Читать книгу Sovereign Sheriff - Cassie Miles, Cassie Miles - Страница 11

Sitting cross-legged on the double bed in the guest room, Saida was enjoying her conversation with Jake’s sister. Their topics ranged from fashion and shoes to cultural norms in Jamala and the rights of women. If this had been a purely social occasion, Saida might have relaxed, but she was edgy—distracted by what was going on downstairs. With the door to the bedroom open, she could hear the murmur of male voices as Jake conferred with his deputy.

As usual, she was being excluded, and there seemed to be nothing she could do about it. Until Jake said it was safe, he wouldn’t allow her to leave the guest bedroom. He’d already shown himself to be capable of throwing her over his shoulder. What would come next? Tying her to a chair?

She stretched out her legs. “I want your brother to invite me into his investigation, to work with him and find Amir. How should I approach him?”

“With a baseball bat to knock some sense into his stubborn head. Forget about Jake. Tell me how you ended up in Beverly Hills.”

“While I was in boarding school in Switzerland, I made friends with a girl from Los Angeles. Since I was already in love with American movies, California seemed like a natural destination for me. I begged until I was allowed to go to a private high school in Los Angeles.” She smiled at Maggie. “Now it’s your turn. You grew up on the reservation. What was it like?”

“So boring. Actually, I’m kind of like you. By the time I was in high school, my older sister was working in Denver. That’s where I went to high school.”

“In a way, we’re both expatriates.”

“In a way.” Maggie nodded. “Why did you come to our house as soon as you got into town?”

“I looked Jake up on the internet. He seemed like someone I could trust. When he was running for sheriff, there was an interesting endorsement from someone named Oscar.”

“Poor little Oscar.”

In his endorsement, he hadn’t sounded poor at all. The accompanying photograph was very Armani. “He’s an attorney in Cheyenne, right?”

“When Jake met him, Oscar Pollack wasn’t what you’d call a success story. He was a skinny little runt, too nervous to take his eyes off his own toes. He and Jake were both in their first year of college at UDub and—”

“Wait.” Saida held up her hand. “UDub?”

“University of Wyoming in Laramie,” Maggie said. “That’s where I’m going, too. Anyway, Jake was on a basketball scholarship and joined the coolest frat on campus. After the first game of the season, everybody knew him. Jake Wolf—the Wolfman—was a star. Oscar was an insignificant speck.”

The college hierarchy was much the same everywhere. Though Saida had never lived on the UCLA campus or bothered with sororities, she was one of the in-crowd. “What happened?”

“One night, Jake went to a bar with his buddies, even though he doesn’t drink. Oscar was working there, bussing tables. He accidentally spilled beer on a big ape who took it personally. He and his pals followed Oscar after his shift was over. Oscar made it to his car, but that didn’t stop the apes. They kicked dents into the car doors and threw rocks. They busted the windshield.”

Saida guessed what came next. “Jake stepped in.”

“Oh, yeah. To hear Oscar tell the story, you’d think my brother was some kind of superhero, taking on three big guys at once. According to Jake, they were stumbling around and drunk—but not so smashed that they didn’t recognize the Wolfman. It turned out that one of the ape’s pals was in Jake’s frat.”

Noble actions often came with a price. “Did they try to kick him out?”

“Jake quit before they could ask him to leave, and he was glad to do it. He didn’t want to be part of a group that condoned bullies.” Maggie beamed a smile. She was proud of her big brother, deservedly so. “It all turned out for the best.”

“How so?”

“You can’t tell Jake I said this, but he was never destined for the NBA. He moved to a different frat that was more focused on academics than sports. His good grades served him better than a nonexistent sports career.”

“And Oscar went to law school,” Saida concluded.

“He turned out great, has a wonderful family. And he’s a big deal in state politics,” Maggie said. “He thinks Jake can be the first Native American elected governor if he learns how to play politics.”

Diplomacy was something Saida understood. “I could teach him a thing or two.”

“He’s going to need a boost,” Maggie said. “With everything that’s happened recently, Jake’s reputation as a lawman is at an all-time low.”

Saida regretted the trouble caused by the COIN royals. It was enough to stir up turmoil and strife in their own nations without spreading their problems to Wyoming. “When I find my brother, we’ll make amends. I promise you, Maggie. Amir and I will make this right.”

She heard someone coming up the stairs and hopped off the bed as Jake pushed the door open. His clenched jaw and the parallel frown lines between his eyebrows told her that he wasn’t in the mood for a reasonable chat.

“You can both come downstairs,” he said. “I have a deputy posted out front and another by the barn. Nobody but a damn fool would attack when they are so sure to be caught.”

She picked up her sandals by the straps. “I’m sorry to have added to your problems.”

“Forget it.”

