about to fire a shot at her, but she swung her big hat in his face and knocked his gun aside. Before he could aim again, Andrew came to her rescue and jumped on the guy’s back, taking him down to the sand, jerking an arm behind his back as Kim brought out a plastic tie for him.

  Garcia had ahold of the blond and was on the phone to the police. “Yes, you might want to question the woman too.”

  “I told you I didn’t want to walk with you along the beach!” Rizzo told the woman, outraged. “I shouldn’t have listened to you!”

  So the woman had insisted he take her for a walk? Good one on him.

  The woman smiled at Rizzo and brought out a badge. “I don’t know who these other people are, but I’ve had you under surveillance for a long time.”

  Stacey and the other agents stared at her. “Kim and I are from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Houston. Andrew and Garcia are with the FBI out of Anchorage. Who are you?”

  “FBI in Michigan. We’ve been trying to capture him for years. I’m Amy Southwater.”

  They each introduced themselves to her, but they weren’t giving up Rizzo to the agent. What if she wasn’t really an agent? And she was working with Rizzo?

  The local police showed up and took both Rizzo and the woman into custody to verify she was who she said she was. The extradition papers were signed, and Garcia and Kim packed their bags to take Rizzo back to the States. It turned out that the woman was legit, but they had claims to Rizzo already and had okayed it with the local police before she had. Miffed, she ended up booking on the same flight as they were taking home.

  “How did you think you were going to arrest him and transport him out of here if you didn’t work with the local police to get the extradition paperwork?” Stacey asked Amy.

  “Oh, I wasn’t going to do that.”

  “You were going to try to kidnap him and sneak him out of here?” Kim asked, her eyes wide.

  “Of course not. He was going to take me home with him, and once we were on U.S. soil, I would have arrested him.”

  Stacey smiled. “That would have worked.”

  “You don’t have a partner on this assignment?” Garcia asked Amy.

  “Not for a job like this.” Amy frowned. “My boss is going to have a conniption that I let Rizzo get away.”

  “He didn’t get away,” Andrew said. “He’ll face charges in Alaska.”

  “And Texas,” Stacey said.

  “All right, and Michigan,” Amy added.

  “And Michigan,” Stacey and the others agreed.

  Chapter 11

  When they were ready to go to the airport, Amy hitched a ride with Garcia and Kim and Rizzo, and Andrew and Stacey followed them to see them off. After that, they could enjoy the rest of their stay on Grand Cayman.

  “I guess we’ll be seeing you in Alaska soon,” Garcia said, giving Stacey a hug. “See you soon, man,” he told Andrew.

  “We will,” Andrew said.

  “And I’ll be missing you, but I’d love to come and visit,” Kim said.

  Stacey gave her a hug. “We’d love to have you come visit.”

  “You can visit us anytime,” Andrew told Kim.

  Amy said goodbye to them too, not too miffed they’d taken the man she planned to arrest into their own custody.

  Stacey was superexcited about getting settled with Andrew in Anchorage. She’d told her parents late last night what was going on so it wouldn’t be so much of a shock when she and Andrew were mated. Andrew had called his parents too, and they were ecstatic, mentioning grandkids a dozen times during the brief talk they’d had.

  Then Amy, Garcia, their prisoner, and Kim went through security, and Stacey and Andrew returned to their cabana to start their vacation.

  * * *

  “You were serious about a mating, right?” Andrew asked, glad they were done with the mission and could have some real fun.

  “Tonight. We didn’t have lunch, and I want to go swimming, take a cruise, go snorkeling, run through the forest, feed the manta rays, take a sunset dinner cruise, walk the plank of the pirate ship—”

  “And we will. But a mating first.”

  She smiled and put her arms around Andrew’s neck. “Now I know you have your priorities straight. Not that you’re getting out of doing all the rest of the stuff, but for now?”

  He swept her up in his arms and took her into the bedroom. “A mating.”

  That was one good thing about mating in paradise. Lots fewer clothes. He slipped off his sandals and jerked his T-shirt over his head. She pulled off her halter top and kicked off her flip-flops.

  He began kissing her, deeply and hungrily. He ran his hand over her breasts, feeling the soft mounds, the nipples hardening to tight points against his palms. Their tongues did a mating dance as their breathing grew shallow. His cock stood at attention and poked at her belly. Smiling, she rubbed her body against his erection, making him hot all over.

  He knew he was the luckiest wolf ever. He couldn’t believe what had started out as him trying to catch her and losing her ended up with him catching her for real. Or was it that she had caught him?