by Chloe Lang
“Okay…”
“You saw Sheriff Byrd over at my booth, didn’t you?”
She nodded.
“He was looking for you and Alex. Seems you’re on his hit list.”
Hit list? “Why? What does he want with us?”
“There’s a woman in the hospital over in Elko who was shot. The staff there isn’t sure she’ll survive another day. She’s in critical condition. You and Alex were seen talking to her Saturday night.”
Shocked that another attempted murder had occurred in Northern Nevada, Shelby set her book down. In less than a year, the whole area had been turned upside down. Samantha had killed several people and had tried to kill Jessie. Charly’s half brother was a killer with blood in his eye for her. She wondered if this was more of the Mexican cartel’s retribution for Malcolm’s death, the psychopath who had kept Mackenzie’s brother locked up in a basement as his prisoner with the intent of killing him eventually. “What’s her name?”
“Lucille Barnhart,” Brandon informed. “She has red hair. Do you remember her?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Yes, I do remember her.”
Shelby looked into Brandon’s dark eyes. She wanted to trust him, but her instincts with outsiders weren’t good. She’d already proven that with Kenneth, her ex. But she had to trust Brandon, didn’t she? He was her attorney now, like it or not.
“Alex and I went on a date Saturday night to Elko. I met her there.”
“Tell me about the date. Tell me everything, Shelby,” he commanded.
A shiver went up and down her spine, clearly for the unfamiliar territory she found herself in. She didn’t care for Lucille or her friend Trixie one bit, but she didn’t want anyone to be killed.
“What do you want to know? It was a date. We ate Chinese there. That’s when I met Lucille and Trixie. Do you know them?” she asked. “Being from Elko, I would think you do.”
“I know them. I also know what bitches they can be.” His unblinking eyes were making her extremely nervous. “The truth, Shelby. All of it. What happened when you met them?”
“They came up and were pushy. Typical Elko girls.”
“According to Byrd, there were witnesses that heard you threaten her. Is that true?”
Had she done that? Yes. She remembered saying something to the woman in the heat of the moment. “My temper was up, Brandon. That’s all. I would never hurt her or anyone else, I swear.”
“I think you aren’t as harmless as you say, but I believe you.” His words made her feel a little better about this mess, but only a little.
“What now? Do I go talk to Byrd about this or not?”
He rubbed his chin. “Not yet. I want to talk to Alex first. You will cooperate with Byrd but I need to make sure you and Alex stick to the facts only. I don’t want you slipping into one of the asshole’s verbal traps.”
Chapter Eight
Shelby looked up at Brandon, who was leaning on the edge of the desk right in front of her and Alex. She and Brandon had found Alex at his office a little bit ago. His temporary workspace was in a trailer on the construction site of the new hospital. He’d seemed shocked to see her and his brother together, but after Brandon informed him about what Sheriff Byrd was up to, Alex had comforted her with a hug.
Right now, he was sitting next to her holding her hand.
“What time did you get to Elko?” Brandon asked, holding his iPad. He’d been taking notes on it since they’d arrived.
“I already told you that,” Alex snapped. “Let’s move off the trip from Wilde to Elko and on to our date. We went into the restaurant. Sat down. Ordered. Lucille and Trixie came up and were acting like they normally do. Shelby handled herself well. Who in Elko hasn’t had a run-in with the duo from hell?”
“Doesn’t matter, Alex. What matters is Byrd’s got a hard-on for you two. He likes his cases wrapped up nice and tidy.” Brandon shook his head. “I’ve seen what he does when he gets on the scent of someone, innocent or not. In his mind, one or both of you are guilty. All he wants to do now is pin it on you. Trust me, he’ll do whatever he thinks is necessary to get a conviction.”
“Fine,” Alex said, squeezing her hand. “You’re the attorney.”
“Damn right, Doc. Damn right.” Brandon’s gaze landed on her. It was intense and powerful, causing a round of nervous shivers to roll through her. “What happened after dinner, Shelby?”
