Out of the Shadows (Renegades)

by Ana Stone

  His wife, Margo had made it full time in Harmony for only two years before announcing that she needed to be in civilization again. An ill-tempered blonde with big fake breasts and a face that bragged of a lot of cosmetic surgery, Margo had no patience for life in a small town.

  She decided she was returning to their Manhattan penthouse. If he wanted to stay in the backwater town of Harmony, then whatever. She wasn’t going to live that way. Since theirs was not a marriage of deep passion, Dillon put up no fight. Margo swooped in a couple of times a year, spent a few obligatory days with her husband and his children from his first marriage then hurried back to New York.

  Phillips suspected that the arrangement was to Dillon’s liking. It was a well-known secret that Dillon had women friends. With his money and prestige it wasn’t hard for him to find women willing to fill his sexual needs.

  More importantly, having Margo in Manhattan meant he didn’t have to have the daily reminder of her infidelity. It was that infidelity that had spawned Dillon’s hatred of the Renegades. When he and Margo first arrived in Harmony she was occupied for the first year with the construction and decoration of the fifteen thousand square foot house they had built on the edge of town on fifty acres of land.

  Once the house was finished, she had nothing to occupy her attention. That’s when she discovered Reese Justice. At the time, Reese was quite the ladies’ man, despite the fact he was married. Tall and well built, his dark hair and piercing blue eyes caught the attention of quite a few women.

  The fact that he was a “bad boy”, part of a motorcycle club and had a reputation as a tough guy just added to the “forbidden fruit” appeal. Margo hooked up with Reese while Dillon was in New York on business. Dillon found out and rather than calling Margo to account for her actions, he directed his anger at Reese.

  There was no legal recourse for his wrath, but he’d made it a life mission since that time to direct as much negative attention to the club as possible.

  “Well?” Dillon brought Phillip’s attention back to the moment with his bark. He stepped up closer to the desk and placed both hands on it to lean down, putting him on face level with Phillips.

  “No, I’m not aware of that.” Phillips replied calmly. “Refresh my memory on 312.”

  “Street lights, Chief. There is supposed to be a street light at every intersection. The light on the corner of Stegall Road and Union Street hasn’t been on in over a week.”

  “Did you call the electric company?” Phillips asked. “Seems they would be responsible for that since all street lights are city property.”

  “Wrong.” Dillon announced and punctuated the word by driving the tip of his index finger into the top of Phillips desk. “If a business establishment occupies land outside of the town proper but within city limits they are required by law to erect and maintain proper lighting on any and all street corners their establishment is bordered by.

  “The corner of Stegall and Union is two blocks outside of the town proper but still within city limits. It’s their responsibility and they are in violation.”

  Phillips pushed back his chair and stood. “Well, in that case, I’ll take a ride over to Renegade and inform them they need to take care of that.”

  “That’s it?” Dillon’s voice rose. “You’ll take a ride over? They are in violation!”

  “Has the city issued a citation?” Phillips asked.

  “Well, no, but—“

  “Then I’ll take a ride over and give them a reminder. If you want them cited then take it to the city council.”

  “I’m not done with you, Phillips!”

  Chief Phillips stopped on his way to the door and looked back at Dillon. Dillon squared his shoulders, ran his hand back over his hair and cleared his throat. “The Council wants to know what progress you’ve made with finding a new Deputy.”

  “None of the applicants have been suitable so far,” Phillips replied. Truth be told, he wasn’t keen on hiring a new deputy. He had one man he trusted, one just a couple of years younger than he who knew the way things ran.

  Bringing on a new man meant Phillips and his Deputy Bill Courtney would have to find a way to keep certain things secret. That wasn’t easy in a three man office.

  “Well, you’ve got until the end of the week or the Council will step in and hire someone.”

  Phillips inwardly groaned. Letting the Council get involved spelled trouble. He had no choice. He had to find someone and fast. “I’m on it.”

