Colton's Undercover Reunion (The Coltons 0f Mustang Valley Book 9) Read online

  True love, second chances...

  and a covert mission!

  With her family mired in legal trouble, Ainsley Colton turns to her ex, ace attorney Santiago Morales. Soon, Santiago asks for help in return...going undercover as husband and wife to expose a dangerous scam. Working alongside him reminds Ainsley of what can never be. This scheme should be hazardous only to her heart—but when the stakes ramp up, “till death do us part” becomes all too real.

  “My sister isn’t stupid. She was tricked. And I’m going to prove it.”

  “How are you going to do that?” Ainsley asked. “I can’t imagine they’ll just let you poke around the retreat and ask accusatory questions.”

  “They won’t,” he agreed. “Which is why I’m going there undercover.”

  Ainsley frowned. “What do you mean?” There was a note of concern in her tone, and for a second, he wondered if she was worried about him getting into trouble.

  “I’m going to pretend to be a client, there with my wife. We’re both going to offer them a bribe, then find out which person they decide to help.”

  “Oh.” Ainsley visibly relaxed, apparently assuming she’d deduced his request. “So do you need me to draw up some sham paperwork that your fake wife wants you to nullify?”

  “Nope.” Santiago shook his head, nerves tingling in his belly as he arrived at his real reason for coming to Ainsley’s office. “I want you to be my wife.”

  * * *

  Book eight of The Coltons of Mustang Valley

  * * *

  If you’re on Twitter, tell us what you think of Harlequin Romantic Suspense! #harlequinromsuspense

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome back to the world of the Coltons! This is one family that is never boring, and I always love writing about these men and women and their exploits.

  Ainsley and Santiago have a shared history that is bittersweet. But when the chips are down, they know they can turn to each other for help. And that’s exactly what they do. The only question is, can they overcome the issues from their past to focus on the problems of the present?

  I hope you enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Happy reading!

  Lara

  COLTON’S

  UNDERCOVER

  REUNION

  Lara Lacombe

  Lara Lacombe earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. Her day job as a college science professor gives her time to pursue her other love—writing fast-paced romantic suspense with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. She loves to hear from readers! Find her on the web or contact her at [email protected].

  Books by Lara Lacombe

  Harlequin

  Romantic Suspense

  The Coltons of

  Mustang Valley

  Colton’s Undercover Reunion

  Rangers of Big Bend

  Ranger’s Justice

  Ranger’s Baby Rescue

  The Ranger’s Reunion Threat

  The Coltons of

  Roaring Springs

  Colton’s Covert Baby

  The Coltons of Red Ridge

  Colton K-9 Bodyguard

  Doctors in Danger

  Enticed by the Operative

  Dr. Do-or-Die

  Her Lieutenant Protector

  The Coltons of

  Shadow Creek

  Pregnant by the Colton Cowboy

  The Coltons of Texas

  Colton Baby Homecoming

  Deadly Contact

  Fatal Fallout

  Lethal Lies

  Killer Exposure

  Killer Season

  Visit the Author Profile page at

  Harlequin.com for more titles.

  This one is for my mom, who helps make it all possible.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Excerpt from Deadly Colton Search by Addison Fox

  Excerpt from The Deception by Kat Martin

  Chapter 1

  Ainsley Colton closed her eyes and let the soothing sounds of ocean waves wash over her.

  Deep breath in. Exhale.

  Again.

  Her muscles relaxed as she repeated the breathing exercises, and gradually, she felt the knots in her stomach ease.

  She wasn’t normally one for meditation. But with all the stress in her life, she was willing to try anything if it meant staving off a stomach ulcer, or worse.

  “You’ve got to find some way to unplug,” Dr. Bleaker had said. She’d looked up at Ainsley during her last visit, dark brown eyes serious behind her gold wire-rimmed glasses. “I mean it, Ainsley. These headaches, your stomach pain—all the tests show there’s nothing wrong with you physically. Which means these issues are due to stress. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you exercising at all?”

  Ainsley had bit her tongue to keep from laughing at the doctor. She knew the older woman meant well, but seriously? Her father had been shot and her brother Ace was the prime suspect, thanks to an anonymous email someone had sent to the board of her family’s company, Colton Oil, that said Ace wasn’t a biological Colton. Normally, something like that wouldn’t matter, but there was a small clause in the bylaws of the corporation that stated the CEO of the company had to be a Colton by blood. Her father, never one for subtleties, didn’t hesitate to oust Ace when the DNA test confirmed that Ace was in fact not a Colton. Her father had been shot soon after his decision, and there were a lot of fingers pointing at her brother.

  As the corporate attorney for Colton Oil, she was right in the middle of the legal issues surrounding the company’s change in leadership. And as a sister and daughter, her heart had been bruised and battered by the events of the past few months. Ace might not be her brother by blood, but she’d grown up with him. He’d always be her family. It pained her to think of how he must be feeling right now, especially after the things their father had said and done to him. And Ace couldn’t have shot Payne. As for the old man, she loved him, too. He wasn’t perfect, but he was her dad. Payne Colton was such a force of nature, she couldn’t imagine the world without him in it. If only he’d wake up from his coma!

