I lifted my gun from my purse. “I’m not going empty-handed. You can stay here.”
“No way. I want to go.” She opened the fridge and pulled out two cans of my favorite energy drink. “Vince mentioned you’d probably need something.”
For a second, I felt bad for trying to hurt him the night before. Then I remembered him letting Mercer leave, and I wanted to hurt him all over again. “Vince is dead to me for right now.”
She nodded. “I couldn’t believe they just let Mercer go. He was like, ‘Mercer is a grown man and knows what he’s doing. We couldn’t stop him.’ And I told him that him and Tucker were both pussies for letting it happen. They should’ve stopped him. They should’ve tied him up and locked him in a closet, if they had to.”
I blew out a shaky breath. “I can’t think about it. I just have to focus on solving this. I have to figure out how to get him out.”
“He thought you’d be safe if he turned himself in. He’s an idiot for not realizing it’s you we’re talking about. You’re never going to give up on him. This is going to make you fight so much harder, isn’t it?”
I gave her a ghost of a smile. “At least someone around here knows me.”
“Okay, come on. What are we doing?”
I led the way out to my car and got in. Glancing over at Cookie, I gave her a look. “It’s not going to be all that smart or safe at times.”
“Perfect.”
“First, we’re meeting with my old boss. He’s a PI and he’s amazing at it. I’m thinking there’s a connection between the sheriff and judge. Besides the obvious, I mean. They’re dirty, though. How could there not be some type of paperwork, somewhere?” I pulled onto the road and sped towards the park. “Then, I think I’m going to sit in on Judge Williams’ courtroom for a little while. Just to let him know I’m not done with him.”
Cookie whistled. “This is probably the part where I tell you it’s a bad plan—right?”
“You could try.”
“Fuck that. Let’s go to court.”
***
With my old boss working in the background, I sat in the back row of the courtroom and watched as Judge Williams tried different cases. Every time his eyes swung to me, I smiled and did a little finger wave. He was going to suffer. I was going to make sure of it.
When the court took a recess, I headed out to the parking lot. I’d barely made it halfway to my car when Sheriff Hayes called my name. He came trotting towards me, his upper lip sweaty and a paleness to his skin that hadn’t been there before I’d been called into his station the day before.
“Miss Dulaney. Paul wants to see you tonight.” He wiped his lip and took off his hat to fan himself with it. “He wants to talk about your situation.”
“It seems to me that you two are the ones with a situation.”
“The Ambrose Country Club. Be there at eleven tonight. Maybe we can work something out.”
“Or maybe you’ll slice and dice me like you did Jade.”
He paled even further and shook his head. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
“I’m sure.”
“Just come and come alone. We’ll talk about your boyfriend, who’s currently sitting in a holding cell with twenty-five other men. It’d be a shame if someone started a rumor that he was an ex-cop.”
“And it’d be a shame if someone talked a little too loud about how you and the good judge are responsible for the deaths of at least two pretty young women.” I patted his badge. “In today’s world, Sheriff Hayes, an accusation is proof enough.”
I walked the rest of the way to my car and got inside. I was shaking, angry, and scared that they’d actually do that to Mercer. If anything happened to him, though, I wouldn’t stop until Hayes and Williams were rotting away in the ground. I hoped they were smart enough to realize that.
Cookie looked over at me and raised her eyebrows in a question. “So, Sheriff Hayes caught up to you.”
“He wants me to meet the two of them tonight. At the country club.” I backed out of the lot and drove towards Smith. “Want me to drop you off before I head to the mall?”
“We’re going shopping?” She cleared her throat. “I mean, I don’t mind. Whatever you need to pass the time, I guess.”
“I need to buy a few things to help with tonight. I’m going to meet them and I’m going to end this thing.”
“Um… Okay, I definitely feel like this is the part where I’m supposed to tell you that killing a sheriff and a judge is a bad plan. A really bad plan.”
“I’m not going to kill them, Cookie. I’m going to buy a recording device. I need something to get them on record admitting to what they did.” I merged onto the highway and blew out a deep breath. “I’m getting Mercer out.”
“Okay… You think it’ll be just as easy as strolling in with a recording device strapped to your hip? What makes you think that they’re just going to willingly sit down with you and tell you what they’ve done and then let you go?”
I didn’t know. I didn’t have an actual plan. “I’ll figure it out, Cookie. I have to.”
“We need help.”
“We can’t involve the guys. They won’t let me go through with it. They’ll let Mercer walk into prison to be sentenced to death, but they won’t let me do this. Assholes.”
“They are assholes. You’re not wrong. I didn’t mean them, though.”
I glanced over at her. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Charlie, Sonnie, and Elizabeth.” She saw me about to argue and made a face. “Don’t be like the guys. We’ve all been through shit and we’ve all had to fight our own bad guys. We can help.”
“Elizabeth is pregnant.”
“So, she’ll be extra careful. I’m calling them. We’ll all meet at your house and we’ll come up with something.” She already had her phone out. “We’re helping you. You’ve helped us. It’s only fair. Plus, Mercer was never my favorite cup of tea before, but last night he seemed different. I’ve got to see what this new man is all about.”
