“Worked out fine, Sheriff. I’m now the proud Poppa-Chief of a full department. Just need to make up my mind which ones I’m going to promote. How about you?”
“I’ve hired five men and have one more to interview this afternoon. Sam Cahill from Odessa.”
“Name don’t ring a bell for me.” Jake replied.
“Me neither, but JD Montgomery has given him a good referral.”
“Let me know how it goes. Say, are we still on for tonight?”
“Yeah, I’ll meet you out there around nine.” He hung up, slipped his phone in his back pocket, grabbed his hat and walked out of his office. “Callie, I’m going to Good Eats Diner. From there, I’m gonna make the rounds. I’ll be back by three for that interview.”
***
Tucker and Crow were sitting at their table eating lunch. “Don’t look now, but that new little waitress is drooling over you.”
“The one with the long, blonde ponytail with the pink streak in it?” Tucker said cutting his eyes over toward the kitchen.
“I should have known you wouldn’t miss her. Get ready, here she comes now.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you, gentlemen? Some more tea or how about some of that famous Apple Pie Miss Lucy makes?” She said, never taking her eyes off Tucker.
“Oh, Sugar, I can think of a lot you can do for me. What time’s your shift end?” Her cheeks turned bright red when he reached over and laid his hand on the back of her bare thigh and then tightened his fingers, pressing into her skin. She was wearing a pair of hot pink shorts, a white tank top that showed a bare midriff, and white slip-on shoes.
“Seven,” she said, smiling at him.
“So I’ll be back then to pick you up.” He said, rubbing her leg with his thumb. She sighed and he watched as she licked her lips. He looked at her name tag, “Kate?” He moved his hand up just a little and continued rubbing his thumb across her skin.
She shook her head yes, “But, me and my friends are supposed to go out tonight”, she said with a hitch in her breath.
He pushed his hand up a little further and ran his finger under the edge of her shorts, saw the pulse quicken in her throat. “Where are you and your friends supposed to go?” He asked, as he continued to tease her skin with the stroke of his thumb.
“Bellasora. It’s a new club that opened up last year. There’s a meet and greet dance there tonight. Have you heard of the club?” Without even realizing it, she moved her foot and spread her legs apart a little more.
Tucker looked at Crow then back at her and smiled, “Yeah, I’ve heard of it, and I know it’s a member’s only club.”
“Oh I know. But you see, my friend Lori is a member.”
Tucker ran through the members in his mind, “Is your friend Loreen Blythe?”
“Yes, she is. Do you know her?”
Tucker knew her intimately. He’d had sex with her numerous times, hell, all his brothers had when they were teenagers. Damned good and hard sex. “How about I meet you at Bellasora? Have a monitor take you to the Common Area at nine thirty.” He slipped his finger inside her sex and found her sweet spot quickly. He pressed down on it and when he tweaked it she cried out. He withdrew his finger, and touched it to her mouth. “Nine-thirty, Kate. Do not be late.” He stood up, pulled out his wallet, and laid some money on the table. Then, he stepped over and pulled her up into his arms and whispered against her mouth, “Wear black and red”. He and Crow were walking back to their hotel and Crow shook his head and said, “You know you fucking hate to dance.”
Tucker just laughed, “The only kind of dancing being done at Bellasora tonight will be when the floggers and canes kiss the skin of a sub, and you know it. Now, I’ve got to get back to work.”
***
“Sheriff, your three o’clock appointment is here.” Callie stood there grinning at her brother. He would regret later not paying attention to her.
He felt her still standing there, “Well show him in.” Tucker wanted to get this meeting with Sam Cahill over and done with, and make him the Chief Deputy Sheriff which would free him up, so he didn’t have to be in this office most of his days. The man’s references were impeccable and the letters of recommendation he’d read led him to be convinced Cahill was the one for the job. He briefly looked up at his sister and said, “Daylights burning Callie. Don’t just stand there and keep the man waiting.”
