Keller County Cops Book Seven: Code of Vengeance

by Melanie Atkins

  Then Jenny had given birth to Haley, and they'd quit asking.

  Rick was right. Keegan could handle a gun and a knife. She could also kick ass in her martial arts classes and sketch people at the drop of a hat. Yet she had no clue how to be anyone's wife or fiancée, even if it were just for show.

  She'd never been so scared in all of her life.

  *****

  "You heard what I said, Willa," Rick barked into the phone early the next morning. He hadn't been up for long, and he already wanted to crawl back under the covers. His shoulder stung like a bitch, and now his campaign manager wanted too damned many details. "I'm not giving you anything more than that. Keegan has agreed to be my fiancée for the duration of my campaign. End of story."

  "Well, I never thought I'd see the day. How'd you get her to agree to my scheme?"

  "I told her about it, and she jumped at the idea."

  "Are you sure you two haven't been together all along?" Curiosity dripped from the older woman's amused words.

  He quirked his mouth. "I'm sure. We just met a few days ago."

  "Amazing." Paper rustled. Then she said, "Okay. I think I've got everything I need. I'll get the press release out as soon as possible so we can counter last night's news report."

  "Sorry about all this." He sat on the edge of the bed and blew out a disgusted sigh.

  She laughed. "No problem, Sheriff. I've dealt with worse."

  "Yeah, I suppose you have." He thanked her for all her hard work and then hung up. Almost immediately, his cell phone rang again. He glared down at the contraption in his hand. Not many people had this number, and he'd already had three calls this morning. C.J., Jonah, and Willa. "Damn it. Who the hell wants me now?"

  Keegan's name flashed across the screen, and his gut clenched. Was she calling to back out of their temporary engagement? He hoped to hell she wasn't, because Willa was already toiling over that blasted press release.

  "Morning, Keegan," he rumbled into the phone. He winced at his sleep-roughened tone. Had he sounded like that when he'd talked to Willa? Ugh. He cleared his throat. "What's up?"

  "Hey." Her soft voice set off an explosion of need deep inside his chest. "Just wondering if you still want to go through with our plan. Now that you've slept on it, I mean."

  "Well, yeah." He drew his brows together. "Unless you want to back out. Is that why you called? 'Cause you don't want to do it?"

  "No." She hesitated. "I-I called to tell you I've changed my mind about the ring."

  "What do you mean? You don't want one?" A bit puzzled, he rubbed his cheek.

  She laughed. "Yes, I do. For show only, of course. A ring will make our plan seem that much more plausible to everyone, don't you think? We need Mindy Ravens to buy into it."

  "Yeah. Right." He paused in confusion. "So?"

  "So I want to go with you to pick it out."

  "Ah, I see." Now her words made sense. "Well, sure. I just got off the phone with Willa -- she's working on the press release -- and I still need to take a shower."

  "Is it okay for you to do that? You'll get your wound wet."

  "Oh, yeah." He frowned down at the sling on his arm. She had him so befuddled, he hadn't even thought of that. "Guess it should be okay, long as I keep the bandage on."

  "I'll be happy to help you redress it after your shower if you want."

  "Really?" He swallowed. "You'll do that for me?"

  "Of course." She laughed, a light breezy sound that jarred him to his bones. "I am your temporary fiancée, you know."

  "Yes, you are. Okay. Sure. Give me about twenty minutes, if you really mean it."

  "I do. See you in a little while."

  "Wait." He got up. "Don't you have to go to work today?"

  "No, I took the day off. The docket was clear, and I have plenty of personal time."

  "All right, then. See you in a few." He hung up feeling a helluva lot better than when he'd first answered her call. He took off his sling and walked into the bathroom. Before he showered, he needed to shave. Not an easy task when he could only use one arm.

  Somehow, however, he managed to scrape the stubble off his cheeks and scrub himself down in the shower without falling on his face or tearing open his stitches. He'd just dragged on a pair of comfortable blue jeans when Keegan called him again.

