by Sam Crescent
Opening the drawer he took out his wedding band. He never wore the thing because in his head and heart he was no longer married. Kate Carmichael was his wife and the woman who’d introduced him to the world of BDSM. He’d become a master for her, but what she wanted from him, he could not give her. There was only so much he enjoyed about dominating women, but Kate needed more. His wife always needed more.
They’d separated on good terms as neither wanted the trouble or expense of a divorce. The expense didn’t bother him. He came from a wealthy family, which gave him the freedom to be the Sheriff in Law Castle. Tristan hadn’t seen another woman in his life or in his future, but then Vicki seemed to explode out of nowhere. He picked up the ring with Kate’s name inscribed on the inside of the gold. Grabbing his wallet from his back pocket, he pulled out her folded picture. The edges were ripped, and the picture overall had seen better days.
Kate was blonde, thin, and everything women seemed to be fighting to be. Her breasts were small, but her skin had been silky soft. He recalled the way her ass would turn red at the swipe of his hand.
There was no arousal in the memory. His feelings for Kate no longer affected him. Kate may be his wife, but now she was more like a friend than anything else.
Placing the ring back in the drawer and folding her picture up, Tristan hung his head. Behind the picture of his wife was another picture. A picture the doctors had given him on the scan of Vicki’s abdomen. She hadn’t been able to afford the picture of the ultrasound, but a picture had been on file.
Staring down at the small blob on the photo, grief unlike anything he’d ever known clawed at him. This picture could have changed everything for him. Having children wasn’t something he thought about. Tristan had long given up the hope of ever fathering a child. The one woman who’d almost given him one now hated his guts.
He didn’t have a clue how to tell her otherwise.
****
Vicki kept walking without looking back. She wanted to look back, but she fought the urge. Tristan had pushed her away before, and he broke her heart. She wasn’t going to allow herself to be broken again. The first man she’d given her heart to was the only man to ever break her heart.
There was nothing for her to smile about anymore. No baby, no lover, or guy to call her own. She was all alone in Law Castle. Not for long. She intended to leave Law Castle and go to the city. Her parents were already looking for apartments for her.
She nodded at a few of the locals then made her way toward Stefan Jackson’s home. The house was large, one of the largest in Law Castle. His home needed to be large as he held a lot of parties, and several of the Law Castle Bad Boys stayed over at night. She was like his housekeeper-cum-cleaner and assistant.
Opening the gate she bolted either end into the ground. If anyone turned up they could drive or walk straight to the front door. Stefan liked his home open. He loved Law Castle and his gang of sorts.
Stefan was talking with his sister, Chloe, as she made her way inside the house. They stopped talking to look at her.
“Hi, Vicki,” Chloe said. The pity in the other woman’s voice saddened her. She didn’t want pity or any other kind of emotion. No amount of pity would bring her baby back.
“Morning,” Vicki said. She placed her bag next to the coat hanging on the wall. Stefan promised nothing would happen to her stuff when she was with him.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Stefan said, dismissing his sister.
Noah and Drew walked down the stairs with Cheryl. The three were in a relationship together. Both men doted on Cheryl, and in Law Castle they accepted the relationship. What happened in Law Castle stayed in Law Castle, apparently. No one judged the other, and apart from the shoot-out last year everything was always peaceful and calm. For the most part Vicki couldn’t complain. She loved Law Castle, and leaving the town would hurt, but she needed to protect her heart.
They nodded in her direction and then left. Zoe was coming around to have a girly night with her. The older woman still worked at The Dugout. Tonight Zoe was spending the evening with her even though her three men didn’t like Zoe being out of their sight.
In no time at all she was alone with Stefan. The other man stared at her. His arms were covered in tattoos. From the prints on his arms Vicki was reminded of the tattoos decorating Tristan’s arms.
“What do you need from me?” Vicki asked.
“I had a party last night. Several of the guys are still sleeping.”
“When they wake up I’ll change the sheets.” She usually went around with a rubber glove on in case of any used condoms.
Stefan moved closer until she was trapped between his body and the wall. “I know what you do, Vicki. How can working for me picking up used condoms and spending time in this place be any better than The Dugout?” Stefan asked.
She liked Stefan. He was huge, but she’d seen kindness inside him. When it came to his sister he was very protective. Vicki liked his protectiveness, and it also made it hard for her to lie to him about her thoughts. Also, he was good friends with her father as they were in the same club.
“I lost my baby at The Dugout, Stefan. You know this.”
“It’s not the only reason. I know you’re a strong woman. What else makes you work for me?” he asked.
He rubbed her arms, and tears filled her eyes.
“When I’m here Tristan won’t come here. He doesn’t like you, and I need the peace I get here,” she said.
Anger flashed across his face to be instantly replaced by sympathy. Stefan pulled her into his arms. “Baby, this place is open for you whenever you need it,” he said.
She wrapped her arms around him and wished she felt something more than brotherly love for him. Stefan was like a big brother to her even though they were not related.
