I groaned again and threw my arm over my eyes. It was hot, but I wasn’t anyone’s hero anymore, and I didn’t want to think about Rodie being as broken as Bucky.
Rodie
“You need a tetanus shot, Sheriff.”
I bit back a dirty word as the doctor poked at the wound on my hand. I got tangled up with some rusty barbed wire helping one of the local ranchers wrangle an unruly steer back into its pen. There were always unexpected parts of the job when you were a law enforcement officer in a rural town. Luckily, the laceration on my hand and wrist was the worst I’d been injured since taking the job.
I waited impatiently for the medical staff in the ER to finish wrapping my hand and suffered through the shot, since it’d been years since my last one. Working with a busted hand for the next few days was going to be a challenge. Things had been busy at the sheriff’s station over the last week. It seemed like as soon as the mayor and Byron announced I was no longer running unopposed, the town was doing its best to put me to the test. I was dealing with the kind of crime we didn’t typically see in Sheridan, and I was working the kind of hours that were bound to wear a man down and make him careless… hence my lacerated hand. It rubbed me the wrong way that everywhere I turned, someone was in my face asking how I felt about the upcoming election. They wanted to know if I was worried. They asked if I thought Byron was a worthy opponent. I couldn’t get a moment of peace, and there’d been no time to pin Wyatt down so we could have a heart to heart, or another round of mind-blowing sex, either of which I’d take after the past few days.
I hadn’t seen the man in days, and the uncertainty and repressed desire put me in a foul mood. My deputies were tip-toeing around me, and I couldn’t blame them for handling me with caution.
Holding my injured hand and flexing my fingers to see how much I could move them in the bandage, I sucked in a breath as pain shot up my arm. I was lucky I escaped without a bunch of stitches, but it still hurt like a bitch.
I was driving toward the station when I caught sight of a familiar figure running across Main Street toward the diner in the center of town. I pulled the SUV into a parking spot in front of the restaurant and followed Cam into the building. The teen was hovering uncertainly at the hostess stand, eyes wide as he took in the old-fashioned interior of the diner. It occurred to me that Cam had been in Sheridan for several months now, but he usually stuck close to the Warner Ranch and didn’t venture out much. I clapped a hand on his shoulder, making him jump and spin around in surprise. With his crazy dyed hair, huge dark eyes, and ultra-trendy clothes, he looked a little bit like an anime character come to life. He definitely didn’t look like the other regulars visiting the diner.
“What’s up, kid?” I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring grin and motioned a waitress over to show him to a seat. I followed him to a booth, watching as he nervously played with the menu in front of him.
“I was going stir-crazy at the ranch. I asked Wyatt if I could tag along when he came to town for his physical therapy appointment for a change of scenery.” He made a face. “I never thought I would miss going to school. I was so behind when I first started since I had to drop out when my parents kicked me out. But I caught up pretty quick. I hope this suspension doesn’t screw everything up for me.”
I asked for a cup of coffee when the waitress stopped by. I had to repeat myself because she was staring at Cam like he was some kind of alien lifeform. He asked for pancakes and handed the menu over. The waitress walked away muttering something under her breath, but Cam seemed immune to the reaction.
“Is someone bringing you the school work you’re missing while you’re on suspension?” I was sure neither Brynn nor Lane would let him fall behind.
Cam nodded, playing with the straw on the table in front of him. “Yeah. A couple of the girls have kept me up to date. I guess I need to accept they might actually want to be my friend and aren’t just hanging around me out of curiosity. A few of my teachers won’t accept any work while I’m suspended, so my grades are going to suffer in those subjects no matter what I do.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal, but I could tell he was bothered by the situation.
“I’ll double-check if Dalton has the same teachers. He should face the same consequences.” I wouldn’t put it past some at the school to favor the other boy, and not just because he was the mayor’s son.
Cam shrugged again, finally lifting his gaze to meet mine. “I don’t care about that. I just have to worry about myself.”