  With that, Phillips headed for the door, leaving Dillon standing alone in the office.

  Arthur Phillips waited until he was in his squad car then let out a curse. He had a genuine dislike for Dillon Morris. What was more, he had a genuine affection for Eli Justice and his wife, Stella. They had all grown up in Harmony. Went to school together, stayed as adults and had done their part to keep their small town safe and happy.

  Sure, Reese had screwed things up after Raff, Zeke’s dad died, but Eli had done his best to keep Reese in check and to keep the club’s less than legal activities from impacting Harmony. No illegal club business took place inside Harmony. Eli had worked long and fought many battles to insure that.

  Of course, Eli was like Art, getting on in years. He held less sway over the club than he’d once had. Phillips had hoped that Zeke’s return would turn things around. Didn’t appear that was happening.

  He pulled out of the lot and drove slowly through town. As he passed Milly’s diner, he saw the new gal in town, Roxy step out onto the sidewalk. She threw up her hand and waved and he returned the gesture. All at once it hit him. She was the perfect candidate.

  She had military training and from the resume Randy Willis at the tattoo shop had shared with him, had left the Army at the rank of lieutenant colonel. While in service she had commanded more than five hundred men in theatre before being recruited by Military Intelligence.

  According to the background check Randy had requested on her, Phillips knew that Roxy had taken deployments worldwide. Iraq, Haiti, Pakistan and Libya and had been decorated more than once. She’d left the military the previous year after she recovered from a head injury.

  Phillips didn’t know if it was that injury that had caused her to leave, or the fact that her husband was killed in Afghanistan while she was in the hospital recovering. Whatever the case, Roxy Quinn was qualified. More importantly, she was a soldier and soldiers were trained to follow orders and not ask questions.

  An added perk was that she was a woman, and one who knew nothing about the history of Harmony. He could put her on traffic detail for the next ten years, satisfy the Council’s demand and cover his and Bill’s association with the Renegades.

  It was a perfect solution. He would stop in and see her as soon as he spoke with Eli about the damn street light.

  Phillips smiled. What had started out to be a shitty day was definitely looking up.

  Chapter Six

  Roxy hung up the phone and grabbed her shoulder bag. She had an appointment with the woman Stella, whom Randy had told her about, to look at a rental house. She was due to meet Stella in half an hour but thought she’d go early and at least take a look at the area where the house was located.

  She had really enjoyed talking with Stella on the phone. The conversation had lasted nearly half an hour and Roxy had learned a lot about the town and the people who owned the various businesses. She had gone away from the conversation feeling almost like she had made a new friend.

  She snatched open the door of her hotel room and ran squarely into someone standing outside the door.

  “Sorry, sir,” she apologized as she recognized the Police Chief, Arthur Phillips.

  “My apology,” he countered.

  “Can I help you, sir?” She couldn’t imagine why he would be at her door.

  “I hope so, yes. You have a few minutes, Mrs. Quinn?”

  Roxy went into alert mode. She’d never mentioned a husband and had told no one about David. The Chief would not be addressing
her by a married title if he had not checked her out. The question was, why?

  “Why don’t we go down to the lobby,” she suggested. “My room’s kind of a mess right now.”

  “How about the diner?” He asked. “Buy you a cup of coffee?”

  “Fine.” She agreed and at a gesture from him, preceded him down the stairs to the ground floor.

  “How about I follow you?” She asked when they reached the front door. “I have an appointment to look at a house in half an hour.”

  “I walked,” he replied.

  “Then why don’t I give you a ride?”

  “Works for me.”

  They went outside and she pointed to her GTO. Phillips whistled in appreciation. “Sweet ride.”

  “Yes, she is,” Roxy agreed with a smile and unlocked the door to slide in.

  She reached across and unlocked the passenger door. The Chief got in and settled back. “They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore.”

  “No, sir they definitely don’t.”

