Colton's Deadly Engagement

by Addison Fox

  The dead man’s faith had been rewarded. Darby was devoted to Penny’s welfare and, even without his help or her earlier comments to the contrary, Finn believed she’d have found a way to keep the business afloat even if he hadn’t given her the money.

  “So why won’t you open the gift? See what it is?” Darby asked.

  Thoughts of Bo’s motivations toward Darby faded as Finn reached for the small package he’d shoved into his pocket. It had a weight to it, whether from what was inside or what his imagination had already created. Setting it on the desk, the small present drew their collective focus as if it were a coiled cobra waiting to strike.

  He opened the card first, the neat, precise script just as it had been with the other packages. Only, where the comments in the past had all suggested a concerned citizen or a shy admirer, this one was different. The tone was darker and the message, in Darby’s words, had escalated.

  Roses are red, so is blood.

  Mine’s true. Is yours?

  Finn ripped open the package, only to find a small pewter rose inside. He picked it up, the detail intricate and precise. It was only when he changed hands, attempting to turn it over to get a better look, that one of the lifelike thorns pricked his finger.

  “Ow!”

  “What is it?”

  Finn was careful to handle the piece by the leafy portion to hold it up to the light. A small, sharp needle stuck from the edge of the thorn, sharpening the point that was crafted in pewter.

  “You’re bleeding.”

  A small trail of blood ran down his finger and over his palm, and the pad still stung where he’d been pricked.

  Darby dug out a tissue from her purse and handed it over, then pulled out another one and wadded it up so she could gently take the rose from his hand.

  He wiped up the blood, then kept pressure on to staunch the flow. It stopped quickly, but still stung.

  “This is more than just a pointy thorn.” Darby twisted the rose in the air, shifting it so he could see what she did. “This looks like it was built to purposely cause pain. Look at that thorn. The third one down.”

  Finn saw immediately what she meant. The rose had obviously been crafted to do harm, the thorn she pointed to as sharp as a needle. “I wonder if someone had this made. Putting aside how dangerous it is, it’s a beautiful piece. The work is so detailed, it could easily be custom.”

  “Do you have a way of finding that out? And you should have it checked to make sure there wasn’t anything on the thorn, like poison.”

  “I feel okay.”

  “But have it checked out.”

  Her concern was touching and while he didn’t feel different, he’d make sure the forensics team checked out the rose.

  What he was more focused on was finding out who might have sold the flower.

  “Fortunately, we do have ways. Believe it or not, tracking something like this is easier than a box of store chocolate or real flowers. The fact that it’s so unique makes it an easier find.”

  “This may be a real break toward finding the Groom Killer. Something that proves Demi didn’t do it,” Darby said.

  “Now you sound like Serena.”

  “You think Demi did do it?”

  Finn considered his cousin and the evidence they’d secured to date. “I don’t think we can rule her out.”

  “But if she is the Groom Killer, why would she send her cousin love notes?”

  That was where IDing the person sending the gifts fell apart. If the Groom Killer was his cousin, the likelihood she and Anonymous were the same was highly unlikely. He wasn’t close with the other branches of his family but he knew them. In his entire life, there had never been anything but a sort of grudging respect between him and Demi.

  Certainly not unrequited love between first cousins. Heck, his family barely did affection.

  Which only added to the knot that had settled in his gut the night they’d discovered Bo Gage’s body. Was he dealing with two faceless criminals? The Groom Killer and Anonymous? Or, if they were one and the same, was there someone running around Red Ridge who wasn’t even on their radar?

  He could put out an alert on a known suspect. They could watch for them and put others on alert to do the same. But the not knowing was another matter entirely. Not knowing meant the person could strike again.

  And a third strike meant they were well and truly dealing with a serial killer.

  * * *

  “Is it wrong to have a glass of wine?” Serena looked up from her menu, indecision playing around the edges of her eyes.

  “One glass?” Darby asked. “I can’t see how it will hurt. I’m not your doctor, but you can just dispose of that breast milk, right?”

  “You’re absolutely right and my doctor told me I could do this.” Serena nodded as if decided. “I’ve been pumping to have extra and so Carson can feed Lora now and again. Which means Mama gets her first glass of wine in a year.”

  Darby nearly laughed at the look of anticipation and avarice that filled Serena’s dark gaze. “Isn’t it funny how much more interesting something becomes when you can’t have it.”

  “You know it. I wasn’t a big drinker before having a baby, yet at this moment I’m more excited than I can describe. And I get a night out. I love Lora more than I could have ever imagined but I’m looking forward to an adult activity.”

  Serena’s comment only reinforced the earlier thought. Darby suspected Serena had never worried about adult outings before. Yet now that they were scarce, they seemed more exciting.

  Sort of like Finn.

  She’d been without male company for so long, each time she was with him felt heightened. Special. It had to be the only reason she was so giddy to be out with him. And so determined to make the most of every moment.

  Since the reality that their charade would soon be over had begun to fill her with an odd sinking feeling in her stomach, Darby focused on Serena instead. “Who’s watching Lora tonight?”

