Jake:Book 4 (The Justice Brothers Series)

by Taylor Lee

  Chapter 25

  “Wow!” Jared’s wide-eyed acknowledgement of Sam’s coup was reflected on the faces of the rest of the men.

  Embarrassed by Sky’s effusive praise, Sam sought more neutral ground. “First, if any of you are not familiar with the term, seasoning is one of the ways the pimps frighten and seduce young girls into ‘the life,’ essentially the prostitution subculture. It’s a combination of psychological manipulation and brutal gang rape intended to frighten and ensure compliance by the victim and more often to frighten other potential victims.”

  Jake studied her thoughtfully for a long moment, then nodded in appreciation. “Damn, Chief, you’re on to something. We’ve been so hung up on the methamphetamine threat that we ignored what you rightly called the cartel’s other cash crop—human trafficking, which is prostitution on a large scale.”

  He rose to his feet and began pacing across the front of the room. Given that Sky and Henry and Mark were not privy to the UC operation, he chose his words carefully, not wanting to betray the information they had from Bobby Mackey. “If you’re correct, Sam, and I think that you are, what we’re tapping into is a prostitution ring. Which means that the criminals who raped Isabella and left her to die are likely involved with a cartel. Knowingly or unknowingly—as you noted earlier.”

  “Fuck it, bro. You’re right. So, if Mingan and his creeps…”

  Jared’s unfinished question hung in the air when Skylar returned to the table after taking a phone call. The expression on her face stopped all conversation. She paused for a moment and then said quietly, “That was Doctor Evans. He just got the results from the lab for three of the four DNA samples we submitted. They are a one hundred percent match for Mingan Yazzie, Pete Conyers, and Charlie Jackson.”

  Jake blew out a heavy breath of air, then tossed Sam a triumphant smile. “According to the men we have watching them, all three perps are at the Pit Stop Bar celebrating surviving our interrogation. How about it, Chief Delgado? Are you up for a multi-jurisdictional arrest of three rapists and likely murderers?” At Sam’s frown, Jake corrected himself. “Let me rephrase that. Any chance you’ll allow the DPD to assist you when you head up the arrest?”

  Sam lifted her chin and said crisply, “I presume you want the DPD to book them.”

  “Yes, Chief Delgado, given that we are likely dealing with a capital crime, we’ll need to arraign them here.”

  Sam met Jake’s serious gaze and nodded, then her eyes danced with excitement, “What are you waiting for, Commander?” She added with a grin, “Let’s go arrest those motherfuckers.”

  Over the confirming cheers as all the men dashed for the door, Jake caught Sam’s arm and pulled her close to him. With a surreptitious grin, he murmured for her ears only, “Given that I now know what your spectacular ass looks like spanked a bright rosy red, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than follow behind you, Chief.”

  Sam flushed and punched him but couldn’t hide her smile as she headed after the men, Jake close on her backside.

  ****

  Sam, Mark and Henry entered the Pit Stop first. Following close behind them were Jake, Jude, Jared, and Solly and four uniformed DPD officers. Pulling into the lot, sirens blaring and lights flashing, three more DPD squad cars, a tribal van, and a DPD van careened to a halt. The men piled out of the squad cars and quickly surrounded the saloon to ensure all the doors were covered.

  Followed by the impressive group of men as she strode into the bar, Sam couldn’t hide her excitement. At their entrance, surprised patrons jumped back, chairs scraping against the floor. Mutters and curse-laced exclamations filled the bar. Sam led the way to the tables occupied by Mingan’s gang. The three perps were sitting with four other gang members, in addition to Bobby Mackey and the three girls who’d been with Isabella the night before. Carrie, Sadie and Emily Ann looked as startled as the rest of the gang.

  Mingan rose to his feet as Sam approached, his surprise quickly morphing to open anger. “Well, well, if it isn’t the cherry nigger herself. Whatcha doin’, Kalani? Decided that you and your Jack booted thugs couldn’t get enough of us? Sure as hell you don’t think we’re gonna invite you to join us? We don’t drink with tomahonkeys or white supremacists.”

