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

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

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.

Declan rushed to her. “Let me give you a hand.”

Her brown eyes met his. She was young, midtwenties, and her beauty and the expressiveness of her eyes knocked the breath out of him. “Thanks. I’ve been hauling ice all evening. It’s hot tonight.”

He took the cooler from her. “I’m Declan, by the way. I’m a friend of Edith’s.”

She brushed her hair away from her face, tucking the stray strands behind her ears. “I’m Jade. I’m River’s sister. He has mentioned you.”

Jade was Livia’s youngest daughter. Though River was the product of an affair between Declan’s father, Matthew, and Livia, Declan didn’t think of him like a brother. Blood had little to do with those bonds. He considered Edith family and they weren’t related. “It’s complicated,” Declan said. Discussing it tonight wasn’t a good idea.

Declan should deliver the cooler where it needed to go and then leave the party. Interacting with any of the Coltons should repulse him. Yet, here he was, walking beside Jade Colton.

“You won’t get any judgment from me. I hope you and River can work something out and be friends, but I know that might be asking too much. Just know that my brother is a good man. He’s been through a lot with our mother. We all have. But he’ll do right by Edith.”

Her loyalty surprised him. He didn’t want to discuss Livia Colton though. His anger was buried beneath his careful control and under the circumstances, and given the stressful events of late, it was ready to come roaring out. “Where do you want this?” He nodded toward the cooler.

She pointed to a table with five galvanized party tubs filled with beer and wine coolers. “On the ground there.”

He set the cooler in the location she’d indicated.

A friend called to Jade and she waved in her direction. “Excuse me, please. And thank you, Declan. Thank you for coming. I know it means a lot to Edith.”

He nodded to her. “You’re welcome.”

She rushed off to speak to her friend and Declan took the opportunity to fade back into the shadows.

* * *

Being the hostess of the party kept Jade busy and it was a role she enjoyed. Having many tasks meant she didn’t get caught in small talk and avoided the complicated politics of her family. Her mother’s sordid history had left scars on each of her half siblings, and Jade didn’t verbally navigate problems well. Though Jade felt they had made strides recently, they were all still struggling. Until their mother was caught and returned to prison, Jade guessed it would remain the case.

Declan Sinclair, the man who had purchased her mother’s crumbling estate—Edith’s boss and River’s half brother—was a total surprise. She had looked him up online. Young real estate mogul in his midthirties, multimillionaire. No one seemed to know why he had wanted La Bonne Vie. Seeing Declan’s photo online had not prepared Jade. In person, he was almost larger than life. Dark brown hair, expensively cut, and those green, intelligent eyes. He was broad shouldered and dressed well for the occasion. Whereas she had needed her sister Claudia’s help selecting an outfit for the evening, Jade guessed Declan’s sense of style translated into every event.

Worldly. That was the word she wanted to describe him. The total opposite of her.

Jade had never traveled outside Texas. She had plans to one day, but between the chaos of growing up a Colton and then starting her business, she had no time or money to explore the world. Opening Hill Country Farm had put her deep in the red and it would be five years before she was turning a profit. Either that, or shutting down.

Declan likely had good business instincts. She could ask him about hers. Get his take on her plans. He likely didn’t know anything about Thoroughbreds, but he might offer advice to steer her. Though no one had said it directly, Jade sensed her siblings and Mac, her father figure, thought she was too young and inexperienced to have bitten off this venture alone. Proving to herself and her family she could do this meant everything to her.

Her older sister, Leonor, had recently brought her five newly retired racehorses, whom Jade had renamed Tinker, Tots, Trace, Toy and Tiny. They were amazing specimens and Jade was enjoying working with them. Rehabilitating them and selling them would be another feather in her cap and she wanted to show her family her work had value and that she was good at what she did.

She searched for an excuse to talk to Declan again and wondered how to segue into a conversation about business. Every step of the way toward opening Hill Country had been a struggle, and her inexperience networking was showing. She couldn’t ask River to help her. Declan and River’s relationship was tense and complicated by Declan’s relationship with Edith, who spoke only good things about her boss, but others seemed to believe Declan was cold and harsh. Having met him and spoken with him for a few minutes, Jade sided with Edith’s opinion.

Jade looked around for Declan. He may have left. The idea disappointed her immensely.

Taking a deep breath, Jade took in the scene around her. River and Edith were only recently engaged and they were planning to marry quickly. It hadn’t given the other Coltons much time to plan the wedding festivities. Edith looked beautiful in a blue dress. Claudia had a hand in selecting her outfit as well as the shoes she was wearing. The dress fell just above her knee and was the right amount of sweet and sexy. Jade admired her ability to pull it off.

Her brothers and sisters were there, surrounded by spouses and boyfriends or girlfriends or fiancés, and everyone seemed so happy. Jade felt a twinge of loneliness and tried to brush it away. Feeling alone while surrounded by her family and friends made no sense.

The party could go on for several more hours and the idea exhausted her. Offering to host had been her attempt to further her connection with her siblings. With the exception of her relationship with Knox, the Coltons had not been close after Livia was arrested and it was a fact Jade regretted. Since Livia had escaped prison, it had gotten better between the siblings as they united against their mother. Jade wouldn’t ask anyone to leave, but she had to get an early start in the morning. Her animals needed her and as a new business owner, she didn’t have extra funds to hire many hands for around the farm. She kept pigs, chickens and goats and, of course, her horses. With the extra noise of the party, Jade needed to check on them to be sure they weren’t riled up.

First she looked in on her barn animals. Feeling secure that they weren’t upset by the party sounds, she walked around the back of the barn, cutting behind her house and into the stables. Her path was deliberate. Though her siblings were friendly and warm toward her, while she couldn’t put her finger on it, she didn’t fit in. Trying in her own way hadn’t taken her far.

Her thoughts turned again to Declan and she swatted them away. He was trouble for her. River’s relationship with his new half brother had overarching complexities Jade didn’t fully understand. More than that, Declan was La Bonne Vie’s owner and as far as Jade could tell, that place brought nothing except problems, including becoming a hideout for their mother last month. Having lived through Livia’s lifetime of crimes, Jade wasn’t naive and sheltered, but Declan had a polish and sophistication she didn’t. Getting caught up with a man more mature and experienced would land her in trouble. Being in over her head in business was something she could handle, but not in her personal life.

Assigning blame wouldn’t help, but Jade believed her mother had a hand in her daughter’s inability to fit in. With the exception of Mac, father to Jade’s half brother Thorne and the man who had taken Jade and Claudia in after Livia’s arrest, Jade hadn’t had a guiding hand growing up. She hadn’t been close with her siblings and Jade hadn’t confided in them when she had problems at school. Same as it was now, except she didn’t make mistakes in school, it was her life and her business that took the hit.

Jade unlocked the stable door and entered. Her horses were all retired Thoroughbreds in need of rehabilitation. Most were three to five years old and had either retired from racing or had never competed because they weren’t fast enough, strong enough or had the wrong dispositions. When the horses no longer required her stable’s services, she would place them for sale. Since opening Hill Country Farm as an equine rehabilitation center two years ago, she had rehabbed, retrained and had found homes for three horses. In her long-term plans, she wanted to work with more horses at one time.

Rehabbing horses, depending on the condition in which she received them, required dedication and commitment. The horse showing the most problems was Tinker, a bay mare. She was nowhere near ready to be rehabbed or retrained. After receiving arthroscopic surgery to repair a leg fracture, Tinker had spent the last month in the pasture during the day and needed to relax and grow accustomed to the changes in her life. Lower protein, higher carbohydrate diet, easy, lazy time spent grazing.

When Jade entered the stable, she sensed the tension rolling off the mare. She spoke to Tinker quietly and calmly, same as she did every time she was near her.

Tinker had a faraway look in her eyes. Though Jade rarely received the complete history of a horse’s life, and no owner admitted to drugging or abusing the animals, she had the sense that Tinker had not been treated well. To date, she might be the most difficult horse she’d taken on, but Jade would not give up. Hill Country Farm would be a place known for sticking it out even when the times were tough.

Claudia had mentioned that some animals, as with people, were beyond repair. Jade heard her meaning, but she wouldn’t accept it. Their mother was a monster. Jade had written her off. But these horses deserved a better life.

Jade sensed someone watching her. If Livia had crept onto her farm to corner her, Jade was ready. Her adrenaline fired and her muscles were tight. Rational thought struggled against her fears. It couldn’t be Livia. Showing up tonight would be audacious, even for Livia. Jade whirled and her eyes landed on Declan.

