Blinded by Beauty

by Chloe Lang

  Dylan Strange’s voice came back, “Chance, we have a team about a quarter mile from you. They’re on their way now.”

  Another knock on the door.

  “Come with me, now.” He put his arm around Kaylyn and took her to the bedroom. “Do you have a gun?”

  “Yes. It’s in the top drawer of my dresser.”

  “I don’t think we’ll need it, but I’ll get it just in case.”

  * * * *

  As his heart jackhammered in his chest, Jaris jumped in Emmett’s truck with Sugar. Hearing Chance on the radio had filled him with dread.

  He reached into his jacket and touched the handle of his pistol. The familiar talisman didn’t work to calm his fears. Blind or not, if he and Emmett arrived and found someone had hurt Kaylyn or Chance, he would use his other senses to locate the bastard and empty every bullet in his gun into the fucker.

  The roar of the engine told Jaris that Emmett was pushing his truck to the max. He felt the vehicle turn off the highway and onto the dirt road that led to Kaylyn’s house.

  “Jaris, I see the sheriff,” Emmett informed him. “He’s already here with several other officers. Kaylyn and Chance are fine. They’re talking to Nicole on the porch.”

  He let out a breath of relief. “What about the stranger?”

  “Jason is talking to the guy by the squad car.” Emmett parked the truck. “Looks like this might’ve been a false alarm.”

  “We’ll see.” Jaris exited the cab with Sugar, heading the direction he could hear Kaylyn’s voice. He had to be sure she was really okay.

  “Oh, Jaris, you’re never going to believe this.” Kaylyn grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Mr. Bayless has four dogs that are already trained. They just need one week of our training. So we’ll have dogs for our people. We won’t have to delay a thing.”

  The exuberance in her voice was clear, but he wasn’t convinced.

  Sounds like too much of a coincidence to me. “How did this guy know you needed dogs?”

  “He saw one of our postings on the school’s Facebook page about our missing dogs.” Her voice cracked, mentioning the four beloved canines. “Since Mr. Bayless is in the same field, he wanted to help.”

  “Help? Or did he want to get paid?”

  She smiled. “Always a cop, aren’t you. Yes. Of course he wants to be paid. You know how much it costs to train dogs. I’ll gladly pay him. Jaris, I won’t have to disappoint our clients. They will get their service dogs as scheduled.”

  “Hold on, Kaylyn. Not so fast.” His police training kicked in. “We need to get his credentials checked out first.”

  “I agree,” Chance said.

  “So does the sheriff.” Nicole was still one of the best officers Jaris had ever known. “I’ve already sent a message to Jena. The team over at TBK will run a complete background check on Mr. Bayless.”

  “Good. I’d like to talk to him myself.”

  “Actually, Jaris, the sheriff asked me to bring you to him once you arrived on scene. He says that you’re the best interrogator he’s ever seen. I have to agree.”

  “I appreciate that and definitely want to talk to this man.” He turned to his best friend. “Chance, keep Kaylyn here.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Jaris, I don’t understand.” Her excitement about the possibility of being able to have dogs for the four clients had vanished from her tone. “Do you think this really could somehow be connected to Kip Lunceford?”

  “Until we know for sure that this guy is on the up and up, we have to be extra careful.” There were so many other things he wanted to talk to Kaylyn about than this, but it couldn’t be helped. This was what they all faced at the moment. Hopefully, it would all get resolved quickly and he could talk with her and Chance alone. “Sugar, let’s go talk to this man.”

  Nicole led him over to Jason and the stranger. “Sheriff, here’s Deputy Simmons as you requested.”

  “Thanks, Coleman. Mr. Bayless, this is one of my finest officers. I’m sure you won’t mind answering a few questions from him.”

  “I don’t mind at all.” The man had a slight lisp, and his accent placed him from somewhere back East. Likely Boston or somewhere in Maine. “I’m very impressed you have a blind man on your force, Sheriff.”

  He didn’t want to show all his cards. “Mr. Bayless, I’m more of a consultant.”

