Harlequin Intrigue, Box Set 1 of 2

by Delores Fossen

  “I know,” Theo readily admitted.

  “But yet you’ll give us the evidence. Why?” she demanded.

  A good question. Jericho hoped Theo had a good answer.

  “Let’s call it a wedding gift. With no strings attached,” Theo said. “I know you don’t believe me, but I sent those men to save you tonight. I knew my mother was going to try to kill you, and I thought if I could hide you away, she wouldn’t be able to get to you.”

  “Laurel was already safe,” Jericho snarled. “You could have gotten her killed.”

  “I know that now. And I’m sorry.”

  Theo sounded sincere enough, but Jericho would make sure he got the maximum sentence.

  “I don’t want you in my life,” Laurel said to Theo.

  “I won’t be. Good luck, Laurel. I sincerely hope you’re happy, even if that happiness happens to be with Jericho.”

  Laurel didn’t respond. She just handed the phone back to Levi. “You believe him?” she asked.

  Jericho was surprised that he did. “With all the charges against him, Theo’s looking at a decade or two in jail. He could have withheld the evidence as part of a plea deal with the DA. He didn’t.”

  That didn’t mean Jericho wouldn’t be checking to make sure Theo did all the jail time and then stayed far away from Laurel.

  She nodded. “Good. Then, we can get Maddox and move on with our lives.”

  There it was again. Not yours or mine. Our lives.

  Jericho liked the sound of that. Figured he would like the sound of it even more when they saw their son. He took the final turn toward the safe house.

  The snow was coming down harder here, and the house was already dusted with it. His son would wake up to a white Christmas. No gifts, though. But Jericho would remedy that. Unless the snow piled up, they’d be able to leave in the morning, and he could call the owner of the department store and beg him to open so that Jericho could do a quick shopping trip.

  The moment he pulled the cruiser to a stop, the door opened, and his brother Jax came out. As expected, Jax had his bag ready and looked more than ready to leave. And no doubt was. He wanted to get home so he could spend Christmas with his own son.

  “Glad you’re in one piece,” Jax greeted them, and then he glanced at the cuts on Laurel’s and his head. “Well, for the most part.”

  “Thanks for everything,” Jericho told him. He used his sleeve to wipe the blood from Laurel’s and his face. Best for his mom and Maddox not to see that. “You should get going before the roads get bad.”

  Jax nodded, started toward his car but then stopped. “Are you two back together?” But he waved off the question. Smiled. “Of course you are. Heck, you were never really apart. Merry Christmas.”

  It was Jericho’s go-to reaction to scowl at a remark like that, but he had to admit to himself that it was true. Laurel and he were back together.

  He hoped.

  Now he needed to see how Laurel felt about that.

  However, Jericho didn’t get the chance to say anything because the door opened again, and his mother gathered the three of them inside. There was a fire snapping and flickering in the stone fireplace, and the deputies were at the small kitchen table drinking what smelled like hot chocolate.

  “Where’s Maddox?” Laurel and Jericho asked in unison.

  His mother put her finger to her lips and motioned for them to follow her to one of the bedrooms. Levi didn’t follow them. His phone buzzed, and he stayed in the living room to answer it.

  There wasn’t a crib in the safe house, but they found Maddox sleeping on the center of the bed with pillows around the edges so that he wouldn’t fall off.

  Laurel got to him first, and she pressed a flurry of kisses on Maddox’s face. Jericho soon got his turn, and even though he wanted his son to get plenty of sleep, he wasn’t disappointed when Maddox opened his eyes. The little boy gave a sleepy yawn, but then he smiled the moment his gaze landed on them.

  “Da-Da,” Maddox babbled, his smile aimed at Jericho.

  Jericho nearly lost it.

  “I’ve been showing him your picture and telling him you’re his daddy,” Iris explained. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said to Laurel.

  “No, I don’t mind at all.”

  Hearing that one word was one of the best Christmas presents he’d ever gotten.

  And then he got another one.

  “Wuv you,” Maddox said, and he repeated it to Laurel as his eyelids drifted back down.

  Jericho couldn’t help himself. He had to kiss his boy again. Laurel did, too. And then they eased out of the room and into the hall. They didn’t close the door, though. They just stood there and watched Maddox sleep.

  “Fatherhood looks good on you, son.” Iris gave him a pat on the arm and then did the same to Laurel before she strolled away.

