by Taylor Lee
Tanya managed to sneer. “And just who might that be? Agent whoever you are?”
Ryker’s tense smile widened to a grin. “As I said, the name’s Ryker, Agent Ryker Thompson. And yeah, honey, I am that man. By the way, I don’t know the last time someone paddled that perky ass of yours, but on my scorecard you have earned a minimum of five bare-assed spankings.” At her shocked gasp, Ryker put his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward the door, then smacked her sharply on her butt. Ignoring her outraged shriek, he said softly, “Shall we go?”
Too stunned at what had transpired to argue, and not knowing what the outrageous man might do to further embarrass her in front of her father, Tanya allowed him to direct her into the room where her frowning father was waiting for them.
Chapter 10
Parking the flushed deputy in the chair across from his, Ryker faced Sheriff Trouble, acknowledging that the formidable lawman’s stern expression required an explanation of sorts. Rather than try to explain the multi-layered relationship between himself and the sheriff’s outrageous daughter, Ryker turned instead to the reason he’d descended on their jurisdiction. “I appreciated your resourcefulness, Sheriff, containing the likely repercussions from my untimely arrest. Your actions kept my undercover operation from being exposed.”
The sheriff turned a stern gaze on him, confirming that he was not pleased by the way Ryker had escorted his daughter from the room. The sheriff’s cool response relieved Ryker from trying to explain the scene that even he admitted had been over the top.
“Please understand, Agent Thompson, it was the precautions Deputy Trouble took that contained what would have been a most unfortunate outcome—exposing your mission. She insisted that Sergeant Oliver book you and that he relay his findings directly to me. It goes without saying that Tony Oliver was as surprised as I was to discover that Deputy Trouble’s ‘attacker’ was none other than an elite FBI agent sent to investigate my office.”
Hearing the reproach in his careful words, Ryker chose to focus on the sheriff’s reference to his supposed “attack” on his daughter. Glancing at Tanya, who was staring at her hands, a rosy flush staining her cheeks, he didn’t hide the irony in his response. “Hmm, I think Deputy Trouble would have an easier case to make if she’d asserted my arrest was due to a lack of a concealed carry permit, as the issue of who attacked whom is an open question.” At Tanya’s surprised gasp, he cut off what was sure to be a heated response, adding, “I concede that given my association with Sledge Perkins and his cronies, Deputy Trouble had good cause to suspect that I was up to no good. It speaks to her on-target instincts that she thought I was hiding something and ensured that only the two of you would see my ‘sheet.’ Fortunately, her precautions kept my mission from being revealed.”
“Yes, it did, Agent Thompson. In addition, I trust you understand that Deputy Trouble is not only a crack law enforcement professional, she is my daughter.”
Ryker nodded in agreement, acknowledging the sheriff’s obvious displeasure but determined to assert his authority with both the sheriff and his deputy, he said curtly, “I’m quite aware of both, Sheriff Trouble. But let’s not minimize the issues we’d face if my identity was revealed. The bureau has been working this case for nearly a year. We concluded an undercover operation was essential because of the magnitude of the fraud we are tracking. While I don’t blame you for being annoyed at our suspicions, it was hard to see how the criminal activity we’ve uncovered could have occurred without the involvement of the local law enforcement community. To be specific, the CCSO.”
Ryker put up his hand, cutting off Tanya’s enraged stutter. “Hold on, Deputy.” Turning to her father, he explained. “Even though I’m sure that my clandestine operation annoys you, sir, please know that in less than a week I have been able to reassure my superiors that the CCSO is not involved in the criminal activity. Rather, that your office is likely to be the one entity that can help me crack the case and ensure a successful outcome.”
