by Taylor Lee
Snuggling back in bed, Sam yanked the covers over her head and forced herself to close her eyes. Breathing a hopeless sigh, she wished she could forget what had happened when Jake hopped out of his Jag and walked her to the door. When she’d taken out her key, preparing to go inside, Jake had reached for her. He caught her by her shoulders and turned her toward him. Leaning her back against the door, he lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his teasing gaze.
“Not so fast, Chief Delgado. I can’t let you go yet. Not before I tell you that even though we had a few hiccups tonight, I had a great time. I hope that we can do it again…without the hiccups.”
As he turned to go, he added with a grin, “Although, any time you want to have an almost temper tantrum, I’m available.” At her sharp intake of air, he chuckled softly and pinched her cheek the way he had in her office that first day. His eyes were sparkling with humor and an intensity that she didn’t want to acknowledge, praying that it wasn’t reflected in hers. “Sleep well, Chief. You’re going to need your rest. We have some interesting days ahead of us.”
With that veiled warning, he strode back to his car humming what she thought might be Rod Stewart’s “The Way You Look Tonight.” She’d forced herself to put the sexy tune in perspective, admitting that the chances of him playing with her were one hundred percent plus.
At that moment her cell phone beeped. Sam sucked in a deep breath, trying to squash the shivers streaking up her spine when she saw the text was from Jake. The message was professional, at least as professional as a message sent at three-thirty in the morning could be.
Don’t know if you’re awake, but since I am, thought I would check in. My team is meeting at 10 a.m. to discuss the growing methamphetamine menace. Any chance you can join us? Let me know. Thanks.
Good night, princess.
Jake
****
“Hey, bro, you can invite anyone you damn well please to the meeting. It’s your confab, after all. But…”
“But what, Jared?” Jake decided he might as well take his brother on now, clear the air before the others arrived. Jared was a master tease and Jake knew he’d let himself in for some good-natured ribbing. He assumed that his appearance at the Pit Stop Bar had hit the gossip wires and there was no way that Jared would have missed the titillating news. He continued, acknowledging the source of his brother’s concern in a matter-of-fact tone. “We all agree that from our point of view, the greatest danger we face is the meth explosion on the rez. Seems appropriate to me that the head of the tribal police is present for the discussion.”
Jared cocked a brow and made a visible effort to quell his grin.
“Makes perfect sense, bro. Except for the fact that said tribal leader has made it clear that she’s loaded up her quiver and is prepared to take on a cavalry if they dare to get their ‘pearly white asses’ anywhere near her rez. At least that’s how Bobby Mackey said she refers to us and our kind. Which reminds me, Mackey said you dammed near made sure he’d be singin’ in the soprano section of the church choir, you were so intent on making an impression in the MMA demonstration at the rez yesterday. I’m assuming your goal was to put the fear of God in those sons of bitches who are intent on making meth their cash crop.”
Jake didn’t hide his grin. “That’s a lot of lines you’ve thrown out for me to chew on, bro. Let me take them on, one at a time. First, Mackey is a stand-up guy and a first rate fighter. And yeah, I was a little intense…”
“Christ, man, Mackey said if he’d known he was going to be fighting Stipe Miocic, the world UFC champ, he’s have worn a steel cup to protect his family jewels. But then there’s nothing like a gorgeous woman to bring out the beast in any one of us, including my not easily impressed older brother. Which brings me back to the meeting today. I agree that it makes sense to include Chief Delgado. But tell me, man, how ‘inclusive’ are we gonna get? From what I hear about that feisty woman, we might all be a little lighter in the family jewel department when she learns that we’ve planted a DPD, DEA UC on her rez without her permission or knowledge.”
Jake frowned and nodded in agreement. “While it makes me uncomfortable that we went behind her back, bro, I’m not ready to reveal our strategy to Sam. I’m impressed as hell with her qualifications. But no one needs to tell me her fuse is easily tripped when it comes to what she sees as her territory. She’s determined to run the rez her way. Cooperation with other law enforcement agencies, including the DPD, isn’t among her top priorities.”