  “I mean it, Ainsley,” the doctor had said, interrupting her thoughts. “I know you’re busy. But if you don’t make time for your health, you’re going to wind up with an ulcer or a heart attack. Don’t work yourself to death. You’re only thirty-seven. Your best years are still ahead of you.”

  Ainsley had smiled and thanked the woman, then hurried back to her office to deal with the latest crisis. But as she’d washed down her fifth antacid of the day with a gulp of stale coffee, she’d been forced to admit Dr. Bleaker was right. She did need to find a way to relax.

  So she’d done a little research and decided meditation might be a good option. She didn’t have time for yoga classes or a gym membership. But she could carve out fifteen minutes a day to listen to ocean sounds and breathe deeply.

  Her cell phone vibrated on her desk, a so ft buzz she registered over the meditation soundtrack. She cracked one eye open and stared at it, considering. Should she—?

  No, she decided firmly. This meditation stuff wasn’t going to help her unless she actually took it seriously. That meant no interruptions. It was only fifteen minutes of her day—the world could wait.

  The buzzing stopped. Almost immediately, she heard the muted ring of her secretary’s office phone. Someone really wanted to talk to her. Oh, well. Candace would take a message.

  Deep breath in—

  The door opened, making her jump. “Ms. Colton?” Candace sounded deeply apologetic. “I know you don’t want to be disturbed right now, but your brother is on the line and he says it’s an emergency.”

  “Which brother?” Ainsley kept her eyes closed, tried to stay focused on her breathing. I’m on a beach, she told herself. If only that were true!

  “It’s Asa,” Candace replied, using Ace’s birth name rather than the nickname his friends and family had adopted.

  Ainsley’s eyes snapped open, all thoughts of relaxation disappearing between one heartbeat and the next. “I’ll take the call,” she said, forcing her voice to remain calm. She got to her feet and nodded at Candace, fighting the urge to lunge for the phone that sat on her desk a few feet away. “Thank you.”

  Candace nodded and backed out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Ainsley swore softly as she stepped over to her desk and picked up the receiver.

  “Ace?”

  “Ainsley, thank God! Why aren’t you answering your cell?” He sounded flustered. Ainsley felt her muscles tense all over again. So much for meditation, she thought wryly.

  “Never mind that. What’s going on? You told Candace it was an emergency.”

  “It is! The police are here. They say they have a warrant.”

  “Wait, back up.” She put her fingers to her forehead and began to massage the spot above her right eyebrow. “Where is here?”

  “My condo,” Ace said, his tone making it clear this should be obvious. “I came back here after a while. The police are here with a dog and a warrant. What do I do?”

  “What are they looking for?” she asked, already walking around the desk to grab her purse from the bottom drawer.

  “I don’t know yet,” he said. “No one’s answering my questions.”

  “Just stay out of the way,” she said. “I’m heading there now. I’ll be there in a few minutes, and we’ll get all this straightened out.”

  “Hurry,” Ace commanded. He was clearly stressed, and she couldn’t blame him. She’d be flustered, too, if the police showed up at her door with a K-9 and told her they were going to search the premises.

  “I will. Keep your mouth shut,” she instructed. “Tell them I’m coming and you’ll answer questions once I’m there.” With that, she hung up the phone and rushed to the door. “I’ll be out for a bit,” she said to Candace as she walked past the secretary’s desk. “Clear my schedule for the afternoon, please.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Candace called after her.

  Ainsley opted for the stairs, descending as fast as she dared. She was sure the police had their legal ducks in a row—it was highly unlikely they’d risk an illegal search, especially on a member of her family, and given their relation to an MVPD sergeant—but she still wanted to get to Ace quickly. He was already jumpy and freaked out over the events of the past few months, and the last thing she needed was for him to say or do anything that might be interpreted as incriminating.

  “Hang on, Ace,” she muttered as she climbed behind the wheel of her car. “I’m coming.”

  * * *

  It didn’t take long to get there. Ainsley opted for the elevator, not wanting to arrive out of breath. As soon as the doors opened, she stepped into the foyer of Ace’s condo and glanced around, looking for her brother.

  She found him pacing along the far wall of the living room, in front of the stretch of windows that overlooked Mustang Valley. His hair was mussed, and as she watched, he lifted a hand to run through it in a nervous gesture.

  He turned on his heel, caught sight of her. Relief flashed across his face, and for an instant, Ainsley felt ten feet tall. It meant a lot to know that her older brother had called her for help, even though technically he wasn’t her brother anymore. Regardless, she was going to do everything in her power to prove he hadn’t shot their father.

  “Hey guys, she’s here!” he yelled, alerting the officers to her arrival.