  Jericho had so many things to say to Laurel, but the moment he opened his mouth, Levi started toward them. Jericho groaned at the interruption until he remembered they had important business still up in the air.

  “SAPD found the evidence at Dorothy’s house,” Levi explained. “It was exactly where Theo said it would be. And yes, in the recording, Herschel does confess to having Dad murdered.”

  Jericho’s breath rushed out. Pure relief. Laurel’s reaction was pretty much the same. It’d been a long wait for justice, but it’d finally come.

  “My father will be charged with murder,” she verified. “He’ll stay in jail.”

  “For a very long time,” Jericho assured her. There was no bail for murder, so he would stay behind bars while awaiting trial. Considering everything Herschel had done, it was another good Christmas present.

  And now Jericho had just one more.

  Levi had the sense to go back in the living room and give them some privacy. Well, as much privacy as they could have in a small house filled with people.

  “You know what I want for Christmas?” he asked.

  Laurel obviously hadn’t been expecting that question because she gave him a funny look.

  “I want you.” Jericho snapped her to him. Kissed her. Not exactly a chaste kiss, either.

  She smiled when he finally broke the kiss so they could catch their breath. “I want you, too.”

  That was a good start, but it wasn’t quite enough. So, Jericho kissed her again. He wanted to remind her of what had brought them here.

  And it wasn’t just the attraction.

  It was something much, much more.

  He took out the blue rock. The one she’d used when she asked him to marry her. Or rather, when she’d told him that was the way things had to be. Now, he dropped it into the palm of her hand.

  “I’m calling in the marker,” he said. “I’m in love with you.”

  Tears watered her eyes, but he was pretty sure they were happy ones. She kissed him. And she was very good at it. Jericho felt himself go warm and then hot in all the right places.

  Including his heart.

  “Jericho, I’ve been in love with you most of my life. All of my life,” she added.

  Now it was his turn to smile. Probably a goofy one, but it was genuine. Laurel loved him.

  He brought her closer to him and spelled out the rest of his wish list. “I want you and Maddox. I want this marriage and our family to be real.”

  “It already is,” she said. Smiling again, Laurel pulled him to her for a long, slow kiss.

  * * * * *

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  ISBN-13: 9781460388334

  Taking Aim at the Sheriff

  Copyright © 2015 by Delores Fossen

  All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  ® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.

  www.Harlequin.com

  He was looking for a missing person. What he was found was a beautiful stranger.

  Looking for a fresh start, detective Jake Young headed south on a case that could help launch his PI business. He knew no amount of work would make him forget his tortured past, but maybe Faye Star could help. Caught up in Jake’s missing persons case, the distracting Faye was hiding a secret he was begging to find out. Expertly guiding him through the swamps, Jake’s job grew more complicated when someone started taking shots at the free-spirited beauty. As much as she protested she could take care of herself, Jake stepped in, refusing to admit how desperately he needed someone to save. Especially since he’d never be able to save himself...

  Some kind of emotion flickered across her face so quickly he couldn’t identify it. Anger? Fear? Or something else?

  “Did you see the man who drove that car?” he asked again.

  A low rumble sounded from the direction of the bushes where Faye had emerged a few moments earlier.

  Jake yanked out his gun and shoved Faye behind his back as he whirled around. Was the panther still out here, stalking them? Or was that more of a curse than a growl?

  A full minute passed in silence. No more growls or curses. No rustling of leaves to indicate anything, or anyone, was there. He cautiously straightened and turned back to Faye.

  She was gone.

  So were her knife and her rifle.

  MISSING IN

  THE GLADES

  Lena Diaz

  Lena Diaz was born in Kentucky and has also lived in California, Louisiana and Florida, where she now resides with her husband and two children. Before becoming a romantic suspense author, she was a computer programmer. A former Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award finalist, she has won a prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence in mystery and suspense. To get the latest news about Lena, please visit her website, lenadiaz.com.

  Books by Lena Diaz

  Marshland Justice

  Missing in the Glades

  Harlequin Intrigue

  The Marshal’s Witness

  Explosive Attraction

  Undercover Twin

  Tennessee Takedown

  The Bodyguard

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Jake Young—A police detective trying out his first case as a private investigator on the side, looking for a fresh start in Naples, Florida. But when his first major case takes him through Alligator Alley to the quirky town of Mystic Glades, he discovers a whole new world of danger.

  Faye Star—This mysterious young woman sells her healing potions and mood stones by day and haunts the swamplands surrounding Mystic Glades by night. But when her secret past catches up to her, she may have to trust her life to the one man who could utterly destroy her.

