Beautifully Broken Pieces (The Sutter Lake Series Book 1)

by Catherine Cowles

  “You can’t promise that,” I whispered.

  Walker squeezed my arms and placed a kiss on the back of my head. “I can promise anything I want to. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll just say, I’ll do everything I can to be here when you need me.”

  A tightness took over my body. I both desperately wanted to sink into that reassurance and run as far away from it as possible. I settled for something in the middle. “How about I just thank you for taking care of me this go-around?”

  “That works for now.” Walker rose from the bed and grabbed my hand so that I stood with him. “Now, why don’t I make us some breakfast before I have to head into work.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn’t suggesting I try cooking for him now. “That sounds perfect.”

  29

  Walker

  A knock sounded on the doorframe of my open office door. “Were you just whistling?” Tuck asked, disbelief lacing his tone.

  My head snapped up, and I forced the shit-eating grin I’d been wearing off and on all morning from my face. “Maybe.”

  Tuck studied me intently as he crossed to one of the chairs opposite me at my desk. “You seem…chipper. Way too cheerful for someone who had his ex go missing, and the girl he likes shot at just yesterday.”

  A muscle in my cheek ticked as a pang of guilt hit me at the reminder that we still had no leads regarding where the hell Caitlin was.

  Tuck’s eyes narrowed. “You got laid!”

  “Would you keep it down?” I gritted out as I stalked around my desk to shut the door. “I don’t think the entire office heard you.”

  “You did. You sly dog, you. I find the girl, and you swoop in all hero-like and catch her when she almost faints. No wonder you got in there.” I smacked Tuck upside the head as I walked back around to take the seat behind my desk. “Ow. What was that for?”

  I settled in my desk chair. “That was for being an idiot.”

  “What? Your best pal in the world can’t be happy when his boy gets himself some? Especially some that is as smokin’ as Taylor.”

  My jaw clenched. “Don’t talk about her like that.”

  Tuck’s eyes flared. “Understood. I get it, I do. This one’s different.”

  I scrubbed a hand over my jaw that was beginning to ache. I was trying really hard to do exactly what I had instructed Taylor to do: take things one day at a time. Not think about what the future might hold.

  But what I did know was that I had never had sex like that before. A fire had licked through me that I knew might never get extinguished. So, I was going to do my damnedest to get Taylor to stay in Sutter Lake, to really let me in. It might be an uphill battle, but I never backed down from a fight.

  I met Tuck’s stare. “It is different with her. There’s something…I don’t know…” I pulled at the collar of my shirt. “Something special about her.”

  A grin split Tuck’s face. “I’m happy for you, brother. Really fucking happy.”

  “Don’t get too excited. She’s slippery. Like a horse that’s been hurt. Skittish. No sudden moves, if you catch my drift.”

  Tuck nodded, but before he could say anything else, another knock sounded on my door. “Come in,” I called.

  Clark poked his head in. “Perfect. I was just about to call Tuck after I spoke with you, Walk.”

  “What’s going on, Chief?”

  Clark strode towards the empty chair, gripping the back of it so tightly, I thought it might snap. Shit. This was not good. “Some hikers found another body.”

  I sucked in a sharp breath. It felt as if the air were made of tiny shards of glass that shredded my throat and lungs. “Caitlin?” I asked, my voice rough. We hadn’t ended well. She’d been a bitch to Taylor. But I knew she would’ve gotten over it, gone back to the sweet girl I had known growing up. My chest tightened when I thought of her parents.

  Clark kept his gaze on me steady. “It’s looking that way. I know the two of you had history. I’m sorry, Walk.”

  I straightened in my chair. “You’re not taking me off the case, are you?”

  Clark shook his head. “No. Maybe I should, but you’re the best I’ve got. You’re not family, and you weren’t currently seeing her. I can bend the rules.”

  I jerked up my chin. “I appreciate that, Chief.”

  “You can thank me by catching this son of a bitch.”

  I didn’t let my eyes move from his. “We will.”

  Clark released his death grip on the chair. “Get on out to the crime scene.” He gave us the details of where the body was located, along with instructions to keep him up-to-date, and then headed back to his office.

