by Taylor Lee
Jake closed his eyes and pressed his lips together. When he looked up and met her shocked gaze Sam saw moisture in his eyes. He raised his hands in a helpless gesture and said with a dismissive snort, “But then, we don’t have to worry about that, do we, Sam?”
Jude came up beside his brother and clapped a big arm around Jake’s shoulders. He leaned into him and said gruffly. “Hey, buddy. Ease up, man. It’s been a hard couple of days…”
Jake shook his head then nodded to his brother with a forced smile. “You’re right, bro. We’re all under a lot of stress.” He motioned with his head to the interrogation room and said, “How about it, Detective? You up for pinning some well-deserved ass to the wall?”
Jude managed an equally forced grin and said, “Damn straight, bro. I’m here at your side where I always am.”
Jake couldn’t hold back a sigh but managed a smile. “Yeah, bro, where you always are.”
He glanced over at Sam and raised an inquisitive brow. “How about you, Chief, would you like to join us? We could use your insights. You know a side of Mingan neither of us is privy to. He might be more forthcoming with you.”
Answering Jake was impossible. Sam knew if she tried to speak she would burst into tears. She was shaking so hard, she wasn’t sure she could stand, much less walk across to the interrogation room. She was truly stunned at Jake’s harsh, relentless indictment of her. He’d implied as much before but never in such cutting, angry language. And certainly not in front of anyone else. At least Jude seemed as shocked as she felt. Trying to recover her composure, Sam clung to the back of the nearest chair as though her life depended on it. Her life may not have but her pride did. Holding back the welling moisture that was burning her eyes, she fought to suck air into her constricted lungs. Haranguing herself unmercifully, she warned she would never be able to look either Justice brother in the face if she started to cry. Tipping up her chin she nodded mutely to Jake’s invitation and managed to cross over to the interrogation room with her head held high.
Seeing the agonized surprise in Sam’s tear-filled eyes, Jake’s anger melted in a puddle of recriminations. What had felt like righteous, deserved criticism now seemed petty, childish in the face of her shattered countenance. He forced himself not to reach for her and pull her into his arms. Instead he stood to the side, allowing her to enter before he and Jude did. Jude’s troubled frown and sympathetic nod confirmed that his brother understood both the impetus of Jake’s cutting tirade and his shame. It only took the first hateful words out of Mingan’s mouth to put their world back in perspective.
Mingan’s hooded eyes widened when he saw Sam enter with the two Justice brothers at her back. He glared at Sam then turned his fury on Jake.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the practiced squaw hopper and his little tomahonky bitch. With a back-up Custer just in case I’m too much for you two fuck buddies?”
Ignoring Mingan’s racist outburst, Jake pulled out one of the chairs across from the glowering man for Sam and sunk down onto the other. He nodded to Jude who reached for another chair and swung it around to the end of the table next to Mingan. Having surrounded him on all sides, Jake fastened a narrowed gaze on the visibly agitated man.
“No need for the niceties, Mingan. You know who we are and we know who you are. To be specific, you and your two buddies were the last people to see Isabella Harper alive.”
Mingan slammed his hand against the top of the table so hard that the glass of water in front of him fell to the side and rolled to the floor with a crash. Leaning forward threateningly, spittle shot across the table when he yelled at Jake. “That’s a fucking lie and you know it. You ain’t gonna pin this on me, motherfucker, any more than you were able to railroad me for raping Mary Ellen Slattern. Musta killed you, asshole, that the little white girl preferred a big red dick over a shriveled up, white prick.” Whirling on Sam, his face flushed a dark purplish maroon. His lips curled up in a sneer, “Which brings me to you. What the fuck are you doing here, Kalani? Ain’t it bad enough that you’re spreading your legs for that racist son of a bitch? You tryin’ so hard to be a real cop that you crawl in bed with these two cocksuckers? Are you doin’ both of ’em, Kalani? Wouldn’t give it up for a real man, little cherry nigger, but you’re willing—”
Jake rose to his feet, but before he or Jude could get to the frothing man, Sam was at Mingan’s side. Grabbing a handful of his shoulder-length hair, she yanked his head back, jerking him out of his chair. With a driving kick she drove her knee into his groin eliciting a loud scream from the startled man. Before either Jake or Jude could stop her, Sam slammed him facedown against the tabletop then bent his arm hard behind his back. Leaning next to him she ordered, “Apologize to Commander Justice. Now.”
