Taken by the Lawman (Lawmen of Wyoming Book 6) Read online

  “I have a solid alibi. I was at the Wyoming Silver Gala with Lisa until ten and then she and I went home. I was here at the office by seven this morning and that’s when I heard about her death.”

  “Again, what are you asking?” The last thing Deegan needed was to get involved in a scandal. He liked his buddy, and he liked Lisa too. He could only imagine what she was feeling right now.

  “Find out who did this, my friend. You’re the only one I can trust. I know you can find the person who killed her.”

  Clasping his hands together, he sighed. “In case you didn’t know, the Department of Justice won’t allow me to pick and choose my cases, especially one that has been ruled death by overdose. That’s for local authorities, not the FBI.”

  “I want this done quietly. No one needs to know that you’re working the case. I need your help. I loved her, and she didn’t deserve this,” he pleaded. “There’s something else. Something that no one knows.”

  “More?”

  “She was pregnant. She told me last week.”

  Deegan felt an invisible fist into his stomach. “That’ll come out in the autopsy, Max. If you’re feeling the heat now, the media is going to tie you up by your toes when they hear this news.”

  “She wanted the baby, was already making plans and talking about whether it was a girl or boy. Annie wouldn’t have risked doing drugs.”

  This complicated things. The video was a clue, but a small one at that. The fact that she was pregnant could sway people to believe she wouldn’t risk harming the baby, but it certainly only made Max look guiltier. “Have detectives spoken with you yet?”

  “This morning.”

  “You didn’t tell them about the pregnancy, did you?”

  Max gave a slight shake of his head.

  “This might not turn out how you want it too,” Deegan said.

  Max shrugged. “As far as I see it, I have nothing to lose. After this I’m through.”

  “Yeah, buddy, you do. You have Lisa who is still your wife and you need to protect her. The public is wanting the facts. You better start damage control.”

  “I have. That’s why you’re here.”

  *

  Kiersten Cade stared at the interview sheet, then looked up at the polite Ms. Mavis, owner of the In and Out Agency. “So, this is my match?”

  “After careful consideration, yes, Ms. Cade. Rex145 is a match,” the perky woman stated with a proud smile.

  “What’s the next step in the…process?”

  Ms. Mavis pushed a sheet of paper across the desk. “This might help.”

  Kiersten looked down at the typed bulleted list. “What is this?”

  “That is a suggested schedule of events. Again, only suggested. If you decide he is the one, our agency will contact him and set up a meeting where you both can discuss the finer details. Then whether you two decide to go a more traditional or scientific route is completely your choice. Our agency doesn’t recommend how you conceive, we simply, or rather not so simply, find a compatible mate that meets your requirements. I think you should be very happy with Rex145. Top at his class at Harvard Law. He comes from a reputable family and no alarming medical conditions in his family. He is also very health conscious and active, just as you preferred.” That smile grew.

  “Rex? Is that his real name?” Kiersten skimmed the personal information area of the form. Rex145. Thirty-five. Lawyer. Excellent health. That was all it said. Would she learn more if she met him?

  Did the smile slip some? “Because the engagement of the father is very limited, we allow our donors to use first names only. However, again, once you two meet and decide to continue with the process it is completely up to you and at the donor’s discretion how things are handled.”

  Process. Donors. First names only. All these descriptions seemed out of place when this could be the potential father of her child. Sure, she’d read the agency’s brochure that laid it out with clarity how their services worked. They prided themselves in the modern approach in reproduction for unique families. Was Kiersten unique? She just hadn’t met Mr. Right. She wanted a child…wanted it badly and this seemed like the best way possible.

  “Is everything okay, Ms. Cade?” Ms. Mavis asked.

  “Yes, everything is fine.”

  “If you’re not sure this is what—”

  “No, I mean, yes, I’m sure. Can I have some time before I decide? It’s a lot to absorb.”