She’d come in to warn him but that damn tone of voice pissed her off, so she decided to let him sink or swim all on his own. They all knew Tucker hadn’t wanted to be Sheriff, but he’d done what was right and agreed to it, and he was sure letting every one of them share in his misery. “You’re sure right, Sheriff.” She said stressing the title as she turned and walked off and returned a minute later. If Tucker had truly been paying attention he would have noticed his little sisters tone of voice and her body language, but he wasn’t, so he missed that glint in her eyes that always meant she was up to something. “Sheriff, Sam Cahill is here.”
Tucker looked up and caught his breath. In front of him stood a very beautiful woman. He stood up immediately, adjusted his jeans, and walked around his desk, “You’re Sam Cahill?” He said with an obvious catch in his voice, then he glared at his little sister. “That’ll be all for now, Callie. Thank you.” They glared at each other for an instant then the door closed with more force than necessary and Tucker realized he should have been paying better attention to his sister. Cahill walked over and took the hand he held out and shook it firmly. “I get that reaction quite often Sheriff, but yes I am Samantha Cahill, better known as Sam.”
“I thought,” He actually stuttered and immediately felt like a second grader trying to get the attention of the new girl in school. “Well, I actually thought Sam Cahill was a man.”
Samantha smiled at his discomfort, she’d done her homework checking out not only Tucker Stone, but his entire family as well. “I know, Sheriff. I get that a lot as well. JD deliberately didn’t tell you, said he’d had to clean up the egg off his face and this was his way of doing it. I’m not sure what he meant.”
Tucker found his voice and his professional manners, “Sit down, Cahill. Monty was getting even with me. It’s taken him three years to do it, but I’ll let him know we’re even.” He’d damned well let him know a lot more than that. Once again he knew he should have listened to his sister when she’d suggested they send off for a photo of Sam Cahill to go in the file, at least he would have been better prepared.
“Don’t suppose you’d tell me how you got one over on him?” She asked as she sat down in the chair across from him.
“I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it since you worked for him. It happened years back, we’d been working undercover for the better part of a year and the case was over. We were out at a bar celebrating. Monty can’t hold his liquor worth a damn and he was dancing and getting ready to leave with the woman of his dreams and he passed smooth out on the dancefloor and fell flat on his face. We picked him up and carried him back to the motel and put him in bed. What we didn’t realize at the time was that Baker was in the bathroom puking his guts out and when he came out, he just laid down next to Monty. Baker was butt-assed naked. Long story short, they both woke up the next morning wrapped in each other’s arms and the rest is history, as they say.”
When she stopped laughing she asked, “Didn’t anyone ever tell them the truth?”
“Yeah, sure we did. But let me tell you those two can hold a grudge.”
“Well, Sheriff Stone, is me being a woman a deal breaker? Because after his phone conversation with you, Monty told me you were prepared to hire me on the spot. And I’m sure hoping that’s a fact, because everything I own is out there in my jeep. And I’ve got my dogs and cat with me, too.”
“You’re an animal person, then?”
“Yes sir, I take in rescues.”
“You and my sister-in-law are gonna get along fine.”
“Does that mean I’m hired?”
“Yep.” He told her a little about Cripple Creek and its history, warning her the town still had some garbage that needed to be cleaned up. “When can you start?”
“Right now.” She said standing up. “Can I be blunt with you, Sheriff?”
“If by blunt you mean honest? That’s the only way I’ll have it. I demand honesty and loyalty. I give it so I expect it.”
“I’m a woman.” She said, immediately feeling like a fool.
“I noticed.” He said smiling at her, immediately putting her at ease.
“You need to know I take my career and my duties seriously. I respect others and I want their respect as well. I want you to know the main reason I left Odessa. I’d been working there for Odessa PD about six months when Monty hired his son Jerald…”
Startling her, Tucker shoved his chair back so hard it hit the wall, “Son of a bitch. Monty knows his son is a piece of work, he’s worked for several different departments, and they always terminate him. Jerald harassed you, didn’t he?”
