Shattered Lullaby

SAFEGUARDING THE BABY

Overhearing the murder of her sister, Lacy Germaine grabs her baby nephew and flees for their lives. But not before she’s seen by the killer—who she’s certain is her lawman brother-in-law. Now an instant mom on the run, Lacy will protect the baby at all costs, and she trusts nobody. Not even her rescuer, K-9 cop Matt Callahan. Despite the police alert issued for the missing little boy, Matt believes that Lacy is innocent of kidnapping. Keeping them safe soon becomes his top priority. But no matter how deep they hide, danger finds them...until Matt is all that stands between the beautiful woman, the vulnerable baby and a desperate killer.

Duchess abruptly leaped to her feet and ran over to the door. She began to growl low in her throat.

Matt didn’t waste a second. He grabbed his weapon. “Stay in the bedroom and don’t open the door to anyone except for me or one of my brothers.”

“Be careful,” Lacy whispered.

Pressing himself against the wall, Matt carefully opened the door.

Duchess was in full alert mode, her nose practically twitching with the need to track the intruder. He exhaled and then darted outside, Duchess hot on his heels. As they’d practiced earlier, he went left and Duchess went right. He heard Duchess moving through the brush.

The dog let out a sharp bark, and he instinctively lunged toward the sound, his heart pounding with adrenaline. He moved from tree to tree. Suddenly a sharp crack echoed through the night, followed by a burning sensation along the outer edge of his left biceps.

He’d been shot!

Ignoring the pain, he continued his zigzagging path toward the area where Duchess had barked, alerting him to the presence of the gunman, as he silently prayed that he and Duchess could hold the guy off long enough for his brother Mike to arrive.

And to keep Lacy and Rory safe.

LAURA SCOTT is a nurse by day and an author by night. She has always loved romance and read faith-based books by Grace Livingston Hill in her teenage years. She’s thrilled to have published over twelve books for Love Inspired Suspense. She has two adult children and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband of thirty years. Please visit Laura at laurascottbooks.com, as she loves to hear from her readers.

Shattered Lullaby

Laura Scott

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

—Matthew 5:4

This book is dedicated to my cousin Joanne O’Connell. Thanks for all the awesome Tomahawk summer memories, especially teaching me how to water-ski!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

One

Lacy Germaine woke to the sound of heated arguing. For a moment, she buried her head into the pillow in an effort to drown out her parents’ fighting.

And then she remembered—her parents were long gone, both killed in a car crash several years ago. Abruptly, she sat bolt upright on the futon, her heart thundering in her chest.

One of the voices belonged to her sister, Jill, but who was she talking to?

Lacy leaped out of bed and went over to check on her three-month-old nephew, Rory, who was still sleeping, but not for long, considering the harsh tones coming from the next room.

At first the voices were low and angry but still incomprehensible. It didn’t take long for the deeper male voice to rise. “Tell me the truth! Now! Or I’ll kill you and the brat, too!”

Lacy sucked in a harsh breath, understanding with sick certainty that her sister’s worst fears had become reality. Jill’s husband, David Williams, had returned home.

And he was ambushing her sister after midnight.

Reacting instinctively, Lacy lifted her nephew from the crib and grabbed the long shawl-type wrap, winding it around and around, swaddling the baby snugly against her body. Then she fumbled for her cell phone and dialed 911.

“What’s your emergency?”

“Domestic violence at 1671 Elmwood Lane,” she whispered into the phone. “Hurry!”

“Please stay on the line,” the woman responded calmly.

Lacy wanted to yell that this was her sister’s life at stake! But of course she didn’t.

“I can’t. He’ll hear me.” Lacy disconnected from the call. She needed both of her hands free in order to manage the baby.

Her brother-in-law obviously didn’t know Lacy was there, staying with Jill to help out over spring break. If he found out Jill wasn’t alone...

She couldn’t finish the thought.

“No, please...”

Lacy hated the idea of Jill begging for mercy. Her sister had confided that she was filing for divorce from her husband because his anger and verbal attacks scared her.

Clearly, Jill had been right. Lacy was getting a firsthand idea of how frightening her brother-in-law could be.

“Please don’t do this...” Her sister’s voice was full of tears.

Bang! Bang!

No! Lacy gasped, her heart lodging in her throat. Dear God, what had David done?

There was nothing but silence after the gun went off, forcing Lacy to assume the worst.