by Chloe Lang
“No time to fill you in,” she answered, running past Lily into her home.
“She brought a guest, Mother.” Lily shut the door after he marched into the house.
Norma sat on the sofa, looking up at Shelby. “Everything okay, dear?”
“No,” she answered flatly, bolting for her bedroom with Brandon right behind her.
She went to her nightstand. “It has to be here, Brandon.” Her mother had given Shelby the gun, which they’d found in Nana’s own nightstand after her death. It had been there since her grandmother’s funeral. Always.
Shelby opened the top drawer and moved the magazine that always covered the pistol. Her heart jumped up in her throat when she saw the gun was not there. “Oh my God. I don’t understand.”
“Excuse me, young man.” Norma pushed her way past Brandon, who was blocking the door. “Shelby, what’s going on?”
She collapsed on the bed. “I’m in big trouble, Norma. I’m a suspect in a double homicide down in Elko.”
“Are you sure you didn’t move it to another place?” Brandon asked.
“No. It’s always been there. I’ve never moved it. What if that gun Justin found is my nana’s? What then?”
Norma sat down beside her and grabbed her hands. “Shelby, talk to me. What can I do to help? Surely Sheriff Champion doesn’t think you’re capable of doing such a thing.”
“I can assure you, ma’am, he knows Shelby could never kill someone in cold blood,” Brandon said. Another time and another place it would’ve eased her worry. But this was now and two women were dead. Shelby’s worry wasn’t about to back down.
“Mom, she’s got her attorney here with her,” Lily said, coming around Brandon. “You are an attorney, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am,” he answered.
Lily sat down on the other side of her. “So? What’s Shelby’s next step? She’s innocent as can be. She couldn’t hurt a fly. I know.”
“I do, too,” Brandon agreed. “Shelby, do you lock your windows and doors when you leave?”
“This is Wilde, Brandon. People don’t use locks here. We trust our neighbors.”
Norma nodded. “That’s why I came back home. After losing Samantha, I had to leave for a while to clear my head. Lily and I both missed this place more than we thought we would.”
“What about you two?” Brandon asked.
“What about us?” Lily stammered.
His eyebrows shot up. Clearly he was curious about her reaction.
“Brandon, don’t go accusing my friends. Please. There’s already too much to deal with. I’ve known Norma my whole life. They’ve suffered more than you can imagine.” She thought about Samantha. Norma had aged a couple of decades since her daughter’s death. Lily had an edge to her that hadn’t been there before.
“I’m not accusing anyone, Shelby. Just being thorough. There will be a lot more questions later for everyone.” He turned to Norma and Lily. “Have you seen anything strange or anyone you didn’t recognize lurking around this house?”
“No,” Norma answered.
“We’ve been gone some over the past few days though.” Lily grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Mom and I have been looking for work and finally landed jobs today, Shelby. I’ll be waitressing at Norma’s and Mom is going to work at the liquor store for Carlotta.”
“Lily, that’s great, but I have much bigger issues to deal with right now.”
A flash of a frown crossed the woman’s face, but then she nodded. “I’m sorry, Shelby. You remember that I’m a motormouth whenever I’m nervous, don’t you?”
She nodded. “Don’t be sorry, Lily. I’m just so afraid of how this is going to turn out. My gun is missing. Someone might’ve used it to kill two Elko women.”
“Young man, what is your name?” Norma asked.
“Brandon Champion, ma’am.”
“Was Lily right about you? Do you practice law?”
“As best I can. Yes.”
“Have you heard about the Mexican cartel nosing around Wilde?” Norma’s eyes were filled with apparent concern.
“I have,” he answered.
“I bet those drug dealers are behind this. I’ve only been back a few days and I’ve heard about how they want revenge for the death of Malcolm Winters, their point man here in Northern Nevada.” Norma patted her leg but kept her gaze fixed on Brandon. “Shelby is a sweet young woman. You have to fix this for her.”
“I will, ma’am.” Brandon turned to Shelby with a look of determination that was almost frightening to her.
A pounding on the front door sent a jolt through Shelby’s body. Though the words were faint, they were detectable even from here.
