Colton Christmas Protector (The Coltons of Texas #12)(68)

Eldridge inhaled slowly and, his gaze distant, took a bite of his stew. Reid would wager his father didn’t taste the stew, that he tasted nothing but the bitterness of his lawyer’s betrayal. Turbulent shadows chased across his face like the skittering black clouds of a fast-approaching storm. “That I do, son. That I do.”





Chapter 18

“Now, see here!” Hugh shot out of his seat and puffed out his barrel chest.

“I don’t have all the proof I need now,” Fowler said, “but Reid assures me he’s building a case against you that—”

“Reid? That washed-up cop can’t prove anything! I’m the one who will be filing charges against him for libel, and theft of property and—”

“Reid says you tried to have him and Penelope killed. We are onto you, Barrington. All of your misdeeds and deception and crimes—”

Hugh aimed a finger at Fowler. “You listen to me, Colton...”

“No!” Fowler sat forward in his chair impatiently, tired of Barrington’s games. “You listen to me, Hugh—”

Barrington’s phone interrupted with a jarring old-fashioned ring, but Fowler continued, “If you think our family is going to sit back and—”

The older man had the gall to ignore Fowler and lift the receiver. “Barrington.”

“We’re not finished!” Fowler fumed. “How dare you take—”

Hugh turned his back to Fowler as he listened to the caller.

Fowler leaned forward, prepared to knock the phone from the lawyer’s hand.

“You’ve taken them both? Alive?”

Fowler stilled, the lawyer’s words chilling him.

“No. Leave them alive. He’ll take the bait and try to rescue them. When he does, finish them all. Yes, the kid, too. I have no time or interest in raising another brat.”

Fowler straightened his spine. What the hell?

“That’s what I’m paying you for. Handle it. And don’t call this line again. Ever.” Hugh slammed down the receiver and drew a fortifying breath. His back still to Fowler, he flexed and balled his hands in a jittery fashion before squaring his shoulders and facing his visitor with a smug look. “So what were you saying about your brother having evidence against me?”

Fowler tightened his jaw, wary of Barrington’s mood change and suspicious phone call. He had an oily feeling in his gut that the lawyer wasn’t talking about leaving wild game alive or baiting traps for pests in his house. But the alternative meant...

A new, quieter wave of rage and disgust rolled through Fowler, but he shoved it down as he slowly sank back in his chair. “Just what I said. Reid’s been investigating you. He’s building a case against you, and he’ll soon have enough evidence to put your ass in jail.”

Hugh lifted his chin, the older man’s expression suddenly far too confident and gloating for Fowler’s liking.

“I’d be very careful what I threatened,” Barrington said. “That call was a report from one of my men saying they’d captured Penelope and Nicholas.”

Captured? Fowler’s pulse shot up at the term.

“It’s only a matter time before they have Reid in their custody, as well.” He hiked up a corner of his mouth in a one-sided grin. “Because you know for damn sure he’s going to come after her. The sap. He probably believes he’s in love with her. I saw the way he’s looked at her through the years. His feelings were pretty obvious.”

Fowler stilled and narrowed a wary glare on Hugh. “What do you mean...captured?”

“I mean exactly that. They are in my men’s custody, and I will make sure they’re unable to use any of the information they stole against me.”

Fowler scooted to the front edge of his chair and leaned toward the vile man. Even knowing the fraud and deception Hugh had been practicing against his family for years, Fowler was shocked at what he was hearing. This had to be a stunt. A ploy to throw Fowler off guard or—

He blinked hard. “You’d kill them? You... You’re talking about your own daughter, your grandson. You can’t mean that you intend to let these men kill your own flesh and blood!”

Hugh’s face grew dark, angry. “I mean exactly that,” he grated as he began restlessly pacing, “I’ve bowed and scraped to your father and his ilk for too long to let anyone take it from me. I cannot, will not go to jail, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure of it.” He drew a ragged breath and added, “And for the record, she’s not my daughter. She’s just a concession I made years ago, because my bleeding-heart wife couldn’t have her own children. She wanted somebody to coddle, so we adopted Penelope when she was a baby.”

Fowler couldn’t believe his ears. The man was heartless. Insane. “But she’s still family—”

Hugh dismissed the connection with a haughty snort. “Like you, a high-and-mighty Colton, care anything about family. The name Colton is synonymous with backstabbing and looking out for number one.”

Fowler took umbrage and stiffened his spine. “Maybe once. But things are changing. Even for me.”

Hugh waved away Fowler’s claim like so much rubbish, and continued, “I don’t have any particular attachments to Penelope. We’ve never been close. In fact, our relationship has always been adversarial.” His breathing was fast, shallow, and he flicked a hand as he continued, “She and Reid started this when your snooping brother broke into my office with Penelope and stole valuable information from me.” He nodded, as if agreeing with his sick justifications. “They made themselves my enemy, and I have to protect my own interests.” Another smug grin curved his thin mouth. “I learned that watching your family.”