“Well, I guess this time with his Daddy being his boss he didn’t worry about being fired. It started out with him just flirting with me, when I made it known right off the bat I wasn’t interested. Jerald didn’t like me turning down his advances, and he got more aggressive. I reported it to Monty, just like we’re required to do. Monty chose to ignore it and never even turned the grievance in. I probably should have gone on up the chain of command, but in the ‘good ol’ boy’ system that would have been career suicide.”
Tucker knew in his gut he was going to be even more pissed by the time she finished so he decided to get out of the office, she needed a place to stay and he made a split decision, “Cahill, let’s go. You follow me, you and your animals are going to stay with me until you find a place of your own. I’ve got a fenced in yard where they can go outside when they need to, and more room than I need. We’ll unload your things then you can finish telling me.” He saw the look on her face, “I give you my word I am nothing like Jerald Montgomery.”
“Alright.” She stood up and started toward the door, seems she didn’t have much of a choice, because she really wanted this job.
“Hold up,” He opened up his drawer and took out a document and a badge. “Need you to read and sign this, we’ll get to the other documents later.”
She read the paper and signed it, and held her hand out to him and he shook it, “Thank you Sir, for this opportunity.”
“You might change your mind about thanking me after you’ve been here a while. The looks of this town are deceiving. Things get damn rough around here, and until we’ve got all the bad elements either in a cell or down in the ground where dead people grow – we’re on duty 24/7 and never go anywhere unarmed. That being said, you still have a right to your private life, just know we’re always on call. Now, hold up your right hand and let me swear you in.” She did and repeated the oath. He started to pin the badge on her but instead gave it to her.
“Sheriff, I think you gave me the wrong badge. This one says Chief Deputy.” she said, looking at her badge.
“Yes it does. I’d like you to be my second in command. Is that a problem, Cahill?”
“No Sir, not at all.”
“Look, Cahill, I’m a pretty damn good judge of character, and you definitely pass muster. Cripple Creek is a good town, the people are decent, we’ve gotten rid of most of the heavy garbage, and we’ll get the remainder of it dumped real soon.”
“It was all over the news about what happened here last year. So, you know I saw it or heard it on the news. Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“I did my homework before coming here, and I heard rumors about some MC clubs being involved in what happened, and that you and your brothers are affiliated. And I’ve seen enough of those vests to know you’re wearing one now.”
“That I am. You have problems with bikers?”
She didn’t comment on his avoidance of giving her a direct answer to her question. “I have to be honest, I’ve really never been around many, sure, I’ve known guys who ride bikes but that’s about it.” She said smiling, “I’ll admit I am a little surprised, you are the Sheriff after all. Don’t bikers live outside the law?”
“Some do, but most don’t. No Mercy is a one percent club – which means they ride the edge of law. The Prez is a good man, and he’s one I’m glad is on my side.”
“So, when they break the law you look the other way?”
“No, Cahill, I never look the other way and you best keep that in mind. I’d bring them all in if they fucked up and left a clue showing they were responsible for any fucking crime. But see that’s the thing, they’re smarter than that.”
“I see.” She replied.
“I seriously doubt that – let’s just put it this way – what I can’t prove I won’t arrest because with no proof I can’t convict. Now, let’s get going.” He walked to the door of his office and held it for her, “Callie, I’ve hired Cahill. She’s the new Chief Deputy. Cahill is going to be staying at my place until she finds her own. Set her up with a secure phone, will ya?” Tucker’s cell phone rang, he looked at the caller ID “I need to take this.” And he went back in his office, sat down at his desk, “Hello Monty.”
“Hey Stone what’da-ya think about the super-sexy Sam Cahill? I sent you a winner, didn’t I?” JD Montgomery asked as he laughed at his own remark.
Tucker had always disliked the sound of JD’s voice and now it just grated on his last nerve, “I think you’re an asshole. That’s what I think. But, we’re even now.”
