Target in Jeopardy Read online

  A prodigal Colton comes home...

  ...to the shock of his life!

  Grieving the loss of his late wife, Dallas Colton rarely lets his guard down. The one time he indulges in a wild night of passion, it yields unexpected results. Seven months later, Dallas finds himself expecting twins with prosecutor Avery Logan—and working to protect Avery from criminals who want her dead. But when long-buried secrets rise from the grave, their growing family is soon under siege.

  Avery drove as fast as possible toward Dallas’s cabin.

  She had no idea if the truck that had followed her, that had attacked her, would turn around and come after her or not. She grabbed her cell phone out of her purse but was too busy frantically driving to make a call.

  Fear still clawed at her throat as her eyes shot to her rearview mirror over and over again. She didn’t see anyone following her yet, but she feared the truck would suddenly appear right behind her once again.

  She finally pulled up in front of Dallas’s cabin and pulled to a halt next to his truck. Safety. She continued to sob as she took her phone and raced for his front door.

  “Dallas!” She beat on the door with her fist. Fear was still a frantic, screaming beast inside her. There was no answer. She banged on the door once again. “Dallas, please help me!”

  * * *

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  Dear Reader,

  We love our Coltons, and what could be better than a Colton book that includes a serial killer and a surprise pregnancy?

  It was such fun writing Avery Logan and Dallas Colton’s story. I love to write about people exploring the possibility of love. It makes me remember falling in love with my husband.

  Of course, for Avery and Dallas, all is not smooth. There are definitely bumps in the road for these two...bumps and danger. If you want to know if they survive and if true love manages to overcome the darkness that is thrown in their paths, then you just need to read the book!

  As always, happy reading!

  Carla Cassidy

  COLTON 911:

  TARGET IN JEOPARDY

  Carla Cassidy

  Carla Cassidy is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 120 novels for Harlequin. In 1995, she won Best Silhouette Romance from RT Book Reviews for Anything for Danny. In 1998, she won a Career Achievement Award for Best Innovative Series from RT Book Reviews. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.

  Books by Carla Cassidy

  Harlequin Romantic Suspense

  Colton 911

  Colton 911: Target in Jeopardy

  Cowboys of Holiday Ranch

  A Real Cowboy

  Cowboy of Interest

  Cowboy Under Fire

  Cowboy at Arms

  Operation Cowboy Daddy

  Killer Cowboy

  Sheltered by the Cowboy

  Guardian Cowboy

  Cowboy Defender

  The Coltons of Red Ridge

  The Colton Cowboy

  The Coltons of Shadow Creek

  Colton’s Secret Son

  Visit the Author Profile page at

  Harlequin.com for more titles.

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Excerpt from Colton 911: Deadly Texas Reunion by Beth Cornelison

  Excerpt from Cold Case Manhunt by Jennifer Morey

  Chapter 1

  Avery Logan slowly walked up the stairs to the courthouse’s front door. She paused for a moment before going inside the stately three-story brick building where justice was handed out on a daily basis.

  She took her job very seriously. She always arrived early and took a moment or two to relax on the top concrete step before heading inside to face her job as a criminal prosecutor.

  There were several other people standing around and waiting for the courthouse to officially open its doors to the public, including some who would find out their fate.

  She shifted her briefcase from one hand to the other and drew in a deep breath of the September air. Autumn was her favorite time of the year. The changing colors of the trees in Whisperwood, Texas, were particularly pretty this year. Deep reds battled with shades of orange and yellow, and created a vision of nature at its finest.

  Optimism buoyed her in spite of the fact that her feet already hurt and her lower back ached. Today was the last of the witnesses, and hopefully final arguments would occur by noon. She was relatively sure as prosecutor that this was going to be a win for Lady Justice. Although Dwayne Conway wasn’t the big drug lord she dreamed of bringing down, if she’d done her job right at least he’d be one more lowlife drug-selling creep off the streets.

  A sharp, stabbing pain shot through her. Her heart suddenly wept a single name... Zeke. Since his death a little over a year ago, a day didn’t go by that she didn’t grieve for him. He’d been her best friend and her beloved younger brother, and a heroin overdose had taken him away from her forever.

  She shoved thoughts of Zeke away and took one more glance around at the people gathered at the foot of the stairs. Suddenly she froze.

  He stood with a small group, including Forrest Colton, who was due to testify in the trial today. Was it really him or was she just imagining it?

  “Dallas.” His name whispered from her lips as a thousand emotions rushed over her. She stared at the man’s profile, drinking in the sight of his wavy, sandy-colored hair and his straight nose. Yes, there was no question in her mind, it was him. She knew his eyes were an azure blue and that he had an utterly charming smile.

