Protected by the Lawman

by Carver, Rhonda Lee

  As they drove up the narrow, rocky road toward the cabin, he wrapped his brain around what the hell he was doing by taking her there. What other choice did he have? He meant it when he told her he’d protect her. He tried remembering the last time he had a woman at the cabin. Never. Not even Katy. He had lots of fond memories here with his family. The place wasn’t much, but he knew the lay of the property.

  He looked across the seat to where Ria was sleeping. Her head was leaning against the window with her hands tucked up under her chin. She looked peaceful and he guessed this was the best sleep she’d had since the shooting. She intrigued him and that took him by surprise. He’d always kept boundaries between him and witnesses, but the lines were blurred. If it wasn’t that they were embroiled in a homicide he would have asked her out on a date and probably another, and another after.

  Having had been in a disastrous relationship, he’d found himself automatically categorizing the women he would meet. Too young. Overbearing. Too passive. Flirtatious. Untrusting. Angry. Bitter. And yet, he needed to create a special category for Ria. But what would it be? Stubborn? Independent? Stunning. Smart. Resilient. The list could go on and on. Most women, when put into her dire situation, would be turned upside down and bawling their eyes out, but not Ria. She stayed strong, although he had a feeling she wanted to let some emotion flow. No doubt, protecting her emotions was a way of not getting hurt again.

  He rubbed his gritty eyes and sighed. Sure, going to the cabin put a wrench in the spokes of the investigation. Usually, he wouldn’t leave the station until a case was solved, especially one of this magnitude. There was a lot of pressure from the community for him to find the killers and put them behind bars. People were on edge. Knowing two people from their community were murdered could make townsfolk suspect everyone, maybe even give cause for doors to be locked at night. The office had been saturated with calls from people wanting to know the details. He couldn’t blame them, but he and his deputies had to be careful about any information they let out. Tate had his ears open at the bar and would call if he heard anything. Sometimes adding alcohol made people loose-lipped. Phoenix’s deputies were reliable and were working endlessly. Eventually, they’d get another lead.

  Ria moaned and shifted. He wanted to reach over and lay a hand on her to calm her, but he kept his hands gripped to the steering wheel. The light on the dashboard illuminated her face. He found her attractive. Beautiful. Mystical. He wanted to get to know her better. He allowed himself to wonder what it would have been like to take her to dinner. He hadn’t been out with a woman since Katy and he was a bit rusty. Thinking of dipping his toes into the dating pool again didn’t sit well with him, although he couldn’t deny that he missed having someone to call his own. Missed a lot of things. Ria could make a man think about what he wanted in life and if there was a chance he’d find the woman for him.

  Silly considering he’d just met her.

  But didn’t a person know from the very start? From the first glance?

  He gave his head a mental shake. Damn. Had he been implanted with a romantic bone? He needed to keep things in perspective. He was Sheriff, and Ria was the witness in an important case. This wasn’t a time to lose himself in pretty eyes and a sparkling smile. Certainly wasn’t the time to break any rules by crossing a professional line.

  Anyway, she needed more than a man who dedicated himself to his job.

  Being Sheriff came with a relationship caveat. He worked long hours. Sometimes he didn’t see his bed for days. There was also the danger that came with putting criminals behind bars. Although he dealt more with misdemeanors than homicides, on occasion he did work cases like this double homicide. Although ninety percent of the time Abbie could be described as a calm, happy town, but every apple tree had rotten fruit. He needed to give some thought to hiring on another deputy and stop and take in life a bit more, just as his family prodded him to do.

  He’d also been told enough by Katy that he worked too much, but in the end, he’d realized if she’d really loved him, his long hours wouldn’t have made her find comfort in another man’s arms. She would have understood that working in law enforcement was in Phoenix’s blood. His grandfather and father had been a cop. It just seemed the most likely step that Phoenix and his siblings would wear a star too. His parents had been proud when he’d graduated at the top of his class from the police academy and they’d supported his decision to enlist into the Navy instead of jumping into a career.

  He came home and was offered a position walking the beat in Columbus, Ohio. He’d taken the job and spent two years wearing blue, working himself up to detective where he single-handedly solved a hundred cases. He enjoyed the position, learned a lot from his fellow lawmen, but when he learned that his hometown needed a Sheriff, he ran for the position and was elected as the youngest to ever hold the job. Abbie had grown a lot since he was a kid. The population had almost tripled. New businesses and shops lined the maze of streets, but one thing seemed to stay the same—Small town politics. His father, retired now, warned his son that he needed a good balance of political insight and hardcore law to be a good sheriff. Phoenix didn’t really consider any of the politicians he worked with as “friends”, but he knew how to tolerate and rub elbows with them at weekend barbecues. They might not want to see him reelected come next term if a few had their names outed in involvement in a prostitution ring. It wouldn’t keep Phoenix from doing his job. He took his position seriously.

  The landscape changed some as they drove deeper into the snowcapped mountains. The air was cleaner. The scenery more beautiful. He loved this place and why he knew the importance of keeping the peace. He had good friends here. He also felt he’d built up a good support network among surrounding counties who also desired to keep drugs and bad guys out. Serving at the place where he’d grown up made him feel good—accomplished. It was like protecting a part of himself, his heritage.

