Dangerous past, p.1
Dangerous Past, page 1
part #2 of Fatal Instincts Series
DANGEROUS PAST
A Fatal Instincts book
Laura Hunsaker
She’s running from her past…
Lark Seawell is the daughter of a serial killer. His reputation has long been a shadow looming over her since his arrest when she was a child. Especially since she’s the one who called the police. She has spent her entire life trying to live as anonymously and quietly as possible. She is not her father’s legacy.
He wants to be her future...
FBI agent Jay Sutherland is visiting a friend in a small mountain town when free spirit Lark asks for help with her injured dog. He is instantly enamored with her, and their one night stand stays with him far into the next morning, though Lark is long gone. When his partner realizes that she is the daughter of The Highwayman, Jay refuses to believe Lark is anything like her father.
What happens when she stops running…
When a trail of dead bodies follows Lark on her cross-country drive, the FBI believes she’s the killer. How can the sweet woman who rescues injured animals and makes him feel things he hasn’t felt in years be a murderer? The bodies don’t lie. Jay knows there’s more at play. If he’s wrong, and Lark is as much a monster as her father, he may be the next target…
*Author’s Note: This book contains a sunshiney heroine, a gruff hero, a couple of goofy dogs, some intense action, and begins when a one night stand leads to more…
Dangerous Past
Copyright © 2023 by Laura Hunsaker
Cover Art: Kim Miller Designs
Editor: Rebecca Cartee
Digital Formatting: Katie Salidas Rising Sign Books
***
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
With the exception of quotes used for reviewing purposes, this book may not be reproduced in part or in whole, by any means existing without written permission from the author.
Thank you for not sharing your copy of this book. And finally thank you for respecting the author’s hard work.
This book is dedicated to Conan and Lily. This book wouldn’t have been possible without you, and your inspiration will live on forever.
THE FATAL INSTINCTS SERIES
"The Fatal Instincts series feeds my appetite for on the edge of your seat romantic suspense." - bestselling author K.T. Grant
Dark Past
Secrets that may just get them killed...
Dreams of the Past
"A troubled past leads to romance at Last Chance Beach. A story filled with charm, heartache and the promise of love that will bring a smile your face. Jenny and Scott are the perfect couple." -New York Times Bestselling Author Alexandra Ivy
Dangerous Past
“A thrilling romantic suspense!” —USA Today bestselling author, Katie Reus
Dreams of the Future
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CHAPTER 1
Lark Seawell had never realized how heavy her dog was until she’d had to carry her. Good grief, Daisy was heavy. As soon as she was healed, Daisy would be going on a diet. Light doggy kibbles only. The mountain trail felt uphill both ways, and she still had a quarter of a mile to go.
She looked down at her other dog, Bandit. “And you’re no help,” she grumbled. “All you’re doing is peeing on things.” He wagged his tail and marked a tree; his goofy doggy smile made her grin for a moment, before Daisy’s weight forced her to stop again. Lark set her down gently. The poor girl didn’t even whimper.
Lark was pretty sure her dog had twisted her knee chasing a squirrel. She was praying nothing was torn or broken. Unfortunately, she didn’t have her phone with her. She grimaced. Not that it would matter; she had no one to call.
She was just passing through on her way to Oregon, and Chester, California had looked like a nice small town where she could grab some food, a coffee, and let her dogs out to stretch their legs. Too bad one of them had other ideas.
“Okay, break time’s over,” she announced to the dogs, arching her back to stretch it. She bent down to pick up Daisy once more when her back protested. Aw crap. Stretching it some more, she wondered if she could get her SUV up here. The path was too small, maybe an ATV, but definitely not her car.
Looking down at Bandit, the idiot was trying to wrestle Daisy. Maybe she could tie Daisy off, and jog Bandit back to the car, so at least she’d only have to worry about one dog? Daisy wasn’t going anywhere with that knee, so Lark tied the leash to the tree, and with a scritch behind the ear, she told her she’d only be a minute, and jogged off. The half a mile felt incredibly long with her sore back, but she covered it quickly. Loading Bandit into the back seat, she cracked the window and hoped no one thought she was a bad dog owner for leaving him there.
Glancing up, she saw three men talking in front of the coffee shop she was parked across from. The Coffee Chaser, she noticed. She was in the same old yoga pants she had worn yesterday and a tank top, her honey blonde hair pulled up in a messy ponytail, but hopefully, she didn’t smell, and she prayed they would help her anyway.
She could use the help, her back could use the break, and they looked strong. This was a logging town after all; they were probably very fit lumberjacks. Although they didn’t look like any lumberjacks she’d seen around. Her instincts were usually pretty good, though, and for some reason, when she looked at them, she saw men who would help her.
She jogged over to them, “Hi, My name’s Lark, and I was wondering if you’d like to help me rescue my dog?” As they looked past her to her car, she stammered, “Umm, my other dog.”
“Of course,” one of them answered. He was tall—they all were, come to think of it. But it was his eyes that she stared into, and it was him she replied to.
