by Fox, Regina
It took about three hours for lab results, but they confirmed somehow Beau had been poisoned. Anger flooded through her. Her dog was all she had left. Her stepmom knew that. It’s why she targeted the dog. It was payback, simple revenge. But the wonderful news was, aside from minor bruising from his contact with the truck, Savannah’s dog was going to be fully recovered. She wouldn’t leave Beau out by himself and would keep a constant eye out.
In their conversation, the vet mentioned she lived down the street and could do house calls if Beau ever needed her. Foley’s ex-wife lived in her neighborhood? That shouldn’t really strike Savannah as oddly as it did. She was fortunate to have inherited a home in a fairly affluent neighborhood. It was inhabited with retirees and professionals mostly. And Devil’s Lake was a pretty small town. Paths crossed a number of different ways.
Maybe it was the fact that Foley was in the neighborhood to see that gorgeous veterinarian ex-wife of his that bothered her so. Foley told her he was returning from her house when Beau got hit.
Foley was a hot guy, and it had been a long time since anyone caught her attention. He could just be very good friends with his ex-wife because he seemed to be that kind of person, in fact, they both seemed to be that kind of people. And somewhere in Savannah’s brain, she equated attractiveness with they must still have a thing for each other again.
After all the talk about the dog, Susan mentioned Foley.
“He says you’re beautiful,” she said.
“Aww. That’s so sweet.”
“I just wanted to warn you that he’s a player. Don’t get burned. He’ll fuck you and leave before you wake up. Not relationship material. But if you want a good fuck, then he’s your man.”
There was a pause.
“I’m just looking out for you, girlfriend,” Susan said. “Us girls gotta stick together.”
“It’s a bummer to hear he’s like that.”
“I think all the good looking ones are.”
“Shit. I think you’re right.”
“A biker is perfect for a good time, though.”
“I want more than that.”
“I get it. I do too. He cheated on me all the time. You’ll never get a relationship out of him, that’s for sure, unless you’re willing to share him. He’s impossible to tame. Trust me, I’ve tried.”
They hung up, and the news bummed Savannah out. She certainly wasn’t going to jump on the chance to call him to let him know that Beau was fine, not after what Susan had told her. When the Devil’s Lake deputy did a walk-through of her house, she could hardly be present. Her head was elsewhere.
Foley had to have ESP or something because just as the deputy was wrapping up, he called.
“What did Bob say?” asked Foley.
“You know him by first name basis. Should I be concerned?”
He laughed.
“Anyway, not much they can do,” said Savannah.
“Hand the phone over to him. I want to talk to him,” said Foley.
Savannah was a little perturbed at his ordering her, but she complied. After a few nods and grunts, the deputy handed the phone back.
“Don’t touch the glass or the door. We’re going to dust,” said the deputy.
She nodded, and he walked off.
“I think you might have annoyed an officer of the law,” said Savannah.
“Nah, I just got connections.”
“I’m impressed.”
How is your dog? Any word?” asked Foley.
“Yeah,” she replied evenly. “He was definitely poisoned.”
“Son of a bitch! Did you tell Bob?”
“Yes, but he didn’t seem to care,” said Savannah.
“I’ll talk to the police myself. I’ll light a fire under their ass and get them moving.”
“Boy, you do have connections.” She sighed.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked.
“It’s been a bad day.”
“I know you’re tired, but I wanted to stop by to introduce you to my friends. Because they’re going to be keeping an eye out.”
“Meet the motorcycle club personally? Man, not tonight.”
“We’ll be quick. I promise.”
“I appreciate that, but I don’t think that’s necessary,” said Savannah. It was best to break off any kind of friendship with Foley. She didn’t need the heartache. “I can handle my stepmother. She’s not dangerous.”
“You don’t know that. And she tried to kill your dog, so it’s totally necessary. I think Beau getting drugged and the broken window are related. I don’t mean to push, but we’re going to keep an eye on you regardless. You might as well know us by name.”
“Okay,” she replied. “I’m dying to meet my guardian angels.”
Savannah put on a movie and curled up in the home theater. She fell asleep, taking a much-needed nap.
Chapter 4
Foley and his motorcycle club friends walked up the path. Savannah recognized Trenton Gillis, her lawyer. He also brought with him, Sheriff Doug. The sheriff carried a little kit with him. Foley had a gym bag.
Foley and Savannah caught each other’s eye and sort of floated as they connected. She watched his face transform from casual to sensual. He looked like she felt which was reassuring. And warming. She winked back at him. His smile emerged from ear to ear, showing perfect, bright white teeth.
How could she possibly deny the attraction? Nobody had ever got her that excited from one glance. Maybe he could just be a good time. She wouldn’t get her emotions or feelings involved. She’d keep those distant. But she couldn’t deny the exploding chemistry between them.
“Hi, pretty lady,” he said. “I brought the gang.”
She grinned. “I see that.”
“How are you?” he asked graciously. “How’s Beau?”
“Beau looks fine,” she said, gazing at him. “I have him in his room with his toys.”