Of course, he felt that way. He’d spent his entire young life looking out for himself, especially when the people who were supposed to love and protect him turned their backs. Unfortunately, I knew that feeling all too well. There was still time for people, for me, to prove to Cam the world wasn’t against him, and it was a better place because of kids like him.
I sighed and reached for the sugar when my coffee was set down in front of me. “I’ll worry about it. Things should be fair for all students going to that school.”
Cam flashed a sad smile and thanked the waitress when she dropped off his plate of food. She looked a little startled at his perfect manners and finally smiled back at him. Once folks got past their initial reaction to how he looked, they quickly realized he was a good kid with more wisdom than most of the adults I dealt with on a daily basis.
Cam changed the subject, grinning at me as he dug into his breakfast. “So, you and Wyatt, huh? Didn’t see that coming.”
My spine stiffened and I couldn’t keep my eyes from darting nervously around to see who may have overheard him. I was annoyed by my own reaction, and hated that Cam obviously took note of the uncomfortable response. I still couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. I’d had a tingle on the back of my neck since the morning at Wyatt’s bunkhouse. I was probably being paranoid with the election looming and the mayor in my face every time I turned around. But the impending sense of doom wouldn’t leave me and it was making me hyper-vigilant.
I cleared my throat and picked up my coffee. “Wyatt’s a good guy. I’m glad his brother convinced him to come to Sheridan for a little while. I’ve been interested in getting to know him better for some time now.”
Cam’s eyebrows lifted and his dark gaze sharpened. “Wyatt’s more than a good guy. He’s an actual hero. He’s survived things that would destroy another man. He puts everything on the line for those he cares about when no one did the same for him. He deserves better than someone just interested in getting to know him better.”
Ouch.
Taken to task by a teenager. And he wasn’t wrong. Wyatt did deserve better than deflection and denial.
“It’s complicated.” It was a lame excuse, but it was all I had at the moment.
Cam snorted. “Yeah, I know all about complicated. But if you can’t find a way to make it uncomplicated, you’re going to lose your shot at having something great.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, kid.”
He nodded his approval and tucked into his food. We kept the conversation light as he finished up, and I offered to walk him back to Miranda’s office to meet up with Wyatt. Sure, I had ulterior motives. I wanted to see Wyatt. I could admit I’d missed him this week, maybe not out loud where someone might overhear, but in my heart, there was no denying the longing. The empty echo in my chest was annoyingly loud when it was just me alone with my thoughts and regrets.
The tingle on the back of my neck intensified as we walked out of the diner. I couldn’t shake the feeling of prying eyes all over me. I whipped my head around, scanning the street up and down, but didn’t see anything out of place.
Cam tilted his head, indicating he was going to run back across the street. I was a second away from telling him not to jay-walk when my name was suddenly called from the window of a BMW. I knew it was Delaney without seeing her. I knew there was no escaping her once she had me in her sights. I waved off Cam, telling him to be safe and watch for cars if he was going to run across the street. He rolled his eyes
at me and reached out a hand to knock his fist against my shoulder in a familiar manner. He quietly stated Wyatt was going to be jealous over our breakfast date before jogging away while laughing lightly.
I kept an eye on him until he was safely on the other side of the road. I knew Delaney was going to be heated that I made her wait, and I wasn’t wrong. She was practically seething by the time I made my way over to the car.
I put my injured hand on the roof of the car and bent down to look inside. Delaney had her hands curled around the steering wheel and was watching the spot where Cam had disappeared.
“Get in the car, Rodie.”
I was surprised she used my name instead of calling me Sheriff.
“I’ve got to get back to the station. It’s been crazy this week. I have paperwork piling up and a new call every few minutes.” I was busy, and the last place I wanted to be was alone with her anywhere.
Delaney turned her head. Her face was set in a tense expression and I could practically feel the way her eyes tried to burn holes into me.