  What freaked me out the most was that the body had been found so close to where we had discovered Taylor. I roughly pocketed my phone and shut off my computer with enough force to send the machine rocking.

  Tuck’s meaty palm came down on my shoulder. “You gonna be able to keep your head straight with all this?”

  “Yep,” I said through my clenched teeth.

  “Good. We need you on your A-game.”

  As we headed out to Tuck’s truck, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

  Taylor: Want to brave dinner at my place tonight?

  Emotions warred within me. Part of me wanted to beat my chest in victory that she had reached out to make plans. The other part felt guilty as hell for any bit of happiness I might be experiencing currently.

  Me: I’d love to, but I have to warn you, I might be shit company. On my way to a tough call-out.

  Within seconds, there was a reply.

  Taylor: Zero pressure, but maybe I can take care of you for a change. You don’t have to talk about it. Just come eat. Hopefully I won’t give you food poisoning.

  I let out a bark of laughter, and Tuck’s gaze jumped to me. He raised an eyebrow, and I just shook my head.

  Me: Sounds perfect. I’ll text when I have an idea of when this might wrap up for the day.

  Taylor: Great. See you later.

  Me: Tonight, Short-stack.

  Tuck didn’t press me for details when I climbed into his rig, and I was grateful. I did not want to venture into the land of feelings with Tuck. I soaked up the silence, attempting to get my mind focused on the task ahead.

  The trailhead was littered with law enforcement vehicles when we arrived. As Tuck threw the truck in park, I spoke up. “I sent an officer to Frank Pardue’s cabin. There was no answer. His truck is there, but no signs of life. I told my guy to stay put till Frank comes back.”

  Tuck ran a hand through his hair. “That fucker’s slippery. I doubt he’s going to come waltzing home when there’s a squad car parked outside his front door.”

  “If he doesn’t come back by the end of the day, we’ll get more creative, okay?”

  Tuck opened his door. “All right, but I’m telling you, he won’t show.”

  I rolled my eyes as I climbed out of the rig. Tuck always wanted to play commando. If he had it his way, he’d be stationing men around Frank’s property in full camo gear with night vision goggles. Sometimes, waiting a guy out worked just as well.

  Tuck and I hiked up the trail, each of us training our eyes on the surrounding underbrush, looking for any signs of a struggle or clues to what might have happened. It took us over an hour to reach the place where our people had set up shop.

  Greg spotted us coming up the trail and headed right over. “It’s another bad one. What the hell is going on, Walker?”

  I forced my body to stay relaxed, to not show any outward signs of distress or anger. “I don’t know, Greg. But we’re going to find out.”

  “I hope we can do it before anyone else gets killed,” he said with a shake of his head.

  I swiped at my brow. Though we had headed into fall, it was mid-day and still warm outside. “Do we have a positive I.D.?”

  Greg paled. “I thought you were notified. It’s Caitlin.”

  My gut burned, but I fought to keep my mask of composure. “I knew it was lik
ely, but I hadn’t heard for sure.”

  Greg’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “The, uh, body is pretty fresh,” he said, wincing. “I was able to identify her. It’s pretty bad, boss. Are you sure you want to see it?”

  My eyes narrowed on him, and he took a step back. I appreciated my officers having my back, but I didn’t want any of them questioning my ability to handle a situation.

  Tuck stepped forward. “He’ll be fine. Could you point us in the right direction?”

  “S-s-sure,” Greg stuttered, and I felt a little bad for the kid. “Scene’s that way, about half a mile.”

  I jerked my chin at Greg, and Tuck and I moved away from the trail. I let my mask slip for just this half mile. Let my jaw tighten, my fists clench. I would have let out a scream, but I didn’t want the people around us to hear. Life was so fucking unfair sometimes.

  I caught sight of a group of people fanning out around a roped-off section. Techs were scouring the area, looking for evidence. Carly and her assistant were bent over what I assumed was the body. I steeled myself for the worst. I still wasn’t prepared.

