by Jane Godman
Enemies are surrounding her...
Can he protect her growing family?
Dr. Abigail Matthews has separated herself from her con artist dad. When his latest scheme threatens her chances to adopt her foster daughter, Abigail will do anything...even rely on a man she can’t trust. Griffin Colton is a crusader for justice, but his family thinks that Abigail is harboring a dangerous secret. Despite the odds stacked against them, an attraction burns bright and they forge a strong defense. But some threats still find a way to get inside...
“I didn’t do it.” Her words were muffled by his shirt.
“You don’t have to say that to me.”
Abigail looked up, her face streaked with tears and her eyelids red. “Thank you. You don’t know what it means to have someone who believes in my innocence.”
Her lips were close. So temptingly close that her breath brushed his lips when she spoke. Without thinking, he kissed her. Gently, Griffin’s mouth met hers. Taking all the time in the world, he softly explored the delicate curve of her lips. As she tilted her head to one side, he caressed the seam of her mouth with his tongue.
Winding her arms around his neck, she lightly nudged his tongue with her own. And passion ignited in an instant.
Dear Reader,
There’s nothing like a Coltons story to bring a smile to our lips and get our hearts racing. And the Coltons of Grand Rapids certainly live up to our expectations! As always, it’s been a pleasure to be part of the team of amazing authors who bring these characters and their stories to life.
Having been through the foster care and adoption system himself as a young child, Griffin Colton is always the first to step up and help a child in need. But when that child is fostered by Abigail Matthews, the daughter of the man his family is investigating as part of one of the worst scams in Grand Rapids history, he knows he should back off. Things are complicated even further by the attraction he feels toward the beautiful research scientist.
Abigail’s life is in turmoil. Her father is on the run and her own part in his dodgy dealings is in question. Now she is accused of malpractice and is suspected of murder. As her reputation sinks almost beyond repair, the only person who can help her is the very man she should avoid. Griffin is a Colton and his family has every reason to be suspicious of her. Yet she feels safe with him...
I’d love to find out what you think of Griffin and Abigail’s story. You can contact me at:
Website: www.JaneGodmanAuthor.com
Twitter: @JaneGodman
Facebook: Jane Godman Author
Happy reading,
Jane
COLTON 911: SUSPECT UNDER SIEGE
Jane Godman
Jane Godman is a 2019 Romantic Novelists’ Award and National Readers’ Choice Award winner and double Daphne du Maurier Award finalist. She writes thrillers for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and also writes paranormal romance. When she isn’t reading or writing romance, Jane enjoys cooking, spending time with her family and watching the antics of her dogs, Gravy and Vera.
Books by Jane Godman
Harlequin Romantic Suspense
Colton 911: Grand Rapids
Colton 911: Suspect Under Siege
The Coltons of Mustang Valley
Colton Manhunt
Colton 911
Colton 911: Family Under Fire
The Coltons of Roaring Springs
Colton’s Secret Bodyguard
The Coltons of Red Ridge
Colton and the Single Mom
Sons of Stillwater
Covert Kisses
The Soldier’s Seduction
Secret Baby, Second Chance
Visit the Author Profile page at
www.Harlequin.com for more titles.
As always, this book is for my lovely husband, Stewart, who is gone but never forgotten. We don’t say “goodbye.”
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Excerpt from Colton’s Amnesia Target by Kimberly Van Meter
Chapter 1
Griffin Colton’s job had its highs, lows and harrowing moments. Although his business premises were based in downtown Grand Rapids, his reputation as one of Michigan’s best adoption attorneys meant he was in demand across the state. As a result, he spent too many days like the one that had just ended, during which he had been traveling from one courtroom to another.
He loved what he did and wouldn’t trade the feeling that came from knowing he’d helped a child find a place with the right family. Even so, by the time he returned to his office for a late-afternoon meeting, his already-low energy levels had drained even further. The leader of the local adoption fundraising organization was passionate in her commitment to securing financial help for families. Griffin agreed to provide leaflets to his clients and direct them to further support if necessary. Although the exchange was productive, it was late when his visitor left, and all Griffin wanted to do was drive the short distance to his Heritage Hill home, order takeout and eat it while watching an old movie.
He was closing down his laptop when his receptionist, Martha Dunne, appeared in the doorway.
“Dr. Abigail Matthews is here to see you.” Her expression was apologetic. “I explained that I could make an appointment for another time, but she said it was urgent.”
Instinct told Griffin it wasn’t a good idea to talk to Abigail. She was the daughter of the man his family were investigating. Colton Investigations was the private firm run by his elder brother, Riley. Griffin and their four sisters—two sets of fraternal twins—took cases only involving a search for justice. The more they investigated banker Wes Matthews and his pyramid scheme involving selling RevitaYou pills the more criminal activity they uncovered. Could Abigail be on a fact-finding mission to discover how much they knew about her dad?