“We went dancing,” she said.
The door suddenly flew open behind them.
She turned around, expecting to see Sheriff Byrd.
Justin entered the office. “Connie just texted me what’s happening. Why the hell are you two still in town?”
“Because we’re not guilty of anything, bro,” Alex said.
“That doesn’t matter to Dirty Byrd, and you two both know it, even if Shelby doesn’t.”
Brandon pointed to the empty chair beside her. “Sit.”
“Sitting seems stupid to me.” Justin shook his head. “We need to act.”
“You call the sheriff ‘Dirty Byrd’?” she asked.
“It fits, sweetheart,” Alex said. “Believe me.”
“Justin, sit down. I’m trying to get them ready for Byrd’s questioning. The worst thing that Alex and Shelby can do is run. It makes them look guilty.” Brandon typed something into his iPad.
Justin reluctantly sat down. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it as Alex was doing with the other one. It was crazy, but she felt good being surrounded by the three Champion men at the moment.
Lucille was in the hospital fighting for her life. According to Brandon and his brothers, Byrd was looking for someone to blame. None of this made sense to her. But she had to trust them with at least this, though she wasn’t ready to trust them with her heart. That wasn’t something that was safe with them and she knew it.
“Now, let’s continue. You went dancing.” Brandon nodded. “Who was there? Who can verify your whereabouts?”
“At the dance hall? The band.” Alex turned to her and smiled. Then his gaze moved to where Justin was holding her other hand and his lips twisted into a frown. “Our date was amazing, wasn’t it, Shelby?”
“Really? You didn’t bother calling after.” She pulled her hands free of both of them. “I can’t do this.”
“Do what?” Justin asked.
“This.” She pointed at all three of them. “I’m from Wilde. You guys are from Elko. I can handle this myself.”
Brandon bent down and cradled her chin. “No you can’t, Shelby. I think you’re getting ahead of yourself on this one.”
“Am I?” she snapped, shaking her face free of Brandon’s fingers.
“Baby, just breathe,” Alex said.
“Sweetheart, it’s going to be okay,” Justin added.
The more they tried to be good to her, the more she felt her heart break.
Her foolish dream had continued to permeate her every sleeping and waking moment since Alex’s arrival in Wilde. Now—since the ground breaking ceremony, since Justin went to her office and got her heart to racing, since her date with Alex, and since seeing how protective Brandon was being with her—the dream had changed and grown into a longing that flooded every part of her. Crazy? She knew her heart would suffer if she gave in to the hopeless pursuit.
“I don’t think I’m getting ahead of myself at all, Brandon. Why are you three so intent on helping me? Alex barely knows me, and you two just met me. It doesn’t make any sense. I can get another attorney. Jackson Wilde is an attorney. I’m sure he’ll be willing to represent me. You don’t need to help me.”
“Jackson isn’t a defense attorney, sweetheart,” Alex said. “Brandon is.”
“And the best damn one in the entire state,” Justin added.
“Then I can’t afford him. My five-dollar retainer is already spent.” Tears of worry pricked at the back of her eyes, but she kept from shedding them by sheer will. “Do you really think Byrd is like that? Dirty?”
Brandon no
dded. “Very. About my fee, Shelby. The five will cover all my expenses on this. Besides, for now, it is only about him interrogating you. Nothing else. If we can get you two through that and get him off your scent and onto someone else, you’ll be home free.”
“That sounds perfect to me,” she said, feeling a little hope spring up inside her. But was she being foolish to trust them? She was from Wilde. They were from Elko. Their kinds just didn’t mix. “What now, Brandon?”
What now? Run, Shelby. This might have started out as just three charming men who wanted to give her a helping hand, but what about after this was all settled? God, she hoped Brandon was right about being able to get the Elko sheriff off her and Alex as suspects. Once done, what would they want with her?
