Killer Colton Christmas

by Regan Black

  With a happy wriggle, Scrabble nudged open the door and pranced inside, leaving Emiliano staring after her.

  A few restless hours later, Emiliano was grateful for the first hints of sunrise. He dressed quickly and headed out to start on the chores, pleased when Scrabble finally came back to her senses and fell into her routine at his side.

  Despite what he’d read online last night, Emiliano decided to keep with the original plan to take Marie into Shadow Creek today. He’d kept her out of sight as a protective measure, but since the person who’d left the prints on the syringe wasn’t in any database, they’d hit another dead end. Though she’d assumed earlier that he would use her as bait to draw out the local Cohort Princeps, he didn’t care for the fact that they might have to resort to such a move to advance this investigation.

  His mother always claimed girl time and shopping perked her up when she was down. While Marie didn’t have friends here, Emiliano was acquainted with a few women in town who would make her feel welcome. The longer she stayed on his ranch, the more pressure he felt to give her a few happy memories to carry with her when she returned to Dallas.

  He blamed such an inexplicable urge on having her here in his home. Something about her open curiosity, muted by those flashes of sadness in her big brown eyes, made him want to give her the community she’d never had growing up. Though he’d deny it if openly accused, he knew he was overinvested in her reactions to his ranch, his home and the area he loved.

  Heading back to the house with Scrabble, Gordo ambling along with them, he pulled out his phone and checked the store hours for Honeysuckle Road, the boutique owned by Knox’s sister Claudia Colton. Claudia’s friendly nature and eye for big-city fashion would do wonders for Marie.

  Less than an hour later they were in his truck, headed to town. She was as quiet on the drive as she’d been over breakfast. He needed to find a way through the awkwardness of last night.

  “I think you’ll enjoy Claudia’s shop,” he said, trying to break the ice. “I’m not sure she carries the work boots you’ll need.”

  “I thought the whole trip was for boots.”

  He felt the weight of her long look. “The stores are close enough we can do both if necessary.” He shifted a little in the seat.

  “Mmm-hmm. Did you make any progress on the case last night?”

  “Some.” He should tell her he’d dug into the foster records. “About my ex...” The words were out there and he felt as shocked by the topic change as she appeared to be.

  “You don’t—”

  “You didn’t touch a nerve, not like you’re probably thinking. My bad marriage is water under the bridge.” Doomed from the beginning, he reminded himself. He sought the matter-of-fact tone he used with victims on a case. “The marriage didn’t just fail. Sticking with the highlights, she used my blind infatuation with her against me and stole my life savings and used that to fund an affair and another man’s business.” Would the sting of admitting that ever go away? “I didn’t have any money to start over. Nowhere else to go but home. It wasn’t easy to swallow my pride and I know I’m lucky, blessed, to have had the option.”

  “Okay.”

  Okay? He’d hoped by sharing, she’d share more as well, yet she kept quiet, her gaze on the rolling hills and cattle grazing in the fields stretching back from the road.

  “When will you let me help with the investigation?” she asked as he turned onto Main Street.

  “That isn’t appropriate or safe, Marie.”

  “Then we should probably stop at a bookstore too. Make a day of it.” She bit out each word.

  “Why?”

  She pushed a hand through her hair. She’d left it down today and it spilled over the shoulders of her faded sweatshirt in gentle waves. He shouldn’t notice things like that.

  “Emiliano, I’m going stir-crazy with only riding lessons and self-defense lessons. I’m not used to being idle. Coffee with Ace and time with Scrabble are nice, but I need more to do.”

  “I’ll fix it.” Clearly more time in town was the best solution. They both needed the distraction of other people. Being alone with her had become more of a challenge than he’d originally anticipated. Every detail he learned about Marie left him wanting to know more and to give her more of himself. Each day in her company rekindled his hope that he could finally shed the scars his ex-wife had left behind.

