Honest Intentions (The Safeguard Series, Book Five)

by Kennedy Layne

  No one said a word when she tilted her mouth up to his, disappointed when those piercing prickles kept her from feeling his warmth against her lips.

  “I’m so sorry,” Louise whispered into her fist she had pressed against her chin. She was curled up on the other end of the couch, holding onto the tissues Brett’s mother had given her a while ago. Coen’s relentless questioning had brought Louise to a breaking point, but he’d needed the answers to his questions. “I never thought…”

  “None of us thought Chad was capable of this.” Brett shook her head in disbelief, still having trouble accepting everything that had happened tonight. “The only thing I don’t understand is why you provided him with an alibi for the night Martin was killed in his cell. I mean, I get that he conned you into believing he was at his parents when the storm came in. No one even asked about that night, because we didn’t know someone had broken into the Dockerys’ house.”

  “Chad came home and told me that he’d heard Martin was killed,” Louise answered through her hitched breath. She blew her nose into the tissue. “He told me that he’d stopped by the office to check on the customers who’d had their flights canceled, but no one was around to verify that. He said if he told the police where he was, they would suspect him of being guilty, too. So I covered for him, Brett. He was going to be my husband. I never thought…”

  Louise started crying again, and though Brett could sympathize, a part of her was angry that her friend could have prevented what happened tonight. If only she’d told the truth. Brett’s mom sat on the edge of the couch and wrapped her arms around Louise, giving her the comfort Brett couldn’t at the moment.

  “Something’s happening,” her father said, quickly letting the curtain drop as he focused intently on the front door.

  The deputy disappeared from view.

  Brett couldn’t sit any longer. She stood up and let the blanket fall from her shoulders, waiting to see who was walking in her front door.

  Coen finally appeared, his concerned gaze searching for hers. She was in his arms before he could say a word. The cold accompanied him, sticking to his jacket and his skin. The bitter temperatures alerted her to the fact that she’d obtained warmth while he and the other agents and officers sacrificed their comfort to attain justice and locate a fellow colleague.

  “Did you find Simone?” Brett pulled away, searching his face for the answer instead of waiting for his response. His grimace told her they’d been unsuccessful. Concern turned to fear. Had Chad hurt her? Was she somewhere out in this stark weather, lost and bleeding? “What about—”

  “Chad Perkins is in the custody of Sheriff Whitney and the paramedics.” Coen stepped back and removed his gloves before taking off his jacket. Mr. Calvert didn’t appear to be staying, though his rather intense attention was being directed toward Louise. “Perkins is currently being taken to the hospital and will then be formally charged with two counts of murder.”

  “Ms. Wynn, if you’ll come with me,” Mr. Calvert requested, though his tone suggested it wasn’t an invitation. Louise was already standing with her arms wrapped around her waist. “We have some more questions for you. Deputy Vargas will take you down to the police station.”

  “I’d like to call my parents.” Louise stopped to hug Linda and then Jim, who both reassured her that everything would be okay. She wiped away a few more tears before embracing Brett. “I am so sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” Brett said in encouragement. She rubbed Louise’s back before finally pulling away and taking ahold of her hands. “Tell the truth, and you’ll be fine. I promise.”

  Louise nodded, albeit jerkily. She reached for her jacket hidden underneath a few others, but it was Mr. Calvert who lifted the correct one off the wooden hook. He held her coat open for her after he quickly patted it down, holding it just so that all she had to do was slip her arms inside the warm material. It was comforting to know that he would take care of her friend professionally.

  “I’ve got around five minutes before we launch another search,” Coen said, leaning down and using the towel to dry off the bottom of his boots. He then concentrated on getting the packed snow out of the laces, but it was futile. It also didn’t matter if he was going back out in this weather. “Are you holding up okay?”

  “Yes.” Brett walked into his arms after he tossed the towel back in front of the grate. She rested her cheek against his chest, not caring that the fabric of his shirt irritated her skin. She caught sight of her mother and father just before they walked out of the living room and into the kitchen, giving Brett and Coen some much needed privacy. “I’m better now that you’re here with me. How are you doing? Are you okay?”

  “I’m grateful that you’re alright, and I’m thankful that this situation you’ve been caught up in has finally been resolved.” Coen tucked a curl behind her ear when she tilted her head to look at him. The frozen tendrils of her hair had thawed out when she’d taken a warm shower. The water had been relatively cool according to her mother, but it had been like heaven to Brett. Coen gave her one of those rare smiles, though the outer lines around his eyes reminded her that not all things were okay. “It still smells like cupcakes in here.”

  “You can have as many of those chocolate indulgences as you want.”

  “I want you more,” Coen murmured, resting his forehead against hers. He let his lashes drift shut before allowing her to see the honesty shining in those dark eyes of his. “I don’t know what the future holds, especially with the distance between our two homes. But I’d like to find out, sugar.”

