Something suspicious was going on with that, but I didn’t have cause to investigate it. And even if I did, I would have to bring in the state’s attorney general, and I just wasn’t ready to deal with that drama. Yet. If the bastard ever gave me a reason, though, I’d put his neck on a chopping block.
“Sheriff,” Campbell greeted as he stood, his hand already extended for me to shake.
Out of professional courtesy, I did, but I kept it brief before dropping my hand and walking around my desk to take my seat. “What brings you in, Campbell?”
“You, actually.” He retook his own seat without being invited to. Leaning forward eagerly, he grinned so broadly I felt dirty just being in the same room with him. I would put him close to sixty, but the world wouldn’t know that from his dyed hair and his smooth face from all the Botox Gran said the man got on the regular. “Word around town is you and Lexa Reid are becoming Creswell Springs’ favorite couple in their daily soap opera.”
Her name coming off his tongue made me want to put my fist through his face. Instead, I didn’t show an ounce of emotion, knowing that was exactly what he wanted. “And where did you hear that?”
“The more appropriate question is, where haven’t I heard it?” he said with a sly laugh. “If I’d known you were going to dick around with Reid’s daughter, of all people, I would have been in here a hell of a lot sooner. So, tell me your plan. How long are you planning to string this girl along until she spills a few MC secrets? Her mother is her best friend, so I know the girl has to be privy to a few juicy details that we can use to put those bastards behind bars where they really belong.”
I sat up straighter in my chair, my dislike only growing for this worthless man the longer he sat there gleefully waiting for me to answer.
“First, she’s a woman, not a girl. Second, my relationship with Lexa Reid is none of your fucking business. And third, I don’t have a plan now, nor will I ever use what she knows about her family against her or them.” I stood and pressed my palms flat on the desktop as I leaned forward to glare at him.
Right then, that desk was the only protection Campbell had against me, and if he knew any better, he would make a run for it. The rage I’d always struggled to contain was just below the surface, and if he kept running his mouth, I was going to destroy him and make him eat all the words he was spewing about Lexa.
“All we need is one felony, and we can charge them all. Bring the Feds in and invoke RICO. We can get rid of the entire lot of them and clean up this town once and for all,” Campbell continued. “You’ll be a hero to this town, Davis. Just what you need to get reelected come fall.”
A hero?
Bullshit. From what I’d seen of the citizens in and around Creswell Springs, they loved the MC. Respected them. Crime was low, and I wasn’t stupid enough to think it was because of me. Whatever the MC did when they were out of town, they never brought it back with them, and they kept the rougher crowd that lived within Trinity County in check, with the exception of the college assholes who didn’t know any better.
No one complained about the MC—at least, they hadn’t to me. Even my grandparents seemed to like them. My grandmother, who had an opinion on everyone, didn’t have a bad one of the motorcycle club as far as I knew.
I didn’t need to be a hero to get reelected. No one wanted the job, and so far, no one had voiced the possibility of running against me. That was, if I decided to run. I hadn’t made up my mind yet, but Sheriff Hogan, Mayor Jenkins, and both my grandparents were all pushing for it.
“Why do you want them gone so bad?” I asked, curious enough about his motives to see through the red haze covering my eyes and hold off killing him for the moment.
“If I were you, I would be worried about yourself and want them gone too. Sheriff Bates, who was sheriff before Hogan, disappeared under mysterious circumstances and was never seen or heard from again. The last time his neighbors saw him, Raven Reid was breaking in to his house, and then she and Sebastian Reid put him in their car and drove him away. Hogan was untouchable to them because he was buddies with Jenkins. But, you? You’re dicking around with the MC president’s only daughter. Pretty sure that puts you at the top of their hit list.”
Standing, Campbell smirked. “Wouldn’t want you to disappear on us, boy. The citizens of this county like you, and your grandparents would be beside themselves with grief and worry. You’re their last remaining family, from what I hear.”