“You’re a special woman, Vicki. Tristan is an asshole for not seeing it.”
No one knew about his marital status. She’d slept with him and hadn’t known he was taken. Tristan would never be hers. He was taken by another woman. A woman she’d never met and didn’t ever want to.
“Thank you, Stefan. It means a lot.”
He dropped a kiss to her head and then moved away. “You’re like a sister to me. I don’t like to see you hurt.”
Nodding, Vicki made her way upstairs. The first room she came to was immaculate. There was no mess, and she knew Cheryl was responsible for this room. She walked into the room, opened the window, and gathered up the washing left in the laundry basket.
She worked her way through the house while also taking phone calls for Stefan, who’d popped out for the day.
Several of the club members greeted her in passing. She ignored them, but when she walked into the game room she could no longer ignore their raw masculinity as their conversation played around her. Letting out a sigh, she emptied the bins and moved around the room. They paid attention to her, smacking her ass as she passed. She didn’t hate it. All of her life she’d grown up with it. They didn’t mean anything bad by their attention. They were men who were used to getting what they wanted. Tristan was more like them than he liked to admit.
Chapter Two
Tristan waved at his deputy. The boy, Kevin Thomas, was in his early twenties and wished to serve as a deputy throughout the day. Law Castle didn’t really need a deputy, but Tristan placed him on night watch just because he liked the kid. He saw the way Kevin looked at Marla, and part of him wanted there to be a happy ending between the two, even if it was a cougar romance.
He walked out into the warm night air. The heat irritated him, and he’d paid a lot of money to have air conditioning in his home.
“I wondered when I was going to see you,” Stefan Jackson said. The other man was leaning against his bike, the same bike Vicki liked to ride on when there was an event taking place in town. He’d watched her many times laughing and holding onto Stefan as he rode her around.
“What can I do for you?” Tristan asked.
“You can start by t
elling me what’s going on between you and Vicki. She got shot last year and lost a baby.” Stefan stepped away from his bike. “I’ve known Vicki a long time, and she doesn’t spread her legs for anyone.”
Anger coursed over him. Tristan didn’t like anyone talking about his woman like that.
“Get to your point,” he said.
“She quit working at The Dugout to get away from you. Her working for me guarantees you won’t come to find her. What did you do to her?”
“None of your business.” He didn’t like the other man’s protective attitude. Vicki was his responsibility, not Stefan’s.
“Actually, my town, my business.” Stefan stepped right up to him. “Vicki’s been part of this town a lot longer than you. I don’t want her to be rushed off because of you.”
“Vicki’s not going anywhere.” Tristan gritted his teeth to stop himself from lashing out. Seeing Stefan’s protective side was making him annoyed. No one told him what to do. “And this is my town. I protect this town and its citizens.”
“Yeah, you were doing a stand-up job last year.”
Stefan referred to the incident where a local drug runner almost killed Vicki. Unable to hold back his anger, Tristan stepped up closer. “You’ve got a problem with me?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a problem with the guy who somehow broke Vicki’s heart.”
“If it bothers you so much, why don’t you take her?” Tristan asked.
“Ew, gross. That girl is the same age as my sister, which is just fucking disgusting. I like my women my own age.” Stefan glanced down at his watch. “Speaking of sisters, I got to go and pick mine up from The Dugout. A couple of aliens were hitting on her.”
Aliens were what the locals referred to as non-locals or out-of-towners.
Tristan shook his head. He stood outside the station watching as Stefan climbed back on his bike.
“I don’t know what happened between you and Vicki. All I know is she’s saving up enough money to get out of Law Castle,” Stefan said, gaining his attention once again.
“What?”
Vicki couldn’t leave this town. He wouldn’t be able to handle never seeing her again. No, it wasn’t possible. Tristan refused to accept Stefan’s words.
“I got a call from her parents to keep an eye on her. The Law Castle Bad Boys club sticks together, Tristan. Her dad used to be one of us until he upped and left. Dude asked me to keep an eye on his girl until he can come and get her.”
Tristan had seen her parents at the hospital when she’d been discharged. She’d gone to stay with them to recover instead of staying in town. He’d missed her like crazy. When she’d been gone he spent a great deal of time in the bar where she worked hoping to get a chance to see her. Steve, the owner of The Dugout, didn’t tell him until he’d spent a great deal of money in the bar that Vicki no longer worked for him.
He’d done the same in the diner until he realised Vicki worked for Stefan. Once he saw she was back in town he arranged his Sundays to be back in the station to see her whenever she brought in her baked goods.
Lame. You’ve got it bad.
“I’ve got to go,” Tristan said.
“Well, her dad happened to mention an apartment had already been bought for her in the city. Vicki is moving out of Law Castle for good, and from what I hear, she’s got jobs lined up and may even go back to school.”
“Why are you telling me this?” he asked. The pain bloomed inside his chest at the thought of his woman leaving him. How was he going to survive without seeing his woman again? The instant he took Vicki’s virginity she’d become his woman.
