Justice Inked (Cowboy Justice Association 7)

by Olivia Jaymes

  Dare smirked—that’s right, smirked—and it was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. “Trust me, baby, he wanted more than dinner. He doesn’t know it but he wishes he was me. I’m guessing he’s not the only one.”

  “Did you tell him?”

  “Fuck no. It’s none of his business.”

  Rayne sighed and leaned against the wall. She was getting tired of acting like a double naught spy and hiding. “I had to tell Camy after you dumped me. Mike figured it out as well after you showed up drunk last night. He’s not stupid.”

  “How’d they take it?”

  Smiling, Rayne stepped closer to Dare so she had to crane her neck to look up at him. “Camy thinks it’s hot and Mike wants to know what your intentions are. Prepare to be interrogated, handsome, because he’s dying to act like a father or big brother.”

  “Camy would think it was hot,” Dare chuckled, leaning down so he was nose to nose with Rayne but still not kissing her. “I can probably handle Mike, but just in case I’ll take him out for a beer so we can talk man to man.”

  Rayne played with one of the buttons on Dare’s shirt but kept her gaze on the floor. “Does Sophie know?”

  “Not yet, but I can tell her if you like. What’s all the questions about? You’ve never been afraid to speak your mind before.”

  That was true and playing the reticent card wasn’t her style. Better to just say it and deal with the fallout had always been her style. “I’m getting tired of all the cloak and dagger. It’s exhausting. Can’t we just go public?”

  Dare placed his hand over hers and then lifted her fingers to his warm lips, just brushing the knuckles. The kiss sent tingles straight down her spine and all the way to her toes. “We can. I’m not against it and it will make me look like a huge hypocrite, but who gives a shit? I’m the boss. Jay will understand why I said what I said once he finds out we’re a couple. Is that all that’s bothering you?”

  Everything was bugging her. She’d been mugged, robbed, and now had a permanent shadow in the shape of a cop.

  “Having one of your men follow me is creepy,” she admitted, nodding to the deputy trailing her today. He was sitting a few tables away from Camy and finishing his own cheeseburger. “I know why he’s there but it doesn’t make it any better. I’m not a rock star or actress. When someone follows me it feels strange.”

  “I have a stack of paperwork on my desk that I need to get done. You could hang out at the station with me. Then you’d be following me, not the other way around.”

  Leave it to Dare to come up with a solution that involved her orbiting his world. “I’m not sure that will solve the problem. Besides, I might get a furniture delivery this afternoon so I was headed over to the house, deputy in tow.”

  “How about coming over tonight for dinner? I can tell Sophie about us, we can watch some movies, then curl up for the night in my bed. I’ll be there to protect you.”

  That sounded like a capital idea. Sex in a bed, for a change.

  “Aren’t you worried about what kind of example that might set for your baby sister? My spending the night, that is. She might want Tim to spend the night one of these days.”

  Dare growled low in his throat and yanked her closer so she was pressed against his hard body. Instead of fighting, she slid her hands around his neck. If they were coming out from undercover they might as well give the residents of Valley Station a good show.

  “The hell he will. No way some guy is going to shack up with my little sister under my own roof. If she wants a man to spend the night she needs a marriage license.”

  He didn’t know what he was asking for. “Don’t say that too loud because she just might do it. Then you’d have Tim Wallace for a son-in-law and the Wallaces would be relatives.”

  “He’s not spending the night.” Leaning down, Dare pressed a sizzling kiss on her lips. “But you are. Pack an overnight bag and I’ll pick you up after my shift about six, okay?”

  “What about Spartacus?”

  His brows shot up and he shook his head. “That damn cat can spend one night alone, can’t he?”

  Of course he could, he was a cat. But it was fun to tease Dare and see just how far he might let her push him.

  “He might miss me.”

  “You’re not bringing the cat, Rayne. Give it up now.”

  Giggling, she pressed a few butterfly kisses on the corners of his mouth. “Okay, tough guy. The cat will stay but on one condition.”