  Chapter 8

  Marie wasn’t sure she wanted him to fix anything beyond finding the hacktivists that kept her away from her work. Fortunately for Emiliano, Claudia Colton was an utter delight. They hit it off immediately and spending time with her was like a quick trip to Dallas. Even better, Claudia had managed to shuffle off Emiliano right after the introductions so they could talk fashion without him glaring daggers at every passerby on the street.

  He didn’t have to mention she was here under his protection; Claudia cheerfully explained that she’d seen Marie’s face on the news and her name tagged in Everything’s Blogger in Texas headlines. It helped Marie to learn Claudia and many other Coltons were often the target of that blog and generally managed to ignore the worst of the gossip.

  “Has it been awful being sequestered at the Ortega ranch?” Claudia asked.

  “Not exactly. It’s a beautiful area, though I miss my work in Dallas,” Marie admitted. “Agent Ortega confiscated my devices for my protection, so I’ve only heard what he wants me to hear lately.”

  “Probably for the best,” Claudia said.

  Marie’s stomach clenched. “That bad?”

  “More obnoxious than bad.” She waved a hand as if wiping off a slate. “None of that brought you in today. Let’s go have some fun.”

  Claudia’s boutique focused on metro fashion, so she took Marie down the street to get outfitted with boots better suited to barns and horses, while they discussed the pros and cons of Shadow Creek and ranch life.

  “I’ve lived in Dallas all my life,” Marie said when they returned to Claudia’s store. “It’s almost like walking on a different planet out here.”

  Claudia laughed. “The pace is slower, I’ll give you that. And obviously, when I came back to town I saw a gaping hole in the fashion scene.” She waved an arm to encompass her stock. “You should ask Emiliano to bring you out dancing one night. We know how to do that right around here.”

  An outing that resembled a date with Emiliano could draw out a Cohort attempt to silence her and possibly give the FBI a lead. Even if she got him to agree to that, she wasn’t sure she could manage to keep a professional distance. The idea of dancing with Emiliano held too much appeal. “If we came back for dancing, what’s the dress code?”

  Claudia beamed. “Right this way.”

  “How do you handle living here under the shadow of Livia Colton’s crimes?” Marie asked as she debated between three of Claudia’s suggested outfits to wear during a night on the town.

  Claudia’s bright eyes dimmed. “Livia kidnapped my birth mother and stole me. Every family tree has its twisted branch. We’ve all learned to carve out our own lives despite her criminal enterprise. Most people around here understand Livia’s nature isn’t hereditary.” She helped Marie into a cute denim jacket and met her gaze in the mirror. “I’m sorry your name’s been dragged through the mud.”

  Marie rolled her shoulders as if her jacket had shrunk a size. “Agent Ortega is sure his team will get to the bottom of it.” She just wished they would hurry.

  “Emiliano and his family are fixtures here.” Claudia winked. “That’s a good thing.” She rang up Marie’s purchases and took a business card from the stack near the register. “Here’s my number. Call anytime.”

  With a grateful smile, Marie tucked the card into her back pocket as Emiliano returned.

  “Done?”

  “Almost,” Claudia answered, smiling
at him. “My sister Jade and I planned on riding later this afternoon at her farm. We’d love to have you join us, Marie.”

  A sweet excitement rushed through Marie at the invitation and the idea of making friends who could distract her from Emiliano. “That would be nice, but I’m such a new rider,” she protested.

  “You’ll be an excellent rider in time,” Emiliano corrected.

  “I’m afraid I’ll only slow you down.”

  Claudia waved that off. “We’re not barrel racing or tracking down lost cattle,” Claudia teased. “It’s all about the girl time,” she added when Emiliano started to interrupt. “We all need it more than you handsome men realize.”

  Marie watched his mouth slip to the side, his brow puckering over his straight nose. Her childhood had taught her how to read people and she knew he was about to say no. “What if we stay on Ortega property?” She looked back to Claudia. “Would that be okay?”

  “It’s a great idea,” she said.

