by Lynn Hagen
Oh jeez. Deon sat back down, done with the guy.
Mr. Foyer turned back to Malik. “You need to release Jayce. He’s probably scared out of his mind.”
Mrs. Foyer nodded. “Virgins don’t do well with that level of stress.”
Deon snorted as he got up and left the bullpen. He walked to the sheriff’s office and knocked on the door. Grayson waved him in.
“Don’t say it.” Grayson waved for Deon to take a seat. “I don’t think Jayce is our guy, but with the evidence we found, we have to at least interview him. I’ve already sent the knife and shirt over to the Falls Bend lab, even though Malik swears the blood matches our victim.”
“You know he was framed.”
“Then we need to figure out who framed him before Jayce is officially arrested and goes to court.”
Deon frowned. “He isn’t officially arrested?”
“I’m giving him leeway because, like I said, I don’t think he did it. But someone planted those things in his house. I would be remiss to overlook the evidence. I have to tread lightly here, Deon. A guy was killed, and just because he was homeless doesn’t mean he deserves any less from us.”
“What if I promise to keep him on my farm?” Deon asked, hope blossoming. “I swear he won’t go anywhere, and I’ll make sure to keep a close eye on him. That’s better than him sitting in jail, because we both know he’s innocent.”
Grayson eyed him. “I’ve known you for a long time, Deon. You’re a good man. I’m trusting you at your word that you’ll stick to Jayce like glue. He doesn’t have to be stuck at the farm, but you’re to be with him twenty-four hours a day.”
Relief flooded Deon as he reached across the desk and shook the sheriff’s hand. “You have my word.”
Chapter Five
Jayce wouldn’t admit to Deon that, when he walked out of the station, he felt like he’d been sprung from prison. The air smelled better, and Jayce was happy to see people walking down the street. It was like he’d done a long stretch and was finally a free man.
But Jayce wasn’t. Sheriff Copache told him that he had to stick to Deon. The sheriff also told him about his parents’ visit—how his dad accused Deon of leading Jayce astray. That hadn’t been the bad part. Oh god. Jayce was surprised he could even look at Deon after what his mother said. You couldn’t ask for better parents, but you also couldn’t ask for ones kookier than Jayce’s.
After they climbed into Deon’s truck, Jayce asked, “Did my mother really say all that?”
Jayce could tell Deon was fighting a smile. The bastard. “I’m not sure we should discuss this. Virgins don’t handle stress very well.”
This was mortifying to the tenth power. Jayce groaned and covered his face with his hands, feeling the heat of embarrassment surface on his cheeks.
Deon cut the corner after the light turned green. The “interview” had taken well over an hour, and now Jayce was starving. His stomach protested with a loud grumble. Deon looked his way, furrowed his brows, and then committed an illegal turn in the street.
Thankfully the diner was still open. “I’m broke.”
Deon waved off his comment. “I got you covered. After all, virgins might faint if they’re not fed properly.”
Jayce shoved at Deon’s arm, and the guy laughed. Deon held up a hand. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”
After thinking about it, Jayce laughed, too. “She probably would’ve said that.”
His laughter died in his throat. As glad as Jayce was to be out of the police station and breathing the air of a free man, he was still in a bad situation. Someone was framing him for murder.
As if Deon could read his mind, he tapped Jayce’s arm with the back of his hand. “Let’s figure that out later. I need to feed my virgin before he passes out.”
“You’re an ass.” They were halfway to the door when someone rushed Jayce, grabbing him in a bear hug and lifting him off his feet. Jayce shouted, wondering why Deon wasn’t attacking his attacker.
“Please tell me it isn’t true!” Baxter placed Jayce back on his feet and spun him around. “Someone actually set you up to take the fall for some homeless guy’s murder?”
“Will you keep your voice down?” Jayce looked around and made sure no one was paying any attention. “How did you find out?”
Baxter looked at Jayce like he was daft. “This is a small town. Secrets don’t stay secrets. What the fuck, Jayce? Why would someone try to pin this on you?”
