Hiding: PAVAD: FBI Romantic Suspense, #16

By Calle J. Brookes

ADVENTURE.

   DANGER.

       EXCITEMENT. 

PAVAD Internal Affairs Supervisor Kyra Dillon has had enough adventure in her life lately—and has the bullet scar on her temple to prove it. But she'd go through all that hell again if it meant never returning to her hometown—Value, Texas. Population 897.

Agent Camden Lake, with PAVAD's Runaway & Endangered Youth unit, is used to going non-stop from one case to another. Danger and adventure are all that keep him from remembering the little sister he couldn't keep safe years ago. 

His sister is Barratt County, Texas's only open missing child case to this day. Cam had spent most of the twenty years since her disappearance protecting those who needed him.

It is why he'd joined the FBI in the first place. Why he's taken the PAVAD assignment and left his Texas home behind.

Back in town for an FBI conference, Cam had every intention of relaxing for a while, and visiting with his family for a few days in Barrattville. 

​

 

SHE NEEDS HIM NOW.

​

And then...straight-laced colleague Kyra Dillon sent up a distress signal. From Value. Only fifty miles away. 

Cam is a natural born protector; and Kyra needs protecting. It is as simple as that for him. Something about the woman's quiet confidence and manner gets under Cam's skin quick. Now there isn't anything he won't do to keep her safe. Even if it means taking Kyra and running from killers on her heels.

They'll keep running, until they know just what little Value, Texas is hiding.

 

 

 

HIDING is a full-length, complete romantic suspense novel and part of the PAVAD: FBI Romantic Suspense series. The PAVAD series features scenes of violence, adventure, and sometimes very dark criminal behavior, with moderate cursing—especially from villains. It may include a few mild-to-moderate love scenes and definitely contains references to subject matter that could distress some readers. The PAVAD books contain approximately the same level of descriptive content as a typical crime drama on network television, but with the assurance that good always prevails in the end, guaranteed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lost River Lit Publishing, LLC
• Release date: Apr 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386016250

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

She hated conferences with the passion of a thousand suns. If there had been anyone else available to attend this one, Kyra Dillon would have given them her left arm to take her place. And a million dollars—even if she had to rob a bank or pimp herself out to get that million.

But there wasn’t; and she’d drawn the short straw.

She’d helped write the rules for the Prevention & Analysis of Violent Acts Division of the FBI. She probably should follow them.

Kyra didn’t need a break like everyone said. She knew that better than anyone. But her boss said differently. And the company shrink agreed. Kyra had been Dr. Lauren Campbell’s hostage two times a week since Christmas for regular therapy sessions.

She’d been abducted by a fellow agent’s deranged father to use as a hostage while he attempted to murder a defendant in a high-stakes murder case who had been threatening his future daughter-in-law. It had been a complicated situation.

It had been luck they’d all survived.

Especially her. Odds had not been in her favor at all.

There had been a dead man placed on her porch for Christmas. She had a healing scar on her head where a bullet had almost gotten her, she had been kidnapped for several days by a madman—and that had just happened four months ago.

Kyra hated gambling in all its forms. Especially when her life was concerned.

It hadn’t been as traumatic as everyone thought. The man who’d abducted her hadn’t wanted to hurt her. And she knew it. All he’d wanted to do was protect his son and his son’s girlfriend—two people Kyra considered family.

She couldn’t argue with his motives. Motives were pure. Execution, not so much. She’d never forget the sight of that dead man on her porch beneath her Christmas wreath.

This conference was her boss’s idea of giving Kyra a break. A chance to go home for the week. Yes, she’d grown up in Barratt County, Texas. Yes, her family was still there in the tiny town of Value. They were just fifty miles from the county seat of Barrattville.

No. Kyra did not want to be there and had made a point of avoiding this area of Texas since the moment she’d left so many years ago.

But she hadn’t told her boss Mick that.

The conference door opened, and she glanced up as a big, blond Bohemian entered. Six foot three, muscled, handsome as all get out, and a regular pain in the PAVAD Internal Affairs unit’s collective ass.

Well. Look who it is. My favorite IA brunette.

Camden Lake, Supervisory Special Agent with PAVAD’s Runaway & Endangered Youth Division, grinned his trademark, unmistakable grin. She tried not to groan aloud.