***
I dropped a hefty amount of money on spy gadgets and then Cookie and I met the rest of the women at my house. I didn’t love the idea of involving them, but Cookie was right. They weren’t helpless little girls. They were women who’d fought plenty of their own battles. They were tough. Tough and willing to do whatever I needed.
It took us less than two hours to come up with a solid plan. It was chancy, but necessary. There was no way around the danger. I was still meeting two psychos alone. That couldn’t change. We all got set up with what we were doing and then I spent the rest of the day trying to calm my nerves.
I took a long bath and then took time with doing my makeup and hair—the idea in the back of my head being that if I died, I was going to go out looking fantastic. I dressed and went to the kitchen to pick at some fruit before Cookie got back.
She was going to be in the car with me. She’d be hidden and would wait until I was inside to sneak inside herself. She had my gun, in case we needed it. I really hoped we didn’t.
When she did stroll in, dressed all in black, she dropped a set of handcuff keys on the counter and groaned. “Vince and I have to stop leaving cuffs by the bed. I don’t love locking him up and leaving him.”
“What?”
“He had the night off and wanted to know where I was going. I cuffed him to the bed. He’ll get out, but it gave me time to get away. That means he’ll be headed here, though, so we have to leave.” She looked me up and down. “You look hot. Have the recording device?”
I shifted the neckline of my low-cut top and nodded. “Charlie and Sonnie get everything in place okay?”
Cookie grinned. “Sonnie really loved the last-minute look around the country club. She thinks having her very large, expensive wedding there would be amazing.”
“Elizabeth?”
“Currently settled in at home with Charlie and Sonnie at her side. Branson’s at work tonight, so we’re all clear. As long as Vince doe
sn’t catch us here. So, come on.”
I grabbed my purse and phone off the counter and nodded, more to myself than anything. “All right. Let’s do this.”
“It’s going to be okay, Lauren.”
“Thanks to you and the women. You guys came through for me. I can’t thank you enough.”
“You’ve helped save each of us, too. We’re a team. Just like the guys are a team, we’re our own little group of badasses who can take care of ourselves.” She took my hand and squeezed it. “Ready?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
Chapter 23
Lauren
The same as when I met with JD, I should’ve been scared. I should’ve been even more scared. Mercer wasn’t backing me up and I knew the men I was meeting would be better off if I disappeared. A sense of calm had washed over me on the car ride over, though. Judging by my pulse, I was walking into a campfire session. I just knew that I had to get Mercer out. I had a mission and I was going to complete it. Luke would’ve been proud. Angry that I was putting my neck on the line, especially when there was a really sharp ax hanging over it, but proud that I was fighting to save someone. Someone he loved, too.
Cookie was in the back of my car, hiding out. I’d parked in front of the empty club, thinking that it would be faster to get away, if we had to. Knowing she was watching me helped me remain calm, as well. She was ready to fight at my side, if need be.
When I got to the massive front doors of the club, Sheriff Hayes pushed them open and frowned down at me. He looked out behind me and then let me step inside. I strolled past him and looked around. The club was impressively overstated. Everything was huge and just a little shiny. Most overstated of all was a stage at the front of a room to the right of the entrance that was obviously some kind of performance area. It glowed with gold trim and pieces of décor. In the middle of it was a large golden throne, Judge Williams sitting on it.
I actually laughed. “You’re kidding.”
Hayes gave me a push towards the throne and grumbled at me. “Go.”
I couldn’t have been more pleased with the room they’d chosen to have their little meeting in. Charlie and Sonnie had been all over the clubhouse while looking around for the perfect wedding spot, but they’d both felt like a throne would call to a villain like Williams. There was a recording device directly under Williams’ ass.
I looked down at my feet to hide my smile. Things were going to be okay.
“Check her.” Williams’ voice was rougher away from his courthouse. He sounded like the glorified thug he was.
“You don’t need to check me.” I tried to move away from them, acting like I was desperate.
Hayes grabbed me and roughly ran his hands over my body, starting with my ass. After groping my breasts, he ran his hands up my chest and stopped when he felt the small device. “What is this?”
I acted afraid and horrified. “It’s nothing. Just part of the shirt.”
“Just part of the shirt? She must think we’re idiots.” Hayes threw the device on the ground and stomped on it. “Stupid bitch.”
Williams stood up. “Make sure there’s nothing else. Don’t just grope her tits and ass, asshole.”
Hayes did a more thorough search that came up empty. I was left feeling violated, but I knew it was worth it. I’d feel gross later. In that moment, I was feeling closer than ever to freeing Mercer.
“She’s clean.”
Williams stepped off the platform and closed the gap between us. “Was that your plan, Lauren Dulaney? You were going to record us saying something bad and use that to get your boyfriend back?”
I tried to step away from him, but Hayes was at my back. “I just wanted insurance.”
“Any other stupid plans?”
I made myself start to cry and shook my head. “I just want Mercer back.”
“Not so tough now, huh?” Hayes rubbed his face against my hair and laughed. “Where’s that cocky attitude?”
Williams groaned. “Jesus, Hayes. We don’t have to be stereotypical bad guys. You want to rape her, too?”