  “Name it.”

  Dare didn’t look worried in the least and she didn’t have a difficult hurdle anyway. This one was a piece of cake.

  “Kiss me. Kiss me like you want to carry me to bed. I want everyone in this joint to know you belong to me.”

  He smiled and his lips hovered over hers so closely, she could feel his warm breath and smell the citrus of his body wash. “Do I belong to you?”

  “Fuck yeah. Don’t forget it, either. I’m not a forgiving woman.”

  His expression softened and those eyes darkened with desire. “Actually, you are. Not many women would have forgiven my bonehead move last night, let alone ended up on the pantry floor with me. You’re one of a kind, Rayne Dunn.”

  Her cheeks flushed as images flooded her brain. Sexy, naked ones. But she didn’t get a chance to respond as he slammed his mouth down on hers, kissing her until the room spun and she had to hold onto his shoulders for support.

  She leaned against him, content to let him hold her upright while her fingers kneaded the tense muscles at the base of his skull. “That was hot, Sheriff. I can’t wait for our slumber party tonight. Are we going to braid each other’s hair?”

  He was looking over her shoulder and this time it was him off in another world. She waved her hand in front of his face and he gave her his signature scowl as a reply.

  “Earth to Dare. First it was me and now you. Are you thinking about tonight too?”

  “No. I’m thinking about that old photo on the wall.” He nodded toward a framed photo nestled in the alcove to the restrooms. “Have you seen it before?”

  Rayne huffed and took a step back. “You’re looking at photos and not fantasizing about tonight, huh? Boy, the romance fades fast, lover boy.” She turned on her heel and moved closer to the photo. It was an old black and white of some men panning for gold. She’d heard there were gold strikes in Montana many years ago. “I’ve never seen it. Does it look familiar or something?”

  Dare situated himself close to the framed photo, his face only a few inches from it before poking a finger at the glass. “Here. Look at this, Rayne. Right here.”

  She had to squint to see what he was pointing at, but when she did she almost stopped breathing for a second. Feeling light-headed, she grabbed onto Dare’s arm to keep from falling to the floor. “The logo on the equipment is the same thing Patrick Moulson had designed into his tattoo. It’s the same.”

  Her normally taciturn lover had a huge grin on his face. “Yes, it is. That mine has been closed and abandoned for years. Do you know what that means?”

  It was the first lead real lead they’d had in weeks.

  “Road trip.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Dare turned right onto the dirt road and pointed to the north. “There isn’t much left of the mine. Just an old building and some discarded equipment. It’s about six miles from here.”

  Tanner tapped a message into his phone before slipping it into his pocket. “How long has it been abandoned? Who owned it? Maybe there’s a connection.”

  “Since the late eighties, I think. Give or take a year or two. It was owned by the Cavendish family but they sold out to a big conglomerate who then stripped what they could before shutting it down. We can check but I doubt there will be anything to connect the two.”

  Tanner’s gaze took in the desolate landscape. “Sure as shit is remote as hell. I guess this might be a good place to plan a bank robbery and then maybe hide the money.”

  The SUV bumped and rolled over the rutt
ed and forgotten road, almost loosening Dare’s teeth. “This location has to be important enough to make a man want to tattoo the logo permanently on his person. Whether they hid the money here is a question, but it means something.”

  Tanner grinned as Dare pulled the truck up to what looked like an old shack. “Our job is to figure out what it means. We’re professional lawmen. How hard could it be?”

  Dare knew that Tanner was simply busting his balls so he chuckled in response and slid from the driver’s seat, bringing along his cell phone. He walked behind the vehicle about twenty feet and pointed to a set of tire tracks that didn’t belong to him.

  “There’s no reason to be on this road unless you’re coming to this mine, but there’s another set of tracks here. I’ll get a few pictures and send them to the lab. Maybe we can get a make on the vehicle.”

  Tanner looked up at the clear blue sky. “When was the last rain? It’s been about a week, hasn’t it?”

