Finally, just as Hunter had decided to head directly down to their tech specialist’s office, his phone rang. Internal call. And yes, Katie Parsons, the tech wizard, wondered if he had a moment.
“I’ll be right there,” Hunter blurted, dropping the phone into its cradle and pushing back his chair. Not wanting to attract unnecessary attention, he forced himself to walk casually, at least until he left the squad room. Once he reached the long hall, he broke into a trot. All he could think was how badly he hoped something good had been on those storage devices.
“Have a seat,” Katie said, motioning at Hunter to shut the door. Young and brilliant at her job, unconventional Katie had lavender-colored hair this week, tipped with black at the ends. Hunter liked it.
He dropped in the chair, leaning forward. “Tell me what you found.”
“Random stuff. The first thumb drive appeared to be photos he’d taken of his sports memorabilia collection, maybe for insurance purposes. We went through all that. It was boring as hell, so I assigned it to my assistant.” Katie flashed her perfect white teeth in a grin.
Struggling to hide his disappointment, Hunter nodded. “Please tell me you found something better on the rest of the stuff.”
“Oh, we did. But I’m not sure it’s exactly what you were hoping for. We found evidence—hard proof—that Devlin Harrington hacked Layla Colton’s texts and emails. He also hired Mark Hatton to lie about Layla sexually harassing him and photoshopped a couple of pictures to make them appear sexual. He kept copies of everything. All the documentation is there, in black and white.”
“I knew it.” Hunter swore. “Did you see any evidence in there about Devlin hiring someone to try to kill Layla?”
“No. But there were a few emails between the two men where Devlin is encouraging Mark to take her out. He stopped just short of offering to pay him money. It seems clear Mark is acting on his own. From what I could tell from reading the emails, he despises Layla Colton and everything she represents. Devlin’s not too fond of her, either, though he appears to resent her impending marriage to his father. He’s not only worried about losing his inheritance, but control of their company. There’s a lot of personal information in those emails. I’m sure Hamlin Harrington won’t be too happy when he learns about this.”
Hunter thought of Hamlin’s threats and smiled. “Tough. I’ll send a team to round up Mark Hatton. Or hell, maybe I’ll do it myself. What else did you find?”
Katie nodded. “The remainder of the stuff on the other storage drives was all about Haley Patton. Photos, lots of them. Most clearly were taken without her consent or knowledge. And detailed notes of conversations, texts and such. I’m thinking we need to send a team to sweep her place for cameras and listening devices. I’m positive we’ll find several.”
“I’ll let the chief know. Is that everything?”
“Yep. I know you were hoping for something concrete, information that would prove Devlin Harrington is the Groom Killer, but I really think this is a lot.”
“It is.” Hunter pushed to his feet and held out his hand. “Thanks, Katie.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll email Chief Colton a full report and I’ll copy you. Let me know if you need anything else.”
After stopping in the chief’s office to brief him, Hunter called Haley Patton and left a message. He didn’t want to alarm her, so he didn’t say anything concrete, just that he needed to stop by. He’d bring a couple of the best tech guys he knew and Goose and together they’d do a thorough sweep of her place.
“Hey, Hunter.” Tim grabbed his arm as he walked past. “Bad news. Devlin Harrington bonded out.”
“Disappointing, but not surprising. That’s okay, we’ll get him.”
Tim nodded. “We’ll just keep building the case.”
Hunter decided he’d head over to the K9 training center and tell Layla about Mark Hatton in person.
But when he arrived, he learned she hadn’t been there at all. Pushing back a niggling worry, he pulled out his phone and called her.
The call rang and went to voice mail. He left a message. Again that prickling of foreboding at the back of his neck. Now was not the time to start ignoring his instincts. He drove to his house first, but when he didn’t see her car, he drove to her town house.
She wasn’t there, either. Then where? On the off chance that she’d decided to head in to Colton Energy, he headed there. Bingo. Her car was one of the few in the mostly empty parking lot. Even the most dedicated workers stayed away on the four-day weekend of Thanksgiving.