Cam was a good agent—she’d seen it firsthand—but his class-clown ways drove her nuts. Cam was the reason Internal Affairs divisions everywhere existed. He was an incident just waiting to happen.

They hadn’t spent much time together, but when they had, Kyra had found him to be a bit much. At least, as long as he was talking. When he was quiet, Cam Lake wasn’t a problem at all, especially on the eyes. If she went for the beach-bum surfer type—which Kyra most definitely did not. She doubted Cam even owned a suit.

He wore khakis and a button-down shirt, but the cowboy hats printed on the shirt in bright red and yellow made a statement all their own. The light-blue silk tie had Mickey Mouse wearing a cowboy costume on it. Cam was a real piece of work.

The door opened again.

This time with a far-less-welcome agent.

She wasn’t certain why Cam was there, but Todd Barnes? Barnes was a total jerk, and she had been hoping to go years without seeing him again.

The last sight she’d had of Barnes had been when Roger had knocked Barnes over the head and abducted her.

Barnes had taken a metal pipe to the skull. Of course, at the time he’d been being a real jerk to her, but still—that pipe had had to hurt.

Sympathy. Somehow she didn’t see that happening.

Barnes hated her. It was hard to have sympathy for a man who’d basically told her she’d slept her way to the top of her department.

She’d slept with her superiors. Why not him? That had been what he’d said. Too bad Roger had taken a pipe to Barnes’s head before she could slap him that day.

He looked right at her. Dr. Dillon. Back on the clock, I see. No lasting effects from your ordeal?

Hey, I walked away from Roger. I’m all good. Just filling in for my boss here today.

She doubted it had done any good. He still looked at her with derision in his eyes.

Kyra refused to show him that he made her uneasy. Let an animal see your weakness, and you might as well roll over and show him your belly. She’d learned that the hard way years ago.

She wasn’t going to let Barnes impact her at all.

Well, well. Another familiar face, the agent on Barnes’s left said. Kyra turned her attention to the man she knew. The one she could tolerate, anyway. Cam was a goof-off, but he wasn’t a jerk like Barnes. She could deal with a federal agent wearing Mickey Mouse. Dr. Dillon, welcome to Texas, anyway.

Agent Lake, I didn’t know we were having another PAVAD representative here this week. And I’m a native Texan. Value. Barratt County.

Me, too. Barrattville. Just about fifty miles east of here. He grinned. Cam was a very good-looking guy, all broad-shouldered, tanned, and sun-kissed cowboy charm, but his constant stream of quips and jokes drove many agents absolutely batty. At least, until he was working a case. Kyra had seen him turn into a virtual bloodhound when on the scent of a missing kid. She might not agree with his screwup facade, but she had to admit the man was definitely effective at what he did. His methods worked, and that was what PAVAD cared about.

He irritated her with his constant jokes, but she could deal with a class clown much easier than the school bully, like Barnes. Cam, she could ignore and even have her back turned toward him safely. Barnes, not so much.

She studied the two men quickly. Cam was several inches taller. Barnes was softer around the middle. Cam was probably a year or two older, but he looked lean and hard. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on that man—Barnes couldn’t say the same.

Both were blond, but Cam’s hair was at least two inches past regulation length and curled, and more light brown with gold highlights. Barnes had his military short and was a dull dishwater color. Both men had light eyes. Cam’s wavered between blue and green; Barnes’s were dull gray. That was where the similarities ended, though.

Cam was a decent person—or so she’d heard—and a good agent. Barnes most definitely was not.

She’d peeked into his file before. A long list of reprimands and reassignments colored Barnes’s ten-year career.

It was only a matter of time before the bureau cut him loose.

I’m not Camden Lake today. I’m Paige Brockman. Cam grinned at her as he took the chair next to hers at the large conference table. You can call me P.J. So if you’re filling in for your boss, and I’m filling in for mine ... well ... that makes things interesting. He grinned again and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She just resisted rolling her eyes at the joke. His supervisor was married to her supervisor. She knew what Cam was implying. How is she?

Mikey had his first virus. Or something. I think he’s teething early. She actually managed a shower yesterday before I showed up to check on my god-munchkin. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Want to see him?

Kyra knew she gawked at him like an idiot. Cam had photos of a newborn baby on his phone. She never would have imagined it.