Jayce was innocent, but he didn’t like how everyone thought he wasn’t capable of the act. That was twisted thinking. He knew that, but that didn’t stop him from feeling indignant. “You don’t think I can stab a man?”
“Get inside, fellas.” Deon opened the door and waved them in. Baxter’s salacious gaze at Deon didn’t go unnoticed. Jealousy sparked in Jayce, and he wanted to slug his best friend. A couple of women looked Deon’s way, as well. Jayce had to admit he really did have a hot-ass boyfriend…mate…whatever.
“I want all the gritty details.”
They took a seat at the back of the diner. Jayce slid in next to Deon, who kept his back to the wall, his gaze wandering toward the door, over the people eating there, and once in a while, he looked at Baxter.
Jayce told Baxter about the cops at his house. He left out the part about how they’d gone to Deon’s to fetch him. That wasn’t any of Baxter’s business, and his friend would’ve made a big deal out of Jayce being there during the storm. No doubt he would’ve made some lewd comment about having sex during a thunderstorm, and Jayce would’ve been beyond embarrassed.
“There was actual evidence at your house!” Baxter’s eyes widened. “But how?”
“If I knew that, I could solve this mystery.” Jayce sat back and curled his lips in when Kenny approached. The waiter asked what they wanted to drink then walked away.
Maybe they should’ve just ordered a pizza and gone back to Deon’s. With Baxter sitting there, Jayce felt like he was being interrogated all over again.
“A knife and a shirt.” Baxter strummed his fingers on the tabletop. “Obviously someone broke in and planted the stuff there. The question is, why? Who would target you as their scapegoat? Have you made any enemies lately?”
Oddly enough, Baxter’s questions weren’t that far off from Deputy Christopher’s. He gave his friend the same answers he’d given the deputy. “No enemies that I can think of. I have no idea why someone planted those things in my house.”
They once again fell silent when Kenny returned with their drinks and asked for their orders. He could tell the waiter was in a bit of a rush. It was almost closing time, and Kenny probably wanted to call it a day.
All three of then ordered something simple. Kenny looked appreciative. “Coming right up, guys.”
Jayce looked out the window. The sun had already sank, and the moon was glowing. He watched cars pass by, headlights cutting across the window as a few people walked down the street. Had he known he’d be accused of murder when he woke up this morning, Jayce would’ve never gotten out of bed.
* * * *
The black pickup sitting across the street, with its spotlights mounted on top, big, oversized tires, and tinted windows was the last thing Deon thought to see. He sat up straighter as Jayce and Baxter continue their verbal sleuthing.
Deon would know that truck anywhere. Had hoped to never see it again. Things were starting to make sense, and he didn’t like where the puzzle pieces were falling. The “evidence” hadn’t been planted until Jayce had shown up at the farm.
Ruiz was watching Deon. The shady bastard had probably set all this up—the murder and planting those things at Jayce’s house. But to what end? Why not just come after him? Why target a guy who may or may not mean anything to Deon? Ruiz couldn’t know the human was his mate. Ruiz was human himself and knew nothing about Deon’s world.
Deon couldn’t make a move, though. Not when he had Jayce with him. Besides, Ruiz wouldn’t dare a confrontation when the diner w
as so close to the police station. But Ruiz sitting across the street watching him—even though the windows were tinted Deon had no doubt the guy had his beady eyes on him—was a signal that he wanted to talk.
“What do you think?”
Baxter’s question drew Deon’s gaze away from the window. “Come again?”
“We’re trying to find reasons that shit was in Jayce’s house.” Baxter stared curiously at Deon and then looked out the window. When Deon glanced back at the truck, it was gone.
“I think we need to get out of here so Cyril can shut things down.” Deon motioned for Jayce to get up. His mate slid out of the booth and waited. Deon got up and grabbed his wallet. He threw some cash onto the table, enough for an included tip, and walked toward the exit.
What had it been, five years since he’d last seen Ruiz and his crew? The Black Pythons operated out of Falls Bend. They did a lot of gunrunning and sold drugs and women. He still couldn’t believe his late wife had been related to Ruiz.