Hurrying through the unlocked front doors, he frowned at the lack of a security guard manning the front desk. When he’d worked there, Fenwick Colton had been vigilant about security. At least, Hunter thought, glancing around the lobby, the security cameras were still in place. Maybe the guard had left to patrol or something.
Taking the elevator, Hunter headed to Layla’s office. He felt confident she still had the same one, right next to her father’s executive suite.
When he arrived, her office was empty. But her computer was still on, and he spied her purse on the credenza behind her desk. Which meant she was around here somewhere.
He went to find her. Fenwick’s office was dark and the door was closed, which Hunter expected. But as he moved past, he heard a scraping sound and a bump from inside.
Once more, he felt that tingling on the back of his neck. Drawing his weapon, he tried the door.
Unlocked. That didn’t seem right. Briefly, he moved away and made a quick call, requesting backup. Once that had been confirmed, he went back to Fenwick’s office. While it might seem wise to wait for reinforcements, the tingling at the back of his neck had intensified, letting him know he had to act immediately. He wasn’t sure how or why, but he knew Layla was in danger.
Stepping to the side, he turned the knob and pushed the door inward with a crash. “I’m coming in,” he declared, keeping himself behind the wall. If he were to stand in the open doorway, with the light behind him, he’d been an easy target. “Coming in,” he repeated. Then he waited.
Nothing. Not a sound.
Still not quite convinced, he reached around the corner and flipped the light switch on. “I’m coming in,” he declared again. If this turned out to be nothing, good. But his gut told him otherwise.
He spotted a vase of artificial flowers on the carpeted floor. Most likely that falling over had been what he’d heard. But what had knocked it to the ground?
A muffled cry made him spin, weapon still drawn. Layla, eyes wide with terror, hands, ankles and her mouth bound with what looked like duct tape. And Mark Hatton, holding her in front of him like a shield, had a gun to her head.
“You’re just in time,” Mark sneered. “I’m not missing my chance to kill her this time. There’s a lot of money waiting for me once I finish this job. Unless you want me to shoot her right now, you need to lower your pistol.”
“No.” Instead, Hunter kept his weapon trained on the other man. The mere fact that Mark hadn’t shot her immediately meant he might still be torn about committing murder. “We found evidence that Devlin Harrington has been paying you. But only to claim Layla sexually harassed you. Not to get rid of her. From the emails and texts we saw, that was all you. You won’t make any money by murdering an innocent woman.”
Mark narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care what you claim to have. I’m tired of people who think they know everything. You don’t know me.”
“I do know you don’t really want to kill Layla. How would her death benefit you?”
“Benefit me?” Mark laughed, a humorless sound. “Life would be a lot better without her in it, I can tell you that.”
Hunter took a tiny step forward, taking care to make the movement slight and barely noticeable. “Have you ever taken another human being’s life?” he asked. “It’s not like watching a movie or playing a video game. It’s messy—lots of blood and brains if you make a headshot.”
His graphic words made Layla blanch, but he forced himself to ignore it. Right now he had one task—to convince Mark to put down his gun and let Layla go free. Unharmed.
“I’m not afraid of a little blood and guts,” Mark boasted. “Though I’d rather have run her over, whatever works, right? I almost took out old man Colton, too, but he left just in the nick of time. I got no beef with him. He’s a decent boss. I really only need to kill his daughter.”
Eyes wide, nostrils flaring as she struggled to breathe with duct tape over her mouth, Layla continued to hold herself perfectly still, as if the slightest movement might provoke her captor to pull the trigger.
Right now, with a pistol pressed against her temple, Hunter didn’t blame her.
“Yep. Layla Colton has got to die.” Mark stated again. Thankfully, he didn’t appear in any hurry to actually kill her.
Good. Because right now, taking him down wasn’t an option. Not with his finger on the trigger and the gun right against Layla’s forehead.
Where the hell was that backup?
Stalling for time, Hunter considered him. “Why? Other than Devlin Harrington wanting her gone, what has she ever done to you?”
“You want a list?” A tic worked in Mark’s jaw. “I should have her job, not her. I’m better educated, better qualified and more likable. But no, daddy’s girl gets whatever she wants, even at the expense of the company. And because she knew it, she dared to start to make a case fire me.”