  Bayless shook his hand. “Whatever you are, it’s impressive to me. My work with the blind and disabled gives me a unique perspective into your world, Deputy. I’m certain that those around you underestimate your abilities. Am I right?”

  Jaris shrugged, believing the man was only trying to soften him up with compliments. “I can get around pretty well, thanks to Sugar.”

  “She’s beautiful. One of Ms. Anderson’s?”

  “Yes. I understand you train service dogs, too. Tell me about that.”

  Mr. Bayless went into detail about his work. It was clear the man did have a great deal of knowledge about canines. Jaris didn’t have to ask too many questions, as Bayless was a man who seemed to like to dominate conversations. Good thing. Made the job of an interrogator easier. But even listening to all Bayless said, he couldn’t find a crack in his story. Was he telling the truth? Jaris’s gut told him Bayless was holding something back.

  “I have the dogs in the back of my van. Would you like to meet them, Deputy? I’m sure Ms. Anderson would.”

  “Ms. Anderson can meet them later, but I would like to meet your dogs now.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Jaris walked into the sheriff’s office with Sugar. He had a million questions but no answers so far. There were too many loose ends that needed to be tied up.

  Potter had shot Kaylyn. He didn’t buy his story one bit. The four dogs were still missing. Lunceford was still gunning for Belle. A stranger showed up at Kaylyn’s door with an offer to give her four dogs. None of it was adding up. Were these things somehow connected? I can’t put my finger on it, but I’m sure they are.

  “Good. Everyone is here. Have a seat, Jaris,” Sheriff Wolfe said. “I’m glad you convinced Kaylyn to stay at her house with Chance.”

  “And I’m glad you have Dylan and Nicole guarding her place. Who else is here?”

  The sheriff informed him that Jena, Sean, and Matt were present. These three were quite the tech team. They knew hardware, software, and electronic tracking better than anyone. Sean and Matt were members of Shannon’s Elite and had been with the CIA for several years already. Jena, their new wife and former hacker, also was a member of the Agency’s local team.

  Jaris was ready to get down to business. “Tell me what you have so far on Bayless.”

  “He’s seems to be cooperating fully,” Jason said. “The man has handed over all his identification and given us all his credentials.”

  “So far we haven’t found anything in Bayless’s records that seems out of the ordinary.” Jena’s voice was similar in some ways to Kaylyn’s, reminding him he needed to get through this briefing and back to her and Chance. There was a lot he wanted to tell them.

  “I’ll give the okay to Kaylyn about taking Bayless up on his offer. He can bring his dogs to the Boys Ranch. Lyle can make sure his dogs get the rest of Kaylyn’s training and are ready for their new owners. Chance and I will stay close to Kaylyn.”

  “I’ll keep tabs on Bayless to make sure he doesn’t have some other agenda,” Jason said.

  “Good idea, Sheriff.” Jaris was glad this man wore a badge. Destiny was in good hands. He turned his attention to Jena, Sean, and Matt. “Please keep digging into Bayless’s records.”

  “We will,” Sean said. “Don’t worry about that.”

  “What about Potter and his four supposed physician friends? Anything on that front?”

  “No,” Matt answered. “Like Bayless’s records, all nice and clean.”

  Jaris felt Sugar shift at his feet. He patted her on the head. She always could tell when something was bothering him. “I just don’t have
a good feeling about any of it, Sheriff.”

  “Neither do I, but I need something to go on before I can make any arrests.”

  “I understand. What about Lunceford and his sister?”

  “All is quiet.”

  “Too quiet,” Jaris said.

  “Yep, but Dragon Week seems to be going off without a hitch. I’ve got at least fifteen officers on duty at any time. Shane and Corey are with Belle wherever she goes. She’s safe. I’m glad you and Chance are keeping an eye on Kaylyn. I’ve assigned two officers to watch her neighborhood. They won’t be more than five minutes away at any time.”

  “Are Potter and his buddies still in town?” Jena asked.

  “Yes, they are,” the sheriff answered. “So are their two slimeball attorneys.”

  An idea occurred to Jaris. “Jena, have you three checked the credentials of the lawyers?”

  “No, but that’s something we’ll get right on.”