“Excuse me, I didn’t mean to stare.”

Excitement and happiness danced inside her at the sight of him.

Tinker whinnied, as if sensing the energy in the air, and Jade reached to soothe her. Her heart thundered against her rib cage. “You surprised me. I thought I was alone.” Taking in a measured breath, she kept her cool for her animals. If she got too rattled, they would sense it and act out. Part of her therapy was teaching her horses that calm was okay. They didn’t need to be ready to perform at a moment’s notice anymore.

“You were talking to that horse in a way I’ve never seen before,” Declan said.

“You’re from Texas,” Jade said. Most of the people she knew loved horses: Mac and Thorne and her nephew, Cody, especially.

An uninterpretable emotion passed over Declan’s face. “I was born here. But I spent a good portion of my life in Louisiana.”

Jade mentally kicked herself. She had heard from Edith that Declan had been in foster care in New Orleans. Not knowing him well enough to pry, she didn’t ask how he had come to be in another state. She didn’t appreciate when people asked her invasive questions. Much of her childhood was filled with dark, twisted memories she hated recalling. “I love all my horses.” Stick to a topic she was comfortable with.

“How many do you have?” he asked, taking a couple of steps toward her.

She would give anything to have something more to do with her hands, to keep busy. “Eight. Which is max capacity for us. I just sold a horse last month.” Nine had been near impossible; only with Flint so close to finishing his rehabilitation had it been possible.

Declan tucked his hands in his pockets. He looked at the rows of stalls. “More room than for eight.”

Talking about her big plans made her nervous, almost as if admitting her pie-in-the-sky dream would get her laughed at. Her mother had laughed at her. Her teachers had expected her to fail. After her father died, only Mac had believed in her. Without him, she wouldn’t have had the courage to open Hill Country Farm. “I have room to grow, but I need additional staff to make that possible. Right now, I’m the only full-time employee. My brother, nephew and Mac pitch in from time to time, and I have a few part-time employees and volunteers, but the horses rely almost solely on me.” She was babbling. He didn’t need to know every detail of her business. Asking for his advice would be harder if he thought she was spacey.

“I’ve heard good things about this place,” Declan said.

A pleasant surprise and her pride touched up a notch. “People are talking about Hill Country?” Or maybe Edith or River had mentioned something.

“Shadow Creek is a small town. Doesn’t everyone talk about everyone else?” Declan asked.

He grinned and his smile felled her. Gorgeous and charming, he was sweeping her off her feet without lifting a finger. They had known each other a short time, yet she was drawn to him. “No one seems to know much about you,” Jade said. She regretted the implication that she had been asking around about him. She wasn’t exactly, only about La Bonne Vie. But she was curious about him now. She was hungry for more knowledge about the mysterious Declan Sinclair.

“There’s not much to know,” Declan said.

“I doubt that very much,” Jade said. In addition to his interesting real estate purchase, he was wealthy and good-looking and likely had experiences and interests to share.

“I can tell you my big secret,” Declan said.

Interest brought her a few steps closer. Confiding in her during their first real conversation, he must feel the pull too. “I’m a great secret keeper.” An understatement. Desperate to be brought into his confidence, she waited.

“I’m married to my job. My calendar is booked and I’m rarely sitting around, but it’s almost all related to work. So while I know there have been rumors about me and what I do and where I go, it’s all about my job.”

“All real estate, all the time?” she asked, not truly believing that was the whole story and wondering how La Bonne Vie fit into his plans.

He nodded. “The most interesting thing to happen to me today was meeting you and talking with you. I’ve seen you around town, but tonight you look especially beautiful. Maybe it’s how you look when you talk to your horses. There’s something so entrancing about it,” Declan said.

The reflection of her love for her horses must radiate from her every pore. She lived and breathed her work, much like he did. “Then I guess that’s something we have in common. My work is my everything too.”

But Jade did feel beautiful as Declan looked at her, and it had been a long time since she had felt this giddy with a man. She was happy she had taken the time to have her hair styled at Marie’s Salon and Spa and she had worn the dress Claudia had helped her select. Declan’s attention was flattering and the admiration she saw in his eyes as he looked at her stables made her proud.

The stables had been her design. Each stall was intended to be safe and comfortable. The wood was a lighter color, sanded and polished with materials safe for the horses. She had a place for the hay and food to be stored and prevented from rotting. Overhead, the loft held additional supplies. She had extra chaps, protective helmets and riding boots close to the hose bib for easier cleaning. Bibs and saddles, blanket bags, feeders, measuring scoops, extra water buckets and brushes had their places in an alcove of bins and hooks. Muck carts and cleaning buckets were ready; the ones she had used that morning were clean and drying across the way.

“You sound like me. All work and no play,” Declan said.

A man who looked and dressed like Declan, with those smoldering eyes and fit physique, had to date society women. He likely had his pick of companions when he wanted one. But maybe that was what he was telling her; he was only interested in brief affairs. Jade shook off the thought. She was overanalyzing, a bad habit she had picked up from trying to read her mother’s moods to know when to avoid her.

Jade kept her tone carefully casual. “Anytime you want to get away from your job and spend time here, you’re welcome. There’s plenty to do.”

Declan studied her and Jade found herself loving how he looked at her. Attention from men sometimes confused her and she wasn’t sure what they wanted from her. She wished she hadn’t had a totally manipulative psychopath as a mother. Though Livia had been great at tricking men into doing what she wanted, Jade wasn’t eager to use those methods and follow in her footsteps. She often wondered if she would unintentionally do just that, so she was careful not to coerce people. It had become almost instinct to speak what she wanted plainly and honestly.

“I may do that. This is a great place and the work you’re doing is good for the community. A positive endeavor,” Declan said.

Unlike her mother’s “endeavors,” which had been dark and twisted. “You’d have to dress differently.”

He glanced down at his suit. “You’re wearing a dress. Is a suit that much more overdressed?”

She laughed. “I don’t wear dresses most workdays.”

“You could start a new trend and look great doing it,” Declan said.

His compliment brought color to her cheeks. “If it fetched money to the cause, I’d do anything,” Jade said. Almost anything shy of illegal dealings to raise funds. Jade hadn’t meant to mention money, but it was on her mind. Working with charitable organizations to fund the horses’ care and veterinary bills were her top priority. Without it, she couldn’t keep Hill Country open. She didn’t make enough from the sale of her crops and horses to cover her costs.

“Consider it as a way to get your name out there.”

“My name is out there plenty,” Jade said with a helpless shrug.

Declan smiled. “Lead with the name of your cause. I saw a post on the table toppers in Big Jim’s for Honeysuckle Road. I had never heard of it, but while I’m not their target demographic, it got my attention. A picture of you with your horses with the cause would show people what a special place this is.”

Honeysuckle Road was Claudia’s boutique. Given his business success, Jade tucked the idea away for the future. “I’m devoted to making my farm succeed. My father was a great horseman. I inherited his love of horses.” The sadness and grief at her father’s passing never left her. It had been almost two decades since he had died and she still missed him every day. “He passed away when I was seven.”

It was something she rarely talked about with anyone, and she was surprised she mentioned it to Declan. When Jade was a child, Livia had made her feel bad for being sad about her father and had forbidden her from talking about it, even though her mother was responsible for her father’s death. Though she had gotten a few sympathetic looks from Claudia whenever it came up, the rest of her siblings had kept their heads down and their lips sealed. It was as if they knew Livia had done something wrong and they were too scared to say anything. That left Jade on her own. Growing up with a house filled with siblings, she had been utterly lonely.

Her father had been kicked by a horse, but the secret cause of his demise was one that Jade had kept for years. She had been terrified of her mother then and she was afraid of her now. Livia Colton was capable of true acts of evil. “Mac loves horses too, so I feel comfortable around them.” Better to keep the conversation light.

Jade hadn’t before had a friend who she could confide in about her family. To some extent, she could talk to her half siblings about their mother, but with varying degrees of success. Some didn’t want to speak of her; others seemed to turn a blind eye to the whole truth. Though her siblings’ feelings on their mother had changed in the last five months since Livia had escaped prison and began showing up in their lives, bringing more ugly truths to light, Jade hadn’t developed an open rapport with her family yet. But to have someone, anyone, in her life who she could speak to about Livia and about her childhood, would be therapeutic beyond measure. To open up to someone and not worry about them turning away from her would be a first.

