Читать книгу Colton Family Bodyguard - Jennifer Morey - Страница 12

Callum leaned against the door frame of Evie’s bedroom, watching Hazel pack a bag. She glanced up and saw him.

“Bored?” Her eyes glowed a green hint of her name. Long and dark, finger-tempting wavy hair fell over slender shoulders and framed a remarkably pretty face. Tendrils of that silky splendor curled around melon-shaped breasts. He felt his defenses rise. She had a daughter. A really cute one.

“No.” He would just rather stare at her. This sudden chemistry threw him off balance.

With a soft smile, she resumed packing.

In just the brief time he had been around Evie—rescuing her, watching her fascination with Kerry and then her bravery in going with the detective—the child had already touched his heart. Now he knew more than ever why he tried so hard to avoid protecting kids. The mothers were another issue completely.

Evie had punched her way through his usual, iron-walled barrier. She was about the same age his daughter would have been, had she and her mother survived. Callum shook off the thoughts. He was better shutting that off, contrary to what Charles said. Despite his cardinal rule never to protect mothers with kids, to leave that up to other bodyguards who didn’t share a history similar to his, he could not leave them at the mercy of a man who knew Evie had witnessed him dump a body in a trunk. Now here he was, in Hazel and Evie’s apartment, about to take them to the Dales Inn and live with them for however long it took to catch the bad guy.

Hazel finished packing for Evie and went into her bedroom to do the same for herself. Callum followed, she wasn’t sure whether out of boredom or because he just enjoyed watching her. The way he did made her acutely aware of him as a man.

“I bet my room is much smaller than the one you sleep in,” she said, still self-conscious of his wealth and her bad experience with a man with money.

Callum eyed her peculiarly. “It’s a nice apartment. And even though I’m a Colton, I don’t dwell on the wealth of my family.”

She believed that, but he also must have a sizable bank account, maybe a trust fund or something like that. Just like Ed. That put a sour taste in her mouth.

Taking the bags to the dining area next to the back entry, she saw Callum go to the mantel above the gas fireplace. She had an electronic photo album there. He gestured with his hand to it.

“These are great.”

There were lots of pictures of Evie doing all things Evie. Evie with a toothy smile and mouth smeared with ice cream. Evie holding a bunny rabbit. Evie riding a pony with Hazel. Evie and a friend dressed identically and striking a pose. Hazel and Evie cheek to cheek in a selfie. And so many more. Vacations Hazel had saved for, trips to Disney World and Yellowstone. Them at community events.

As he watched the pictures change, his expression changed. What about these photos put such a look of sadness on his face? She wanted to ask but didn’t.

“She’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” she said instead. “Ed taking off the way he did doesn’t even matter anymore. I mean, it did when I was pregnant. What kind of man can abandon their unborn baby?”

Callum didn’t say anything, just continued to look at the pictures.

“As soon as Evie was born, everything changed. I didn’t care about Ed anymore. She became my world. And she’s such a good kid. Even when she was a baby. She didn’t cry much, only when she needed something. She slept all night and still does. She rarely has tantrums and when she does, they’re over pretty quickly. I’m a lucky mom.”

Callum turned to look at her, some of the sadness leaving his eyes. “She’s an adorable girl.”

“Do you want kids some day?”

“I travel a lot. Usually I’m out of the country on assignments.”

He must be some bodyguard. “Do you protect a lot of affluent people?”

“Yes, and high targets for kidnapping in countries where that sort of thing happens.”

Dignitaries, politicians and executives for big companies, she supposed.

“I’m only here now to be near my father.”

His father had been shot. That must be so difficult, not knowing whether his dad would wake up or not. Callum must be close to his father if he’d changed his work schedule to be by the man’s side. She wondered if he regretted helping her, since she obviously was taking time away from his hospital visits.

“If you need to be with him...”

“I’ll visit him. I don’t have to be with him all the time. I do still have to work, after all. Just not out of state.”

Hazel smiled because this was the chattiest he had been since they met.

“You must be close to him,” Hazel said, thinking she had made an accurate observation.

“Actually, I’m not,” he said, and regret seemed to come over him.

With him out of the country so much, Hazel could see why, but what about when he had been younger? “Was it always that way?”

“Yes. When I was a kid he was always working, and I had my own ideas about what I wanted to do with my life. I knew early on that I never would be an executive like he was.” He paused. “Is.”

She felt terrible. “If not for me, you would be with him right now.”

“No. I was going to visit my brother, but I saw you and...”

And what? He saw her when? Before she had gone into her client’s house? And then he had seen that car. She’d changed his plans for the day.

“Which brother?”

