Colton's Christmas Cop
highlight_author
Karen Whiddon
highlight_reads
16,8K
highlight_chapters
17
A rookie cop's mistletoe mission. Layla Colton would do anything for her family's company โ even marry a man she doesn't love. But when she's framed for a crime she didn't commit, Layla has more to worry about than wedding bells. Officer Hunter Black and his K-9 companion are on the case. Can they rescue Layla from the deadly shadows threatening to engulf Red Ridge?
Chapter 1
Layla Colton ran the numbers one final time. No doubt about itโthis sale would send Colton Energyโs stock through the roof, which would definitely help their sagging bottom line.
It was well after midnight, and the November dark outside carried the chill of winter. Everyone else in the building had gone home hours ago, but Layla considered her office her sanctuary, while the lavish condo where she actually lived felt more like an impersonal hotel room than anything else. She only went there to sleep, shower and eat, preferring to spend as much time as possible here, in her corner office on the executive floor of her fatherโs company.
Stifling a yawn, she rubbed the back of her aching neck. She needed to straighten up her desk and head home to catch a few hoursโ sleep before coming back in the morning.
As she tidied up, her private line rang, the single, long buzz that indicated an internal call. She pressed the button for Speaker, curiosity warring with impatience. โYes?โ
โSecurity here, maโam. I have a couple officers from Red Ridge Police Department asking to see you.โ
To see her? At nearly one oโclock in the morning? Had something happened to one of her cousins, many of whom worked at the RRPD as K9 officers? Laylaโs stomach twisted, and she took a deep gulp of air to help her stay calm.
โSend them up,โ she ordered, careful that her cool tone betrayed none of her trepidation. Sheโd learned the hard way what a mistake it could be to display the tiniest bit of weakness. There would always be someone watching and waiting for the chance to take her down.
Two uniformed officers appeared in her doorway a few minutes later. A third stood a few feet behind them. โCome in,โ she said, her gaze searching first one face and then the others.
โLayla Colton?โ the taller of the two asked.
Words failed her, so she simply nodded.
โYouโre under arrest for stalking, threatening and harassing Mark Hatton.โ
โWhat?โ Flabbergasted, she briefly lost her tenuous grip on her refusal to be ruffled. โHave you lost your mind?โ Mark Hatton worked for her, first as a junior analyst and then as a salesman. Sheโd regretted hiring him due to his sloppy work and questionable ethics and had begun keeping detailed documentation as a prelude to letting him go.
โIโm afraid not, maโam.โ The second officer stepped forward with handcuffs. โWe have evidence. Emails in your name, texts from your phone number making sexual advances and threatening him when he turned you down.โ The disgust in his voice would have made a lesser woman cringe.
โThatโs impossible,โ she began.
โIs it?โ he cut her off. โTell it to the judge. Itโs not only women who are victims, you know. You rich people always think you can get away with anything. Well, not this time.โ
A silent scream formed in the back of her throat. No. This couldnโt be happening. Not to her, not now. Sheโd never threatened anyone a day in her life. And as for making sexual advances to a man like Mark, even the thought made bile rise in her throat. Lies. They were all lies. โI need to call my lawyer,โ she said.
โYouโll be afforded the opportunity to do that later.โ
She barely listened as they read her rights and stood wooden while they cuffed her like a criminal, the metal cold and hard around her wrists. Still numb, she kept her chin up and her shoulders back as she allowed them to hustle her from her office, down the marble hall, through the lobby and out into the frigid night air to the waiting patrol car. The security officer stood at his desk and watched it all, wide-eyed and clearly stunned.
This would all be on video. There were cameras mounted both inside the building and out. Her father would see. Anyone could see, including Hamlin, her fiancรฉ. He might even decide to make the temporary hiatus theyโd placed on their business deal of an engagement a permanent thing. She wouldnโt mind personally, but her father would. They needed Hamlin Harringtonโs money to shore up Colton Energy.
What a mess. Her blood felt as icy as the northern wind. She wasnโt a foolโone couldnโt be a female executive in a mostly male industry without making a few enemies. But this? Trumped-up charges that would sound ridiculous to anyone who knew her?