He gestured for them to leave the room. Maggie went first, and Saida followed. Her brain was in high gear, trying to figure out a way to convince Jake that she was worthy of participating in his investigation. If she could get him to listen, just for a moment…

She looked up at him. Trapped in the door frame, they were standing close together—much too close. She hadn’t meant to seduce him, but there was a definite attraction between them. The heat radiating from his body sparked a flame inside her, and the fire spread in a whoosh, consuming the air in her lungs. With an effort, she pushed out a question. “Did you find out how those men knew I was coming to town?”

“The leak,” he said.

“Yes.”

“We’re considering several possibilities.”

So was she, but her considerations had nothing to do with investigating and everything to do with his lips, his chest, his scent. She’d been around handsome men before—actors, athletes and male models—but she’d never been so affected.

She took a step into the hallway, putting distance between herself and the sheriff. “I have an idea. A way we can find the leak.”

“I spoke to Sheik Efraim. He’s coming to pick you up.”

That bit of news hit her like a splash of ice water. As soon as Jake delivered her to Efraim, she’d be trapped in a velvet prison, surrounded by bodyguards. She needed to take action, to force Jake to listen.

In the middle of the living room, she spotted the two suitcases that had been in the backseat of her rental car. In a few minutes, she’d locate her weapons. If nothing else, she’d be armed. But first, she needed to get Jake’s attention.

“There’s something I need to discuss with you, Jake.” She went to the door and opened it. “Can we talk on the porch? You said it was safe.”

“I did say that.” And he looked like he regretted it.

She stepped outside into the night. Her gaze swept through a stand of pine trees and bushes on the opposite side of the driveway. Her plan was almost certain to tick him off, but he wasn’t leaving her another option. If she didn’t do something, he’d ship her off with Efraim and never speak to her again.

Standing under the porch light, she tilted her chin so her features would be clearly illuminated. She’d been photographed hundreds of times and knew how to pose.

When he joined her, she set aside her natural attraction to him. Now was not the time for lust. Not real lust, anyway. With the skill of a choreographer, she positioned him.

“What’s this about?” he asked.

“Finding the leak.”

She reached up and stroked his cheek. Looking up at him, she leaned closer, closer, closer.

She heard a clicking noise coming from the trees and a flash. Then a second flash.

Jake reacted instantly. Shielding her with his body, he yanked her arm and shoved her through the open door into the house. He pivoted and crouched. In two steps, he crossed the porch and vaulted the railing.

Saida bit her lower lip to keep from grinning. Her plan had worked.

RUNNING HARD, JAKE CHARGED across the basketball court and rushed into the thicket of pine trees opposite his house. Low branches on the bushes snapped against his legs as he dodged through the tree trunks. Anger surged through him. They’d been ambushed. In spite of his precautions, someone had gotten close enough to shoot. The weapon had been a camera not a gun. But the intent was the same.

The moonlight was enough for him to see the back of his quarry. A man in a black windbreaker and a black knit cap, he moved though the trees with a clumsy halting gait. His arms thrashed at low hanging branches. This was a man unfamiliar with forests and uneven terrain.

Jake was gaining on him. These mountains were his home. Since childhood, he’d been running through these forests. He knew how to place his feet, when to dodge and when to leap.

The man in black broke out of the trees into the open. Directly ahead of him was the barbed-wire fence that separated Jake’s property from his neighbor’s. As he swerved to avoid crashing headlong into the fence, he stumbled and fell to his hands and knees.

Jake shouted a warning. “Stop. Police.”

The man staggered upright. He was breathing hard. “Don’t shoot.”

“Show me your hands.”

“I’m a photographer.” He pointed to the camera hanging on a strap around his neck. In his left hand, he held some kind of flash device. “I’m not going to hurt anybody. I just wanted a picture of the princess.”

Jake didn’t have a set of handcuffs with him, but he didn’t think he’d need them. His rage was enough to ensure this guy wouldn’t resist. “Come with me.”

“Fine. Whatever.”

Jake tore the flash from his hand. “Give me the camera.”

“I got a great photo of you and Saida. And I mean great.” He sucked down a breath. “You look good together. You might not know this, but you’re developing a fan base. The women in my office are watching your daily briefings and they want more pictures of the sexy sheriff of Wind River County.”

Oh, swell. “Your camera. Now.”

“Awright, awright.” He took the camera from his neck and handed it over. “Be careful with the equipment. It’s top-of-the-line, expensive.”

Jake glared at this unshaven little ferret with the long, greasy, blond ponytail. “I’ve seen you hanging around at the resort.”

“Danny Harold,” he introduced himself. “Saida knows me. I’ve taken about a million photos of the princess.”

