Her Lawman Protector

by Patricia Johns

  But a long time ago—before Berto was arrested for drugs he’d never seen before in his life—Jack had wanted to be more than this. He’d dreamed of a house and a car in a real driveway, a pretty wife and a few kids. He’d wanted a “good job” and family vacations—all the stuff he’d never had growing up. He’d wanted to move his mom and dad into his home, safely away from the drugs and violence of that old neighborhood. Once upon a time, he’d wanted to be a good guy living a good life. He’d wanted to be able to walk down a street and see respect in people’s eyes. He’d just wanted a shot at the same stuff everyone else wanted. He’d called it “rich.” Heck, it was just plain old middle class.

  Once upon a time, Jack had dreamed of being happy.

  And that had suddenly become obscured in his desire for justice. Would Jack be happy once he’d chased down every single dirty cop in Denver personally? Would he find that elusive light he’d been looking for? Or would he look back on his time here in Eagle’s Rest and kick himself for walking away from the one woman to capture his heart?

  “Not that move, either. You put yourself in check,” Nate said.

  “Fine...” Brent sighed.

  “There’s more than defense, Brent,” Nate admonished again. “There’s a move—I see it! You just have to take it!”

  The teenager leaned closer, and Jack looked down at the board, the pieces all arranged in their battle formation. Jack suddenly saw it—Brent’s way to win. It was a direct attack, and he’d lose his queen in the process...

  “There.” Jack pointed it out. “That’s your move.”

  Brent shook his head and moved the piece. In a matter of three moves, the game was over and Nate grinned at his buddy.

  “Good game, Brent.”

  “I’ve never beat you before.” Brent chuckled, and they shook hands over the board.

  “Well, to be fair, you still haven’t,” Nate retorted. “It was this fella.”

  But more had fallen together in that moment than just a chess strategy. He’d been so focused on defense, he’d forgotten who he wanted to be. A defender of the defenseless? Of course, but also a husband, a father and a good cop who did more than just chase down his dirty colleagues. He wanted to be the first on the scene—and do the job right. He wanted to mend fences, and not only stop bad cops from taking advantage, but set a few kids on firmer ground. He wanted to be the cop he’d needed in his community as a kid.

  “Did you see that, Mike? That’s how it’s done. Don’t give up just because it looks like you’re losing.” Nate swiped the board clean and started arranging the pieces again. “Your turn, kid. You’re going to play Brent, and I want to see what you can do without me giving you tips this time...”

  Nate was doing what Jack had needed when he was young. He was passing along some skills, giving a kid a leg up. He was being a mentor. That kind of relationship could open up options a teen had never dreamed of before.

  Jack couldn’t stay in defensive mode. He had to take a step up and look at the whole game. Was it possible to be more than a guy chasing down his personal demons?

  Jack glanced at his watch. It was almost nine—Liv wouldn’t be in bed yet.

  “I’ll leave you to your rematch,” Jack said. “Thanks for your time.”

  Jack got to his feet and turned the chair back to its proper position. He needed to talk to her. It might not make any difference in the grander scheme, but he had to try!

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  LIV WASN’T SURE what to expect when the clock crept closer to nine that night. She’d thrown down the gauntlet, and she was beginning to worry that she’d dangerously misjudged her ex-husband. Evan had clearly been involved in some very shady things, and she was counting on some sort of fondness for her to keep him from bulldozing her along with everyone else who got in his way. She’d meant something to him at some point—but would that be enough to protect her?

  She stood in front of the counter of Hylton Books, waiting. Would Evan even come, or had he seen through her bravado and found her laughable? Or worse—would he send someone else to take care of the issue for him?

  Her skin crawled at that thought, and she wondered if she’d been wrong to try to deal with this alone. Maybe she should have called Jack and told him what she was up to, if only for a little personal protection.

  But Jack would only try to stop her, and if Evan saw even a trace of police presence, her chance to catch him in his own words would fall flat. Evan was a cop. He knew what to look for.