“Ace.” He shook his head and scratched his forehead in angst. “He’s a suspect in my father’s shooting. We were never close, either, like with Dad. He followed my dad into the oil business. But I feel for him, you know? He just found out he’s not a Colton by blood and there’s this clause in the Colton Oil bylaws that says the CEO must be a Colton by blood, and then Dad got shot and everybody thinks he did it—geez, why am I telling you all of this?” He walked toward the back door and the luggage.

Hazel caught up to him and put her hand on his forearm, stopping him from bending to pick up one of the bags. “Hey, it’s okay. I like hearing this.”

“You like hearing about all my family drama?”

That’s all he worried about? She breathed a laugh. “Every family has drama. Why is your brother a suspect?”

“My father had to fire him because of the bylaws. He did it in front of the board, and Ace didn’t react well. He threatened my dad.”

“How did he threaten him?” With a gun? Had he said he’d better watch his back or something? Ruin his reputation?

“Ace told Dad he would regret it and stormed out of the room.”

“That doesn’t mean he shot him.”

“I know. I don’t think he did, but he shouldn’t have threatened him like that, and in front of the board.”

Hazel could see he was genuinely concerned for his half brother, despite his claim of not being close to Ace. Just because he had spent a lot of time overseas didn’t necessarily mean a family bond didn’t exist. Hazel wondered if they were closer than he thought.

“You’re easy to talk to,” he said after a while, his smile rueful. Did he not open up to anyone? Why had he done so with her?

“Evie doesn’t think so.”

He chuckled a little. “I saw her arguing with you when you first got to your client’s house. I think she does listen to you.”

“Like I said, she’s a good kid.”

“She must have a good mother.”

Hazel fell into his eyes, the warm regard there, the attraction. She felt it, too, these underlying sparks that had grown since the moment she saw him.

Once again stopping the sparks, Hazel asked, “So, tell me about this family of yours. You seemed to know that detective, Kerry.”

“I come from a large blended family. My father married three times. I have a half sister and two half brothers—including Ace—from the first marriage. He had none with the second, and my mother had me and my twin sister, Marlowe, plus our brother, Asher. Rafe is my younger adopted brother. He’s engaged to Kerry. That’s how I know her.”

“Ah. She’s part of the family now. She’s very pretty,” Hazel said.

“And smart. And tenacious. She’s a rookie but Rafe swears she’s as good as a seasoned detective.”

“I did get that impression of her, well, short of knowing her, that is. She just had a way about her.”

“If anybody can find the man who almost ran you down, she can.”

Hazel fell silent, not liking the thought of that. A man capable of hurting or killing another human—especially a child—was a dangerous one, for sure.

“You’re a twin?” Hazel asked. “What is that like?”

“We’re more like a regular brother and sister, but closer. We were close growing up and still are.”

“Are you similar?”

He chuckled at that. “Not at all. Her hair is blonder than mine and she has brown eyes. She’s now the CEO of Colton Oil, an executive type. Workaholic.” Callum was definitely not an executive type. He was driven in different ways. “But she’s pregnant and engaged now, so that will probably change. She’s still going to keep her job but she’s starting a day-care program.”

Hazel seemed to ponder that awhile, as though doubtful that a woman like that could change.

“I technically have one less sibling now—even though I still consider Ace my half brother. Ace’s switch has caused a bit of chaos in the family,” he said.

She breathed a tiny laugh at his sarcastic tone. “It sounds dramatic. Who switched him and why?”

“We don’t know yet.”

“That must be hard for him to face,” Hazel said.

He fell silent and Hazel sensed he had given out enough family information for now. Then he just nodded and said, “Yes, it is.”

“What made you decide to leave the navy and become a bodyguard?” Hazel asked to change the subject.

“I was getting too old to be a SEAL.”

At his short, simplistic reply, she wondered if he didn’t want to discuss this. He seemed reluctant to talk about anything personal.

“How old is too old?” she asked anyway.

“I’m thirty-two. Right now, I’m not taking out-of-state assignments, so I can be close to my dad.”

“I’m twenty-five,” she said. “Have you been married or in any serious relationships?”

She had confessed her failed serious relationship, so that justified her asking the question. “No to marriage. Yes to a relationship, but it didn’t work out.”

“What happened?”

“It didn’t work out,” he repeated, turning his head and not looking at her anymore.

She watched the tension on his face for a few seconds, then said, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“We should get going to the police station. Why don’t we go get her and head to the hotel?” Callum said.

She wanted to get to Evie as soon as possible—and slow down whatever was happening between her and Callum.

Waiting for Hazel to finish getting ready to leave, Callum struggled with what her questions had brought to the surface. Shortly after he had left the SEAL team, he had lost Annabel. He never talked about her and their unborn baby. After she died, he had told everyone they’d broken up. He couldn’t bear to face the truth and he didn’t like people asking him about her. No one had enquired about her in a long time, which probably explained the heavy emotion he felt right now.