  "I'm almost to your place. Please open the garage so I won't have to deal with any reporters hanging around."

  "Nobody was out there before I got into the shower, but I'll do it anyway." He hung up right after she thanked him and hurried into the kitchen to do her bidding.

  Five minutes later, he lowered the garage door behind her car and ushered her into the house. He hadn't bothered to don a shirt because he'd been waiting for her to help him change the bandage. The old one was stained and wet, and the wound was beginning to itch.

  "Good morning," she said, riveting her gaze on his bare chest. She blushed and refocused on his face. "Sorry. I-I've seen you naked, but still... This is so new, I just can't--"

  "I know the feeling." He leaned in and kissed her softly, even though he'd planned to keep his distance. Their engagement wasn't real. No need to push her too fast.

  She smiled and dropped her gaze to the stained, wet bandage. Her expression darkened. "We really do need to change that. Where are your first aid supplies?"

  "In the bathroom. Come on." He started off in that direction and indicated for her to follow him. "Shouldn't take us too long."

  He located the necessary supplies and perched on the closed toilet lid while she changed the dressing. Her gentle touch sent tingles through his body. He longed to wrap his hands around her slim waist and drag her onto his lap, but wasn't sure if he should, so he didn't.

  "This looks pretty good," she murmured as she probed the itchy skin around the wound.

  He jerked when she hit a tender spot. "Ow. Huh?"

  "Where you were shot." She bit her lip. "It's a bit swollen, but seems to be healing well."

  "Yeah, I guess so." Not wanting to let her know where his thoughts had been, he scowled down at the red skin puckered by a neat row of black stitches. "First time I've seen it."

  "Oh. Well, it looks pretty good to have just happened yesterday." She dabbed some antiseptic onto the wound, then added a bit of antibiotic cream and topped it with a clean gauze pad. Once she taped it down, she smiled. "That should do it. You can get dressed now."

  "Thanks." He rose and found himself only inches away from her alluring curves.

  Her sweet vanilla scent mesmerized him. Without even thinking, he lowered his head and kissed her again. She tasted like mint and the unique flavor that was Keegan, a delicate tang he savored and already craved. Hell, after yesterday, he'd classified her taste as his new addiction. She rested her hand in the center of his chest over his heart, and the heat of her touch seared a path straight to his groin. He pulled back and stared at her in amazement.

  One touch, and his body was on fire.

  She lifted a brow. "What is it?"

  "Nothing," he rasped, feeling too old to be reacting like a teenage boy in heat. He stepped away from her. "I just... will you help me put on my shirt? I don't have much range of motion."

  "Of course." She turned and walked out of the bathroom.

  The second she left, he re-adjusted his growing arousal. Then he followed her into his bedroom. Maybe if he didn't press against her, she wouldn't notice he was so happy to see her.

  He picked out a crisp white dress shirt to pair with his blue jeans. He wasn't working today, but a button up would be a lot easier to get on than a shirt he had to pull over his head. Getting his undershirt on was bad enough. Lifting his left arm hurt like the dickens.

  "Sorry that's so painful," Keegan said, kissing him softly.

  He grinned. "That definitely made it better."

  She laughed and held out his dress shirt. Once he awkwardly shoved his arms into it, buttoning it was a snap. She slapped his hands away anyway, and even helped him tuck it in. Her
hands were magic against his taut body. He hoped he hadn't given himself away.

  "Ready to go?" she asked after helping him don his sling.

  He grabbed his wallet and slid it into his back pocket. "Yeah. What do you think about Hanson's Jewelry? Will that work for you?"

  "Sure." She brushed a lock of dark shiny hair out of her eyes. "Although I hate for you to spend money on a ring when our engagement is a sham."

  "It's okay." He picked up his keys. "I can always take it back later."

  "Right." She turned away, but not before he glimpsed the flare of disappointment in her eyes. Her distress sent an electrical charge straight to his gut.

