Cavanaugh Vanguard Read online

  Brian shook his head as he listened. “And here I thought I’d heard everything. Unbelievable.”

  As Brianna, Jackson and their team dug through the archives of the family’s history, they discovered that George Aurora had been a bricklayer by trade when he had come out to California, the land of promise, all those years ago. At the time, all indications were that he was desperate to shed his roots and reinvent himself, but those same roots had turned out to be handy when he’d started killing women.

  The Old Aurora Hotel had been his first step toward building his empire. He took part in building it, working alongside the men he’d hired. And when his lust had finally got the better of him and he began murdering the women he’d used to satisfy his growing appetites, he went back to his old trade. He expanded the hotel, adding not just rooms but bodies in those walls in the process.

  “Cement, it turns out,” Brianna told the chief of Ds, “is a great way to eliminate the stench of a rotting corpse.”

  Brian shook his head. “Amazing what you can pick up solving crimes,” he commented. Rocking back in his chair as he considered everything that had come to light, he said, “It’s going to take the good citizens of Aurora a long time to come back from this.”

  “Not as long as it’ll take the Auroras,” Jackson said. “I heard that Winston’s wife, Gloria, is moving to England.”

  “Well, with her husband and son up on charges of aiding and abetting the murders of those five girls either during or after the fact, and her daughter remanded to a psychiatric institution for the criminally insane, apparently all Mrs. Winston Aurora can think of is running away. From everything but the money—what there is of it,” Brianna qualified.

  Families of the last five girls were coming forward, suing the family for the losses they had suffered. By all indications, the Aurora family’s holdings were shrinking daily.

  “You did a good job, you two,” Brian told them, rising to shake their hands.

  “It was a team effort, sir,” Brianna responded.

  Brian smiled. “You make a good team.”

  “I have a feeling that he wasn’t talking about the homicide investigation just then,” Jackson said to Brianna as they left the chief’s office.

  “Sure he was.” And then, after a beat, she looked at Jackson and said, “Why? What do you think he was talking about?”

  Jackson’s smile enveloped her. “You and me.”

  “You mean major crimes detective Muldare and homicide detective Brianna O’Bannon?” she asked, wanting to be very clear as to exactly what the man she’d worked beside and slept with for the last month was saying. Jumping to conclusions could lead to a lot of grief and heartache—she knew that for a fact.

  “No,” Jackson contradicted. “You and me. Bri and Jack.” They’d worked their way to that, from stiffly formal to short and personal. And he didn’t want to stop there.

  “The chief likes to keep things professional,” Brianna reminded him.

  “He does,” Jackson granted as he pressed the button for the elevator. “But as you took great pains to show me, he, like the rest of the Cavanaughs, is first and foremost all about family. I think the chief’s onto something.”

  “About family coming first?” she asked.

  She knew damn well what he meant, Jackson thought. “About us being a good team.”

  “So you’re finally willing to admit we work well together.”

  “Not just work together. We fit together, too,” he told her in a low, quiet voice.

  The elevator arrived. Getting in, Jackson pressed for their floor, but once the door had closed, he hit the emergency-stop button.

  They jolted to a halt.

  “What are you doing?” Brianna cried.

  “I’ve got to get this out before I run out of nerve,” he told her. Pausing a moment as he collected his courage, Jackson said, “Since we started working together this last time, you’ve been a hell of a pain in the butt.”

  “Well, that didn’t take much effort,” she told him curtly, reaching around Jackson to press the start button. “Glad you could get that out.”

  He caught her hand, keeping her from doing it. “But you’ve also brought light into my world and made me feel that I wasn’t alone. I’ve been alone for so long, I didn’t realize there was another feeling.”

  “You’ve got your father and your brother,” she reminded him gently.

  “They’re part of the reason I feel alone,” Jackson answered. “Being responsible for people doesn’t diminish the feeling of being alone.” He took a deep breath. “Look, I know you can do better, but I’m asking you to marry me.”