When Hazel joined him at the back door, Callum left the apartment, carrying two of her bags with one hand, leaving the other free. He searched the parking area behind the bakery and at first everything seemed quiet. But then he saw someone sitting in a car parked at the end of one of the rows. It was different than the one that had nearly mowed down Evie and Hazel; this one was white with tinted windows. He couldn’t see the person inside, but the shape had the form of a man.

Alarmed that someone might try to harm Hazel again, he said, “Go back inside, Hazel.”

“What?” Her eyes searched his face beneath lowered eyebrows.

“I need to check out that car over there. Go back inside.” He had to keep her safe and she’d be safest in there for now.

Hazel looked out into the parking lot. “Oh, no.”

“It might not be anything. Just let me check it out,” he said as reassuringly as he could. He didn’t mean to frighten her.

She turned and went back inside. He saw her go to the window next to the door and watch.

Callum stepped down the stairs, leaving the bags on the landing by the door. He walked to his truck and started it, then drove closer to the building. There, he waited a few moments. The driver of the other car pulled out of the parking space and drove down the alley toward the street.

Getting out of the truck, Callum went to help Hazel as she came out of the apartment and locked the door. He searched the parking lot and alley, keeping his body between the direction the car had gone and Hazel. He picked up the two bags and followed her down. At the passenger door, he opened that and waited for her to get in, continuing to watch for the mysterious car.

Putting the bags in the back seat, he got behind the wheel and started driving.

At the street he pulled out into traffic, glancing frequently into the rearview mirror. As he suspected, the stranger had waited for them.

Hazel twisted to look behind them. “Is that car following us?”

“Yes.”

“Is it the same man?”

“I don’t know.” Callum turned a corner to see if the stranger would follow.

He did.

Callum turned another corner and the stranger turned, too. He was two vehicles behind them. Callum couldn’t see the man clearly.

He decided to drive to the police station. Who in their right mind would try anything in front of a police station? Someone out of their mind...?

Hoping to get a better look at the man, Callum slowed down.

“What are you doing?” Hazel asked in a scared tone.

“I want to see if we can identify him.” He watched in the rearview mirror as the vehicle behind him got into the right lane and passed them. The second car moved over next. The white sedan slowed with Callum, maintaining distance. Whoever was driving wouldn’t risk being seen up close.

Not wanting to incite the man into drawing a gun or doing anything else that might endanger Hazel, Callum sped up and drove the rest of the way to the station. As they made the turn into the parking lot, the other car drove by. Callum stopped his truck and looked out his window. He saw a man who probably was about six feet tall. He had a hoodie and wore sunglasses—at night—and looked right at him, lights from the dash meagerly reflecting on him.

Callum waited until the white car disappeared from view, having memorized the plate number.

He parked. “Wait for me. Don’t get out.”

Hazel stayed in the truck and Callum opened the door for her, looking for the white car. Then he put his arm around her and walked with her to the front entrance. Inside, he turned to the glass doors and watched for a few minutes. The car didn’t reappear.

He heard Hazel ask for Detective Wilder and turned from the door. A short while later Kerry appeared from a hallway.

“Evie is looking at mugshots,” Kerry said. “I thought you both should have a look as well. Right this way.” She waved her hand in encouragement.

Callum followed Hazel and Kerry down a hall to an office where Evie was perched on a desk chair that all but swallowed her. Seeing her mother, she hopped down and ran over on her little legs.

“Mommy!”

Hazel picked her up for a hug. “Hi, sweetie. Did you have fun?”

“Yes. The artist is really good. He said he likes his job.” Her innocent eyes were wide with excitement.

“Oh, really?”

“And I looked at pictures of bad people.”

The kid would probably go down hard when Hazel put her to bed. Who needed sugar when you had such an active imagination? Evie definitely needed a lot of stimulation mentally. She would probably do great in school. He often wondered what his daughter would have been like. Who would she have been? What would her personality have been like? His personality or her mother’s?

Callum went over to Kerry and told her about the white car, glad for the distraction. She went to the computer where Evie had been “working” and must have navigated somewhere that would tell her about the car.

“Reported stolen this afternoon,” she said.

Damn. The stranger was being very careful. Callum didn’t like how he had followed them. He had found where Hazel lived. What if he found them at the inn? He felt enormous pressure to keep Hazel and Evie safe, more so than his usual clients. This seemed more personal.

Before that thought could cause him some heartburn, he went with Hazel to the computer, where Kerry brought up the mugshots. They spent about an hour going through those, but none of them looked familiar. They also couldn’t say with any certainty that any of those who had the same type of build might be a potential suspect. Evie’s assessment was their best shot at this point.

He’d been so consumed with protecting Hazel and Evie that he hadn’t asked Kerry about the progress of the investigation into his father’s shooting.