  The store was chilly—she’d turned down the heat for the night—and she rubbed her hands together for warmth.

  This is foolish, she thought miserably. This is downright dumb! I’ve just threatened a very dangerous man—

  But then the front door rattled, and she didn’t have time to reconsider her plan. She sucked in a shaky breath, wiped her hands down the front of her jeans and headed over to unlock it.

  Evan stood outside, a stack of old books in his hands, but he wasn’t alone. Behind him was a cop she recognized. He was tall but skinny, and his face was lined and gray in the wan light of a streetlamp.

  “Officer McDonald?” she said hesitantly.

  “You wanted to talk business,” Evan said with a cool smile. “McDonald is part of that.”

  “Oh...” she breathed.

  A couple of options flashed through her mind. Was Evan setting her up to take the fall for his crimes? Or was it the obvious thing—McDonald was a dirty cop, too? Her mind spun, and she stepped back to let the men inside. Officer McDonald stepped too close for comfort, but Liv wouldn’t give way. She held her ground, letting the man brush up against her as he slid past. He looked different out of uniform—weaker, maybe. But if she had any chance of pulling this off, she had to appear a whole lot more cocksure than she felt, because she was suddenly much less confident in her ability to navigate this conversation. She knew Evan’s buttons, but he’d brought along some protection against that.

  “Thanks for coming,” she said, locking the door behind them. She led the way into the store, closer to the counter.

  McDonald put the books down on the counter, and Liv looked over at Evan curiously. He was making good on the promise to give her those books, it seemed. But she still didn’t trust him.

  “Are you sure you don’t just want to let me buy you out?” Evan asked, his tone gentle. “This can’t be easy for you, Liv. I know you. I’ve brought the books—I know you’re the only one to really appreciate them. And I want you to remember that I care. You’re a good woman, and I think you’re in over your head.”

  “I’m perfectly fine,” Liv replied with a shrug. “But thanks for delivering those. I appreciate it.”

  “Life isn’t easy, Liv,” Evan said. “I do understand your desire to run a bookstore, but there are other ways to stay connected to your passions. Maybe a collection of rare first editions.” He tapped the pile of books temptingly. “I could even help you out with a few more as I come across them.”

  Yeah, as he robbed old people of their property.

  “I could do both,” she countered.

  “The property taxes alone will be a burden,” Evan pointed out. “I’m only here out of courtesy. If I sat back and waited a few months, you’d be out of business on your own. You can’t afford to make those tax payments.”

  “What makes you so sure?” she snapped.

  “Come on, Liv...” Evan reached out to touch her arm, and she took a step back.

  “I’m not your wife anymore, Evan,” she said. “You can save the sweet talk for Serena. Or Tanya, for that matter.”

  Evan’s expression iced over. “I’m trying to be nice, Liv.”

  “Then stop being nice and talk business!” she said. “I want in. You’re about to make money hand over fist, and I don’t think it’s fair that I should miss out on that after ten years of marriage. You owe me
something, Evan.”

  Evan sighed. “You want in.”

  “I do. You used me, but now I know about it, and I want a cut.”

  “What do we get in return?” Evan asked.

  “My compliance?” She raised her eyebrows. “A sense of having done the right thing?”

  She let a smile quirk up one corner of her lips. She was teasing him now.

  “This is bigger than you or me,” Evan said, clearly exasperated. “I can’t just cut you in. There are bigger people who run this. And they don’t like being threatened.”

  “So why did you come?” Liv asked.

  “Because I wanted to protect you. You’re playing a game you don’t understand. Our marriage might not have lasted, but I do care... I think I’m proving that here.”

  “How much bigger?” Liv asked, frowning. “Like the kind of people who send women to break into my apartment?”

  Something flickered in his eyes when she said that. She’d hit on something.

  “She was yours, wasn’t she?” Liv pressed. “Because there was a woman outside my apartment in the rain before that. With a baby stroller of all things...” She let out a bitter laugh. “Weird. I could have sworn she looked like Serena, but—”

  “Leave her out of it,” McDonald said, his voice low.

