“You’d be her commando group,” Cort said quietly, his narrow-eyed gaze on their leader.

Ry shrugged. “She wanted to write fiction that sounded authentic, so we trained her,” he added with a grin. “She was a hell of a pupil.” He didn’t add anything about their latest mission, for fear of making a bad situation worse. Obviously, Mina’s new husband was getting a few shocks tonight.

“I’m working on a new book,” Mina told Cort, her expression hopeful. “Since I can’t go on missions with them, they’re educating me about drug interdiction.”

“Missions. Drug interdiction. Kidnappers. Blood on the floor.” His deep, angry voice was gathering speed and volume. “You never told me what you did for a living!”

Mina grimaced. “I didn’t quite know how. The longer I put it off, the harder it got.”

Under the wide brim of his dress Stetson, his eyes were glittery with rage. “You could have been killed!”

“I’ve only ever been wounded once, and it hardly left a scar,” she countered, and then bit her tongue when she saw his expression.

Ry whistled under his breath. “Mina, I think the boys and I will go along with the sheriff to give formal statements. We’ll be in touch.”

“Thanks for what you did,” she replied.

“Thanks very much,” Vic added, and shook hands with Ry. “I won’t forget you.”

Ry smiled. “If you ever need us, we’ll be around. Take care of that baby, Mina,” he added with a smile in her direction.

“I will. I’ll text you a photo when he’s born. And I may need a little more information,” she added without looking at her taciturn husband.

“Text me. Let’s go, boys.” Ry threw up a hand and got out of the line of fire.

CORT WAS FUMING. He didn’t dare upset Mina any more than she’d already been upset, so he’d gone into his own room and closed the door. His wife was a famous author. She’d been in firefights. She was on bestseller lists. She went out with a group of commandos. And she’d let him think that she was a shy, retiring little rancher who liked to knit.

He wanted to howl at the moon. He’d never had anything hit him so hard. Secrets. They were only just married and she kept secrets from him.

There was a knock at the door and before he could tell the knocker to go the hell away, his father walked in.

Cort was bareheaded, his suit coat off, his shirt unbuttoned. He looked outraged.

“Can we talk?” Vic asked quietly.

Cort drew in a breath. “I’ve seen that damned book everywhere,” he muttered. “It was at the last two cocktail parties I attended. She’s famous!”

“Very famous,” Vic agreed. He smiled gently. “She got Sandra to forgive me. I guess I’ll be going to a psychologist to find out why I want to cheat on everybody. Mina’s special, and I mean that. She was probably afraid to level with you about what she did. You were so happy to label her a little homebody who knitted.” He shook his head. “She’s a hundred times more complex than that little Wyoming rancher you thought you knew.”