Protective Custody Read online

  Protective Custody

  By Wynter Daniels

  Witness to a murder, but no one will believe her…

  Shocked by the brutal crime she witnesses through the window of her small office, Megan Jackson calls the police and is devastated when they question the truth of her story. With no body and no evidence of a crime, she’s written off as a nutcase.

  Megan suspects the killer saw her face. Terrified, she calls the only person she can trust—her ex-boyfriend and former police officer, Will McCoy.

  Despite a devastating breakup, Will jumps at the chance to help the woman who broke his heart. When the killer ramps up the stakes, Will is forced to take her into hiding—where the passion they once shared reignites, deeper and hotter than ever. But can Will keep Megan alive long enough to win back her heart?

  56,000 words

  May 2011

  Dear Reader,

  I’ve always loved May, because it heralds the beginning of one of my favorite seasons—beach season! I’m fortunate to live close to the Atlantic Ocean, so every year in May, I start dreaming about the sound of waves on the sand, dolphins swimming off the coast, and me, lying in a comfortable beach chair, with a frosty beverage in one hand and my eReader in the other. Part of the fun is, of course, planning what I’m going to load onto the eReader for my beach adventures.

  This month of Carina Press releases has provided me with plenty of reading material for my upcoming beach days—not that I’ll be able to wait that long to read them (I do get sneak peek copies in advance, after all). So, with everything from fantasy, to mystery, to contemporary, historical and paranormal romance, it doesn’t matter what I’m in the mood for, Carina Press has something to help me while away the time until I can make my beach dreams a reality.

  I’m especially happy to introduce new novelists Maureen Miller, and her romantic suspense, Endless Night, and Diane Dooley with Blue Galaxy, a science fiction romance that’s out of this world (sorry, I couldn’t resist going for the corny joke). Of course, we also have several return authors as well, with sequels you want to be sure not to miss, including Tangled Past by Leah Braemel, South of Salem from Janni Nell, Portrait of Seduction by Carrie Lofty, Maria Zannini’s Apocalypse Rising and Three Wishes from Jenny Schwartz.

  These books are only a sampling of the tremendous lineup we have for May, so I hope you’ll be sure to take a look at all of the releases, as well as taking advantage of the weekly sales offered on the Carina Press website. And whatever you choose to read, may it help take you one step closer to your own summer getaway!

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to [email protected]. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

  www.facebook.com/carinapress

  Dedication

  In loving memory of my grandmother, Gizella Wells, who spoiled me, loved me unconditionally and helped shape me into the person I am today.

  Acknowledgments

  To my agent, Jill Marsal—thank you for believing in my voice.

  Sincere thanks to my editor Kym Hinton for your excruciating attention to detail, your infinite patience and all you’ve taught me about being a better writer.

  Contents

  Copyright

  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

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  “Watch out for ghosts and goblins. It’s awfully dark out there.” Megan’s new client tipped his chin toward the glass door in the reception area. “I’ll wait for you. I don’t mind.”

  Megan glanced at the clock and inwardly groaned. Almost 9:00 p.m., no sense holding him up any longer. “Go home. I’ll be fine, thanks. I bet your kids are still up and want to show you all the loot they got trick-or-treating.”

  She shook his hand and waved as he left. With the onset of snowbird season just around the corner, extended workdays were becoming the norm. She’d been at the office nearly twelve hours, finalizing leases, taking calls, showing property and writing up this last-minute listing, and she still had to shut down the computers and the copy machine.

  Her growling stomach reminded her she’d worked through lunch, so she snatched a few pieces of candy corn from the bowl on her secretary’s desk. Maybe the shot of sugar would give her the jolt she needed to finish up. The sooner she got home, the sooner she could grab dinner and put her feet up.

  After shutting off the electronics and the lights, she entered her office and reached for the pull cord on the miniblinds, mindful of the paper skeleton hanging from it, but movement in the storefront across the street stilled her hand. The building had been vacant for months, since the gift shop had moved to the mall, but there were definitely two people in the display window—a man and woman. She leaned closer for a better look, and her breath fogged the glass.

  The woman was young, maybe the man’s daughter. No, her skin was darker than his, perhaps Asian. He had thick dark hair and was tall and bulky. His back was to her, but there was no disguising the vicious slap he dealt the woman’s face or the brute force he used to yank her long dark hair, jerking her head sideways. The woman backed away, shaking her head. He smacked her again, and she stumbled backward, covering her face.

  Bastard. Megan gritted her teeth. She should march over there and stop him, but getting in the middle of a lovers’ quarrel or family spat could be dangerous. Her ex-boyfriend had the battle scars to prove that interrupting a domestic assault could be dicey, even for professionals. No, she should call the police. Will would know what to do.

  She turned and picked up the phone on her desk but stopped when the man closed his hands around the woman’s neck, strangling her. The woman cowered and struggled to escape.

  Megan banged on the glass. Oh God, no. Couldn’t be.