  Her heart hammered in her throat. The woman outside her home, the woman breaking in... It wasn’t a thug—it was a cop!

  Evan snorted. “I didn’t send her anywhere. She does what she wants. She’s no delivery girl.”

  Like Liv had been. She heard the insult between the lines.

  “This is personal for her, then,” Liv guessed. “What...don’t tell me she suspects you’re cheating already, and she thinks it’s me!”

  The look on Evan’s face confirmed that, and she bit back the nasty comment that popped to her mind. She was trying to get Evan to open up, not clam up.

  “Oh, Lord...” Liv murmured. “Look, Evan, if you need me to tell her that we’re over, I’m happy to do that. Whatever you have going on with my cousin has nothing to do with me. I mean, if we’re going to be in business together, I’m glad to smooth that over for you.”

  “It’s fine,” Evan muttered. “It’s just...” He paused. “She lost a baby, okay? So cut her some slack. I think you could understand what she’s going through.”

  That explained the stroller...sort of. If Serena was really struggling with the loss, and Evan had been the idiot he’d been with Liv in a similar situation... That poor woman was being dragged along in Evan’s wake, trying to keep him faithful. It was like trying to keep a dog away from a bloody steak.

  “No, no, understood.” Liv softened her tone. Evan always had thought the world revolved around him, so maybe he’d believe that she was falling into line, too. “I’m not completely heartless. So...about business, then. Who else am I working with here? You said there are bigger people. Who are we talking about? The mayor? Because I used to babysit his kids, and he likes me.”

  Evan’s mouth twitched in annoyance. She needed him to say it out loud, though, or it wasn’t much good.

  “Let’s bring him into this talk, then,” Liv went on. “I’m willing to chat with him. I can play ball, Evan.”

  “Mayor Nelson doesn’t want the payout to get any bigger than it already is,” Evan snapped. “So you’re going to be a problem. Don’t you see that?”

  “There have been some disturbing events lately,” McDonald added, his tone equally oily. “Tires get slashed...don’t they, Pretty Liv?”

  The words sounded a little too comfortable on the man’s lips, and Liv stared at him in disgust. He leered down at her, and she noticed Evan’s jaw tightening.

  “So that was you, was it?” she said with a short laugh. “I have to say, you’d have been smarter to keep your mouth shut. The tire was annoying, but I’d chocked that up to kids. Now the letter was very creepy, I’ll give you that, but now that I know who was behind it—”

  “You should leave town while you can,” Evan snarled. “I appreciate that you want to work with me, but I’m giving you an out. Out of respect for our marriage.”

  Liv eyed him for a moment, weighing her words. It was time to stop begging.

  “See, this is the thing. You’re both much creepier on paper. But looking you in the face—” she shrugged “—you’re a lot less scary, I have to say.”

  “Liv!” Evan’s voice turned a few degrees colder. “I’ve tried to be nice about this, but I’ll be straight. You aren’t getting a cut in this deal. You do have a chance to leave town alive, though. And I’m strongly urging you to take me up on the offer.”

  Her heart hammered in her throat, and she sucked in a deep breath. She couldn’t let him see that she was scared. She needed more.

  “So who exactly is going to kill me?” she demanded. “McDonald here?” She considered him skeptically. “No, not McDonald. He likes me too much. He’s got a bit of a crush. He couldn’t help himself—he had to tell me he was the one behind the Pretty Liv thing. And his very manly tire-flattening skills. He wants to impress me.”

  McDonald’s expression became an ugly grimace, and she had a sudden sense that she’d been very wrong about him. He would hurt her quite easily. But she couldn’t stop now—she was tap-dancing as fast as she could here.

  “Or you?” Liv turned to Evan. “Would you kill me if the mayor asked you to?”

  She was expecting Evan to patronize her again, soften his tone and give her a few more warnings. Instead, Evan’s hand shot out and clamped onto her throat. He hauled her in close enough that she could smell the coffee on his breath, his eyes narrowed in fury.