Alex’s sudden jealous look at Justin holding her hand had sent her into a tailspin. She’d allowed herself to go too far with these three already. Foolish dreams were only dreams, and her current one was extremely foolish. Wasn’t now the best time to cut her losses and save her heart from certain disaster? Of course it was, but she couldn’t bring herself to make the right decision. Not now. Not with them.
“Who can verify your whereabouts other than Alex after your date?”
“She was with me,” Alex said. “We were together all night.”
“You were?” Justin asked, smiling. “Good for you two.”
It seemed to her that of the three brothers, Justin might be on board with moving things more her direction, the Wilde direction. She looked back at Alex. He clearly wasn’t. Then a glance up at Brandon told her he wasn’t on board for anything other than getting this over with.
“Yes, she was,” Alex said. “All night.”
“What time did you leave each other?” Brandon asked, his unblinking eyes cutting through her like two hot, sexy knives.
“We went to the clinic when Alex got the call that Jessie Wilde’s water had broken,” she told him, feeling her heart pound hard in her chest.
“The clinic,” Brandon said, typing again on his iPad. “When Alex went back to the delivery room, were you alone in the waiting area?”
“No. Charly Wynn was there with her guys. The Strong brothers.”
“Did you ever leave?”
“I did. Around nine after seeing the baby and getting a quick peek at the new mother.”
“Where did you go?” Brandon’s tone was so serious and authoritative. It made her feel like she was in good hands—at least legally.
She couldn’t help herself but glanced at his hands, which were large with long, thick fingers. Stop it, Shelby. This is serious. A woman was attacked. You’re a suspect. “I went home.”
“You live alone?”
“I did, but I have two guests with me now. Norma and Lily. They’re from Wilde. They moved away a little while back.”
“Were they home when you got there?”
She shook her head. “I was home around nine and went to sleep. I woke up this morning and went to work. I think Norma and Lily were there by the time I got up. Their door was closed.”
“But you don’t know?”
“I’m not certain,” she admitted.
“Fuck,” Brandon said.
“What?” Justin asked, standing.
Brandon set his iPad on the desk. “According to Byrd, the attack happened between eleven in the morning and one in the afternoon on Sunday.”
“Should we get this over with now?” she asked. “Maybe if I tell the sheriff everything, he’ll see I’m not guilty of any crime.”
“Not before we go over both your stories a few more times,” Brandon said. “When we do go to my dad’s office to meet with Byrd, I want you both to stick to the facts. Don’t embellish. Don’t offer anything unless asked. If you can keep your answers to ‘yes’ or ‘no’ that would be best. If Byrd’s question doesn’t allow that, keep your answer simple. Do you understand?”
“We get it, bro. Yes. No. Short. Simple. Just the facts,” Alex said, clearly frustrated by the whole mess.
The door opened and in walked Connie. “Your dad thought you might be here.”
“We’ll be there in ten more minutes,” Brandon said. “Tell Byrd my clients will cooperate fully with his investigation.”
“Byrd’s already headed back to Elko. Wayne has gone with him. The woman in the hospital woke up. They’re going to get her statement. Alex, the Elko folks want you to get there as soon as you can to check her out.”
“What happened to Dr. Kohl or Dr. McNab or any of the other physicians on staff? Why do they need me?”
“Apparently, they think the woman needs a surgeon of your caliber. Plus, the only one left in town is Dr. Vines,” Connie said.
“I know Tara Vines. Only a year out of residency. She’s likely nervous. Where are the others?”
“At a conference in Boca Raton.”
“Fucking lazy asses,” Alex spat. “Figures. Fine. I’ll go.”
“I’m going, too,” Brandon said.
She felt…anxious and torn. “Shouldn’t I go as well? Seems like Byrd might still want to talk to us.”
“Don’t rush in where angels fear to tread. It’s an old saying, but one that fits right now,” Brandon stated flatly. “It’s best if you stay put in Wilde.”
Justin nodded. “I’ll get you home.”
“Why would you do that?” she asked with as much sass in her tone as she could muster. Not much, since she was nervous as hell about the whole damn thing—Lucille, Sheriff Byrd, the Champion brothers. What a mess.