  He almost caught her arm and asked her to explain, but thought better of it and snapped his mouth shut instead. She couldn't possibly want to marry him for real. How could she, when they'd only known each other for a few days? He must have read something in her eyes that wasn't there. No need to embarrass himself.

  "We'll take my SUV, but will you drive?" he asked on their way to the door. He indicated the sling. "I can't right now. Doctor's orders."

  "Of course," she said, taking his keys.

  In only minutes, they were inside his SUV on their way to Hanson's. Neither of them said a word except to comment about the warm weather.

  Once they arrived at the jewelry store, however, Keegan turned to him.

  "Let's not get anything expensive." She met his eyes. "No need for you to go into debt."

  "I'm going to charge it. That way, I can take it back before the balance is due."

  "Rick--"

  "Let me do this." He gave her what he hoped passed as a reassuring smile. "Even if I do have to pay for it, I've got some savings. I can handle it. I promise."

  "Well... okay. If you insist." She flashed him a weak smile of her own.

  He longed to kiss her again, but held back and climbed out of the vehicle instead.

  Didn't take him but a few minutes to zero in on the perfect ring. An understated pear-shaped diamond solitaire on a beautiful platinum band flanked by three elongated baguettes on either side. The cost of the ring startled him, but he did the math in his head and knew in seconds he could afford it, even if he weren't planning on bringing it back.

  "I'd like to see that one, please," he told the sales girl as he pointed it out.

  Keegan gasped. "Rick, it's too much."

  "No, it's not." He smiled. "I want you to have a pretty ring."

  "Maybe so, but I thought we were looking for something a little more... understated."

  "If you want something less expensive, we have these white gold sets over here," the sales girl chimed in, indicating the other side of the display case.

  Rick pointed out the ring he liked again to Keegan. "Be honest. Do you like this one?"

  "Of course I do. It's beautiful." Tears filled her eyes. "Except we're not really--"

  "Let me see this one," he broke in, motioning for the sales girl to get it out. She did so without another word. He took it from her hand and examined it from all angles. Then he handed it to Keegan. "If you like the way it looks up close, try it on. It looks like you."

  A tear rolled down her face as she studied the ring. He longed to brush the moisture from her cheek, but didn't want to call attention to her display of emotion in front of the sales girl.

  Finally, after a long, silent moment, Keegan slid the ring onto her finger.

  "It fits," she said, her face brightening. She scrubbed the tear away.

  He grinned. "Good. Do you want that one?"

  "I love it, but--"

  "We'll take it," he said to the girl behind the counter as he pulled out his wallet. "It fits, so she won't even need to have it sized."

  "All right, then. Meet me on the other side of the counter." The girl flashed her pearly whites and motioned toward the cash register. "Cash or credit?"

  "Credit." He pulled out his lone charge card and handed it over. He usually only used it for emergencies, so he wasn't carrying a balance. That was a good thing, because he'd need every bit of his available credit in order to purchase the ring.

  Keegan followed him around the counter. Once he halted, she edged up to him and leaned close to his ear. "Are you sure about this? That's a lot of money."

  "It's fine," he said, slipping his arm around her and pulling her against him. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

  "Rick?" She glanced up at him in surprise.

  Without acknowledging her unspoken question, he answered it by lowering his head and kissing her. Only a gentle brush of lips, but the gesture did the trick of settling her down. He paid for the ring, and they walked out to the SUV in silence. She kept staring down at the ring.

  "Happy engagement, Keegan," Rick murmured once they climbed inside.

  She whipped around to stare at him. "Don't, please. It's not real."

  "The ring is real." He caught her hand and peered down at the glittering diamonds adorning her finger. The ring looked as if it belonged on her slender hand. A lump the size of Texas formed in his throat. "Concentrate on that, okay?"

  "Sure." Her eyes glistened with tears. She jerked her hand away and dug his keys out of her purse. "Put on your seatbelt. We need to get going."

  "Yeah, all right," he said, his heart aching more than his shoulder did right now. He longed to drag her into his arms and tell her to keep the ring forever, but he didn't want to overstep. So he said nothing and did as she asked.