She could only hope word of this wasnโt leaked to the press. Sheโd be crucified before she even had a chance to defend herself. Tears stung the backs of her eyes, and she furiously blinked them away. Once again, she felt like that little girl who, no matter what she did, couldnโt manage to make her father proud. Even at age thirty-one, she never could seem to make herself stop trying. Sheโd even agreed to marry a man she didnโt love, just because her father wanted her to.
Sheโd worked so hard to stay above reproach, and now this insanity. While she had no doubt sheโd get this straightened out, it would take time. During which her reputation would be trashed and the multiple deals she had in the works as executive vice president of Colton Energy could fail. She needed those dealsโthey needed them and their stock to rise. Why would Mark Hatton make false accusations that could jeopardize the company he worked for? If Colton Energy went under, heโd lose his job along with all the others. As would she.
To Layla, working for the family business was more than just employment. Her job, the company, was her entire life. Without it, she had no idea what sheโd do.
The drive to the Red Ridge police station seemed to take forever. She ran over a hundred different scenarios in her mind, discarding each one. She had to get this straightened out before her father learned of it.
Finally, they pulled up to the back of the building. The place where she suspected they brought people in to book them. Embarrassment flooded her, even though sheโd done nothing to be ashamed about.
โCome with me,โ the tall officer said, helping her from the back of the car. He took her arm and led her, still handcuffed, inside.
Due to the lateness of the hour, the squad room seemed deserted. Only a skeleton crew worked these hours, apparently. Lucky for her, as that meant fewer people to stare. She wasnโt particularly close with any of her cousins on the force, even the chief of the K9 unit.
โIโd like my phone call now,โ she announced, trying to keep her tone cheery and optimistic.
The officer barely even glanced at her. โNot yet. Iโll let you know when.โ
โLayla? Layla Colton?โ
She froze. She knew that voice. Hunter Black. Heโd been a VP at Colton Energyโand one of her fatherโs favoritesโwhen heโd abruptly quit to attend the police academy so he could work in law enforcement. Though at least eighteen months had passed since Hunterโs departure, her father still occasionally mentioned him, mocking his decision as unwise. Police officers only made a third of the salary Hunter had pulled in as an executive.
โHunter.โ Slowly she turned, keeping her face expressionless. As before, a buzz of awareness skittered across her skin at the sight of him. He still wore his reddish-brown hair the same way, kind of spiky. And his bright blue eyes still crinkled at the corners.
Of course his gaze immediately went to her bound wrists. โWhy are you in cuffs? Are you under arrest?โ He glared at the officer still holding her arm. โWhat the hell is going on?โ
Though she kept her shoulders back as the two officers filled Hunter in, she braced herself for Hunterโs reaction. Heโd made no secret of his distaste for everyone and everything to do with Colton Energy before heโd left. The other executives had joked about how he certainly knew how to burn his bridges.
To her shock, after hearing her charges, Hunter looked pissed. Not at her. He glared at his coworkers. โWhy was I kept in the dark about this?โ he demanded. โIs it because I used to work with her?โ
One of the men shrugged. The other nodded. โWe couldnโt take a chance on you trying to influence our investigation.โ
Judging from the rigid set of Hunterโs jaw, he didnโt appreciate that statement at all.
โNow if you donโt mind, we need to book her.โ
โKnock yourself out,โ Hunter replied. To Laylaโs disappointment, he turned and started to walk away. But heโd barely taken a few steps when he spun back around. โLet me see your evidence.โ
The first officer jerked his chin toward the other. โShow him.โ
Handing Hunter a manila folder, the second guy grinned. โIโll need that back when youโre finished with it.โ
Grim faced, Hunter walked away, folder in hand.
After sheโd been fingerprinted and booked, Layla was finally allowed to call her lawyer. Luckily, since she dealt with legal matters constantly as part of her job, she had his number memorized.
Once heโd answeredโsounding groggy since sheโd no doubt woken himโshe filled him in as succinctly as possible. He promised to head to the police station right away, and she ended the call.
โNow what?โ she asked the officer standing guard.
โNow you go to the holding cell with all the other women weโve brought in tonight,โ he said.
โAnd then what?โ
โYou wait.โ
Hunter hadnโt been prepared for his reaction at seeing Layla Colton again. In the time since heโd left Colton Energy, heโd gone out of his way to avoid her, and not only because sheโd reminded him of all the things one could do to sell their soul for personal gain.