Cheering and whistling from the party floated through the air. “We should get back to the party,” Jade said. Except she didn’t want to return. Talking to Declan had been the highlight of the night for her. He was open and easy to talk with.

Declan extended his elbow to her. “May I escort you back?”

She took his arm. “I’d like that, thank you.” When her hand set on the crook of his arm, she felt heat and a twinge of excitement.

* * *

Declan prided himself on having good instincts about people, business deals and properties. He had walked away from million-dollar deals because he didn’t trust someone’s motives. Since he’d been in Shadow Creek, seeing the Coltons around town was usually accompanied by the impulse to avoid them. The rule of thumb was that they could not be trusted: proceed with extreme caution.

That response presented a problem when it came to River. Edith wanted them to be friends and since Declan cared about Edith, he felt the obligation to try to get to know him better. Edith had strong opinions on the matter and, true to form, she wasn’t shy about telling Declan what she thought. Knowing their history, she thought they could move forward in a positive direction. Optimistic Edith.

Jade was the sole Colton who gave him no pause. Her beauty was undeniable, but it was more than that. He witnessed her caring for her family in the manner she worked the party and she was warm and kind to her horses. Yet he sensed she wasn’t on the inside circle of the Colton clan.

Declan shook off his strengthening emotions for Jade. His entire adult life, he’d held people at arm’s length. The engagement party was getting to him, his affection for Edith coloring the entire situation. He wanted to believe that the Coltons weren’t rotten to the core and that desire was influencing how he viewed Jade.

“There you are!”

At the sound of Edith’s voice, Declan turned, forcing a smile. Her happiness was of the upmost importance to him and tonight was special for her and River. Though he had reservations about how fast they were moving, he understood Edith’s unmet desire for a family. She wanted to belong to something and the Coltons had embraced her. If nothing else, Declan gave them credit for that.

Edith’s eyes sparkled with joy and excitement. River was standing next to her, decidedly more stoic. A few minutes before, he had been smiling when talking to his family. With Declan, he was serious and seemed almost wary. They had talked about what had transpired between their parents, but the brothers had not moved fully past the awkwardness. It took a long time for a lifetime of hurt and betrayal to cool.

“Congratulations, both of you,” Declan said. He reached into his pocket and withdrew the card he had brought for the occasion. Extending her hand, Edith took it. “Thanks, Declan. It was nice of you to come tonight.” She knew this wasn’t where he wanted to be.

He’d picked out a card and bought her a gift certificate for a spa she liked in Austin. His obligation was fulfilled. “For you, I’d go anywhere.” Having survived a rough part of his life with Edith’s help, Declan wouldn’t forget her strength and how it had kept him going. Her optimism had pulled him through then, and he relied on it now.

“I have an awkward question,” Edith said. “Since you’re the closest person I have to a brother, and you’re River’s brother—”

“Half,” he and River said at the same time.

Edith shot her fiancé a disapproving look. “Since you’re River’s half brother, would you give a toast?”

“No” was on the tip of his tongue. This night was to celebrate Edith and River. Declan had made his peace with the fact that they were getting married. But to stand up in front of the Coltons and give his blessing was asking him to dig deep for acceptance he didn’t have. “What would you like me to say?”

Edith touched her chest. “Speak from the heart.”

The pleading in her eyes got to him. Lying to a crowd of strangers wasn’t beyond him, but he wouldn’t do that to Edith. Already mentally composing what he would say, he nodded. “I can say something.”

Edith smiled at him and River nodded his appreciation. They would bond over their mutual affection for Edith.

Declan grabbed a glass of champagne from the bar. In the crowd, his eyes fell on Jade. She watched him and he read the burn of interest in her eyes. His interest had to be reflecting back to her.

Declan raised his voice. “Excuse me, if I could have your attention for a moment.”

Sixty pairs of eyes turned toward him and the conversation dulled to quiet.

“I’m Declan Sinclair, Edith’s brother. I want to say a few words about Edith and River.” Unexpected emotion swamped him and Declan marshaled his control. Harboring anger and resentment for the Coltons, he had not anticipated any warm emotions regarding this marriage, but here they were. Edith was marrying a Colton, the family of his enemy. Though River loved Edith without question, Declan worried about Edith’s future and her happiness because he himself had learned at a young age it could be taken quickly. Even the best homes could be ripped apart. The greatest love could be destroyed by devious schemes and manipulation.

Declan cleared his throat and pushed away the sentimentality of the moment. “I’ve had the honor of knowing Edith since we were children. There is not a more honest, generous or talented woman in the South. She is the epitome of class and style and I am so happy for her that she has found someone to spend the rest of her life with. And while I’ve only known River a short time, it’s clear he makes Edith happy and for that he has my appreciation. I wish them both a lifetime of happiness. Cheers.” He raised his glass and the crowd echoed “Cheers.”

No lies. All truths. He felt good about that.

Edith came to him, hugging him tight. “Thank you, Declan. This has been the perfect night. Please make sure you get some cake. The baker is the same one we’re using for the wedding and I want your opinion.”

Cake was cake to him, but Declan walked to the table where pieces were set out on white plates with clear plastic forks. A white napkin was tucked beneath each. The napkin had a wedding bell on it and Edith’s and River’s names. The more he thought of Edith and River together, the more he saw their names together, the easier it became, like callousing himself to the inevitable.

Declan saw Allison Colton, Jade’s sister-in-law, who was doing some work for him at La Bonne Vie. She ran a construction company and had completed several projects in town, including renovating a boutique along Main Street for one of the Coltons. He raised his hand in greeting and she did the same.

At the end of a long table, Jade was sitting alone. Declan grabbed a second fork and sat beside her. He extended it to her. “Cake?”

She accepted the utensil. “Sure, thanks. That was a nice toast.”

“It’s easy to say nice things about Edith,” Declan said.

“What about River?” Jade asked.

Most people weren’t so blunt. He liked that she was honest about her thoughts. “He’s growing on me,” Declan said.

“You haven’t known him as long as I have, but I promise you, he is a good man,” Jade said. She took a bite of cake and then looked around.

“Looking for someone?” he asked.

Jade met his eyes and the haunted look startled him. She licked a small dot of pink icing from her lip.

“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

Jade patted her hair. “I know this is paranoid thinking, but I feel like my mother is watching me.”

Every instinct to protect and fight roared to life. Anger followed quick on its heels. When it came to Livia Colton, he carried only rage and resentment. Ruining this day or attempting to hurt Edith again would be met with a swift and severe response. His business acumen took over and he hid his reaction. “Why would you think that?”

Jade shivered despite the warmth and humidity of the evening. “Nothing logical, and I haven’t seen her. I just feel it. Maybe because she’s tried to make contact with my other siblings and not with me. I wonder if she’s waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” Declan asked. If Jade had some sliver of knowledge that her mother was lurking around Shadow Creek, he wanted to know it. How he would use the information, he wasn’t sure. After the crimes Livia Colton had committed and after her escape from Red Peak Maximum Security Prison, she deserved to be punished.

“I guess my mother has become my personal boogeyman,” Jade said. “I don’t want to see her or talk to her, and sometimes I think I’m crazy believing she’s coming for me.”

Since Livia had been in Shadow Creek recently, it wasn’t crazy. She had reached out to each of her children and not in ways that were pleasant and warm, nothing about a mother wanting to reconnect with her children. She was looking to settle some scores.

Jade took another bite of cake. “I want to protect myself and my siblings from any further interaction with her, but I don’t know how. Mother always did what she wanted. Heeding someone else’s words wasn’t one of her abilities.”

Declan had spent far too many hours thinking about Livia Colton and trying to understand her. The ultimate narcissist, sociopath and driven solely by her own needs, she defied understanding. Prison hadn’t changed Livia or made her see the error of her ways. From what Declan could tell, she was the same self-serving, hateful woman she’d been all her life.

Livia had been thought to be in Mexico, but she’d been spotted in Shadow Creek and murdered a man. Then she’d killed a man in Dallas who’d threatened Jade’s half sister Leonor. Livia had been spotted in Florida and was using old allies, look-alikes, prison guards, a judge and a Texas senator, to keep the authorities guessing as to her whereabouts. As quick as the authorities arrested and shut down her accomplices, the more people she found to help her.

“If you’re worried about your mother, I could check in on you.” If the expression on Jade’s face was any indication, she was as surprised by the offer as he was. His motives were a blend of wanting to find Livia and bring her to justice and wanting to see Jade again. When it came to women, he wasn’t usually this impulsive.