  Her eyes meeting his, Brianna answered, “No.”

  “Oh.”

  Crushed and struggling not to show it, Jackson pressed the start button and the elevator came back to life for a split second before Brianna hit the stop button again.

  “No. I can’t do better,” she said when he looked at her quizzically. “It’s not possible. And, yes, I’ll marry you. Right here in this elevator if you want.”

  Jackson didn’t answer her. Instead, he pulled Brianna into his arms and kissed her with all the feeling that had been steadily, powerfully building up within him for all these years.

  And he went on kissing her even as an omniscient voice came over the sound system asking, “Elevator No. 7, is everything all right in there?”

  Brianna stopped kissing Jackson long enough to answer, “Everything’s wonderful,” then sealed her lips to Jackson’s again, because she had a lot more wonderful to catch up on.

  * * * * *

  Don’t forget previous titles in the

  CAVANAUGH JUSTICE series:

  CAVANAUGH ENCOUNTER

  CAVANAUGH ON CALL

  CAVANAUGH IN THE ROUGH

  CAVANAUGH COLD CASE

  CAVANAUGH OR DEATH

  Available now from

  Harlequin Romantic Suspense!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from COLTON AND THE SINGLE MOM by Jane Godman.

  Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!

  Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards

  http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Romantic Suspense title.

  You want sparks to fly! Harlequin Romantic Suspense stories deliver, with strong and adventurous women, brave and powerful men and the life-and-death situations that bring them together.

  Enjoy four new stories from Harlequin Romantic Suspense every month!

  Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

  Harlequin.com/newsletters

  Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  HarlequinBlog.com

  Join Harlequin My Rewards and reward the book lover in you!

  Earn points for every Harlequin print and ebook you buy, wherever and whenever you shop.

  Turn your points into FREE BOOKS of your choice

  OR

  EXCLUSIVE GIFTS from your favorite authors or series.

  Click here to join for FREE

  Or visit us online to register at

  www.HarlequinMyRewards.com

  Harlequin My Rewards is a free program (no fees) without any commitments or obligations.

  Colton and the Single Mom

  by Jane Godman

  Chapter 1

  “It’s official.” Chief Finn Colton faced his K-9 officers in the morning briefing. “The Groom Killer has claimed a fourth victim.”

  Brayden Colton remained silent throughout the buzz of conversation that followed. Four dead men...and this time it felt personal. Again. The first victim had been the half brother of a cop. This time, the murdered guy
was an ex-cop. Although he shared the shock and grief that gripped his colleagues, Brayden had even more reason to feel anger and frustration.

  He was aware of the chief watching him closely and guessed Finn was concerned about how he would react to this latest bombshell. Brayden was aware of his role. He knew how he was supposed to play this. He should keep an open mind, stay professional. Although the evidence against his kid sister was stacking up hard and fast, inside this building he was a police officer first and Demi’s brother second. Right now, he should be doing everything he could to convince his cousin, the chief, that he was impartial.

  Reaching out a hand, he placed it on the head of Echo, his K-9 partner. As always, the dog’s calm, quiet presence soothed him. Brayden made sure his gaze was steady on Finn’s face as the chief continued with the briefing. Crime-scene photographs appeared on a large screen behind him. “Like the other victims, Jack Parkowski was shot through the heart. A black cummerbund was stuffed in his mouth. He was forty-eight years old, born and raised in Red Ridge, but hadn’t lived here for over twenty years. Came back six months ago in preparation for his marriage to Sarah Mull. She was the one who found his body.”

  “How is she?” It was a voice from the back of the room. Sarah Mull had to be about the most popular person in Red Ridge. She had been Brayden’s first-grade teacher.