But on the one occasion Griffin had met Abigail Matthews, he’d been touched by her obvious devotion to her nine-month-old foster daughter. Children had always been his weakness, particularly those who were fostered or adopted. Having been in the foster system himself, he could never resist stepping in when there was a child involved.
If Abigail had come to see him because of her baby, it didn’t matter who her father was, or what he had done. He would help her.
Without revealing any CI secrets...
“Show her in.” He glanced at the clock. “Then go home, Martha. I can lock up here.”
When the receptionist returned, she was accompanied by accompanied by Abigail, whose tall, slender frame was dressed in jeans, sneakers and a cotton shirt. Martha indicated for Abigail to step inside, then left. Although his visitor’s expression was distracted, Griffin was struck again by her beauty. Her brown hair was streaked blond and hung in waves past her shoulders. With her huge brown eyes, bronze skin, high cheekbones and full lips, she was breathtaking.
Baby Maya was in the stroller and a heavy bag was slung over one of Abigail’s shoulders. The look in Abigail’s eyes as she focused on Griffin was painful in its intensity.
“Thank you for seeing me...” As she started to hold out her hand, the bag sl
ipped from her shoulder. Diapers, baby wipes, bottles of formula and bags of snacks spilled out across the office floor.
“Oh.” Abigail kicked on the stroller’s brake and knelt on the rug. Her cheeks flamed as she picked up items and stuffed them back into her bag. “I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, it’s not a problem,” Griffin assured her.
As he squatted close to the stroller to retrieve a bottle of hand sanitizer, Maya leaned forward to get a closer look at him. With her chubby cheeks, brown eyes, and mass of dark curls, the baby was adorable. She gave Griffin a grin followed by a friendly kick to the shoulder. When he pretended to stagger back in pain, she giggled and did it again.
“You might find yourself doing that all day,” Abigail said. “Once she finds a game she likes, she wants to play it over and over.”
Despite her underlying distress, there was a warm look in her eyes when she looked at Maya that intrigued Griffin. Abigail proclaimed she had no knowledge of her father’s crimes. She had even come to Colton Investigations just a few days ago and told him and his siblings about a horrifying discovery that she’d made. Her research had uncovered that there was a compound of ricin in RevitaYou that could be deadly, depending on the person taking it. She believed it was only a matter of time before there were deaths as a result of her father’s con.
Yet Griffin’s doubts about her lingered. Was it possible that Wes could have funded the development of RevitaYou without the knowledge of his research scientist daughter? Surely she was the first person he would have gone to for advice and support? He couldn’t help wondering if this innocent act was an attempt to distance herself from consequences, now that the criminal activity was being uncovered.
Between being kicked by the baby and gathering up stray items that had fallen from the bag, he didn’t have any time to pursue that thought. A final glance showed him that most of Abigail’s belongings had been restored to her. A flash of pink under his desk caught his eye and he crawled in that direction. As he reached for the knitted teddy bear, his fingers closed over Abigail’s and they lightly bumped foreheads.
She clutched the soft toy to her chest. “It’s her favorite.”
And there it was. That look in the depths of her eyes was what drew him to this job. That need to help his clients and their kids... But it felt like something more this time. It was a little sharper. A touch deeper. He was drawn to Abigail in spite of his reservations about her family.
Griffin got to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. As he did, he was conscious of a damp, sticky feeling in the region of his right knee. He glanced down.
“Mashed banana?”
Abigail bit her lip as she looked at the stain on his suit pants. “You must have knelt on the bag. I’m—”
He grinned. “Sorry? You don’t need to keep saying that. Most days my clothes tell the story of my appointments. Paint, ice cream, milkshake...” He pointed to different points on his shirt as he spoke. “My dry cleaning bill would bring tears to your eyes.”
For the first time, she managed a slight smile. “I guess it must be one of the hazards of your job.”
“And I guess that leads us neatly to the question of why you’re here?” Griffin went to sit at his desk and indicated one of the chairs on the opposite side.
Before she sat down, Abigail handed the teddy bear to Maya. When she looked back at him, her smile had gone, and her features were tight with tension. “Maya has been in my care since she was born. Her mom died when she was three months old and it was always my intention to adopt her. This morning, I got a call from my foster care caseworker telling me that my paperwork is being stalled due to an investigation into my fitness to be a parent.”
* * *
Abigail was struggling to keep her emotions under control. It had taken every ounce of courage she possessed to walk into Griffin Colton’s office. She was going to fight for Maya, and to do that she needed help from the best in the business. His professional reputation was well-known. But the reason she had chosen him went deeper.
