Cain's Salvation (Passion in Paradise - The Men of the McKinnon Sisters)

by Sarah O'Rourke

  The two men were as different as night and day, but Jacob still liked the other man and usually enjoyed his company. They’d shared a few drinks over the last couple of weeks, usually in the early evenings. He’d been at the bar watching Harmony work and chatting with her when time allowed, and Zeke had often stopped by on his way home from work to follow Honor home after she’d put in her day at the café. He’d witnessed more than one skirmish between the two since the youngest McKinnon sister had informed the sheriff on several occasions that she was perfectly capable of seeing herself home. It never seemed to faze the lawman or alter the course he set in the slightest. Given the fact that those McKinnon girls had proven more than once that they were a handful, Jacob could definitely respect the other man’s fortitude.

  Yeah, he enjoyed the mostly-quiet Sheriff’s company just fine, but he’d never felt quite comfortable when people saw them sitting together at the bar or his booth at the back of the cafe. He wasn’t sure it was because of all the false pretenses behind his presence in Paradise or because Zeke made him wish that he’d gone a different route in law enforcement. The only thing he knew for sure was that he wasn’t used to self-doubt plaguing him. Either way, it wasn’t Zeke’s fault that Jacob felt like a whore attending a cotillion when he stood beside the other man.

  Offering a mental sigh, Jacob resigned himself to the fact that he was simply an actor that would do anything he needed to do in order to perform his role convincingly. To fit in with the seedy underbelly of drug scum that he’d dealt with during his long career, he couldn’t exactly be seen wandering around the streets in three-piece suits. Besides, his standard uniform of boots, black jeans, tight black tee, and leather jacket worked for him. It was comfortable.

  He tried to relax his stance as the Sheriff approached, purposefully loosening his shoulders. Ezekiel Monroe was a keen observer of human nature, and appearing aggressive or defensive wouldn’t exactly aid Jake’s cause right now. He knew he’d never look harmless, but he hoped he could at least achieve relaxed.

  “You got a minute for a little chat?” the Sheriff asked as he came closer.

  “Sure. Can I buy you a beer?” Jacob jerked his head toward the door that led into the bar portion of the I Don’t Care Café.

  “Actually, for this conversation, I’d rather remain outside if you don’t mind. Plus, I still consider myself on duty,” Zeke replied, his tone revealing nothing as he glanced at the watch on his wrist. Jerking his head toward the duo of picnic tables at the corner of the building where the staff often sat for smoke breaks, the sheriff smiled thinly. “Mind if we sit though? It’s been a long day.”

  “Sounds good,” Jacob agreed with a shrug, following the other man toward the split log benches. Perching his ass on the table, he waited for Ezekiel to continue. When a couple of seconds passed in silence while the other man settled beside him, clasping his hand between his knees, he grew uneasy. “Any particular reason you wanted to chat this afternoon, Sheriff?”

  “I’ve told you to call me Zeke more than once. Everybody else does,” the Sheriff suggested mildly.

  “Alright, Zeke. What is it that I can do for you?” Jacob asked again, offering the man beside him a sidelong glance.

  “Tell me, how have you been enjoying your stay in our fair town, Stone?” Zeke deflected, ignoring Jacob’s question.

  Jacob blinked and turned his head toward Ezekiel. Taking his time, he answered slowly. “It’s a nice little place that y’all have got here. Peaceful. Untouched. I guess you could say that I’m enjoying it quite a bit.”

  “Peaceful and untouched,” Zeke echoed. “I like that. It fits. And you’re right. This town is all that. I aim to keep it that way, too. If rumor holds true, you’ve enjoyed it so much here that you put a bid in on the old Simmons homestead out on County Line Road. Is that right?”

  Jacob smiled easily, if a bit warily. “I’d forgotten that secrets don’t stay secret long in a small town.”

  “They do not,” Zeke agreed, finally turning narrowed eyes toward Jacob. “Don’t you think it’s time that you and I cut past all the bullshit? Level with me, Stone. Why are you here?”

  “Not sure what you’re getting at, Zeke,” Jacob growled roughly, hackles rising. Hell, he knew he didn’t exactly look like he’d enjoy peace and solitude, but his money was green just like everybody else’s. He hadn’t made any trouble in this town. And while Zeke and he might not qualify as friends, he’d at least considered the other man a good acquaintance. The new attitude was expected in a way, but still as surprise. “I’m getting the feeling all of a sudden that you don’t exactly see me as a welcome addition to Paradise, Sheriff. Seems a little strange since the whole town, or at least everybody I’ve met, has been real friendly. Is it me, my tattoos, or my Harley that you’ve developed an aversion to?”

  “None of the above,” Zeke replied evenly. “But your interest in the McKinnon women is beginning to cause me a bit of concern. You’ve been here,” he noted, nodding at the restaurant that the McKinnon family owned and operated, “every day since you rode into town weeks ago. Often, you show up twice a day. Breakfast and dinner.”

  “Don’t know why my eating habits are cause for the personal concern of local law enforcement, but this is the only place to get a decent meal that doesn’t come in a paper bag in this town.”

  “True enough.” Zeke nodded as he tilted back his worn cowboy hat. “But you aren’t just here to eat, are you, Stone? You’re here to watch. Specifically, you’ve been watching Harmony McKinnon. Care to share why that is?”

  “She’s a pretty lady.” Jacob lifted his chin defiantly. Local gossip said that it was Honor McKinnon that the town sheriff had a fondness for, not Harmony. All the evidence Jacob had seen over the last several weeks had supported that assertion. So, he had to wonder what the fuck was going on. The idea that another man – especially the well-thought-of sheriff - might be interested in the hot, single mother that Jacob had grown attached to instantly made his blood heat and his temperature begin climbing into the stratosphere. “But – no disrespect intended here - I’m not real sure why that’s any of your business. Harmony is an attractive, available woman. Any man, myself included, is gonna enjoy looking at her.”

  “I’m well aware of Harmony’s beauty. It’s a trait she shares with all her sisters, and believe me when I say, Harmony is my business. All the McKinnon girls are. I consider them family. Hell, the entire town considers them family, blood related or not. Stick around long enough and you’ll learn that rather quickly. But, at the moment, my relationship with them isn’t in question. Yours is. I’d like to know just why it is that Harmony and all the McKinnon ladies have suddenly landed on the Drug Enforcement Agency’s radar, Special Agent in Charge Jacob Stone.” Zeke’s eyes flashed warningly as they bored into Jacob’s. “Better yet, why don’t you go ahead and explain to me why local law enforcement wasn’t informed of a DEA operation goin’ on in Paradise’s backyard?”

  Hard as Stone by Sarah O’Rourke will be released in late May 2014!

  Thank you so much for reading Cain’s Salvation! If you liked this novel, please check out our other novels and novellas, all available on Amazon Kindle!

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One