Wanted for Life

by Allison B Hanson

  Was that all there was in store for him? Day after day of monotony, until the day he died?

  “God damn,” he muttered, and tossed again. There had been a few dark moments when he’d missed his family and the loneliness had been so overwhelming he’d actually wondered if he would have been better off not surviving being shot half a dozen times in the chest.

  It sometimes seemed as if he was being punished for cheating death.

  But for the moment, he had something important to do—keep Angel safe. He almost hadn’t recognized the surge of adrenaline in his blood when she’d stepped out of the shadows on his porch. It had been so long since anything had sparked his fight or flight response, he’d worried it didn’t work anymore.

  Fortunately, his instincts weren’t in such bad shape. He’d drawn his Glock pretty damn quick. It had felt good.

  Most people wouldn’t like finding an intruder on their back porch—even a hot one—but Colton had been yearning for something exciting to happen. He’d been raised for danger and didn’t know how to function without it in his life.

  For most of his adult years, he’d either been a soldier or a DEA agent. His life had been a constant rush of activity. His brain was conditioned to jump ahead and anticipate his enemy’s next move. His body had been trained to be sure and swift.

  Now he spent his days with teenagers who didn’t think they needed math because they had a calculator on their phone, and he occupied his evenings with more cooking shows than was healthy.

  He heard the telltale jingle of his dog’s collar and tags moving down the hall toward his room. He knew what would happen next. Sure enough, he felt the dip of the mattress next to him.

  “Off,” he said firmly but quietly, so as not to wake Angel if she’d managed to fall asleep.

  There was a snuffle, then the bed moved again and the jingling moved out of the room. Angel had probably allowed Pudge up on the sofa, so the dog had decided to test his limits.

  Not that Colton was complaining. It was nice having Angel here. And despite what he’d said to her earlier, he figured she’d hang around at least long enough for him to pick up the computer she’d ordered after dinner. So he finally let himself drift off to sleep.

  It seemed like only a few minutes later when he awoke to the sound of Pudge barking like crazy.

  It was still dark.

  And someone was definitely outside.

  Chapter Eleven

  Angel jerked awake at the loud barking.

  Amongst the chaos came the sound of muffled voices from the sidewalk. She rolled off the sofa, grabbing her guns on the way, and crouched by the large front window trying to see how many there were.

  Colton lived on a quiet street in a peaceful neighborhood. It wasn’t the kind of place where people hung out at one in the morning having a chat.

  She rolled to the other side of the window, hoping to get a better view.

  Nothing.

  “Shh,” she told Pudge who was still happily fulfilling his duty of ferocious watchdog. “You’re going to wake up—”

  “What’s happening?” Colton asked as he slid down the wall next to her. He pulled the slide back on his Glock and chambered a bullet.

  She was momentarily distracted by the hotness of the maneuver, but made herself focus. “I’m not sure. But they’re coming for me. You should put your gun away. Just say I forced you to help me.”

  “Not a chance.” His hazel eyes narrowed in offense.

  She honestly couldn’t tell if it was a moral issue, or the fact that he didn’t want anyone to think a hundred-and-twenty-pound female had forced him to do anything.

  A thump at the door made Pudge go nuts. He growled and snarled with murderous intent.

  “Mālie,” Colton snapped.

  Pudge instantly quieted at the command, but paced frantically.

  “You’ve trained him?”

  “Of course.”

  “What language is that?” It was common in K-9 units to use a different language so only the trainer knew the commands. But she hadn’t recognized the one Colton had spoken.

  “Hawaiian.”

  Her jaw dropped. He’d trained his German shepherd to respond to Hawaiian commands? Not the textbook German or Austrian for him. Oh, no. Hawaiian.

  “What?” he asked, sounding defensive.

  “Nothing. Good choice.” She pressed her lips together to keep from snickering. She had bigger problems.

  Another thump by the window had the dog barking again.

  “I’m going to open the door,” Colton said.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come.” She braced herself against the wall behind the door, hoping he wouldn’t do anything stupid on her account.

  “Stop. I’m glad you’re here. Sit tight.”

  Angel wasn’t good at sitting tight. Normally she took lead. Her being shorter than the other team members gave them all an advantage. Criminals always expected someone taller in a raid than her five feet three inches.

  Staying back and cowering against a wall was not her favorite position.

  In a rush of movement, Colton opened the door to release Pudge.

  “Hele!” he yelled to the dog, then pointed at Angel. “Stay.”

  She wondered if he’d gotten the two orders mixed up. But he moved through the door with his gun raised, and pulled the door shut behind him.

  “Damn it!” She peered through the frosted sidelight to make out what was happening in Colton’s front yard.

  All she could see was chaos, with a lot of shouting and barking.

  Damn it! She was going to prison, and Colton would be charged with accessory.

  Shit. This was all her fault.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Kenny Millard?” Colton stared down at the pale boy being held in place by a ninety-pound dog. An egg rolled out of the kid’s hand and stopped right next to Colton’s bare feet.

  He might have put on shoes before launching his attack if somebody hadn’t eaten them earlier.