  The woman punched and pummeled him, but her slim frame was no match for his bulky strength and broad shoulders. Her strikes didn’t faze him.

  Megan pressed closer to the window, unable to look away, transfixed by the terror in the woman’s dark eyes.

  The woman shook violently, flailing her arms, fighting for her life.

  Oh my God! I have to help her.

  Megan’s hands trembled, and she dropped the handset. She couldn’t tear herself away from the gruesome spectacle.

  The woman’s movements slowed, and her head leaned at an unnatural angle to her shoulder. He must have broken her neck. She went limp, slumped against him, then slid down the man’s side and dropped to the floor, out of sight.

  Megan gasped.

  “No!” Frozen in disbelief, she clutched the windowsill. The killer looked over his shoulder toward her, only for a moment, as if checking for witnesses.

  She hid behind the window frame, afraid to move, afraid not to. Had he seen her?

  Call the police!

  Megan chanced a peek from the edge of the window. Shouts erupted as a long line of witches and cat people and princesses marched down the street, carrying pillowcases and pumpkin-shaped baskets. The trick-or-treaters blocked her view of the murder scene.

  The murder!

  A sickening chill slithered down her spine. She tried to see around the group, but it wa
s no use. After they passed, the window was empty. She shuddered at the memory of the terrified woman’s face, her lifeless body.

  Do something!

  She bent to retrieve the phone. The electronic chime from the reception area dinged, reminding her she hadn’t locked the front door.

  Now the killer was after her. All the air sucked out of her lungs.

  Footsteps advanced slowly, louder and louder. Get out!

  The creaky floorboards just outside her door warned her the intruder was moments away from discovering her. Gathering her strength, she yanked open the back door, jumped down the steps and raced toward the lakefront, the same way the trick-or-treaters had gone.

  They’d long since disappeared, and eerie quiet filled the air. The only sounds were the kabooming of her heart as she ran as fast as her legs would allow and the heavy footfalls that followed her, pounding on the old wooden steps to the asphalt.

  Run!

  She barely managed to gulp in air as she sprinted. Maybe there’d be late-night revelers still out. Hadn’t some of her tenants complained about local teenagers hanging out at the lakefront?

  Please let there be someone.

  Veering around a smashed pumpkin, she managed not to slip on the chunks. She said a silent prayer to maintain her strength. Thank goodness for all the morning workouts she’d sweat through. She kept going, past a deserted house, her thoughts focused on escaping the person chasing her.

  A few houses dotted the nearby lakeshore, but all were dark, probably rentals that wouldn’t be occupied until the snowbirds came south next month. Hell, a few of them were her rentals, but her keys were back in the office.

  As she neared the water’s edge, she spied a squatty palm and ducked into its generous shadow to scan the area. She drew a relieved sigh to find the street empty.

  I have to call the police. Will.

  She’d just witnessed a murder and now the killer was after her.

  Something moved in the grass behind her, and she whipped around. The area was as silent as a secret and completely deserted. She could leave the shelter the tree provided, but what if he was lurking nearby? Surely he wouldn’t just go away. She hadn’t seen his face. Any bulky man with thick, dark hair could be the killer.

  Suddenly a bright beam of light blinded her.

  He’d found her. She flattened herself against the tree and shielded her eyes.

  “What are you doing here?” a booming male voice asked, then paused. “Megan?” He turned the flashlight on his face. Eli Stanton, a competitor who owned several vacation homes in the area. Thank God it wasn’t the killer. He offered her a hand. “Are you okay?”

  She let out the breath she’d been holding and, with it, some of the tension from her neck and shoulders. “I will be. I need to use your phone. Right away.” She let him help her off the mulch-covered tree bed.

  “I thought you were an intruder or something. What’s going on? Are you spying on the competition?”

  “For God’s sake, Eli. Someone was chasing me.”

  He rubbed his chin, giving her the once-over. “Can’t blame me for suspecting the worst. Hell, you all but stole that property on South Lakeshore from me.” Chuckling, he shone the light at the ground and led her toward a house ensconced by a high wall of hedges

  “You won’t believe this, but I think I just witnessed a murder.”

  Eli stopped walking. “Where? What happened?”

  She kept moving. Whether he followed or not, there wasn’t time to waste. “Across the street from my office.” Saying it aloud made it more real—and more shocking. Nothing ever happened in Sebastian Springs. The last murder in the area was two years ago and an hour and a half away in a suburb of Pensacola.

  “Are you screwing with me? Trying to spook me out of buying another rental around here? Something good come on the market today?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t some idiotic ploy to steal business from you. Can’t you see how terrified I am? I know it sounds crazy, but I saw it with my own eyes. A young woman was murdered.”

  He shook his head as they negotiated the narrow walk to the front door. “You feeling all right, Megan?”

  She clenched her jaw. “I know what I saw, Eli. This isn’t some idiotic ploy to steal business from you.”