She was beautiful, in a remote, detached sort of way. Heโd constantly fought the urge to see if he could make her smile, mainly because the few times she had, she went from beautiful to stunning. But sheโd smiled less and less, probably because her father had never let up on his constant badgering of her.
Hunter didnโt understand it. Layla worked harder than anyone else in the company, including the old man himself. Yet as far as Fenwick Colton was concerned, she was borderline incompetent, incapable of doing anything right, probably because she was his daughter rather than his son. Anyone else would have left a long time ago. But not Layla. Like the proverbial hamster on the never-ending wheel, she kept at it, determined to succeed at an impossible task.
By the time Hunter had quit, he actually felt sorry for her. Didnโt like her, but pitied her.
Thumbing through the pages, Hunter rapidly reached the conclusion that this case was 99 percent bogus. Mark Hatton, the former analyst and now junior salesman, claimed Layla Colton had sexually harassed and threatened him. There was no way. No way in hell.
He read the text messages purported to be from Layla to Mark in disbelief. Supposedly, sheโd gone from flirty to threatening. There were several suggestive photos Mark claimed sheโd texted him at midnight. Layla posed in lingerie, looking sexy as hell. Privately, Hunter thought no red-blooded male could fail to react to these. But he found the idea ludicrous that Layla, who not only was known around the office as the ice princess, but also was engaged to one of the richest men in the state, would have sent these to a junior staffer.
No matter was else she might be, Layla Colton wasnโt stupid. Far from it. And any woman who looked like her knew there were a hundred other ways to find a man willing to be your bed partner.
Though Hunter hadnโt been a police officer for long, heโd learned years ago to trust his gut instinct. And right now, everything within him said Layla was being set up. Why, he didnโt know.
Yet.
He watched as they marched her off to the holding cell, wondering how sheโd do in there with the drunks and the prostitutes. Judging from what heโd seen in the time heโd worked with her, sheโd survive.
Still, for whatever reason, he didnโt like the idea of her being arrested.
Instead of trying to figure out why Laylaโs arrest affected him so strongly, he read the report again. Objectively, it seemed like a strong case. Rather than he said / she said, Mark Hatton had backed it up with compelling evidence. He had not only the text messages, but numerous emails sent from her company computer. He even had security camera footage from his home, showing Layla standing on his doorstep, ringing the bell. When he hadnโt answered, Layla left a large envelope on the porch, tucked behind a potted plant, and walked away.
If Hunter didnโt know Layla the way one does from working with her for three years, he would have closed the file and walked away. After all, she had money and connections and would most likely settle out of court, her reputation untarnished.
Then the station phones started ringing. Someone had leaked the story.
By the time Laylaโs attorney arrived, two news vans were parked in front of the police station. Both had come from Sioux Falls. Whoever had tipped them off had wasted no time. Hunter had a hunch it had been Mark Hatton.
Checking his watch, Hunter swore. Time to go home and let his dog out, plus catch a few hours of shut-eye. But he didnโt want to leave until he saw what happened with Layla. While he thought she was the epitome of everything wrong with the corporate world, sheโd always been kind to him. She didnโt deserve this, especially since he felt positive sheโd done nothing wrong.
โWhatโs going on?โ he asked Tim Lakely, one of the officers whoโd brought her in. Though Lakely wasnโt on the K9 team, Hunter knew him well.
โSheโs still in with her attorney,โ Lakely replied, his expression disgusted. โAnd they must have called in Judge Kugen, because he just showed up. And he doesnโt look happy. Of course she gets special treatment since sheโs a rich Colton.โ
Hunter followed the direction of the other manโs gaze. Judge Roy Kugen sat in one of the uncomfortable metal chairs that dotted the room. Suspect chairs, though occasionally they were used by citizens wishing to file a report. The judge had clearly been roused from bed, at least if his disheveled gray hair was any indication. He also appeared to be wearing plaid pajama pants under his heavy coat, though heโd had enough foresight to put on a pair of boots.
The lawyer appeared, some hotshot corporate attorney from Sioux Falls, and asked the judge if heโd mind coming with him. Roy pushed to his feet and they vanished inside the conference room.
