C.J. Miller – Capturing A Colton (страница 1)
The most lethal Colton is out for revenge in the conclusion of The Coltons of Shadow Creek!
Real-estate tycoon Declan Sinclair has a score to settle with on-the-run felon Livia Colton. He can’t change his tragic past, but he can demolish her onetime estate. But while coming to terms with his most hated enemy, Declan bumps heads with Livia’s youngest daughter, the alluring Jade Colton...
Having always felt isolated from her own family, Jade finds satisfaction in rescuing and rehabilitating Thoroughbred racehorses. And when she finds herself in Livia’s crosshairs, Jade turns to Declan for comfort and protection. Can she really trust a man who’s sworn to take down the entire Colton clan—once and for all?
Jade stumbled over her words and then cleared her throat.
“If you’d like to come by the farm, you are welcome anytime. I’d love to show you what I’m doing with my horses, and it would be great to have another person looking out for me. My family is worried about each other, but they have their lives and I’m here alone a lot.”
Declan didn’t like those odds. Being alone on the farm left her open to an attack by Livia or one of her henchmen. Though the authorities had torn down the crime ring Livia had worked for over the years, they had not rooted out every person who’d been involved with Livia or who felt loyal to her. Livia was the queen of manipulation. Nothing else explained how even after all she’d done and the hundreds of people she had ruthlessly hurt, anyone would carry their loyalty to her.
Declan had loyalty to no one except Edith. Livia Colton had torn his family apart and he had sworn no one would get the better of him the way Livia had with his father.
Yet here he was, sitting in the dark with Jade Colton, Livia’s flesh and blood, and thinking about how he wanted to protect her.
* * *
The Coltons of Shadow Creek:
Only family can keep you safe...
Capturing a Colton
C.J. Miller
C.J. MILLER loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted through her website, cj-miller.com. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children. C.J. believes in first loves, second chances and happily-ever-after.
To Brook. Without you, no books would be
written and my muse would sleep far too often.
Thank you for everything you do.
Contents
Declan Sinclair was accustomed to the heat and humidity of an August night in Texas, but he was not accustomed to being this uncomfortable. If anyone other than Edith Beaulieu was getting married, Declan wouldn’t willingly be within a hundred yards of a Colton—and this place was crawling with Coltons.
Despite Declan’s reservations about Edith marrying the son of a criminal—a criminal who had escaped prison and was currently on the run—he had to admit that his foster sister looked happy. Her smile was bright and glowing and she seemed to almost dance as she walked. She held on to the arm of her fiancé, River Colton, as they circulated through the large gathering. The scene was something out of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. White candles in lanterns were hung on shepherd’s hooks surrounding the party. Long tables were covered in white linen cloths and the floral centerpieces provided bursts of color in pale purple, blue and pink.
Declan hadn’t been involved in the planning of this soiree. This was all Colton planned. The engagement party was being held at the horse rehabilitation facility of River’s sister Jade. From what Declan had been told, Jade ran the farm for off-track horses, but she also grew a few crops and had other barn animals, managing this almost by herself. The barn doors were open and lit, the glow of the light reflecting off the hay and wood, but the guests gathered outside beneath the pastel-colored paper lanterns strung together with Christmas lights. The air smelled of citronella and honeysuckle.
After Declan said hello to Edith, he could leave. Obligation fulfilled. It was a quick twenty-five-minute drive to the charming bed-and-breakfast where he was staying, where a comfortable bed awaited him. He wasn’t looking forward to having a stilted conversation with River and from the way the couple was hanging on to each other, tonight they were a package deal. Though he and River had discovered that they were half brothers, neither seemed to be able to overcome the awkwardness and tension. Competition over Edith or anger over what their parents had done? He couldn’t put his finger on it.
Neither he nor Edith had much biological family. Churned through the foster care system in Louisiana, they’d had each other and not much else. She’d recently connected with her uncle Mac and now Edith also had River, a fact that bothered Declan more than a little. He’d lose her to Shadow Creek and the Coltons. The thought burned through him. Wouldn’t be the first time a Colton had stolen from him; wouldn’t be the last.
Declan wouldn’t find another friend as loyal as Edith and may never find another assistant as capable and as intelligent as she was, but as long as she was happy, he accepted her decision.
Declan was an outsider here and he wasn’t working hard to become part of the scene. Sitting on a metal folding chair as far away from the party as possible, he was removed and his beer was rapidly growing warm. He had accepted the proffered drink from the bartender out of habit and social decorum, but he wasn’t in the mood to drink.
His mood was dark and drinking would make it darker.
If nothing else, Declan admired Hill Country Farm for the prime piece of real estate that it was. He knew a lot about land and nothing about horses. This place would turn a profit soon, if it wasn’t already. The thirty acres of pristine land, the riding ring, the stalls and the barn created the right setup for a Thoroughbred to rest and recover, and were also picturesque enough to draw donations and interest. The small touches indicated Jade took pride in her home and business: the weeded gardens, the carved wood signs with the farm’s name and the manicured lawns were a giveaway that she cared.
Or it was part of the facade. When it came to the Coltons, trust couldn’t be given too quickly or easily. Their mother, Livia, was the definition of evil and he didn’t know how much of that had rubbed off on them. Livia had engaged in an affair with Declan’s father and that affair had destroyed Declan’s, his mother’s and his father’s lives.
Livia’s escape from a maximum security prison hadn’t shocked Declan; she had connections to get what she wanted and to stay on the run indefinitely. Edith’s recent brush with her proved Livia still had courage in spades. Approaching people she had a score to settle with while the authorities hunted her was the ultimate in boldness.
Restless energy struck him and Declan rose to his feet. He walked the outer perimeter of the party. A dark car was parked across the street, the driver sitting in the shadows, his face hidden. Declan had noticed the car when driving into the party. The FBI was watching for Livia Colton. If she made the mistake of approaching her children, the FBI would be ready for her. She had slipped through their fingers too many times in the last five months. Working old contacts and lying had kept her hidden.
Declan watched the crowd and realized he was looking for Livia. He wanted her to show up today. With the dark sedan parked outside the party, he doubted she would be stupid enough to appear, but he had an ax to grind with her. Though ice water ran in her veins and she cared only for herself, he wanted her to look at Edith and see that she was safe and happy with River. Livia’s attempts to hurt her had failed. Edith, like so many times in the past, had risen above her trials and was only stronger and better for them.
Declan took a deep, cleansing breath. This evening was about Edith and he wouldn’t fixate on Livia. She had destroyed huge parts of his life and she didn’t get tonight, as well. Every moment he spent thinking about Livia, was a moment of joy he was robbed of.
His eyes fell on a woman exiting the small, red-roofed cottage located on the property. The house was surrounded by tidy gardens protected by a brown wooden fence. The riding area and stables were located on the other side. She turned toward the barn, and the party, her blue dress moving around her shapely calves, her dark hair pinned back, but pieces framing her face. She was hauling a cooler.