  She also knew what it felt like to be held in his strong arms and how his sexy lips could kiss a woman completely mindless. She knew what it felt like to make exquisite love with him. What she didn’t know was his last name.

  She wrapped an arm around her burgeoning stomach, and at the same time he turned and looked up. His eyes widened in obvious stunned surprise at the sight of her. His gaze swept the length of her body, pausing on the huge baby bump that had annihilated her waistline months ago, and then his gaze trekked back up to her face.

  She remained frozen in place, not sure what to do. Should she turn around and run? What was his reaction going to be? It wasn’t like she really knew him. They’d shared only a single night together, a passionate night fueled by a little too much alcohol and loneliness. It had also been a foolish night without birth control or protection.

  He said something to the others in the group and then slowly climbed the stairs to where she stood. Her heart beat a million miles a minute as he drew closer.

  He was just as handsome as she remembered, with his light hair, intense blue eyes and well-defined features. She held her breath as he finally reached her.

  “Avery,” he said in greeting.

  “Hi, Dallas. It’s been a while.” Good Lord, this was definitely the most awkward moment
she’d ever experienced in all of her thirty-three years. His gaze once again lingered on her very pregnant belly. “Uh...yes,” she said, answering what she knew his question might be.

  He shifted from one foot to the other, as if at a loss for words, and his face instantly paled. She had only a couple minutes left before she needed to be in her seat in the courtroom. “Uh, it’s nice to see you again,” she said. “I need to get inside.” She turned toward the door, but he stopped her.

  “Avery, obviously we need to talk.” He pulled his wallet out of his black slacks’ pocket and drew out a business card and handed it to her. “That’s got all my contact information on it. Could we maybe meet somewhere later today, after you’re finished here?”

  “I’m hoping this case goes to the jury around noon. I could meet you at JoJo’s Java after that.”

  “That would be good,” he replied soberly.

  “I really need to get inside now.” This time when she turned toward the door he didn’t stop her.

  It wasn’t until she went through security and walked toward the courtroom where the trial was taking place that she finally drew a deep, unsteady breath.

  What a shock, to suddenly see the man who had been only a memory in her thoughts for the past seven and a half months. He had looked as handsome as he had on the night she’d first met him. His slacks had fit perfectly on his slim hips and long legs. The gray dress shirt he wore had loved his lean muscles and broad shoulders.

  Now that he knew she was pregnant what would happen? Would he really believe he was the father? She’d certainly fallen into bed with him easily enough; would he believe she did that with other men, as well? He was the one and only man she’d been with for a very long time. If he wanted a DNA test, she would understand and she would gladly comply.

  She was pleased that he knew. As the father he had a right to know. If she’d known how to contact him she would have done so when she had first found out she was pregnant.

  Would he want to be a part of this? Would he want to be an involved father? Or would he disappear once again and have nothing to do with her? As far as she was concerned he didn’t owe her anything. She’d been foolish enough to have sex without protection and it had been her choice to have the babies.

  She looked at the card he had handed her. Dallas Colton. His last name was Colton. That name was certainly a familiar one in Whisperwood, Texas. The Cowboy Heroes were a horseback rescue team that ventured into disaster zones and rescued the stranded, and several of the Colton men were a part of it. They were both EMTs and ranchers, and all of them were specialists in search and rescue.

  Most recently they had been instrumental in saving lives when Hurricane Brooke had roared through the small town, leaving behind destruction from high winds, flooding waters and the horrific tornadoes that had been spawned by the storm.

  She reached the courtroom and took her place on the prosecutor’s side of the room. She opened her briefcase and tucked the business card inside one of the pockets, and then withdrew the papers she would need for the day.

  As the courtroom began to fill, she tried to get her mind off Dallas. She had to focus on the task at hand, prosecuting a dope dealer, but her mind continued to fill with memories of the night she had shared with Dallas.

  She’d gone to Bailey’s Bar with her best friend, PI Summer Davies, with the intention of drinking her stress and sorrow away. She had still been deeply grieving her brother’s death and she’d been working on a case that had included her receiving death threats.

  She’d already had a couple drinks when he’d walked in. He’d been one hot piece of eye candy clad in his army uniform, and when their gazes had met a sweet heat had rushed through her. Eventually Summer had left the bar, but Avery had stayed and the handsome army sergeant had approached her.

  He’d told her he was on leave and in town visiting relatives. She didn’t ask who the relatives were, and he didn’t offer any names. Instead they had shared more drinks and talked about nothing too important.

  The sexual energy between them had been off the charts and that night she had done something she’d never done before. They had left the bar and gone to the nearby motel, and there she’d had a one-night stand.

