Beneath the Badge

“Not unusual. But I ran into my half brother, Miles.”

His mouth thinned. “How did that go?”

She sighed, knotting the bedsheet between her fingers. She hated to discuss family. But if the ranger asked at the restaurant, he’d find out on his own. Her problems with her brother weren’t exactly a secret.

“Taylor, I know that Miles has been hitting up friends for loans. Caroline told us that already.” He cleared his throat. “Is that what he wanted with you?”

So much for family privacy. Then again, she should be used to it. Just because she was wealthy, tabloids, reporters and neighbors thought her life was food for the gossipmongers. “Yes, but I turned him down again. He blew up, made a scene….”

She looked away, his phone call echoing in her head.

Hayes narrowed his eyes. “He threatened you, didn’t he?”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “Not exactly.”

“What does that mean?”

She finally faced him. “He told me I’d be sorry for turning my back on him.”

He stood, bracing his feet apart, and hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “That sounds like a threat to me.”

She shrugged, unable to voice the truth. That she was afraid of Miles.

“I’ve posted a guard outside your door.”

“You think that’s necessary?”

He nodded. “And your father called your house. I told him I’d protect you 24-7.”

Taylor’s stomach dipped.

“I’m going to talk to your little brother. Find out if he tried to make good on his threat.” His snakeskin cowboy boots pounded the floor as he pivoted. “Meanwhile, think hard, Taylor. In the morning I want you to make a list of any enemies you might have, former boyfriends or current ones who might want to harm you. Is there one you can think of offhand?”

She lowered her head. “No. I haven’t been involved with anyone recently.”

“In the past?”

She hadn’t broken any hearts if that’s what he meant. She’d never let a man get that close. “Maybe this was a random break-in.”

“Just make the list. If it wasn’t a robbery then someone wanted you dead.”

A chill went through her. “You don’t have to remind me, Sergeant.”

“No? Well, think about this. The person who tried to strangle you could be someone you know from the foundation, someone who has it in for your family, someone who wants your money.”

His dark gaze pierced her. “And it very well may be someone you know and trust, someone you’re even close to. Someone you think is a friend, or your very own brother.”

Chapter Four (#ulink_2e683d02-8a62-575c-abbe-6f01fbca6eb3)

Taylor’s heart raced. Surely the ranger was wrong. None of her friends would actually harm her. Although neither she nor Caroline had thought that Carlson Woodward was dangerous and they’d been mistaken.

And what about Miles? He’d always been jealous of her and had done some underhanded things when they were younger, but he’d never been violent.

Not until recently. But lately she’d seen a spark flare in his eyes that scared her.

His substance abuse and gambling problems had escalated, making him seem desperate at times, and…frightening.

A knock sounded at the door, and suddenly Margaret Hathaway rushed in, her face stricken with concern.

“Oh my God, Taylor, I heard what happened. Are you all right?”

Taylor clenched the sheets as Hayes gave Margaret a feral look, a look that nearly froze Margaret in her rush to hug Taylor.

“I’m fine, Margaret,” Taylor said, although tears blurred her sight. She could hold herself together in the face of Hayes’s brusqueness, but her best friend’s tenderness unraveled her calm facade. Although Margaret was old enough to be her mother, they had bonded as soon as they had met. The one person in the world Taylor trusted, the one who loved her unconditionally, was Margaret. And Taylor felt the same way about her friend. Not only was Margaret smart but kindhearted, and she’d faced her own share of problems and pain, although she hid them well from the prying eyes of the public.

Margaret bypassed Hayes and swept Taylor into a hug. “God, this is awful, Tay. What happened?”

Taylor relayed the short version of the story, well aware of Hayes’s scowl.

“Who in the world would want to hurt you, honey?”

“I don’t know, Margaret.” Taylor sighed. “But Sergeant Keller saved my life.”

Surprise registered on Margaret’s face, then she gave Hayes a curious look and smiled. “Sergeant, thank you so much for rescuing Taylor. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to her.”

Hayes’s dark eyes turned icy. “Just doing my job, ma’am. Where were you this evening?”

“Sergeant Keller, you’re out of line,” Taylor said sharply.

“Like I told you earlier, Miss Landis, your attacker could be one of your friends.”

“It certainly isn’t Margaret,” Taylor said between clenched teeth. “She would never hurt me.”

“That’s right,” Margaret said, obviously insulted at the thought. “Taylor and I are best friends.”

“Then you won’t mind answering my question,” Hayes said in a lethal voice.

Margaret tightened her jaw, and Taylor gripped her hand. “I told you she wouldn’t hurt me.”

“I had dinner with Taylor, then met my fiancé, Devon Goldenrod, at his house,” Margaret said. “You can ask him.”

Hayes arched a brow. “Right, the golden boy who’s vying for votes in the next City Board election.”

Taylor grimaced at the disdain in Hayes’s voice. She’d heard he’d had a rough life but he didn’t have to take his attitude out on her and Margaret.

Then again, for a moment, pain had flashed in his eyes when he’d seen Margaret hug her. Kimberly had mentioned that he’d been adopted, that there were some things he refused to talk about.

Margaret folded her arms. “Sergeant, what are you doing to find the person who attacked Taylor?”