Jane Godman - Colton 911 - Family Under Fire

An unexpected family

A once-in-a-lifetime reunion in danger…

After a bitter breakup, FBI agent Everett Colton never expected to see his ex-girlfriend, Alyssa Bartholomew, again. Suddenly, tragedy reunites them—and makes them guardians of an orphaned baby girl. Everett suspects that her parents’ deaths were anything but innocent. When his instinct for danger proves correct, it’s his job to protect the child he’s grown to love…and the woman he never forgot.

JANE GODMANwrites in a variety of romance genres, including paranormal, gothic and romantic suspense. Jane lives in England and loves to travel to European cities that are steeped in history and romance—Venice, Dubrovnik and Vienna are among her favorites. Jane is married to a lovely man and is mum to two grown-up children.

Also by Jane Godman

Colton’s Secret Bodyguard

Colton and the Single Mom

Covert Kisses

The Soldier’s Seduction

Secret Baby, Second Chance

Otherworld Protector

Otherworld Renegade

Otherworld Challenger Immortal

Billionaire

The Unforgettable Wolf

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Colton 911: Family Under Fire

Jane Godman

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09464-1

COLTON 911: FAMILY UNDER FIRE

© 2019 Harlequin Books S.A.

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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Text to speech

As I was writing this story, I was undergoing treatment

for breast cancer. I’d like to thank everyone who

supported me during that process, particularly my

wonderful family, whose support has kept me going

throughout some very difficult times.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

About the Publisher

Everett Colton had visited the offices of Torrington Law once before. Although he couldn’t remember much about the brief meeting, he did recall the lingering odors of wet dog and fried chicken. Back then, Raymond Torrington, senior partner in the firm, had blamed both on the large, elderly bloodhound that had been sleeping in a basket behind the front desk.

Impatiently, Everett pushed open the glass front door. This was going to be a waste of his time, he didn’t want to be here, he had more important things to do…and he didn’t want to subject his nostrils to a repeat performance.

As he stepped inside, it became clear that at least one of those things wasn’t going to be an issue. There was no sign of the dog, and the place smelled like a regular office.

He approached the reception desk, his mind on the letter he had received a few days earlier:

You are invited to attend a private reading of the last will and testament of Sean Dodd and Delilah Kennedy Dodd.

Although Sean Dodd had once been Everett’s best friend, they had barely spoken in the last four years. That is, until recently, when Everett had helped his brother, Casey, arrest Sean, Delilah, and Sean’s sister, Georgia, for murder and cattle rustling. Now Sean had driven his car off the road into a wall, killing himself and his wife.

Initially, a suicide note on the dash had led the Sur County Creek Sheriff’s Department to the conclusion that the act had been deliberate. Everett wasn’t so sure.

Not that the cause of death explained the current situation. Sean would want me at the reading of his will because…? He almost laughed. When had he ever been able to predict what Sean had wanted? He would find out soon enough.

“I have an appointment with Mr. Torrington.”

As the receptionist checked her computer screen, Everett breathed in the improved aromas. Copier toner, coffee, some sort of holiday-season air freshener and violets.

“Mr. Torrington has been delayed for a few minutes. But if you would care to go through to his office, his other guest is already here.”

“Other guest?” The invitation hadn’t mentioned anyone else, and…wait. Violets? “Do you use Acqua Viola?”

The young woman regarded him nervously. “Can I get you some coffee?”

Everett rubbed a hand over his jaw. He’d thought he was over this. He was over this. It must be the stress of Sean’s death. It had come on the heels of the operation his brother had undertaken, together with the woman he was now seeing, Melody Hayworth, to capture the rustlers and murderers. That, along with the speculation about what the will might hold, was triggering a return to the old fantasies. It was at least six months since the last time he’d imagined he could smell Alyssa Bartholomew’s favorite perfume. Even longer since he’d experienced that stomach-churning mix of excitement and dread when he glimpsed a certain woman with long, corn-colored hair and momentarily wondered if she’d come back to him.