  He had his eye on purchasing a hundred-acre plot of land where he could build a modest homestead, buy some horses, and enjoy the beauty that Wyoming had to offer on untouched land. His brothers teased him that for a man to put such big dreams into action he needed to get over being commitment-phobic. Hell, it wasn’t the commitment Phoenix feared. He was afraid he’d make the wrong choice again.

  In the meantime, he needed to find the connection with this current case with a few of the others. It seemed every crime was mingled with all the rest. Same people. Same mistakes. Same issues.

  Over the last few years, drugs and human trafficking had trickled in from the metropolitan areas and they were arresting the same individuals. Heavy drug dealers and pimps had been pushed out of the larger cities by other criminals. Phoenix took an oath to fight crime and there was no way in hell he’d allow his county to suffer.

  Phoenix wouldn’t allow Ria to suffer.

  He didn’t know a lot about the needs of blind people, but he wanted to be open to her needs. When they’d started for the cabin she’d asked questions, like, “Where is it located?” “Will I have to maneuver stairs?” The basic questions he figured most blind people would ask.

  Over the last few hours he’d held her hand more than he had Katy’s in the last year they were together. Ria’s hand was small and felt fragile against his large callused fingers. Although, he didn’t see her as small and fragile. She was strong-willed, intelligent, and seemed larger than life.

  She hadn’t complained when he’d asked her to wait at the station while he finished up some paperwork and other odds and ends before they took off for the cabin. It had also given Connor the time to go over the list of names they’d retrieved off Ria’s computer, which she didn’t recognize any of them.

  Overhearing Ria laughing at something Connor had said, Phoenix liked the nice, melodic sound, which only made him more interested in her. He hoped maybe he could hear it again on their hour drive to the cabin, but she’d fallen asleep almost instantly once they were on their way.

  He rubbed his jaw and sighe
d. The best way to keep her safe was to find the men who killed Cox and Miss Watson. As of right now, they had a handful of suspects. Any one of the men on the list had a motive for wanting Cox dead if he’d threatened to release the list, especially anyone in an elected position. But it was just a list. There was no proof at this point that any of the men had participated in illegal activity. The names and times Tammy had jotted down in her diary wouldn’t hold water either, unless they found her and she could shed some light on the situation, like why she was living at the condo with Miss Watson.

  As if on cue, his cell buzzed from the console. He grabbed it and read the screen. Pushing talk, he brought it to his ear. “Deputy Holloway. Please tell me you have some news.”

  “Sorry, Sheriff. We’re halfway through the list and we’re getting nowhere except a shitload of men who can’t keep their zippers closed or can’t seem to find a date unless they pay.”

  “Don’t hold back.” He chuckled. Lauren Holloway was all law and no political restraint. “I didn’t think you would have any of them help. Keep me posted if anything changes. I’ll be back in the office before you know it.”

  “No worries. Right now, Ria needs you. There’s nothing you can do here that you can’t do from the cabin.”

  He shut off his phone and looked at Ria who was now awake. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”

  She stretched, lifting both arms high above her head, sending the hem of her shirt high enough to expose a sliver of stomach. He swallowed hard and removed his gaze. Although she’d slept at least a half hour, he could still see the worry lines and dark circles around her eyes.

  “You doing okay?” he asked.

  “Under the circumstances, I guess so. That call was about the case? Anything new?”

  “Nothing new to tell you. I know it must seem like things are moving slowly, but we’re doing all we can.”

  She shrugged. “I guess when you’re on this end of things each minute feels like forever.”

  He could see her furrowed brow. “I guess I fail to see that at times. I’ve been on this side of things for so long it’s easy to forget how frustrating things are from the victim’s standpoint.”

  “Are you just saying that to appease me?” Her chin tilted.

  “One thing you’ll learn about me, I never say anything just to appease anyone. In fact, I’ve been accused of not being fluffy enough with my wording. I guess I was born without the fluff gene.”

  “No, I get how that’s needed in your position. Trust me when I say, no victim wants to be lied to or coddled. The truth, no matter how harmful, goes a long way.”

  “Note taken. Are you thirsty? I have some bottles of water.”

  “Yes. I am.”

  He handed her one of the cool bottles from the center console and opened one for himself, drinking half of the water in one gulp. There was something about the woman in his passenger seat that made him dysfunctional. His friends would laugh if he told them he was off kilter over a woman. They usually teased him about always being calm and collected. “What did your friend say when you called and told her you’d be staying at a cabin in the woods with me?”

  One corner of her mouth played with a smile. “You’d have to know Phyllis and her sense of humor. It teeters on naughty sometimes.”

  “Sounds about like Tate. You can tell me what she said. I’ve heard about everything.”

  “Alright. She told me to be very careful. You’re dangerous to a woman who hasn’t had sex in a while.”