She took the phone politely and then smiled at what she saw. A dark-haired baby stared solemnly from the screen. He’s so beautiful. And looks just like his mother.

He took the phone back and scrolled through more photos. Kyra watched them slip by on the carousel. It wasn’t just the Brockmans’ baby on there.

She recognized a few other kids, too. Including her own honorary godson. Noah’s adorable, isn’t he?

He’s starting to stand up now. A bit early, but he’ll be walking soon. Leina was actually supposed to be here, but she wasn’t feeling too great. That’s why I’m here.

She loved that little man fiercely. Noah was less than a year old. His aunt—who had recently adopted him and his two older sisters—was one of the few people Kyra considered a friend.

She didn’t have many friends in St. Louis. Leina, Mia and Evan, Shannon, and her boss Mick were about it.

Some of her tension lessened as he continued to show her photos of Leina’s children. Cam Lake, she could deal with. He was a clown, but a genuinely good guy. She could deal with him for a few days.

And it was nice to have a buffer between her and Barnes. She had a feeling it was going to be needed.

Damn it. Kyra hated conferences.

CHAPTER 2

Something about Dr. Kyra Dillon had always made the hair on his arms rise. Cam hadn’t yet figured out why that was. He took a moment to study her, then grinned when she lifted one black brow at him. Calm confidence—that was a good way to describe the woman.

A problem, Lake?

Just admiring. I’ve always been a goner over green-eyed brunettes. And my name is Paige, today, Mick.

Uh-huh.

Especially green-eyed IA brunettes.

She was an enigma, and he’d known that the first moment he’d laid eyes on her months ago. She deliberately dressed down in severe, dark business suits that weren’t feminine in the least. She kept her dark hair, which he knew was long and curled lightly, pulled ruthlessly back.

She was around five six or so, and very skinny.

Skinny, plain, and unremarkable.

Until a man looked closer.

Cam would admit it—he’d looked. Nothing would ever come of it, but he’d looked. He was a man who loved women, after all. All women. He’d made a point of studying the female body types out there, and he just loved them all. Even skinny little women like this one.

He would love to see her hair down again, though. Down, without blood coating it from a gun battle.

Barnes snorted. Don’t waste your time, Lake. I don’t think Dillon’s into men.

Cam wanted to plow his fist into Barnes’s face just on principle alone, but with IA watching ...

He studied the body language of the two before he figured it out. So that’s what Barnes’s problem was. Why they’d been arguing right before Barnes had taken a pipe to the brain. Aha. Turned Barnes down, didn’t you? That’s why his panties are in a wad. I knew you were a smart woman, Dillon.

A flash of humor went through her green eyes. She did have truly beautiful eyes. Light green with a rim of dark. He wanted to get a closer look.

Something like that.

Kyra Dillon was quiet, confident in who she was and aware—so why did she hide behind those ugly suits? There had to be a reason. Still, he guessed IA couldn’t be too pretty—that would be far too distracting.

Look how ugly Mick Brockman was, after all.

Before Cam could say anything else, the ones in charge of this little conference strolled in like they owned the place.

Cam recognized a few of them. He’d worked the Texas FBI field offices for most of his career. It had only been when REY was formed, and he’d been promised the full use of PAVAD resources for his own personal mission, that he’d ever considered leaving his home state.

It was good to be back, though. Even if it was just for a week. He’d tell these doodads what they wanted to know about how PAVAD operated—he bet Dillon would be far better at it than he was—then he’d hang out with his family while he had the chance. In the meantime, he’d just keep Barnes off Dillon’s back for a while.

CHAPTER 3

The conference turned out to be exactly what Kyra expected. A bunch of bureau bigwigs wanting to understand how and why PAVAD was so successful, but who didn’t want to open their minds to doing anything differently in their own units and field offices. Now she knew why Mick had been so happy to pass the conference off to her. She couldn’t see her boss playing nice with some of these guys.

Mick Brockman did not suffer fools gladly.

She looked up from the charts in her own file when Barnes made another idiotic comment—he so wanted a PAVAD appointment, she could see it in his eyes—and looked straight at Cam Lake.

He crossed his eyes at her.

Kyra looked down and bit back a smile. Cam had given a few snarky quips in response to some of the more uninformed comments about their directorate, but he was behaving himself reasonably well. Thank goodness. Of course, the officials surrounding them wouldn’t catch any sarcasm Cam threw their way.