“Something wrong?” Jayce looked at him with concern.
“Things are just strange all around,” Baxter said. “A good night’s sleep is what everyone needs. We’ll look at this with fresh eyes come morning.”
“Not a chance.” Deon shook his head. “I’m not having you at the farm. Let the cops work this out. They know Jayce is innocent.”
He wasn’t having Baxter at his house. Jayce needed someplace he could relax. The cops might think Jayce was innocent, but so far, he was their only suspect. That was enough to set anyone’s nerves on edge.
“Fine.” Baxter blew out a breath. “Don’t invite me to your man cave. Whatever.” He turned to Jayce. “But you better call me if anything else happens. I’ll ask around town to see if any strangers have been lurking around.”
“Don’t.” Jayce gave Baxter a hug. “I don’t want whoever did this to come after you. Like Deon said, let the cops handle this.”
“I was gonna open my own detective agency if I solved this.” Baxter gave Jayce a teasing smile. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
Deon saw he wasn’t going to talk the little shit out of his sleuthing. That could be real bad if the Black Pythons were behind this. There was only one thing he could do to keep Baxter safe. Deon would call his friend Mike Cage and ask him to babysit the guy. The last thing Deon wanted was for Baxter to pay the price for sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.
Once he and Jayce got home, Deon made sure all the windows were locked, as well as the doors. For the first time in a very long time, he set the alarm.
“Okay, tell me what’s going on.” Jayce was in the kitchen, clearing the mess they had left behind.
Deon was pissed that their dinner had been ruined. He liked working side by side with his mate in the kitchen. The act made him feel like he wasn’t alone anymore, as if life had been breathed into his house.
“Someone is framing you.” It wasn’t a lie. “I’m just making sure the person, if they are suicidal enough to come here, can’t get to you.”
Jayce set the dishes in the sink and turned, his eyes wide. “Why would they come after me? I don’t understand any of this, Deon. Why was I picked for the fall guy? I’ve never done anything wrong to anyone.”
If Deon’s suspicions were true, Jayce was just a pawn in all of this. But until he knew for sure, Deon wasn’t saying anything. There was no need to dredge up his sordid past, the hell he’d been put through when he found out Selene was pregnant and her brother thought he could run her life.
“Why don’t we just clean up and chill? I think we both could use a relaxing night. Like Baxter said, after a good night’s sleep, we’ll look at this with fresh eyes in the morning.”
Jayce bit his bottom lip. “Okay.”
“I’m gonna walk around the property just to check things out. Why don’t you finish up in here?” Deon kissed Jayce’s forehead, although he wanted to take things further. “I’m gonna set the alarm again when I leave. I don’t want you opening the door for anyone. Got that?”
Pride swelled in him when Jayce straightened his shoulders and gave a firm nod. His mate was terrified but was willing not to show it. At least not right now.
Deon let himself out but not before resetting the alarm. He stood on the porch and scanned his land, looking for Ruiz. Deon felt the man’s presence lurking close by. He had no doubt that Ruiz had hidden his truck and was somewhere on his property.
Clouds slid over the moon, making things even darker as Deon left the porch and headed toward his barn. That would be the logical place for a meet, and he wasn’t wrong. The wind blew Ruiz’s scent toward him as Deon walked through the access door.
His sight was ten times better than a human’s. Deon didn’t need light as he looked around. His panther yowled to get free and tear the bastard apart.
“Show yourself.” Deon stopped walking and crossed his arms over his chest. “Although I know you like to operate in the dark.”
Boots walked over the hay that still needed to be swept up. Ruiz’s face was half-hidden in shadow. “Long time, no see, brother-in-law.”
Ruiz’s deep and dark voice dredged up memories Deon didn’t want to deal with at the moment. The guy was a good head shorter than Deon, but there was no mistaking his resemblance to Deon’s late wife. Even their son had had that rich black hair and hazel eyes.
A lump settled in Deon’s chest when he thought about Matty. Just thinking about his son made Deon want to drop to his knees. But he kept his features schooled as he stared Ruiz down. “Why’re you here?”