  He hadn’t realized he was holding his plastic bottle tightly until he squeezed, sending the remaining contents ejecting out of the lid and onto the crotch of his jeans. “Shit!” He shifted as the cool liquid soaked through the material of his pants and boxers. His balls shriveled and yet he was getting hard at the same time. There was something very stimulating about the image his mind conjured after hearing Ria’s words. He’d been thinking about her and sex enough lately that he had been a walking hard on.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “I spilled a bit of water. That’s all.”

  She chuckled. “I told you she’s something.”

  “Sounds about like it, but all humor aside, I hope you don’t think I’m taking you up here to…well, take advantage.”

  Turning in her seat, she stared over his shoulder. “If I thought that was your intention I would have refused to come with you. I don’t know you very well, and you don’t know me either, but I think we each have to trust a little. After all, I need to rely on you to keep me safe and you must trust me enough to believe that I didn’t have anything to do with any illegal activity.”

  He sucked in a breath. “I didn’t think—”

  “Ah, come on. It didn’t cross your mind once? I mean, it would have mine considering Leandra was my assistant, Mason was a client and the file was on my computer. I know it must be difficult for someone with your instincts to figure out how I was duped, not by one but two people.”

  “Did one of my deputies say something?”

  “Deputy Gelder didn’t come out and ask, but remember I read a lot into someone’s voice and choice of words.”

  “Okay. For maybe a second or two, I did wonder. That’s my job to identify suspects and mark them off as innocent. The tech who discovered the hidden file found the date when it was created. Delta was installed on the same day. And if you were involved, why did he hide the list in a disguised file on your computer? He did this because he knew you wouldn’t find it.”

  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I guess I should be grateful the evidence excludes me as a suspect. I’m not computer savvy. Never have been. I barely get by. In your professional opinion, who do you think killed my assistant and Mason?”

  He scraped his palm down his cheek. “I don’t like to assume or make random guesses, Ria.”

  “But you don’t have an opinion? If you’re wrong I won’t hold it against you.”

  She played with a thread on the hole in her jeans and he couldn’t help but be intrigued by how graceful her slender fingers moved. He cleared his throat and turned his focus back on the safety of the road, clicking his headlights on bright. It wasn’t uncommon for large herds of elk to roam the area. “If I had to guess, I’d say Cox was blackmailing someone who didn’t appreciate it, or had too much to lose. So, they hired the two bastards to take care of Cox and find the evidence. Some of the men on the list are political figures and if word leaked that they found entertainment outside of their marriage, especially with girls who are underage, or close to, the spectacle would ruin not only their careers but everything they’ve worked for.”

  “I must live in a bubble. Things like this actually happen in Abbie.”

  Phoenix gritted his teeth. “Younger girls are being used to make a handful of people rich. The bastards get the girls hooked on drugs and it becomes a vicious cycle. I’d like to get my hands around the necks of the leaders.”

  “You’re passionate about this.”

  “I am. My sister, Kiersten, got caught up in light drug use right out of high school. Fortunately, she didn’t get involved in the trafficking circle, but it took her a few years to get back on her feet and away from a man who was dragging her down. Things could have gotten worse had it not been for all the support of her family. Some of these kids have no one to depend upon, or trust. A smooth manipulator happens along and gives them the attention they crave.”

  “It’s amazing that your sister turned her life around. I wish others had the same support.”

  “She’s amazing. She works with young girls who have been in the same circumstance. I’m close to her and all my brothers.”

  “I’m grateful for my sister too.”

  Phoenix laughed. “I’m surprised your friend didn’t try to talk you out of coming with me.”

  “Well, in the big scheme of things, where else would I go? I can’t go back and stay with her and her family. If anything happened to any of them because of me I’d never forgive myself. I mig
ht as well have been killed rather than watch anyone I love hurt. My sister, Kora, is on the vacation of a lifetime. Sure, I’d call her and she’d come back immediately, but I can’t do that to her—wouldn’t do that to her, especially after I complain enough that I don’t need her to take care of me.”

  “Understandable. If I was in your situation, I wouldn’t put any of my family or friends in danger either. Have you told your parents?”

  She gave her head a shake. “No and I don’t plan to. After the accident, they were both there for Kora and me, running themselves ragged. In fact, they had health issues because of all the worry. It took everything I had to push them into doing what they’d always planned to do when they retired. Travel the country. I can do this on my own, Phoenix. Without them.”

  “Hey, I’m not saying you can’t. Your sister was in the accident with you?” He didn’t want to overstep any boundaries, but he guessed she wouldn’t talk about anything she wasn’t comfortable with.

  “Kora walked away unharmed and I…well, as you see.”

  He squinted. “That must have been difficult for your sister.”

  “Guilt plagues her. She has become quite the Mother Hen and that’s why I wouldn’t dare draw her away from Paris. She can’t stop living because she doesn’t think she’s deserving. I hold no anger or disappointment.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. Maybe I’ve told you too much.” He couldn’t help himself. He chuckled. She stiffened. “Am I funny?”

  “I think it’s great. If I didn’t want to know I wouldn’t have asked. I like hearing about you.”

  “True, but I tend to ramble when I get upset.”

  “And run away?”

  She squirmed against the leather. “Now I think you’re referring to what happened outside of the bar.”