Dr. Dillon, can you tell us a bit about each unit? the quietest man in the room suddenly asked. He was around fifty, slighter than the other men, and even a few of the women, and hadn’t spoken much at all. Kyra was still trying to get a good handle on Arthur Tyson. The structure is different than what I expected.

We have several units, of course. We have the most well-known, the Complex Crimes Unit, developed by Michael Hellbrook. We have the CHILDS unit, run by Ana McLaughlin. We have Organizational & Internal Corruption, run by Sinclair Lorcan⁠—

The bloodhound? one of the men farther down the table asked.

We prefer not to use nicknames. But Agent Lorcan is considered one of the best at ferreting out internal corruption. He works closely with our Internal Affairs division, run by Mikhail Brockman. Paige Brockman heads Agent Lake’s unit. REY is a part of the CHILDS unit, of course. And there are the various forensics departments. We also have the best forensic pathology department in the nation. Not just the FBI. And we have only a fraction of the staff of the number two lab in the US. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in a relatively short time. I can have copies made of every department we have in PAVAD, with their solve percentage, for you tomorrow.

All of this is fine and good, but we’re talking spread resources. And we all know there have been budget cuts to fund PAVAD, one man said, sending Kyra a look of animosity.

She straightened and looked right back. She would not allow someone like him to intimidate her. She would never be intimidated like that again. She worked IA, after all. Intimidation was nothing new to her. Maybe so. But PAVAD gets results. We can all see that. Results that are quantifiable. She looked at her only real ally at the table. Agent Lake, how many children has REY returned to their families in the months—it’s not even been in operation a year—since its inception?

Ninety-eight. Out of approximately one hundred and twenty cases.

One hundred twenty-two, Kyra added. She had the stats right in front of her. The next similar division falls short of that by almost fifteen percentage points. Shouldn’t funds go where they are the most effective?

It was a bold challenge, and she knew it. But Ed Dennis—director of PAVAD—and Mick had prepped her on what to expect. On what to say.

Kyra could handle it. She might be bored out of her skull, but she could handle it.

It was her job to make PAVAD better, to study the cases and work on fixing problems and highlighting strengths. She thrived on doing exactly that. If these twelve men and four women would let her, she’d tell them exactly how to do the same in their own units.

If they would let her.

Quiet competence. That was what he thought when he looked at her. Kyra Dillon wasn’t a pushover, was stronger than she looked. He should know that. He’d seen that for himself a few months ago when she’d been stuck smack center in a raging gun battle. She’d kept her head and had survived. Odds hadn’t been good on that. He’d fully expected they’d find her body.

The scar on her temple had healed, though it was obvious where a bit of black hair had been shaved for the stitches. If someone looked close enough.

She’d come close to taking a bullet to the head.

Cam sat back and let himself enjoy the show, only answering questions when directly addressed. It was obvious that it was Dillon’s show. He enjoyed watching her run it.

The rest of the day went by in a flurry of numbers and questions—all that Dillon answered quietly but informatively. Some tried to push their own agendas; she wouldn’t let them.

He was bored out of his gourd, but it gave him the opportunity to study the woman in front of him.

Quiet but confident. There really wasn’t any other way to describe her.

He liked her. Even if she was Internal Affairs. She was such a quiet little bookworm on the outside. But once someone got her going, she did not back down.

The only true dark spot on everything was that idiot Barnes. He couldn’t resist throwing little barbs in at Dillon; barbs she ignored. Barbs the others in the room hadn’t missed.

Wasn’t that what had gotten him a conk on the head by Roger Stephenson back at Christmas? Cam had watched the tape himself—Barnes had been harassing Dillon when Stephenson hit Barnes over the head and just simply carried scrawny little Dr. Dillon away.

It had been a tense, tense few days until they had Stephenson in custody and Dillon back where she belonged.

But she was safe, and it was obviously back to business now.

Even for Barnes.

The head of the conference called an end around five-thirty. Cam was one of the first out of his chair. Then he thought about it again. He turned back toward Dillon. Share a cab? Dinner on the company dime?

She hesitated then nodded after looking straight at Barnes. Sure.

Good. Let’s go. Ever been to Finley Creek before? We’ll check it out.

I grew up in Value, Lake. Finley Creek is just next door. I got my degree at FCU.