“Get in the car now, Sheriff. Let’s just say that you’ll be sorry if you don’t.” Everything about her demeanor screamed of a threat, and I didn’t like that feeling one damn bit.
“Something tells me I’ll be even more sorry if I do get in the car. Just tell me what you want, Delaney.” I still had a full day of work to tackle and wasn’t in any mood for her distractions and games.
“Pick up the envelope on the seat.” She pointed a manicured finger at the manila envelope.
Sighing in frustration, I reached for it. “What is this?”
“Look for yourself.” She bit out each word while continuing to glare daggers in my direction.
I went still as stone when I pulled the first picture out of the envelope.
The image showed me buttoning up my shirt while standing on the porch of Wyatt’s bunkhouse. Cam was standing next to me, his head tossed back as he laughed at something I said. Out of context, it looked like an intimate moment caught between me and the teenager.
“What in the hell is this?” There were several pictures from the same morning in the envelope, and when I looked over at Delaney, she had her cell phone in her hand. On the screen was a picture of me and Cam walking out of the diner. She swiped angrily, showing another image of the teenager playfully tapping on my shoulder.
“Do you think I’m stupid, Rodie?” She sounded so furious, it was almost hard to understand her.
“No. I think you’re dangerous.” I knew there was nothing behind the pictures, but they looked damning to the untrained and suspicious eye.
“You’ve turned me down and insulted me time and time again. I knew there had to be a reason why. I’m going to end you, Rodie Collins. And I’m going to ruin that kid’s life.” She sounded totally unhinged and when she finally looked at me, I could see all kinds of crazy in her eyes. “How dare you make a fool of me and bring that kind of disgusting behavior into this town.”
“Did you hire someone to follow me?” I couldn’t keep the shock and exasperation out of my voice. I knew something hadn’t been quite right the last few days, but couldn’t put my finger on it. I should’ve been more aware of my surroundings and more vigilant when I felt like I was being followed. I was going to have to ask the Warners if they had some kind of surveillance out at the ranch. If they didn’t, they needed to get some after this.
Delaney’s jaw clenched and her knuckles turned white where she gripped the steering wheel. “I did what I had to do since you weren’t honest, or forthcoming, with answers.”
I swore and banged my hurt hand on the hood of the luxury car. “I was honest. I told you I wasn’t interested. That’s the only explanation you need. This is crazy. Something isn’t right with you.” I shook my head. “It’s one thing to come after me, but to threaten an innocent kid because you couldn’t get your way…” I shook my head at her in disgust. “That’s a special kind of fucked up.”
She turned in her seat, pointing a blood red nail at my face. “You’re the one who’s fucked up! How dare you corrupt a child like that.”
I barked out a low laugh and threw the offending photos back into her car. “Your boss is the only one out to corrupt that child. He’s a good kid who has had nothing but bad luck. I’m keeping an eye on him because I know his history and how hard a time he’s had since school started. Those pictures don’t tell half the story.” I arched an eyebrow up and smirked at her. “I wasn’t at the ranch to see Cam, I was there to see Wyatt Bryant. I spent the night with him and just happened to run into Cam in the morning on my way out.” It was absolute honesty, maybe the most truth I’d ever spoken in my adult life, and it felt good to let it out. Damn good. But I wasn’t about to let her, or anyone else, drag Cam into the middle of a scandal just so they could defeat me.
“No one is going to believe that when I make these pictures public. You’re barely holding onto your position as it is. What do you think folks will think when they find out you’re a homosexual and prey on young boys in the area?”
“Jesus Christ.” I banged my forehead on the frame of the door and let out a string of swear words. This was beyond not playing fair, and while I was annoyed at being backed into a corner, I was more worried about what this kind of gossip would mean for Cam. Everything inside of me was screaming that I had to protect the poor kid. “What’s the point of all this, Delaney? What do you want from me?”
