by Lexi Blake
“Oh, that’s because I don’t have any.”
He groaned. “Baby, coffee is all I have left. We have to get you a coffeemaker.”
“I’ll pick one up when I go into town.” She would have to remember to put the basket on her bike. It looked like she was going to the store. She glanced down and saw the phone. “Oh, you had a call last night. I forgot.”
He grimaced. “Was it from a man named Marty?”
She nodded. “Yes. I would tell you what he said, but it was mostly a bunch of letters.”
“Yeah, Marty’s big on acronyms. Don’t worry about it. He’s not important. I won’t be seeing him. And you got a call, too. It came in after you went to bed. Your phone didn’t recognize the number, so I didn’t mention it. It was after midnight. Probably a wrong number. I’ll go heat up the shower. You do have hot water?”
“I hope so.” She wasn’t exactly sure.
Trev growled again as he headed into the bathroom. He seemed to believe it was a perfectly acceptable form of communication. She heard the water creak to life and picked up her cell. She didn’t recognize the number, either, but there was a voice mail message. She sat on the bed, surprisingly comfortable with being naked, and listened.
Bo. His voice came over the line. There was no way to mistake the anxiety in his tone.
“Hey, Mouse. It’s me. I’m in trouble, girl. I’m in jail, and I need for you to come down here and pick me up. I know you don’t like to drive, but I’m begging you, baby. Please come get me. I want to talk to you. I have a lot to say. And I went to jail, not Clarissa’s. Jail. No sex in jail. At least I hope not. Don’t leave me too long. I’ll be waiting.”
Bo was in jail. He was in jail. And he’d been there all night. She quickly dialed the sheriff’s department. A feminine voice answered.
“County Sheriff’s Department. If this is an emergency, please call 9-1-1 because I don’t deal well with stress. And if you’re calling about a ticket, there’s nothing I can do. Take it up with the judge. I don’t get paid enough to listen to you complain.”
As receptionists went, Wanda wasn’t known for her friendly demeanor on the phone with strangers, but she’d been with the county forever.
“Wanda, it’s me, Mouse Hobbes.”
There was a surprised gasp, and then Wanda’s voice went down a notch or two. “Good for you, Mouse. That boy needed a night in jail, if you know what I mean. It’ll teach him not to go to bars. We can hold his ass for another twenty-four hours or so if you’d like.”
“No, no. I don’t want him to sit in jail. I didn’t know he was there.”
A sigh came over the line. “Hon, just admit it. There’s no shame in a little revenge. That boy has had you panting all over him for years. I would have left his ass in jail, too.”
“No, it’s not about that. I have a boyfriend.” That wasn’t exactly the term Trev would want, but she wasn’t about to call him her Master to one of the biggest gossips in town.
There was a long pause. “Holy hell, Mouse. Clarissa’s been spreading the rumor that you done gone and took up with Trev McNamara. Tell me it isn’t true. Hon, that man is bad news. I mean, he’s gorgeous, but he’s bad news. And from what I’ve heard, he’s not really into foreplay.”
“That’s blatantly untrue. He’s very much into foreplay.” She couldn’t let that rumor go.
“Really? He’s gorgeous and into foreplay? That never happens.”
“Well, it’s true with Trev. Now, tell me how much it’s going to cost me to get Bo out of jail.” She didn’t have time to gossip about her suddenly interesting personal life. She heard Trev shout. Apparently, she also didn’t have a whole bunch of hot water. She mentally added a water heater to her ever-growing list of things she needed to shell out money for. She needed that loan.
“No charge, hon. Bo’s a dumbass, not a criminal. The sheriff told me to let him go as soon as you showed up. Having to sleep close to Brian Nixon’s drunk ass was apparently punishment enough. Just come pick him up.”
“I’ll be there soon.” She flipped the phone closed.
Bo had called for her, and she’d been too busy with Trev to answer the phone.
She hurried to get dressed. Trev might not like how his morning was starting, but she was going to ask for a favor.
“Goddamn, that’s cold.” Trev’s shout resounded through the room.
Yeah, she was going to have to fix that.
