Badge of Honor [The Town of Pearl 9] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever)

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “How about we just wait and see what happens?” she replied.

  He shook his head. “How about you meet me in town this afternoon for lunch? Francine’s restaurant, or the Main Street Inn? Your choice. My treat.”

  She smiled at him. “I haven’t gone into town yet. I don’t think that’s such a great idea.”

  “Why not?” he asked, his gut kicking in, telling him this woman was hiding something or maybe hiding from someone. He didn’t want to engage any of the possibilities going through his mind.

  “Harper, don’t push me,” she said, raising her voice, and stepped away.

  “I need to go. When I see you, I see you. Please respect my privacy.” She headed down the hill and toward the woods again. He wanted to stop her, to follow her, to investigate where she went and what she was hiding, but he didn’t want to lose the ounce of hope that she would meet him or make an effort to be in the same place tomorrow that she was today. He wasn’t sure what to do, but being involved with the different jobs he assisted with recently, he had a feeling she was in some kind of trouble. Perhaps it was time to talk with Galvin and his team?

  Chapter 7

  “How was your run?” Mary asked Lauren as Lauren came down from her shower. She sat down on the couch in Mary’s home office and curled her legs under her butt as she sat.

  “It was okay.”

  “Just okay?” Mary asked, scrunching up her eyebrows and immediately filled with concern for Lauren. “Were you in pain again, like last week?” Mary asked her.

  “No, nothing like that,” Lauren replied then looked out toward the window.

  “What do you mean then?”

  Lauren didn’t answer right away.

  “Can you tell me more about the people who live in Pearl? I mean, the relationships they have?”

  Mary smiled. “You mean the ménage relationships?” she asked, joining her by the couch.

  Mary took a seat and Lauren turned toward her. “Are there a lot of military men and women living around here?”

  “There sure are. There are lots of people from all walks of life. But I must say that the majority are retired military or law enforcement and first responders. That’s really what makes Pearl such a safe place to live. It’s where I hope you, May, and your sisters will come to live and maybe set up shop,” she said and winked.

  Lauren smiled. “I hope someday it would be safe enough for me to see Aunt May and my sisters again. It seems impossible right now. Not with what may or may not be happening in New York. I wish there was someone to contact. Someone that I could safely call while hiding out. Like Jonathan Mathews, my commander.”

  “Don’t worry about New York. Those men can’t find you here and they won’t find your sisters or May. My friends are taking good care of them.”

  “Who exactly are these friends of yours, Mary? Why can’t I contact my commander? I don’t even know if Frankie is dead or alive.”

  “From my understanding, Frankie is still alive. But he was in bad shape.”

  “My God. He was shot so many times. I swear I didn’t think he would live through something like that. He’s always been a tough son of a gun,” Lauren said, her eyes filled with emotion. “Your friends seems to have a lot of connections. Who exactly are they?”

  “Let’s just say my family ties extend in different directions. Your family is safe. You’re safe here. I’ve already talked with the sheriff and so have my friends.”

  “The sheriff? Why? He could leak information. He could be bought out or something,” Lauren stated and stood up.

  She was so distrusting and Mary understood that. She smiled. “Not a man like Wyatt Cantrell. He’s the heart of this town. His family established the town many generations ago. He has experience in dealing with the types of men who are after you. He also has a lot of friends. Men, military and law enforcement, that would protect you and keep watch so the bad guys can’t get close.”

  “Protect me? Why would they? Who are these men?”

  “Lauren, when I explained that Pearl was a special town, I meant it. By you being here. By stepping foot in this town and now under my roof as a citizen and woman of Pearl, you have the protection and support of all the men. Women are very special here.”

  Lauren gulped. “I can take care of myself.”

  “You don’t need to handle this alone. You’ve got backup.”

  “You mean because of the ménage thing? These men protect the women because men can share a woman here?”

  “No, sweetie. You don’t understand. If a set of men stake a claim to a woman or seek guardianship of that woman and she accepts them, then there are no other men allowed to court her.”

