Lara Lacombe: Colton K-9 Bodyguard

That didn’t stop her from checking the news on a daily basis, her worry spiking every time she heard about an American death. She scoured the internet, searching for the identities of fallen soldiers, breathing a little sigh of relief each time she realized Micah’s name was not among the list of heroes.

She had tried to find love again, but it just never seemed to be in the cards. She’d dated a few men who were perfectly nice, but they never made her heart race and her skin tingle the way Micah had. Just being around him had been enough to make every nerve ending in her body stand up and pay attention. He had made her feel alive, made the world seem ripe with potential, as if anything and everything could happen at any moment.

It was so different from life in her father’s house, where everything was carefully planned and executed, leaving no room for chance. Routine and structure were the guiding principles of her childhood, and she’d long ago realized she wanted—no, needed—more freedom. The men she’d dated since Micah had been safe, and had met with her father’s approval. But marrying one of them would have guaranteed her future would echo her past, and she just couldn’t bring herself to sign up for more of the same. Much to her father’s chagrin, Bea had decided being single was preferable to a life spent yearning for more.

It hadn’t been a difficult decision, and she hadn’t had any doubts about her choice. Until now.

Could I be any more pathetic? She’d spent less than an hour in Micah’s presence, and with a splitting headache to boot, and she was already questioning her hard-earned happiness. Logically, she knew she’d built a good life for herself and that she didn’t need a man to find fulfillment or completion. I’m doing just fine on my own, she thought stubbornly.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t ignore the persistent whisper of her heart.

He’s the one.

Chapter 3

“I want to see my daughter. Right now.” Fenwick Colton’s voice rose in volume with every word until he was practically shouting in Micah’s face. Micah took a deep breath and mentally counted to five. He’d never had the best relationship with Mr. Colton—the man had made it very clear he didn’t approve of Micah dating Bea while they were in high school, and it seemed that time had not softened the sharper edges of the older man’s temper.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible at the moment,” Micah said calmly. No matter how much he disliked Fenwick, he wasn’t going to lose his control. If Micah showed any kind of emotion or anger, Fenwick would undoubtedly use it against him.

The man stepped forward, infringing on Micah’s personal space. “I know who you are,” he hissed, staring up at Micah with obvious hatred in his eyes. “You’re that skinny kid who tried to trap my Bea into marriage when she was just eighteen. Didn’t you figure out she doesn’t want you?”

The barb hit home, but Micah had expected a personal attack from Fenwick. He stared down at the man, his poker face in place. At this angle, Fenwick’s blond toupee looked even more fake, and Micah realized that for all of Fenwick’s bluster, he was likely very insecure.

“Is there a problem here?”

Both Micah and Fenwick turned at the sound of the voice, and Micah felt a jolt of relief as he caught sight of Finn Colton, the K-9 unit chief, approaching.

“No problem,” Micah said smoothly. “I was just about to explain to Mister Colton the fact that Bea is a material witness in a murder case, and I don’t want her speaking to anyone outside of her medical team until I’ve had a chance to interview her.”

“You can’t keep me from my daughter!” Fenwick shouted, his face growing red with anger.

Finn turned to his uncle.

“Actually, he can. Bea is an adult, and therefore you do not have a right to have access to her until the officer in charge of the investigation has completed his questioning.”

Fenwick’s expression grew murderous. “You’re saying he’s in charge of the investigation?” He jerked a thumb at Micah, evidently unwilling to even look at him anymore.

“That’s correct,” Finn confirmed. “As the officer who discovered both Bea and the victim in her shop, Micah is the man on point.”

“But...but...” Fenwick sputtered. Then a sly look entered his eyes, and he shot Micah a satisfied glare before turning his attention back to Finn. “It’s inappropriate for Officer Shaw to lead this investigation.” He practically spat the word, making it clear just what he thought about Micah’s job title. “He and my daughter have a history of personal involvement. I doubt he can be impartial about his job since Bea rejected him.” He smiled triumphantly, clearly proud of himself.

Micah opened his mouth to explain that he hadn’t seen Bea in years, but he needn’t have bothered.

“That was ages ago,” Finn said in a tone of long-suffering patience. “I have no doubts about Officer Shaw’s capabilities, and I know he will conduct both himself and this investigation with the utmost professionalism.”

Fenwick’s smile slid off his face and his mouth turned down, giving him the look of a man who had just sucked on a lemon. “I see,” he said, practically choking on the words. “Your superior officer will hear about this.”

Finn nodded, as if he’d expected this reaction. “Let me know if you have trouble contacting him.”

Fenwick walked to the far corner of the waiting room, his body stiff with anger. He was not used to being refused, and Micah could see that the older man did not handle disappointment very well.

“Thank you,” Micah said in a low voice.

Finn nodded. “Anytime.” He watched his uncle for a moment, then turned back to Micah. “Talk to me about what you found. Brayden wasn’t too forthcoming about the details.”

Micah related his actions in the alley and Chunk’s discovery of Bea. “I called for backup, and once Brayden arrived he and Chunk went through the rest of the shop, searching for any signs of the intruder who had attacked Bea.”

“So, Brayden made the initial discovery of the body in the fitting room?”

Micah nodded. “Yes. I went to the scene after the paramedics had arrived and were taking care of Bea.”

“What did you find?”

“At first glance, another victim of the Groom Killer.” Micah ran a hand through his hair. “Looked to me like Joey McBurn. He was slumped in a fitting room chair, and he appeared to have been shot through the heart. There was a black cummerbund stuffed into his mouth like the other two victims.”

Finn digested this bit of information. “Any signs of tampering?” he asked delicately.

Micah frowned. “Not to my eye.” Was the chief suggesting Brayden had altered the scene to throw suspicion off his sister, Demi? Micah supposed it was a possibility, but it hardly seemed likely. Everyone on the force knew Brayden Colton was upset at the thought of Demi as a killer, but he was still a good cop and an honorable man. Besides, any such tampering would be clearly evident once the forensics report came back, and Brayden knew that as well as the rest of the team.

But there was one other piece of information that made Micah confident his friend hadn’t done anything stupid. “Brayden and Chunk weren’t gone very long,” he said. “And after they discovered the body, Brayden didn’t return to the fitting room alone.”

Finn nodded, apparently satisfied by this news. “That’s good to know,” he said. “It’s important the investigation is above reproach.”

“We’re not going to drop the ball on this one,” Micah said confidently.

“I know you won’t,” Finn replied. He angled his head in the direction of Bea’s hospital room. “So, do you think she saw anything?”