Sworn to Protect Read Online Free Page A

but first he’d have to find the time to establish a relationship.
    He let his mind linger on Danika for a moment longer. Curiosity about the possibility of her being Toby’s widow marched across his mind. Before his death, Toby often spoke about his wife and how much he cared for her and their daughter, but he’d never mentioned her name.
    Alex shook his head. Getting involved with a Border Patrol agent was asking for trouble, especially when he knew they’d have conflicting views about the immigration problem. Ah . . . maybe not that different.
    Back to work. Then a nap on the cot in his office.
* * *
    The best time of the day was when Danika returned home from work and opened the front door. Tiana would rush to greet her, and all of the stress and problems of the day disappeared. Danika used to wonder how her precious, hearing-impaired little daughter could sense the exact moment when her mommy arrived home; then she learned Tiana could feel the vibrations. Today’s reception was no different.
    Danika hugged her daughter and signed, “I love you.”
    The four-year-old responded and reached for Danika’s hand en route to the little girl’s bedroom, their normal evening routine. Tiana’s sign-language vocabulary was the same as any four-year-old who could hear. Sometimes the words were those understood only by Danika and Tiana’s nanny, Sandra. Yet their communication was typical and vivid.
    Once in the child’s disorganized sanctuary, Tiana pulled out Candy Land and placed the game on a small table for the two to play together.
    “Buenas tardes,” Sandra called from the kitchen.
    Danika drank in the familiar aromas wafting down the hallway. “I smell the coffee. Do you know how much I appreciate you?” More of the normal routine. Home. How she treasured the times with Tiana and sweet Sandra. Especially after today.
    “What game are you playing?” Sandra appeared in Tiana’s doorway with a fresh cup of decaf coffee for Danika and a glass of soy milk for the little girl. “Peppermint?” Sandra’s Hispanic accent and her occasional English mix-ups added one more delicious part to the homecoming.
    “Candy Land.” Danika gave her dear friend a quick kiss on the cheek. “Did our little girl behave herself today?”
    Sandra’s clear brown eyes widened, and she stared lovingly at the child who looked more like her daughter, with her dark hair and olive skin, than Danika’s. The child did not have a single trait of her mother’s except that she was left-handed.
    Tiana grinned as though she understood every word. Lipreading would come later, but right now signing was Tiana’s best source of communication.
    “We worked on school lessons.” Sandra signed each word carefully. From the moment she had come to live with Danika nearly two years ago, the woman had worked hard to master sign language.
    “Wonderful,” Danika signed. She took the coffee and handed Tiana her milk.
    The little girl obediently signed, “Thank you.”
    “Oh, Sandra, we didn’t have to prompt her.”
    “She’s a good girl.”
    Danika chose not to mention that Tiana’s preschool teacher last year had said that the child had a behavior problem.
    “I prayed for you all day,” Sandra said.
    Danika nodded. “Thanks. Tough day. The man who shot Barnett knew me and also claimed I’d never find Toby’s killer.” She chose not to worry Sandra about the contract on her life.
    Alarm crested Sandra’s eyes. “What did you learn from his arrest?”
    “Nothing. No previous arrests. No gang markings.”
    “You’ll find whoever did this to your family.”
    Danika had just about given up, but the shooter’s words had given her new resolve. Perhaps later tonight she’d look through her notes for any new leads. Problem was she’d exhausted her search.
    “We can talk if you like.”
    Sweet, dear Sandra. “I’m okay. When we finish here, I need to use the oven, unless you’re in the middle of baking something.” Danika clung to