The speaker was none other than Sheriff Byrd. “Open up. I have an arrest warrant for Shelby Taylor.”
* * * *
Standing in the Elko County Courthouse about to be arraigned, Shelby looked over at the three Champion men standing next to her. She was glad they were here. Facing this nightmare alone would’ve been horrible.
“Your Honor,” the district attorney said. “Given that Miss Taylor’s gun was found at one of the crime scenes, we request that bail be denied and that she remain in custody until a date is set for her trial.”
“My client is no flight risk, Your Honor. She has no prior convictions.” Brandon went on with a litany of why a low bail should be granted.
God, he is good at this. I hope he’s good enough.
Her head hadn’t stopped spinning. Lucille and Trixie were dead. Someone had killed them and used her gun. That someone was still on the loose. What if it was the Mexican cartel behind the whole horrific mess as Norma and Lily had suggested back at her home? Were the drug lords using her to get to Austin, the real man they wanted to bring down for hurting their business?
“This is a murder case, counselor, not parking tickets,” Byrd said from behind them.
The judge pounded her gavel. “Quiet. I will not tolerate another outburst from you or anyone else, Sheriff Byrd.” The woman looked down through her glasses at some papers on her desk. When Judge Paulson looked up from the stack, her serious gaze locked on Shelby’s eyes. “Your client’s gun at the scene makes this difficult for me, counselor.”
“Yes, Your Honor. But as I suggested before, anyone could’ve planted—”
The judge held up her hand, but her eyes never left Shelby. “Yes. I heard you the first time and the second time. I will grant bail. What I’m trying to determine is what to set it at.” The woman began thrumming her fingers on the wood.
When Justin had called with the news of Trixie’s death, Shelby had been dumbfounded. When he told them about her gun being found at the scene, she’d almost passed out. When she’d gone to her home to retrieve her gun from her nightstand, the place it had been since Nana’s funeral, her whole world had fallen apart. They’d found no gun and Sheriff Byrd had shown up and placed her in handcuffs. Brandon had been firm and protective, but there wasn’t much he could’ve done.
The handcuffs on her wrists didn’t have the same meaning to Shelby as the ones she’d worn at The Masters’ Chambers. First, this wasn’t the club. Second, this wasn’t a scene. Third, this wasn’t Wilde. This was Elko. She was standing in front of the county judge.
“Bail is set for two hundred fifty thousand dollars. This court is adjourned.” Judge Paulson pounded her gavel. Its reverberation reached into Shelby and filled her with dread.
“I don’t have that kind of money,” she whispered to Brandon.
“It’s only ten percent you need, sweetheart,” he answered.
She shook her head. “I don’t have that either.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Justin said. “We’ve got that covered.”
Alex nodded. “Shelby, we won’t let you down.”
“Enough chitchat. Time to go back to your cell, Miss Taylor,” the creepy sheriff said, placing his hands on her shoulders, making her sick to her stomach.
“Byrd, you better treat her right
, or I swear you’ll regret it,” Justin growled.
“That a threat, Champion?” the sheriff asked.
“No threats.” Brandon stepped in front of him. “Just do your duty.”
“That’s what I plan on doing.”
Alex touched her on the cheek. “We’ll get the bail paid. You’ll be released to us in a flash, Shelby.”
“Paperwork will take you at least an hour,” Byrd snapped.
“Not a chance,” Brandon said. “I’m the best, or have you forgotten that?”
The man didn’t answer but led her back to her cell.
I’m under arrest for murder. Those words swirled in her head like a top. Over and over.
Chapter Thirteen
“Where the hell is Byrd?” Brandon’s blood was boiling.
“He should be back soon.” The deputy was new to the job, only twenty years old.
Byrd couldn’t keep deputies no matter how hard he tried. Figured. The man was a complete asshole.
“This is fucking ridiculous.” He slapped his palms on the deputy’s desk.
The kid leaned back, eyes wide. “I’m just following the rules. I can’t release any prisoners, bail or no bail. Sheriff Byrd is the only one who can sign a prisoner out.”