  Calvin Gillette—When this Naples man goes missing, he sets off a chain of events that threatens the lives of everyone who knows him.

  Dex Lassiter—Founder and partner of Lassiter and Young Private Investigations. Is he trying to help, or does he want to keep Jake from digging up something Dex would rather stayed buried?

  Quinn Fugate—This FBI special agent will do anything to close the murder case that mars his otherwise perfect record.

  Scott Holder—Deputy with Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Naples, Florida. Is his lack of interest in assisting Jake really a ploy to make him stop the investigation?

  Freddie Callahan—Whiskey-loving owner and bartender of Callahan’s Watering Hole, her drunken confessions provide Jake with a fountain of information. But is the information reliable, or a clever ruse?

  Thank you, Allison Lyons and Nalini Akolekar.

  Thank you to my mom, Letha McAlister, who got such

  a kick out of this story. This book is dedicated to my friend

  and fellow suspense author Sarah Andre. Thank you for

  selflessly giving me your time, ideas and encouragement.

  This book would not have been written without you.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  CHAPTER ONE

  Jake aimed his pistol and flashlight through the chain-link wildlife fencing that marked where civilization ended and the Florida Everglades began. Behind him, his black Dodge Charger sat on the shoulder of a remote section of Interstate 75 that Floridians affectionately called Alligator Alley. With good reason. Alligators infested the swampy areas along this east-west corridor connecting Naples to Hialeah.

  He swept his flashlight up and down the ditch behind him. Did alligator eyes reflect in the light? He sure hoped so. That might be the only way he’d see the hungry reptiles creeping up on him, looking for a late-night Jake-snack.

  Not for the first time, he questioned his sanity in searching this dangerous area at night. But when a rare black panther had darted across the road in front of him and he’d skidded sideways to avoid it, he’d noticed a reflection in the beam of his headlights through the wildlife fence—a reflection that just might be the car Calvin Gillette was driving when he went missing three days ago.

  In theory, if Gillette had crashed, the cable barrier system should have kept his car from sliding under the fence into the woods. And hitting one of the cables would have triggered strobe lights and an automatic notification to the Department of Transportation. But the system wasn’t foolproof. A few months earlier a minivan hit a pole and went airborne, flipping over the cable without touching it and sliding under the fence into a canal. Jake figured if it happened once, it could happen again. And the few clues he had about Gillette’s disappearance all led him to this same area.

  A few minutes later, his search paid off. He found deep tire tracks in the wet grass. He hopped the ditch and pressed against the chain links—loose and floppy as they’d be if a car had hit the fence. Excitement sizzled through him. He stepped over the cable and slid through to the other side.

&n
bsp; Grateful he’d worn boots for this search, he trudged across the damp ground to a thick stand of pine trees and palmetto bushes. Not anxious to go much farther in the dark, he braced his shoulder on one of the trees and used his flashlight to search for that elusive reflection of metal he thought he’d seen from the road. And suddenly, there it was, behind some bushes, too big and shiny to not be man-made. But without knowing for sure that it was a car, he didn’t want to raise an alarm. Which meant he would have to go into the swamp.

  It was times like this when he seriously wondered if he should move forward with his planned career change from police officer to private investigator. He was on leave from his police job to give the private sector a try, which was why he’d recently moved south to this unpredictable, dangerous, land-that-time-forgot section of his home state.

  Tightening his hold on his pistol, he stepped past the line of pine and oak trees and—for the first time in his life—officially entered the Everglades. The difference in temperature struck him first. It was much cooler here, the musty, woodsy scent a welcome change from the thick humid air by the road. He’d expected the ground to be wet, slippery like the ditch by the fence. Instead, it was dry and springy beneath his boots, not all that different from the woods behind the house in Saint Augustine where he’d grown up, just a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. But where he’d come from he’d hear waves breaking against the sand, seagulls crying overhead. Here, the night was filled with the deep-throated bass of frogs, and a hissing noise that could have been either insects or cranky reptiles warning him to get out of their territory.

  Keeping an eye out for panthers and gators and whatever else thrived in this foreign but starkly beautiful section of Collier County, he continued forward. When he rounded the clump of bushes where he’d seen the reflection, he discovered what he’d both expected and dreaded to find—a car, its dented roof, crumpled hood and crushed front bumper broadcasting the wild ride its driver had endured before the car slammed against an unforgiving tree.