“Thank you.”
She led them to where she’d tied her girl off, and luckily, none of them minded jogging.
“Who’s mommy’s good girl? You’re such a good girl,” she crooned to her dog as they got close. The poor dear tried to stand, but Lark was there in an instant. “Oh no you don’t, baby girl.”
“Can one of you guys carry her? I’ve carried her from the top of the trail, and I think I’m tapped out.”
“You carried her?” The man with short dark hair and mocha skin didn’t look as if he believed her.
“Yep.”
They eyed her doubtfully. Lark knew what they saw. A five-and-a-half-foot girl who didn’t look like she could carry a hundred-pound dog down a mountain trail. But adrenaline and stress helped the body do amazing things.
“I’ll probably have to live off Advil for the next month,” she joked, “but yeah, I got her this far down the trail.”
The same man-, the one who’d doubted she could carry her own dog, hefted Daisy up and carried her while Lark chattered.
The hike to her car seemed like it took forever, and since Lark knew how heavy her dog was, she kept glancing at the man carrying her. He didn’t pause once to adjust the weight. He didn’t even look out of breath. Of course, the guy was over six feet tall and looked pretty built. But still, a hundred-pound dog for almost half a mile seemed like he should at least break a sweat.
“Thank you so much!” Lark chirped. She babbled when she was nervous, or anxious, or happy, okay the point was that Lark babbled. And she knew it, so she was trying extra hard not to chatter these men’s ears off. They’d helped her, and the last thing they needed was her chewing their ears off.
But she did need to know if there was a local vet she could see. This would mean her savings took a hit, but her pup needed an x-ray, well, hopefully that’s all she needed. An x-ray she could afford, but something like an MRI would be out of her budget. Ugh, she’d have to make it work.
“So, can I buy you amazing dog rescuers a coffee and perhaps get the local vet’s number while I’m at it?” Coffee for her personal heroes was absolutely in the budget, though.
The man who had held Daisy hadn’t stopped staring at her. It was either creepy or cute, she hadn’t decided yet. Maybe he recognized her?
“Yes, thank you,” the other man said, drawing her attention back.
He didn’t seem to recognize her so at least there was that.
“Great!” Lark hesitated and looked back at her car. “I don’t want to leave my dogs, though,” Lark murmured, more to herself than the men.
“How about vet first, coffee after?”
Lark bit her lip. “I don’t actually know where the vet is.” Her big eyes met his. “Do you?”
He laughed. “I don’t. How about while we very quickly get coffee, we ask them where the vet is.”
That would work. “It’s a plan!”
The four of them walked across the street to the Coffee Chaser and the bell tinkled when one of the men held the door for her. She wondered if he was single. She probably shouldn’t, but Lark liked to live in the moment, and at the moment, she wanted him.
The gorgeous redhead behind the counter looked up with a smile. “Kyle!” Her voice softened. “Hi, babe!”
One of the hot men walked up and leaned over the counter to kiss her. So that one’s not single, and his name is Kyle. Okay, maybe I should ask their names? she thought.
Lark was very much an experience-all-life-has-to-offer type of person, which sometimes came across as careless, but she wasn’t. At least, not with her saf
While Kyle and the woman at the counter chatted, Lark turned to the other two men. “I didn’t catch your names?”
“No, you didn’t,” the man with the cool voice and intense gaze answered her. He had carried Daisy for her. He might be standoffish, but she liked him.
“I’m Luke Bentley, and he’s got manners; I swear he does.” She shook hands briefly with Luke and turned to the other man.
“I’m Jay Sutherland.” He shook her hand as well, and she felt something she’d never felt before. An awareness. An electricity. A shock to her system. He dropped her hand quickly; his hand flexed at his side. Had he felt it too?
“Well,” she said brightly, “Now that we’re all friends, please, order something. I really appreciate your help.”
“Caramel macchiato extra whip.” Jay’s deep voice caressed her. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye while he ordered. He was so intense. She wondered what it would feel like to have that intensity focused completely on her. She realized that it was quiet. How long had she been in her head?
“Umm, sorry? What was that?”
The redhead smiled at her, “What can I get for you?”
They’d been waiting on her order, how embarrassing. “An iced vanilla coffee, please. And can you make this all one order? It’s my treat to the world’s best dog rescuers.”
“The world’s best dog rescuers, huh? Well that sounds like quite the story.”
She didn’t seem to be poking fun at Lark, and Lark instantly liked that about her. She knew how she came across: flighty, careless, and how had one ex-boyfriend described her? Ah yes, a hippie. She preferred to think of herself as a free spirit, never wanting anything to tie her down. She knew life was short and she wanted to experience everything life had to offer, whether it was sitting in the rain and drinking coffee in Paris, or driving across the country with her dogs, Lark wanted to feel alive.
Daddy, no…
She shoved that thought right out of her head. Dark memories had no place in this sunny cafe in the beautiful Sierra Nevada. If she were the type to put down roots, this small town might be the place for her. Her dogs would love it here. Her dogs! Oh shoot. She turned to the barista.