  Sam ignored his racist blather and nodded to Mark and Henry who stepped up on either side of Mingan. In a clear voice, Sam said, “Mingan Yazzie, Charlie Jackson, and Pete Conyers, you’re under arrest for the rape and murder of Isabella Harper.” As she continued to read the trio their rights, the uniformed DPD officers along with Henry and Mark ensured that the three men were securely cuffed. Ignoring their howls of protest and outraged shrieks, the officers dragged the resisting men through the bar and in short order deposited all of them in the waiting DPD van.

  Keeping his hand on Sam’s arm, Jake detoured over to the bar and spoke quietly to Tiny. “Sorry for the ruckus, man. Hate to spoil your happy hour. Also appreciate your ensuring that none of them left before we could get here.”

  Tiny’s round, florid face was uncharacteristically solemn as were his anguished words. “Holy fuck, Jake, Samantha, not only was I one of the last people to see Isabella alive, but those fucking assholes were here most of the night before they left with that little girl. Fuckin’ Christ, Jake. All I can think about is what if I’d somehow stopped them? Or if our little chief had come and arrested ’em for disorderly…”

  Jake shook his head. “Don’t beat yourself up, man. There’s no way you could have known what they intended to do. None of us could have stopped them unless we had arrested them before. But now that we have them we’re sure as hell gonna make sure they pay for what they did.”

  ****

  For three intensive hours Jake, Jude and Jared serving for the DPD and Sam, Mark, and Henry representing the tribe interrogated the three suspects. They alternated in teams of two to question each of the subjects. When it was clear that none of the three suspects were going to break ranks, Jake finally called them off.

  “Look, we’ve done what we can do for now. Jorden is rustling up a court-appointed lawyer for each of them. We don’t want any of them saying they weren’t represented. They will each have met with their assigned attorney in time for the arraignment tomorrow. Their DNA matches give us enough to bring charges of the gang rape and murder of an underage girl. Although they all steadfastly insist that Isabella was still alive when they left her, the fact that they admit they were with her and that their DNA was found in her vagina makes the arraignment a slam-dunk.”

  As Henry and Mark were leaving, Jake asked Sam if she could stay so he could talk with her. Given that she had driven her own squad car, Sam agreed. Glancing at his brothers who were engaged in conversation at the conference table, he said, “Look, as crazy as it seems to bring this up now, my brothers will tell you that our grandfather gets a little crazed about his ‘celebrations’. He insists that we will always have crises in our lives, which make celebrating even more important. That said, the Summer Solstice event is on for tomorrow night. I hope that you aren’t going to renege on your promise to accompany me, Sam.”

  Sam was surprised. She’d almost forgotten about the party. He must have told his brothers he’d invited her because Jude chimed in. “Jake’s right. Sam. The Judge is fierce about celebrating. But Skylar will tell you that his shindigs are not to be missed.”

  Jared added, “Yeah, Chief, Hailey will second and third that. Nothing including a murder investigation stands in the way of a Judge Justice party. They’re unforgettable and non-attendance is unforgivable.”

  When Jake met her gaze and held it as if waiting for her response, Sam tried to act nonchalant. She didn’t want to tell him that she bought a dress for the event that had cost half a month’s salary. When she’d told Kate about Jake’s invitation, Kate had been thrilled. She said that the Summer Solstice party was the event of the year. Insisting that Sam had to wear something spectacular, she’d managed to talk Sam into going to the Ensembles Boutique, without a do
ubt the most exclusive dress shop in the Port City. Even Sam agreed that the sinfully expensive dress Kate insisted she buy looked astonishing on her.

  She hesitated, then said, “It does seem strange to go to a party in the middle of all of this, but maybe your grandfather is right. My mother used to say the same thing and then as if to prove her point, she died.”

  Stunned at what she’d blurted out, Sam felt her cheeks heat and looked down in confusion, not able to meet what she was sure was Jake’s shocked expression. Instead, he pulled her up next to him and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. His expression was serious, kind. “I hear you, Sam. Our parents died when we were all kids. And yeah, that is precisely why our grandfather is so fierce about celebrating. So, can I assume that we’re on for tomorrow night?”