Layla straightened, her blue eyes flashing. Despite the clear danger, she appeared to be attempting to speak through the tape covering her mouth. Fortunately, all that she could manage were a series of grunts.
In the distance Hunter could hear the sound of a siren. Finally.
Mark heard it, too. He swore, muttering to himself under his breath.
“You might as well put your gun down and surrender,” Hunter pointed out, praying the other man didn’t panic and shoot Layla instead. Heart hammering in his chest, he moved forward again, while Mark alternated frantic looks at the window and the door.
“Hatton?” Hunter pressed. “Surrender. You’re not getting out of this alive unless you do. They’re almost here. You haven’t got a lot of time to decide.”
All the while he watched Mark closely, waiting and hoping for a chance while his attention was diverted.
There. The slightest loosening of his grip on the pistol, allowing the weapon to sag. Not enough, since Layla would still get shot.
“Hatton!” Hunter barked. The other man jumped, pivoting instinctively.
Now. Hunter launched himself forward, chopping his arm up at Mark’s. The gun discharged just as Hunter’s momentum carried him forward. He knocked the other man to the floor, adrenaline pumping. Since Mark had dropped the pistol, Hunter pushed it away with his foot and then got about the business of subduing the smaller man.
He’d just cuffed him when Tim and another member of the team rushed through the door.
“We heard a shot...” Quickly, Tim took in the scene.
“Here. Read him his rights.” Hunter shoved Mark at them and turned to take care of Layla. The only way to get the duct tape off was to rip it, so he muttered an apology as he did exactly that. She winced but held still while he freed her hands and feet.
Finally, he gathered her into his arms and held her close. “You’re safe,” he told her, feeling her body begin to shake. “Probably in shock. Let’s get you to the EMT—Tim, did you call them?”
Tim nodded. “We called in shots fired. The ambulance should be here any minute.”
On cue, another siren sounded in the distance.
“Come on.” Releasing her, Hunter caught sight of a large amount of blood on the front of her shirt. “Layla?” he asked. “Are you hurt?”
“What?” She looked down at herself, then back at him. “No. Hunter, you are. That blood is yours.”
The moment he realized she was right, he felt it. Pain radiating from his right shoulder. “We need to stop the bleeding,” he began.
“How? Tell me what to do.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but a wave of dizziness stopped him.
“The EMTs are here,” Tim announced. “They’re on their way up. Let them take care of him.”
Layla helped Hunter into a chair. The pain had blossomed all over, radiating from his shoulder to his chest to his throat. He tried to look down, to see exactly how badly he’d been wounded, but even the slightest movement made his vision go gray.
“Wait here,” she ordered. Then, leaning close, she spoke directly into his ear. “Don’t you dare die on me, Hunter Black. I love you too much to lose you.”
Two EMTs rushed into the room and took over. Layla stepped back, heart racing. She knew nothing about gunshot wounds, but she figured being shot in the shoulder was at least better than the chest or head. The sheer amount of blood worried her more than anything. At least he seemed to be in capable hands.
Still, watching the paramedics wheel Hunter away was one of the hardest things she had ever done. She tried to go after them, intending on riding with him in the ambulance to the hospital, but one of the police officers stopped her. She recognized him since he’d arrested her when Mark Hatton had made his false claims. Tim Lakely.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “But we’re going to need your statement first. Once we’re through here, I’ll drive you to the hospital myself.”
Barely able to contain her anxiety, she nodded. “Let’s do this quickly, then. I don’t want him to go through this alone.”
“He won’t be alone, ma’am. Chief Colton is on his way there, as are several others from our unit. I think some of the county police will show up, too. That’s one thing about working in law enforcement. We’re all family. When one of us goes down, the rest rush to show support.”
Touched, she managed a smile, though it felt a bit wobbly around the edges. She told him what had happened, how she’d been tidying up her desk with the intention of going home. Her father had just left when the security guard called to let her know he was ill and would be in the men’s room. “He never came back.”
Tim motioned the other officer over and repeated what she’d said, asking him to check the men’s room. Once he’d left, Tim asked her to continue.