“That would be my hope as well, Agent Thompson. But do know that my daughter isn’t the only one who is unimpressed with the FBI. I’m confident you have heard local law enforcement professionals debunk your admittedly elite organization even while conceding that FBI agents would give us the sleeves—”
“The sleeves off our vests.” Ryker interrupted with an appreciative grin. He was glad when the narrow-eyed sheriff flicked a careless finger, indicating he appreciated Ryker finishing one of the many contemptuous tradeoffs between the two levels of law enforcement. Well aware of local agencies’ antagonism to the admittedly often-arrogant imposition of the Bureau in their jurisdictions, Ryker knew that compounding his insertion into the sheriff’s dominion was the obviously challenging dynamic between himself and the sheriff’s daughter. Against his better judgment, Ryker decided to take on the issue roiling beneath the surface of their relatively courteous interchange.
Glancing at Tanya, who was pointedly ignoring him, he spoke to her father. “Look, Sheriff Trouble, I’m sure it’s clear your daughter and I have had a skirmish or two. But please know, not only am I impressed with her law enforcement instincts but also with her willingness to take on anyone who annoys her. Even if they are twice as big as she is and more dangerous than a pack of rabid dogs.”
Titus pinned him with a cool stare. “Does that include arrogant undercover agents, Agent Thompson?”
Ryker conceded with a chuckle, “Most certainly, sir. In fact, it would appear that arrogant FBI agents or their aliases are one of her most bedeviled targets.”
Seeing the humorous glance the cocky agent and her father exchanged, Tanya had enough. She smacked her glass down on the table and rose to her feet. Glaring at them both, she scoffed, “Please don’t let me interrupt your amused camaraderie. Far be it for the little girl who is clearly not qualified to participate in your grown-up, manly discussion, particularly since you are discussing me as though I’m not sitting right here.”
Turning her anger on the smiling agent, she spit out, “You are right about several things, Agent Thompson. I’m not afraid of you or impressed by your credentials or your supposed mission. In my mind, you are just one more puffed-up Fibbie inserting yourself in local issues that are sure to blow up because of your nanny-state interference. It would be nice, but totally unexpected, if you and your overbearing organization had the decency to apprise us local officials of your intentions. Who knows, ignorant and incapable as we are, we might even be of some assistance.”
As he had before, Thompson rose to his feet and turned a narrow-eyed gaze on her. Tanya startled and stepped back to keep him from grabbing her as he had earlier. Instead, he shook his head and winked at her. “No need to fear, Deputy Trouble. I’m done harassing you—for the moment. Unlike you and your impressive father, I’m still living on EST, and according to my internal clock, I’m closing in on twenty hours without sleep and need to excuse myself.”
Turning to the sheriff, Ryker said, “I’m glad that we are on the same page, sir. As your daughter correctly asserted, the chances of my operation being successful are infinitely better now that I have your support, and in time, I hope that of the indomitable deputy.” He nodded to Sheriff Trouble as he retrieved his Stetson from the hat rack and headed to the door. “Good night, Sheriff. I look forward to implementing our plans ensuring that together we bring my mission to a successful conclusion so that I can get the hell out of your hair. And perhaps most especially, out of your daughter’s cross hairs.” Brushing by her, Ryker smiled at Tanya’s involuntary start. “Good night to you, Deputy Trouble.” Shooting her an audacious wink, he murmured, “Pleasant dreams.”
Staring at his retreating back until he strode through the outer door and closed it behind him, Tanya became aware that she’d been holding her breath. She sucked in as much air as her constricted lungs would allow and heard her father clear his throat. She shouldn’t have been surprised at his ironic question.
“Do you want to tell me what that was al
l about, Tanya?”
Turning to meet his concerned gaze, not missing the intent underscoring it, she breathed an audible sigh and shook her head. “Please, Dad. I . . . I can’t talk any more tonight. I truly am exhausted.”
Her father nodded in agreement. “I’m certain that you are. And yes, you need to get some sleep. But do know that you and I are going to have an extended conversation later today. Not only do I need to bring you up on the plans Thompson and I designed to explain his arrest and why he was freed, but I have a few dozen questions for you. Questions that I will not allow you to evade.” When she merely pressed her lips together, willing the tears surging behind her eyelids not to fall, her father clearly took pity in her. “Listen, Tanya. I’m aware that this is a challenging situation. Apparently, more so than I realized. Go get some sleep. We’ll talk later.”