  ****

  Snuggling under a heavy throw on her deck lounge, Sam wasn’t surprised when her phone buzzed. Glad that she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep, she quickly answered. Jake’s question sent a flurry of sensations exploding between her thighs.

  “What are you wearing, Sam?”

  She hesitated, then said as nonchalantly as she could, “What I always wear when I’m getting ready to go to bed. My sweats.”

  “Hmm, are you wearing panties under them?”

  When Sam managed to croak out a negative, Jake drawled, “I want you to do something for me, Sam. I want you to take off your pants. Will you do that for me?”

  When she didn’t answer, he said firmly, “Take them off, Sam. And not that I don’t trust you, but when you do, I want you to stand in front of a mirror and take a picture of your bare ass.”

  At her shocked gasp, he crooned, “And then, baby, after you snap that picture I want you to send it to me. I need to see if your sensational ass is as rosy red as it was this afternoon after I finished spanking you.”

  Sam couldn’t hold back a low throaty moan. Confirming that he’d heard her agonized whimper, Jake continued, his voice a low sexy rumble. “Is your ass still rosy, Sam? Can you see my handprints on your curvy cheeks? Christ, baby, do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are? Oh, and darlin’, after you send me the picture of your naked ass, I want you to lie down on your bed and spread your legs. You’re going to need to spread them wide, Samantha, because I’m going to tell you in exquisite detail all the things I’m going to you tomorrow night after the party. Do you hear me, Sam? Now, baby. Off with the pants. I’m eager to begin assaulting you.”

  Chapter 26

  “Oh, no you don’t, girl! Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts about going to the Summer Solstice extravaganza?”

  Sam looked up to see Kate Fleming standing in the doorway to her office, her hands on her hips, a fierce expression tightening her pretty face. Before Sam could reassure her, Kate was off on a tangent. “Listen to me, Sam, I don’t care how busy you are or how many ways you’ve convinced yourself that you don’t belong with that ritzy Justice crowd. I’m telling you now, girl, if Will and I have to kidnap you ourselves and hold you captive until that hunk of a guy comes to pick you up, we will.”

  Sam couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s on-target assessment of a few things she was feeling. Since she woke up what seemed like many hours ago, Sam had been questioning her agreement to go to the party. She admitted that the idea of waltzing into the Justice Mansion on Jake’s arm was a daunting thought. But the images that had plagued her few hours of sleep had more to do with the tortured body of Isabella Harper and how she’d been murdered than the seemingly inconceivable idea of going on a formal date with Commander Jake Justice. Seeing Kate’s concern, Sam decided to share some of her angst with the astute young woman.

  Heaving a sigh, Sam said, “Okay Kate, you’ve outed me. If it makes you feel better, you’re correct. I am having second, third, and fourth thoughts about going to the party tonight.”

  Before Kate could interrupt, Sam continued. “It’s not just the party, Kate. But you’re right. I honestly don’t know if I’ll be able to pull it off. The idea of attending a party at the Justice Mansion with wealthy white men and their beautiful society wives, in their designer dresses, has me shaking in my leather, steel-tipped boots.”

  Kate hooted in laughter. “Remember, Sam, the last thing you will be wearing tonight are your steel-tipped work boots. If you recall, I didn’t just insist that you buy that truly extraordinary dress, I also made you buy those fabulous four-inch-high heels that will be the envy of every hoity-toity socialite at the party. They are guaranteed to bring that impressive commander of yours to his knees!”

  Sam groaned. “Don’t remind me, Kate. In addition to having spent more on those shoes than three pairs of work boots would cost, I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk in the damn things.” She heaved a sigh and continued. “But, don’t worry. Somehow I will do the impossible. Between you and Jake, I know I don’t have a fighting chance of getting out of the party.”

  When Kate grinned in agreement, Sam made the decision to confide in the bright young woman. One of the first things Sam did when she came to the reservation was to institute an all-out effort to engage the teenage girls in constructive activities. Kate had been her confidant and ally. She was as concerned as Sam was about the attraction of the badass gangs to spirited young women who wanted nothing more than to escape their seemingly hopeless futures. Sam admitted that converting the brazen teenagers into articulate Native feminists was a long shot at best. But she’d hoped that her example, and Kate’s, would give the girls an insight into the possibility of a different kind of future.