“Because there’s a killer on the loose,” Justin said, heading to the door.
“A killer in Elko, not in Wilde,” Shelby said, knowing she needed time away from all of the Champion brothers to clear her head. “Isn’t it highly improbable that they would show up here?”
“Maybe, but I’m not letting you go home alone,” Justin stated in a tone that told her he wasn’t about to be deterred from his plan to escort her home.
“You think you can protect her with that limp of yours?” Alex said. “Maybe you both should come with us.”
“Don’t worry about me, bro.” Justin smiled. “I can take care of her just fine. Besides, you’re needed down in Elko, not me.”
“I know you will keep her safe.” Alex stood. “Seriously, how is the leg?”
“Better every day,” Justin answered. “I’ll be back in the saddle before you know it.”
She stood.
Brandon’s eyes narrowed. “Shelby, listen to me.”
Yes, Sir. The two words vibrated silently on her lips as if they were meant to be there. She swallowed them instead. “I am listening.”
“Don’t talk to anyone about this,” Brandon said. “Not a soul. Understand?”
She couldn’t resist and gave him a salute followed by, “Yes, Sir.”
His eyes widened and his lips curled up into a sexy smile of amusement. She looked at the three men who were ready to fight for her, to keep her safe, to protect her from harm. They were tough, determined men. She believed they would get her out of this mess. But what about her heart? What mess would they leave it in once this was all over?
Justin put his arm around her. “Ready?”
“As much as I’ll ever be, cowboy.”
Chapter Nine
Shelby walked behind Justin into her home. “Aren’t you being a little silly about this? The attack was in Elko. Lucille wasn’t in Wilde. There’s nothing that Brandon told us that would lead me to believe anyone was coming for me. Stand down, cowboy.”
“Quiet, baby,” Justin said in a hushed tone. “I’m doing this sweep whether you like it or not, got me?”
“I get you, Justin.” Actually, even though it was crazy to think whoever was behind Lucille’s attack might be coming here to get her, Shelby’s mind had conjured up several images of exactly that, each ending badly for her. Having Justin look in every closet, under every bed, and even out the back door worked to calm her frayed nerves. “Were you ever in the military?”
&
nbsp; “Navy. One tour.”
The way he was acting made her wonder what kind of training he’d received. The thoroughness of his sweep was impressive.
“All clear,” he said after checking every square inch of her house.
“I’m not surprised,” she said, placing her keys on the countertop of her kitchen and seeing Justin sit down on her sofa. Clearly, he wasn’t ready to leave yet.
“Where are your roommates, Shelby?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Didn’t they leave you a text or a voice mail?”
“Nope,” she said, but still pulled out her cell to make sure. “Nothing. They might’ve left me a note on the dry-erase board.”
“The one on the inside of your pantry door?”
She smiled. “You didn’t miss much during your sweep of my place, did you?”
“I didn’t miss anything, sweetheart. The only thing written on the board is that you need milk. Why don’t you come sit beside me?”
“I’m not sure that would be a good idea,” she said, feeling heat spread out through her body. “Thank you for bringing me home. I’m here now. I’m sure you have things to do.” God, why was she pushing him away? Because it was the only way to protect her heart. “I’m safe here.”
“I’ll be the judge of that, Shelby.” He smiled and she felt her legs get wobbly. “Besides, I’d like to talk with you about something.”
“What?” she asked, and when his eyebrows rose, she wished she could take it back.
“Come sit by me, Shelby.” Then in a very non-Dom kind of way, he said, “Please.”
This isn’t good. Despite her logical side screaming for her to stay where she was, Shelby went to the sofa and sat right next to Justin.
“That’s better, isn’t it?” he asked, putting his arm around her shoulders.
“Yes, but what’s the point, Justin?” Sitting with him on her couch in her house was just another step down a path that led to certain sorrow and to her heart being broken.
“The point? I think you and I both know the point, sweetheart.” He stroked her hair. “You are beautiful, Shelby.”
