Evidence of Trust Read online

  EVIDENCE OF TRUST

  Colorado Trust Series, book 1

  by

  Stacey Joy Netzel

  Having grown up under the excessive expectations of her CEO father, Brittany Lucas is as resistant to authority as the mustang she’s training for her boss. It’s a fault that lands her in more danger than she bargains for while camping in the back-country of the Rocky Mountain National Park.

  Ranger Joel Morgan is used to having the upper hand in all his cases—until he runs into the headstrong blond while investigating disturbing incidents of poaching in the park. Brittany’s imprudent lie of omission awakens ghosts in his past, making the sizzling attraction between them unwelcome.

  As he searches for evidence he can trust her, the monster mutilating wildlife turns his sights on Brittany, and Joel discovers he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her—even give his own life.

  Dedication

  This one goes to:

  Cheryl, from Colorado

  Robert, from Texas

  Cheryl and Robert picked me up from the train station in Denver and gave me my first unofficial tour of the awesome Rocky Mountains as we drove to the lodge in Estes Park. They also made fun of my Wis-con-sin accent. I’ll never forget the guy with a Texas twang telling me, “Ya’ll talk funny.”

  Still…those two summers were amazing!

  Prologue

  Trophy size horns. He’d sold one slightly smaller to some pompous blowhard last fall and made a bundle. He didn’t understand the ego trip the idiots got by making up a story to go with their illegally purchased kill, but as long as they were willing to pay top dollar, he didn’t give a shit.

  A satisfied sneer curled his lips as he sighted his .22 rifle on the ram. This set of horns would bring in double the money and make at least one house payment and two of his new truck payments. This summer, she’d see he was good enough.

  The ram lifted its head in his direction, seventy-five yards out. He sucked in a breath…held completely still once the crosshairs dissected his target…and squeezed the trigger. The animal jumped, then fell to the ground.

  When he arrived at the body, his pulse leapt with anticipation. The ram was still alive. He kneeled next to the animal, and the panicked look in its eyes triggered a potent tide of euphoria. It’d been over a week and all he’d been able to think about was this moment. He’d tried to fight the urge, but it called more insistently after each kill.

  He slid the razor-sharp blade across the animal’s throat, then closed his eyes in ecstasy as warm blood pumped over his hand and spilled into the damp earth below. Adrenaline raced along his spine, leaving that invigorating tingle in its wake.

  Because sometimes…it wasn’t about the money at all.

  Chapter 1

  Britt Lucas closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath of crisp mountain air. Clean. Fresh. The cold ground was hard beneath her shoulder blades while the late afternoon sun warmed her face. In the middle of May, spring was definitely in the air, although the higher altitude kept the temperature brisk. With the sun descending toward the snow-capped peaks of her beloved Rockies, and the possibility of snow in the forecast, she’d need a parka over her sweatshirt tonight.

  Paelo and the pack mare she’d borrowed from the resort stables grazed on the sweet spring shoots growing where the sun had managed to thaw the winter snow drifts. The mare was hobbled, but her stallion grazed free; a testament to his training.

  As her hearing became more acute, she began to distinguish sounds of other animals in the underbrush surrounding the small meadow. Birds chirped and warbled, and she imagined the light wind through the trees was the swish of their wings navigating the budded branches. Across the creek, a squirrel scolded another forest creature.

  Every once in a while, with the gentle twitch of the breeze, the sweet fragrance of crushed grass from the grazing horses tickled her nose. Stress seeped away, bit by tiny bit.

  Thank you, Mark.

  God, she’d needed this after the past month. Time alone to escape the pitying looks of her co-workers, and Daniel moving on with his life as if he hadn’t just turned hers upside down. He had a new girlfriend to go with his new promotion from the same boss who always put business above family. Her father.

  Six years ago, more than anything, she’d wanted to work by his side and had no doubts about what her future held. One week ago, she’d graduated with a double degree in her hands, then stood in her brand new office at Lucas Technologies’ Chicago headquarters, dreading the next day, the next week, the next twenty years.

  Mark Jennings’ desperate plea for her to give him one last summer at the ranch had given her a sanity-saving reprieve. A chance to do some soul searching. She squeezed her eyes tight with the memory of her father’s reaction to her decision, then resolutely pushed him to the back of her mind. His betrayal had been as devastating as Daniel’s, and pleasing him had always been difficult no matter how hard she tried. No sense dwelling on his disapproval.

  A faint noise registered on her consciousness. As her brain processed the sound of a zipper, she opened her eyes and turned her head with a frown. Ten yards away, Paelo stood alert, nostrils quivering, his attention focused in the direction of her campsite.

  Her pulse leapt at the sight of a man crouched down by her small tent. Her initial thought was one of the park rangers had stopped to say hello, but the black jeans and shirt threw her off—along with the fact he was rummaging through her stuff. Her pulse flared again, this time at the nerve of the man.

  A split second before she lunged upright to confront him, his hand rose to adjust his black cowboy hat, and sunlight glinted off metal. Her heart pounded a new, panicked rhythm even as she froze.

  A gun.

  No ranger uniform.

  Mark had mentioned rumors of a poacher in the park, but that was months ago.