She was right about that. Finley Creek, his hometown Barrattville, and little Value formed a triangle on the map, with only about sixty miles between points.

I didn’t realize we were practically neighbors. It’s where Paige’s younger sister lives. And Carrie Lorcan’s sisters, for that matter. I like the place. There’s this little restaurant down over on First that has the best calamari I have ever tasted. We’ll check it out, and you can tell Shannon what a wonderful date I am. He paused for effect. Second thought, better not. She might get ideas. Or jealous. He and her friend Shannon Toliver, a member of Complex Crimes Team Four, had a running joke between them. Shannon pretended to be hot for him. He pretended to run. They often played around about the high number of married agents in PAVAD.

Oh, didn’t you hear? She’s dating someone right now. From the St. Louis field office.

Is she? I’m heartbroken forever. He’d hailed the cab once they’d stepped outside the conference room. They were currently inside the Barratt Hotel Finley Creek, a swanky place Cam couldn’t ever hope to afford on his salary. Still, he was there on the bureau’s dime. Might as well enjoy himself. Suppose we could just hang around here. I saw a very nice pool. You’d look great in a green bikini. He sighed and covered his heart. But he wasn’t lying. He’d love to see Kyra Dillon in a string bikini. He entertained the thought for a moment.

You’re bordering on the line, Lake.

He shook his head and held up his hands in apology. But you know I’m not serious. So, how about it? Dinner? You can’t let me loose in this town by myself. Strange things can happen.

Somehow I don’t doubt that. Let’s get out of here for a while. This place ... a bit ostentatious for my taste. She took a quick look around the lobby.

Cam’s gaze followed hers. Wow. Look over there. A crew was hanging a huge painting on the wall behind the front desk. Cam studied it quickly. That’s a major overcompensation.

That woman looks a lot like Carrie Lorcan, she said. The painting was of a couple, the woman a redhead with about a yard of hair. The man was dark haired and dark eyed and looking at the woman with adoration.

It’s her sister, Mel. She married some Barratt down here recently. I guess he owns this place. He’d met the sisters several times, but knew Mel the best. They all looked alike.

Wow. After everything that happened last month, I’m glad to see everything has worked out.

Cam knew exactly what she meant.

He’d make a point of checking on Paige’s sister, Ariella, when he got a chance. She was actually what had brought him to St. Louis in the first place; she had relocated to Finley Creek about a year ago. She was close friends with Carrie Lorcan’s family now.

His boss would make mincemeat out of him if he didn’t check on her baby sister.

But that was for tomorrow. Tonight he was going to see about loosening up the great Dr. Dillon.

Just a bit. Just enough to get that top button opened and that hair down. Somehow.

She was one of Leina’s best friends. Leina was one of his best friends. So by osmosis, this woman was one of his friends. He liked the logic of it.

Come on, Doc. Let’s get crackin’. We have a city to explore.

CHAPTER 4

Cam Lake knew his way around the city. Kyra learned that quickly. Still, he wasn’t pushy. They were back at the Barratt Hotel within three hours. And she’d almost say he had been a perfect gentleman that entire time. Almost. He was the infamous Cam Lake, after all. And women—even PAVAD women—talked.

Still, she hadn’t had quite such a charming date in a long time.

He walked her to her room. Thank you for a lovely evening, Dr. Dillon.

Thank you, Agent Lake.

So did I pass the gentleman test with flying colors?

Somewhat. It was his smile that did it. Had her relaxing and almost flirting back.

Good. I’ll see you in the morning, Dillon. Dream of me?

Hardly. They’d settled into an easy rapport over the meal of fried seafood, but both had been careful to keep within the bounds of reason.

While he was a very good-looking, funny, charming, and highly intelligent man, Kyra just wasn’t interested in romance right now. Especially with another agent.

FBI agents just weren’t her thing. The last guy she’d dated more than once had been a US Marshal. She found him to be a bit too much for her taste and had called things off within four dates.

She hadn’t thought of a man since. She wasn’t about to start with Camden Lake. He might be a wonderful guy who worked hard and loved kids and all of that, but he definitely wasn’t her type. Not long term. And Kyra didn’t do casual. Good night, Agent Lake. Thank you for dinner.

"Good night, Dr. Dillon. Thank you. If you hadn’t been here, I would