As the door shut behind him, I heard him laugh, and I picked up my chair, ready to throw it. But before I could toss it, the door opened and in walked the mayor, a thunderous look on his weathered face.
Once he took note of the look on my face, some of his own anger subsided, and he shut and locked the door before walking across to take the same chair Campbell had just vacated.
“Put the office furniture down, son. No need in destroying the place. The bastard is gone.” Crossing his legs, he leaned back in the chair, seeming to get comfortable as I slowly placed my own chair back on the floor and dropped down into it.
Scrubbing my hands over my face, I swallowed the bellow that was trapped in my throat but I refused to release.
“Why did I get a call at the ass-crack of dawn telling me to keep my sheriff away from Bash Reid’s daughter?” he demanded after a pause, giving me a little extra time to calm down.
I snapped my head up. “Who was the caller?”
“Bash Reid himself. We go way back, as I’m sure you know. I was the club’s defense attorney for decades. But he doesn’t come making demands of me at random. And believe me, this was very much a demand. Then, when I stopped for coffee at Aggie’s this morning, it was to walk into everyone talking about our beloved sheriff playing around with the MC’s princess.”
“Shit,” I groaned. Everyone talking of our potential relationship was only going to make Lexa that much more skittish.
“It seems there was a heated debate taking place on whether you were genuine in your pursuit of young Lexa or if you were scheming with Campbell to get as much dirt on the club as possible before arresting someone.” He nodded toward the closed door. “Then I walk into the station to find that slimy piece of donkey shit leaving your office. You can imagine what I was thinking until I walked in here and found you ready to destroy a considerably pricey desk chair.”
I didn’t care what he thought I was doing. I was stuck on the fact that some people actually thought I would use Lexa to get to her father. Bash Reid, or any other MC member, wasn’t even on the radar.
Ah fuck, did Lexa think I was using her?
Grabbing my phone off the desk where I’d tossed it, I called her. But there was no answer. Muttering curses, I shot her a text, only to have it kicked back, saying it was unable to be delivered.
“Goddamn it!” I threw the phone back on the desk. The thing was useless to me now because Lexa had blocked me.
I was starting to shake, could feel the rage taking over, and fuck if I knew how to control it.
With a roar, I swept my arms over the top of the desk, sending paperwork and my computer monitor crashing to the floor so hard that the sound of the monitor’s screen cracking echoed throughout the room.
“Hey, take it easy there, boy,” Jenkins said as he got nervously to his feet.
Jumping up, I grabbed my keys and nearly ripped the door off its hinges as I stormed out, hearing the mayor call after me.
Nothing he said right then mattered. I needed to get to Lexa and reassure her that I wasn’t using her.
I drove by her house just to see if she’d left for work yet, and her car was already gone. Hitting the gas, I headed for her father’s garage. My brakes screamed I slammed them so hard as I pulled up in front of the shop.
A dull buzzer sounded as I opened the door. Lexa was behind the counter, dressed in a black polo with the garage’s logo on the left breast and tan shorts, her hair down and covering the right side of her face as it always was. Five peop
le stood around waiting to be dealt with while she tended to the customer in front of her. But all eyes were on me, surprise and curiosity on every face except for Lexa’s.
Her face was set in angry lines, but it was the pain in her beautiful, glacier-blue eyes that nearly brought me to my knees.
“Baby—”
“I’m busy here, Sheriff,” she interrupted, her tone hard and icy. “If you need your vehicle worked on or to order a part, stand in line and wait your turn. I’ll be with you as soon as I can. Otherwise, please don’t loiter in the shop.”
“Oh, he can go ahead of me,” the guy at the counter said with a grin as he stepped back. “Wouldn’t want to risk the safety of the town if Sheriff Davis gets an emergency call.”
“You have such a kind soul, Higgins,” she said dryly.
“Anything for you, Lexa babe.” He scanned his eyes over her, and some of the haze that had started to lift at the sight of the only person to ever calm me returned. I looked the guy over, noticing he was Lexa’s age, maybe a little older. He looked at her like he wanted to devour her whole, and I stepped toward him menacingly.