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. It’s a big place and I’m one small person.”

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 were disassembling 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. Human and drug trafficking, smuggling and money laundering were among her convicted crimes.

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.

Chapter 2

Jade hadn’t had a crush on a man in months. She’d been too busy.

Too busy working on Hill Country. Taking pride in every inch of her land, she spent hours weeding, working the soil, maintaining her stables and barn, and caring for her animals.

That left little time for herself. Her personal life was the occasional outing with her half siblings, but even those had dwindled as each of them had found romantic relationships. Teenage sweethearts Knox and Allison Rafferty had been reunited and with their son, Cody, they were the sweetest family. Joshua Howard and Leonor had gotten together. Thorne and Maggie Lowell were married and had a baby on the way. Claudia and Hawk Huntley were crazy about each other. Of course River and Edith were the latest to fall in love. Even Mac and one of Claudia’s new employees, Evelyn, seemed to have started dating in a very adorable, old-fashioned courtship. But Jade? Her last relationship had ended in a crappy breakup. Had it been important to her, Jade would have made time for socializing.

But she hadn’t and she was booked solid seven days a week. While her work was a joy, it was a constant in her life and there were times she wished she could sleep in or stay up late to watch a movie without regretting it the next day. Some nights, she barely made it through dinner before she collapsed into her bed and fell asleep. After working every day for years, she hadn’t thought of taking a break until recently. Very recently. Like when she had spoken with the charming and charismatic Declan Sinclair and she’d started to wonder what it would be like to go on a date. On a date with him, specifically. What it would be like to have a weekend away from work, the two of them taking off in her car on a road trip to somewhere quiet and relaxing.

She was getting way, way ahead of herself. Declan had mentioned he would stop by the farm to check on her, but that could mean anything and it certainly wasn’t a promise. His words weren’t the reason she had spent an extra few minutes that morning getting ready for work, ensuring her jeans were clean and her boots polished, her hair brushed neatly into a braid. She had stopped shy of putting on makeup, which would melt off in minutes under the sun.

Plenty of reasons to avoid Declan. River’s half brother. River had issues, like all of Jade’s siblings. Some of those problems were related to Livia, others of their own making. But his biological ties to Declan and their ongoing effort to form some type of relationship were awkward. He was Edith’s boss. Edith would be her sister-in-law and if Jade was dating Declan, that could put her in the middle of something. But evaluating the complexities wasn’t enough to put her off from the idea.

Nothing in Jade’s life flowed easily. By virtue of the fact that she was Livia Colton’s daughter, she was destined to struggle at every turn. The fear of Livia returning and hurting her or her horses or even outright killing her was her constant companion. Meeting new people was dicey; Jade didn’t know if they would make the connection to her mother and what they would say or do if they did.

As she was walking across the training circle toward the stables, a terrible memory speared into her brain. Jade standing behind the split rail fence, watching her father, Fabrizio, train one of his horses. Livia stormed toward him, her fists balled, already yelling. Her mother always seemed to be yelling. At Fabrizio. At her. At Claudia. At the housekeeper. At the chef.

Fabrizio turned toward Livia, calm and cool. He was the only person who didn’t seem to get visibly upset when Livia threw a tantrum.

Jade couldn’t recall what they were saying or why Livia had been shouting. Jade’s hands hurt and she scrunched behind the post, trying to hide and turning her face away. After more shouting and several loud noises, curiosity got the best of her and she peeked around the fence. Her father suddenly lying on the ground, tan dust blowing around his unmoving body. His horse, his most favorite horse, pranced nervously near him.

Livia had raised her fists and lowered them on her father’s head. Again. And again.

Jade hid behind that post and squeezed her eyes shut and cupped her hands over her ears. The ambulance had come. Livia had screamed and wailed in grief. A police officer had found Jade. He had taken her to the EMT.

The police had questioned her while Livia watched with her eyes narrowed.

Jade had lied. She had said she hadn’t seen anything. She had come running when she heard the ambulances. She didn’t know what had happened. She wanted to know how her father was.

Livia had been the one to tell her that her father was dead, kicked to death by his beloved horse. Then her mother had embraced her and Jade had wanted to kick her. But even at the young age of seven, she had recognized that Livia was not to be trifled with. Jade kept her mouth shut about what she had seen.

When her father’s horse disappeared, Jade mourned that too as another loss.

“Jade? Jade, are you okay? I’m calling for an ambulance.”

Jade opened her eyes. She was kneeling by the training circle, her head in her hands. The bright Texas morning sun hurt her eyes. Looking up, she could make out the shadow of a huge man, broad shoulders and crisp slacks, shiny polished shoes.

“Jade? What happened?” Declan knelt beside her, his strong hand on her shoulder.

It took several deep breaths for her to clear her head and focus. That memory of her parents pulsed through her like a bad hangover, the horror and the grief fresh every time. It had been years since her father had died and she had never told anyone except Mac and the federal agents he had put her in touch with. Even after Livia had been arrested, tried and jailed, Jade didn’t believe it was safe to tell anyone else what she knew about her mother’s crimes. Livia’s reach was too long and Jade had been right to be afraid. In prison, forever hadn’t meant that for Livia.

Her mother had escaped. Though she had never said anything, she had seen Jade that day in the training circle. It was part of the reason for the grieving wife performance and why she had pretended to care so much about Jade in front of the police and paramedics. When she had delivered the news about Fabrizio, Jade remembered the look of vicious joy in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I had a sudden headache,” Jade said.

She rose slowly to her feet and Declan did, as well. “Let’s get a glass of water. Is there medication you need? Pain pills? Maybe an ice pack?”

His caring attention was almost too much for her and the wave of emotion brought the threat of tears. “I’m okay. I have a lot of work today.” Her animals, first and foremost, needed their breakfast.

“Jade, if there’s something that needs to be done, I’ll take care of it. After I take care of you.”

Her nerves were still rattled and she hadn’t cleared the fog left by the memory yet. Declan led her toward the house. He held open the screen door and she unlocked it. The kitchen was in the front of the house. Taking a seat at the wood kitchen table, Jade watched Declan. He got her a glass of water. “Headache meds anywhere?” he asked.

She pointed to the cabinet next to the black refrigerator. Her coffeepot was still half-filled, her mug and plate from breakfast in the farmhouse apron double sink.

Handing her the pills, he took a seat across from her. “Tell me what you need.”

Tossing the orange pills in her mouth, she swallowed them with water. “You are sweet to care, but I’m doing okay.”

“Then give me the farm to-do list and I’ll handle it until you’re feeling better.”

She reached across the table and covered his hands with hers. Meaning the gesture to get his attention, it did more than that. Heat vibrated between them and Jade felt desire blossoming inside her. Her crush on him was growing deeper. “I’m really okay. I wasn’t feeling well and I should have slowed down. You aren’t dressed for farm work.”

“The list,” he said. He stood and started unbuttoning his shirt.

“I don’t have an actual list.” And now that he was taking his shirt off, her mouth went dry.

In just a white T, he was something to look at. He frowned. “Then I’ll accompany you.”

Sensing he wouldn’t give up, she stood, too tired to fight and wondering why chasing him away was important. His willingness to help should be accepted with open arms. “You may find it interesting.”

“I find a lot about this farm interesting.” The look he gave her seared her to the core.

Her. He found her interesting and that was an exhilarating experience.

* * *

After spending the morning with Jade at Hill Country, Declan’s shoulders were tight. He had respect for what she did every day. He’d needed to stay to be sure she was fine. It had scared him to see her crouched in the dusty training ring and she hadn’t exactly explained what had happened.

Though he was behind on his own work, spending the morning with her had been eye-opening. Her work was tough and endless, and her devotion was admirable.

Declan showered and changed into fresh clothes and shoes and then headed to La Bonne Vie, his most recent acquisition. He had plans for the run-down mansion and the valuable land it sat on. Edith had come to Shadow Creek first to look at La Bonne Vie to fix up the house and make it inhabitable. Buying the old estate had brought Declan no satisfaction. The house was dark and haunted by the evil that had gone on there. He had tried to stay there, but nothing could fix the damage to that property; it was beyond repair. His new plan was to start paving the way with the local government toward rezoning the land into developments.

Residential neighborhoods or a commercial property would be well suited to the area. Shadow Creek was a small town, located about one hour south of Austin in the great Texas Hill Country. The perfect place to raise cattle, with rolling hills and green land, it was comprised of a central town and surrounded by cattle ranches. From Declan’s experience, it had room for growth and that meant development opportunities.