  That was sharper than she’d intended. “I’m sorry. I need to call the police right away.” She pressed a hand to her heart. She was safe now.

  He pushed open the door, then stopped and faced her. He pulled his brows together and flattened his lips. “Hard to believe such a thing could happen here. You’re sure, huh?”

  “Yes. Well, no, not technically. The door was unlocked. I was closing up after a late appointment and—Eli, please. We have to get the cops here. Now!”

  He shrugged and ushered her inside. “Okay, have it your way. Phone’s there next to the couch.”

  She crossed the small room and reached for the phone.

  Eli eyed her as she spoke to the 9-1-1 operator. She turned her back to him, tired of his doubt-filled stares. After she hung up, she crumpled onto the flowered sofa and shut her eyes.

  “Can I get you a drink or something?”

  She managed a smile. “Thanks. Maybe a glass of water.”

  Eli disappeared into another room. She tapped her foot as the seconds stretched into minutes.

  He returned with a plastic cup with the logo of a local fast-food joint. “Here you go. Hope the law shows up soon. I’m not used to staying up much later than this. I ran out of Halloween candy, so I shut off the lights and was getting ready to hit the sack when I heard something outside.”

  She grasped the cup and swallowed the room-temperature water, but it made her stomach lurch. “Thank you, Eli. I’m sorry to have frightened you.”

  “I don’t spook that easy.” Blue flashing lights spilled into the room. Eli lumbered to the window and teased back the faded green curtains. “Here they come now.”

  “Thank God.” Every time she saw a cop, she thought about Will. Would he be one of the officers responding?

  Fat chance. Detectives didn’t deal with emergency calls. Still, the hope flickered.

  She licked her lips and smoothed a hand over her hair. But it didn’t matter what she looked like. Even if Will did show up, she didn’t fit into his world. Love wasn’t always enough.

  When Eli opened the front door and stepped outside, she followed. Straining to see the cop through the windshield, she was able to make out that he was black. A pang of regret stabbed at her.

  “Evening, folks,” the officer said. “Someone reported witnessing a murder? A Megan Jackson.”

  “Yes. I did. The killer came after me. He chased me out of my office a few blocks away.” She glanced at his name badge: M. Guthrie.

  The officer glanced at Eli and raised his eyebrows.

  She bristled. “A woman was murdered a little while ago, and her killer is on the loose. We have to find him before he slips away and hurts someone else.”

  “No need to get worked up, ma’am. I believe you.” Guthrie straightened and gestured toward his car. “Let’s go check it out.”

  She spared Eli a glance, then waved at him before sliding into the front seat of the police car and pulling the door shut.

  She directed him to her office. Why wasn’t he driving faster? “Can’t you speed up? I watched a man strangle a young woman. She died right before my eyes.” Her voice cracked on the last word.

  “It’s okay. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” They hurried from the car.

  “Can you describe exactly what you saw, what the people you saw looked like?” He flipped open a tablet and held a pen over it.

  Megan wrung her hands. “Shouldn’t you put out an APB or something for the murderer?”

  “Calm down, ma’am. One step at a time. Let’s start at the beginning.”

  Drawing a steadying breath, she nodded. “Fine. The man and woman were arguing. She had long dark hair and looked Asian. Indian, maybe. She w
as young. I’d say no older than her early twenties or late teens. The man was much older, white, with dark hair.”

  “You say the murder took place here.” He proceeded to the front of the empty store. “Where exactly?”

  “Inside. In the display window.” She caught up to him. “I was in my office.” She motioned to it.

  “What did the man do?”

  “He slapped her and pulled her hair. Then he closed his hands around her neck and…” Megan wanted to scream. Why was he wasting all this time?

  “Then what?”

  “A group of trick-or-treaters passed by, and I couldn’t see anything for several seconds. I started to dial the police, but someone opened my front door. That’s when I ran.”

  He furrowed his brow. “So you lost visual contact immediately after the murder. Did you see the man’s face?”

  “Only in profile. And it was dark.”

  “You didn’t see him when he entered your office?”

  “Well, no. I was in the next room. But I heard him.” He glanced up and down the street. “How did you know it was him?”

  “Who else would it have been? I’d already shut off the lights. My office was closed.”

  “Not locked, huh? Could have been anybody.”

  I will not cry.

  “It was him. Please, you have to believe me.”

  He quirked an eyebrow. “Did he threaten you?”

  She swallowed hard. Why wasn’t he taking this seriously? “He didn’t say anything. But there was no one else around. I was in my office alone.”

  “You just said a group of trick-or-treaters was going by.”

  Her head started ringing with a massive headache. “Yes, but they’d moved past by the time he came into my office. Before you ask, I hadn’t locked the door, because I’d just finished meeting with a client. He and I finished about nine-fifteen. I was getting ready to leave, and I went to close the blinds, and I saw them—that awful man and the girl.”