  Dare snapped the photos and quickly sent them off to Deputy Billy. “It was last Friday, I believe, so we know whomever was here visited in the last five to seven days. Now why would anyone be up here, that’s the question.”

  Walking around the old building, Tanner tried to see in through the filthy windows but they were encrusted with dirt. “I doubt anyone would be up here for something lawful unless maybe some kids came up here to make out. But it isn’t exactly conducive to romance. It looks more like a junkyard.”

  Broken and rusted shovels and picks were strewn across the clearing, framing the busted conveyor belt that led down into the hole in the ground. The opening had been covered up for safety by a large round wooden door with a padlock, and surprisingly it appeared to have not been breached by curious teenagers or would-be miners looking to make their fortune in a used up gold vein.

  Dare tried the doorknob and of course it was locked. He looked over his shoulder at Tanner and gave him a smile. “Should I?”

  “You are the law around here. Is there anyone that would even protest?”

  Not really, but Dare liked to do things by the rules if at all possible. That was the main reason Rayne’s cute little ass was sitting at home right now. She’d begged to be able to come with him but he didn’t want to have to worry about her safety when he was concerned about his own. Frankly, he didn’t know what they were walking into. So far the trip had been uneventful, but things had a way of taking a turn for the worse when he least expected it.

  “Step back,” Dare warned, eyeing the flimsy lock. “We don’t know if this is booby-trapped or something worse.”

  “Worse? What’s worse than a bomb?”

  Dare picked up a ratty shovel that was still in one piece. “Two bombs. A gunman. Easy listening radio.”

  Tanner snorted but did as he was asked. Grunting with effort, Dare swung the shovel, splintering the wood but the door didn’t budge, much to his surprise. He’d thought it would disintegrate with any pressure whatsoever.

  “Need any help there? Is it too much for you?” Tanner taunted with a laugh. “Should we tie the doorknob to the truck bumper and hit reverse?”

  Dare looked up at the sky and squinted at the sun, keeping his frustration under control. He was glad it was only Tanner that had seen that and not his deputies. They’d never let him forget it.

  “I don’t think that will be necessary, Grandpa. I’ve got this.”

  Tanner took the ribbing in stride and stayed back while Dare wound up as if he were getting ready to hit a home run. The metal flat of the shovel made contact with the doorknob, which cracked and sailed over Dare’s head while the lock broke under the impact, causing the door to fly back and hit the wall with a satisfying bang.

  Tanner strode forward, his gun drawn, and peeked around the now wide open doorway. His stance was tense and alert so it was instantly noticeable when his posture sagged and relaxed. He held up his hand and waved Dare forward.

  “Looks like we got here too late.”

  Dare holstered his own weapon with a sigh. Two dead bodies lay on the floor in a pool of dried blood. Three people were dead. And he was no closer to figuring out who was doing this. Something had to give and soon.

  * * * *

  Rayne slumped down onto Dare’s living room couch, her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. “I can’t believe I wasn’t there. It wasn’t dangerous at all and you’re being overprotective.”

  Dare’s brows shot up at her bold statement. “Overprotective? Baby, three people are dead…that we know of. There could be more. Money is a powerful motivator and if they think you know something they won’t hesitate to come after you. From now on, I’m keeping you under close observation. You’ll have me or a deputy on you at all times.”

  It sounded like one of Dante’s circles of hell. Someone watching every little movement she made every second of the day and night. She adored Dare but that much togetherness was going overboard. She needed a little bit of privacy.

  “If they killed those two men then they know what’s on the tattoo,” Rayne pointed out as he joined her on the couch. After a long day cleaning her house, he’d relieved the deputy watching her and brought her back to his place where he could keep an eye on her personally. Camy had protested at first but then been won over when Dare convinced her it was the safest place for Rayne. “They don’t need me anymore. For all you know, the man has the money and is headed for Mexico or the Bahamas. Wherever bank robbers go to retire these days when they no longer have to share the loot.”