The small-town atmosphere would attract people looking for a less hurried way of life. The shops along Main Street and local businesses were quaint and welcoming. Burnout from big-city living would send people to Shadow Creek if Declan provided them the right place to live. The local schools were underpopulated, so there was room for plenty more families to settle on La Bonne Vie’s three hundred acres of land. The natural spring running through it provided the best source of water for local ranchers and was another selling point. He was already thinking of neighborhood names that brought to mind the type of living he wanted to sell: Spring Overlook, Well Wood Spring, Springcrest or Bishop’s Spring. Packaging the houses with the implication that the homes would be luxurious and the neighborhood would be elite would allow him at least a fifty percent markup on every option sold.

Though he wondered if he would catch flak from Joseph “Mac” Mackenzie, owner of the Mackenzie Ranch that bordered La Bonne Vie, Declan would overcome it. Mac was Thorne Colton’s father, the result of an affair with Livia Colton while she had been married to her third husband, Wes Kingston. Livia had deflected gossip about her and Mac by concocting lies about Wes, claiming he’d mistreated her, working to ruin his reputation. Wes divorced her and left his land behind in a settlement that gave Livia full custody of both River and Thorne. Until recently, when a DNA test had proved otherwise, River had believed Wes was his father.

From what Declan knew of Mac, his affair with Livia had been out of character for him. Mac had worked as a foreman on Livia’s property. Livia hadn’t been willing to raise cattle because their noise bothered her, so Declan wondered what exactly Mac had done at La Bonne Vie.

La Bonne Vie being run-down didn’t bother him; he had seen worse properties and had made a fortune renovating them. The main house, built in a French country style, sat on top of a hill with a long drive and a fountain in front. The grand staircase inside the foyer, the seven bathrooms and eight baths, heated pools and beautiful barn: all spoke to the lifestyle Livia had led.

But the stigma La Bonne Vie carried because of what had gone on inside the house wouldn’t be scrubbed from local memory anytime soon. No one wanted to live there. It was haunted by the people whose lives Livia had destroyed. Quite a fall from grace for Livia, to move from the mansion to prison. Declan delighted in knowing the drastic change had to have been terrible for Livia. She deserved every ounce of suffering she had withstood over the last ten years.

Seeing La Bonne Vie in its current state made it easier to tear it down. Declan was removing anything that remained in the house that he could sell. Though the state had taken most obvious items of value, Declan knew how to squeeze every last penny from a property. The house had items to be sold and Declan had them taken to a nearby auction house each week, where they wouldn’t be recognized as Livia’s. When he was finished stripping the house, the structure would come down, the wreckage hauled away, and he would start new.

A new beginning for the property and perhaps, a fresh start for Declan. He hadn’t managed to outrun the ghosts of the past, but this effort was for revenge and closure.

The big fountain, thanks to the local spring on the property, was still spouting water into the algae infested bottom. The sight disgusted him, not only because of the grime, but because it represented everything Livia had been. An air of grace from a distance, but dirty and rotten close up. Livia had built everything on the backs of the people she had hurt and used. The house was dilapidated and smelled terrible from years of being vacant. The decor was outdated and water leaked in every bathroom and in the kitchen. The roof had been blown off in parts and several windows were broken. Even the work that Edith and River had done on it could not address the massive renovations needed. Those would take years. And while he didn’t have a problem putting time into a property, being in that place depressed him. His home awaited him in Louisiana and Declan couldn’t wait to return to it.

The one part of the property that had stood the test of time was the ostentatious red barn that Fabrizio, Jade’s father, had built before he’d died. It contained twelve stalls, a tack room, indoor corral, a feed room and a storage room. Aside from the indoor corral, it reminded Declan of a large version of Jade’s stable.

Declan hated being inside the house. Not a paranoid man, he was sure they would find a dead body somewhere. The police had brought out cadaver dogs when they were investigating Livia ten years before, but the land had a series of underground tunnels that had not been fully explored. No one knew exactly where those tunnels led, but Declan took great pleasure in dynamiting them closed. Livia had recently been hiding inside La Bonne Vie’s underground tunnels and run off the land. Declan would not give her an opportunity to return.

Shutting down each entrance to La Bonne Vie was like tying off a part of the past, closing that section of the town’s history. And it needed to be closed. There was nothing good about it.

Behind the house on the crumbling back porch, the construction crew had laid out items they had found.

Today’s items were a silver photo album, a gold bell and several dusty books. Declan picked them up. They might fetch a small amount of money at auction. Flipping open the photo album, he found pictures of Livia. How narcissistic. Livia with Fabrizio, her most recent late husband. In every picture, he was looking at her adoringly. Declan couldn’t imagine how Fabrizio had married her. Not even her money or beauty could hide how ugly she was inside.

Allison Rafferty Colton joined him on the covered porch. Declan had hired Rafferty Construction to help with the teardown of La Bonne Vie. He liked the pretty blonde. She was no-nonsense and direct. From what he had heard, she was married to, and shared a child with, Knox Colton. Declan didn’t hold that against her. At least, not for now. It hadn’t become a problem and it seemed in Shadow Creek, the Coltons were everywhere and into everything.

“It’s been a productive morning. We’ve removed some copper wiring from the second floor. We’ll take that to be recycled. The crew has been enjoying these treasure hunts. That’s what they call them. Person who finds the coolest trinket for the day wins.”

“What do they win?” Declan asked.

“I buy them their first round at happy hour,” Allison said.

Declan was pleased to hear the crew were at least somewhat enjoying the task. They’d work harder and get the job done faster. “Interesting collection today. Those wine bottles and racks you found sold great at auction.”

Allison glanced at the table. “I keep expecting we’ll find another secret room and it will be filled with treasure. I’ve taken the measurements of the outside of the house and of each room inside, and we could find small spaces stacked with goodies.”

“I was over at Hill Country Farm this morning.” Off topic and not what he’d intended to say. The words had popped out.

Allison nodded. “I thought I saw something between you and Jade at River and Edith’s engagement party.”

The statement made him feel defensive. “There isn’t anything between us. We just met. It was nice of her to host the engagement party.”

“Why were you at Hill Country today? Looking to buy a horse?” Allison asked.

He didn’t have time for a horse and he couldn’t read if she was being sarcastic. “I told Jade I would check in with her. Livia is still out there and seeing this done to her house has to piss her off.” Livia knew exactly what he was doing to La Bonne Vie.

Allison looked back at the house. “I figured that was part of the reason we were doing it. Knox will like seeing this place taken off the face of the earth. Nothing but heartache here.”

It was one of the first times Allison had mentioned her Colton husband. “The town doesn’t want it here. I wouldn’t have torn it down otherwise.” Not exactly true, but it helped that most of the town was happy to see it gone.

Before the town had known about the criminal enterprise Livia had helped run from La Bonne Vie, it had celebrated her and her children. They had been local celebrities. Livia had donated money to build Shadow Creek Memorial Hospital. Her name had been on the chapel inside the hospital, which had been renamed after her conviction. Her generosity had been the veil covering the truth of Livia Colton’s life.

She was a liar, murderer and a thief and used people like disposable lives.

“I’ll let you know if we find anything of major interest,” Allison said. She returned to the house and Declan was left alone with his thoughts.

The finality of destroying La Bonne Vie would be the jewel in the crown of Livia being found and arrested. Staying away from her home was impossible; she had just stayed there for weeks. When she was caught, Declan would campaign for her to be transferred to the most secure prison in the South.

Livia Colton wouldn’t see the light of day again.

* * *

Declan’s nerves were tight. Another conference call with SinCo’s lawyers and another week had gone by since Tim DeVega, SinCo’s former accountant, had taken off with over two hundred thousand dollars, embezzling the money and then disappearing. Declan refused to let DeVega go without pursuit. The authorities hadn’t found him, but Declan wouldn’t give up. He had hired private investigators to track DeVega down.

The money was important, but it was more than that. It had cost Declan a deal in progress when he hadn’t had the cash on hand to close. He was heavily invested in his real estate company. After acquiring one property and finalizing the development plans, he was quick to move forward with another property. Each sale netted him more money, and the more properties he turned over, the better.

He had his eye on three burned-out apartment buildings in Killeen, located in central Texas. The structures had been built in the twenties, renovated over a dozen times, each time cutting a few corners, until a fire had demolished all three. The violated building codes had made the apartments a hazard. Declan wanted to buy the destroyed buildings cheaply, tear them down and construct a luxury condo community with a view of the nearby lake.

