One Man To Protect Them

One Man To Protect Them
Suzanne Cox

With no one else in Cypress Landing to turn to, Jayden Miller is forced to put her life and the lives of her two nephews in Luke Taylor's hands. But how can she possibly trust him–when the public defender is clearly working for a militant group? He's also the lawyer who successfully defended the man responsible for her sister's death.She has countless reasons to hate Luke, and yet she finds herself drawn to him.Luke doesn't blame Jayden for doubting him. But when the young boys are threatened, his ties to the Militia might be the only thing that can keep them out of danger. He doesn't get to choose his clients, but he can choose whose side he's on.However, when it comes to falling in love, Luke has absolutely no say in the matter…

One Man to Protect Them

Suzanne Cox

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

To Justin for giving me the confidence to chase my

dreams. It’s a two-edged sword, I know!

To my mom and mother-in-law

for being my biggest fans.

To the FNGs—you guys are the best.

Where would I be without you!!

To my Bogalusa buddies—we may not win the

lottery but we’ll sure have fun trying.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER ONE

HER SNEAKERS WET WITH DEW, Jayden lengthened her stride to catch up with Kasey, as the German shepherd bounded into the underbrush, nose to the leaves. Combing the woods for a dead body had become their assignment by default. With the early-morning ringing of the phone while it was still pitch-black outside, Jayden had been inducted into Cypress Landing’s volunteer search-and-rescue team. “Volunteer” being the operative word. Coercion would have been more apt. She hadn’t bothered to ask how Sheriff Wright had heard about Kasey’s talents. Small town, no secrets—she had to keep reminding herself. She’d likely been the topic of conversation even before she’d finally returned home. Estranged hometown girl returns from life in city. She ground her teeth. No time to dwell on that now.

Kasey darted past the massive trunk of an old oak. Damn old Joe Gifford for giving her the cadaver dog and getting her involved in this kind of gruesome insanity. Now, two years later, Joe had passed away, she’d left California, and Kasey was the only thing she had left from her previous life. She thrust aside the damp huckleberry bush, still hanging on to its tiny green leaves. A second flashlight cut an arc beside hers.

“Got anything yet?”

She shook her head. Deputy Fontenot was worried. She couldn’t so much see it in the predawn darkness, as she could feel it leaking from his pores right into her own skin. Or maybe blaming her feelings on Pete was her own desperate attempt to remain calm. Just then Kasey pawed at something, then sat on the ground, whining between his low-key barks. When she reached him, she ruffled his red-and-black coat. “Looks like this might be it.”

Pete gripped her by the shoulder, and she shivered in her long-sleeve T-shirt.

“It’s not your fault.”

“If I’d reported him missing sooner we might not be standing here now.” She hadn’t seen Eric Walsh for a week. This wasn’t how she’d hoped to find him.

“I wouldn’t have thought it strange that a grown man wasn’t home for a few days. Plenty of folks wouldn’t have reported it yet.”

The yellow cone of his light flashed on the ground as Pete keyed his radio and spoke to some faraway dispatcher. Jayden took a few deep breaths and hoped it wasn’t her tenant buried at their feet.

“They’re coming,” Pete said, readjusting his radio. “But it may be nothing. These leaves are pretty tamped down, and I don’t see any fresh earth.”

“Kasey wouldn’t have made a hit if it was nothing.”

“Maybe it’s a dead animal.”

“He doesn’t identify dead animals, only people.”