Lexa came around the counter and pushed at my chest. The feel of her hands on me stopped me in my tracks, doing what her strength alone couldn’t. I covered them, pressing them harder against my heart as I looked down at her with pleading eyes.
“Outside,” she commanded and pushed again, but still, I was unmovable.
Keeping one of her hands in mine, I followed her out to my vehicle. The monster inside me was completely calm now, and I finally felt like I could breathe again.
Able to think clearly, I felt eyes on us and turned to find all the customers, including Higgins, standing at the window looking out. But there were others watching now as well. Bash Reid stood there with eyes that were just as hard as his daughter’s had been when I first walked into the shop. His huge, inked arms were crossed over his chest as he just stood there watching us.
Lexa glanced back too, and I felt her tremble when her gaze landed on her father. Jerking her hand out of my hold, she put distance between us before facing me. “You need to leave. Right now.”
“Not until you hear me out. Lexa, I swear—”
“No!” she cried, tears filling her eyes, tearing me apart inside. “I can’t do this with you. I’ve told you so many times I’ve lost count, and yet I kept giving in. Apparently, I’m weak whenever you’re around, but that stops now. I have too much shit going on in my life at the moment to constantly have to wonder if the guy I care about is going to use something I say inadvertently against the people I love.”
“I would never do that to you. Your family doesn’t matter to me, I’ve told you that just as many times.” Erasing the distance between us, I cupped both sides of her face in my hands. “Just give me a chance.”
“You’re asking too much. I refuse to let anything touch my family, including you.” A tear fell from her eyes, making it impossible to breathe for a moment. “Stay away from me, Ben.”
“Lexa—”
“She said to stay away, Sheriff,” Bash said behind me in a hard voice. “Now get your fucking hands off her. You might be the law in this town, but you touch my daughter again, and Campbell will need to find a new little bitch to do his dirty work.”
I dropped my hands and clenched them into fists. Lexa’s trembling only intensified, but the tears in her eyes dried up in the next heartbeat. Her gaze stayed locked on mine, seeming to plead with me not to argue, telling me so much that I couldn’t decipher.
“Please go,” she whispered. “Don’t argue with him. It will only make this worse.”
“Meet me tonight,” I mouthed, and her eyes locked on to my lips.
Her lashes lowered, but I got the answer I wanted before I finally stepped back from her. Turning to walk to my car, I tipped up my chin at Bash along the way.
“You have a good day, Sheriff,” he said with a snarl on his face. “Stay safe.”
Clenching my fists, I reminded myself not to do anything reckless. I could handle him with no problem, but if I punched her father, it wouldn’t win me any points with him. “I’ll be seeing you, Reid,” I told him as I climbed behind the wheel of my cruiser.
As I pulled out of the parking lot, my eyes went back to Lexa. She stood there watching me go, her face blank as her father spoke to her. Before she faded from my view, I watched him hug her, and I clenched my hands around the wheel.
Gritting my teeth, I knew there was only one way to deal with this shit. By the time I got back to the station and walked into the disaster I’d left of my office, I had a plan. Slamming the door shut, I found my phone in the wreckage of the scattered papers and broken screen of my computer.
Dropping down into my chair, I pulled up the contact I needed just as my secretary walked in, caution masking her face. Margaret was a little younger than my grandmother, her hair short, gray, and permed on the regular. She was also my grandmother’s closest friend, so I knew without a doubt, Gran either already knew about this morning’s events or would very soon.
“How about a cup of coffee?” she offered hesitantly.
“Sounds good,” I told her as I hit connect on the number on my phone. “Then don’t let anyone bother me for a few hours. I’ve got work to do.” As she nodded, I got an answer and leaned my head back against the chair, closing my eyes as I spoke to the woman on the other end. “Paige, how are you?”