Mingan try to free himself and said shakily, “Like fuck I will…bitch…”
The words weren’t out of his mouth when Sam dug her thumb into a sensitive pressure point on his neck at the same time she bent his arm up higher against his back. A torrent of screams mixed with sobs burst from Mingan’s throat. Unrelenting, Sam dug deeper into his neck.
“Now, asshole. Apologize to Commander Justice. Now, Mingan.”
Writhing against Sam’s punishing hold, Mingan openly sobbed then bawled incoherently, “Goddamn! I…I’m sorry.”
Pressing harder, Sam said softly, “I’m sorry, Commander Justice. Say it, Mingan, or else…”
With a jerk she raised his bent arm higher, eliciting a shrieked apology, “Jesus fucking Christ! I’m…I’m sorry, Commander Justice!”
Jake was at her side, grasping her arm. “He apologized, Sam. Release him.” When she shook her head, Jake tightened his grip. “Now, Sam. Let him go. I think that our guest now understands that we don’t tolerate rudeness in the interrogation room.”
When she lightened her hold on Mingan’s arm and neck, Jake gently tugged Sam away from the sobbing man. To his astonishment, Sam broke his grip, and before he could stop her, whipped Mingan around to face her. Once more she drove her knee hard into Mingan’s unprotected groin. Screaming and crying in pain, Mingan bent over clutching his mangled groin. Ignoring the sobbing man, her lips pressed in a firm line, Sam pushed past Jake. Lifting her chin higher, she walked around the table past a wide-eyed Jude, then sunk down in her chair. Staring straight ahead, her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing hard. Jake exchanged a disbelieving glance with his brother then pressed on the intercom.
“Marjorie, will you please bring us a pitcher of water and several glasses.”
Filling two of the glasses from the tray Marjorie placed on the table, Jake handed one to Mingan and one to Sam. Clearly distraught, Mingan noisily gulped the water, spilling half of it. Sam pointedly ignored the glass he put in front of her.
Jake sat down in his chair, and studied the distraught man. He waited until Mingan’s noisy sobs shuddered to a stop, then asked quietly, “Did you kill Isabella, Mingan?”
Mingan stared at him and then frantically shook his head. “No, Christ, no. Why would I? She was my best cunt, I…I mean, we were friends.”
Sam broke in. “Did you rape her? You and Pete and Charlie?”
“No! Why the fuck would we. We could have her any time we wanted. She wanted it as bad as we did.”
After three long hours repeatedly going over Mingan’s story and doing the same with Charlie and Pete, Jake dismissed the three sullen men with a warning that they were not to leave the county.
Mingan glowered at Sam as he left the interrogation room. His threat was audible, clearly intentionally so. “I’ll be seeing you, Kalani. Back on the rez where you belong. Where we both belong.”
Sam shrugged and pointedly glanced at his groin. “Any time, Mingan. You know where to find me. And I know where to find you.” She widened her scornful gaze to include the other two men. “All of you.” She added to their retreating backs, “You guys might think about hiring a lawyer—a good one. Might make your interrogations a little less painful.”
With a
n audible chuckle, she sauntered by them heading for Jake’s office.
****
Jake nodded to Jude and Sam. “I need to connect with Solly to review the interrogation schedule for tomorrow. Wait for me in my office. I want to go over what we learned today.”
Sam followed Jude into Jake’s office and was relieved when he made a beeline for the liquor cabinet. He dragged out a bottle of Maker’s Mark and turned to Sam, a grin lighting his emerald hard eyes.
“Something tells me I won’t have to twist your arm, Sam, to get you to join me in a shot of the hard stuff. Or should we make that a shot or three.”
Sam laughed. “I particularly like the ‘or three’ concept. And yes, a healthy shot of that high-end booze you guys drink would be a treat.”
