Her Lawman Protector

by Patricia Johns

  His name sounded sweet on her lips, and she reached across the board to shake hands. As Jack took her fingers in his, he saw a sparkle of mischief in her eyes.

  “You let me win,” he said.

  She shrugged faintly. “And didn’t you like it? I told you I lose with grace.”

  “I’d rather be beaten fair and square,” he retorted.

  “Then line up your pieces,” she said, the smile evaporating. “And your wish is my command.”

  Jack laughed softly. “You’re scary.”

  “And that’s why I know how to smile and let men win,” she retorted. “They prefer it that way.”

  “But what about you? That can’t be fun,” he said.

  “It isn’t. I told myself I’d stop dumbing down,” she said quietly. “And for the most part, I do.”

  “Does that mean you let Nate win, too?” Jack asked as he lined up his pieces once more.

  She smiled a slow, warm smile but didn’t answer his question. “I start.”

  This game went much quicker, and no matter how Jack tried to keep ahead of her, she quickly closed in on his king and had him subdued in a matter of minutes.

  “Checkmate.” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Good game.” His voice was low and he met her gaze with a wink. “You’re very good, Liv. And you know it. So stop pretending to be some coy little minx with me.”

  “Are you sure you prefer it this way?” she asked.

  Jack met her gaze with a slow smile of his own. “Definitely. I like a woman who takes what’s hers.”

  Liv began to clean up the pieces, dropping them back into the velveteen bag.

  “What did you learn?” Jack asked after a moment.

  “Pardon me?” She glanced up.

  “You said you learned something when playing with me. Was that a line, or were you telling the truth?”

  “I always learn something,” Liv said, dropping the last pawns into the bag and drawing the string. “This time I learned your weaknesses.”

  “Which are?” He leaned his elbows on the table.

  “You start too aggressively. You don’t have patience for a good trap.” She rose to her feet, standing over him so that his gaze could slide up her voluptuous figure to those deep green eyes. She was very wrong in her assumption, of course. He had plenty of patience for a good trap, but it was just as well she didn’t know it.

  “And my strengths?” he prodded.

  “You distract me with your chitchat.”

  “So that’s how to beat you—get your mind off the game?” he asked with a roguish smile. He wouldn’t mind taking up that challenge...if only it wouldn’t jeopardize the case and his life’s mission to get into Internal Affairs and finally do some good.

  “It would seem,” she said.

  How much was Liv hiding from him? He wished he knew. Maybe there was nothing and she was innocent. He was starting to hope that she wasn’t in too deep, at the very least.

  She was likable. Maybe even more than likable if he let himself go...and that was the problem. He was a professional to the bone, but he was starting to feel more for her than professional curiosity. If he had to arrest her at the end of all this, it was going to hurt. There was no way around it.

  CHAPTER NINE

  LIV ROLLED OVER in her bed, the soft scent of distant cooking enveloping her slumber. Her eyes fluttered open and she lay on her side, staring at the clock on her bedside table. It was almost eight—which wasn’t a problem because today was Sunday and the store would be closed. Even small business owners deserved a day off once a week.

  She inhaled deeply and realized that she did indeed smell frying potatoes...and she could hear a soft clink coming from the direction of the kitchen. She sat up, pulling her hair away from her face. Was Jack cooking?

  She must have been tired to sleep so soundly. That was the best rest she’d had since the letters had started. But she had to admit that having Jack around did make her feel safer. She didn’t feel like she had to sleep with one eye open with Jack in the apartment. If anyone broke in, they’d stumble across that muscular cop first. And she had a feeling that even asleep, Jack was perfectly prepared to handle anything.

  Liv got out of bed and quickly got dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose, beaded peasant-style top. She padded barefoot to the bathroom, and ten minutes later her hair was combed, her face was washed and she was wearing a light layer of makeup.

  Ordinarily, she’d sit in her kitchen in a bathrobe, but with Jack here she couldn’t be quite so free and easy. He wasn’t a guest, but he was still there.

  As Liv headed into the kitchen, Jack looked up from the stove.

  “Morning,” he said.

  “Good morning.” She glanced around and spotted a plate of crispy bacon and a dish of scrambled eggs. “You planning on sharing any of that?”

  “Of course.” He turned back to the stove. “I felt like it was time I pitched in, and you keep turning down my offers of takeout.”

  “That’s nice. I appreciate it.”

  He could cook. It shouldn’t surprise her. Any man had better be able to fend for himself, but it was still nice. Evan had been a good cook, and it was one of the things she’d appreciated about him. He used to cook on weekend mornings—

  Her heart clenched at the memory, and she tried to push it back. Evan had stopped that thoughtful gesture a couple of years before he left her. And here was another man in her kitchen, whipping up a delicious-looking breakfast, and she didn’t want to soften to him.

  “So how well does Evan know the mayor?” Jack asked, and it felt like he’d somehow read her mind.

  “Uh—” She sighed. “They met through my father. My dad went to school with Mayor Nelson, and Evan hits it off with pretty much everyone. I think they golfed a few times. But in a place this size, a lot of people have connections to the mayor.”

