Bluegrass Undercover (Bluegrass Brothers)

tossing boxes and clothes in frustration. She finally spied the box with the word “computer” in black marker on it. Of course it was on the bottom of the pile. Wrapping her arms around the brown, cardboard box, she tugged at it until it wiggled free of the last couple of boxes surrounding it.
    “Okay, let’s see who you are, Cade Davies,” she said as she started pulling computer equipment out of the box.
     
    Cade slammed on the brakes and sent his SUV skidding to a stop in front of Marshall’s old farmhouse. He jumped out of the car and in three long strides was on the old wood porch that surrounded Marshall’s house.
    “Marshall! I need your computer,” he yelled as he burst through the front door without bothering to knock.
    “You have a computer at home. What do you need mine for?” Marshall asked, looking up from his desk in his office next to the entranceway.
    “Not that computer. The other one.”
    “Ah. Who are we hacking tonight?” Marshall slid his chair over to a locked armoire against the wall behind his desk. He pushed back a small panel hidden in the base of the armoire and pulled out the key.
    “The lovely Miss Hill.” Cade paced back and forth in front of Marshall’s large oak desk. Was his brother purposefully moving slowly?
    “Don’t you think a date would be a better way to find out about her than running a background on her? It’s more fun that way. I believe Mom calls it the honeymoon period.”
    “Not when she is not who she says she is.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I told you. She’s not a guidance counselor. And I want to find out who she is. We were mugged tonight by three men, one armed with a crowbar, and she didn’t even blink an eye. Went home and set out dinner all the while lecturing me on gangs and drugs.”
    “So you think she’s a fed?” Marshall stood up and indicated the computer was ready.
    “Yup. I’d also be willing to bet you my University of Kentucky basketball tickets that she’s DEA.” Cade flexed his fingers and went to work on the encrypted computer. “Here she is! Real name Annie Blake. Just like I thought, DEA,” Cade told Marshall as he scrolled through her records. “Twenty-seven years old. Hmm.”
    “What?” Marshall leaned forward to try to see the screen over Cade’s shoulder.
    “She graduated second from the academy. That’s pretty good. Let’s see, after that she was stationed in all around Alabama and Georgia before ending up in Miami, where she has as many commendations as she does complaints.”
    “Complaints for what?”
    “When she arrests them, seems she likes to rough up the drug dealers who peddle to kids. It also looks like she was the reason for some very big busts. The last one was just a week ago. However, there was an issue with her beating up the drug soldier she was arresting. They patched it up by saying it was self-defense during an assault. She was transferred immediately after that.”
    “Why was she transferred here? We don’t have any dealers here.”
    “Apparently we do. She’s looking into an S2 drug highway that they think starts here in Keeneston or possibly in Lexington.” Cade leaned back in his chair and turned off the computer.
    “What are you going to do about Miss DEA?” Marshall crossed his legs and shot him a grin. He was so glad Marshall found this all so amusing.
    “I think I’ll help her where I can. I do have a certain skill level that could be useful. At least I can try to keep her safe.”
    “I don’t think you have to worry about that! Isn’t she the one protecting you?” Marshall laughed. “Are you going to tell her you know who she is?”
    “That would take all the fun out of it.” Cade smiled. He had his own idea of how to handle Miss DEA.
     
    Annie couldn’t believe it. Shock had her frozen as she stared at the computer monitor in front of her. “Son of a…,” she groaned. She buried her face in her hands and muttered, “I told him to learn self-defense, and he’s a freaking national hero with a higher clearance level than I could ever dream of. He must have gotten one heck of a good laugh at my expense after I told him he couldn’t protect himself from a kid.”
    She lifted her head from her hands and sat there for a minute staring at his military photo. Wow. She might have to make that her screensaver. He was lean and muscled, his face tight and his hazel eyes serious as he stared into the camera wearing his Ranger’s beret.
    “Well, I might as