  The man shifted to glance over his shoulder in her direction. She held her breath, eyes slitted to appear asleep while her mind whirled. Shit. Shit. Shit. Her phone was in her backpack, along with her emergency radio. Camping ax by the tree. Nothing of any help was within her reach.

  The moment he returned his attention to her tent, she darted her gaze to Paelo. He stood half the distance from her as the man. No saddle, no bridle, but still, if she could reach him, she had a chance. A quick, sweeping glance revealed the man appeared to be alone, and no mount that she could see. Hopefully, he’d hiked in and didn’t have a ride nearby to catch up to her.

  Don’t think about that! Move, before you lose the element of surprise.

  After a deep breath to steady her frantic pulse, Britt leapt to her feet and bolted for her horse. He shied away from her headlong approach. Hands outstretched, she frantically murmured words to calm him until she could grab a fistful of mane to swing astride.

  A shout sounded behind her. As the echo rang loud over the thunderous pounding in her ears, Paelo skittered sideways, his mane wrenched from her grasp and she slammed to the ground as he took off across the clearing.

  “Hold!” Her harsh command brought the stallion to an edgy halt. Scrambling to her feet, she made it halfway to his side when a brutal force struck from behind. Arms banded around her chest as the ground rushed up at an alarming rate.

  Air whooshed from her lungs on impact. She lay dazed for a few seconds, desperately gasping for air. The man grabbed her shoulder to flip her onto her back. Any breath she’d managed to drag into her lungs seized in her chest at the sight of the dark, menacing figure looming above.

  “Get off me!” She kicked and thrashed, and tried to scratch any part of him she could. “You’ll never get away with this, people know where I am!”

  “If you would—”

  Her knee connected near his groin, a
nd his grunt of pain made her double her efforts.

  “Damn it—knock it off.”

  With a low growl, he captured her wrists to pin her arms above her head. Then he covered her body with his, his weight pressing her into the cold earth from chest to ankle.

  His face lowered, his nose barely an inch from hers as her chest heaved from exertion and the weight of his body on hers. She gulped back fear to find herself staring into the most startling pair of eyes she’d ever seen. Light brown, gold around the irises, framed by thick, dark lashes.

  Annoyed determination flashed in those eyes, an instant reminder of her vulnerable position. He’d walked into her camp with a gun, tackled her, and now held her completely helpless. She had no idea what he might be capable of—and yet feared just how far he would go.

  Moisture burned her eyes, and she closed them so he wouldn’t see her despair. His weight against her chest eased a tiny bit as he dragged her arms down to imprison them alongside her head. She snapped her eyes open to see him leveraging himself on his elbows. It gave her room to breathe, but made her aware of the rest of him covering her body.

  No. She would not give up and let him assault her without a fight. Tears evaporated in the heat of anger, and she glared up in defiance. The chilling intensity of those gold-flecked eyes made her swallow hard and think twice. Maybe it would be better if she appeared to be submissive. Catch him off-guard.

  She lowered her gaze and caught a flash of gold against the black material of his shirt. Her pulse skipped again as she recognized the National Park Service badge. Sucking in a surprised breath, she jerked her head back up.

  “You’re a ranger?”

  “Yes,” he bit out. “Now—”

  “Oh, thank God.” Relief flooded her body. “You had me scared half to death.”

  His eyes narrowed. When she tried to pull her arms free, his iron grip remained firm. Annoyance took the place of anxiety.

  “You can let me go now.”

  “Not just yet. What’s your name?”

  “Brittany Lucas.”

  “And exactly what are you doing up here, Brittany Lucas?”

  She frowned. “Isn’t that obvious?”

  “Sometimes the obvious is too obvious.”

  “What?” He’s talking in riddles. “Who are you?”

  “I’ll ask the questions. Where’s your permit?”

  “Permit?”

  “Your park registration.”

  “But…I don’t…” Confusion robbed her of words. The ranch had unlimited access to the park. She shifted to relieve the discomfort of his hard body pressing hers into the equally unyielding ground. The cold seeped through her sweatshirt, into her bones.

  “You don’t what?” His gaze bore into hers. “Don’t want us to know you’re here, that you’re breaking the law and aiding in the destruction of protected animals?”

  The accusation raised her eyebrows. “You think I’m a poacher?”

  His lips curled upward with a hint of malice. “A pretty thing like you wouldn’t actually do the killing, but you’re a good diversion.”

  She gave a short laugh of disbelief. “Oh, please.”

  “You sure ran fast enough.”

  “Because I thought you were one.”

  “And what do you know about poaching?”

  “Only that there have been rumors around town. I swear, I’m just up here camping for the weekend.”

  “Right.”

  She drew in a breath to hold her rising temper. “Obviously you’re new here. Maybe we should start over. What’s your name?”

  “Ranger Morgan.”

  He said it as if talking to a child, and she would’ve smiled if he hadn’t still been stretched on top of her. She was becoming aware of things she didn’t want to become aware of. And he’d said she was pretty.

  “Well, Ranger Morgan, I would really appreciate it if you’d get off me.”

  He didn’t move.