  She crossed the room and hugged Ace, feeling the tension in his body as she did. “Did anything happen since we last spoke?”

  He shook his head, his brown eyes troubled. “I got out of the way, like you said. They’re searching in the bedroom now.”

  “Did you say something, Ace?” a man’s voice called out. Ainsley and Ace both turned to see Spencer Colton walk out of the bedroom. He stopped when he saw Ainsley. “Hey there,” he said, offering her a nod.

  Ainsley lifted one brow. “Spencer,” she replied, greeting her cousin. “Or should I say, Sergeant Colton?” She put a bit of extra emphasis on his last name, and he ducked his head.

  “I know it’s awkward,” he said, walking over to join them. “But I’m here in a professional capacity only.”

  She and Ace weren’t close with their distant cousins, but it was still unorthodox that a family member should be here serving a warrant. She decided to let it slide. If there was an issue, she could always bring it up later.

  “May I see the warrant?”

  A hurt look flashed across Spencer’s face, as though he couldn’t believe she would doubt his motives. “Of course,” he replied. He pulled a folded packet of papers from his back pocket and passed it to her.

  Ainsley began to flip through the papers, scanning to find the information she sought. “A gun?” She looked up at Spencer. “That’s what you’re hoping to find?”

  He nodded, just as Ace interjected, “I don’t have a gun!”

  Ainsley placed one hand on her brother’s arm, silently instructing him to remain quiet. “What’s the basis for issuing this warrant?”

  Spencer shifted on his feet. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but...” He shrugged. “Seeing as how you guys are family.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “We got a tip from someone who said Ace confessed to shooting his father and stashing the gun in his closet.”

  “That’s ludicrous!” Ace said loudly. Ainsley tightened her grip on his arm, her nails digging slightly into his skin. He snapped his mouth shut.

  “What’s her name?”

  Spencer started to shake his head. “Now you know I’m not supposed to—”

  Ainsley merely arched her brow and stared him down. Spencer sighed. “All right. Given that Chief Barco approved me working on this case and it could otherwise be a conflict of interest... It was a woman named Destiny Jones.”

  Beside her, Ainsley felt Ace draw in a breath, preparing to defend himself. She gave his arm a little shake, and he backed down. “Did she say how she knows my client?” She deliberately used formal language, to remind everyone this wasn’t a social call.

  Spencer glanced at Ace, and twin spots of color appeared high on his cheeks. “She, uh, said it was during an encounter of a personal nature.”

  “She’s lying!” Ace yelled. He shook off Ainsley’s hand and stepped forward, bringing him closer to Spencer. “I don’t even know a woman named Destiny!”

  Spencer held up a hand, palm out to try to diffuse Ace’s reaction. “No judgments, man. But we had to check it out.”

  “So I guess anyone can call you up and spread lies about me, is that it?” Ace threw his arms out in disgust. “This is such a crock of—”

  “That seems pretty thin,” Ainsley interjected. “How’d you get a judge to sign off on this?” She lifted the warrant, handed it back to Spencer.

&nb sp; “We had enough to get us in the door.” His lips pressed together in a thin line. Clearly, her cousin was done talking.

  Ace shook his head, still fuming. “Yeah, well, you’re not going to find anything,” he said. “That woman, whoever she is, is lying.”

  Seeming sympathy flashed in Spencer’s blue eyes. “Between you and me, I hope so. But I still have to do my job.”

  “Spencer?” A voice called from the bedroom. “We need you back here. Looks like Boris has found something.”

  Ace sucked in a breath. Spencer shook his head slightly, then turned. “Coming.”

  Ainsley waited until her cousin had left the room. Then she grabbed Ace’s arm and dragged him over to the foyer, as far away from the bedroom as she could get.

  “You need to be straight with me, right now,” she said, tugging his shirt for emphasis. “What are they going to find in your bedroom?”

  “Nothing!” Ace whispered back urgently. “I swear to you, Ainsley, I didn’t shoot Dad. You know I didn’t. There is no gun in my room because I didn’t do it.” He met her eyes unflinchingly, his tone, his expression, everything about him absolutely sincere.

  “Then what—”

  “I don’t know!” he interrupted. She heard the edge of panic in his voice and her heart went out to him. He ran a hand through his hair again, causing the strands to stand on end. “But I can tell you this much—I don’t know a Destiny Jones. I haven’t been with a woman since—” he cut himself off, the tips of his ears going pink as he looked away. “Well, that doesn’t matter. What’s important is that whoever this woman is, she’s lying.”

  “Why would a stranger lie about you like that?” Ainsley wondered aloud.

  “I don’t know,” he said. He shook his head. “Maybe it’s a business thing? Someone trying to get back at me for something I did earlier? Or for money?”

  Ainsley nodded slowly. That was definitely possible. Ace had a reputation as a ruthless businessman, and he had his fair share of professional enemies. Had one of them heard about the recent troubles over at Colton Oil and decided to make things harder on Ace?