  “Not good. She’s being treated in the hospital for shock. As far as the Groom Killer case goes, there is nothing new to report. Since we have another murder, let’s recap on why finding Demi Colton is our priority. When the first victim, Bo Gage, was found, he had written Demi C in his own blood. Then, a gold heart necklace with the initials DC was found under a pickup wheel near Bo’s body. We also have a witness who saw Demi close to the scene just before the murder. When we add in the fact that she went on the run as soon as we got a warrant for her arrest, it’s hardly surprising that every finger in town is pointing her way. Last month, a witness also claimed to see her shoot the third victim—a witness who ended up dead soon after. However, the FBI reported a sighting of Demi across the state at the time of that murder.” Finn’s gaze moved purposefully around the room, lingering for a second on Brayden. “So, just because we are focusing our resources on the search for Demi, I don’t want anyone to stop looking at other angles.”

  “There are rumors that Demi is pregnant,” Officer Juliette Walsh said. “If that’s true, we have to hope she’ll seek medical help at some point. Is there an alert out to the medical centers in the region?”

  Finn nodded. “Demi’s photograph has been circulated throughout the county.”

  “Demi Colton is half feral. Why would she care about the welfare of her baby?” The sneering voice came from behind him and Brayden kept his head down, riding the wave of anger that swept over him. This was the way it had been from the minute Demi took flight. This constant fight between his job and his loyalty to his sister. It was getting harder each day.

  “We suspect that Demi is pregnant with Bo Gage’s child and is several months along. All we know for sure is that Bo ended their relationship and became engaged to another woman. Unfortunately, that speaks to Demi’s motive.” Finn’s voice was firm.

  “Yeah. But then again, Bo might not be the father. Anything is possible with Demi—”

  Brayden was on his feet before he had time to think, swinging around to face the unknown speaker. “What are you trying to say about my sister?”

  Among the faces looking back at him, one stood out. Lucas Gage, Bo’s brother, was a bounty hunter who had been deputized to the police department. Since Demi was in the same profession, they were fierce rivals and Lucas had been convinced from day one that Demi was the killer. Although Brayden couldn’t be sure Lucas was the person who had spoken, the other man stared back at him, provocation in his eyes. It was a challenge Brayden was more than happy to take.

  To hell with impartial. To hell with all of it.

  “My sister is not a killer.”

  “Let’s calm this down.” Finn’s cool, authoritative voice cut across Brayden’s overheated senses. “Personal comments have no place in this investigation.” His gaze swept the room. “They have no place in this department. I hope that’s clear to everyone?”

  There was a general murmur of agreement as Brayden returned to his seat. His fingers sought the reassuring softness of Echo’s fur and the dog gave the inside of his wrist a quick lick.

  When the briefing ended, Finn spoke quietly to Brayden. “My office.”

  With Echo keeping close to his heels, Brayden followed the chief to his room. “I know.” He spoke as Finn was closing the door. “I was out of order. I shouldn’t let it get to me.”

  “This has got to be hard on you, Bray.” The change in Finn’s manner told Brayden this was his cousin speaking, not his boss. “You’re one of the best officers I have, and I need all the friends I can get. The Groom Killer case is the biggest thing to hit Red Ridge since I took over as chief. If I start taking officers off the investigation because of family loyalties, we’ll struggle to keep up with what this murderer throws at us next. Not to mention our regular caseload.”

  Brayden knew exactly what he meant. “While this is going on, the Larson twins are stepping up their criminal activities.”

  “Our attention is split two ways.” Finn’s expression was grim. “We have a killer with a grudge against engaged couples, and the Larsons, who are intent on growing their crime empire. Our resources are stretched to the limit. In addition to that, you are the lead search-and-rescue officer on the team. I’ve never doubted your loyalty and you know the problems I face.”

  Finn didn’t need to elaborate. The mayor, their uncle Fenwick, was breathing down their necks to get an arrest in the Groom Killer case. The Colton-Gage feud that had torn Red Ridge apart for a century was alive and well right here in the police department. The tensions were never far from the surface. The Gage officers on the team would grasp any opportunity to stir up old hostilities.