  The first glimpse of Caitlin knocked the air right out of my lungs. Her neck was bent at a horrifying angle, her hair spread around her like a halo. Her skin was a sickly grayish color and had a sheen to it. This was nothing like the girl I knew. So full of life, even if that came out as anger at times. I fought the shudder that wanted to course through my body.

  I was thankful when Tuck spoke because I was still struggling to find my words. “Hey, Carly. Got a time of death for us?”

  The medical examiner’s head turned at the sound of her name. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this, boys. Still not firm on T.O.D., but I’m guessing sometime in the last twenty-four to forty-eight hours.”

  I cursed under my breath, and Tuck went on alert next to me. Carly straightened from her crouched positioned next to Caitlin’s body. “There something I need to know?”

  Tuck ran a hand through his hair roughly. “We were not far from here yesterday. Less than twenty-four hours ago. We were looking for Walk’s, uh,”—he eyed me—“girlfriend, I guess you’d call her.” Carly’s brows rose, her eyes sparkling with humor. Tuck continued speaking, and the humor soon fled Carly’s gaze. “She got lost while on a hike on Creek Line trail. Then she got shot at. Took a tumble down the ravine.”

  Carly’s head shot towards me. “Is she okay?”

  I swallowed thickly, having come to terms with the fact that Taylor had most likely been shot at by Caitlin’s killer. “She’s fine.” The words came out harshly, but Carly, used to working around men, took no offense.

  She gazed around the surrounding woods. “I’m glad. You think whoever shot at her killed this young woman?”

  I stared down at Caitlin’s ravaged form. “I think it’s likely. Why don’t you walk us through your best guess as to what happened.”

  Carly nodded and squatted next to Caitlin. “These are just my preliminary findings. Things may change once I’ve been able to complete a full exam.”

  “Understood,” I said, impatient for her to give me more information.

  She continued. “Let’s start at the beginning. See these marks here?” Tuck and I nodded as we took in the bruising around Caitlin’s wrists. “She was bound in some way for several hours. Possibly days.”

  I cursed. Tuck remained stonily silent. Carly moved on. “I believe she was,”—she paused for a moment—“hunted down. Either she escaped, or the killer let her go, only to catch her again. She was shot. Here.” Carly pointed to a wound on Caitlin’s hip. A shot there would make running almost impossible.

  Rage pumped through my veins at the thought of how terrified Caitlin must have been. “But that wouldn’t have killed her.” I forced the words out.

  “No. It didn’t. I would say the killer caught up with her and snapped her neck.” Blood roared through my ears at Carly’s words. “It’s similar to the way a hunter would snap an animal’s neck if they wounded it but didn’t make a kill shot.”

  Tuck’s and my eyes immediately clashed. “Pardue,” we said at the same time.

  I searched the forest around us. “We have to find him. And fast.”

  30

  Taylor

  “’Make spaghetti,’ she said. ‘It’ll be easy,’ she said.” I mumbled to myself as I stirred furiously at a pot of sauce. It wasn’t the right color. It looked more brown than red. I sighed, attempting to blow the hair out of my face since I didn’t have a free hand.

  I’d called my bestie for help when some evil spirit had overtaken my body and forced me to text Walker and ask him to dinner. Carter had squealed with glee when I told her about my plans. Or should I say the evil spirit’s plans, because I didn’t know what I’d been thinking. Carter had immediately shot off a link to a recipe she promised would be so simple, even I couldn’t screw it up. As I glanced down at the brown sludge, I wasn’t so sure.

  I peeked at the clock on the stove. Shit. Walker would be here in twenty minutes. I turned off the heat and dashed towards my bedroom, peeling off clothes as I went. Stepping under the shower’s spray, I nearly shrieked. It was freezing. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to power through as quickly as possible.

  My attempt to get ready in approximately fifteen minutes resembled a cross between a hurricane and that Tasmanian devil cartoon. I rummaged through my closet, throwing everything I wasn’t looking for on the bed. Finally, I found my little black dress. It was that ideal dress every girl had to have in their closet. It was the perfect combination of sexy and sweet. You could style it down or dress it up. It was my go-to in times of tremendous stress. I.e., now.

