Called to Protect (Blue Justice #2)
Lynette Eason
Prologue
SIX MONTHS AGO
MAY
Sixteen-year-old Penny St. John smoothed the shirt over her slim waist and turned to admire herself in the mirror. He’d like the look. Just thinking about Carson Langston made her smile. She’d never had a real boyfriend before. She’d been more interested in gymnastics and running track, but Carson had caught her eye at the mall when he’d struck up a conversation with her in line at the pizza place.
That had been three weeks ago. Tonight, he said he had a surprise for her. Anticipation swirled. She didn’t fancy herself in love. She was too practical for that, but she did like him a lot. Just yesterday he’d given her the gold bracelet she now wore on her left wrist.
Penny pulled her phone from the back pocket of her shorts and tapped the Instagram app. Posing with pouty lip, she snapped a picture and posted it. Next, she grinned and posted that one. Wow. She looked good.
With a giggle, she made her way downstairs and found her cousin, Linc St. John, in the kitchen with her brother, Damien. “Hey, you two, don’t you have anything better to do on a Friday night than sit around and talk cop stuff?”
Damien frowned at her. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Going out with a friend, why?”
“Because you need to put on something besides that pajama top. And don’t you have a pair of jeans or something? Those shorts are too short.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “They are not. They come to mid-thigh. And this top is fine. It’s loose and comfortable.”
“It shows too much skin.”
“My shoulder, Damien. My bathing suit is more revealing and you know it. Seriously. You need to get a life.”
“I have one. It’s my mission in life to watch out for you.”
Penny rolled her eyes. “You mean harass me to death.”
“Has Mom seen that shirt?”
“Yes.” She walked over and kissed his forehead. “She helped me pick it out. I’ll be back before midnight. See ya. Bye, Linc.”
“Bye, Pen. Be careful,” he said.
He was more than twice her age, but he was one of her favorite cousins. She almost turned around and went to change, but truly, Damien knew as well as she did that the shirt was fine. He was just having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that she was growing up. And, honestly, she was grateful for his protective instincts even as she strained against them.
The shirt was fine and Carson was waiting.
“Who are you going out with?” Damien asked.
“A friend,” she said again with a glance out the window. “And there he is. Talk to you later. Love you.”
“His name, Penny.”
“Carson Langston.” She stuck her tongue out and bolted out the door.
She heard him yell her name as she dashed down the walkway, but she wasn’t about to let him have an opportunity to give Carson the third degree. How embarrassing.
Just because Damien was twenty-four years old, he thought that made him her keeper. She was determined to prove it didn’t and that she could take care of herself.
She shot a quick glance over her shoulder as she opened the door and her eyes locked on Damien’s. For a moment, she regretted the way she left and sighed. She’d apologize to him tomorrow. For now, she was going to enjoy the night. She slid into the car, turning toward Carson. “Thanks for picking me up.”
“Of course.” He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Anything for you.” He pressed the gas and pulled from the curb.
“So, what’s my surprise?” she asked.
“I’m taking you to meet a friend of mine.”
She frowned. “Okay.”
He laughed. “What? You don’t want to meet my friends?”
“Of course, I just thought it was going to be the two of us.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll have a blast. My friend is going to love you. Now relax.”
Penny’s worries eased at his friendly smile and twinkling blue eyes. “Fine, we’ll meet your friend, but then we’re going to go do something. Just you and me, okay?”
Without taking his eyes from the road, he reached over and stroked her cheek. “Okay.”
Ten minutes later, Carson wound through one of the nicest neighborhoods in Columbia. “Your friend lives here?”
“Yep.”
“Wow. What does he do?”
“He’s in sales.”
One mansion after the next passed her window. “What does he sell?”
“Whatever will make him money.”
“Hmm.” That sounded . . . weird. What did he mean by that?
A kernel of unease curled in her belly. Carson took her hand and squeezed it, then lifted it and pressed his lips to her fingers. She sighed and smiled at him. He was so good to her.
Then he was turning into a driveway that curved around to the front of a four-story home. “Do you want me to wait here? I’m not exactly dressed for anything fancy.”
“You look awesome.”
“How do you know this guy?”
“I work for him. I just need to drop something off.”
“Oh.”
But he got out of the car without anything. Maybe it was a flash drive or something in his pocket. Or money. But why wouldn’t he just say so?
He opened her door and held out his hand. She reached for it and he laced his fingers through hers as she followed him up the stone walkway to the front steps. The door opened before they reached the top and he released her hand.
A man in his midthirties stood there with a wide smile on his face. “Come on in. So glad you’re here.”
With Carson’s warm hand against the small of her back, Penny stepped inside the massive foyer. Marble beneath her feet and a bazillion-dollar chandelier above her head. Wow.
The door shut behind them and the man’s smile faded. His eyes roamed over her and he shot a look at Carson. “Good, good. Nice.”
Alarms instantly jangled. “Um . . . I don’t mean to be rude, but could I use your restroom?”
The man lifted a brow, and at first she thought he was going to refuse, but then the smile returned. “Of course. Carson can show you the way.”
“Thank you.”
Carson gripped her hand, harder than he’d ever done before, and pulled her with him.
“What are you doing?” She jerked out of his grasp. “That hurts.”
Anger flashed in his eyes for a split second then disappeared. “Sorry.”
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked. “I mean, I can wait on the bathroom if I have to.” But she didn’t plan on it.
Her willingness to please him did the trick and his features smoothed out. “No. Of course not. It’s fine, but don’t take forever.” He opened the door for her. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Once inside the bathroom with the door shut, she pulled out her cell phone and tapped Damien’s name. The phone rang twice. “Penny?”
“Damien, I think I need your help,” she whispered.
“Where are you?”
“At a house in—”
The call dropped. With a frustrated groan, she glanced at the battery. It was full. She’d had it plugged in the entire time she was getting ready. She dialed her brother’s number again. And got nothing. The signal on her phone was gone. Had they done something to make it so she couldn’t call out? “No. Come on, come on, please.”
She tapped a text to him even as she knew something was terribly wrong. Fear like she’d never felt before twisted inside her. She was so stupid. Every warning Damien had ever lectured on about human trafficking rang through her mind.
But no. Carson wouldn’t do that, would he?
Flashes of his behavior tonight confirmed her fear. She pressed send on the text and got the little message that it was unable to be delivered. Tears sprang to her eyes and she drew in a breath. She would not panic. She’d keep her cool.
A knock on the door caused her to jerk. “I’ll be there in a minute.” She flushed the toilet and eyed the cabinet under the sink.