  “The loot?” Dare laughed and propped his feet on the coffee table. “Who are you, Ma Barker?”

  Rayne lifted her chin and shrugged, not letting his teasing deter her from the goal.

  She didn’t need protecting.

  “I’m simply trying to get you to see sense, Dare. Whoever was looking for that drawing must know what it contains or they wouldn’t have found the mine. It makes sense, don’t you see?”

  She put a little more pleading in her words than she normally would but she didn’t like having a babysitter follow her around. Today the deputy had sat three tables away while she and Camy had eaten lunch. He’d just watched them. Eating. Then more watching. It was creepy and it gave her an unsettled feeling in her gut.

  “Or the killer followed them there and that’s how he found the location,” Dare stated reasonably. “There are two parts to that design, babe, and they may still need the second half. I’m not taking any chances with your life.”

  “But you’ll take chances with your own.”

  His arm came around her shoulders and pulled her closer so they were curled together, her head on his chest. “It’s my job and I’m used to it. I’m not going to do anything stupid so don’t worry about me.”

  Rayne poked him in the chest. “You’re made of flesh and bone like everyone else. You need to be careful. Maybe I’ll get you a bodyguard.”

  She could feel his chuckle under her cheek as he tugged at a stray strand of hair. It was hard to believe this content and smiling man was Dare Turner. “Tanner does a pretty good job of not letting me do anything dumb. When this is all over, I’d love for you to meet some of my friends like him, Seth, Reed, Griffin, and Evan. You’d get along with the wives really well, especially Presley. She’s something else and keeps Seth on his toes.”

  Her throat tightening with emotion, she didn’t reply but simply smiled and snuggled closer. She loved it when he talked about the future and now he was categorizing her with the “wives”. She’d never had much of a yen for marriage and commitment but this man might be the one to change her mind. She could see herself spending evenings with him curled up on this sofa watching television or reading in bed.

  “So stop trying to change the subject and tell me about the two men you found. What do you know?”

  He’d already told her the men’s names were Earnest Haines and Milo Yardley, both in their late twenties.

  “Not much,” Dare admitted, running his fingers through her hair in a soothing motion. “The two men
are local and have a history of petty crime. Mostly bar fights but one of them has burglary on their rap sheet. We’ll cross reference any prints from your shop and home break-ins to them.”

  “Did you know them?”

  “In passing. I was never the arresting officer although I knew of both of them. They weren’t bad guys, just more like troublemakers when they were drunk. Both of them had trouble holding down a job and have worked at several of the local ranches before getting kicked to the curb. Honestly, I didn’t even know they knew each other until today.”

  In a small town like Valley Station there weren’t too many secrets, but there had to be some.

  “We’re a secret or we were,” she pointed out to him. “So if they were friends or business partners they could probably keep that a secret too.”

  “For how long though? You and I haven’t been dating long, and after today at the bowling alley I’m pretty sure the cat’s out of the bag. You’ve got a hickey on your neck, babe, and people are going to notice.”

  Rayne slapped a hand over the red spot she’d seen in the mirror earlier. “Is it that bad? It didn’t look like much of anything this afternoon.”

  Dare waggled his eyebrows and grinned. “It’s turning a lovely shade of purple. I like marking my territory so be warned.”

  Slapping him ineffectually on the chest, she rubbed the sore flesh and gave him a dirty look. “I’m not territory, you male chauvinist pig. If you mark me, you can be damn sure I’ll mark you.”

  “Be my guest, baby.” Dare held his arms wide in invitation. “Make my body your canvas. Wait, you’ve already done that, although no one can see it.”

  “I’m serious, Dare.”

  “So am I. You want to give me some love bites or hickeys, you go right ahead. I’ll wear them proudly.”

  “You are a sick, sick man.” Rayne lifted up and threw her leg over both of his so she was straddling him. She wanted to be able to look directly into his eyes. “I worry about your mental health.”

  “I am a sad specimen, but I’m all yours.”