Sam sipped on the potent alcohol, resisting the impulse to throw back the shot and pour herself another. She admitted that she was amped on adrenaline, and it was definitely going to take more than one glass of Maker’s Mark to make a dent in her sizzling nerves. She looked up to see Jude studying her. She felt her cheeks warm, knowing he was deciding if he’d allude to what she’d done to Mingan. Rather than giving him a chance, she tossed back the potent booze and walked over to the cabinet to pour herself another. At that moment, the door opened and a stern-looking Jake strode in.
He nodded at her glass and gave her a tight smile. “That looks like an excellent idea, Chief Delgado. And, yes, I’ll be pleased to join the two of you.”
Jake took his time filling his glass then made a production of settling into his chair, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Knowing it was only a matter of time before he castigated her for her rough treatment of Mingan, Sam decided to call him on it.
Meeting his hard gaze, she said, “Say it, Jake.”
“Say what, Sam? That you physically manhandled a potential perpetrator? In a way that could have injured him severely, even tainted a potential arrest?”
Sam shrugged and tossed back her second shot. “Sorry about that, Commander. Guess I don’t appreciate being called disgusting names or being accused of fucking my colleagues. Besides, it was clear you and Jude weren’t going to do anything to stop the racist, sexist pig, so I did it for you.”
The tic beside Jake’s eye twitched dangerously. His tone was cool. His flashing eyes were anything but.
“To be clear, Chief Delgado, Detective Justice and I were both more than prepared to handle Mingan Yazzie, appropriately.”
Sam felt her temper flare. The tension of the last two days shattered what little self-control she had left. Knowing she was risking his wrath and doing just what he’d accused her of before they confronted Mingan, she struck out. “I apologize, Commander Justice. You know how inappropriate, uncivilized, we rez cops are. We haven’t learned good manners like the real poleeze. We haven’t learned that if someone calls us filthy names we’re supposed to sit back like good little squaws and—”
“Be quiet.” Jake’s resonant voice thick with anger stopped the words in the back of Sam’s throat. “Don’t say another word, Sam.” He made an obvious effort to control his anger. “Listen to me. We are trying to find out which filthy animals raped and left a seventeen-year-old girl to die in the dirt. We need your professional insights and expertise. We don’t have the time or inclination to tolerate your temper tantrums or your out of control behavior.”
Sam jumped to her feet and had to fight to keep from physically attacking him. “You…you pretentious prick…how dare you?” She started to tell him how much she hated him, but the angry words got stuck in the sobs she was helpless to control. As she barreled past him, Jake caught her arm, but she managed to break free. She was at his office door when his harsh command stopped her.
“Stop, Sam. Now! Do. Not. Leave. This. Room.”
Whirling to face him, it wasn’t his anger that kept her from storming out, it was the clear anguish in his eyes. Sam hesitated then leaned against the wall. When she forced herself to meet his troubled gaze, he pointed to the chair in front of his desk. His voice was soft, compelling.
“Goddammit, Sam. I need you to sit your spectacular ass in that chair and work with me.”
Sam sucked in a deep breath, choking on the sob rising in her throat. Marshaling her strength, she pushed away from the wall. Walking unsteadily to the chair Jake had pulled out for her, she sunk into it and glared up at him. “Fine. Start working.”
Chapter 23
“Look, Jake, I’m pleased to step out for a bit if you two need some time alone.”
Jake glanced at Sam then shook his head. He rounded his desk and assumed his seat. With a hard sigh, he addressed his frowning brother. “No, Jude, that won’t be necessary. While Sam and I definitely need time alone, that isn’t an option at the moment. It’s essential that we discuss what we learned in our interrogations today and agree on next steps.”
Jude didn’t hide his concern. “It’s your call, bro, and yours, Sam. It’s just that we’re all under a lot of stress and you two are—”
Sam interrupted him. “Thanks, but no thanks, Jude. The king has spoken. Like good little subjects, we need to obey His Majesty’s commands.”
Jude’s eyes widened at her caustic gibe. He tossed Jake an incredulous look, then held up his hands in concession. “Like I said, it’s your call.” Unable to stifle a fleeting grin, he added, “At your service, my liege.”
Appreciating Jude’s stab at humor, Jake cocked an ironic brow and grinned. “Ah, would that I simply need to issue an order, or decree, and you two would immediately fall in line. Since that isn’t in the realm of possibility, let’s get real.”