“What do you want, Ben?” she asked, sounding exasperated, but I could also hear the huskiness in her voice. That same huskiness she used to try to get me to do whatever the hell she wanted. But Paige never had the hold over me she thought she did.
Not like Lexa did.
“You know that favor I’ve been holding on to for the last five years?” I heard her grunt, the noise anything but ladylike.
That more than anything told me how affected she was by my sudden call. Paige Stanford was always the perfect lady. No hair out of place, not so much as a speck of lint or a single wrinkle on her dresses. We’d dated for all of two minutes before I’d started losing my damn mind when she tried to change me.
But she still owed me a favor, and her father was the state’s attorney general.
And I needed Campbell out of my hair once and for all.
Lexa’s dad thought I was working with the bastard, and the slimy DA was trying to make it look like I was to everyone. I’d be damned if that motherfucker would be the reason Lexa was taken from me. He had to go, sooner rather than later.
“Yes, I remember,” she grumbled. “What’s it going to cost me?”
“Depends on how you look at it. Make this happen for me, and we could even say I owe you one.” I gritted my teeth, already wondering if I was selling my soul.
With Paige, it was anyone’s guess.
Chapter 6
Lexa
“Where you going, honey?”
I stopped in my tracks on the way to the back door. Slowly, I turned to face Mom, who was sitting at the kitchen table with Dad and Aunt Flick. Cups of coffee sat in front of them all, and huge slices of cheesecake had been placed on the table for the two women that I was surprised were untouched. Cheesecake didn’t last long when it came to Mom and Aunt Flick. It was one of their comfort foods.
“I was going to go to the library and get some reading done,” I told her, lifting the books in my arms to show her. “I couldn’t concentrate with Max, Reid, and Garret playing video games so loudly upstairs.”
“Well, don’t be out late,” Mom said, sipping her coffee.
“I won’t,” I promised, moving toward the door once more and doing my best to avoid Dad’s gaze.
“Lexa, could I ask a favor?” Aunt Flick asked before I could reach my destination.
Shifting the books in my arms, I turned to face her. “Sure, if I can help, I will.”
“Nova and Garret are going to New York tomorrow, and I was wondering if you could fly out with them, make
sure they get to Ciro and Scarlett’s. It will only be overnight. The Vitucci jet will bring you back the next day.” She pushed her uneaten cheesecake away, and I knew she was beyond upset about something. “Normally, I would go, but something came up and I can’t. But if I cancel, Nova will lose her damn mind, and I really can’t deal with that shit right now.”
I nearly groaned. What she meant was she needed me to watch Garret and make sure he didn’t set the Vituccis’ private jet on fire or drive the pilot and other crew so crazy they decide to crash to put themselves—and the world in general—out of their misery. Nova could have made the flight on her own given the number of guards Ciro sent to accompany his cousin’s children to New York to ensure their safety. But it was more than likely that Garret would cause pure carnage if not kept in constant check.
“But what about the shop?” I hedged.
“I’m going to work at the shop tomorrow, honey. There are a lot of things I need to make sure are taken care of before I start treatment, and I’d feel better if I took care of them now, rather than leave you in the lurch later on while I’m down and out,” Mom assured me. “We would both really appreciate it if you could go with the kids. Garret doesn’t listen to anyone else but me, Flick, and you. It would really be helping us all out.”
Pressing my lips together, I gave in. “What time do we leave tomorrow?”
“You will need to leave here by six in the morning. Just pack a small carry-on, enough for a few days,” Aunt Flick said, her eyes full of thanks.
“But you just said it was only overnight,” I corrected her.
She shrugged. “Who knows, maybe you’ll want to go shopping. Theo Volkov wouldn’t mind spending time with you, I’m sure.”
My eyes narrowed on her and then my parents, but if I called them out on what I suspected, I knew it would only cause more trouble for me. My guess was Dad—or any number of gossip gremlins—already told Mom about Ben and me, and they wanted me as far away from Creswell Springs as possible.
Salvation Page 4