Lakely shook his head. โOne more example of how rich people get away with everything. If Layla Colton was just a regular person, sheโd be spending the night here and be arraigned in the morning. But no, she got Judge Kugen to come to her so she could go home tonight.โ
โI canโt say I blame her,โ Hunter said, in the interest of fairness. โYou know if you were in the same position, youโd do the same thing.โ
Rolling his eyes, Lakely muttered under his breath and stomped away.
A few minutes later, Judge Kugen appeared again. He glanced around the virtually empty squad room until his gaze landed on Hunter. โHere,โ the judge said, thrusting a sheaf of papers at him. โIโve waived bail and weโre letting Ms. Colton go on her own recognizance. These will be filed with the court in the morning. Those are your copies.โ
Accepting the papers, Hunter nodded. โIโll make sure the officers working this case get these.โ
โYou do that.โ Judge Kugen narrowed his eyes. โI sure as hell hope youโve got an airtight case. People like the Colton family donโt take kindly to being arrested under false accusations.โ
Since he privately agreed, Hunter simply nodded.
Once the judge had left, the attorney stuck his head out the door. โAre you Hunter Black?โ
โI am.โ
โMs. Colton would like a word with you,โ the guy said.
Summoned. Just like she thought he still worked for her. Hunter briefly debated declining, but in the end, he headed for the conference room. Call it curiosity or call it compassion, but he truly wanted to hear what Layla Colton had to say.
When he entered the room, she raised her gaze to his, her long-lashed blue eyes troubled. Her platinum blond hair swung, settling back into place.
โIโll leave you two alone,โ the attorney said, grabbing his briefcase from the table. โMs. Colton, do you need anything else from me?โ
โNo, I donโt think so,โ she said, her normally cool voice sounding a bit shaky. โThank you, Anthony.โ
With a brusque nod, the lawyer left, closing the door behind him.
She tucked a strand of her silky hair behind her ear, clearly waiting for Hunter to speak first. Instead, he studied her. Her tailored suit and silk blouse meant sheโd most likely been arrested at work. At this hour of the morning? Heโd heard she was a workaholic, but still.
Suffering his perusal in silence, she finally sighed. โWonโt you please sit down?โ
Instead, he jammed his hands in his pockets. โWhatโs going on, Layla? Itโs late and I really need to get home.โ
At his words, her icy composure crumbled. She covered her face with her hands so he wouldnโt see her weep.
Damn. He seriously went to pieces when a woman cried.
โHey, now,โ he said, awkwardly patting her shoulder. โItโs going to be okay.โ
โIs it?โ When she raised her face, her perfectly applied mascara had run, sending black streaks down her face. She angrily tried to wipe them away and only succeeded in smearing sooty color all over her face. She looked, he thought, like a bedraggled raccoon. He actually liked this Layla better than the icy tycoon.
Resigned now, he pulled out a chair. โTell me exactly whatโs going on.โ
She did, replaying what sheโd been toldโbasically what Lakely had told him earlier. โI just donโt understand how anyone could honestly believe Iโd sexually harass someone like Mark Hatton.โ She shuddered. โOr anyone, for that matter. You know me. You worked with me. I took care to keep my conduct businesslike, above reproach.โ
โYes, you did.โ He leaned forward. โBut what about the text messages? The photos?โ
Though she blushed, she didnโt look away. โI never sent them. Those two cops who arrested me confiscated my phone or Iโd show you. Iโm being set up, though I have no idea why.โ
โSomeone with a grudge against Colton Energy?โ he gently pointed out. After all, it wasnโt like the company didnโt have enemies.
Again, her expression went from glum to miserable. โI... I donโt know.โ
He wasnโt sure if she was telling the truth or not. But then, he wasnโt surprised. The entire time heโd worked there, everyone had known Colton Energy was Laylaโs life. Whether she turned a blind eye or just didnโt know about her fatherโs shady business deals, he had no idea. Certainly, few in town even suspected the true nature of Fenwick Colton. After all, theyโd elected the man their mayor.