At Jude’s responding chuckle, Sam reared up in her chair, her eyes flashing angrily. Her voice was sharp. “I’m glad you two think this is amusing, but I’m not interested in being the butt of your jokes, so if you don’t mind…” She rose to her feet, glaring at Jake, and turned toward the door. Before she could move, he was out of his chair and at her side. He must have looked as angry as he felt because Sam backed away, her eyes widening with surprise. Done with the masquerade and knowing that Jude not only would understand but was correct, Jake reached for Sam and yanked her next to him. Glancing at Jude, he said, “You were right, Jude. Sam and I do need some time alone. If you’ll excuse us, please.”
Jude was on his feet and halfway to the door. “Sure thing, bro. I’ll catch up with Solly and Jared. They probably should be in our debrief. Text me when you’re ready for us.” At Jake’s consenting nod, Jude left the room.
Tightening his grip on Sam’s arm, Jake tried to speak calmly, but he was long past the point of tempering the fury raging in his gut. Ignoring her angry glare, rather than lightening his hold, he jerked her next to him. Weaving his fingers in her braid, he tipped her head back forcing her to look up at him. His voice shook with intensity. “Damn you, Samantha. I swear to God, I don’t know when I have ever been as angry. When I get you alone, I’m going to make good on my earlier promise. I’m going to spank your ass so hard that you won’t be able to sit for a week. Do you understand me?”
When she tried to pull away, he shook his head and pulled her closer. “I asked you a question, Sam. Please answer me.”
When Sam jerked at his tight grip trying to free herself, Jake shook his head. “You’re not going anywhere, Sam, except right here with me.” He forced himself to pull back slightly, needing her to understand how angry he was but also how concerned. “Listen to me, Sam. Your behavior today was not only unprofessional, it was dangerous. There is a fucking good chance that the man you beat up murdered a young girl after brutally raping her. Not only did you physically attack a potential murderer, but you humiliated him. A very dangerous thing to do to someone as proud and unstable as Mingan is. Do you understand that?”
Sam jerked her head free of his grip with a dismissive snort, “So maybe next time one of you big strong Justice boys will step up and defend me rather than sitting there with your thumbs up your asses. Or, I know, maybe you could request Mingan to act nic
er, more appropriate. Like the civilized white people do.”
At her taunting crack, Jake lost what little control he had. “That does it, dammit! Don’t say you didn’t ask for this.” Backing up, he landed in the chair behind them, then yanked her face down across his lap. Taking advantage of her surprise, he had her trousers undone and at her knees before she could stop him. After her first surprised shriek, Sam fought wildly to get off his lap. Knowing that he was dealing with a trained Krav Maga fighter, Jake didn’t take any chances. Relying on his greater strength and his fury, he grabbed both of her hands in one of his. Holding them against the small of her back, he trapped her legs between his ankles. Ignoring her angry cries he began to land a flurry of hard smacks across her bare bottom.
“Goddamn you, Jake. What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Ouch! Ow! Jake, stop! Damn you, you’re hurting me! Ow! Stop, dammit! Now!”
Seeing the gorgeous globes of her curvy ass flaring with heat, Jake’s anger took a powerful turn. At the sight of her pale cheeks turning a bright rosy red, his fury morphed into even more potent lust. He rose from the chair standing her in front of him. Ignoring the angry tears coursing down her cheeks, he backed her up against the edge of his desk and yanked her trousers down to her ankles.
Starting at his obvious intent, Sam desperately shoved at his hands and cried, “Oh my God, Jake! What are you doing? Are you insane?!”
Sweeping his hand across the top of his desk, he cleared a space. Shoving objects to the floor with a clatter, he muttered, “Yeah, it seems I likely am.”
“Jake, for God’s sake, stop! Someone, anyone could come in…”
Ignoring her frantic protestations, and refusing to concede she might be right, Jake tossed her onto the desk. Laying her back against the hard surface, he bent her knees up against her chest, opening her naked crotch to his eager gaze. Seeing the moisture coating her bare pussy and undone by the enticing fragrance of her musky arousal, Jake couldn’t suppress an agonized groan. With his free hand, he opened his pants, releasing his iron hard prick. Pressing her down against the top of the desk he moved between her legs.