Chapter Seven
Bo hadn’t slept a wink. His every muscle felt abused from sitting on the floor of the jail cell with cold metal pressed to his back. His skull felt like it was going to cave in. But that was nothing compared to the nausea in his gut.
Mouse hadn’t come.
He’d played checkers for hours, letting the sheriff win game after game. All the while, he’d been sure that any minute Mouse would burst in the doors, all soft, feminine worry, and she would fuss over him. At four a.m., the sheriff had given up. He’d made Bo get back into the cell, and then he’d put his hat over his head and napped until his deputy had gotten in a few hours later.
Len Miller wasn’t as tolerant as the sheriff. He was an asshole who needed to make up for his teeny-tiny dick with a badge and a bad attitude.
And Deputy Len was friends with that dickwad Brian, who seemed to be waking up. Bo watched him with narrowed eyes. His big body shifted on the cot, and he burped a couple of times before sitting up.
“What the fuck?” Brian wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He immediately turned and vomited.
Bo’s stomach churned. How long before they would let him call his brother? How long before Aidan figured out something was wrong? Bo was pretty damn sure everyone in town knew he was wasting away in jail, but Aidan rarely went to town, and he didn’t talk to a lot of people about anything except business. Lexi had her head in her laptop most of the time. Lucas would be getting in from Dallas this morning. Maybe, if Lucas had to stop for gas, someone would mention it to him.
Otherwise, he was pretty sure he was stuck here until the sheriff got back. There was no way Deputy Len was going to let him go. He was enjoying the fact that Bo was in jail.
“You’re the reason I’m here, ain’t you?” Brian looked like his beauty rest hadn’t put him in a better mood.
“I ain’t. You’re the reason we’re here because you’re an asshole.” Brian had about seventy pounds on him, but he was through backing down. “And if you ever mention her name again, I’ll kill you.”
There was a chuckle from the deputy’s desk. “Now that sounded like a threat, O’Malley.”
“It wasn’t. It was a promise.” Mouse might not have shown up, but maybe he deserved that after the way he’d treated her yesterday. He would eventually get out of jail, and he’d show up on her doorstep—if it would hold his weight. He would show up, and he would get on his goddamn knees if he had to.
He loved her. It was right there in the center of his body, an odd sensation that warmed him. Even though he was sitting in jail, he was okay because he was finally going to make things right with Mouse.
“I don’t think I like the way you’re talking to me. You know, you used to be a good guy until you started hanging with the fags.” Brian’s fists curled in his hands.
And he was going to stop listening to that shit, too. He heard it all the time, and he took it. He was sick of taking it. His blood was starting to boil. He’d put up with it for far too long. “You know, I read somewhere that most prejudice comes from ignorance. That must be true because you’re the most ignorant person I know. Now stop talking about my family, and we can avoid another fight where I set you on your ass.”
“You didn’t set me on my ass, you motherfucker.” Brian managed to get to his feet.
Bo struggled to his. He could hear Wanda in the background. She was on the phone giving better play-by-play than an ESPN color announcer.
“They’re going to fight right there in that jail cell, Patty. Bo called Brian a dummy. I know he is, but h
e doesn’t like to be told that.” Wanda kept it up.
Bo looked out at the deputy. Brian might have weight on him, but he was also hungover. Bo was tired, but his adrenaline was starting to flow. He clenched his fists. “Are you going to stop this?”
Deputy Len stood up. He walked around to the bars, nightstick in hand. There was a malicious smile on his weaselly face. He walked around to the front of the cage to where Brian held on. He shoved the nightstick through the bars, and for one moment, Bo was terrified the deputy was going to start in on Brian with the weapon.
Nope. It was worse. Bo shrank back, and Len handed Brian the weapon.
“Oops, I must have lost my hold,” Len said with a sigh. “I hate it when prisoners get the upper hand, don’t you, O’Malley?”
Brian clutched the evil-looking stick in his hand. Len leaned against the cell bars and yawned as though all of this was simply boring to him.
Wanda stood up at her desk. “What are you doing, Leonard?”