The sheriff set his kit by the front door. He dusted the glass and surrounding areas. He worked hard trying to obtain any bit of evidence that might help them.
“Hope this works,” Savannah asked him.
Foley guided her inside the house, in the living room.
“It’s as much for show as it is for business,” said Foley softly. “We want it to get around that this is an investigated crime scene.”
“I’m certain that would scare my stepmom. It would definitely make her think twice about fucking with me again.”
A deputy arrived on scene and taped off her yard. They weren’t kidding. They were tying a big crime scene bow around her place.
“I’m going to show the guys your house, including that spiffy home theater. I envision a Ghosts of the Prairie party in your future,” he said.
“You do?” she smiled.
“Ahem,” one of the bikers teased.
“This is Danny White Feather,” Foley began. “He’s our club captain. You know Trenton. That’s Sheriff Doug. Deputy Mike. Here are Pike, Bull, and John.”
Trenton spoke. “Foley says you think your stepmother and estate attorney might have something to do with this. Why, besides the obvious? Has anything else happened?”
Savannah hesitated. She took a deep breath.
“I came out one morning, and all the tires on my car were flat. Stuff like that. My stepmother once told me a story how she flattened somebody’s tires who messed with her.”
“Okay, so history. What about the dog? Do you know if your stepmom took anything that she could have given the dog?”
“I don’t know. I really wasn’t that close to her,” said Savannah. “She didn’t exactly like me.”
“I guess I should watch my back,” said Trenton, with a raised eyebrow. “She didn’t exactly like me either. We’re going to look around your place. If I recall, this place has a little bungalow on it. A kind of granny suite down by the water?”
“Yeah,” said Savannah.
“We still have to check that,” said Foley.
“Let’s
go, guys,” said Danny.
The bikers moved through Savannah’s house out the back way. Damn! There were rippling with muscles and so handsome like modern day knights. They had such an intense presence. She had no doubt if they were willing to watch over her place, that she was completely safe.
“They’ll be out of your hair in a little bit,” he said.
“So who has first shift?” she asked.
“I got first watch,” he whispered, his fingers lingering on her face.
She raised her eyes and laughed. “Just like that? You’re going to stay with me? You guys don’t have jobs?” she asked.
“Well, typically, people sleep at night which is when we’d be staying here. During the day, we’ll disburse. I do work since you asked. I’m a fireman with the Devil’s Lake Fire Department. I am on three, off four. That’s why I’m first,” he said with a tilt of his head.
“Oh, I see,” she said. “With the house paid for, I have the luxury of working from home. I write articles for magazines.”
“Nice,” said Foley. “And Trenton, for example, can’t stay the night here. He’s got clients. He could eventually, but tomorrow he has early meetings. Plus, he has a new girlfriend, Jennifer. Probably wouldn’t want to involve her.”
“Oh, I didn’t know he had a girlfriend,” she said. “In all the time he worked for me, he never said.”
“Yes, he does. My captain just got married. Lovely girl. Love at first sight he claims,” he said. “We Ghosts. We love our women.”
Something about the way he said that made her flutter.
The bikers stepped back into the house through the slider.
“So I think we also should have someone staying out there, once it gets cleaned up. Doug and Mike are processing it. They’re calling out more people,” said Danny.
“Why is that?” asked Foley.
“Well,” Danny began, “it was definitely broken into and ransacked.”
Now Savannah was officially freaked out.
“But I had a security system,” remarked Savannah.
Danny grinned. “You had an alarm. Now you have a security system.”
Chapter 5
It was decided the deputies would sleep in the guest house which was photographed and processed. The activity didn’t disturb Foley and Savannah. After the excitement of the day, Savannah told herself she was going to sleep like a log that night. But the combination of having taken a nap coupled with the news that her guesthouse had been broken into, she was wired. She determined Beau was totally fine for a walk. As they were walking out of the door, Foley stepped out of the guest bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth and stopped them.
“Hey, what are you doing?” he asked evenly.
“I’m walking the dog,” she shrugged.
He looked at his watch.
“Not this late,” he said sternly.
“Boy, you are strict,” she flirted. “Any other orders I should follow?”
“It’s nine o’clock. It’s after dark. I’m coming with you,” he said.
Savannah smiled.
“What?” he asked.
She thought it was awfully cute that he was talking to her and brushing his teeth at the same time. But she didn’t say that.
“Sure,” she said. “We’ll wait for you.”
Savannah’s development had no sidewalks. The roads meandering through the sweeping lots were wide and paved with smooth, shiny asphalt. The occasional street light cast a shine on them. But not much obscured the vast prairie sky. It was late September. Sweater weather at night on Devil’s Lake. But even with her hoodie on, Savannah shivered.
Foley capitalized on that. He hooked his arms with hers and Savannah thought it was sweet. Foley was so wonderfully big and tall. His body was so incredibly warm and electric. Her reaction to their chemistry was almost ticklish. It wired right to her center. She shivered again but for a different reason. He let his arm drop, taking her hand in his.