Leaving the B and B in Shadow Creek, he stopped at the Cozy Diner. He ordered two meals to go. Though he wasn’t obligated to, he wanted to check in on Jade. Her concerns about her mother were well-founded. Recently, in an absolutely terrifying ordeal, Livia had kidnapped Edith and had almost killed her. Understanding Livia’s motives were impossible, except to say they were selfish.

When he had seen Jade kneeling on the ground, head in her hands, he had been scared and worried, borderline panicked. That reaction was a surprise to him. Caring for someone he knew so little about wasn’t like him. He kept people at a distance for a reason. His father had betrayed their family, his mother had left, and during almost every other experience he’d had in foster care and in the business world, he’d had to watch his back. Keeping a cool distance from others was in his comfort zone.

Carrying the handled plain brown bag from the Cozy Diner, Declan stepped out of the car. He’d parked in front of Jade’s house, which seemed to be the heart of the farm. Across the street was parked a dark sedan with tinted windows. It might have been the same one from the night of Edith’s engagement party. Not very subtle. The FBI couldn’t know how much the Colton children were involved with Livia, and Livia could show up any place, any time. Her connections and access to funds made her hard to catch.

Jade was in the round pen with a horse. She was wearing tan boots and tight khaki pants. Her white collared shirt fit her curves, giving her a casual and sexy appearance. In her hand was a long rope attached to the horse’s halter, and she turned as the horse moved. Watching her, he was captivated again by her intensity and focus. He approached the five-foot-high slatted fence. Not wanting to break her concentration, he waited.

After a few seconds, she turned to him and waved. The smile on her face socked him in the gut. She was beautiful. He motioned for her to come over. She said something to her horse and then approached.

“Hey, stranger,” she said. “Two days in a row. How did I get so lucky?”

“I told you I would come by. I know you’re anxious about what’s been going on around Shadow Creek.”

Jade looked over her shoulder. “I’ve called Shadow Creek home all my life and I love the wide-open spaces. But I’ve been starting to wish I wasn’t as isolated out here. It gets creepy.”

“Do you have time to take a break?” He held up the bag. Not mentioning the incident from the day before, it crossed his mind a filling meal would help her through the day.

“Let me take Tiny to graze. Then yes, thank you—that sounds great.”

As Jade took care of her horse, Declan looked to where he had seen the dark sedan. It was gone. Many Coltons in the region meant the authorities had to split their time. Couldn’t sit on Jade’s farm around the clock. Though Declan liked the idea of them being close in case Livia approached her daughter, from what Declan knew of the local authorities, led by Sheriff Bud Jeffries, he couldn’t count on them to keep the Coltons safe. Bud didn’t hide his blatant dislike for the Coltons. Bud Jeffries wasn’t an idiot, but he was inept and stubborn. He wanted to run the sheriff’s office in his own way and he didn’t like anyone telling him what to do.

Jade appeared again. She walked with a swagger and the sway of her hips captivated him. Declan was lost. She was everything a Texas woman should be, except that she was the daughter of his enemy.

“We can eat under the acacia tree,” she said, pointing a distance away from the house.

He followed her and then sat in the grass beneath the tree, enjoying the shade. Declan set out the food, letting Jade pick first. She selected the club sandwich: turkey, black forest ham and roast beef, cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce on a fresh sub roll. Declan unwrapped his cold cut with ham, salami and bologna on a wheat roll with mayonnaise and tomato.

“I asked the waitress at the Cozy Diner for the two best sellers,” Declan said.

“Good choice. They’re both great picks,” Jade said, taking a bite of sandwich. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the tree.

They ate in comfortable silence.

“I appreciate this, Declan,” Jade said. “I sometimes forget to take breaks and it catches up to me.”

“Is that what happened yesterday?” he asked.

After a thoughtful moment, she shook her head. “That was just a bunch of problems and worries catching up to me. My farm hasn’t been open long and while I love the work, there’s so much of it. It will be years before I’m out from under the paperwork and the financial pressures. I run this place on donations and the occassional horse sale, and I try hard not to dip too often into my salary, but it’s hard. I want to do all I can for the animals and it’s never enough. I’ve been giving riding lessons when I have time for extra money, but not all my horses are amenable or able to do that, and it takes away from working with the horses that need the most attention.”

Declan didn’t like to talk about money outside a business setting. When he had been younger and had none, he hadn’t felt like enough. When he had finally made his fortune, he had learned that friends weren’t necessarily happy that his hard work had paid off. A few even resented his fortune. Some expected he would give them money when they needed it, even when their definition of need—a brand-new car, a trip to a tropical island, a coveted piece of jewelry—didn’t align with his. Some criticized presents as not being extravagant enough. It was the ugly side of having money and people knowing it.

Jade took a sip from one of the water bottles he’d bought at the Cozy Diner. “One of my biggest costs is the veterinary bills. The horses come to me in various states of bad health. If I were a veterinarian, I could treat my horses without that expense. Don’t get me wrong. I have a great vet who doesn’t charge me nearly what she could. But it’s a big part of the budget.”

Becoming a veterinarian to treat her horses didn’t seem like the most time-or cost-effective option. Raising the money herself or finding a marketable product to supplement her income would be easier. Jade had a great place and he could think of several moneymaking opportunities. “Do you plan to go to vet school?”

Jade sighed. “I can’t. Every penny I have is wrapped up in this place. I wouldn’t have the time and I can’t afford to hire anyone to run the farm. And as much as I’m ashamed to admit this, I don’t even know if I could get into veterinary school. My grades in high school were bad and I haven’t gone to college.”

“Yet you’ve figured out how to purchase land and set up this elaborate horse rehabilitation business. You must have a knack for animals and numbers. If you were interested, you could go to school for business, learn ways to grow your farm.”

Jade stretched her legs out in front of her. “You think I could do that?”

“I know your time is limited, but you could manage.” She could find a way if she were resourceful.

“Wow, thanks, Declan. I appreciate the vote of support. I can’t say that formal school appealed to me before opening the farm. I had a complicated childhood and that led to a confusing adolescence where I looked for attention in the wrong places. If it wasn’t for Mac, I would have gone way, way off the skids. Probably would be working some dead-end job that paid nothing and counting down to the end of the shift. At least with the farm, I love what I do. The hours pass quickly. There are days when I don’t have enough hours to finish. I’m never bored here.”

Declan knew of Mac and had heard good things about the older man from Edith. He had been involved with Livia and managed to leave her without being killed. He owned a ranch in the area and, since reuniting with Edith, had been good to her. “That’s great that you had someone to help you.”

He hadn’t had anyone who’d cared for him in that way. Not a single foster parent took an interest in him. He was a paycheck to them and while he wasn’t ever mistreated, he had never felt the consuming love of family. Edith was the only person in his life who had shared his triumphs and failures.

Jade’s eyes were bright when she looked at him. “For all my misfortune being a Colton, I’ve been blessed.”

Declan wasn’t sure what to make of Jade and that statement. His attraction to her defied explanation and while he had expected someone cold and hard, the warm and generous woman in front of him was a pleasant surprise.

“Can I be blunt with you?” Jade asked.

“I appreciate honesty,” Declan said. He anticipated a question about Edith or River, or maybe his father. He wasn’t quick to talk about any of those subjects, but he was curious what was on Jade’s mind.

“Why did you buy La Bonne Vie?” Jade asked.

Without getting into the emotional reasons for his decision, he could lay out his plan. “It’s a valuable property. The house poses a problem, but I’m tearing that down. I’ll divide up the land and use it for commercial or residential properties.”

Jade frowned. If she had sentimental attachment to her childhood home, he was sorry about that. He hadn’t meant to speak bluntly about the house, but when he spoke of business, he left emotion out of it.

Jade set her sandwich on the wrapper. “Do you think I could visit?”

“The house?” he asked. It was being taken apart by Rafferty Construction. Given Jade’s connection to Allison, she had to know that. Having anyone walk around in the middle of the teardown was dangerous.

“Yes. This might sound strange to you because my mother did bad things in that house, but I’ve had nightmares about that place for years. I’ve never visited, even when the state owned it, because it holds terrible memories and I wasn’t ready to confront them. But I’m ready now.” She lifted her chin.

He admired her courage. He knew all about the ghosts of the past and how they seemed to howl when they were needed the least. “Are you sure you want to see it? You could wait until it’s torn down.” Might give her a sense of peace to know that it was gone.