  “Sure. It’s important that you feel Rex145 meets your requirements, but you won’t fully know until you’ve met him. I’ll give you my card with the address where you can deliver the check if you decide we should proceed.”

  Kiersten wasn’t sure why she couldn’t just say yes. She’d come into this process hell bent on finding the right partner to have a baby with, even starting a low dosage of fertility drugs to prepare her body. She’d done all her research and, although IVF seemed like the path most women took, Kiersten was leaning toward natural reproduction. When she started imagining having sex with a stranger she broke out in hives, but how was this any different than a one-night stand? Her mind drifted back to the night she spent with the sexy agent. Sweat beaded between her breasts and goosebumps scattered her skin. She couldn’t allow herself to go down that path.

  It was time she made some serious decisions about her future. Although she never saw herself as being a single parent before, lately every baby she saw made her ovaries scream. She’d heard it referred to as “Mom Fever”. Other women were able to balance work and parenthood. So, could Kiersten. The FBI had gotten her best years, and now she would share her time with a child if things were successful with “Rex”. He was chosen because he fit the bill. It all seemed so sterile, but wasn’t this what she wanted? A no-mess situation with no chance that a man would want to be a father later down the road.

  “Ms. Cade.” Ms. Mavis took back the form Kiersten was wrinkling and placed it into the thin folder. She clasped her hands and her smile became shaky. “Many of our clients get this far and when they have a potential match before them, they see things as, well, overwhelming. Sometimes the realization tilts people into the realization that they’re not ready. Now might not be the right time for you.”

  “No. Now’s the time. I’m on drugs…fertility drugs that make me a little crazy. Not psychotic crazy, but a little emotional. Doc said that’s normal. I have everything packed up in my small downtown apartment and the movers are coming tomorrow. I’m even moving back onto my family’s ranch until the new house is finished. A new house. It has two bedrooms. I’ve never had a place with more than one. That’s how ready I am.” If the time wasn’t right now, it might never be. She wanted to be a mother. Wanted a child. This could be the only way she could have a family. “I just need a day. I’m not the type to make impulsive decisions.”

  “Yes, I understand that. Take the folder. Read through it. Let us know. We here at In and Out are there if you have questions. We want this to be a pleasant experience for you.” There was a hesitation. “You have seventy-two hours to decide if you wish to move forward with Rex145, and then we must throw this fish back into the pond, so to speak. After all, they’re getting paid too.”

  With folder in hand, she stepped into the elevator and rode it down to the garage where her Jeep was parked. Starting the engine, she didn’t make a move to leave the parking spot but instead stared straight ahead at the concrete wall. For years she’d focused on her career—worked hard to get to where she was today in a male-dominated field. When she’d been made to feel inferior it was the fuel that made her work even harder. Her parents and brothers had been her support system, encouraging her to do everything she’d dreamt of doing.

  Looking down at the folder sitting on the passenger seat, she slumped her shoulders. Wasn’t she supposed to be excited? Empowered? What was holding her back?

  Pulling her Jeep out of the garage, she drove toward her downtown apartment in Cheyenne, all while trying to figure out why she didn’t just give per
ky Ms. Mavis her answer. Of course, Kiersten wanted to meet the potential father. Of course, she was ready to have a baby, but her brother Cull’s words stuck in the cells of her brain like Gorilla glue. “Some people want just a baby and others want the family. Make sure you know exactly what you’re wanting before you make any lifelong decisions.” She could always rely on Cull to guide her, but she also realized he had more traditional values. Meet a man, get married, and have a baby. Now that he and Sally were planning their wedding, this rooted his beliefs even more. It wasn’t as if she didn’t hear the “family lecture” enough from her parents.

  In all truth, once upon a time she’d wanted the husband with the children, but over the last few years, she’d dated less and spent more time making booty calls than spinning potential romantic relationships.