“I thought no one else was in the building, at least on this floor. That’s why I was surprised to look up and see Mark Hatton in the doorway to my father’s office.” She swallowed hard and began to shake. Realizing this, she also realized she felt detached, as if she was viewing everything from a great distance.
She looked up to find Tim eyeing her with a sympathetic expression. “Sorry,” she apologized. “I can’t seem to help this.”
“It’s okay. Perfectly normal. You’ve just been through a traumatic experience. You’re probably in shock. Let me finish taking your statement so I can get you to the hospital. I think you should get checked out, too, just in case.”
Though she nodded, she had no intention of doing anything except getting herself to Hunter’s side as quickly as possible.
She told him the rest, the ugly things Mark had called her, the venom in his voice, the vitriol in his eyes. When he’d pulled a gun, she’d thought he was about to shoot her right then, but instead he’d put duct tape over her mouth, made her tie up her own ankles and forced her to kneel on the floor with her hands behind her while he bound her wrists.
“I figured he was going to execute me, right there on the carpet in my office.” Her trembling intensified. “And then Hunter arrived.”
Tim carefully noted everything she said and thanked her. “Come on,” he told her, gently putting his arm around her shoulders and steering her toward the elevator. “Let’s head up to the hospital.”
When they pulled into the emergency room parking lot, she saw police cars. So many of them, her heart sank.
Something of how she felt must have shown on her face.
“It’s okay,” Tim said. “They’re all just here to show their support. And look.” He pointed, directing her attention to two news vans from Sioux Falls. “There will be reporters. You don’t have to speak to them if you don’t want to.”
“I don’t.” Glad of her heavy down parka, she once again willed the trembling to stop. It wasn’t just her hands—that would have been bearable—but a deeper, more wild kind of shaking, as if she trembled from the inside out. So far, she’d been able to make it subside a little, but the second she relaxed, it came back with a vengeance.
Tim parked and they both got out. The wind had picked up and carried the taste of snow. Heads down, side by side, they hurried through the hospital entrance. The triage nurse, seeing Tim’s uniform, buzzed them in and directed them to the small internal waiting room.
Once there, Chief Finn Colton spotted them and pushed to his feet. He greeted Tim and pulled Layla in for a hug. “Hunter is going to be all right,” he told her. “The bullet passed right through and didn’t hit any major organs. He’ll have a bit of muscle loss in that shoulder, but once he’s healed up, he can do physical therapy.”
Relief hit her, so powerful her knees went weak. If not for her cousin’s support, she would have fallen. “Thank you,” she managed. “He saved my life, you know.”
“Are you okay?” the chief asked. “Maybe we should have you checked out, just in case.”
“That’s what I said,” Tim interjected. “Let me go talk to one of the nurses real quick.”
“No, wait.” Layla stepped back. “I need to see Hunter first. Can someone show me where he is?”
“I’ll show you,” Chief Colton said, touching her arm. “I just left him. Come with me.”
He led her down the hall, toward room nine. Another officer who sat in the chair next to the bed rose when he saw them and exited the room, stopping briefly to speak to the chief.
“I’ll leave you two alone.” Chief Colton lightly squeezed her shoulder before following his officer back to the waiting room.
Heart hammering in her chest, Layla entered the small room. Machines beeped and the room smelled of antiseptic. Hunter’s eyes were closed and his shoulder and arm had been bandaged. He looked comfortable, which was good, and so damn handsome the sight of him made her chest ache.
She dropped into the chair next to the bed and took several deep breaths. Just being near him calmed her, steadied her unsettled nerves. Taking his hand, she simply held on, willing strength into this brave, strong man. He’d saved her, in more ways than one. His arrival in her life had shown her the importance of truly living and given her the once-in-a-lifetime experience of knowing true, deep and forever love.
Even if he didn’t feel the same way.
“Layla?”
Startled, she realized he’d opened his eyes. Blue so bright it seemed to glow.
“I’m right here,” she said, still holding his hand.
“Hey.” Judging from his lopsided smile, he’d been given some pain medication. “Today was a good day.”
Okay. She decided to go with it. “Was it?”
“Yeah. We’re 99 percent certain we know the identity of the Groom Killer.”