“By the way, I think my dog twisted her knee. Do you know where the veterinarian is in town?”
The redhead, Kate her name tag said, pointed out the window. “That’s Main Street. If you go about half a mile east, just turn left out of the parking lot, you’ll see the Animal Clinic. They should be open until 6:00. What happened to your dog? Is this the rescue story?”
Lark laughed lightly. “It is.” She wished she were a better storyteller. Her mother had had the gift of gab. Lark just babbled. “I’m driving through on my way up to Oregon, and when I stopped to let my dogs out, it was just so beautiful I couldn’t stop walking. I wanted to see it all. These trees are huge, by the way. But a squirrel raced up a tree, and Daisy chased after, forgetting she was on the leash, and she yelped. I’m hoping she just tweaked her knee, but I would feel terrible if I’m wrong, and she tore something.”
“I understand,” Kate said. Lark believed she did; she said it as if she understood, and not just as a platitude.
“So I carried her down as far as I could, but I think my back is toast. I jogged down with my other dog Bandit and saw these amazing and strong guys, and they helped me carry her down the rest of the way.”
Kate had set their drinks down in front of them. Lark grabbed her iced coffee and took a sip. “This is really good! Thanks. By the way, I’m Lark.” She held her hand out, and Kate shook it.
“I’m Kate. It’s nice to meet you, Lark. I hope you’ll come back before you leave for Oregon and let me know if your Daisy is okay.”
“I will.” Lark smiled at how kind Kate was. Lark added Kate into her good column for the day. It was a habit she’d gotten into when she was younger, as a coping mechanism. Her goal was to look for the good. Whether it was a beautiful day or a helpful stranger, Lark wanted to see the good in life. She’d already seen the bad.
Daddy, please!
Nope, shutting the door firmly on the past, she turned her attention back to the group of new friends she had just made. They went firmly in the good column. Especially Jay and not just because she liked his voice. He had carried Daisy down the trail without complaint. He hadn’t even hesitated. He just followed her and helped.
She no longer thought these men were lumberjacks. There was something about the way they held themselves. Whatever they were, she’d put money on them being military or maybe former military.
It hadn’t been very long, but Lark didn’t like being away from her dogs. They were the only family that she had left, and she was very protective of those she loved.
“I want to thank you guys, really. My back is killing me, and I know how heavy Daisy is. I appreciate you helping me.”
“It wasn’t a big deal, honest,” Luke said.
“Oh sure, because Jay did all the heavy lifting,” Kyle interrupted.
Jay sipped his caramel macchiato in silence.
“Thank you,” she said again. “I mean it.” Lark’s eyes were on Jay.
He shrugged off her praise. She waved a quick goodbye to the group. “I hope I see you guys again.”
“What’s in Oregon?” Jay asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Lark answered with a smile. She shrugged and grinned. “I’ll know when I get there.”
“You don’t know yet?” Kate looked concerned. “Then why are you going there?”
“Why not? I have a working car, and we have a beautiful country. I think I’d like to see it all.”
“All of Oregon?” Kate looked dumbfounded.
“All of the country. I bought a bullet journal to keep track, and I think my next goal will be to see each state.”
“Stay safe, Lark,” Kate called as Lark stepped to the door.
“Yes, ma’am.” Lark saluted Kate with her coffee cup.
“Lark, seriously. Anything could happen to you out there all alone.”
Lark tried to hide the shadows that threatened to engulf her. She knew all too well what lurked in the dark. And sometimes in the bright sunlight. Bad things happened in broad daylight all the time.
“I’m good, Kate.” She softened her reply with a genuine smile. She hadn’t had anyone to worry about her in a long time. It was...nice. “I appreciate the warnings. I won’t be stupid or careless. I’ve been on my own for a long time, and I know how to watch out for myself. It was really nice meeting you.” She included everyone else in her gaze. “All of you.”
As Jay held the door for Lark, allowing it to shut on Luke, he told her, “I want to come with you to make sure your dog is all right.”
“That’s really nice of you.”
“Nice.” He tasted the word. No one had called him nice in…well, ever.
She smiled.
He shook his head and stepped back inside to let Luke and Kyle know he wouldn’t be joining them right away. Kyle had moved to the small town with his fiancée, Kate, recently, and Luke lived here, working rehotely for the FBI. Jay was the only one of them who didn’t live here, but he’d been thinking about getting a cabin. He was here often enough, and the hotel wasn’t the safest or most private place. He was working a case right now, along with Luke and Kyle, but he could take an hour or two off to make sure Lark’s dog was going to be okay.
He snorted to himself. Lark. What kind of a name was Lark. A happy one, he decided. It fit her. She seemed to find joy in everything. She was picking up a worm and moving it into the grass for crying out loud. He was the polar opposite and looked for the darkness in everything. He’d blame it on hazards of the job, but the truth was he’d always been that way.