  “You might be on to something, Jaris,” Sean said. “Thanks for the suggestion.”

  “That’s all for now,” the sheriff said. “If you three turn up anything, let me know and I’ll get everyone together for another briefing.”

  Jaris heard the trio stand.

  “We definitely will,” Sean said.

  “Jaris, I heard you did some fine detective work yourself the past few days,” Matt said. “Glad to have you on the team.”

  “Thanks. Glad to be here.” Jaris meant it. There was no place like Destiny. He might’ve only been here for a short time, but he already felt like it was home. These were his friends. He wanted to keep all of the citizens safe, but especially Kaylyn.

  He stood.

  “Jaris, do you mind sticking around for a moment,” the sheriff said.

  “Not at all.” He sat back down, wondering what Jason wanted to talk to him about.

  “We’ll see you guys later,” Jena said. “Jaris, thanks for the suggestion.”

  “I hope it helps you.”

  “We’ll find the link between these assholes to Lunceford. I know there has to be one.”

  After the three left, he leaned forward in the chair. “What’s up, Sheriff?”

  “As you know, quite a bit is up. Our town is at war and we need men like you on our side.”

  Our town. He liked that the sheriff saw him as a part of Destiny. “I am ready to do whatever you need.”

  “That’s good to hear. I deputized you and Chance along with a lot of other people just for Dragon Week. With all the outsiders attending the festival, I needed to bolster the numbers on my team.”

  “Like I told you before, I’m happy to serve.”

  “And your service has been amazing. I’ve never known anyone with better interrogation skills than you. I need you beyond Dragon Week, Jaris. You and Nicole were once partners. Like you, her law enforcement skills are incredible. Having her as my deputy has been one of the best things to happen during my career. Nicole respects you. I respect you. And the whole town sees you as a hero.”

  “I’m hardly a hero.”

  “Humble, too. You’re exactly what I need. I’d like to make you a permanent member of my team. What do you say?”

  After losing his sight, Jaris had never let himself dream he would be able to return to law enforcement. He’d accepted his fate. But in Destiny, fate sometimes smiled on you in ways you never imagined. “Damn, Sheriff. What a surprise.”

  “Surprise or not, I want you. Can I count on you?”

  “If I can be of service to you and this town, I would love to be part of your team.”

  * * * *

  Kaylyn adjusted the mike stand to her height.

  Off to her left, Patrick O’Leary was taking questions from the audience. The Q&A would last for another couple of minutes, and then Wolfe Mayhem was scheduled to play.

  Godric came up and handed her a bottle of water. “Good to see you on your feet, love.”

  “It feels good, too. Thanks.” Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Chance standing next to the stage with Annie by his side. How could she make him understand? His reaction to her confession that she also had feelings for Jaris had been painful to witness.

  Godric strapped on his bass. “Still hurts?”

  He’s talking about my leg and not my heart. “A little, but not too bad.” She took a sip of water. “I appreciate this.”

  Big Jim pulled a stool close to her. “Just in case you need to sit. It won’t hurt a thing if you do.”

  “You guys are treating me like a princess.” She laughed. “I kind of like it.”

  “You’ve got the best pipes I’ve ever heard.” Hank gave her the set list. “Whether you sit or stand…it won’t make any difference in how wonderful you’ll sing tonight.”

  She smiled. “Thanks. That’s very thoughtful of all of you. Where’s Mitchell?”

  “Where do you think?” Godric grinned. “He’s with Phoebe, the love of his and his two brothers’ lives. The passion between those four is something else, isn’t it?”

  She nodded. “Phoebe is a very lucky woman.”

  Glancing over the heads of the audience to the northeast corner of the park at The Red Dragon statue, one of the four dragon statues that surrounded the green space, she stared directly into the eyes of the beast. The Red Dragon, though most locals called it The Passion Dragon, had the image of a heart embedded on its chest.

  She nodded. Passion? That’s what has gotten me into trouble these past couple of days…and nights. You bad dragon.

