Cold Case Recruit by Jennifer Morey Page A

forgave me, that’s why.”
    In the time it took the troopers to reach her? “So, you admit to hitting her.”
    “I admit to nothing. You ain’t no cop.” He made the mistake of lunging for Brycen with a fist.
    Drury jumped out of the way, grabbing hold of the railing on that side of the porch as Brycen easily blocked the man. Turning, he grabbed him and rolled him over his back. Melvin fell down the porch steps.
    Going down after him, Brycen leaned over. “I’m much worse than a cop, Melvin. You’re going to wish you wouldn’t have threatened Evette not to press charges.”
    “I didn’t threaten her.” He crawled away from Brycen and stood.
    “I don’t think you heard me.” Brycen moved toward him.
    “Brycen,” Drury warned.
    “Listen to your lady, mister. I got no quarrel with you. Just leave and don’t come back.”
    While Melvin had begun to show signs of fear, Brycen worried if he left as requested, what would happen to Evette? Would Melvin take out his injured pride on her?
    Melvin made the decision over whether or not to give him a warning easy. He lunged again, all bravado and ego, with fists balled.
    Brycen swatted his hands away and punched Melvin’s nose. His head jerked back and he stumbled.
    Crowding the man, Brycen forced him to step backward with his sheer size. Melvin was a thick man but not as big as Brycen. He shoved him to change directions, around the side of the porch, away from the women.
    “You have no right coming here.”
    With one more shove, the man came against the side of the house.
    Taking a fistful of the man’s uncombed hair, Brycen leaned closer, looking dead into the man’s cold eyes. “If I find out you hurt her, I’ll come back here and put you in the hospital. Do you understand?”
    Melvin reacted in offense to the threat of serious harm. “Get off my land. You ain’t welcome here.”
    “No,” Brycen said. “I don’t think you do.” He pulled his head toward him and then slammed it back against the wood siding, hard enough to cause a bump.
    The man grimaced.
    “Do you understand now?”
    “Just leave, please,” Evette pleaded, beginning to cry.
    Drury went to her, putting her hand on her shoulder.
    Brycen let go of Melvin’s head and then moved into a kick, hitting the man’s sternum. As Melvin groaned and fell to his knees, Brycen grabbed him and put him back against the house, giving him two more well-placed punches in the sternum.
    “Now I think you understand.” Brycen let him go.
    He slumped to the ground, holding his middle and lifting his bleeding face. “I didn’t threaten her. She decided on her own not to press charges. Tell the man, Evette!” He rolled to his rear.
    “H-he didn’t threaten me,” Evette said. “I forgave him. Please, mister. Leave us be. It’s best that way.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that, ma’am. An Alaskan State Trooper was murdered shortly after coming to your house in answer to your call for help. Now I’m visiting everyone he came into contact with before his death. I need to eliminate your husband’s involvement.”
    “I didn’t have anything to do with his murder.” Still holding his middle, Melvin used the side of the house to stand. “My wife didn’t press charges. Why would I kill the cop who came here?”
    “That’s what I need you to tell me.”
    “Well, I can’t tell you. I don’t know how or why that officer was killed.”
    At least he talked freer now. He understood what kind of man he’d come up against.
    “Evette?” Brycen said. “What about you?”
    Her gaze flew to Melvin. “No, I don’t know anything about that cop. I’m sorry he’s dead, but I had nothing to do with it.”
    “I didn’t think you did, ma’am.” He took in her stiff, fear-stricken stance up on the porch next to Drury and said gently, “You can come with us right now, you know. We’ll fly you away from him. I have resources that can help you relocate. Get reestablished. You’ll never have to see him