“Only 99 percent? Not one hundred?” Half teasing, half serious, she kept her tone light.
“For right now, unfortunately. But we’re working on rectifying that. And we have proof Mark made up the sexual harassment charges. You’ll be cleared of that soon.”
“That is good news.”
“I know, right?” He turned up the wattage in that smile, turning her insides to mush. “And best of all, now that we know Mark was the one trying to kill you, you’re not in danger anymore. You can even move back home now.”
Just like that, with those words, reality came crashing down. She froze, battling a sudden urge to cry. “Of course,” she managed, aware she needed to thank him for all he’d done for her.
“But Layla...” The twinkle of mischief in his gaze confused her. “I’d much rather you stay.”
“Seriously?” Was he teasing her? Or did he really mean he wanted to make something temporary a bit more permanent?
“Yes, seriously, you silly, beautiful, intelligent, perfect woman.”
“Maybe we should have this discussion when you’re not on powerful pain medications,” she offered, attempting to stifle the pure joy flooding through her veins.
“I’m perfectly sober,” he protested, even as his eyes drifted closed.
Just like that, he’d fallen asleep.
Heart full of love, she continued to sit with him until Tim came to remind her someone needed to go home and take care of Goose. “I’ll stay with him,” Tim offered. “I’m thinking they’ll probably discharge him soon. They haven’t said they’re admitting him, so it looks like he’ll get to go home.”
“Then I’ll wait,” she replied. But then she thought of Goose, home alone, and relented. “He’d want me to let Goose out, so I’m going to run and do that. Will you call me if anything changes while I’m gone?”
“Of course.”
She drove home, realizing as she pulled up in the driveway that Hunter’s house had become more of a home to her than her town house had ever been.
Unlocking the door, she crouched down to greet Goose. The sweetest, smartest dog in the world welcomed her as effusively as ever—tail wagging, body wiggling, giving little doggy kisses until Layla finished ruffling her fur and got up. With Goose following her, she opened the back door to let Goose out.
While the little dog tended to business, Layla found herself wandering around Hunter’s house. For whatever reason, she felt nostalgic and raw. Maybe she should go home now that it was safe to do so. After all, she couldn’t continue to wear out her welcome here.
While that sounded practical and realistic, the idea brought unbearable sadness. Going home to her empty town house, only able to see Hunter and Goose when they made plans to get together, such a thing felt untenable.
Too bad Hunter hadn’t been himself when he’d asked her to stay. She shook her head. Foolish wasn’t a word she would ever use to describe herself. Time to come back down to earth and go back to her regular life. If things between her and Hunter were meant to be, everything would eventually work out in the end.
After letting Goose in, she poured some kibble in the dog’s bowl and made sure there was plenty of water. That accomplished, she considered going ahead and packing her things, but she decided to wait until Hunter was home and settled in. He might need help for the first couple of days, and she wanted to be there for him the same way he’d been for her. That’s what friends did.
Her phone rang. Tim, letting her know Hunter had been discharged and as soon as the paperwork was signed, Tim would bring him home. Layla promised to wait and then, once she’d ended the call, she wondered if she should try to prepare some sort of meal. She’d never been much of a cook, but she figured she could make sandwiches or something.
As she rummaged through the refrigerator, her stomach growled, reminding her that it had been a long time since her vending machine snack of mixed nuts. Since she had no idea how long it would take before the hospital processed the discharge paperwork, she made a sandwich and wolfed it down. She made a couple more, wrapped them in cellophane and put them in the fridge in case Hunter or Tim wanted one.
An hour later, as she and Goose snuggled on the couch watching TV, headlights illuminated the front window as a car swung into the driveway. Layla jumped up, Goose right behind her, and went to the front door.
With Tim beside him, Hunter walked up the sidewalk under his own power. Her breath caught, any greeting she might have wanted to say stuck in her throat. Joy flooded her and she couldn’t stop smiling. She reached for him, meaning to hug him, but caught sight of his bandaged shoulder and pulled back at the last moment.
“Hey,” he said, smiling at her. At his feet, Goose danced around, performing her exuberant greeting. He managed to reach down and scratch her neck before straightening back up and moving toward the sofa.