  After pulling on a matching set of black lace lingerie, I tugged the dress over my head. I’d have to settle for having my hair up in some sort of messy bun because I had no time to do anything to it. With a quick swipe of eyeliner, a couple of coats of mascara, and some sheer lip gloss, I was as good as I would get. And just in time for the knock on my door.

  I blew out a long breath. Everything would be fine. Just as long as my attempt at dinner didn’t kill Walker, everything would be okay. This wasn’t a big deal. Just two people having dinner and, hopefully, some really hot sex afterward.

  Another knock sounded, and this time, it was followed by a deep voice. “Stop freaking out, Short-stack, and let me in.”

  I let out a huff of exasperation at Walker’s psychic powers and strode to the door. Pulling it open, I asked, “Are you ever going to stop calling me Short-stack?” The exasperation was forced. I loved when he called me that.

  Walker shot me a devilish grin that set off a shiver somewhere deep inside me. “But you are short. Short and fucking adorable.”

  His words made my cheeks heat. “Come in,” I invited, opting to avoid the nickname business altogether.

  Walker stepped into my space, grabbing me around the waist and bringing me flush against his muscled form. “Gonna kiss me hello?” His eyes twinkled, but there was something underneath the gleam. Sadness or anger, I couldn’t quite tell.

  I stretched up on my toes and brought my lips to his. He smelled of soap, some woodsy cologne, and that thing I couldn’t quite name. Someone needed to bottle the combination. They could make millions, no…billions. I inhaled deeply as Walker deepened the kiss, tangling his tongue with mine. He groaned as he pulled back.

  I studied his face, my gaze trailing over the lines of stress and that unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. “What’s wrong? Is it the call you were out on?” My mind had been toying with that thought all day, imagining millions of horrible scenarios.

  Walker’s eyes focused on mine with an intensity that scared me just a little. “Promise me if I tell you what happened, you won’t run on me.”

  I tensed in his arms. It was bad. Really freaking bad from the look in his eyes. “I won’t run.” My voice was stronger than I felt.

  “It was Caitlin. Some hikers found her body not far from where we found you yesterday.”


  My body felt hot and then ice-cold. I shivered, and Walker’s arms tightened around me. “So, the person that shot at me was probably…” I couldn’t even finish the thought, it made me nauseous.

  “We don’t know anything for sure, but it’s a strong possibility.” I nodded numbly, and Walker squeezed me again, bringing my gaze back to his. “Please don’t run. But I do want you to be careful. Keep these doors locked. No activities by yourself. Even swimming at the ranch house, I want you to make sure someone’s around.”

  I swallowed against the lump in my throat. “Okay. Are you okay? I’m so sorry, Walker, I know Caitlin was…” I didn’t know quite how to finish that sentence.

  Walker’s jaw tightened. “We weren’t,” he started. “It was never serious. At least it wasn’t for me. It was more so for her. And I feel a hell of a lot of guilt over that now, but there’s nothing I can do about it. The only thing I can do is find this son of a bitch and lock him away. That, I will do.” The vehemence of his words left no room for doubt.

  “I know you will. Walker, if you’re not up for this tonight, we can do it another time.”

  He shook his head and pulled me tighter against him. “This is exactly what I need. You and food and laughter. It’s the perfect distraction for the shit swirling in my head. Plus, I want to taste what you’ve cooked up.”

  Anxious butterflies took flight in my belly, and I twisted my ring around my finger. Before I could say anything, Walker took hold of my hand, bringing it to his mouth and placing a kiss where my fingers met my palm, right on the ring. Of course, he would notice the nervous habit, the psychic sorcerer. “Come on, lead the way,” he instructed, linking my fingers with his.

  How long had it been since someone had held my hand like this? A long freaking time. I hadn’t dated since my mom got sick the first time, and before that, I had been on one seriously long dry spell. It felt strange, but at the same time, comforting. My heart rate kicked up a notch, and those butterflies flared to life again. It was like I was in the seventh grade all over again, and Mitch Allen was holding my hand for the first time.