Abigail had never been under any illusions about her father. Wes Matthews had the looks and charm of a Hollywood idol combined with the heart and soul of a grifter. But his latest fraud had gone too far. When details started to emerge of the RevitaYou pyramid scheme, she had been genuinely surprised that he had kept it secret from her. She was his daughter, and she was a respected clinical pharmaceutical scientist with a reputation as one of the leading independent researchers in the business. Her role involved the discovery and development of new drugs, alongside the improved use of existing medicines. Who better to help Wes keep this new venture on the right side of the law?
Her old insecurities had kicked in. All her life, she’d known she was a disappointment to her dad, who’d made no secret of the fact that he’d wanted a son. For as long as Abigail could remember, she’d been striving to impress him. Her childhood had been a scoreboard on which she’d never gotten enough points. Academically she’d been gifted, getting straight As in every subject. She had never forgotten the time Wes barely glanced at her report card before asking why she wasn’t playing more sports. The following year she’d won an athlete-of-the-year award in high school. He turned up late to the presentation, then told her all about his friend’s son who was a gifted musician. Now she played piano to concert performance level.
Naturally, she’d believed he hadn’t come to her with his plans for RevitaYou because he’d found someone better to provide the clinical support. The old childhood longing for acceptance, never far from the surface, had bubbled up once more. Underneath the hurt, she’d felt a sense of curiosity. What made this wonder drug so special that she wasn’t good enough to be part of it? Determined to find out, she’d ordered a thirty-day daily supply of capsules for herself. Although it was not FDA approved, RevitaYou was widely available online.
The pretty green bottle containing the daily vitamin supplement promised to make the lucky user look ten years younger within one week. Instead of swallowing the product, Abigail had taken it into her laboratory and broken it down into its component parts. That was when she’d discovered the awful truth...
“Did your caseworker explain why the process has been stalled?” Griffin’s question drew her attention back to the present. Back to the most important part of this whole horrible mess.
Maya. She glanced at her little girl, grounding herself.
I can’t lose her.
One thing Wes had taught her about parenting was that she knew what sort of mom she wanted to be. She’d seen all the mistakes and was determined not to make them with her own little girl. Her love for Maya burned fierce and strong, and she clung to it.
The thought gave her the strength she needed to talk about what she’d discovered. And she reminded herself that Griffin already knew all about her father. There would be no surprises for him in the Matthews family background.
“It has to be about my dad.” Even though they had to be spoken, the words burned her throat. For an instant, she thought she saw a flare of sympathy in the green depths of Griffin’s eyes. But it disappeared within seconds, if it had ever been there at all, and his professional demeanor returned. “About RevitaYou.”
“When you came to the CI office a few days ago, you told us that you were not involved in your father’s con.” Although his voice was nonjudgmental, his gaze probed her face. “You were very determined to make sure that we knew that.”
She gave a bitter little laugh. “Are you giving me a chance to retract my statement?”
“Do you need one?”
She shook her head. Hard. “I was not involved in RevitaYou. Not at any stage. The first time I heard about it was when your team started blasting out warnings on social media and I saw the links to my dad. I only knew about it after it was declared potentially toxic.” He didn’t respond, and she sighed. “I don’t know how to convince you that I’m telling t
he truth.”
Griffin was silent for a moment or two, then his gaze dropped to Maya. The baby was rubbing her teddy bear against one cheek, her eyelids drooping sleepily.
“If I represent you, we would be in a unique situation. One that calls for total honesty.” He looked back at Abigail. “And the truth is that you can’t convince me that you didn’t know about your dad’s scamming people out of their investments in a toxic supplement.” She winced, and he gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m sure you’d rather I told you that up front and moved on to what’s important.”
She sucked in a breath. “Which is?”
He nodded at Maya. “Your little girl.”
For the first time, tears filled her eyes. “Can you help me?”
“I can try.” He drew a legal pad and a pen toward him, then pushed a box of tissues toward her. “I need the name of your caseworker and any other details you can give me.”
It hadn’t occurred to her until now, but Griffin Colton was a very good-looking man. He had the sort of tall, muscular build that fit his expensive designer suit to perfection. And his dark blond hair, sculpted cheekbones and chiseled features were more rock idol than lawyer. But it was those eyes that captured her attention. They were dark green, with the shifting colors and moods of an evening forest. As he smiled, they looked like sunlight on new leaves.
“This may sound like a silly question, but do you mind if I order pizza?” he asked. “If you join me, we can eat while we talk.”
* * *
“Goodness.” An hour later, Abigail looked down at the empty pizza box in surprise. “I didn’t even know I was hungry.”
Griffin smiled and pointed toward the stroller. “And that little lady has slept through everything.”
He liked the way Abigail’s face changed when she looked at Maya. It was as if a switch had been flicked and she lit up from within. Had anyone ever looked at him that way? He’d entered the foster system at the age of seven when his mother died. He knew his mom had loved him, and his foster parents, Graham and Kathleen Colton, had cared deeply for him. But that look? He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen it until now.
