Chapter 1
Kate
The first time Kate Thurlow laid eyes on Marine Sergeant Grant Jones, he was in a jail cell, had a bruise on his perfect jaw, and was pacing in the holding cage like a panther. His cellmates were huddled up in a corner, trying to stay as far away from the combat-hardened marine as possible.
Kate walked up to the cop behind the desk at the Barton police station. She had the office of the senator of Missouri’s number all ready to go in her phone and was prepared to unleash hell to get billionaire Walker Holbrook’s heir out of jail. Her boss would not be pleased with her if his newly found son, who had been given up for adoption when he was an infant, was stuck in prison for the next ten years. As Walter Holbrook’s executive assistant, Kate was authorized to bring his only living child back to Connecticut by any means necessary. The mayor of this small town was up for reelection in the fall and wanted to cement her legacy. Kate was prepared to write a very generous donation check on behalf of Mr. Holbrook.
“Can I help you, miss?” the cop asked her. He was a large, sweaty middle-aged man, and he noisily ate a sandwich that was dripping all over his uniform. Kate gave him her best smile.
“I’m just here for him.” She indicated the marine in the cell. Grant glared out through the metal bars at her. He looked angry and dangerous.
“The judge is on lunch break,” the officer said. “He’s not hearing cases until this afternoon.”
Kate silently cursed the laid-back attitude of small towns.
“I’m sure this was all a misunderstanding,” she said, trying to project innocence. “Surely we can work something out. Grant did four combat deployments and is a decorated war hero—he earned a Medal of Honor for his service.”
The cop did not look as impressed as Kate hoped he would. Figured.
“I’m only on guard duty, miss. I can’t make these sorts of decisions,” the officer said with a sigh.
“I understand. Maybe I can speak to someone whocanmake these decisions?”
The officer looked thoughtful. “The chief, but he’s—”
“On lunch break,” Kate finished for him. The officer nodded and took another bite of his sandwich.
“Hey!” Grant called, his voice carrying over. “You. Lady. You work for my birth father?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“I need you to sign my dog out of the pound. They took him, and someone is going to steal him. I’m not leaving without him.”
“You! No talking!” the officer scolded.
“Where do they take the animals you all pick up?” Kate asked him. “I’ll go grab his dog while we wait for the police chief to return.”
“I’m already here,” said a gruff voice. It belonged to a large man with an impressive mustache who was entering the police-station holding area.
“Katherine Thurlow,” Kate introduced herself. “I work for Sergeant Jones’s father. I’ve been sent to collect him.”
“And my dog!” Grant yelled.
“And the dog. Surely this was a simple misunderstanding. A fight in the parking lot—is that right? Boys will be boys,” she said with an airy laugh.
The police chief was not amused. “He beat a man almost to death.”
“Sir!” A female detective ran into the room.
“Yes? What is it?”
“We have an ID on the victim of the beating in the Walmart parking lot.” She looked askance at Kate, who feigned disinterest.
“He’s our person of interest in the Neely abduction,” the detective continued.
“Oh?” Kate said.
“A man in a pickup truck tried to abduct a toddler while her mom was ordering coffee,” the detective explained. “He tried to snatch her right out of the cafe. He’s probably the same man that abducted that other little girl—”