She nodded, then whispered, “Thanks, Dad.” Turning and fleeing from the room, she prayed that her father hadn’t seen the tears that she could no longer hold back.
****
“What the hell happened, Burke? Are you telling me that Pete Matthews was right? That Trouble hellcat arrested you? So help me God, if she did, I’m going to file a harassment claim against her.” Sledge Perkins swiped at the spittle on his chin, an involuntary dribble that underscored his incoherent anger. “I’m telling you boys, this time I’m going to report her to District Attorney Zane Turner, although Titus Trouble has him and the whole fucking justice department in this shithole town in his pocket. But even Turner can’t deny that the sheriff’s office is out of control. Hell, just yesterday that uppity little deputy was here insinuating that you boys had something to do with the death of that spic gal.” He added, “Just because some asshole dragged the body onto my land—no doubt to insinuate that someone here had something to do with her murder—is no reason for Deputy Trouble to think she can harass my men!”
Ryker stepped forward, doing his best to mollify the irate man. “Settle down, boss man. Yeah, that little firecracker caught up with me outside of Sadie’s. She seemed to think that I was acting suspiciously. Don’t know what the hell I could have been doing to make her think that, but within minutes she was patting me down. Unfortunately, she happened upon my Glock and insisted that she needed to take me in.”
“What the goddamned hell!” Sputtering incoherently, Perkins’s face turned a raging purplish hue. Getting some control, he bellowed, “For God’s sake, every son of a bitch in these parts worth his salt has at least one piece on him at all times.”
Ryker interrupted him. “You’re right, Sledge. We know that and so does Sheriff Trouble. Apparently, the feisty deputy got called away on some kerfuffle in Douglas after telling the cop booking me to do the works. Deputy Trouble seems to think I’m an escaped felon on the loose. Turns out the most they could book me on was not having a concealed carry license on my person. The cop called in Sheriff Trouble, who I’m glad to say is more reasonable than that fiery daughter of his. He heard my tale and made a few calls to Louisiana where I last licensed my pistols, and they confirmed that I was legit. At that point, the sheriff released me.”
Manny Davis broke into the conversation. “Sledge ain’t slingin’ the shit, Flint. They sure as hell should have released you. That cop cunt had no business arresting you in the first place.” His eyes narrowed dangerously. “I’m telling you, she is heading for a fall. And I’m not the only guy who’s making that threat. I can tell you, someday, or better yet, some night, Deputy Tanya Trouble is gonna find out what a group of real men can do to that sassy ass of hers. Trust me, the result won’t be pretty and she sure as hell won’t be swingin’ that ass of hers in our faces any more. And she won’t be walkin’ straight for a hell of a long time to come, neither.”
Ryker managed to keep his cool but with a concerted effort. What he wanted to do was drive his fist so hard and so deep into Manny’s face that it came out of his ass. A red haze covering his eyes blurred the image of the hateful man fulminating in front of him. It was just as well. Given his expertise in the killing arts, it was critical Ryker control his anger that was threatening to flare. Yeah, it would be more than satisfying to treat Manny to a full-out barrage of Krav Maga, the Mossad’s killing art in which anything less than the death of one’s opponent was considered a loss. Ryker was an elite practitioner in the deadly martial art and knew that he could teach Manny a lesson he would never forget . . . or survive. But he had a more challenging antagonist to deal with. It was the object of the despicable group of misogynistic Hitler-lovers’ sputtering threats, Deputy Sheriff Tanya Trouble, herself.
Ryker had managed to grab a few hours of sleep after leaving the sheriff’s office, but it wasn’t easy. A phantasmagoria of emotions had made sleep, much less genuine rest, a challenge. He admitted that he had come on strong with the audacious woman, particularly in front of her father, which he was sure the sheriff had not appreciated. But how could he not? It was one thing to castigate him when she thought he was a lowlife like the rest of Sledge Perkins’s sycophants. But now that she knew that he was a federal agent sent to investigate federal crimes in their county, he would have expected a sliver of respect. Apparently not. Not only had she turned up her nose at his apparent authority but she’d done it in front of her father. Dammit, not an option. Heck no. It was critical that he put down his marker. Which was why he had purposefully confronted her, no matter how he provoked her father.