  “I’ve already packed my toothbrush.” Brett was telling him the truth. She’d already put some of her toiletries into her travel case, because she didn’t want to stay here knowing he’d be flying back to Florida so soon. “I’d really like to enjoy some of that sunshine you were talking about, and maybe stay for Christmas. I don’t know where this is headed either, but I’m with you…I’d really like to find out together.”

  Brett wasn’t sure how long they stood in her entryway just holding each other, but it wasn’t long enough. She eventually had to let him go when Sawyer came through the front door, signaling it was time to start another round of searching for Simone. There were teams still out there that hadn’t stopped when they’d found Chad.

  There was one thing Brett could be thankful for, and that was the fact that Shepherd Moss hadn’t had a thing to do with Heidi and Martin’s murders. She didn’t want to think how bad things could have gotten had that not been the case. It was bad enough that she’d almost lost her life at the hand of someone she thought of as a friend, but to have experienced the torture Shailyn Doyle had in no way compared.

  “Be careful out there,” Brett whispered, lifting her face to accept Coen’s kiss. She could literally taste the guilt he harbored over Simone’s disappearance. He was hurting, and there wasn’t anything she could do to ease the responsibility he’d taken upon himself. “You’ll bring her back, Coen.”

  “I’m hoping you’re right.” Coen stroked one finger softly down her cheek, and this time she only sensed the warmth of his touch. “But I’m glad you’ll be here waiting for me, sugar. I didn’t realize how much I needed you until I thought I’d lost you.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  ‡

  Coen palmed the key to the rental house he’d forgotten to give back in his haste to return to Florida, only to find himself returning back to Colorado that same night. Nearly twenty-four hours had passed since he’d found Brettany running through the woods seeking safety. The local, state, and federal authorities had no luck in locating Simone Gilpin. Neither had the SSI team.

  “They’re getting ready to call off the search for the night.” Calvert fell into step beside Coen as they crossed the porch. The buttcan he’d used as a ruse was stilling sitting in the same place. That meant if Simone had gotten lost somewhere in the dense forest or been shot, though the first possibility was highly unlikely given her training, she would at least have a light
er on hand. Unlike Coen, he discovered that she actually smoked cigarettes. “I’ve hired a search and rescue team out of Vail. They’re experienced with extreme weather conditions, and they use dogs trained for these situations. They’ll be here in under two hours.”

  “I don’t get it,” Coen said, his eyes burning from lack of sleep more than the cold wind carrying across the porch. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision so that he could slide the key into the slot, turning the deadbolt to allow them entry. “Simone is a skilled agent with a military background. She should have easily handled herself against Perkins. Brettany mentioned she disappeared from view, which could only mean she was waiting for the right moment to strike. What could have happened that stopped Simone from doing her job?”

  It was known that bears and cougars roamed these Colorado mountains, but there would have been traces of blood or even a body left behind if that had been the case. It was as if Simone Gilpin had simply up and disappeared.

  The stark bitter odor of copper hit Coen unexpectedly the moment he opened the front door. He palmed his weapon and forced himself to breathe through his mouth. Something, or someone, had lost a lot of blood inside.

  Son of a bitch.

  Had Simone made her way back to this house? How had the deputies posted out front missed her entrance? And just how badly was she hurt?

  The living room was clear, just as the kitchen and bathroom were on the main level. Calvert took the lead up the stairs, using the empty wall opposite the stairwell for support as he trained his weapon toward the hallway that ran horizontal to the two bedrooms. Coen quietly turned the knob on the basement door, quietly and efficiently clearing the lower level of any threat.

  That meant whatever there was to find was on the upper level. Coen quickly made his way back up the two flights of stairs, only to find Calvert standing in the doorway of the main bedroom with his weapon down at his side.

  “Are we clear?” Coen asked cautiously, casting a look in the direction of the spare bedroom at the end of the hallway. “Calvert? Did you clear the—”

  “It’s clear.” Calvert’s tone had hardened in a way Coen had only ever heard once before, and that was when he’d learnt of Shepherd Moss’ escape from federal prison. “Call in the Marshals. They’ll have jurisdiction on this.”

  This turned out to be a brutal massacre unlike anything Coen had ever set eyes on before, and that was saying a lot with what he witnessed during his combat tours. His stomach rolled before he steeled himself to really see who or what had been left behind.

  Simone Gilpin was laying on the bed without a strip of clothing on, staring sightlessly up toward the ceiling. Duct tape covered her mouth. The amount of deep cuts, holes, and puncture wounds on her body were nearly countless. The method in which she died was incomprehensible, yet the date of her death was carved into her upper body as a reminder to all.

  The magnitude of the work that would be required to perform this amount of damage had Coen looking over his shoulder. There was no doubt that this was Moss’ handiwork. He must have left minutes before their arrival on the front porch. It was more than apparent by the rivulets of blood still flowing toward the mattress that she’d drawn her last breath recently. There was no saving her with the amount of damage done.