  “Hookuu,” he told Pudge, who stepped back with one last bark.

  “Mr. Willis? This is your house?”

  “It is.”

  “Is that a—a gun? Are you going to shoot me? It was just a few eggs!”

  “Who ran off?” Colton demanded. “Was it that Braden kid?”

  “Uh…”

  “Do not even try stonewalling me. You have three seconds to answer, or I call the dog back.”

  “Y-yeah. It was Braden. This was all his idea.”

  “Of course it was.”

  Colton tucked the Glock in his waistband as the lights came on at the house next door. Mr. Simon was a great neighbor. Always kept to himself. But Colton couldn’t blame him for investigating the racket. It was the middle of the night, and it probably sounded like World War III had started on Colton’s lawn.

  “There’s a hose on the side of the house,” he told Kenny. “Use it to clean up the mess, then go home. Tell your partner I want both of you at school and in my room by seven thirty on Monday morning.”

  “We don’t have school on Monday.”

  “Seven thirty Monday morning, or I call the cops. It’s up to you.”

  “Fine. We’ll be there.” Kenny stood on wobbly legs and paused. “Do you always carry a gun?”

  Colton grimaced. Damn it to hell. If he had to move because of the gun he wasn’t supposed to own, Angel would never let him live it down. But after a lifetime of carrying, he’d felt too vulnerable without a weapon. Naked.

  “It’s just an air pistol,” he said. “I thought you were a burglar. Now, go home.”

  Pudge barked once more to back him up. He patted his dog on the head for a job well done. Then he turned to go back in the house.

  He just hoped Angel was still there.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Angel was opening the back door, ready to run, when Colton came in the front door with Pudge at his heels.

  Great. She’d waited too long to make a clean escape. M
ostly because she hadn’t been able to get her feet to move.

  It wasn’t fear that had prevented her exit. It was something else she didn’t want to think about. The last time she’d felt it had been the night a year ago when she’d left Colton. Like tonight, she’d hesitated and paced the safe house for precious minutes before finally making herself leave.

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  “I have to go away. It’s too risky to stay.”

  “Wait just a second.” He put his hand up in the way one might gentle a skittish horse. “It was just some kids egging my house. It wasn’t the FBI or the police. We’re safe.”

  Angel swallowed and shook her head. “No. I’m going to turn myself in.”

  “The hell you are,” he said, his brows pulled together.

  “I’ll turn myself in, and this mess will all get straightened out. My boss knows I didn’t kill anyone.”

  It was too dangerous any other way. She should have turned herself in from the start. Now it would look even worse because she ran.

  “Good. Do you think they’ll let your boss sit on the jury? Do you think they’ll let him sit in all twelve seats? You told me what happened; it sounds pretty bad for you. What if you can’t prove you didn’t do it? What if you end up in jail?”

  She puffed out a breath and frowned. He was right.

  “I hate putting other people in danger.”

  “The other people don’t mind that much. Do we, Pudge?”

  Pudge barked his reply as if he was actually agreeing.

  “The last time we were in this situation, you were in charge,” he said. “Now it’s my turn to give the orders and your turn to listen.”

  Her lips twitched at the command in his voice. “I don’t remember you listening to my orders all that much.” She folded her arms across her chest, nodding toward the gun in his pants.

  “I listened to the important ones.”

  She didn’t argue. She would have done the same.

  “Tomorrow, I’ll go pick up the laptop and the other wizardry you’ve ordered,” he said, “and you can do your voodoo to get us a lead.”

  She liked how he said “us.”

  “And if I can’t?”

  “We’ll come up with something.”

  “You’re sure about this? I wouldn’t mind one bit if you wanted me out of your home.” In fact, it would be better if he kicked her out. Then she wouldn’t be able to keep making up excuses to stay.

  He stepped closer, his head bent down so he was looking her right in the eyes. For a second she thought he might kiss her. She may have swayed toward him in anticipation. Her mind had entered that hazy space when thinking became secondary and urges ruled her actions.

  But instead of pressing his lips to hers in the way she’d wanted since she left his place that night a year ago, he turned his head and whispered in her ear.

  “This is the most fun I’ve had since you left.” He backed away. “I’ve been losing my mind from boredom. Please stay.”

  She nodded as disappointment and desire hummed through her body in equal measure.

  Because he only wanted an adrenaline rush, some excitement.

  He didn’t want her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  God, how he wanted Angel.

  Colton had nearly given in and kissed her, but he hadn’t. Because it would have been a bad idea. Or at least she seemed to think so. He was all for picking up where they’d left off. He welcomed the electricity between them.

  But she clearly chose to ignore it, so he decided to go along with her plan.

  For now.

  He’d scared her off the last time by asking her to stay with him. He’d put his feelings out there, and they’d been too much for her. He needed to do better this time. Play it cool and act like their attraction was no big deal.

  But he didn’t want her to leave. Or worse yet—turn herself in.

  “Let’s just get some sleep, okay?”

  “Okay,” she agreed, and let her bag slide down her arm to the floor. She was staying. For now.

  “We’ll figure it out in the morning.”