  There was no sign of Jaris. He likely was still at the sheriff’s office checking on Mr. Bayless. Both Jaris and Chance were quite protective of her and suspicious of strangers. Bayless’s offer, if valid, would sure make things easier for her. With Doc’s orders that she couldn’t help train dogs for a while longer and with her four dogs missing, she really needed Bayless to be legit. She had four clients who were coming in the next few days to start their weeklong training with their new companions.

  Mitchell walked up onstage. “I heard about your unexpected visitor today, Kaylyn.”

  “Jason told you? What else did your brother tell you?”

  “He hasn’t told me anything. I heard about it from our fiancée.”

  “Ah.” Kaylyn was so glad that Phoebe had finally returned to the loving arms of the three Wolfe brothers. Those four belonged together. “Seems like everyone in town is keeping an eye on Bayless. I know we’re all on edge because of Lunceford, but Mr. Bayless might actually be a good guy who just wants to help me.”

  “Maybe.” Mitchell took a seat behind his drums. He pointed at the back of the stage with one of his sticks, where Jaris was coming up the stairs with Sugar. “I bet we’re about to find out about Bayless’s credentials.”

  Jaris walked over to her. “How are you doing, Kaylyn?”

  “I’ll be better when our dogs are found.” She needed to talk to him, but here and now was not the place. Later. She wasn’t going to let anything stop her tonight. “What did you find out about Bayless? Can we take him up on his offer?”

  “For now. Yes.” Jaris’s tone was clear. He still didn’t trust the man.

  “That’s great news. Did you call Lyle and let him know?”

  “I did. The sheriff is going to take Bayless and his dogs up to the Boys Ranch tonight. Emmett is going to put Bayless up in a RV at the ranch for the time being.”

  “I’m so happy we won’t have to disappoint our four clients.”

  “We’ll see. I still want Lyle to check out his dogs, and Chance and I to run them through your tests.”

  “I agree.” She wanted to make sure the new dogs were up to her standards. “You better go stand with Chance. The band’s part of the show is about to start.”

  He grabbed her hand and squeezed, sending a spark up her arm. “You’re going to blow them away, Kaylyn.”

  “I’ll do my best.” She felt her heart skip a couple of beats as Jaris stepped back to where Chance was standing.

  Patrick
continued answering questions. “Absolutely there are dragons in Oklahoma. I have a report from one of our supporters who saw a baby purple dragon outside of Norman flying in the sky. Which reminds me, be sure to visit our website. You’ll find all kinds of testimonial sightings from people all around the world.” Patrick looked at his watch. “I see my time is almost up. I know you are anxious to hear Wolfe Mayhem perform. I can only take one more question.”

  Someone from the crowd spoke up. “I don’t have a question but I would like to make a comment, Mr. O’Leary.”

  Kaylyn recognized the voice and felt her breath catch in her throat.

  Potter.

  She looked up and saw her shooter standing in the back. The words to signal Chance and Jaris were sitting on her lips. I see a cowboy out there. But she kept quiet, seeing several Destonians surrounding Dr. Potter, who were ready to take him down if necessary.

  “I would like to apologize to you and to this whole town. But there is one woman who I need to ask forgiveness of more than anyone else.” Potter’s eyes fixed on hers.

  Holding on to her mike, she felt weak in the knees and sat back down on the stool that Big Jim had placed behind her. In a flash, Chance and Jaris were up onstage and moving right in front of her, using their own bodies as cover.

  “Miss Anderson, I am truly sorry for what happened to you. I didn’t mean to shoot you and I hope you’ll forgive me. It was just an accident.”

  Clicking off the power switch to the mike, she reached out and touched Chance and Jaris. “Guys, it’s okay. He’s not going to do anything here. Not with all of Jason’s deputies on duty.”

  They didn’t budge. God, they can be so stubborn.

  Mitchell left his drums and came up behind her. “We need to get you offstage, Kaylyn.”

  “No, Mitchell. Let me handle this.” She clicked the power switch on. “Mr. Potter, I appreciate your apology.”

  “You can’t imagine how glad I am to hear that.” Potter sounded so different than he had when Jaris had been interrogating him. His tone was contrite. Was it only an act?

  She stood and moved to the side of Chance, allowing her a glimpse of her shooter.