  Jack turned off the stove and slid the potatoes from the pan into a bowl. He came to the table and deposited the dish next to the others.

  “Let’s eat,” he said.

  Liv grabbed some plates from the cupboard and some cutlery, and then they settled around her little table. The potatoes had been fried up with some onions and a little dill—

  “I don’t have dill,” she said, looking up.

  “One of the other officers picked up some groceries for me and dropped them by.”

  How much had happened before she woke up? “That was...nice of him.”

  “I’m not here to eat your groceries,” he said. “And since I’m on official duties while I’m with you, the department picks up the tab.”

  That was the reminder she needed—official duties. She didn’t have to connect this to Evan, or to any of the other guys she’d dated in the past. They were two people who needed to eat. That was it.

  “Tell me about Nate,” Jack said.

  “Did Evan know him?” Liv asked, picking up the thread of the conversation.

  “Yeah. Were they...buddies or anything?”

  “Not really. They used to play chess together. Nate taught Evan everything he knew. Evan used to think he might be able to play in some competitions. Nate sold us his house after his wife died. If that’s the kind of thing you mean.”

  Jack nudged the eggs toward Liv, and he dished himself some potatoes. It smelled amazing, and Liv didn’t need any more encouragement.

  “When was that?”

  She did the mental math. “Five years ago? No...six or seven years. I don’t know.”

  “Was it an average sale?” he asked.

  “I guess. He was thinking of selling, anyway, and Evan really wanted that land. I guess it was just good timing for everyone. Why this interest in Nate?” Liv asked, reaching for a strip of bacon.

  “I’m being thorough.”

  “I saw a woman with a st
roller, not Evan. Or Nate.” She lifted her gaze to meet his. He was hiding something—there had to be more of a connection for Jack to keep coming back to her ex-husband. Cops didn’t follow loose ends for nothing.

  Jack eyed her thoughtfully for a moment, then he said, “I believe you saw a woman with a stroller. I’m just not convinced that she’s the root of the problem.”

  “But why?” Liv insisted. “And don’t pretend that you’re just following a gut instinct here. I know how cops think, and your fixation on Evan doesn’t make sense unless there’s more to this. So what’s really going on?”

  “There is a connection between the letters and your ex-husband, but I’m not at liberty to reveal the details.” He was every inch a cop in that moment—the reticence, the stony expression... Liv shook her head.

  “Not at liberty,” she said drily. “I’m the one being harassed and threatened, and you can’t tell me why you think my ex-husband is connected to this?”

  “I can’t.”

  Liv heaved a sigh. “He’s shown no ill will toward me in the last year. He’s remarried to another woman. He’s offering to give me the books his grandmother left for me in her will...but that’s all some ruse?”

  “What do you think?” Jack asked.

  “I think my ex-husband is a cheating louse who won’t stay faithful to Officer Hot Pants, either! That’s what I think,” she retorted. “But an inability to be a faithful spouse doesn’t make him into a stalker. If anything, he cared about me too little! I don’t see a connection. At all.”

  Jack nodded slowly. “Okay. Noted.”

  But Jack did see a connection, and he wasn’t about to share it with her.

  “I hate this—” she said. “This, right here. You cops are all the same. It’s all about protecting your information and never betraying any personal feeling.”

  “This isn’t about personal feelings,” Jack replied. “This is about your safety.”

  “And I’ll be a whole lot safer if I have all the information,” she shot back. “Why is Evan a threat? What points to him?”

  A tingle edged the back of her neck. Her ex-husband had always been good at hiding things with his charm, and she needed to know what she was missing. Because she couldn’t see it!

  “You’ll just have to trust me,” he said.

  Liv stared at him, her irritation rising. She wasn’t a child to be protected. She was a grown woman who needed to know the risks.

  “I’m one of the good guys, Liv,” Jack said quietly. “You know that, right?”

  “You’re a cop, Jack,” Liv said tightly. “You’re part of a tight-knit group who figures you’re a step above us common civilians.”

  “Not true.”

  “Really?”

  She glared him, and he met her gaze but didn’t share her anger. That might be even more frustrating—the fact that she was the only one feeling off-balance here. He knew more than she did, and that wasn’t right.

  Liv’s cell phone rang, and she sighed and shook her head.

  “I’m going to answer that,” she muttered, heading into the living room to fetch it. She saw Aunt Marie’s number and picked up the call.

  “Hi, Auntie. How are you?” she asked.

  “I’m good,” Marie replied. “I’m downstairs.”

  “What?” Liv went to the living room and looked down into the street. Sure enough, Marie was standing on the sidewalk, her head tipped back so she could look up at Liv’s window.

  “Hi,” Marie said, and she smiled and waved from below.

  Liv felt warmth at her side at the same moment that Marie’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked over to find Jack just behind her. Great—Marie was a little old-fashioned about these things, and her assumptions were going to be a lot more scandalous than reality.

  “Oh...you’re entertaining,” Marie said, her voice lowering.

  Liv couldn’t help but laugh. “You met Jack. He’s just visiting. Come on up.”