The deputy shrugged. “Well, I was trying to stop the prisoners from fighting. I dropped my nightstick. I guess I’ll have to go get the Taser.”
He had no doubt who the deputy would use that Taser on. This was going to get really ugly.
Brian wasted no time. He charged across the small cell, nightstick raised. Bo barely managed to avoid the swing of Brian’s meaty arm. He ducked and rolled to the other side of the cell as the sound of wood striking metal clanged through the building.
God, that would have been his head. He looked for anything to defend himself with. There was nothing in the cell but a toilet and the cot, both bolted down.
He was fucked.
“Don’t you dare touch him!” Mouse roared into the room. She practically threw herself against the bars, her arms coming through them as though she could catch the bigger man and keep him away from Bo.
“Mouse, you get back.” Bo wasn’t about to let that asshole get his hands on her.
“Lookee here, O’Malley. You got a mouse coming to your rescue.” Len hadn’t moved from his position. “Ain’t that lucky for you?”
“Do something,” she demanded, looking at the deputy. “He’s going to kill Bo.”
Len sighed. “I’ll go get the Taser. It might take me a minute or two to find it.”
“I suggest you find it sooner, Deputy. You now have witnesses to your improper use of police force. I assure you, if Mr. O’Malley comes out of this experience with a single scratch on him, you will be looking at a police brutality charge.”
Bo looked out, and Leo Meyer stood beside the deputy’s desk. He stared at Len, and suddenly the bastard looked like he gave a damn.
Shelley Hughes came running into the room. “What’s going on? Why the hell does Brian Nixon have a weapon in a jail cell? Give me that.”
What the hell was going on?
Bo pushed that bastard Brian out of the way. He was way too close to Mouse. “Don’t you touch her.”
Leo stepped forward before Shelley could get her hands on Brian. The big former Navy SEAL hooked an arm around each woman’s waist and started to pull them away from the cell. Bo was about to express his gratitude when Mouse dug in. She tightened her hands around the bars.
“Let go, Beth.” Leo’s voice was calm, but there was a dark command behind it.
“Mouse, you let go!” Bo shouted his command. And then he ducked again because Brian didn’t care that there were witnesses.
“Stop it!” Mouse yelled.
Leo used that muscle of his, and Mouse didn’t stand a chance. Bo thanked whoever had taught Leo Meyer to work out. At least Mouse wasn’t in the line of fire anymore.
Brian lifted the nightstick, and Bo didn’t have a damn place left to go. He looked out at Mouse. Tears were streaking down her face. She struggled against Leo’s hold. Bo wasn’t sure what had brought Aidan’s friend to the sheriff’s department, but he was damn happy the man was here. At least Mouse would be safe.
Bo closed his eyes and waited for his skull to crack.
There was a pop and then the sound of sizzling and a loud groan. Bo opened his eyes as Brian Nixon fell forward. There was a Taser probe in his back. His enormous body shook with the force of the electric current flowing through him.
A man he’d never met before stood outside the cage, yawning as he held the Taser in his hand. “Good thing me girls last night are into electric play or I wouldn’t have had this beauty on me. I usually just shoot fuckers.”
The man had a lyrical Irish accent.
Mouse had calmed, but Leo still had an arm wrapped around both women.
The deputy was back, his unused Taser in hand. “Who the hell are you?”
“Liam O’Donnell, and before you try to arrest me, you should know my boss is an asshole and he’ll come after you if you toss me in that cell. I’m hopping a plane to England in two days and he doesn’t like delays.” The Irish guy tugged until the probe came out and Brian groaned.
“You let him out right now, Len Miller,” Mouse demanded. “I’m going to hire a lawyer. I’m going to sue this whole county, starting with you.”
“Yeah, that’s right. He’s some kind of Irish guy and he has his own Taser, which is a good thing because Len was not coming back in time, if you know what I mean. Now old Mouse is threatening to sue Len. And there’s a really attractive man here who won’t let go of Mouse and Shelley Hughes. Yes, I think so. It would serve Bryce right.” Wanda kept talking.
“We don’t need your commentary,” Leo said to Wanda. He let both women go as Len opened the cell door.