  Emiliano relented. “I’ll make sure Brandy is saddled and ready.”

  Marie wanted to give Claudia a fist bump and decided to save it for when they were alone.

  It was all she could do not to ask Emiliano a thousand questions about trail riding in general while they had lunch at El Torero’s Mexican restaurant before heading back to the ranch.

  She changed into her new boots and traded her sweatshirt for her new down vest, trying to stay quiet so Emiliano could work. Hearing tires on the driveway, she nearly beat Scrabble to the window, as eager as the dog was when she saw a horse trailer pass the house.

  Jade was as open and friendly as Claudia, and Marie felt as if she’d found more than two temporary, passing acquaintances. She felt as if she’d made real friends who would want to stay in contact even after she left Shadow Creek. Until now, she hadn’t realized how much she relied on her time-consuming career and the anonymity of a big city to protect herself from more heartache.

  Thankfully, Claudia had been sincere about taking an easy ride and Marie relaxed in the saddle as the conversation darted between men, clothing, city life, men, animals and the perks of Shadow Creek.

  For Marie, the main perk in the area was the man keeping an eye on her, though she claimed her favorite discovery was the land itself. “I never imagined spending time or feeling at home in this area. I knew it was out here, but Dallas...” Her voice trailed off as they watched the sun sink into the western horizon.

  To Marie’s surprise, Claudia and Jade asked her to meet them for coffee the next day. She felt about twelve years old again, having to clear it with Emiliano before she could commit, though they were both understanding.

  Their reactions made her wonder what the Cohort and the gossip sites were spewing about her. It must be intense and she couldn’t help wondering if this entire mess would be the end of her job before it was over. She couldn’t serve Colton, Incorporated, if she lost the trust of Fowler, T.C., Zane and their customers.

  * * *

  The next day, Emiliano returned from his ride along the property line feeling surly and out of sorts. They weren’t making any of the right kind of progress on this investigation and the solitude hadn’t brought anything into focus. Holidays or not, he was wary. He’d have to call in a few ranch hands to help watch the likely access points in case someone came after Marie or more drugs.

  His conference call with his team during Marie’s ride with Jade and Claudia yesterday hadn’t been productive. He’d hoped someone was making some headway, since he seemed to be stonewalled at every turn. Together they’d examined the brainstorming page. No one had posted anything about making an attempt on her in Shadow Creek. In light of that, Emiliano hadn’t shared that he’d taken her into town.

  Staller had managed to clear the lingering malware and overseen the enrollment of the Colton employees in identity theft monitoring services. Though the company was back to full operation, both his boss and the powers that be at Colton, Incorporated, agreed it was too dangerous for Marie to return to Dallas. If they’d expected him to break that news, they were going to be disappointed.

  Taking care of Domino and the tack, he looked around for Marie. He was increasingly tempted to invite her to help with the investigation. Her work revolved around the analysis of data, and so far he hadn’t cracked the elite levels of the Cohort. They couldn’t shut down the ongoing call to violence against Marie from the lower tiers of the organization. The Cohort remained determined to make Marie’s capture or death a cautionary tale that would put an end to the practice of data mining.

  He used his hat to slap the dust from his jeans and whistled to bring Scrabble to heel when she got distracted over a new scent along the way. His mind made up, he walked into the kitchen, calling for Marie. It was his decision to let her assist him as long as they worked together. He could already picture the light in her eyes to get her hands on a computer again and the ability to help at last.

  “Marie!” In the answering silence, he exchanged a look with his dog. “Go,” he whispered to Scrabble. She took off in a red-and-white blur to search the house, happy to “herd” her new favorite person, and he poured himself a tall glass of water.

  Scrabble came back too quickly, her expression a little dejected as she sat down at his foot.

  He checked the clock on the stove and did a double take. Jade and Claudia should’ve dropped off Marie over an hour ago. On an oath, he scrolled through his phone for a message. Coming up empty, he dialed Claudia’s number. No answer.