“Hey, have you gotten any further on finding Nan Gelman?” Nan was a nurse who’d been working on the maternity ward at Mustang Valley General Hospital the day Ace had been born—and swapped with another baby. Though the hospital’s records had burned, the Coltons were trying to track down Nan to find out what had happened that day.

Kerry made a disgruntled sound. “No. I found a Gelman living in Mountain Valley, but they aren’t related to Nan. No one in that family worked at the hospital.”

Maybe he’d see what he could dig up. “I might be able to help. My company has resources that you may not have access to.”

She brightened. “That would be great.”

“Detective Wilder?” Callum looked up and saw an officer in the doorway. “We have a body. It might be related to the near hit and run.”

Kerry indicated for Callum and Hazel to follow.

Hazel looked at Callum. “Evie should probably have a tour of the station or something.” She should not hear about a dead body.

An officer approached at Kerry’s gesture and Evie happily went off to resume her fun-filled day at the police station.

Callum and Hazel went into a conference room, where other detectives had gathered.

“Kerry’s here now,” the chief of police, Al Barco, said. Fifty-two, mostly bald and with a slight paunch, he had calm, kind green eyes, despite his commanding nature.

And a man started talking through the speakerphone on the long table. “Hi, Kerry. It’s Dane Howman.”

“Hey, Howman. What have you got for me?”

“A hiker found a body on the banks of a river a few miles from where Evie saw him put in the trunk. Preliminary forensics suggests the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. He had a wallet and an ID. It’s Nate Blurge.”

“I know that guy,” one of the other officers in the room said. “He’s a wild twenty-six-year-old, been arrested three times for drunk and disorderly conduct. Practically lives at Joe’s Bar and always gets into fights.”

“Could one of the people he crossed have killed him?” Hazel asked.

“That’s a possibility,” Kerry said. “It’s where we’ll start in the investigation.”

Hazel looked over at Callum and he could feel her worry. How long would the investigation take? How long would she have to be on high alert?

“I’ll find the killer as fast as I can so you and Evie can have your lives back,” Kerry said.

Hazel answered with a slight smile that was more of a silent thank-you than anything else. The reassurance didn’t alleviate the fear, and Callum’s determination to protect them with all the skill he’d gained over the years redoubled.

Rejoining Evie, Hazel flashed back to Callum’s reaction when she had asked him about his past relationships. Clearly something bad. It bothered her that he had trouble talking about something personal like that and also made her doubly curious.

Again, both she and Callum added what little information they could to the description of the killer. Right now her daughter was transfixed by Kerry’s badge.

“I’ve booked out one of the two-bedroom suites at the Dales Inn,” Callum said.

Hazel looked at him, startled. “You mean...you and me and...” In one suite? “I can’t afford that.”

“I can. Don’t worry.”

She kind of did worry, but she decided not to argue. Keeping Evie safe was most important to her. He put his hand over his chest. “I’m a bodyguard. Consider this a professional courtesy. No charge.” Now he opened his arms in offering, and oh, what an offering.

She stared at him for long seconds. “Oh, I don’t—”

Hazel felt some trepidation at staying with a man she had only just met. Nearly being killed had frightened her but this was all happening so fast. Her routine had been disrupted.

“Actually,” Detective Wilder said, removing her badge and handing it to Evie, who took it and felt the top, “Until we find Blurge’s killer, I think you should stay at the Dales Inn with Callum.”

More than one night? “I don’t—”

“I’ve already offered my services as a bodyguard,” Callum cut in again.

Hazel hesitated.

“You’re in good hands, Hazel. He is one of the best bodyguards in the country. His company is known for that. They have a solid reputation. You can trust him.”

That made her feel marginally better, but it seemed excessive. And with a stranger.

Bodyguard.

She supposed if she thought of him that way...

“You would be my bodyguard?” she asked him.

“Yours and Evie’s.”

Hazel glanced at Kerry, still uncertain but wavering. “He isn’t a policeman.” Callum might be six-three and solid muscle, but cops carried guns.

“He’s licensed to carry a firearm.” Kerry looked at Callum, who moved his jacket aside to reveal the gun in a hip holster.

When Hazel said nothing, just looked over at Evie, Kerry added, “There isn’t an officer in this department who wouldn’t vouch for him. He does work for a top personal protection agency. Really, I can’t say enough good about him.”

Hazel put her hand to her forehead. “This is so sudden.” She lowered her hand and looked at Evie. The sketch artist handed her a detective shield sticker, which put a big smile on her face. She peeled the back off the sticker and stuck it to the left side of her chest.

“Hey, Detective Evie.” Hazel went to her and crouched where she sat at Kerry’s desk. Evie beamed, no doubt imagining she was a detective and would go to work just now. “We’re going to stay at a hotel tonight. It’ll be a vacation.”

Evie nodded, looking at Kerry, who had put her badge back on, clearly distracted.