Undercover Texas - By Robin Perini Page 0,2

as he slowly lowered the bar back onto its stand.

God, he hated his existence. He wanted out. He wanted a life.

He wanted Erin...and his son.

Hunter’s teeth ground together and he shoved the bar up again. He had to quit wishing for things he couldn’t have. It was Logan Carmichael’s fault. Six months ago, Hunter had spent his so-called vacation helping the ex-CIA agent stop a royal coup and some vicious terrorists who were trying to kill Logan and his newfound family. Carmichael was now the prince—and de facto security head—of the tiny European country of Bellevaux, ruling beside his wife, an ex-Texas cowgirl turned queen.

Seeing Logan so happy with his wife, son and daughter made unfamiliar envy rip through Hunter’s gut. He’d given up his right to a family when he joined General Miller’s clandestine group.

A loud tone buzzed on the wall screen. Someone at the company making contact. Hunter let out another curse. He was on vacation, supposedly incommunicado from everyone and everything. He needed this time to pull himself together. Giving up on a dream didn’t come easy.

Scowling, Hunter tapped the remote in his pocket. Motorized shades slid down the windows, closing out the sun. The room went dark momentarily; automatic lights came on and a large wall screen flickered to life.

Hunter snagged a towel, mopped his face and looked at the screen. Leona, his handler at the company. The woman who held his life in her hands. She’d let her hair go gray, and it looked good on her, swept away from her face. She wasn’t a day over sixty, feisty as hell and an inveterate flirt. He adored her, and owed her for saving his life several times over, including on that last mind-shattering assignment. He didn’t know how she’d pulled it off, but no one would have come home without her intervention.

“Hi, handsome, you are quite a sight,” Leona’s husky voice drawled over the video conference. “If I weren’t married and old enough to be your mother, I’d eat you for breakfast.”

He tugged the towel around his neck and smiled. “If you weren’t married to the man of your dreams, sweetie, I’d sweep you off to an uncharted island and we’d live happily ever after.”

“If the idea of me leaving my hubby behind bothers you, we can always invite him along.”

Hunter laughed. “Whoa, Leona. You’re too wild for me. I don’t think I can keep up.”

She sighed. “Yeah, that’s the story of my life....”

Hunter shot her a grin, then turned serious. “So, I know you didn’t call to make Chuck jealous. What does General Miller want? He agreed to my three-week leave and—”

“Vacation’s been canceled. He wants you in Kazakhstan ASAP. Another high-risk op with limited intel.”

Hunter fought the cold sweat that enveloped him. His last mission for the clandestine agency had gone to hell. Limited. Right. An intelligence screwup more likely.

All Hunter knew was that when the ambush came, he hadn’t reacted fast enough. He’d been injured in the firestorm, but two members of the team had taken enough shrapnel to start a scrap metal business. Both men survived, but they’d never be the same. One would never walk again.

Hunter blamed himself. Those were his men, and his instincts usually warned him of danger. He hadn’t seen this one coming.

“I can’t go yet. I need some time.” He’d felt driven to check on Erin and his son for days. Every fiber in his being urged him to take that trip to Pensacola. Maybe instead of torturing himself by watching from afar, he should say goodbye for good.

“Look, Hunter, Miller’s not the only reason I’m calling.”

Hunter tensed. Leona’s voice had changed, taking on a note of urgency he recognized and that never boded well. He slipped on his sweatshirt to fight his sudden chill. “What’s going on?”

A shadow crossed her face. Leona stiffened suddenly, peered over her shoulder and quickly looked back at her computer. In a businesslike voice, she said, “Yes, sir, I can get that information for you.”

Confused, Hunter left the weight machines and walked over to the video system. “Are you talking to me?”

Leona shook her head slightly and tapped a few keys. “I’ll forward the data to your desk.”

When her visitor left, she rose and shut her door. “This has to be fast. Are you alone?”

Hunter caught the strain in her voice and, for the first time, noticed the worry lines on her forehead and bracketing her tight smile. “You have my attention.”

Leona leaned forward in her chair. “Remember the personal