  Idiot! Why had he agreed to let her go into town today without him? Oh, yeah. Because Marie had been pleading silently with those big doe eyes and Claudia had pulled him aside to remind him she and Jade were sisters of the new sheriff. She’d promised him they could handle any trouble as a group.

  Emiliano reached for the phone on the wall and dialed Claudia’s cell. No answer. He punched in Jade’s number. No answer. He was forcing back the panic, since cell coverage could get spotty out here. He looked up the number for the boutique and called, only to hear that, although Claudia had popped in there nearly two hours ago with Marie and Jade, they’d only stayed a few minutes and were long gone. He called Jade’s place, but they weren’t there, either. His next call confirmed that no emergency calls had come into the sheriff’s office. It wasn’t enough to assure him that Marie was safe. He grabbed his hat and keys and slammed out the back door, Scrabble at his heels, eager for a ride in the truck.

  Why in the world had he let Marie go with them? All the reasons he’d used to justify it didn’t add up to one good excuse now. Where were they?

  Blowing this protective assignment might well end his career and he didn’t give a damn. Too many images of Marie falling prey to the sick ideas posted on the Cohort’s brainstorm page filled his head. If they succeeded, it would be his fault.

  His fault.

  He opened the door and lifted Scrabble into the truck. With his phone connected to the hands-free Bluetooth in case she called, he started the truck and tore out up the driveway.

  He slowed down as another car turned off the road and into the driveway, rolling to a stop near the end of the front paddock. Music blared from the approaching car; he could hear it already. Through the windshield he saw Claudia’s blond head bobbing to music, Marie next to her doing the same in the passenger seat.

  Scrabble barked happily in the seat, delighted by the excitement, while he sat and fumed.

  Claudia rolled down her window and stopped beside him. “Hey, Emiliano!”

  “Where have you been?”

  “Stuck in traffic,” she said. “Must’ve been fifty head of Herefords blocking both lanes. We had to wait it out.”

  Marie hopped out of the passenger side, her face alight. “You should’ve seen it!”

  “I’ve seen it before,” he said to her. “You didn’t call.”

 
“No signal,” Jade replied, climbing from the back seat to give Marie a hug.

  “Where are you going?” Marie asked, petting Scrabble through his window as she stood between the vehicles.

  He didn’t answer. Claudia’s smirk proved she knew he’d been worried about them.

  “Nowhere.”

  “Claudia and Hawk are throwing a Christmas lunch and caroling party at Mac’s tomorrow,” Marie said, her excitement bubbling over. “It sounds like so much fun. Everyone’s bringing cookies to exchange.”

  “We’ll see,” Emiliano said through gritted teeth. “Get in.”

  Her eyes went wide with fear and he felt like a jerk, knowing by the shudder of her shoulders where her mind had gone. He’d explain himself once they were alone.

  Claudia pushed her sunglasses up into her hair and leaned closer through the open window. “Come over tomorrow, Emiliano. Whatever’s going on, it seems to me you both need an infusion of holiday spirit. She’s excited,” she finished in a harsh whisper.

  “We’ll see.”

  Marie was in the truck; he just wanted to get her back into the house, where he could lock her behind the alarm system and let his heart rate settle.

  “Your mom would have this place lit up by now,” Claudia said cheerfully. “You two better get busy decorating before they get back. Christmas is only a couple weeks away.” She looked past him to wave at Marie. “See you tomorrow!” Then she backed up the drive, her tires kicking up dust.

  Emiliano sat there, staring at Marie, just soaking up the view of having her safe within arm’s reach. Scrabble was snuffling her hair, making her giggle, and the happy sound just set him off.

  He turned around, heedless of the ruts that set the truck to rocking.

  “You’re angry,” she said when he parked at the house.

  “Only with myself.” And that wasn’t the real problem. His sheer relief terrified him. He climbed out of the truck, suddenly weary of the emotional roller coaster.