Ruiz’s lip curled. “You fucking know why I’m here.”
“It’s been five years,” Deon said. “I would’ve thought you’d show your face sooner.”
“Had operations to set up, business to deal with. Contrary to your belief, the world doesn’t revolve around you.” He took a step closer. “But it did revolve around my sister.”
Matty had been the reason for Deon’s existence. Selene? That was a whole other story. Deon had dated her a few times and had been stupid enough not to use a condom. He hadn’t planned on seeing her again, let alone marrying her. But when she’d come to him and said she was pregnant, Deon’s entire world changed.
“Tell me why you’re here.”
“Had eyes on you for a while.” Ruiz leaned against the last stall. “My little snitch told me you had a guy at your farm. Said you two met at the diner and how you looked at him as if the twerp was your moon and stars.”
Deon was stunned to find out someone had been watching him for so long. Even so, he still didn’t understand where this was leading. “And?”
Ruiz put his hand on his hip, making his leather jacket part to reveal the gun in his waistband. “And I’m gonna take the guy you’re falling for, just like you took Selene from me.”
“I didn’t take her from you!” Deon closed the distance, uncaring of the weapon. He had weapons of his own. He grabbed Ruiz by his shirtfront and shook him. “You were the one who cut those brakes, not me.”
It was like a slow-moving train wreck that Deon couldn’t avoid. Ruiz had used Jayce, had set him up. And Deon had a gut feeling, no matter what Ruiz said, that he wasn’t done ruining Jayce.
“And you were supposed to be in that car, not her and not my nephew.” He shoved Deon’s hands off him. “It was you who was supposed to die.”
“Because I refused to become a Black Python.” Deon spat the words. “Because I was trying to keep my son away from that life.”
“That wasn’t your call to make,” Ruiz argued. “Selene and Matthew were family, and you had no right to keep them from us.”
Deon wasn’t a fool. He’d known that Selene had been sneaking to Falls Bend to see her “family.” Not just Ruiz. Deon even suspected that she’d started seeing her ex again. If she’d ever stopped seeing Casey.
Deon had only married her to do right by his son. But even toward the end, he’d considered divorcing her. But the car crash had come first, taking the one person w
ho had meant everything to him.
Matthew Wilkerson. Matty. Only three years of age. His young life cut short by this colossal bastard who stood in front of him. Deon would’ve killed Ruiz already, but the Black Pythons were great in number and would’ve known it had been Deon who’d gutted Ruiz.
He grabbed Ruiz when the guy tried to pass him. “Stay the fuck away from me, got that?” He shoved his face so close to Ruiz’s that he could smell the man’s shitty breath. “If I see you again, I will end you.”
Ruiz laughed as he shook his head. “My brothers know I’m here. If I die, they’ll skull fuck you and your new boyfriend.” Ruiz cocked his head to the side. “Since when are you into men, Deon? I thought you were all about the pussy.”
Deon shoved Ruiz toward the exit. “Get off my property and don’t come back.”
Ruiz gave him a salute and a shit-eating grin. “I’ll go, but I’m not done ruining your life, and if you tell pretty boy or the cops it was me who killed that bum, more bodies will drop.”
With a wink, he was gone.
Deon spun and slammed his fist into a stall door. It flew back so hard the wood shattered and one of the hinges broke, leaving the door to sag to one side.
It had been Ruiz who had killed that stranger and framed Jayce. Fuck, the guy worked fast. And how had he known for certain that Jayce meant anything to him? Ruiz hadn’t. He had just wanted to taunt Deon, but fuck if he hadn’t gotten it right.
Deon’s heart thundered as he raced out of the barn when he heard the alarm blaring.
Chapter Six
Jayce had been watching out the window, his eyes glued to Deon as his mate entered the barn. When a stranger emerged and looked Jayce’s way, Jayce had completely forgotten about the alarm. He wanted to make sure Deon was okay and flung the door open. The ear-piercing sound made him slap his hands over his ears.
The sound was deafening and made Jayce curse as he ran outside to get away from it. When he looked toward the road, he saw a jacked-up black truck fly by.