“You know what I want, Sheriff.” She narrowed her eyes and let her gaze drag pointedly across my face.
“You’ve got to be shitting me.” I smacked my bandaged hand on the roof of the car once again. “You just heard me tell you I’m interested in men, that I have no desire to be with a woman, regardless of who she is, and you still want to blackmail me into being with you? Your wiring is all screwy, Delaney.”
“Figure it out, Rodie. Give me what I want, or I’ll make sure you not only lose the election, but every single ounce of respect you have in this town. Both you and that boy will have to leave Sheridan by the time I’m done with you.” She tapped the picture with a finger and turned her head so that she was once again looking out the windshield. “You have through the weekend to decide what you’re going to do.”
With that parting threat, she rolled up the window and left me standing there, staring after her in shock. I put my hands on my hips and breathed in the dust her tires kicked up. I felt a little like I’d been kicked in the gut. Not only had I come out to someone I didn’t like, didn’t trust, and wanted nothing to do with, I now also had to decide the best way to deal with the situation and confession so Cam wasn’t caught in the cross-fire.
I knew for certain I wasn’t going to give in to her demands.
There was no way in hell I was ever going to sleep with Delaney Hall, no matter how dirty she played. I wasn’t about to be her puppet, because then I would always be hanging at the end of her strings.
Kicking at the ground, I swore again, marshaling my spinning thoughts together. I looked across the street at Miranda’s office, knowing the first thing I had to do was warn Wyatt and prepare Cam for the impending shit-show.
We needed a plan. One that was foolproof.
I needed help. I needed someone to talk to, someone who would tell me everything would be okay. Since my CO died, I hadn’t had someone to lean on when life got overwhelming. But now there was Wyatt. He might not be there down the road, but he was here now, and I desperately needed his shoulder to lean on.
Wyatt
“You really don’t have to worry about me.” Cam’s voice was surprisingly calm, and he appeared to be more worried about Rodie than himself.
To be fair, Rodie seemed to be one second away from losing any and all control he had over himself. His eyes were wide and wild. His normally swarthy complexion was alarmingly pale. He couldn’t seem to focus on anything, and just kept repeating a litany of swear words. He was stressed in a way I hadn’t seen before, but most of his concern was centered on how Delan
ey and the mayor were going to spin their supposed evidence in order to hurt Cam. He didn’t seem to be fazed at all that the secret he’d been so desperate to keep hidden for so long was about to be on the tips of everyone’s tongues.
“This isn’t good.” Miranda was also worried. She’d been frowning even more than usual ever since Rodie burst into her office exclaiming there was an emergency and he needed all hands on deck to minimize the damage.
The older woman held up her cell phone and gave it a little shake. “I just got an email stating there’s going to be an emergency town hall meeting on Monday afternoon. The mayor sent out the notice, and I have no doubts it’s tied to all of this. He’s going to make as big of a spectacle as he can out of outing Rodie and dragging Cam through the mud, virtually taking care of two problems in one fell swoop. I’m so mad at myself for ever voting for that scumbag.”
I reached for the phone with my free hand. My other was threaded through Rodie’s soft, dark hair. He had his head pressed against my stomach and his arms wrapped loosely around my waist. Every so often, I would feel a tremor run through his tense muscles, and I could see how stiff and rigid the rest of his body was. The man used to run black ops missions without breaking a sweat, and here he was turned inside out because he was terrified for a sixteen-year-old boy.
I cupped the back of Rodie’s head and muttered over and over that we’d figure something out and he didn’t have to worry. He might worry about making enemies and rubbing the locals the wrong way, but I had no such qualms. I would ruffle every feather I found, and I had zero fear of going up against the mayor and Delaney. The only people who mattered in this entire equation were already on my side and were, more importantly, in the right. I didn’t give a single fuck if everyone else ended up as collateral damage when I was done taking down the mayor and his minions.
Detour (The Getaway Series Book 5) Page 15