“I agree, Jake. So let me ask point blank. Why the hell did you invite her to the meeting?”
Jake blew out a hard sigh. “Because, Jared, as you well know, there’s a crisis brewing on the rez. I don’t know if Sam is aware of that. Remember, she’s new and definitely has her priorities. From what I’ve seen, methamphetamine isn’t at the top of her list. I’d like to think that by including her in the discussion, letting her see our concerns and some of our strategies, including the resources we have from the DEA and others, we have a shot at crippling those sons of bitches that are determined to corrupt her territory. Hell, man, by including her in the discussion, we can make her part of the solution.”
Jared interrupted. “And then break it to her that we didn’t tell her we planted a UC on her territory because we don’t trust the tribal police department under her leadership to manage the crisis without our help?”
“I admit that it’s a dicey strategy. But as I’m getting to know her, I’m seeing the possibilities. She’s smart as hell, and yes, more than a little feisty. And territorial up the wazoo. But ultimately she wants to rid the rez of meth as much or more than we do. I just have to get her to trust me. To know that by ceding some control to me, she and we can be more successful.”
“I dunno, bro. From what I’ve heard, ceding control doesn’t seem to be in the chief’s DNA.” A sly smile chased the frown off Jared’s solemn countenance. “Although control is sure as hell in the Justice DNA. Tell me, big brother, are you thinking that if you can soften her up in other ‘areas’ so you might be able to get her to see the wisdom of working with us rather than against us?”
Jake shook his head with a stern frown. “No, man, that isn’t what I’m doing. In fact, far from it. I’m gonna go out on a limb, Jared, and confess something that you’ve likely surmisedgiven your well-developed divining rod when it comes to matters of the heart and libido.” Jake blew out a hard sigh and scrubbed at the beard shadow decorating his chin and faced Jared head-on. “I admit I’m more than a little taken with the prickly princess, as I’ve come to think of her. She’s getting to me in ways that no woman has. And yeah, bro, it makes me uncomfortable as hell that in the one area where she’s most fierce, I’m being less than straightforward. Hell, let’s not put a party dress on the pig. I’m intentionally deceiving her. Even though I know that as the commander of this police force, I’m doing exactly what I need to do, it’s making me uncomfortable as hell. Not to mention that it’s likely to come back and bite me in the ass.”
Chapter 7
“Chief Delgado, I’m pleased you and your colleagues could join us.”
Sam sucked in a deep breath and squared her shoulders as she entered the DPD conference room. She was determined not to show her anxiety. It wasn’t the team of men surrounding the table that had her heart beating rapidly against her chest. Rather, it was the commander who’d risen from the chair at the head of the table and was striding toward her with his hand extended. Sam was surprised when he grasped her hand, then reached for her arm, pulling her closer to him. Smiling down at her, he continued his warm welcome. “I wasn’t sure you would be able to join us, Chief Delgado, on short notice. But Agent Reynolds flew in from DC last night and we wanted to take advantage of his presence, so I scheduled this impromptu meeting.”
Keeping her next to him, Jake turned to her deputies standing to the side. She started to introduce them, but Jake beat her to it. He extended his hand to her chief deputy, Mark Staples, and said pleasantly,
“Glad you could come, Mark. Hell, man, I don’t see you for a month or more and now we’ve been together three days in a row. Glad to have you on my territory.” Again, before Sam could introduce him, Jake smiled at Henry Jones, and put out his hand. “You too, Henry. Welcome.”
Reaching again for her arm, Jake led her toward the table. Sam didn’t have to ask who the righteous-looking duo was who rose to greet her. Given their striking looks and commanding presence, they could only be members of the Justice family. Jake nodded to them and said to Sam, “I don’t believe you’ve met my brothers. Jared is the baby of the family and is fresh off a couple-year stint at the DEA. And this good-looking son of a gun is Jude, my lead homicide detective. The LAPD was getting ready to make him an offer that no one could refuse, but I managed to convince him to get his ass back to the hinterlands where it belonged.”