  “Finn and Carson made Valeria and Vincent do it. Part of Finn’s plans to keep the kids close to home and out of sight.”

  “Valeria’s your sister?”

  “Yes, my baby sister. She’s madly in love with Vincent, Carson’s youngest brother.”

  Darby remembered Vincent. He’d been a young teen when she and Bo had started dating. She’d always found him sweet, but could hardly imagine him getting married. “They’re only nineteen, right?”

  “Yes, and know their own minds. I’m hoping a night with a fussy baby makes them both rethink their marriage plans.”

  “But Lora’s a happy baby.”

  “Most of the time. Since I think her first tooth is threatening an appearance, tonight is likely not going to be one of those times.”

  Suddenly, Serena’s excitement for the wine and the evening out made even more sense. “You’re diabolical!”

  “I’m a concerned sister. I love Valeria and Vincent, too. And while I have no hesitation believing they have a love that will last, I’m a bit in my mother’s camp on this one. Until this Groom Killer situation is solved, I want them safe. Running around town mooning over each other is the surest way to get on the wrong person’s radar.”

  Sadly, Darby had to admit Serena was right. There were so many unknowns right now, but flaunting a relationship wasn’t ideal. And since youth rarely saw itself as anything but invincible, they likely hadn’t put the Groom Killer and their own romance in the same category.

  Finn and Carson chose that moment to come back to their table. Finn looked so handsome and Darby sent up a silent prayer of thanks he’d run her back to her house earlier to get a fresh change of clothes and to drop off the dogs. It might be silly, but she wanted to look pretty for him.

  “Everything go okay?” Serena asked Carson as he took his seat.

  “Yep. Backup’s positioned just
where we planned.”

  Although it felt like another escalation, Darby knew the precautions were wise. She and Finn had been going out without backup since their charade began and the night before she’d been forced to call 9-1-1 while he’d raced off after a suspect. Between last night’s scare and the anonymous present that had arrived for him, it seemed better to be prepared and to put police presence in place.

  Finn took her hand, the move a match for Carson and Serena, and Darby was suddenly struck by how hollow his touch really was. Carson and Serena had a future. They were now parents and they were deeply in love. All she and Finn had was that charade.

  The endlessly roiling emotions every time she was with him had been manageable up to now. But suddenly, faced with a couple who had not only weathered a personal storm but who had truly found their forever, Darby couldn’t deny the overwhelming sadness.

  No matter how she spun a fantasy in her mind, she and Finn Colton had nothing.

  * * *

  Finn sensed the change immediately yet couldn’t place the reason. Darby’s hand beneath his had stiffened when he’d touched her, at complete odds with their time together up to now. He’d gotten used to touching her. To the warmth of her skin and the easy connection they made whenever they were together.

  Their waiter arrived to take their orders but it wasn’t enough to dislodge the sense that something was wrong. Had Serena said something while he and Carson were securing the kitchen and back entrance?

  Or had something else happened?

  His sister was normally on point with others, sensitive to their needs and emotions, so he struggled to think she would have said anything that was overtly unkind or hurtful. But what else could it be?

  He did a quick scan of the Trattoria, almost convinced he’d find Hayley Patton lurking at one of the tables, but the woman was nowhere to be found among the scattered groups of diners.

  “And for you, sir?”

  Distracted, Finn hadn’t realized it was his turn and he hadn’t even looked at his menu. He ordered one of the specials that had sounded vaguely interesting and went back to brooding.

  Had he done something? While he’d enjoyed their evenings out alone, the idea to have Carson and Serena join them had seemed like a good one after the arrival of the rose and that clear sense of escalation from Anonymous. It also gave them the chance to flaunt the expansion of their relationship; two happy couples out for the night.

  And it had sounded like fun.

  Genuine, personal fun.

  Finn wasn’t sure when he’d begun thinking like that, yet he could hardly deny it. Somewhere along the way, his pretend relationship with Darby had become real. He thought about her when they weren’t together and he anticipated getting back to her when they were apart.

  And he liked her, damn it. In both the deeply attracted and interested sense as well as the genuine enjoyment and affection for another person.

  “Can you believe the winter festival is next Saturday?” Serena asked. She shot him a small wink across the table, only reinforcing his earlier thought that she was on point and aware of others with her deft change to an innocuous subject.

  Or a seemingly innocuous one.

  “Don’t remind me,” Carson groaned. “It’s all Lorelei has been talking about for two weeks.”

  “The sweet woman at the front desk?” Serena asked.

  “Sweet?” Carson and Finn asked the question at the same time. It was enough to break whatever tension had settled in and Finn relaxed a bit when he heard Darby’s light laughter.

  “She is sweet,” Serena argued. “She’s been nothing but lovely to me the few times I’ve met her.”

  Carson shot his hands up in a gesture of innocence. “I’m going to choose to believe you. I’d just say my experience with her has been a bit different.”

  “How so?” Serena challenged.

  “She yelled at me at least three times a week the entire first year I worked for the RRPD.”