  It took only a couple of minutes to drive to the diner, and only that long because they had to stop for the train at the crossing. Roxy parked in the lot across the street from the diner and together they made the rest of the way on foot.

  She paid attention to how everyone in the diner greeted the Chief when they entered. There were smiles and many greetings of “how’s it going, Chief?” Or “Art, how you doing?” Clearly he was well-liked in the town.

  Once seated with fresh cups of coffee in front of them, the Chief opened the conversation. “I know you’re wondering why I came to see you so I’m going to get straight to it. The City Council is demanding I hire another Deputy and I’d like to offer you the job.”

  She had not expected that. “If you don’t mind my asking, sir, why?”

  Phillips smiled. “Simple. You’re qualified.”

  “You checked me out.”

  “I always check out a potential member of the force.”

  “But I never applied, sir.”

  “No, no you didn’t.”

  “Then I have to ask, why did you check me out?”

  He smiled. “Randy mentioned you were ex-military. A decorated officer. I thought you’d be a good fit. It’s my duty to check out anyone who is being considered.”

  “I see.” Roxy wasn’t sure she liked it. She didn’t really like for people to know her past. It was fine people to know she was ex-military but she sure didn’t want her history before the military to be delved into.

  “So?” He asked.

  She shrugged. “Never gave law enforcement a thought, sir.”

  “It pays better than the tattoo parlor.”

  “Maybe,” she agreed. “But inking is more fun and less demanding.”

  “So, you’re not looking to stay in Harmony, Mrs. Quinn?”

  “It’s Roxy,” she replied. “And I don’t know yet. I just got here.”

  Phillips took a sip of his coffee. “Ahh,” he sighed appreciatively. “Best coffee in town. So, Mrs. – uh, Roxy. What exactly brings you to Harmony?”

  “I liked the sound of it.” She could say that much and be completely honest. More than that and she would have to lie because the truth was she didn’t have a clue why she was even in the state. She’d started out in Georgia and worked her way north with no real goal in mind.

  But that was not something she wanted to reveal. “And it looks to be a nice little town,” she added.

  “It is that.” He agreed. “I hear you ran into some trouble in Selma up the road.”

  “More like I stepped into the middle of trouble,” she said and shrugged as if it were of no consequence. “Made the mistake of checking into a motel that was – less than reputable, let’s say. Two rivals decided to mix it up the morning I was leaving and I got caught in the crossfire.”

  “But all patched up now?”

  “Yes, sir. Good to go.”

  “You recognize any of the people in that mix-up?”

  “Never been to Selma before, so no, sir.” She wasn’t about to bring Zeke Justice’s name up. She’d been trying to forget about him and talking about him wasn’t going to help accomplish that. Besides, that had nothing to do with Harmony.

  “Well, it’s good that you’re okay. And the offer’s on the table, Roxy”. He plucked a pen from his breast pocket and scribbled on a napkin. “Here’s what we can offer.”

  She accepted the napkin as he handed it to her. “Thank you. I’ll think about it, sir.”

  “You do that. I need to know by the end of the week.”

  “I’ll have an answer for you by then, sir.”

  “All righty then.” He took one more sip of coffee and stood. After pulling out a couple of one dollar bills and putting them on the table he offered her his hand. “I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”

  She stood and took his hand. “Yes, sir.”

  Roxy reclaimed her seat but not for long. There were way too many curious looks pointed in her direction. She headed outside, crossed the street and got in her car to go meet Stella and look at the rental house.

  There was a late model Ford F150 truck parked in the driveway of the house at the address she had been given. The house didn’t appear to be very large. It was a curious wooden A-frame house, a central high peaked roof that slanted down to cover a single-car carport on the left side and a screened-in porch on the right. Windows dominated the front of the house from three feet off ground level to nearly the roofline.

  She didn’t see a front door but there was a door on the side of the house, leading in from the carport.