  That’s where Brad came in. Sweet, dependable, dermatologist Brad. They’d met through a friend, enjoyed enlightening conversations, and ended up in a sex with no commitment relationship. This had worked for her for almost a year until he started getting the idea that he wanted to sleep over and have breakfast. She’d done the right thing by cutting the strings.

  She needed to focus all her concentration on motherhood now.

  Motherhood.

  Holy crap.

  What would her parents think? They were the dictionary definition of lasting love. They married in their twenties, and now forty years later, they loved each other more than ever. Her brothers had met the loves of their lives too, but here she was still clinging to the single life. Up until recently she’d enjoyed working forty-eight hours hunting criminals and could manage the lack of sleep. Hell, she hadn’t thought of anything but catching the criminal. However, it had lost some of its sparkle. There was a deep void in her life that her ma called “destiny”. It knocked at her door and wanted in.

  Still enveloped in her thoughts when she parked on the street in front of her apartment building, she made her way up to the third floor. She had the key in the lock when she realized the door was already unlocked. Although she’d been unusually forgetful here lately, she never forgot to lock her door.

  Pulling her Glock from her side holster, she pointed it at the floor and gave the knob a turn, slowly opening the door. Peering in, she could see that the lamp was turned on, but she couldn’t see anyone, or anything, except for boxes. Stepping deeper inside, she kept her back to the wall and took three sidesteps.

  Hearing a rattling noise in the kitchen, she made her way there, stepping over the board that creaked. The shadow of someone feathered across the wall and then the sounds of cabinets being opened and closed. Lifting the nuzzle of her gun higher, tightening her fingers on the grip, she took the step that brought her to the kitchen’s threshold. “Don’t move a muscle or I’ll shoot,” she said.

  The man swiveled, his brows scrunched over wide eyes. “Holy shit, Kiersten. Have you lost your mind?”

  “Have you lost yours? I could have shot you, Brad,” she groaned and replaced her gun. “What are you doing here?” He’d never just shown up. The rules had been that she would invite him.

  The tall, curly blond man with the baby face blew out a long, frustrated breath. “Have you seen the wine opener? The one I bought in Italy”

  “First, why are you searching for your opener in my cabinets?”

  “I love that opener and you know it. I could have sworn I used it here last.” He started opening the drawers.

  “I packed everything, and I didn’t see it. Second question, how’d you get in?”

  He reached into his pocket and brought out the key, dangling it on his finger. “You gave me the key, remember? To feed your fish while you were on assignment.”

  Wow, her memory really did stink. She grabbed the key from him and tossed it onto the counter. “Thank you for taking care of Jack and Jill. Couldn’t you have called and asked about the opener?” She wasn’t in the mood for company and just wanted to crawl into bed, but she felt she owed him some time because he’d been a good guy to come and feed her fish, even after she’d broke things off.

  “That opener cost me a fortune.” He slammed the drawer. “How about we order in from that take-out Chinese place you really like.”

  That’s when she shifted and laid her fingers on his wrist. “Brad…”

  He must have read her frustration. “Rough day?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then more of a reason to let me order in.”

  She’d walked straight into that one. Stepping over to the cabinet above the sink, she grabbed a mason jar and filled it with water, drinking it down. “I’m grateful for your help with the fish, but I’ve been on assignment for two days, had an important meeting, and all I want to do is enjoy my last night here. In bed.” Hearing his slight groan, she added, “Alone.”

  “What will one dinner hurt?” His eyes shone. “I thought maybe you’d changed your mind about us after you had some time to think.” One corner of his mouth lifted.

  Time away had even solidified her decision more. “Look, I know you must want something—”

  He took a step closer and touched her shoulder. It wasn’t a romantic touch like from that of a passionate lover, but more of a friendly one that only made her happier that she ended things. “I respect your decision, but we can still be friends, right? I’m only asking for dinner. I promise I won’t persuade you to let me stay.”

  Although she wanted to show him to the door, she did want them to remain friends. “Dinner? Fine. Let me get changed and we’ll eat across the street.” Pizza was fast and easy.