  “Finn?” Serena demanded. “Did she do the same to you?”

  “Yep. And three a week sounds about right.”

  “What did she yell at you for?” Darby asked.

  “All depends on the day,” Carson said. “Some days it was because my lunch smelled. Some days it was because I didn’t put paper in the copier despite the fact that I hadn’t even used the copier. Other days it was because my shoes squeaked on the floor.”

  “And after a year?” Darby said it first but Serena had leaned forward, clearly prepared to ask the same.

  “She stops yelling,” Finn said. “And then she loves you. Elle’s about done her penance. Her rookie year’s nearly over.”

  “But she seemed so sweet,” Serena said. “She fussed over Lora and was so nice.”

  “Why do you think she acts that way?”

  “Who knows, Darby? Some say it’s because she has teenagers, but I started before her kids were that big.” Carson sighed. “Once I got over being scared of her, I finally asked her why she does it. She claims it’s a test.”

  Carson was right. Finn might joke about Lorelei—and done his year-one rounds with her himself—but he also respected her instincts. The woman knew the tenacity required to be a cop. Inside and outside the precinct. “If you ask Lorelei, she says it’s because she’s trying to weed out the cops who won’t make it.”

  “That’s her job?” Darby asked, genuinely surprised.

  “She’s made it her job. And since we’re an important department with a K-9 unit, I’ve hardly argued with her.” Finn couldn’t resist the smile, an image of Lorelei sending his cousin Brayden off in tears in his first year. “I like to think she not only keeps the place in line, but she adds her own HR services for free.”

  “Is it working?” Serena asked.

  “Without question.” Finn said. “And, all joking aside, Red Ridge is better for having her on that desk.”

  Finn thought about the men and women currently stationed outside the Trattoria, two in the back and two in the front. He trusted all of them with his life. Knew they trusted him with the same. He’d say Lorelei’s brand of personnel evaluation was working just fine.

  “We’re all better for having her on that desk.” Carson lifted his glass of soda, gesturing them all forward for a toast. “Adversity makes for determination in those who have the patience to push past it.”

  As the glasses clinked, Finn couldn’t help but take Carson’s words to heart. Adversity did make people stronger. If a goal meant enough, hard times assured you’d keep reaching for that goal with even more determination. He’d proved that to himself more times in his life than he could count. So had Darby.

  What he couldn’t quite shake was the sense that the Groom Killer possessed the same sort of determination.

  Chapter 15

  As he walked Darby to her front door, Finn still couldn’t shake the sense that she was upset. Their conversation over dinner had ebbed and flowed with ease, but something had remained off. She’d smiled and laughed, and the stories about Lorelei had seemed to break whatever tension had gripped the table initially. In the end, though, it hadn’t been enough.

  Their quiet ride to her house had only reinforced that.

  “I’ll just get Lotte outside quickly. I want to check the house.”

  “Of course,” she said as she unlocked the front door and pushed it open, then flipped on the hall light.

  He hated to leave her but could hardly force her to allow him to stay. The threat that she’d sensed the night before in the restaurant parking lot hadn’t manifested into anything and their evening at the Trattoria had been uneventful, as well. He’d confirmed his team would do patrols through her neighborhood but other than taking some sense of calm from that small task, he had no right to tell her what to do.

  Three sleepy dogs, their tails thumping in unison when he and D
arby walked through the door, only reinforced the sense of safety. He made a fuss over them all as the wagging turned to excitement that they were home. Once they were up and moving, he quickly ushered them all outside to relieve themselves.

  The winter sky sparkled overhead as crisp air shocked his lungs, his exhales making thick puffs in the glow of the house lights. The house wasn’t deserted but it was set off from the road, the acreage big enough to ensure privacy. Lotte and Lucy had trotted to the far edge of the property, sniffing around as if to check out whether anything had changed.

  Only Penny stayed by his side, those big eyes of hers solemn.

  “You are a sweet girl.” Finn bent to rub at her fur, pleased when she pressed her head against his thigh. “You watch out for her.”

  He’d always believed that animals communicated. Their inability to speak was only a limitation if you wanted it to be. Their expressiveness and their loyalty told an entire story if you only paid attention.

  Penny’s tail wagged as he patted her, light and steady, and he knew she understood him. He also knew that steady movement, back and forth, was her agreement that yes, she’d watch out for Darby. That she was committed to keeping Darby safe.

  Just like the patrols, he’d have to take that as enough.

  He called Lucy and Lotte to him, the two dogs bounding over the hard-packed snow that covered the lawn. They would happily stay out longer if he’d let them, but it was late and he needed to head home before he made an ass out of himself.

  Because he didn’t want to leave.

  He didn’t want to leave Darby alone. And he wanted more.

  The sort of more that he had no right to want or to ask for. They had no commitment to each other and he had to own the fact that he’d not asked for one. Yet, as each day went by, Finn couldn’t shake the idea that he did want a commitment. He wanted to go out with her in a way that moved past their pretense and toward something deeper.

  Toward something more.