  The yard was grassed and appeared well tended. Aside from a thick row of bushes along the front of the house there were no flowers or planting beds, but the yard did boast of two enormous oaks and several maples in the front that sheltered the front windows from the worst of the sunlight that was streaming down through the thick canopy of leaves.

  As Roxy pulled in behind the truck and parked, a woman got out of the truck. Small and stout, her hair was dyed into a shade that Roxy could only describe as yellow, plaited into one long single braid that stretched nearly the length of her back. Wearing a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up and jeans, she looked fit and strong.

  “Roxy?” The woman approached, smiling.

  “Yes, ma’am. Roxy Quinn.”

  “Stella Justice.” The woman extended her hand.

  Roxy’s mind barely registered the gesture. The moment the word “Justice” came out of Stella’s mouth, Roxy’s mind rocketed back to that day in the hospital, a vision of Zeke’s face blinding her to the reality around her.

  “Roxy?”

  “Oh, sorry,” Roxy recovered and clasped Stella’s hand. “That name just sounds so familiar.”

  “We got a decent amount of kin around these parts. Chances are you’ve either run into one of us or will. You ready to see the house?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”

  “Polite little thing aren’t you?” Stella asked with a chuckle and then outright laughed as she looked up at Roxy. “Well, I don’t guess little really says it. How tall are you? Five nine, ten?”

  “Five ten barefoot, ma’am,” Roxy replied and followed Stella toward the door in the carport.

  “Bet you’re a sight in high heels.” Stella said as she pulled out a thick ring of keys and selected one to unlock the door.

  “Don’t go in much for heels, ma’am.” Roxy remarked and followed Stella inside.

  “Oh!” She was shocked when she entered. They stood in the kitchen, a warm and cozy room with polished golden oak cabinets, and an island that separated the kitchen from the living room that had four barstools sitting along the living room side of it.

  The living area was larger than it had appeared outside with hardwood floors and walls of natural rough-hewn wood. Two big ceiling fans suspended from long brass poles swirled the air in a mild current.

  On the wall opposite the kitchen door was a sliding glass door that led out o
nto a raised and enclosed porch. It circled around to the back of the house, stepping down to reveal a small but beautiful tiled pool.

  There were only two bedrooms, located behind the kitchen, separated by a short hallway. One was spacious with a private bath that had a large garden tub and a big tiled shower. There was a door from the master bedroom leading out onto the back lanai and pool. The second bedroom was small. Between it and the kitchen was another bath, much smaller and a small laundry room.

  Roxy loved it, but dreaded asking the amount of the rent. On what she’d be making at the tattoo shop, she couldn’t afford much. Her disability from the Army was only a little over thirty thousand a year and she’d not saved much of that since she was discharged.

  But she really liked this house. She wandered out onto the back lanai. The yard stretched at least a hundred feet in a green carpet of grass before turning more natural. Clusters of undergrowth and gnarled old oaks broke the pattern.

  “I’m afraid to ask,” she said when Stella stepped up beside her. “How much?”

  “First and last month in advance and nine fifty a month.”

  Roxy did some quick mental calculations. With what she earned from interest on her savings, her retirement, and what she could earn at Randy’s she might be able to squeak by. But there sure wouldn’t be any extras, and no way to put anything away.

  She didn’t see how she could safely do it. At least not until a thought popped into her mind. Chief Phillips’ offer. That job paid enough for her to afford the house. If she could talk Randy into letting her moonlight at the tattoo shop during her off hours, she could earn enough to put money away. That way if things didn’t work out for her in Harmony, she could hit the road again.

  At present she had almost gone through all of what she considered her expendable cash. She needed to stay put for at least a year and build back up her reserves. This just might be the place to do that.

  “I’ll take it.” She said with a smile. “Let me grab my checkbook out of the car.”

  “Sure, honey. I’ll walk out with you.”

  They went outside and Roxy wrote out a check. “Do you need me to sign a lease, ma’am?”