Lara Lacombe - Colton K-9 Bodyguard

He took her hand, and she felt the calluses on his palm. “We found another Groom Killer victim in one of the dressing rooms.” His voice was soft, belying the horror of his words.

Bea felt the blood drain from her head. “What?” she whispered. Surely there had been some mistake. If word got out that the Groom Killer had struck again, and in her own bridal boutique, no less, her business would never recover.

Guilt flashed through her at the selfish thought and she shook her head. “Who?”

Micah didn’t need her to elaborate. “We think it’s Joey McBurn.”

Bea closed her eyes, picturing Joey’s fiancée. Angelina Cooper had come into the shop a few months ago, bubbling with excitement. Joey had just proposed, and Angelina was wasting no time planning their wedding. She’d tried on several dresses, but unfortunately, her tastes ran to the expensive and she hadn’t been able to afford her dream dress. Bea had tried to steer her to a similar, less pricey style, but Angelina hadn’t budged. She’d left the store, swearing she’d be back once she’d saved up enough money. She must have found something at the department store in town, because the wedding was tomorrow.

Or at least, it should have been.

Bea’s heart went out to the other woman. Did she even know Joey was dead? Or was she waiting at home, expecting him to walk through the door at any moment?

Micah leaned forward, his hand tightening on hers. “You’re the first person to encounter the Groom Killer and live to talk about it,” he said quietly. “I want to put you in protective custody, to make sure you’re safe in case the killer targets you again.”

Bea’s heart began to pound. “Do you really think that’s a possibility?” The Groom Killer went after men, not women. And she hadn’t seen anything in the dark—surely the killer would know Bea couldn’t identify them.

“I think it’s a risk we can’t afford to take.” He gave her hand a final squeeze and released it, and Bea immediately missed the warmth of his touch. “I can start the paperwork—”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Disappointment flashed across Micah’s face. “Bea, please,” he began, but she lifted her hand to cut him off.

“I’ll agree to a bodyguard, but only under one condition.”

“What’s that?” There was a note of wariness in his voice, as if he was worried about what she was going to say.

“It’s got to be you,” Bea said firmly. “No one else.”

“Me?” Micah made a strangled sound, and Bea fought the urge to laugh. She knew how ridiculous her request must seem to him. They hadn’t seen each other in years, and after the way he’d ended things between them, he probably figured she wanted nothing more to do with him.

Truth be told, Bea herself was surprised by the intensity of her determination. But she felt safe with Micah, and she knew he would protect her if the Groom Killer did come back around. Besides, maybe if they spent more time together she could finally get him out of her system and truly move on. The man had flaws—he was only human, after all. Hopefully seeing them up close again would be enough to take the shine off of her memories of their time together.

It was a long shot, but she was just desperate enough to take it.

Chapter 4

Micah stood frozen in place, too stunned to do much more than blink at Bea as he processed her words.

“You want me to...guard you?” He spoke slowly, hoping that Bea would really listen to his words and see her request for what it was.

A mistake.

She nodded, her expression determined. “That’s right.”

It was the concussion talking—that had to be it. Why else would she want him to protect her? Her letter had made it very clear she was finished with him, so why would she suddenly change her mind?

Micah shook his head. He could worry about her motivations later. Right now, he had to make her see reason.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” he began. “We have officers who are more experienced in protection work, including several women. It would be better if you agreed to let one of them guard you. Much easier for everyone involved.”

Bea met his gaze, her hazel eyes clear. “I trust you,” she said simply. “You’re the only one I feel safe with.”

Maybe you shouldn’t, he thought darkly. People had trusted him before, and it had ended badly.

Micah closed his eyes, bracing himself against the onslaught of memories washing over him.

Afghanistan. Helmand Province. Micah and Duke had been deployed with a squad of marines and Afghan army troops to comb through the rubble of a drone attack in search of the bodies of a local Taliban warlord and his cronies. It was supposed to be a training exercise, of sorts, with the Afghan army troops taking the lead in the search while Micah and the marines provided guidance and cover.

Things had started out well enough. Micah and the marines had established a perimeter around the site so the Afghan troops could work in relative safety. It had been shaping up to be just another search, until one of the troops asked Micah for assistance. He and Duke had left their position, and that’s when the ambush had started.

A hail of bullets had erupted with no warning, cutting down several Afghan troops and pinning the marines and Micah in place. The fighting had been brutal and fierce, and several marines had been injured.

Including Duke.

Micah could still hear the dog’s pained yelp and the sounds of his whimpering as he’d lain in the dirt at Micah’s feet.

Unable to bear the dog’s suffering, Micah had slowed his return fire so he could attend to Duke’s injuries. And that’s when the man next to him had been hit.

After an eternity of fighting, reinforcements had arrived and the insurgents had been beaten back or killed. Medics had poured in, attending to the wounded. Duke had been placed on a stretcher and airlifted along with the rest of the injured, Micah by his side the whole way.

In the end, Duke had survived his wound and retired a hero. One of the veterinary nurses who cared for him fell in love with him, and Duke now lived a life of ease with the woman and her family. It was the best possible outcome for the dog, but Micah still couldn’t shake the guilt that plagued him whenever he thought of that day.

If I hadn’t left my position...if I hadn’t stopped to tend to Duke... How many people would still be alive if Micah had made different decisions? How many bodies would have remained whole and unbroken if Micah hadn’t left a gap in the coverage, not once, but twice?

The after-action review had found no fault, but deep in his gut Micah knew things would have turned out differently if he’d made other choices.

With his partner in the hospital, Micah had felt like an amputee. The military had offered to pair him with another dog, but Micah had refused. It took months of intense training to bond with a dog, and Micah didn’t have it in him to go through the experience again. He’d known that if he lost another animal, it would break him.

It turned out that fate had other plans. When he’d taken the job in Red Ridge, the thought of pairing with another dog had worried him. But as soon as he’d met Chunk, his heart had embraced the animal without reservation.

“Micah?” Bea’s voice cut through his thoughts, drawing him back to the present. “Are you okay? You look like you’re going to be sick.”

He nodded, shaking off the sadness and despair of his memories. “I’m fine,” he replied. “Just thinking.”

Bea was quiet a moment. “I’m not trying to be difficult,” she said. “And I know this is awkward. But you’re the only one I trust. Will you please work with me?”

Micah let out a heavy sigh. “All right,” he said. “I’ll do it.” He’d probably come to regret his decision, but Micah knew Bea was a stubborn woman. If she said she wouldn’t allow anyone else to guard her, she meant it. And since Micah couldn’t leave her unprotected, he didn’t have many other options.