“No, I need to see it. As it is. I remember the house being huge and grand and I remember my mother moving through hallways like a queen. I want to watch it burn.”

Chapter 3

Like still photographs in her mind, Jade pictured La Bonne Vie. It meant “the good life,” in French, but for her, it was anything but.

Her father being struck in the head by Livia. His body unmoving on the ground. Hurt and pain. Livia flirting with men, touching their chests with her fingertips, leaning close, rubbing against them. Confusion and anger. Livia flying into a rage because something had happened or she’d perceived a slight. Fear. Livia calling to her children, asking them to line up along the grand staircase, looking them over for imperfections, like a hair out of place or not wearing the complete outfit she had purchased for them. As if wearing the wrong-colored socks would distort the image of the Coltons as the perfect family. Resentment and more confusion why they only mattered when other people were watching.

Livia striking her so hard across the face, she had fallen down the stairs. Sadness and hurt. When her father had asked her what had happened, she had lied and said she had slipped. Fear and desperation.

Memories that Jade had never made sense of until after her mother had been arrested: men coming to the house late at night with packages and people. Those packages and people being nowhere in the house the next day.

When Jade was older and bolder, she had found some of her mother’s secret rooms, hidden behind wainscoting and panels and some leading to a complex serious of tunnels under the property around La Bonne Vie. She had also found a book of passwords.

“Are you doing okay? If you’ve changed your mind, I can drive you back to the farm,” Declan said.

Jade had been wringing her hands and she stilled them on her lap. It wasn’t a long drive to La Bonne Vie, but the memories hammered at her so viciously, she wished she could scream out loud. The tension in her chest was nearly unbearable. By confronting the past, she could put it behind her. After La Bonne Vie was torn down, she wouldn’t have the opportunity to gain that closure.

“I’m fine. This is hard for me. There’s a lot about my childhood that still haunts me,” she said.

Declan reached across the car and set his hand over hers. “I’ll be with you. I called and Allison is on-site too. Is there anyone else you’d like to be with you?”

His compassion and warmth struck her and she felt a kinship with him. “I can do this. Maybe I can even help.”

“Help?” he asked.

“I’m sure you’ve found some of the secret passageways tucked around the main house and the other buildings,” Jade said.

“Edith and River found some. The construction team has since done a thorough search. They’ve found and closed a number of them,” Declan said.

“I can show you ones they may have missed,” Jade said.

“Only if you want to,” Declan said.

As he turned his sporty car into the driveway leading to La Bonne Vie, Jade’s breath caught in her throat. The house was different than she remembered. It wasn’t as big as it was in her childhood memories. It looked broken, like she and her siblings were, like anyone who was involved with Livia Colton eventually became.

Construction noises rose around her. Her mother wouldn’t have allowed banging and sawing on the premises when she was in residence. Renovations and additions to the house had been completed when her mother was traveling.

Declan parked his car a good distance away from the house.

Jade stepped out. Taking several deep breaths, she reminded herself she was an adult. Livia had no hold over her. Livia didn’t have power over Jade and her siblings the way she had when they were children.

“She can’t hurt me,” Jade said.

“What?” Declan asked.

Jade shook loose the thought of her mother. Thinking about Livia never brought anything positive. Getting sucked into a spiral of negative thoughts wasn’t something Jade could do anymore. She needed her energy to run Hill Country and she needed to overcome her fear of La Bonne Vie.

“Is it safe to enter anywhere?” Jade asked.

“Yes. Your choice,” Declan said.

Jade walked to the front of the house. She didn’t want to enter from the back as if she were sneaking inside. Piles of broken bricks and debris were stacked outside the house. Large Dumpsters were filled with wood, drywall and trash.

The front porch was crumbling, paint peeling from around the double-door frame. The window to the left was cracked and the window to the right was covered with cardboard. Jade stepped across the threshold.

The grand staircase had once gleamed in the ornate chandelier fixture that had hung from the center of the two-story foyer. Now, the wood was scuffed, the bannister missing on one side and the chandelier gone, nothing hanging in its place. Livia had loved using the stairs to make a grand entrance to parties. She would gather her guests in the entryway, serve them champagne and cocktails and, when enough people had arrived and the band was playing one of her favorite songs, she would sweep out into the limelight in her couture gown, her hair arranged artfully, and she would descend the stairs as if she were royalty greeting her subjects.

How the people in Shadow Creek had put up with that, Jade had no idea. It had struck her as odd then, and now she wondered if they didn’t fear Livia, the same way her children had. Jade didn’t realize she had walked up the stairs until she was halfway to the first floor. Her mother’s bedroom had been off-limits. Jade shuddered to think what had gone on in that room.

Her mother had cheated on all her husbands. She hadn’t been faithful to another human being once in her life. Her words were cruel and her mouth spewed lies, deceit and hate.

When the details had emerged of Livia’s crimes, Jade had been disgusted and horrified that she had lived in a house where organized crime, human trafficking and drug deals took place. Jade walked to her room first.

She hated everything about it. For her ninth birthday, Livia had offered to remodel her bedroom and Jade had been excited at the prospect. Seeing her siblings’ rooms, she had thought about colors and curtains. An interior designer had met with her and had sketched a room perfectly suited to Jade. Her anticipation at seeing the final product had been immense; she had slept in Claudia’s room while the work was completed on hers. After three days, she had entered her room and had been met with disappointment.

The colors and styles she had discussed with the designer were nowhere to be seen. She had turned to her mother, sight blurry through her disappointed tears, and her mother had looked at her through narrowed eyes. “Stop crying.”

“This isn’t...”

“This isn’t what? What you wanted? I made it better. What you picked was ridiculous. Horses in a room? Horses stink. They are dirty and they make the people around them filthy. Are you a common stable girl? What do you want to do with your life? To clean up horse crap? I thought you were smarter than that. This room is what I wanted.”

Jade had felt utter defeat, as if Livia’s comments about horses were another insult to her father. She had wiped at her tears and had sat quietly in her bedroom alone until bedtime. When she had been called for dinner, she had pretended to be asleep in her new bed, underneath the purple-and-green bedspread that she’d hated.

“I wish I could burn this room down,” she said.

Declan was standing in the doorway. “Some dark things happened in this house.”

Jade turned, surprised at how much being here was affecting her and bringing to mind memories she had thought were buried. “Everything my mother did or said or touched turned to pain.”

Declan walked into the hallway and returned with a sledgehammer and a pair of goggles. “I can’t let you burn the place down. Too dangerous. But you can smash whatever you want.”

Jade slid the goggles over her eyes and took the sledgehammer from his hand. “Really? You’ll let me smash holes in the wall?”

He shrugged. “Sure. Go ahead. If it gives you an ounce of therapeutic value, then it’s worth it. Just be careful around the window. I don’t want you hit with flying glass.”

Jade walked to the corner of the room, lifted the tool over her shoulder and swung it at the wall. It was an intensely satisfying sensation and sound. Then she lifted the heavy hammer and swung again. The more that wall crumbled, the better she felt. Her mother flirting with other men and acting smug when her father asked her about it. Another bash to the wall. Fabrizio being hit in the head by Livia. Crashing and banging. Hiding in her bedroom beneath the covers, wishing she couldn’t hear her parents fighting. The sledgehammer tore apart the wall and every loud noise was utterly satisfying.

When she was finished, she stood in the middle of the room, surveying the damage. “This place looks better.” She was panting and hot, but felt good.

“Was there something about this room that offended you in particular or just the whole setup in general?” Declan asked.

He didn’t seem fazed by her destruction of the room, his posture calm, his voice neutral.

“My mother decorated this room against my wishes. It was another of the hundred ways that she disrespected me. Nothing I said mattered and nothing I did had any value.”

Declan came closer and brushed debris off her shoulders. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you to grow up with Livia Colton as your mother. She hurt many people, and perhaps most appallingly, her children. You’re doing good work at Hill Country. Living in a way that contradicts everything she stood for. You care for your horses. You’re part of the community. I heard two mothers at the Cozy Diner talking about something they do there called Farm Fridays and they seemed excited. You’re doing great work. Whatever your mother did, it doesn’t shadow your life now.”

Declan knew what a monster her mother was. Livia had tried to kidnap Edith, but the younger woman had been rescued before any real harm could be done. When River had told her the story, Jade had been, and still was, appalled, but not surprised by the attack. It was not beyond her imagination to picture her mother doing any manner of evil. If it suited some end goal, her mother would do it without a care in the world.