  She’d awakened the next morning with a desire to get to know him better, to build on their incredible physical attraction. However, he’d told her in no uncertain terms that he wanted nothing more from her. She’d left the motel and had never seen or heard from him again, until now.

  Forrest Colton was a witness in the trial and that meant Dallas was probably going to sit in the courtroom. She couldn’t turn around. She didn’t want to see him right now when she had such an important job to do. But it was a bit disquieting to realize he’d be watching her.

  “All rise.” The bailiff’s deep, loud voice yanked her from her thoughts. It was definitely time for her to focus on her job. Dwayne Conway was a punk, a thug who had sold pain pills and a rock of cocaine to an undercover cop. Forrest Colton had witnessed the illegal transaction and would be called to the stand to corroborate the cop’s story.

  Dwayne was low-hanging fruit of a rotten tree that grew in Whisperwood, a tree of drugs and corruption that was getting bigger and bigger every day. Avery was on the front line of the fight to get all drugs, especially the deadly heroin, off the streets of the town she loved.

  Just as she had figured, it was eleven thirty when she made her closing arguments, and by noon the case was given to the jury.

  She and the defense attorney met with the judge for a few last-minute paperwork details and then she was free until the jury returned with a verdict. Hopefully, that would happen fairly quickly and another bottom-feeder would be off the streets.

  There was no sign of Dallas when she left the courtroom. She assumed he knew she would be heading to JoJo’s Java to meet with him.

  As she headed toward her car in the parking lot behind the building, butterflies danced in her stomach. She’d scarcely had time to process the fact that Dallas was here, let alone that she was going to meet with him in just a few minutes.

  The butterflies grew more active as she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main drag. She’d fantasized about this moment for the entire seven and a half months of her pregnancy.

  There had been no question in her mind that Dallas was the father. Before that night with him it had been over a year since she’d had sex, and that with a man she’d dated for only three months.

  There had been few men in her life. Before Zeke’s death she’d been too career oriented to want any long-term relationships, and since Zeke’s death that was the last thing she wanted.

  She parked in a space in front of the trendy coffee shop. For a moment she remained seated in the car and gently caressed her stomach, wondering how reality would stack up to fantasy.

  With a small sigh, she got out of her car and headed inside to find out what would happen now that Dallas was here.

  * * *

  Dallas Colton sat at a table for two toward the back of JoJo’s Java, with a cup of black coffee before him. The coffee shop was a popular place for people to gather in town. Along with the tables and chairs, there was a long bar and an outdoor patio. Amber lighting overhead provided a warm, cozy feeling.

  He wasn’t feeling all warm and cozy right now. He was still very much reeling from seeing Avery again...a very pregnant Avery.

  When he’d first looked up and seen her standing on the top step of the courthouse, his heart had crashed against his ribs. Not that his heart had been involved with her at all, but he’d been momentarily stunned by her beauty.

  Her long, reddish-brown hair had sparkled in the sunlight and he suddenly remembered that her eyes were the green of a dark, mysterious forest.

  When he’d seen her pregnant stomach, he’d known instinctively that the baby was his. Birth control and protection had been the last things o
n his mind when he’d left the bar with her and gone to the nearby motel almost eight months before.

  It had been a night of crazy, wild passion. That night he’d wrapped his arms around Avery in an effort to momentarily staunch his grief over another woman.

  Ivy. Her name whispered through him, along with a swell of all-too-familiar anguish. Oh God, he couldn’t think about her right now. It felt like such a betrayal to think about her while he met with a woman who was probably carrying his baby. He consciously willed those thoughts away and took a drink of his coffee.

  Right now his complete focus needed to be on Avery and the very real possibility that the baby she carried was his. The timing was certainly right for that to be. If that was the case, he needed to figure out what came next.

  Was she in a relationship with another man? Was it possible she had married since he had been with her? He frowned. He wasn’t sure he liked the idea of another man raising his child.

  Maybe he was jumping way ahead of himself. Maybe the baby she carried wasn’t his. But she’d indicated it was and his gut told him it was his.

  Jeez. A baby. This was certainly not the way he’d envisioned himself becoming a father...a one-night stand with a woman he didn’t really know.

  He wouldn’t have even been at the courthouse this morning if his brother hadn’t been testifying. At the last minute Dallas had decided to go along and offer Forrest his support.

  He looked toward the entrance at the same time Avery came through the door. She looked around and then spotted him. She held up a hand and pointed toward the counter, then walked over to it and placed an order. Despite her condition, she walked with a confidence that was both powerful and yet graceful. He found it very attractive.

  He’d been entranced as she’d given her closing arguments minutes earlier. She’d been so impassioned, demanding rather than pleading for votes of guilt. She was obviously very smart and articulate, and yet had connected with the jury on an emotional level.