  Lauren was quiet a moment, her cheeks turning a nice shade of red. Mary couldn’t help but to wonder if she’d met someone already. Lauren was gorgeous and assertive. She wondered who it might have been.

  “Guardianship? Like some child who needs a man or men to survive?”

  “No. Like a woman is supposed to be treated, protected, loved, and cherished. Not abused, neglected, left to fend for her own and all alone.”

  “Is this sharing thing automatic?” Lauren asked.

  “Automatic? What do you mean?” Mary asked and she was feeling more and more like Lauren met someone now.

  “I mean if you meet one guy, does it mean if he has a team, friends, that they’ll share that woman?”

  “Not necessarily. Lauren, nothing is forced here. If there’s a mutual attraction, a spark for a relationship to grow then it happens naturally. If not then so be it,” she told Lauren and Lauren looked away.

  Mary got the courage to ask her. “Lauren, did you meet someone?”

  Lauren looked at her. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and shrugged her shoulders.

  “I guess sort of. There was this guy last week who appeared out of nowhere while I was jogging. I kind of freaked out, thinking it was one of Miklos’s buddies, and I drew my weapon.”

  “Oh my,” Mary said and covered her mouth in shock. But really she was chuckling inside. Especially if this man had this effect on Lauren. If she was attracted to him so instantly, Mary wanted to know who he was.

  “Yeah well, I didn’t shoot him, so that was a plus there. Anyway, we talked and then he challenged me.”

  “Challenged you?” Mary asked and as Lauren explained about the race up the hill and her aching side, Mary chuckled.

  “So I avoided the route for the last week, but today he appeared again, just as some wild dogs were in the vicinity.”

  “Oh no. There shouldn’t be any wild dogs around those woods. The sheriff’s deputies usually get calls on the far end of town and take care of it. That’s not a good thing. We should let Wyatt know about this.”

  Lauren nodded her head and then stared at her hands a moment.

  “What happened next?” she asked Lauren, and Lauren shyly tried to change the direction and talk about the town.

  “What was his name, this retired soldier you met twice?”

  “Harper. I think Calloway was his last name.”

  Mary was shocked. He was part of Galvin’s team and they did special jobs for Storm and even Dmitri. She wondered if Dmitri had told them about Lauren and who she was and asked they watch over her. That would make some sense. She would have to call Dmitri and ask him. Or maybe just call Galvin.

  “Do you know him?” she asked.

  “Oh yes. I know Harper and the rest of his team of Navy SEALs. There’s their leader, Galvin. Then Gus, Orin, and Mace. They are very hard men. Almost unapproachable in a lot of ways. They look so angry or just disinterested in socializing in town. It’s interesting, because they know the men who helped me get you out of the hospital and to get May and your sisters to safety.”

  Lauren widened her eyes and then sat up straight on the couch.

  “Five of them? Are you serious? Do you think he purposely showed up in the woods? That he is trying to be friend me to get close so him and his team can keep an eye on
me?” Mary could tell that Lauren was getting angry.

  “I don’t believe so. My friend wouldn’t tell a soul you were here. He agreed that Pearl was a safe place for you. I doubt Harper and his team even know about you. Well I mean Harper does now, but that was surely coincidence.”

  Lauren stood up.

  “I don’t exactly buy coincidences like this one. The damn guy was just trying to get close to me. I don’t believe it. I fell for his words, his charms, and that damn kiss,” Lauren said as she paced the small area in front of the couch.

  “Kiss? You kissed him?” Mary asked, feeling very excited now, even though it seemed she might have made a mess of things by encouraging Lauren’s assumption about Harper.

  “Well, he kissed me. But hey, I guess that’s typical. If this Harper guy works for your friend with the heavy connections, he must sway a little on the dark side. That was why he was so vague about what he did for a living. He only mentioned being a Navy SEAL. My God, he totally tried to seduce me. He wanted to meet in town. I should meet him and give him a piece of my mind. Or better. I should lead him on then stomp on his little game of his. Maybe that would send a clear message.”