He leaned toward her a little bit, and she leaned toward him a little bit. They met in the middle, their soft, warm lips grazing one another. Just touching him, a rush of pleasure washed through her. She heard herself make a noise. He touched her jaw line with his fingertips. Soon he was raking his fingers through her hair. And she, his.
It was a little tough to reach that high because Foley was a tall boy. But it was worth it. His curls were incredibly soft and wonderful to play with. She didn’t mind that she had to rest a good portion of her arm on his massive chest. Or that she pressed her body to his to kiss him.
A moment of clarity visited them, and they broke the kiss. But they lingered. He looked every bit as affected by their chemistry as she was. Foley had wonderful, thick lashes lining his smoky eyes. She felt doped from their kiss.
It wasn’t as though there was an audience, except of course for Beau. It was just Savannah, Foley, Beau and the vast cloud and moonlight splotched sky. They were serenaded by sounds of Devil’s Lake lapping the shore. Foley gingerly touched her jaw and leaned down to kiss her.
His hot wet tongue penetrated her mouth. Once inside her, Savannah revved up. She tightened her arms around him and kissed him back with everything she had. He was so new to her, but she didn’t feel like they just met. She let her tongue dance with his. He tasted so sweet. She drew on him and nibbled his full lower lip. He moaned with delight. He tangled his fingers in her long hair, gripping her head while he feasted at her lips.
The whir of a lone motorcycle split the air. It coursed down the quiet street. It slowed as it approached the two infatuated individuals. Savannah hoped that it would just go around them. She didn’t want to wake up from the moment. He was that wonderful.
“I guess we better move,” Foley laughed.
He took her hand and guided Savannah with the dog to the shoulder of the road. The bike revved its engine and sped away. It was definitely a hostile gesture.
“Do you know him?” she asked.
“No, that was a Rigger. A Ghost wouldn’t act that way. We don’t really have rivals per se but if we did, they’d be the closest thing to them. They’re the guys that flooded here during the fracking boom. They’re obnoxious,” said Foley.
Savannah laughed.
“What?” he asked.
“Well, bikers kind of have a rep for being hard-edged. Anarchists. I think it’s kind of funny that you object to his behavior,” she said.
“It wasn’t very nice now, was it?” he asked flirtatiously, wrapping his arms around her.
“No, it wasn’t,” she said.
“Question is, what’s a Rigger doing out here? We’re all over. Riggers are around the boomtowns. Or bust towns. Like Parshall,” he said.
“Parshall?” she said. “That’s where my stepmother is from.”
“Interesting.”
“Do you think she’s paying them to stalk me? Or maybe she’s sleeping with one of them. She’s such a whore.”
He blew out a long breath. “I just don’t know yet.”
Chapter 6
Carolyn Payton, Savannah’s former stepmother, was not happy to be in the Devil’s Lake sheriff station. Neither was Paul Kerley, the man who had been Savannah’s father’s estate lawyer. But Savannah’s guest house was ransacked and robbed, and their fingerprints were all over the place.
Foley was kind enough to give up yet another day off to help Savannah sort everything out. It was a good thing too because Carolyn Payton, though not much older than Savannah, managed to make her nervous. Still.
“I haven’t been at that property for over six months. Not since my late husband passed,” she insisted.
“Did you take things?” asked Sheriff Doug.
“Yes,” she replied. “Paul here helped me. But at the time, I was married. Whatever I took, I was entitled to. But we didn’t destroy the place. It was in order when we left it.”
“So you’re saying the destruction in the guest house was separate from your filching possessions from Mr. Payton?” asked the she
riff calmly.
“She’s not answering any more questions about removing possessions, and Carolyn leave the “we” out of it. For the record, sheriff, she made that statement on her own behalf, not mine,” said the attorney.
“When did you leave town?” asked Sheriff Doug.
“You mean move to Parshall?” asked Carolyn. “I was left penniless by the will in case you hadn’t heard. I had to move back home in order to make ends meet.”
“Must have been tough,” said the sheriff.
“Know any bikers in Parshall?” asked Foley randomly.
“Are you an officer of the law?”
“No,” said Foley. “Don’t the tats answer that question? Or maybe the long hair?
“Screw off!” she said. “And quit talking to me.”
“Then don’t ask questions,” he replied.
“Don’t fucking tell me what to do, asshole.”
“I’ll ask the question then,” said the sheriff calmly. “Do you know any bikers?”
“I know people in Parshall. What everyone’s past time is, well, I can’t account for,” she said. “Are we done?”
“No,” said the sheriff. “I want a list of all the items you removed from the guest house prior to your husband’s death.”
“I’m glad you got the house, Savannah. I bet it’s lonely in that big house all by yourself with no friends or family, or even a boyfriend.”
“The sheriff shoved a notepad her way. “Just write it down.”
“I can’t remember everything,” said Carolyn.
“Well, I have a catalog of what belongs in the guest house,” Savannah said coolly. “We can just make the list by eliminating what’s not on the list and create it that way.”
“And if we find that whatever is missing should not be in your possession, we’ll press criminal charges,” said the sheriff.
“This is a civil matter at best,” scoffed the lawyer.