Jade rested her head against Declan’s chest. The outpouring of emotion inside this room had whipped through her. The anger had been exhausted. Now what remained was sadness.

Some of her friends had complained about their mothers growing up. A few were even jealous of Jade, with her big house and swimming pools and adoration of the town. No one had known her secret. Witnessing her mother kill her father had destroyed her. Money and fame didn’t cover up that deep hurt.

Sliding her arms around his waist, she felt the stillness of the room settle around her. “My mother was an evil woman.”

“I’m sorry she hurt you,” Declan said.

“Me and everyone she came into contact with,” Jade said.

Declan’s stronger arms banded around her. The heat in the room and smell of broken drywall had Jade’s nose itching. She took a step back from Declan, wondering if she had been inappropriate. He was watching her with that cool stare.

“Hey, guys.” Allison was standing in the doorway, her smile bright. “What happened in here?”

“This was my room,” Jade said.

Allison held up her hands. “Say no more. I think given the opportunity, Knox would do the same thing to his. And if I ever see Livia, I’ll do the same thing to her.”

Livia had kept Knox and Allison apart in high school by offering Allison a college scholarship. They had grown apart, but a visit to Shadow Creek and a one-night stand had left Allison pregnant with Cody. Allison had kept Cody a secret until Knox found out about him; then the boy had been kidnapped. Livia had been a prime suspect. Though it hadn’t been easy, Jade was glad her brother and Allison had worked things out and were now a family with Cody.

“I had no idea this house could still affect me,” Jade said.

“I didn’t even grow up here and the house affects me. I catch myself thinking about what went on here and I feel betrayed. Disgusted. Angry,” Allison said. “Pile on what she did to Cody and Knox. I hope the authorities find Livia first. Because if not, she’ll face me.”

Guilt plucked at Jade. She’d had nothing to do with Cody’s disappearance, and she had been devastated that he had been taken and it was hard to distance herself from her mother. People lumped the Coltons together—as if, by being related to Livia, they were all tainted. Jade wished she could have done something to Livia, said something to her, to change the course of their family history. Maybe help her to see that riches weren’t the only end goal. Life had many other joyous prospects that were worth pursuing.

Allison’s phone buzzed and she glanced at it. “We’re working on taking down the pool and filling it in. But the authorities have asked us to be careful.”

“Because of the electrical lines?” Jade asked.

Allison paled slightly. “Because there could be bodies. Drugs. Anything out there.” She answered her phone and stepped into the hall. Her voice grew more distant.

“I can show you a couple of the places where my mother used to hide things,” Jade said.

Declan gestured ahead of him. “Lead the way.”

With every step, Jade reassured herself she was strong now. She was not a child anymore. It was daylight and she was surrounded by dozens of people. Her mother wouldn’t come at her in this space. She entered Leonor’s bathroom. Leonor had been her mother’s favorite. They were closer than Jade had been to her mother, and that was something Jade had never understood. She chalked it up to Leonor’s inheritance from her biological father, CEO Richard Hartman, and Livia’s love of money.

Many of the fixtures had been removed. She knelt in front of the cabinet beneath the white marble sink, dusty with age. Reaching behind the plumbing, she pulled a wood knob to the side. A door behind the cabinet swung open.

She couldn’t get inside now, but as a child she and Claudia had discovered it. Peering inside, it looked empty. Dust and dirt and cobwebs.

“What is that?” Declan asked.

“A secret area of the house. I only found something once. My mother had placed nesting dolls inside. I thought they were cool and maybe she was hiding them for my birthday. When I didn’t get one, I asked her about them. She pretended not to know what I was talking about. I checked that night and they were gone. I didn’t know when she’d moved them or what they actually were, but I suspect she was smuggling something inside them.”

Jade left the secret door open. She went into Thorne’s room. Thorne hadn’t cared about his bedroom. He had spent as much time as Livia would allow with Mac. Given that the Coltons had been raised by nannies and Livia rarely made an appearance outside public functions, that had meant that Thorne could be with his father often.

Jade knelt on the floor and ran her hand over the wood boards. When she found the small notch, she lifted up. Once the first board came free, she could lift the flap built into the floor. It was heavy with the floorboard on top of it.

A ladder led down into a secret room on the main floor that could only be accessed from Thorne’s room. That then led to another room, which led beneath the house.

The electricity might not be working down there. The darkness that awaited her at the bottom of the metal rung ladder scared her. This tunnel led out to Fabrizio’s barn, meaning people and items could be moved between the two buildings without the knowledge of anyone watching.

Could Livia be waiting in those secret, underground tunnels? She had been chased off and it would be ridiculous for Livia to still be lurking around La Bonne Vie. The authorities were looking for her. While the manhunt for Livia Colton immediately following her prison escape from Red Peak Maximum Security Prison in Gatesville, Texas, had been intense, she was a dangerous woman with connections and contingency plans and the smarts to stay one step ahead of the authorities. Thousands of volunteers had combed the woods and hidden areas for Livia and had come up empty.

“Do you want me to check it out?” Declan asked, pointing to the ladder.

Jade shook her head. “It leads to the barn. Part of the tunnel could have collapsed. It could be unstable or dangerous, especially with the construction outside.”

“I’ll get a hard hat and a flashlight and check it out,” Declan said.

Jade didn’t like the idea, but it was his property. She couldn’t stop him. After grabbing the equipment, he handed her an orange hard hat. He put one on too and went down the ladder. She joined him on the main floor. The walls were drywall. Jade gave a small kick. If she could puncture it, it would be like unveiling another of Livia’s secrets, which felt like she was getting back at her mother.

Declan set his hand on her shoulder. “Allow me.” He lifted his knee and kicked through the wall.

Once the drywall had been pierced, it was easy to remove the rest, leaving the wood two-by-fours. They were standing in the secret area in the formal dining room. The dining room was empty; curtains and light fixtures had been removed. Jade had recalled the room being flooded with light during one of Livia’s soirees. Now it seemed dim and ugly, the gold floor tile brown with age and grime. The wallpaper was peeling off the walls, hanging in limp sections.

“This room looks terrible,” Jade said.

“We haven’t done any demo here,” Declan said.

“It feels empty and cold.” She didn’t want to explore that emotion too deeply. “Let’s keep going.”

Another ladder led deeper.

Declan shined the flashlight down. “I don’t see anything. It smells like wet earth.”

Jade was curious. She checked her hard hat. If she was going to do this, if she wanted to purge her bad memories and overcome her fears, she had to face them head-on. She knelt on the floor and started down the ladder. Her legs quaked and her hands felt weak. When she reached the bottom, she looked around.

Declan jumped off the ladder and landed next to her. “We can do this together.” He extended his hand to her.

Jade took his hand and was happy he was beside her. Moving aside a large plywood sheet that was sunk in the mud was a two-person job and then a tunnel was revealed. It was constructed like a mine shaft, wood beams holding out the walls with rocks along the floor. The walls were packed mud and she tried not to think about them caving in.

Jade let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her mother wasn’t in the small space. Her mother wouldn’t be waiting in the dark on the off chance Jade visited La Bonne Vie and decided to spill a family secret.

Jade envisioned her mother as two people: the graceful and wonderful woman she pretended to be when someone was watching, and the person she morphed into when she was upset. Though Livia could maintain a cold facade regardless of the circumstances, even a husband’s death, when it came to her children, she was often more cruel than indifferent.

The tunnel was dark. Declan flipped on his flashlight. “If you want to turn back, let me know. Parts of the tunnel might be caved in. We can see how far we get.” Declan had to bend his knees to enter the space.

Jade walked behind him, keeping her hand on his back. The strength in his body was a reassurance. The confidence in his steps kept her going. Only the flashlight illuminated the small space. Her boots stuck in the mud and Jade shivered in the cold, damp air.

“I remember it being light down here,” Jade said. They turned a corner and lost the little light from the entry. Though the walls were two feet apart, claustrophobia began to creep at her. The tunnel could collapse and they could be stuck under the ground. Each step felt like effort.

When they reached another plywood board, Declan pushed it to the side. They were inside another room. This one was lined with wood on the floor and sides, creating a box, like an unmoving elevator. Declan scaled the ladder and pushed at the top. “I can’t open it.”

Panic flared, but Jade tamped it down, reminding herself they could go back through the tunnel if they had to get out. But she wanted fresh air. The humid room was musty and stale. Her imagination took flight, thinking of the people and drugs and items that had been moved between the house and barn using this tunnel.

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