  With a disappointed shrug, he finally nodded. “Okay.”

  In the bedroom, she made quick haste in changing into a pair of yoga pants, T-shirt and running shoes, just in case she needed them, and five minutes later they were sitting at a table in the small restaurant eating individual slices of pizza and drinking inexpensive Merlot from cheap glasses.

  They were the only two in the place except for the young man and woman working behind the counter that would sneak kisses when they thought they could get by with it. The girl, probably no more than nineteen or twenty, would giggle then look up at the young man as if he was her hero. Kiersten couldn’t help herself. She smiled at how innocent and joyful their love seemed to be. Then she looked at Brad and was overcome with guilt. She should have never entered a friends-with-benefits relationship with him. They’d never been on the same page when it came to what they enjoyed in bed. Admittedly, Kiersten liked it a little rough…even kinky at times. When the gym wasn’t enough to de-stress, she found sex was the best alternative, but Brad had been a two on the Richter scale when she needed at least an eight point nine. One man had done that for her. He’d been off the charts in seismograph oscillations. That had been almost two years ago…

  “Kiersten, are you listening to me?”

  No, she hadn’t. “In truth, Brad, were you really looking for your bottle opener?” She took a long sip from her glass. Although the wine wasn’t the best, it did ease some of the tension in her muscles.

  His broad cheeks flamed. “No, I wasn’t, but I wanted to see you. I’ve missed you.”

  “Brad—”

  “Just hear me out.” He wiped his greasy fingers on a paper napkin. “You and me, we’re good together. I know you said you’re moving out of the city, but I’ve thought about it and I think we could work something out. I don’t own a car, but my cousin Yenny wouldn’t mind letting me use his Volvo—”

  “I’m going to stop you there. I didn’t break things off because I’m moving, Brad. You deserve to find someone who can offer you the things that I know you want. I’m not that woman and I never will be.”

  “I thought you liked…you know…when I did my signature move.” He wagged his brows while shimmying his shoulders.

  Tucking a loose strand of hair back into her ponytail, she swallowed against the constriction in her throat. She thought he could be referring to the handful of times he’d gone down on her and sang the ABCs against her, but
she could be wrong. It didn’t matter. “Let’s not go there.”

  “Is there nothing I can say?”

  “No. I’m sorry.”

  He paled considerably, then emptied his glass and stood. “I think it’s best I go now.” He grabbed his trench coat and pulled it on. “Take care, Kiersten. I do mean that.”

  “Thank you, Brad.”

  The glass door shut behind him and she went back to sipping her Merlot, running her finger around the rim. She was grateful that she and Brad could still be friends, and relieved that they were over.

  Hearing a giggle, she looked across the room to the couple. The girl was slicing a pizza and the boy was standing behind her, lifting her hair to kiss her neck. The gentle, loving touch made Kiersten’s mood drop. She’d never been much of a romantic, so why did she yearn to be touched so lovingly? To be looked at like she was the only woman on earth.

  “Who’s the yuppie?” the rich husky voice asked from behind her.

  She turned to meet a baby blue gaze that made her stomach do a somersault. Her breath caught in her chest and she squeezed the glass tighter until she thought it would break. A rush of involuntary excitement bombarded her bloodstream as she saw the tall, broad shouldered man in a white T-shirt and faded jeans. The very man that had been haunting her dreams and waking hours the last few days. “Deegan Bronx? What are you doing here?” Although they worked together at the bureau, she was technically his boss because her rank as supervisory special agent was above his, they rarely saw one another, which was a good thing. He worked undercover on assignment sometimes for months at a time, while she specialized in investigating human trafficking. They’d crossed the professional boundaries that were in place to keep people safe and she never planned to make that mistake again. Even if he looked like a sexy warrior coming back from battle. Although she felt like she needed to buy him a razor, she realized the thick beard seconded as a disguise.