  “You have a temper, Bray. You’ve said publicly you believe in Demi’s innocence. Don’t give anyone a chance to push you on this.”

  It was good advice. Brayden couldn’t help Demi by getting himself thrown off the force. And Finn was right about the search-and-rescue side of his job. The pressure increased as summer approached. The Coyote Mountains attracted large numbers of tourists. There were always the inevitable cases of inexperienced hikers wandering off the trails, falling or staying out after dark. Brayden and Echo were often all that stood between them and disaster.

  “You want me to focus on the Larsons?”

  “If you can. Obviously, if anything comes your way to do with the Groom Killer case, you’ll need to follow it up. And, Bray?” Brayden paused with his hand on the door handle. “Esmée da Costa tells me she’s having trouble contacting you.”

  That would be because I’ve been ignoring her calls. Apparently, Esmée da Costa, the documentary maker who wanted to make a film about the Groom Killer, couldn’t take a hint. So, instead of respecting Brayden’s privacy, she had gone to his boss. His antagonism toward the woman he’d never met spiked higher. He was the Colton cop from the wrong side of the tracks. His sister was on the run, wanted for a series of grisly murders Brayden knew she wasn’t capable of committing. He was half out of his mind with worry for Demi, as he tried to focus on his job and deal with the taunts of the Gages and the arrogant skepticism of his better-off Colton relatives, and he was also aware that the eyes of the town were upon him wherever he went. Why the hell would he want to put his feelings on the record for a true-crime documentary film? If Brayden ever did come face-to-face with Ms. da Costa, he would give her his opinion of how she made her living. He doubted she’d enjoy hearing it.

  Brayden smiled for the first time that morning. “You know me. I’m not much of a talker.”

  * * *

  As she pulled into Hester Mull’s drive, Es
mée da Costa gripped the steering wheel so tight it hurt. Determined not to cry in front of Rhys, she battled back the tears. Her son had seen too much high drama in his two years. While Esmée knew it wasn’t possible, or healthy, to cocoon him from every negative emotion, she did her best to keep his world on an even track.

  Even so, hiding her sorrow was tough. She supposed it was because, until now, she hadn’t really believed Jack Parkowski was dead. It had been impossible for her to accept that the big, strong man who had been such a powerful force for good in her life wouldn’t be there forever.

  Seeing Sarah, Jack’s fiancée, her face pale and her smile strained as she lay in that hospital bed, was what had made it real. Esmée had held one of Sarah’s icy hands in her own while Hester, Sarah’s sister-in-law, held the other. As they talked, Rhys had played one of his noiseless games with the wooden animals he took everywhere. That was when the truth had come crashing down on Esmée, gaining speed until it reached the full force of an avalanche. She would never again see the man who had been there for her and Rhys when they had most needed a friend.

  “The dog show is one of the most popular events in Red Ridge.” Hester’s voice brought Esmée back to reality. She had stowed a large picnic basket in the trunk of the rental car and was getting into the passenger seat.

  “And you’re sure all the K-9 officers will be there?” Esmée asked. She wasn’t interested in all of them, but Hester didn’t need to know that.

  In the course of her research about the Groom Killer case, Esmée had learned that there was one man who was prepared to speak out in support of Demi Colton, the chief suspect in the murders. Despite his job as a member of the K-9 police team, Brayden Colton was brave enough to declare his belief in his half sister’s innocence.

  As she delved deeper, Esmée would need to talk to all three of Demi’s half siblings, but Brayden was the one who fascinated her. He must be going through hell right now. His sister was accused of murder, with most of the town happy to vocalize her guilt, yet Brayden had to turn up for work each day and investigate the crimes. He had to hear the details and listen to the theories about Demi’s guilt. How did that make him feel? How did he balance the two different sides of his life? Colton and cop. Which did he put first?