It was equally important that he take her on in his undercover role. He needed to ingratiate himself into the Perkins’s gang, become “one of the boys.” One surefire way to do that was to confront the feisty deputy sheriff. When he’d challenged her and invaded her personal space, it was clear that he’d gotten a rise out of her. The problem was that he’d reacted to her as strongly as she had to him. There was something about the impudent woman that most definitely turned his crank. That untoward reaction flared when she had the audacity to frisk him. Ryker hadn’t pulled any punches when he told her he fully intended to return the favor—at the time and place of his choosing. Hell, he’d even gone as far as to warn her that he was going spank her bare ass. Phew, talk about upping the ante.
The problem was that he needed the sheriff and the deputy’s help if his mission had a chance in hell of succeeding. While he knew that Sheriff Trouble would support him when he understood the magnitude of the case he was working, it was obvious that the impressive sheriff had seen the sparks between his daughter and him and wasn’t pleased. Clearly Ryker had some dicey waters he needed to negotiate. It didn’t help that the feisty young woman at the heart of the conflict was likely to fight him every step of the way.
Chapter 11
I like him, Tanya.”
Tanya didn’t have to ask to whom her father was referring. She’d known before she went to his office the conversation they would likely have. Make that the discussion her father had made clear in the early morning hours that they definitely would have. They were too close for him to allow the scene from the night before to go unremarked. Particularly since she’d almost burst into tears when her father had pressed her. While Titus gave her a break and let her leave without insisting that she tell him what the hell was going on between her and the FBI agent, she knew it was a momentary reprieve.
Not pretending she didn’t know who the “him” was that Titus liked, she shrugged dismissively. “I’m glad you do, Dad. Just know that I don’t like him. To be more specific, I think he is an arrogant asshole who thinks just because he is an FBI agent he can come into our county and throw his weight around. That we are all supposed to bow and scrape before him, acting as if J. Edgar fucking Hoover had deigned to enter our pathetic hovel. I also don’t appreciate the fact that he came here in disguise, assumed an alias, apparently because he thought the CCSO was involved in the crime he’s investigating.”
Now on a roll, Tanya glared at her father. “Surely you are insulted that he and his superiors didn’t have the decency to approach you honestly. Really, Dad, I’m su
rprised that you aren’t as angry as I am at their arrogant assumptions. For God’s sake, anyone who knows anything about your reputation knows there isn’t a more honorable lawman in the country—much less this county.” Gesturing at the wall of awards that Titus had garnered in his thirty years of service, she snorted. “I’d like to see the accolades the conceited agent has. Although knowing the FBI, they probably give awards for arrogance, which would mean that Agent Thompson has a bucket full.”
Gazing at her, his lips tipping up at the corner, Titus took a moment to pack fragrant tobacco into his trusty pipe, then lit it. Facing her through the aromatic smoke, he allowed his incipient smile to broaden.
“Like you, Tanya, I find the Bureau’s sense of superiority annoying, particularly when it comes to their view of local law enforcement. And yes, I would have preferred that they had come here openly, bringing us into the discussion, but they did not. As Agent Thompson said, they assumed that the CCSO was likely involved in the criminal activity.”
“Doesn’t that make you angry, Dad? How dare they make assumptions like that? They have to know your reputation. Or they would have if they had done a scintilla of research. But no, they automatically assumed what could a measly sheriff of a dusty county know about the crap that is going on in his backyard!”
Titus shrugged. “I agree. But the antagonism and distrust between our levels of law enforcement are longstanding. Particularly when it comes to border issues. Unfortunately, the Fibbies, like the rest of the alphabet soup national organizations, tend to think that we all are race-baiting, anti-Hispanic diehards out to build a hundred-foot-high wall from California to Texas to keep out the border trash. You and I know that is misguided at best.”