The uncomfortable thought hit him. If sheโd lie about this, then who knew what else sheโd do? โLayla,โ he asked gently. โDid you proposition and then threaten Mark Hatton? I know it can get lonely at the top.โ
She recoiled, her expression aghast. โNo. I most certainly did not. I swear to you on the lives of my family that I didnโt send those texts, emails or photos. Iโm being set up.โ
Unimpressed, he continued to study her. โSwear to me on your job, on Colton Energy.โ In other words, what truly was the most important thing to her.
Hurt flashed across her face, but she lifted her chin and swore again, exactly how heโd asked.
He nodded, satisfied. โNow I know youโre telling the truth.โ
โWhy did you quit, Hunter?โ she asked, surprising him. โYou were well regarded and performed your job duties well. And we paid you an excellent salary. Yet you gave notice without even the prospect of another job offer. When we heard youโd signed up for the police academy, we were surprised, to say the least.โ
How to tell someone that the life theyโd chosen for herself was one he found abhorrent? Corporate greed and lies, constantly wondering if the things he was asked to do skirted the border of legality...
โWorking in law enforcement had been a longtime dream of mine,โ he said. Then, deciding the time had come to change the subject and wrap things up, he checked his watch. โDo you want to call someone, maybe your fiancรฉ, to come and get you?โ
โNo. My engagement is currently on hold, like everyone elseโs in this town,โ she replied. She had a point. With some crazed serial killer going around murdering grooms right before their wedding day, just about every scheduled wedding had been postponed.
โAnd to tell you the truth,โ she continued, โIโm afraid if Hamlin finds out about these charges, heโll end the engagement for good.โ
She looked so miserable at the prospect, his heart went out to her.
โCome on, then,โ he said, making an instant decision. โLet me run you home. Itโs on my way, so it wonโt be any trouble.โ
โWhat about the news vans?โ She pointed toward the front of the police station. โIs there any way we can avoid them?โ
Eyeing her, in her tailored suit and heels, he considered. โWeโll go out the back and take my squad car, but I wouldnโt be surprised if they donโt have someone watching that exit, too. Itโd be better if you had a disguise.โ
โI donโt.โ
โI might be able to come up with something,โ he replied.
โPlease tell me youโre not planning on raiding the police lost and found.โ She shuddered. โNo one knows where those things have been.โ
He couldnโt help but laugh. โI wasnโt, but thatโs an idea. No, I keep a clean change of clothes here in case I have to spend the night. These uniforms arenโt the most comfortable to sleep in.โ
To his astonishment, she blushed. โOh. But I donโt think your clothes will fit me. At all.โ
โWeโll figure out a way to make do. Come on, follow me.โ He led the way down the hall, toward an area marked Employees Only. They went through the double doors and into a large room filled with lockers. From his locker, he retrieved a flannel shirt, a pair of sweatpants and socks. Heโd even stuffed back a pair of old snow boots. โHere.โ He handed everything to her. โThe bathroom is right there. Put these on.โ
Eyeing the folded bundle dubiously, nevertheless, she did as he asked. When she emerged a few moments later, he felt like heโd just been punched in the stomach. His plaid flannel shirt hung down to her knees. Sheโd gotten creative and rolled his sweatpants up so they didnโt drag on the floor. Sheโd gathered the excess waistband to one side and held it in her small hand. And she struggled to walk in snow boots that were clearly several sizes too large for her.
She looked like misfortune had guided her clothing choice, as if she were a homeless vagabond wearing whatever she could find in order to stay warm.
And she looked, he thought, while struggling to catch his breath, sexy as hell.
Dizzy with a sudden rush of desire, he tried to regain his equilibrium.
This Layla Colton spelled trouble. Not just for him, he figured, not wanting to make of it any more than he had to. Hell, the intriguing contrast between super-sleek, buttoned-up Layla the executive and this one would catch the attention of any man with a lick of sense. He couldnโt gather his scattered thoughts enough to speak a single coherent word. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep from focusing on her lush lips and how badly he wanted to kiss them.
Luckily, he wasnโt likely to ever see her looking like this ever again.
โHere.โ He handed her a baseball cap and his down parka. โPut these on and weโll head out. I donโt think anyone would recognize you now.โ
He was right. If there were reporters stationed at the back of the building, he couldnโt tell. Which meant he could get her out of there without any undue attention. She got in his patrol car and they drove away unnoticed.