Wanda looked up at him, utterly unintimidated. “You might not, but Patty sure does. Yes, hon, he’s very bossy. I think so. Just like Aidan. Uh-huh.”
Bo ignored her. He stepped over Brian’s still-twitching body and muscled past the deputy.
“I don’t care who your boss is,” Len said to the guy named Liam. “You can’t come into my station house and pull a weapon like that.”
“He’s working for Julian Lodge,” Leo said.
Len stopped. “Huh. Now the way I see it, I’m probably lucky you were here.”
“I’ll have to tell Big Tag he’s not the most intimidating person I know,” Liam was saying as he yawned again.
Bo ignored them all, pulling Mouse into his arms. He’d never seen a more welcome sight than that pretty face looking up at him. Pretty? Hell, she was beautiful. How had he not seen it before? She wasn’t flashy like Clarissa, but she had the loveliest eyes, and her hair was soft. She usually wore it up, but now it tumbled all around her shoulders and down her back. He let his hands sink into the silky stuff as he pulled her close.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t get the message until this morning,” she whispered.
“It doesn’t matter.” He squeezed her, enjoying the way her breasts felt against his chest. She was so damn sweet. His dick was getting hard. The adrenaline of the fight was still riding him. He wanted to kiss her right here and now.
She’d come. She hadn’t been pissed off. He believed her. She simply hadn’t gotten the message. And it looked like he wouldn’t even have to ride on her handlebars to get back home. The thought made him smile.
“I’m glad you’re here.” He pulled back so he could look at her. Her eyes were still a little red, but there was a tremulous smile on her face. “I have some things I need to tell you. Can we go somewhere and talk?”
He’d thought about this all night. He had a speech prepared, and at the end, he was going down on one knee and asking her to marry him. There was no need to wait. He’d known deep down she was the one for him for ten years, since that night when she’d taken him in without a single question. She’d been his haven ever since. He’d been stubborn and stupid and focused on the wrong things. He knew he should wait and buy her a proper ring before he asked, but now that the moment was here, he was impatient to get on with the rest of his life.
“You ready to go?” a deep voice asked from the front of the room.
Bo knew that vo
ice. He turned and saw Trev McNamara standing there, a ferocious scowl on his face. What the fuck was he doing here? Bo checked his temper. He didn’t need to start another fight. There was a perfectly reasonable explanation for Trev being here. There had to be.
Mouse tried to take a step back. She was so shy. Bo wasn’t going to let her be so shy anymore. He pulled her close again. It was time to start staking his claim.
“Did you try to ride that bicycle of yours all the way out here? Did Trev pick you up?” He looked over at Trev, not giving Mouse a chance to respond. “Thanks for picking up my girl. I’m going to force her to get more comfortable driving.”
“I picked her up last night.” Trev’s eyes were on the place where Bo’s hands held Mouse.
“Trev was nice enough to give me a ride to come and get you out of jail. Leo and Shelley came along, and Mr. O’Donnell didn’t have a place to go. I think he drove down with Leo. Shelley was worried about you,” Mouse explained.
Bo noticed she wasn’t clutching him the way she had in the past. When he’d hugged her before, she’d practically inhaled him. She’d been starved for affection. Now he was going to drown her in it.
“Well, I’m fine. No need to worry now. What do you mean last night?”
She pulled away. There was no way to mistake the fact that she wanted to stand on her own. Bo felt the loss of her warmth as she stepped away from him.
“Wanda, do you need anything else? Can we take him home?” Mouse asked.
Wanda pulled the phone away from her ear. “Are you sure you don’t want to hash this out here, hon? Bo seems to be in a fighting mood.”
“No one’s going to fight,” Mouse promised.
Wanda sighed. “Well, then I guess you’re free to leave.”
“Now, Wanda, I am the deputy here.” Len tried to reassert himself even as he checked Brian Nixon’s pulse.
Wanda wasn’t having it. “And I know your momma. How is she going to feel when I tell her you keep a bottle of whiskey in your desk? And I bet she doesn’t know about your card game every Wednesday night when you’re supposed to be at men’s bible study.”