That got a real whimper from me. “I thought we were just going to talk.”
Williams pulled me away from Hayes and pushed me down on the platform. He sat next to me and rested his forearms on his knees, looking as relaxed as anything. “So, let’s talk.”
I cast a wary look at Hayes and shrugged. “You called me here.”
“That’s right. You know why, Lauren?” When I shrugged, he grabbed the hair at the back of my head and tugged it hard, so I was facing him. “Because I’m in charge. I call the shots, you stupid little bitch. Me. I’m the fucking boss. Not some little druggie cunt from nowhere with a record and a reputation for blowing cops to get out of charges.”
Fury tore through me. It felt like he was ripping chunks of my hair out and I wanted to rip his eyes out of his face. “You make things up a lot, don’t you, Paul?”
Hayes slapped me, hard enough to jar my hair from Williams’ hand. “Show some respect!”
“Go fuck yourself.” I spat blood at him, too angry to think about how it might get me hurt. “You’re the one who killed Jade, aren’t you? You have an issue with women, Hayes? I mean, obviously. Look at you.”
Williams laughed. “She is a nasty one, isn’t she? Don’t slap her again, though. We’re not going to leave marks on her.”
My blood chilled. “Why are you doing all of this?”
“I thought you knew everything.” Williams leaned closer to me and straightened my hair. “You have it all figured out already, don’t you? You just want to hear me say it?”
I scowled and leaned away from him. “I want to know why. You could’ve just let her leave.”
He scoffed. “And chance her coming back when I ran for judge? No. She proved herself a lying, deceiving bitch and she got what she deserved.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have been a lying, deceiving husband. Did you ever think that if you’d kept it in your pants, you could’ve avoided all of this?”
“Lauren, Lauren, Lauren. I’m a man. I don’t have to keep it in my pants if I don’t want to.”
“And the women you suck in just pay the consequences of your shitty behavior?”
He gripped my hair again. “Only one woman has suffered at my hands. Jessica was never going to just go away. She got into a situation with a grown man that she couldn’t handle and she paid the price.”
“With her life?” I tried to pull away from him. “You’re a monster.”
“Me? Hayes is the one who came up with the plan of putting it on your boyfriend. Seems he remembered Dunn from back in the day.” He yanked me harder, into him. “Not fondly, if you couldn’t tell.”
“And Jade?”
“Well, she was just collateral damage. That ex of hers was going to kill her anyway. Hayes did her a favor and didn’t give her ex the joy of doing it.”
“You’re not going to get away with any of it.”
Williams stood up and pulled me with him. “That’s where you’re wrong. You see, Mercer didn’t exactly make it into jail last night. It seems he came back to Ambrose in time to go on one last killing spree. The most shocking and final. You.”
The fear was fully present and overwhelming then. I had to show some of my cards. “Do you think I didn’t tell anyone I was coming here?”
“Yeah, we figured you would. It’s worth it, though. Mercer kills you; we kill Mercer. Your friends can’t believe it and they make up some lie to try and frame the judge who tried to put Mercer away in the first place. No one will believe your friends.”
“You think they’ll believe an audio recording?”
Hayes laughed. “You don’t know much, do you? Crushed recorders don’t work.”
“Look under the chair, you asshole!” I jerked away from Williams and raked my nails down his cheek. “You think people will be more likely to believe my friends if they find your blood under my nails and you look like you went ten rounds with a cat?”
&
nbsp; Williams shoved me away from him and rushed after Hayes to look under the chair. “You didn’t fucking look? Why didn’t you fucking look under the chair?”
“Why would I look under the chair? I checked her like you said!”
I slowly backed further away from them. I could hear movement behind me and I knew Cookie had come in. I waved her back, not wanting her involved if she didn’t have to be. “It’s over. That has been sending feedback to Black Dog Security since you started talking. The guys are there right now, getting a tape ready to send to the FBI.”
Hayes pulled his gun from a shoulder holster and aimed it at me. “Stop them. Stop them or I’ll put a bullet through your skull.”
“Put that away, Hayes! We can fix this. We’ll talk it through.” Williams ran his hands through his hair and nodded. “Go get Mercer. Bring him to her. We’ll drop all the charges and release a statement saying that he should’ve never been a suspect.”
“Where is he?” I asked.
“Go and get him!” Williams shoved Hayes towards the back of the club. “You can have him back. We’ll let you go and all of this can go away.”
“And Jessica and Jade? They just stay unsolved murders?”
“No. We know Mercer killed the man Hayes sent after you. We can say that he did both.”
Williams was beyond desperate and willing to say anything if it meant that I didn’t turn him in. What he didn’t know was that I wanted it all. I was greedy. I wanted Mercer back, the charges dropped, and both of them in prison for life.
A commotion came from the back and Williams jerked round to see what was happening. Hayes stumbled out from a doorway, his face bloody. He went down to his knees and then Mercer moved out of the shadows. He held Hayes’s gun in his hand and used it to crack Hayes in the back of the head, knocking him out cold.
“Get away from him, Lauren.”
I backed towards the exit as Mercer skirted around the judge. “Are you okay?”
Black Dog Security- Complete 5-Part Series Page 76