Motioning to the burly Swede who was standing at a respectful distance, Jake said, “This is the guy that keeps my arrogant brothers under control when I’m not around. Solly Solberg is my go-to sergeant. I know that Solly, Mark, and Henry are well acquainted. Except for me, Solly is the most familiar with the Crow Lake Reservation and its issues.” Finally, Jake nodded to the bespectacled, gray-haired man standing back, studying her. “As I mentioned, we just learned yesterday that Brian Reynolds, a longtime agent with the DEA, was coming to update us on the methamphetamine crisis from the federal perspective. It was important that you join us.”
Samantha nodded to each of the men as Jake introduced them and chose not to speak. Jake pointed to the chairs on either side of the table and motioned to her deputies. “Mark, grab one of those chairs, and Henry, you pull up the other.” He looked down at Sam and said with a grin, “I’m going to capture Chief Delgado and have her sit up here by me.”
Allowing him to lead her to the head of the table, Sam sunk into the chair Jake pulled out for her. Annoyed at his courtly gesture, she drew herself up to her full height and tipped up her chin. Deciding that it was important to make a stand, she smiled at him and said with a dismissive shrug, “Thank you Commander Justice. I’m not used to being treated so chivalrously. My deputies will confirm that men who know me tend to sit or stand as far away from me as they can.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed, then he nodded, a slow smile tugging at his lips. “I can only say that those men didn’t have my grandfather, Judge Justice, on their asses when they were growing up. My brothers and I learned early on that women were to be respected, and chivalry never dies. Not that we always listened, but the message was drilled into our teenaged brains at the risk of losing our driving privileges.”
Jake grinned at his brothers who nodded in return. Turning back to Sam, his smile was in place, but his eyes had a hard glint. Seeming to throw her a bone, he said, “Now, do know that in his day, my grandfather wasn’t accustomed to women who ran police forces and put the fear of God into the men around her. But, knowing my grandfather, while he would be thoroughly impressed, maybe even intimidated, he would insist on chivalry. One of his favorite quotes is, ‘Being male is a matter of birth, being a man is a matter of age, but being a gentleman is a matter of choice.’ ” Jake turned his narrowed gaze directly on her, and spoke personally. “So bear with me if you will, Chief Delgado. Old habits die hard, if at all.”
With that Jake turned to Brian Reynolds and asked him to bring them up to date on the latest from the DEA. As the serious man rose to his feet and picked up the remote, filling the monitor in the front of the room with a barrage of statistics, Sam knew that her cheeks must be flushed if the heat she felt was any indication. Dammit, Jake had done it again. She’d intended to put down a marker. It was clear that Jake was in charge of the meeting, and she was certain she and her deputies had been invited because of him. But she’d be damned if that meant that she was going to be the silent little rez representative grateful to be included with the big boys. Jake, who seated her beside him, annoyed her, and her annoyance was compounded by his pulling out her chair. She thought she had responded well, accomplishing what she’d intended, which was to make the point that she wasn’t some little Indian squaw who needed to be coddled. But Jake had taken her snarky comment and turned it back on her, making her seem rude and petulant rather than assertive.
Forcing herself to pay attention to the briefing, Sam did her best to ignore the powerful man beside her. It didn’t help that when he shifted in his chair, his knee bumped against hers. She was furious with herself that her first impulse was to press against him—to complete the connection he initiated. Lifting her chin further, she purposefully moved back in her chair and twisted away from him, ostensibly to better observe the monitors. She was glad she did when she realized the information Reynolds had just put on the screen on the screen directly involved her.