  “I am not going to run again,” she promised, hoping her rising desperation sounded more like exasperation. “The only reason I did the first time is because I saw your gun when you were going through my things, and I was afraid you might try to…um…”

  Her hesitation seemed to clue him in. His eyebrows drew together as his gaze flicked downward. For a brief moment, his grip tightened on her wrists, then he released her arms and pushed to his feet.

  Ignoring his outstretched arm, she stood on her own before brushing off her hands on the seat of her jeans while turning to see Paelo still waiting for her. She called him with a soft command and the stallion moved over to her. Rubbing her palms up along his velvety muzzle, she snuck a glance at the ranger to find him watching her horse with open amazement.

  He’d secured his gun in a side holster on his belt, but rested his hand on the butt of the weapon, as if ready to draw at a seconds notice. His gaze shifted back to her, his expression grim once more. “Why are you up here?”

  “I thought we covered that already.”

  “Let’s assume I choose to believe you’re telling the truth. This is still a restricted area. Permits are required for camping.”

  “So you’ve said.” Paelo returned to grazing, so she turned to face the ranger and explain exactly why she didn’t have an individual permit.

  He stepped closer, his finger jabbing toward her through the air. “You may think you’re above everyone else, but spoiled little rich girls need to register just like the rest of the common folk.”

  She barely kept her mouth from hanging open. Spoiled little rich girls? Screw him. He knew nothing about her. Wasn’t going to either, she decided. Sure, she could tell him the ranch had unrestricted access to the park, but he didn’t believe she was camping, so why would he believe anything else she said?

  “Thank you, sir. Now I know for the future.”

  “No.” He gave a shake of his head, swept his gaze over her campsite, then turned his glare back on her. “Not good enough. You can’t stay here. You’re going to have to pack up and go.”

  Seriously? Casting a pointed glance toward the setting sun, she saw it was partially obscured by a low bank of thick, white clouds that stretched. The weatherman had said possibility of light snow, but she didn’t like the look of them any more than she liked Ranger Morgan’s hostile tone.

  “It’s too late to leave tonight.”

  When she moved to brush past him, his hand clamped on her arm.

  “At first light then,” he ground out, clearly annoyed that she was right. “I’ll drag you from your tent if I have to.”

  She jerked free, resisting an urge to massage the tingling feeling that remained from his touch. Batting her eyelashes, she gave him a sugary smile just to piss him off. “Surely you wouldn’t disturb my beauty rest?”

  “First light,” he repeated through a jaw clenched so tight it was a wonder he got the words out. As he turned away, he muttered what sounded like, “Now I’m a damn baby-sitter.”

  Hands fisted on her hips, Britt glared after his retreating back. Oh, this guy was a piece of work. She’d make sure to be gone before dawn’s early light, and if she was lucky, she wouldn’t run into the jerk again for the rest of the summer.

  Chapter 2

  By the time Joel Morgan hiked back to where he’d tied his gelding, he concluded Ms. Brittany Lucas was either one hell of an actress, or she really was just camping. Unfortunately, he didn’t think she could’ve fabricated the surprise in those wide green eyes. Not to mention, the genuine relief that had softened her resistance when she’d spotted his badge spoke volumes.

  A thief could’ve faked the words, but not the involuntary physical reaction.

  Still, he needed to keep an eye on her and make sure she left the area. Not only because she was in a restricted area, but for the precise reason she’d given for running from him. A camper alone in the backcountry wasn’t a good idea to begin with. A woman as pretty as her by herself with a poacher stalking the area put the situation from bad to worse.<
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  He’d felt the stirring of physical reaction as she lay beneath him, all soft curves and a thick mass of blond curls fanned out on the grass. The sick bastard who was responsible for murdering and decapitating the bighorn sheep likely wouldn’t have any issues assaulting her as she’d feared he might.

  Yeah, she was right to be afraid—he just wished she’d have considered that before hitting the trail. He may be new to the Rocky Mountain National Park, but the responsibility of keeping visitors safe weighed on his shoulders, no matter how much the woman’s blatant disregard for the rules irked him.

  The ghosts of his past tried to sneak up from behind. Joel shrugged them away. People in his past may not have needed him, but these mountains did, and so did the animals. That’s all that mattered.

  He radioed into headquarters to report his location for the night as he swung into the saddle. One of the rangers who’d been assisting with his investigation answered the call.

  “Find anything interesting up there?” Randy Gifford asked.

  “Just a camper in a restricted area.”

  “You think it could be the guy you’re looking for?”

  “It’s a woman. Camping where she shouldn’t be. I’m going to make sure she leaves in the morning, then return to my original route.”

  “You may want to reconsider. That storm front I mentioned earlier is moving a lot faster than expected. It’s over the Never Summer Mountain Range and will reach your area tonight. Temperature’s dropping, too, so be prepared.”

  Joel surveyed the heavy, gray clouds he’d noticed earlier. “What are they forecasting?”

  “If it keeps moving, a couple inches. If it stalls, up to a foot.”

  He muttered a curse. That would be a problem. “If that happens, we could be up here for a few days, so yeah, scrap the original route. The closest trailhead is Longs Peak, can you get someone to drop off my truck and trailer over there in the morning?”