“You better let us go back and see her right now,” Justin barked
“I cannot do that. It would be my job, fellows.”
Brandon felt his face get hot.
“Back down, guys. Don’t be hard on Jim. We’re all pissed, but this isn’t his fault.” Alex turned to the deputy. “How far along is Paula now?”
“About to pop, Doc.” Jim’s nervous glances indicated to all of them that he wasn’t meant for law enforcement. “We sure wish you would come back to deliver our baby.”
“He’s got a pregnant wife at home,” Alex said. “He needs this job.”
“Fine.” Brandon’s pulse pounded hard in his veins. “Kid, you best get your ass back to Shelby and tell her what is going on. We have the bail. We’re waiting on your fucking boss to come back so we can spring her from this hellhole. Got it?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve got it.” Jim jumped up and unlocked the door that led to the cells in the back. He closed it behind him, leaving Brandon alone with his brothers.
Alex leaned against the desk. “Shelby doesn’t deserve any of this shit.”
“No she doesn’t,” Justin said. “You’ll get her name cleared up, won’t you, Brandon?”
“She’s innocent,” Alex interjected. “Of course, he will.”
“Innocent or not doesn’t always mean much in a court of law, especially in Elko County with Byrd as sheriff.” Brandon felt the gravity of the situation deep in his gut.
“You can’t fail her,” Alex said, a tinge of panic in his voice.
He agreed, his mind trying to figure a way out of this mess but coming up dry. What kind of attorney kissed his client? Apparently his kind. Get your head in the game, Brandon. Her gun had been found at the scene. So many questions surrounded that bit of evidence. How had it gotten there? Who had taken it from her home? Her two guests, Norma and Lily, were at the top of his possible suspect list. Shelby had told him not to pursue them, but he must. As soon as possible, too. Why would they want to implicate Shelby? Or was it the drug lords, as his pop had suggested? There were a ton of loose threads to investigate.
“She needs you, Brandon. Hell, she needs all of us,” Justin said.
“What do you mean by that?” Alex asked.
“I love her, and I know you love her too, Alex.” Justin looked at Brandon. “You’re falling for her, admit it.”
“That doesn’t matter. She’s my client. It’s unethical for me to do anything about my alleged feelings for her.”
“Alleged? My ass.” Justin grinned. “You’re as gone on her as I am.”
“Which one of us is going to get her?” Alex asked.
“Not this fucking game again,” Brandon snapped. “I thought we outgrew that crap.”
“Listen to me,” Justin said. “She’s not looking for one of us. Shelby’s from Wilde. She wants all of us. Get it?”
“Yes,” Alex nodded. “I get it. I’m not sure that kind of thing would work for me, but if that’s what Shelby wants I’m willing to give it a try. No promises.”
Justin smiled. “That’s all she’s hoping for. A chance.”
Shit. Brandon had never even considered that as a possibility. “This isn’t the time or place for this discussion, Justin. Shelby’s in big trouble. We have our work cut out for us to make sure she’s cleared of all Byrd’s charges.” He needed to get his brothers focused back on helping Shelby. “When Byrd comes back and we get her released, you go talk to Austin. He’s at the center of this Mexican cartel crap. Alex, go see Pop. I bet he has some ideas about who else might be behind these murders. I must follow up with Shelby’s guests.”
“What the hell is taking that kid so long?” Justin growled, looking up at the big clock on the wall above the deputy’s desk. “He should’ve been back already. Shelby better be okay.”
Jim came back through the door, closing it behind him. Brandon heard the lock click, a reminder that they were still separated from Shelby because of Byrd’s doing.
“Did you tell her what I told you to say?” Brandon asked.
“I did. She was crying. I got her some tissue. I hate to see a woman cry.”
“Thank you for taking care of her for us,” Alex said.
“I did try. I gave her a bottle of water and some chips from the vending machine.”
Alex leaned forward. “Good job, Deputy.”
Brandon hated every second that passed. He’d never been able to bring Byrd down, but he swore that one day he would succeed. Now, more than ever, he wanted to make that happen, especially for Shelby.