“In addition to their other channels, in four separate locations, the Mexican-based Morales cartel is using Indian reservations as entry points to the South American, Canadian methamphetamine pipeline. We’ve watched with dismay the relative ease with which the cartels have been able to infiltrate the reservations. Please note that I said cartels, because in addition to the Morales cartel that a short time ago was the only one taking advantage of the reservations, we are now dealing with two sophisticated operations emanating from the Balkan states and Russia. These Eastern Bloc cartels are giving the Mexicans a run for their money. They are using entry points in various South American countries. Their goal is to pick up product along the way so that by the time they reach the Canadian border they are well-prepared to serve a dramatically growing world-wide market.”
Agent Reynolds turned to Sam and spoke to her for the first time. “I’m glad that you could join us, Chief Delgado. While the activity at Crow Lake is at an incipient stage and doesn’t begin to equal what is happening in the Southwest reservations, it is clear that your land is a target for the cartels.”
Sam was frankly shocked at the numbers that the DEA agent was flashing across the screen. She didn’t bother to look at either Mark or Henry, knowing that they had to be as surprised as she was. While she was aware that meth use on the reservation was increasing, she hadn’t been aware of the cartel interest. It didn’t help that the meth traffic had been low on her priority list. At least until now it hadn’t been among the law enforcement issues she’d planned to focus on. Prostitution and domestic abuse that were directly connected were much higher on her list of priorities. She wondered for a brief moment if Jake had intended to blindside her, but dismissed the thought. In fairness, he’d told her that meth was the focus of the meeting and although she hadn’t known the DEA was going to be present, she was aware that Jared Justice was a former DEA agent. Deciding that she needed to get control of the issue fast, she turned to Agent Reynolds.
“I appreciate your concern, Agent Reynolds. I also appreciate you bringing to my attention the activity on the other reservations. While I’m aware what a curse this drug is, I was not aware that the cartels plan to use reservations as an entry point. I will contact my peers on the various reserves to ensure that I’m up to date on the growing menace as it affects Native people. I’m confident that by sharing information, my tribal law enforcement colleagues and I will be able to properly address the issue.”
Agent Reynolds’s solemn expression tightened and Sam didn’t miss the quizzical look he exchanged with Jake. When he spoke, it was clear that he didn’t think she understood the ramifications of the issue. “While it is useful for the tribal law enforcement entities to cooperate with one another, this crisis is national and international. Addressing the rapidly escalating crisis goes far beyond what tribal councils can do. It requires leadership at the highest level.”
Sam drilled him with a hard glare. “I am quite aware of the leadership that is required to address this crisis. What I don’t think you’re aware of—at least when it comes to developing strategies to address it, is that all the players need to be at the table, particularly those who are directly involved. Which, if I understand your con
cerns about the cartel infiltration, most definitely involves the tribal law enforcement agencies.”
Reynolds’s expression hardened further. As if trying to contain his annoyance, he took an obvious breath and blew it out audibly. He couldn’t keep the condescension out of his curt reply. “I don’t think you understand, Miss Delgado, the worldwide dimensions of this issue. It is—”
Sam interrupted him coolly. “And I don’t think you understand how critical it is to involve the tribal law enforcement agencies if you’re going to have a chance in hell of making a dent in the menace as it affects the reservations. And, by the way, Special Agent Reynolds, I’m the tribal chief of police on the Crow Lake Reservation and ask that you use my official title when you address me.” She tossed her head and added with an acerbic smile, “Although, I’ll admit that we Indians don’t always refer to the DEA as respectfully as we probably should.” She glanced at her deputies and her smile widened. “In fact, we often refer to the DEA as the Department of Equal Enforcement Administration with the caveat, ‘as long as it doesn’t involve Native people.’ ”
At Reynolds’s visible start, Jake put both hands on the table and addressed the group. Looking first at Sam and then including each of the others in his firm gaze, he said, “I know you all appreciate the seriousness of the issue we face. And I understand that each of us has parochial interests as it affects our areas of authority. However, this crisis demands the best from all of us. It is going to require leadership at every level. It is also going to require cooperation among all of the entities involved.”