  She nodded again as he turned to leave the living room. Pudge whined, looking back and forth between them, obviously struggling with his loyalties.

  “You’re a good boy. You scared the shit out of that kid.” Colton gave his furry friend a pat and a rub behind the ears, and stood. He pointed to the floor, telling the dog to stay with Angel. “See you in the morning.”

  Once again he left her alone, not sure if he really would see her in the morning. But he didn’t have a choice. Short of tying her to a chair, he couldn’t make her stay if she didn’t want to be there.

  He’d just have to trust her.

  Even if that hadn’t worked out for him so well the last time.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Angel was still asleep when Colton stopped in the living room on the way to the kitchen early the next morning.

  Pudge raised his head from his spot on the end of the sofa, and Colton rolled his eyes. He wouldn’t scold him. He’d earned the luxury the night before.

  But just that small movement from the dog caused Angel to wake with a start. He remembered sleeping with her in his bed, and the way she always woke up ready for battle. There was being ready…and there was overkill.

  He’d asked her once who she thought she was fighting, but she’d never answered. She kept her demons a secret, but he knew they lurked under the surface.

  “Shh. It’s just me,” he whispered, though it was too late to be quiet. “Good morning.”

  “Morning,” she mumbled.

  She squinted at the clock and frowned. No doubt she was irritated with herself for sleeping an entire hour straight through. He didn’t know how she functioned, but he was pretty sure she’d managed that way for a long time.

  “Coffee?” he offered, heading into the kitchen.

  “Yes, please.”

  “Frittata?” He’d been eager to try a new recipe, but it had seemed silly to go to the fuss for one person.

  “Is that the egg thing that is basically an omelet that you don’t flip?”

  “It’s a little different. The egg mixture isn’t quite the same. It’s dense, whereas you want an omelet to be light and fluffy.”

  “Wow. That’s a lot more about eggs than I ever needed to know.” When she smiled, he squeezed the handle of the spatula hoping to keep a grip on the utensil as well as himself. “Maybe you should have asked that kid last night if he had any extra eggs.”

  “That kid is one of my students. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t tell everyone in the world I pulled a gun on him.”

  She frowned. “We may need to move you if there’s trouble.”

  She must have forgotten she didn’t have the authority to help relocate him at the moment.

  “Let’s deal with your problems before we start worrying about mine.”

  His comment wiped the smile from her face and turned her skin slightly pale. He hadn’t meant to snap her back to reality so harshly. Still, she needed to realize the trouble she was in. Last night it was students with eggs, tomorrow night it could be the SWAT team and the FBI. They needed to be prepared for anything.

  As soon as they finished breakfast.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Angel watched Colton at the stove as he made her breakfast. He was damn sexy doing nothing at all, but somehow cooking made him all the more attractive. She especially liked the way his muscles flexed when he whisked the eggs.

  A year ago, that would have been enough to launch them into a heated frenzy. Clothing would have been pulled off and tossed haphazardly. He would have picked her up and placed her on the counter while kissing her. They would have groaned together when they joined in an urgent rush.

  He would have held back until she cried out her satisfaction, then afterward they would have collapsed back on the counter without a care as to what was displaced in their moment of passion.

  But today
it was just breakfast. The only action happening on the counter was him plating up their eggs.

  He was different than he’d been a year ago. He seemed…content.

  Back when he’d first been put in protection, he didn’t know what to expect from his new life. He was focused on one goal—putting Viktor Kulakov behind bars. After spending two years undercover, Colton had evidence on the mobster for trafficking not only drugs, but humans, in and out of the country.

  But before Colton could get out, Kulakov had one of his people take Colton down. Six shots to the chest. How he’d survived she still didn’t know. She’d seen the scars, four bullets had gone through, and two had to be pulled out.

  It was easy to make everyone believe he’d died, mainly because he should have. But he’d survived, and had been ready to testify. Except it didn’t work that way.

  He had been concerned about his brothers—three older and one younger—and their families. They, along with everyone else, had been told he’d died from his injuries. It was the best way to protect him, as well as his family.

  She remembered the day his next oldest brother, John, had seen her at the edge of the cemetery. Rather than run off, she pretended to be visiting a different grave. She should have thought to bring flowers.

  He’d greeted her with a smile and told her he was glad she was there.

  For a moment, Angel had worried she’d met the man before and he knew who she worked for. All of Colton’s brothers worked in law enforcement, out of respect for their father who had died in the line of duty. But she’d never met John before.

  He told her she looked like an agent of some sort, and that could only mean one thing—that his brother was still alive and living somewhere else. He’d asked her to tell Colton something. “Tell him I’ll see him again sometime.”

  She hadn’t given Colton the message. At the time it had seemed cruel to get his hopes up about reuniting with his brother. It was hard enough to start over. It had to be a lot worse to leave people behind.

  She hadn’t had that issue when she’d started her own new life.

  After breakfast, Colton left for the store armed with a list of things she needed to build her computer system. Once she was connected to the outside world, she hoped to find out who had murdered a good man while he slept, and stolen a priceless piece of technology.