  Just as she pulled into traffic, his cell phone rang. He took it out and read the display.

  Willa, probably telling me she's sent the release to the press. Now everyone will believe Keegan and I are engaged. For real.

  His gut clenched. He brought the phone to his ear. "Hey, Willa. What's up?"

  "Mornin', Sheriff." The grin in her voice was contagious. "It's done."

  "So... everybody knows?" He glanced at Keegan, who shot him a cautious look.

  Willa laughed. "Well, not everybody. Only the press so far. I expect 'em to spread the word in a hurry, though. So get ready to ride out the firestorm."

  "Will do. And by the way... Keegan and I just left the jewelry store. So that'll probably get around pretty fast, too."

  "You bought her a ring?" His campaign manager's squeal of surprise echoed in his ear.

  He swallowed back a jolt of uncertainty. "Well, sure. We want everyone to believe we're engaged, right?"

  "Of course, but what are you gonna do after the election? Take the ring away from her?"

  "Don't worry about it, Willa." He paused. "I've got everything under control."

  "She's sitting right next to you, isn't she? So you can't go into detail." Willa chortled. "Well, Sheriff, you seem to have gotten yourself into quite a fix."

  "Maybe so." And maybe not. He peered over at Keegan, who hooked a lock of dark hair over her ear. Would making a life with her work? Did she want children? A family?

  Willa cleared her throat. "Hello? Rick? Did you hear me?"

  "Um, no." Had she said anything else? He'd been so caught up in picturing what a family with Keegan might look like -- a little girl with long mahogany curls and his gray eyes, and/or a tiny boy with Rick's dark hair and her passionate green eyes -- that he hadn't heard a single word.

  She chuckled. "I said, 'By the way you're talkin', I'm thinkin' you've got it bad, boy'. I wouldn't be surprised if that ring doesn't stay right where it is for the rest of Keegan's life."

  "Really?" His hands grew sweaty, and he suddenly had trouble drawing a breath. "I... well, I don't know about that. Let me win the election first."

  "I certainly hope you do. Henry Maillet isn't fit for public office."

  "Agreed." He dropped his head back against the headrest. Willa warned him about the possibilities of him and Keegan being waylaid by the press, and then she ended the call.

  Keegan glanced at him. "So it's done?"

  "Yeah. The press knows." He drew his brows together. "Willa says they'll probably give us hell for a day or two, at least. Li
ke they haven't already been driving us nuts."

  "As soon as we get back to your house, I should go so you can get some rest." She turned left onto Main Street. "You look tired."

  "I'm not." He rubbed his shoulder and winced. "Just forgot to take my pain meds."

  "Oh, I see." With a frown, Keegan whipped the SUV onto his street. "Well, you should probably still lie down."

  "Only if you lie down with me." Rick lifted his brows in challenge as she wheeled into his driveway. Luckily, no reporters lurked anywhere around.

  She widened her eyes. "Really? You want me to stay?"

  "Of course I do. We are engaged, you know." He pressed the garage door opener. Then in an effort to keep things light, he fired her a deliberate smirk. He really did want her to stay. She touched a place in his heart he'd thought was sealed up for good.

  Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. "Well, okay. I'll hang around for a little while, anyway. And I'll lie down with you -- but no funny business. You need your rest."

  "You're right." As she slowly rolled forward into the garage, he gritted his teeth and eyed the car with the WHBZ logo that had just pulled up to the curb. "I do need to rest, because the shit's about to hit the fan."

  Damn that Mindy Ravens.

  Chapter Eleven

  "They were both inside his SUV when it pulled into the driveway. I'd swear to it," Mindy barked into the phone while staring at Sheriff Blaylock's tidy brick home. "Only... they're not answering the door, probably because of last night's report."

  "I don't blame 'em," Maillet snapped. "But you have to find out if they're really engaged, or I'll leak the story about poor little Cherry Delight today."

  "Give me a break, you jerk. Don't you dare."