  Isabella’s horrible murder had brought home the magnitude of the task they were facing. Tossing and turning through her sleepless night, Sam hadn’t been able to dismiss the disquieting thought that there was more to Isabella’s murder than they’d acknowledged. Deciding that she had nothing to lose, and that Kate was more plugged into the various groups on the rez than she was, including Mingan’s gang, Sam motioned to the chair in front of her. “I need some help, Kate. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

  “Of course, Sam. As long as you don’t think you can convince me that you can’t go to the party tonight, I’m here for you.”

  Sam nodded and managed a disheartened smile. “No, Kate, I know when I’ve met my match. Between you and Jake, I know I know there’s no way to convince either of you that me at a swanky shindig at the Justice Mansion is a laughable idea.” Before Kate could object, Sam changed the subject and asked the question she’d been wrestling with for most of her sleepless night. “Kate, you know Mingan better than I do. Do you think that he, Pete, and Charlie murdered Isabella?”

  Kate was clearly startled. “I don’t understand, Chief. I thought that you and Jake arrested them last night.”

  “We did.”

  Kate sunk into the chair in front of Sam’s desk and raised her hands with a disbelieving shrug. “Surely you wouldn’t have arrested them if you didn’t think they did it.”

  Sam sighed. “You’re right. Everything points to them as being the murderers. They were the last people seen with Isabella, and several people claimed that Isabella and Mingan were arguing at the Pit Stop, clearly angry with each other.” Sam hesitated, but deciding that she wasn’t revealing anything that Kate didn’t already know, she said, “Finally, the lab confirmed that all of their DNA were present in her body. Now, it’s hardly news that Isabella was sexually active. But the DNA is convincing evidence that all three of the men were her sexual partners.”

  Kate’s eyes widened in surprise. “Geez, Sam, I know I’m not a copper, but that sounds like darned convincing evidence that Mingan and the other two killed her. I don’t understand why you’re questioning it. Surely Commander Justice wouldn’t have arrested them if he didn’t think they did it.”

  Sam agreed. “Actually, on that point, I’m the one who arrested them. But, you’re right. The evidence definitely points to their guilt.”

  Kate shrugged. “Then what’s the problem, Sam?”

  S
am hopped up and began to pace across the room. Rubbing at her temples, she emitted a long, hard sigh. “I know, I know. I don’t know why I’m doing this to myself. Questioning everything that seems so solid. It’s just that all three of them are fierce about the fact that they left Isabella at her apartment and that she was alive when they did. They don’t deny having had sex with her but insist they didn’t the night of the murder. Their stories are consistent, rock hard. We weren’t able to break any of them.”

  “But doesn’t that just confirm that they were all involved? That they did it together? And that they are protecting each other?”

  “Yes, Kate, it does. It’s just that…” Sam stopped, then faced Kate and said what had been bothering her, tearing at her soul. “You didn’t see Isabella’s body, Kate. I can’t begin to describe how awful it was. She was literally beaten to death. She was covered with bruises and had multiple broken bones. Her injuries confirmed that whoever killed her not only punched her repeatedly in the face but also kicked her hard enough to break her ribs.” Sam said, “I know that everyone has heard this, but in addition to all of that, she clearly was gang-raped.”

  Kate frowned then reached for Sam’s hand. “God, Sam, how awful. No wonder you’re upset. I don’t think I could have forced myself to look at her. You have a hard job, girlfriend. Thank God you and Jake didn’t let her mother see her like that.”

  When Sam just nodded, Kate asked, “But isn’t that consistent with Mingan and his buddies? God, Sam, remember how Mingan manhandled you. I thought Henry Jones and Mark Staples were going to arrest him, they were so angry. And if Bobby Mackey hadn’t stepped in, there’s no telling what Mingan might have done to you. He was furious that you’d been with Jake. And, Sam, you have to know that those guys have been into rough sex since they were teenagers. You must have heard that Jake nearly convicted Mingan of raping Mary Ellen Slattern, except that Mary Ellen recanted.”