Her Lawman Protector

“And, Talbott?” The chief’s voice grew firm.

“Sir?”

“Stay close to her, but you don’t have permission to cross any lines.”

“Lines, such as...” Jack was pretty sure he knew what the chief meant, but some things were safer to spell out in case they had different ideas of where that line started.

“No romantic entanglement. It’s easy to bend the rules when you’re undercover, and I don’t want that happening here. I want this clean. Don’t give their defense lawyers any gifts, you hear me?”

Jack was more professional than that, and this wasn’t his first undercover operation as a detective, even though it was his first for internal investigations. This was his chance to nab a spot tracking down the dirty cops—something he’d wanted since he was a kid in the projects, watching cops plant evidence.

This felt eerily similar—using planted scare tactics to nab a suspect. Back in the projects, he’d seen the cops who were supposed to protect a community tear it apart—his own cousin had done jail time for a possession conviction based on planted evidence. But that had been different. Berto had been an innocent kid, and the cops who were planting evidence were being paid off by the big drug dealers to divert suspicion away from them. They had to “catch” someone now and again so it looked like they were doing their job. Berto had never been the same again when he got out of prison. When he’d finally pulled himself together, he’d joined a gang, solidifying his life in crime. And Jack had vowed to make it right—get the cretins who’d done this to his cousin.

So while he might find the suspect attractive, he wasn’t foolish enough to get emotionally involved with her. This was a search for evidence and a chance to even the scales a little bit. He was firmly on the side of the boys in blue.

“Loud and clear, sir. Strictly professional.”

“Good luck.”

As Jack headed out of the precinct, he felt a combination of relief and adrenaline. This was a job, and adrenaline always kicked in when he was getting to work, but he was also relieved to be finally heading in there. This wasn’t personal, but the sooner they started, the sooner they could suss out the extent of this scam and lay charges. There were a lot of vulnerable people whose investments and livelihoods might rely on it.

It didn’t take Jack long to arrive at Hylton Books, and he hopped out of his cruiser and headed around to the front door. Liv must have been watching for him, because she met him at the door and opened it before he had a chance to knock.

“Hi,” she said, backing up to let him in. “It’s on the counter.”

She nodded in the direction of the small box, but she didn’t go closer.

“I talked to the chief before I came,” Jack said, heading for the box and taking the required look. He knew what he’d find—the chief had shown it to him that morning.

“What did the chief say?” she asked, her voice low.

“He said that you need protection round the clock until we sort this out. I’ve been assigned to you.” He put the box back down on the counter, keeping it within her line of sight. She was silent for a moment.

“Jack, why was it addressed to Mrs. Kornekewsky?” she asked. “Whatever this is, it has to do with Evan. I just don’t see how.”

“Maybe Evan was up to something,” Jack said.

“He’s a fellow cop, Jack! That’s where you go first thing?” She shook her head. “Evan is a cheating louse, but he’s still one of the good guys. As much as I hate to admit that.”

Yeah. Jack wasn’t so convinced. And “good guy” was a strong description for the husband who’d dumped her.

“It’s pretty clear that this has to do with Evan. You might not like that, but it’s true. And you used to be married to him, so—”

He wanted to solidify that fact in her mind right now—this had everything to do with her ex-husband. Maybe she’d be more forthcoming with information if they didn’t waste time dancing around that one.

“So someone is mad at Evan—” She shook her head. “Everyone in town knows about my divorce. It’s the juiciest news Eagle’s Rest has had for the last year. Why target me?”

“Is there anything you can think of that might connect him to this town?” he asked.

“Besides this building? I told you we bought it together. His name was on the deed until he signed it over to me.”

Now wasn’t the time to cross-examine her. He needed her trust, and right now she was spooked, but she wouldn’t be dumb enough to incriminate herself.

“Liv, we have time,” he said with a shake of his head. He pulled an evidence bag from his pocket and dropped the box into it. “I’ll stick with you for the next couple of weeks, so that we don’t have to worry about your safety, and we’ll figure this out.”

“What do you mean, stick with me?”

“What does it sound like?” He shot her a mildly annoyed look. “You want to face off with a stalker alone?”

“No!” She pulled her auburn hair out of her face. “But I told my aunt about the letters, and she’s convinced it must be a joke. I have to admit, I was, too, but she invited me to a family thing tonight. If I show up with a police escort—”

“That might be for the best,” he interjected.

“What?” She frowned. “The gossip? The drama?”

“That they assume it’s just a practical joke,” he replied. “We need to catch whoever is fixated on you, not just chase them off for a few weeks. You won’t be able to breathe easy until this is resolved for good.”

“That’s true,” she agreed. “And my family all panicking about it won’t help matters.”

“Bingo.” He smiled ruefully. “So what if we let them minimize this for a while? Let them brush it off, and we can focus on figuring it all out.”

“And how exactly do I explain a bodyguard?” she retorted. “No offense, but even in plain clothes, you don’t blend in.”

He raised one eyebrow. This was why the chief had warned him earlier—his ability to stay close enough to gather evidence relied on a balancing act of his own. “So don’t explain me.”

“They’ll assume that you’re my boyfriend if you come tagging along to family events and whatnot. Unless you’re only planning on being here at the store...or will you keep at a distance? What’s the plan here?”

Liv met his gaze easily, her expression full of questions. She wasn’t about to be passive in any of this, not that he’d expected her to. She was smart, and she wanted to know what she was dealing with, too.

“How about this,” Jack said. “Let them assume I’m a boyfriend. I’ll be a perfect gentleman, so no need to worry about anything. That way, I can stay close enough to make sure you stay safe and to keep an eye on the people closest to you.”

“You think my family is involved?” she asked incredulously.

“Frankly, Liv, I don’t know what to think. But I’m not taking any chances.”

Liv sighed. “So you’ll be with me 24/7? You do realize that I other have family events. My cousin Rick is getting married later this month, for example. Are you seriously wanting to tag along for all of that?”

“If I were some nut looking to hurt you, I’d wait until you were alone,” he replied quietly. “My goal is make sure that person never gets the chance.”

She looked away from him, and her cheeks pinkened. “And at night?”

“You have a couch, don’t you?” he asked.

“I do.”

“I know this isn’t comfortable,” he said. He didn’t offer any follow-up on that statement, because he didn’t really want to give her a way out. His investigation would be most effective if he had a view into her personal life.

“No, it isn’t,” she admitted. “But neither is being stalked, or whatever this is. So I suppose we’d better make the best of it.”