“Did you not hear what Jim said about her, or are you going deaf? Shelby was crying.” Justin turned to the young man. “I don’t give a fuck what your goddamn rules are, Deputy. You are going to let me go back there right now or you’ll regret it. Trust me.”
Justin always had the shortest fuse of the three of them. He was in a state of rage, which wasn’t a good thing for any of them, especially Shelby.
Brandon stepped in between Jim and Justin. “Everyone needs to settle down.”
“Fuck that. Byrd’s responsible for this. Maybe I should go looking for him.”
The entrance into the sheriff’s office opened, and in walked Byrd with a shit-eating grin on his face. “I guess you’re here to get your Wilde girl out of my jail. Sorry. A man’s got to eat. I had to get my lunch and coffee.”
Brandon felt an eruption explode inside him, and his legal training flew out the window. There was no way he would be able to keep his calm. Not now. Not when it came to Shelby. He grabbed Byrd by the shirt and pulled him in close until they were nose to nose. “You motherfucker. I know you’re a dirty cop and I will get you. You have exactly thirty seconds to release my client to me.”
Obviously shaken, Dirty Byrd stumbled backward, eyes wide. The sheriff was clearly not used to people being so aggressive and challenging him.
Brandon watched Alex and Justin step forward, like always, the best backup a brother could ever have.
The sheriff, who normally put up such a hard-ass front, was compliant at the moment. He jumped to the door to the cells and unlocked it.
Brandon bet the man’s current change of demeanor was due to his concern about being investigated by him. That was going to happen, but only after he made sure Shelby was cleared of all charges.
In a split second, Byrd returned with Shelby. “Here she is.”
She smiled weakly, and Brandon could see that Jim had told the truth. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Justin and Alex went to her, placing their arms protectively around her.
“Brandon, sorry about this.” Byrd’s tone was sickly sweet. “I thought you could take a little joke.”
What a slime ball. “This is no joke, Sheriff. Trust me.” Brandon would
’ve loved to unleash his own fists, not to mention Justin’s and Alex’s, on the sonofabitch, but his legal side, his logical mind, finally kicked in. Pummeling Byrd wouldn’t help Shelby’s case one iota. He turned to his most important client in his whole career. “Let’s get you out of here, sweetheart.”
“No hard feelings?” The creep’s eyes danced from him to his brothers, back and forth.
Brandon stared Byrd down. “Let this be a lesson to you, Sheriff. Don’t mess with us Champions.”
“Damn right, bro,” Justin said, opening the door and walking Shelby out with Alex.
“Damn right,” he agreed and followed them out.
Chapter Fourteen
Yesterday, Shelby had been locked away inside the Elko County Jail. Now, she was back at the Champions’ family cabin for the second time. That had been Brandon’s idea. Justin and Alex had agreed with him that the cabin would be better than back at her house. They thought she would be safer there since the real killer was still on the loose. Plus, they told her that it was one of the most peaceful places in the area. She could relax and clear her head of all the mayhem she’d gone through already.
They were right on one point. This place was tranquil, but she was far from serene. Brandon had helped her into bed last night, but had left without a word. It had sent her into a tailspin, which wasn’t hard to do given everything else she was facing.
She looked around the space, realizing this might be her home for a while. “Mind if I head out to the back porch? I’d like to see the sunset.”
“Certainly. I’ll join you in a minute,” Brandon said. “I’m about finished in here.”
She nodded to her lawyer, who was standing in the kitchen, and walked out the back. Closing the door behind her, she saw the sky soften as the sun dipped behind the peaks of her native Northern Nevada. The blues morphed into hues of lavender, pink, and orange.
Taking a seat in one of the chairs on the porch, Shelby felt an odd kinship to the fading day. She still couldn’t seem to wrap her head around any of what had happened. She’d dreamed of spending more time with the three sexy brothers, but not like this. She sighed, knowing she had already fallen for the trio. What did it matter if Justin was right or wrong about his brothers warming up to a Wilde way of living? It didn’t. Her nana’s gun was in a plastic bag in Byrd’s possession.