  “Calm down, Lauren. I think you’re making too many assumptions and jumping the gun here. I doubt Harper even knows why you’re here.”

  “Well I’m not taking any chances. He better keep his distance and so better these other men who like to claim guardianship of women they don’t even know. No man or men are claiming me. I take care of myself like always. This is ludicrous.”

  Mary watched Lauren storm out of the room.

  That must have been some hell of a kiss. Lauren was insulted and truly hurt. Could Dmitri have asked Harper to watch over Lauren? It didn’t make sense. Plus Dmitri wouldn’t do that. It wasn’t even necessary. She hoped she didn’t just screw up any chances for Lauren to find happiness. Maybe she needed to look further into this. She needed to talk to Dmitri and then Wyatt.

  * * * *

  Dmitri Sanclare stood in his office talking on the phone with Stephan Koldovic, the head of a Russian crime syndicate based in New York. Dmitri had known him for years, and recently they had conducted some business together. In fact, Galvin and his team had just returned from an excursion more than a week ago. But this call was on behalf of Mary Higgins. Longtime family friend and resourceful woman.

  “I sent Vadim and Anton in to gather information as you requested. You must understand, Dmitri, the Tenth Street gang is a notorious, ruthless group of individuals that rule a lot of the street action in the city. This woman, the detective who killed Aces and eight of his main men, will not be able to hide for long.”

  “Am I understanding you correctly, Stephan? Are you telling me that Miklos and his brother have more power than you and your family? This is upsetting to hear.”

  “Of course not. That is not what I’m saying. There are gangs that rule the street drugs and dealings. Our family, who is at the top of the food chain, take care of the highest paying customers and work with distributors.”

  “I hear that Tenth Street gang is attempting to move in on your cousin Thor’s businesses on the eastside.”

  “He’s got that under control. Miklos and his brother Rafael are on a rampage right now. They’re seeking justice for their brother’s death. They also had to close down a few manufacturing companies because the Feds and the state police were in on a raid on them. That cop worked them over good in their own club. She sat in on a meeting with the heads. A twenty-four-million-dollar operation turned to shit because of that woman.”

  “Well, she did her job.”

  “Why don’t you just issue protection for her?”

  “She’s not family, and I don’t ever issue anything like that. She’s well hidden and I intend to keep her that way,” Dmitri told Stephan.

  “Well, hate to tell you this, but there a lot of people who have money invested in the Tenth Street gang that want this detective dead.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. Vadin found out some men in blue were assisting the Tenth Street gang. Looks like people were getting paid off to do more than turn the other cheek.”

  “Cops? Huh, I’m not totally surprised. People get greedy. Money has a way of making the most honest people corrupt. It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve come across anything like this. Detroit, New York, Texas, it doesn’t matter. People see the wealth and power and they want it, too.”

  “Dmitri, the difference here, and with this detective, is that she overheard some big plans. She cost Miklos more than just the death of eight men and his brother Aces. She caused him to lose money, to lose credibility amongst the dealers and buyers, and the power of negotiating terms. These men are Mexican mobsters. They will not let up on finding her and making her suffer. Her death may be inevitable.”

  Dmitri felt the anger boil within him. Why had her and that partner of hers gone in after Miklos and their friends that night? What was the reasoning behind it? Plans were supposedly being made to take down the Tenth Street gang operation entirely. Had her and her partner been tempted by the money and drugs that were with Aces and his posse that night?

  He didn’t like the feeling he had. Friend of Mary’s or not, he didn’t associate himself with rats. Nor with connivers and people who played victim but were really just playing a role to remain alive. He had to find out if this detective was on the up and up.

  “I’ll look into the information you’ve given me.”

  “And if she’s just another greedy cop looking for easy dough and used the badge for her own success?”

  “Then I’ll take care of it, Stephan. She won’t have my protection any further.”