“You gonna hire her or just fuck her?” He laughed then said, “Or maybe both.” Then cackled at his own joke.
“Yeah, I hired her. Thanks for sending her my way”
“Well, I’ll be damned, she got to you didn’t she? I shoulda known. Knowing how you are with women and all.”
“JD you don’t want to go down that road with me and you fucking well know it. You forget I witnessed firsthand what your boy did in San Antonio.” JD Montgomery and Walter Stone had been friends, and though Tucker couldn’t prove it he highly suspected JD was involved in the same illegal activities as his grandfather had been.
Totally ignoring that remark, he rushed to say, “You can’t believe a word that bitch says…you know how it is. Look Tucker, she treated my boy bad, she let him think they were a couple and …”
“Stop right there before you piss me off even more, Monty. And you damn well know you don’t want to do that.”
“Well just so you know, word is she’s a good fuck, with that body and looks of hers it’s a given.”
Tucker cut in and in a tone that let the other man know he’d gone too far, “Stop before you dig yourself any deeper. I want copies of the report. But I’m betting you didn’t follow through with her grievance, did you?”
“There aren’t any documents Stone. It was never anything.”
“If I find out different, you’re not going to like it.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s a fact JD, but if it takes a threat to get your attention, you know I have no problem giving it. And a word of advice, tell that son of yours not to come to my town to harass Cahill. Believe me, he won’t like the reception he gets.”
“Your town is it? Word is you didn’t want to take that badge at all.”
“Well, thing is, I did take the badge JD. Contrary to what you believe, it’s not the badge that makes the man, it’s the man wearing the badge. Now, tell your son he is not welcome here.”
“Are you threatening my son, Stone?”
“Monty, you know I don’t make threats, ever. I stick to the facts, and the hardcore fact is your son should be locked up.”
“You and your brothers still on that crusade to save all the poor mistreated women in Texas?”
“I’ll ignore that statement, and you need to be damn glad I am.” Tucker hung up the phone, flipped open the file on Cahill. There was no doubt about it, she was skilled, q
ualified and had the experience he was looking for – he’d just never thought of having a female deputy. She was a good looking woman, that was a fact. Her hair was midnight black, and her eyes were the color of sapphires – stunning. Her cheekbones were high, and her lips were too damned inviting for her own good. The complete package was all woman, a very well developed woman, standing about five foot six inches tall and weighing one thirty-five according to her file. He leaned back in his chair and thought about Sam Cahill. Too bad she wasn’t his type. But then again, he’d thought Melody was his type and look where that’d gotten him. Maybe his picker was broken, like his brothers kept telling him. But then he thought about a pair of hot pink shorts and his dick went rock hard. He smiled thinking about Kate and doing some very naughty things to her body. Glancing at the clock, only a few more hours and he’d be marking her body and fucking her any way he wanted. Yep, he’d stick to fucking the club bunnies and Bellasora always provided a variety of submissives. He got up, adjusted his jeans, grabbed his hat and walked out of his office, “Let’s go Cahill.”
Chapter Two
A little later, he pulled in to his drive with his new Chief following him. He got out of his truck and walked back to her. She gave a hand signal to Quigley and he jumped down, then she helped a very pregnant dog out. Then she pulled out the biggest cat, other than the wild ones, Tucker had ever seen.
“Damn Cahill, you didn’t say your cat was part mountain lion.”
She laughed, “Pumpkin is a Main Coon and they are a large breed.”
“I’ll say. Wanna help me bring your things inside? Your rooms are on the first floor, and mine are on the second floor, along with the gym, which you’re welcome to use.”
“Are you sure? I hate to invade your home, your privacy.”
“Positive. This house has two bedroom suites downstairs, and four complete suites upstairs, don’t know what I thought buying such a big old house. Now, let’s get your things unloaded. I’m going to call Kai and have him come here and take a look at Maggie, unless you’re prepared to take her and leave her at Blue Holly until the pups are born?”
Taken by Sadistic (Rage Ryders MC #3) Page 11