Tim hung back, close to the doorway. “He seems fine,” he told her, sotto voce. “I’ve got to run, but you’ve got my number. Give me a call if you need anything.”
After seeing Tim out, she returned to the living room. Goose had attached herself to Hunter’s side, her doggy expression full of contentment.
“Would you like a sandwich?” she asked. “I made a couple ahead of time.”
“No, thank you. Not yet.” He looked at her, his gaze clear and unclouded. “I’m in a little bit of pain.”
Which meant whatever they’d given him earlier had worn off. Immediately, she moved toward him. “Did they give you some meds for home? I can get you a glass of water so you can take them.”
“Wait.” He held up his hand. “I want to talk to you first. Will you sit with me?”
That sounded ominous, like his next sentence might begin with It’s not you, it’s me.
Gingerly, she sat. Her stomach churned and she braced herself, instinctively anticipating bad news.
“I realized something important today when I saw that maniac holding a gun to your head.”
All she could do was nod encouragement.
“I can’t even begin to envision a life without you in it,” he said. “When I thought I might lose you, all the color leached out of the world.” He swallowed hard, clearly struggling to find the right words to convey whatever he was trying to say. He moved slightly and flinched, revealing his pain. “I’ve never felt such agony—grief, really—in my life.”
The hurt he struggled to hide made her ache. More than anything, she wished she could somehow ease that, take it away.
“Let me get you something so you can take a pain pill,” she urged.
“In a minute. It’s not that bad.”
She nodded and stayed put. Though she knew it would be better for him to take something and get ahead of the pain, it was also his choice.
“I’m trying to ask you something important, Layla. Without medication, so you can’t say I’m not clearheaded.” He took a deep breath. “We’ve just about for certain caught the Groom Killer. Once he’s charged, this town can start having weddings again.”
Whatever she’d thought he might say, that wasn’t it. She forced herself to hold still and waited to hear the rest.
“I don’t have a ring, but I’m asking if you’ll marry me.” He shifted and then grimaced at the pain the movement brought. “I can’t even get down on one knee, but Layla Colton, will you do the honor of agreeing to become my wife?”
Instead of answering, she started to cry.
Clearly concerned, he made two attempts to push himself up and go to her, succeeding the second time. Though he moved awkwardly, he sat down next to her. “That’s not the reaction I was hoping for,” he pointed out gently. “But I get it. You just got out of one engagement and you need some space and time to—”
“Hush.” She shushed him with a soft kiss. “Don’t you be trying to put words in my mouth. I’m crying because I’m so happy. I love you with all my heart, Hunter Black. And yes, I will definitely agree to become your wife. But first, let me get you some water so you can take a pain pill. We’ll talk about this more once you’ve had some rest.”
He laughed. “Does that mean we’re engaged?”
Though she’d already pushed to her feet and headed toward the kitchen, she pivoted back and kissed him again. “As long as you promise to let Goose be in our wedding, yes. We are engaged.”
Goose perked up at the sound of her name and whined.
Hunter ruffled her fur and smiled at Layla. “Now I know I definitely picked the right woman,” he said.
“Was there ever any doubt?” And Layla went to get him his water. There’d be plenty of time to make plans. Right now, Hunter needed to heal. And she’d do her best to help him do exactly that.
Look out for
the final installment of the
Coltons of Red Ridge miniseries,
Colton’s Fugitive Family
by Jennifer Morey,
available in December 2018!
And don’t miss the previous
Coltons of Red Ridge stories,
all available now from
Mills & Boon Romantic Suspense!
The Pregnant Colton Witness by Geri Krotow
Colton’s Twin Secrets by Justine Davis
His Forgotten Colton Fiancée by Bonnie Vanak
Colton’s Cinderella Bride by Lisa Childs
The Colton Cowboy by Carla Cassidy
Colton and the Single Mom by Jane Godman
Colton K-9 Bodyguard by Lara Lacombe
Colton’s Deadly Engagement by Addison Fox
Colton Baby Rescue by Marie Ferrarella
Keep reading for an excerpt from Rancher’s High-Stakes Rescue by Beth Cornelison.