Unauthorized Return (Unauthorized Series Book 4) Read Free

another glimpse of the sergeant and her icy blue stare.
    A deep rumble caught his attention and he turned back to the window, watching in horror as a double trailer semi-truck on the highway hit its jake brakes in an attempt to slow down quickly. Black rubber from a blown tire flew in the air as a car in front of the semi careened across both lanes of traffic. Coleton’s body tensed as the truck driver tried valiantly to avoid a collision. The floor under Coleton’s feet bumped and rolled slightly with the sound waves of the compression brakes.
    His gaze was pulled off of the gripping scene on the highway as fire ripped through the air in front of him, sending his pulse rate sky high as he jumped back away from the window. A car in the parking lot had exploded, sending its hood thirty feet in the air, almost eye level with Coleton, who was on the third floor of the police department. He took another step back in fear as the hood clattered to the ground outside, his heart pumping madly in his chest and adrenaline surging into his bloodstream. He heard the assistant chief swear behind him and other people yell in surprise in the adjoining offices. People streamed out into the open lobby to see what happened.
    “What was that?” Foley shouted, skidding to a stop at the window and peering out.
    “My car,” Coleton answered dully.
    It looked like he would be getting immediate police protection after all. But would it make him any safer?

Chapter 3
     
    Aria rushed out of the office at the sound of the explosion, her right hand grabbing automatically for her gun. She saw the assistant chief at the window and rushed over to him just in time to hear Coleton Savoy say, “My car.” Her mind convulsed at the admission. The threat against him had been underestimated. Drastically.
    She glanced out the window and took in the scene. Assistant Chief Foley’s eyes searched for her and found her. She saw the determination in his eyes and met it with her own.
    “US marshals?” she said to him under her breath.
    He shook his head and answered just as quietly. “They refused, but I will go to them again. Maybe now they will. Or maybe after the trial starts.”
    She nodded, knowing how finicky they were in deciding which cases they took on. “We should move now,” she said, knowing the explosion changed everything.
    “Do you want a partner?” Foley asked.
    Aria considered for a moment, then shook her head. “No, that will take too long. We need to get out of here now.”
    Foley nodded, his face grim. He knew it was the best choice at the moment.
    Aria’s mind worked quickly as she considered her options. She leaned in close to Foley, ignoring the people around them who were chattering and watching people stream out of the building into the parking lot towards the smoking, twisted vehicle. “I’m heading down to get my car. Meet me by the second street exit in five minutes. It might be best if you can make the media think he was in the car.”
    Foley nodded, his eyes guarded. He turned to Coleton and pulled him to the side. In the space that Coleton left, Aria briefly saw a fire truck pull into the parking lot, then she turned on her heel and hurried to the exit stairs. Luckily she had parked in the back parking lot and when she pushed open the door she saw no one. Everyone would be around the front, gawking at the explosion scene.
    Aria hurried to her car, a small but powerful, silver Acura. It wasn’t a popular car. It didn’t blend in. She had to find something else to drive, and if the assistant chief was correct, it wasn’t safe to take any of the police department vehicles. She fished her keys out of her pocket and opened the car door quickly, sliding behind the wheel. Her mind was in overdrive, playing over every possible option that she had to keep Coleton Savoy safe, her sister forgotten, for now.
    She maneuvered the car through the back lot and up to the exit where she had instructed Foley to meet her. He and Savoy