  “Good. I’ll keep you informed of any updates, Dmitri. Hopefully I’ll see you soon my friend.”

  “You bet.”

  Dmitri disconnected the call and leaned back in his chair. Could this cop have really been looking to rip off the gang? How was he going to figure out if she was legit or not? Who the hell could he get to figure it out?

  His cell phone rang and he glanced at the caller I.D,

  He squinted his eyes and licked his lips before he answered.

  “Hello, Mary. How is everything?” he asked her.

  “You tell me, Dmitri. Did you ask Harper and his team to engage Lauren as an additional protection measure?”

  He was surprised by her question and his mind instantly began to process what was going on as Mary continued.

  “She met Harper while jogging. He’s pursuing her and she’s in a panic. I did say that the people protecting her, that the ones who got her to safety as a favor to me, knew Harper and his team. Did you set this up?”

  “No, Mary. I didn’t. But it’s not a bad idea for her to have additional protection.”

  “Why? Is she still in danger? Here in Pearl? How could that be?”

  “It’s precaution, Mary. These men that are looking for her are desperate and they seek revenge. Their reputations are disturbing to say the least. Having the additional protection is a plus.”

  “But you didn’t initially talk with Harper and the rest of his team and tell them about Lauren and ask them to watch over her?”

  “No. I didn’t.”

  “Good. Then you do what you think is best, Dmitri. I trust you, and I know you’ll keep Lauren safe and alive.”

  They made some small talk and then he ended the call. He leaned back in his chair and thought about the conversation. It appeared that Harper was attracted to Lauren. It was only right to inform him of who she was and what he thought may be going on here. If anyone could figure out if Lauren was a straight and honest cop caught in the middle of a shitty situation, it would be these men.

  He scrolled down his contacts list and looked at Galvin Watts’s number. A fellow Navy SEAL. A man who was always resourceful, tough, and ready for action just like the rest of his team. He would understand the fragility of this situation, and he would appoint each member of his team to evaluate and take
action. Dmitri just hoped that Lauren was legit, or telling Mary that her best friend’s niece was a criminal and bad cop would not go over well at all. This was why he hated doing favors for friends of the family. Sometimes even they were fooled by the person they wanted protected and wound up in a lot of trouble themselves, or even dead. Dmitri would make sure that Mary stayed safe and alive.

  * * * *

  “So what are you thinking?” Galvin asked Harper as the whole team gathered around the porch and the fire pit. They were drinking beers and enjoying the fire and cool night.

  “I think she’s running from something. I think she has an injury she’s favoring and hiding.”

  “Harper, you said she pulled a gun on you in the woods. You should have reported it to Wyatt,” Galvin told him.

  “He didn’t want to look like an idiot. You know the shit he’d get when the guys found out a woman, some civilian, got the upper hand on him?” Mace asked, teasing Harper. His face was so unreadable, but his tone was upbeat.

  “I didn’t think anything of it. She was working out, alone in the woods, and taking precautions. She was definitely familiar with the Glock,” Harper added.

  “The next time you met up with her what happened?” Orin asked him and Harper explained.

  “So you get a taste and a feel for this woman and you want her? Just fuck her and be done. Everybody has secrets, man. She obviously has hers,” Mace said with an attitude. It got under Galvin’s skin but apparently really under Harper’s as he sat forward and tore into Mace.

  “You’re such a callous bastard. This is not about getting a piece of ass. There’s something more here. I like her. I think you all would like her, too,” he said.

  “Whoa, slow down, Harper. Are you fucking talking about sharing this woman?” Gus asked, getting into the conversation now.

  Galvin felt his chest tighten at the thought of a ménage. It was something they were all interested in but not quite all on board for. Mace had his anger and intensity issues. He was cold and distant with everyone but them, sort of. Orin and Gus barely ever showed interest in a woman for longer than necessary, and Harper was the most likable and approachable of the bunch. No wonder it was him who found a woman he was attracted to for more than just sex.