  “No, really, I should probably—” Marie looked around as if seeking an escape, then she looked back up at the window, her expression strained. “I was just coming by to say I was sorry, Liv.”

  Liv’s heart melted. She and Marie might butt heads, but her aunt loved her. They were just from different generations. “Come up, Auntie. Please.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you in a minute.” Marie ended their call and disappeared from view as she headed toward the outside door.

  Liv turned around to see Jack eyeing her uncertainly.

  “Marie’s coming up,” she said.

  “Yeah, I caught that.”

  “She just wants to make up, but I can’t sort things out with my aunt with you around,” she said. “You understand that, right?”

  “Of course.” He nodded toward the kitchen. “Feel free to feed her the breakfast I made. I’ll head out for a few minutes. Just do me a favor and let me know if you’ve got any other plans.”

  Because he would come along, obviously. And he’d protect her. But the problem was that he was seeming less like a cop and more like a part of her life lately, and that had to be stopped. Even bickering with him in the kitchen had been oddly comforting. She needed protection from whomever was threatening her, but her emotional safety mattered, too.

  There was a knock at the door, and Liv went to open it. Her aunt stood in the hallway, her phone still clutched in her hand. She glanced over Liv’s shoulder with a slightly forced smile.

  “Come in,” Liv said with a low laugh. “Jack is just on his way out. You hungry?”

  “Yes.” Marie smiled. “I am.”

  This was the thing about family—time might pass, issues might come up and people might even argue, but they were still family. They outlasted husbands, and they were there at the end of the day.

  Jack grabbed his coat and slipped past Marie into the hallway.

  “Nice seeing you again, Marie,” he said with a warm smile. “I wish I could stay, but I’ve got some stuff to take care of, so—”

  Jack’s gaze moved beyond the older woman and he shot Liv an apologetic look.

  “We’ll talk later,” he said quietly.

  She nodded, and Jack disappeared. She could hear his footsteps descending the stairs, and her heart gave a little flutter. She was ticked off at him right now—annoyed that he was such a cop, even though that was exactly why he was here. But her emotions were getting jumbled where this man was concerned, and she needed to find her balance again, stat.

  “Come in and eat,” Liv said. “I haven’t had breakfast yet.”

  It was time to get her feet back on the ground.

  * * *

  “THE JUDGE GAVE us the warrant for auditory surveillance two days ago,” Chief Simpson said as Jack came into the precinct.

  “Two days ago?” Jack retorted. “How come no one told me?”

  “I just did,” the chief replied. “Nothing is hooked up yet.”

  Jack nodded numbly. It still felt wrong. “How did you do it?”

  “We managed to link some of the money that was used on these sales through joint accounts that included both Evan’s and Liv’s names. The judge found the evidence sufficient. So we’re good to go. We sent in an officer and installed the bugs while the apartment was empty, and we’re just getting ready to start the surveillance now. Officer McDonald is in the meeting room setting up the equipment already.”

  Jack stared at the chief in shock, rage bubbling low beneath the surface. They’d done this behind his back—without his knowledge. They’d left him out of the loop!

  “When were you planning on telling me?” Jack snapped.

  “When you needed to know.”

  McDonald—the officer who couldn’t even do his own surveillance outside the coffee shop properly—was going to be listening in on Liv’s intimate world. And it wasn’t McDonald’s ine
ptitude that was goading Jack, either. Liv was expecting a private conversation with her aunt, and this was invasive. Which was the point—they needed evidence, but apparently, he was playing the role of protector for Liv Hylton, and his emotions seemed stuck there.

  “You cut me out of this on purpose,” Jack growled.

  “I did you a favor,” the chief retorted. “You’re in too deep.”

  “I’m in control!” Jack shot back, then turned away and bit his tongue. If he wanted that position in IA, he’d better not antagonize the chief. He needed some time to get his brain around this. Obviously, the chief was right—he was in too deep. But he couldn’t admit to that.

  “Officer Talbott,” the chief said curtly, and Jack faced him again.

  “Yes, sir.” His words were clipped, but he kept careful control of his tone.

  “You recognize that from here on in, anything said inside the apartment will be recorded.”

  “Yes, sir. I’m clear on that.”

  “Good.” The chief gave a nod. “A straight confession might be too much to hope for, but try to get her to tell you as much as possible so we can get some new investigative leads. Maybe the cousin is involved. We want as much evidence as possible. McDonald won’t wait for you to get started recording.”

  Jack wouldn’t get any time to adjust. And he wasn’t about to leave McDonald alone with those recordings. He felt like his beefy, intimidating presence might help, somehow. Illogical as that was. He headed for the meeting room, and when he opened the door, Officer McDonald was already set up and was adjusting some dials.

  “You’re just in time,” McDonald said cheerily. “I’ve almost found the right frequency.”

  Liv’s voice could be heard amid some hissing and crackling, then it came in clear. She was laughing about something, her voice lilting and relaxed. He felt a pang of guilt and tried to push it down.

  “Let me put the kettle on,” Liv said.

  “Pull up a chair,” McDonald said, opening a notebook. “We might get lucky today. You never know.”