And she must have known that the paparazzo would be lurking outside the house. When she lured Jake onto the porch and touched his cheek so sweetly, she’d been setting him up for a photo op. She’d conned him. His anger at her translated into a growl at the man in his custody. “Danny Harold, you’re under arrest.”

“For what?” he yelped.

“Consider yourself lucky, it wasn’t so long ago that we shot trespassers.”

Jake marched him through the trees and back to the house. The walk gave him time to cool down, and that was good. He was outraged. The way she’d manipulated him with this stunt went too far. The last thing he needed was some high-maintenance princess flouncing around and making ridiculous demands. What the hell had she been thinking? What did she hope to gain from Danny Harold?

Kent Wheeler stood on the porch, gun in hand. Though the brim of his hat shielded his eyes, his frustration was evident. “Sorry, Sheriff. I don’t know how this creep got so close.”

“Not your fault.” Jake shoved Danny toward him. “Cuff him and put him in your car.”

While Danny squawked about freedom of the press and how he didn’t mean any harm, Jake mounted the steps to the porch and entered the house. Maggie and Saida were sitting at the dining room table with coffee mugs in front of them. The princess rose to her feet and adjusted the fur collar of the vest she’d put on over her naked shirt. Her posture was perfect, and her attitude was so imperial that she could have been wearing a crown.

He wanted to tear away that composure and get to the truth. He placed the camera equipment on the table and said to his sister, “Give us some privacy.”

“Sure thing.”

When Maggie stepped up beside him and touched his arm, he almost flinched. Holding his anger in check was taking all his willpower. Her touch morphed into a sisterly hug that felt like a straitjacket. He assured her, “I’m fine.”

She looked up at him with worried eyes. “Can I get anything for you? Coffee? A sandwich? Linguini?”

“Get out of here, sis.”

He waited until Maggie had disappeared up the stairs and he heard the door to her room close. Then he confronted Saida.

“I want an explanation, Princess.”

“I’M HAPPY TO EXPLAIN.” Saida remained standing at the table. “Danny Harold is the bane of my existence. He’s after me all the time, stalking me with his camera. I suspected that he’d find a way to get close. If I gave him a photo opportunity that he couldn’t resist, he’d reveal himself.”

Finally, Jake had gotten a direct answer from her. Not that it made any sense. She hated Danny, but she wanted to see him. What? He homed in on the important fact. “You were trying to lure him into the open.”

“Yes.”

“And you used me to do it.”

“You gave me no choice,” she said. “You refused to listen to me. I have a plan.”

A headache throbbed behind his eyes. All her fancy foot-work was making him dizzy. “I’m listening now. What’s this big plan of yours?”

“The time of my arrival was leaked to the men who chased me. If someone who works at the resort or the airport was responsible, that person must have passed their information to the paparazzi, as well.”

“How do you figure?”

“People like Danny pay well for tips.” With an elegant gesture, she tucked her shiny, black hair behind her ear. “If we ask him the right questions, he’ll identify his source.”

Either Jake was losing his mind or she was making sense. “Talking to Danny Harold is actually a decent plan.”

“So I’m right.”

“Don’t push it.” He went to the door and called to Deputy Wheeler. “Bring Danny in here.”

“Can I interrogate him?” she asked. “This is my plan, after all.”

“What do you know about interrogation?”

“I just finished my first year at UCLA law school. All A’s except for a B in torts. I hate torts.”

Law school? “Why are you studying law?”

“I hope to reform the legal system in my country and in the other COIN nations. I want to do something useful.”

He stalked past her and went into the kitchen, hoping to put distance between them. He didn’t want to be sucked into her life story.

“Right now, all that’s expected of me is to appear on red carpets and attend charity and political events,” she said as she trailed behind him.

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“It’s a lot of work. I have to spend the whole day being coiffed, fitted and painted with makeup. Five-inch heels are gorgeous but painful. You should try it sometime.”

He had no intention of walking a mile in her stilettos. “If you hate it so much, why do it?”

“It’s my duty. I’m a de facto ambassador, making contacts for Jamala. It never hurts to remind people in America of our existence. Tourism is an important industry for my country.”

He opened the cherry cabinet next to the sink, took down a striped ceramic mug and filled it to the brim with coffee. Not that he needed a wake-me-up. His adrenaline was still pumping from chasing Danny and from dealing with the princess. She was too clever, too manipulative and far too appealing.

“Will you allow me to speak to Danny?” she asked. “Can I at least stay in the room?”

Her cool, caramel eyes shone with confidence. After all that had happened, her poise remained unruffled. “We’ll both question him.”

“Oh, Jake. I’m so glad we’ll be working together.”

He had the sinking feeling that he’d somehow been recruited into a partnership he didn’t want. And if he tried to explain that they weren’t a team, she’d find a way to tighten the leash. How the hell had the princess gotten the upper hand?