  Shepherd Moss had made his second move, and Simone Gilpin had paid the price for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Diminished by her situation, unarmed and vulnerable to an experienced killer, she’d been taken prisoner. The subsequent torture afflicted on her was inhumane. That thought alone had Coen’s knees almost buckling, because Simone hadn’t been Moss’ intended target here.

  Brettany Lambert had been on his list, and by random happenstance, she’d been someone else’s target. In his own twisted way, Chad Perkins had actually saved Brettany’s life from the other monster in the shadows.

  “We were on the right track all along,” Coen muttered in disbelief, running a hand over his face and wishing he could erase the scene in front of him. “He was going to make another statement.”

  “He did make another statement. I’m the one who hired this woman.” Calvert holstered his weapon and the only indication that the slaughter he was staring at affected him in any way was the whiteness of the scar along his jawline. “Moss must be getting tired of this game, and he wants his prize.”

  Calvert was talking about Shailyn Doyle, the only woman to survive the torture Shepherd Moss bestowed on his victims.

  “You’re still not thinking of pulling Doyle out of WITSEC, are you?”

  “Moss isn’t giving me a choice, because it’s only a matter of time before he finds her on his own.” Calvert pulled out his phone and turned away from what was left of Simone Gilpin. “He wants to finish what he started, and I’m not going to allow that to happen. He will have no choice but to go through me to get to Shailyn Doyle, and that’s going to be Moss’ ultimate downfall.”

  ~ The End ~

  Don’t miss out on the conclusion of the Safeguard Series!

  You can preorder Deadly Premonitions HERE

  USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne brings the Safeguard Series to a stunning conclusion with your favorite characters that will have you staying wide awake until the very last page is turned…

  The ominous knock on the front door in the middle of the night should have given Shailyn Doyle fair warning, but she answered it despite her palpable fear. Her past had finally come back to haunt her. It would be nothing more than her worst nightmares come to life.

  Townes Calvert had been given a brief glimpse of nirvana before having it ripped from his grasp. He now has a chance to reclaim what was taken from him, but he must first hunt down the man responsible for murdering eighteen women and risk all that he loves.

  Townes and Shailyn have no choice but to play a sadistic serial killer’s twisted game in their search to reclaim the love they had once been forced to sacrifice. They both have envisioned what could be…but will they end up with nothing more than deadly premonitions?

  Books by Kennedy Layne

  Surviving Ashes Series

  Essential Beginnings (Surviving Ashes, Book One)

  Hidden Ashes (Surviving Ashes, Book Two)

  Buried Flames (Surviving Ashes, Book Three)

  Endless Flames (Surviving Ashes, Book Four)

  Rising Flames (Surviving Ashes, Book Five)

  CSA Case Files Series

  Captured Innocence (CSA Case Files 1)

  Sinful Resurrection (CSA Case Files 2)

  Renewed Faith (CSA Case Files 3)

  Campaign of Desire (CSA Case Files 4)

  Internal Temptation (CSA Case Files 5)

  Radiant Surrender (CSA Case Files 6)

  Redeem My Heart (CSA Case Files 7)

  Red Starr Series

  Starr’s Awakening & Hearths of Fire (Red Starr, Book One)

  Targets Entangled (Red Starr, Book Two)

  Igniting Passion (Red Starr, Book Three)

  Untold Devotion (Red Starr, Book Four)

  Fulfilling Promises (Red Starr, Book Five)

  Fated Identity (Red Starr, Book Six)

  Red’s Salvation (Red Starr, Book Seven)

  The Safeguard Series

  Brutal Obsession (The Safeguard Series, Book One)

  Faithful Addiction (The Safeguard Series, Book Two)

  Distant Illusions (The Safeguard Series, Book Three)

  Casual Impressions (The Safeguard Series, Book Four)

  Honest Intentions (The Safeguard Series, Book Five)

  Deadly Premonitions (The Safeguard Series, Book Six)

  About the Author

  First and foremost, I love life. I love that I’m a wife, mother, daughter, sister… and a writer.

  I am one of the lucky women in this world who gets to do what makes them happy. As long as I have a cup of coffee (maybe two or three) and my laptop, the stories evolve themselves and I try to do them justice. I draw my inspiration from a retired Marine Master Sergeant that swept me
off of my feet and has drawn me into a world that fulfills all of my deepest and darkest desires. Erotic romance, military men, intrigue, with a little bit of kinky chili pepper (his recipe), fill my head and there is nothing more satisfying than making the hero and heroine fulfill their destinies.

  Thank you for having joined me on their journeys…

  Email:

  kennedylayneauthor@gmail.com

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  facebook.com/kennedy.layne.94

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  twitter.com/KennedyL_Author

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  www.kennedylayne.com

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