  Liv scrambled to stay on her feet, trying to dig her fingers under the grip on her throat, but the harder she tried, the harder he squeezed. She’d misjudged all of this, and Evan had been right about her being in over her head. She had a sudden yearning for Jack. His strength, his muscle-bound protection...his heart, his dark, soft eyes... She should have called Jack...

  “Yeah, Liv,” Evan growled. “It would be me who hurt you. And you might think you can control me, but you can’t. You never could. You’re aren’t a part of this deal, baby. You never were. You were oblivious to all of it, and now you want to try to get in on it? Not a chance!”

  Liv couldn’t breathe, and she felt her muscles going slack, black spots appearing in front of her eyes, when suddenly a bang jolted the attention of both men away from her and toward the door. Evan dropped her, and Liv sagged against the counter, sucking in a ragged, painful breath.

  Her balance slowly returned and she looked up in time to see Jack Talbott in the doorway—the door hanging in a broken sort of way. Crap. She’d have to fix that. He must have kicked it in. He stood there with a gun trained between Evan and McDonald.

  “What’s going on?” Jack growled.

  “It isn’t what it looks like,” Evan said with a sigh. “This is...domestic.”

  “And that’s better?” Jack snapped.

  “This is not domestic,” Liv said with a sigh. She reached under the counter and pulled out her cell phone. “I recorded everything.”

  “You little—” Evan started, but Jack made a sound in the back of his throat that stopped the man short.

  “Don’t move, Kornekewsky,” Jack said, and he glanced toward Liv. “What did you record?”

  “Everything,” she said. “They admitted to it all—and I’m pretty sure this clears my name.”

  “You should have told me!” Jack growled, then he flicked the gun toward the floor. “You two—on the ground.”

  Evan and McDonald slowly bent down, then did as they were told. Jack pulled out a set of cuffs and tossed them to Liv. She caught them, and Jack pushed a button on his radio.

  “This is Officer Talbott, requesting backup at 728 Main Street. Two suspects have been apprehended.” Then he released th
e button and dialed down the chatter on the radio. “You know how to use these?” Jack pulled out a second set of cuffs.

  Liv couldn’t help the grin that came to her lips. “What self-respecting cop’s wife hasn’t figured it out?”

  She knelt in the center of Evan’s back, grabbed an arm and slapped on the cuff. She rotated off him and cuffed the other hand securely. That felt better—at least Evan wouldn’t have a chance to lay a finger on her again.

  Then she looked up at Jack, who had just finished cuffing McDonald, and she shot him a weary smile.

  “Thank you.”

  “Yeah,” he said, leaning over and pecking her lips lightly. “Anytime, Liv.”

  * * *

  THE NEXT TWO hours were busy. Evan and McDonald were both arrested and charges were laid. The mayor was picked up at his home, and they discovered Serena there, too. That was where she’d been hiding out since breaking into Liv’s apartment. Liv’s recording turned out to be even better than she’d hoped, and after she’d given her statement, signed all sorts of forms, and told and retold her story, she was finally released to return home.

  “I’ll give you a ride,” Jack said, draping her jacket over her shoulders.

  “Thank you.” Her voice trembled. She was so tired, and with a simple act of kindness coming from this man she couldn’t help loving despite herself, her emotions were starting to resurface. She put on her jacket properly and then followed Jack outside into the starlit darkness. She needed to go home, to crawl into the warmth of her bed and cry this out. Because if she let herself do what she wanted, she’d be slipping into Jack’s warm arms and staying there forever.

  But that wasn’t an option.

  Jack led the way to his car, but before they got there, he tugged her to a stop, then bent down and covered her lips with a tender kiss. She leaned into him, sinking into the feeling of safety he provided. He pulled back, looking into her eyes.

  “God, I love you,” he breathed.

  “Jack, we can’t make this harder—” she started, her breath in her throat.