You did a shit-load more than take her virginity.
From the moment he felt her sweet cunt gripping him Tristan had been hooked.
“Because there was a moment sometime last year before all the shit happened when Vicki looked happy. I guess you and Vicki had more than a moment together.” Stefan rubbed his eyes. “Look, you can do what you’re doing, and that’s fine by me, or you can admit you’ve got feelings for Vicki and give you guys a chance. Either way, I’m not letting her leave town until you make a decision. If you haven’t approached her by next week, me and the boys are taking her to her dad.”
The bike roared to life as Stefan turned it on. Tristan watched until the bike was driving in the distance in the direction of the only bar.
Vicki was leaving him. She never talked to him or smiled, but at least she was around. What was he going to do when he wouldn’t even see her on a Sunday?
Running a hand over his face Tristan set off in the direction of her house. He didn’t have a plan of any kind. He needed to see her with his own eyes and hear her say the words that would take her away from him forever.
****
Vicki filled Zoe’s glass with water while she had another tall glass of red wine. Zoe was pregnant and couldn’t drink.
“Okay, you’re going to have to tell me what has caused this sudden girlfriend-drink event. I know you, Vicki. You’re not one to drink.”
She drained the glass of red wine. They’d worked together at The Dugout, and it had taken everything Vicki possessed to get Zoe to open up. Zoe was older and was currently in a relationship with three men, Jake, Brent, and Connor were all friends and with Zoe.
“There’s something I’ve got to tell you, and I don’t think you’re going to like it all that much.” Vicki poured more wine into her glass. She wasn’t alcoholic or anything. The wine helped give her the courage to tell her friend she was leaving. After finishing work at Stefan’s place her father had phoned to confirm an apartment and college course.
“You’re scaring me. I don’t like this. You’re drinking, and that’s never good. I know about the baby and Tristan. Tell me.”
Licking her lips, Vicki placed her glass on the coffee table. “I’m leaving Law Castle.”
After everything she’d done to befriend this woman Vicki couldn’t believe she was going to leave her. Zoe didn’t handle friendship all that well. She’d been in the foster system, and connecting to her was hard.
Vicki connected with her, and now she was going to leave it all behind.
For the best. Leaving town and starting a life somewhere else is for the best.
“What? No, you can’t leave Law Castle. You love it here,” Zoe said. Her glass of water joined Vicki’s on the coffee table.
She shrugged. “I’ve got to go.”
“Is this because of that pig of a Sheriff?”
“He’s not a pig.” Why am I still defending him after everything he’s done?
Zoe gave her a pointed look and snorted.
“This is not about Tristan. It’s about me.”
“Tristan is the one who got you pregnant. The town don’t know about his involvement, but he also claims to be a married man. Where’s his wife?”
Again, Vicki shrugged. There was nothing else she could do.
“No, you don’t get to shrug something like that off.” Zoe grabbed her arms and shook her. “You’re not leaving. You’re my best friend. Outside of my men you’re my only friend. Yes, I chat with Cheryl and Chloe, but they’re not like you.”
Tears threatened to spill over, and Vicki forced them away. She stood, taking hold of her glass and the bottle of wine. Moving to the window she stared out at the dark street. The pain was apparent in Zoe’s voice.
“Tristan showed me a picture. I told him I loved him, and he told me to get over it. I was a quick fling.” Vicki laughed remembering the incident. She’d gone to the station to pay him a visit. The deputy got chocolate cake, and Tristan sent him out. She’d spent the morning sucking Tristan’s cock and taking him deep inside her body. Even as she thought about what came after his claiming, her body still melted for a touch of him. She’d wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered the words. Instead of getting the same emotion spoken back to her, she got a frozen brick wall of asshole. Sipping the drink she turned back to Zoe. “He didn’t tell me his wife’s name. I only know she was blonde
and perfect and everything I’m not.”
Zoe gazed up and down her body. “When was the last time you ate?”
Shaking her head Vicki tried to remember but drew a blank. Food held no appeal to her. She couldn’t stomach sitting down and eating.
“I don’t know.”
“Vicki, you’ve got to eat. You can’t go on pretending nothing is wrong. You’re not eating, and if you’re not careful you will really hurt yourself.” Zoe stood in front of her.
The tears Vicki had been holding back slipped out. They spilled down her cheeks. She wiped at the drops as her friend’s arms banded around her.
“I don’t want to leave you, Zoe. I love you. You’re my best friend, but I can’t stay here. I can’t.”
Sobs echoed around the room. Zoe held her as she let her sanity go. For several minutes nothing else mattered other than being comforted by her friend.
When her emotional outburst was over, Vicki collapsed on the floor with Zoe holding onto her.
“I lost everything.”
“No, you didn’t. You’re young.” Zoe pushed the hair off her face. Vicki looked at her friend who had once been so scared to live. Zoe was strong. Her men gave her the power to live life. Vicki saw it day after day. Where Zoe lived her life, Vicki felt like her life was dying. “Your life is not over. I swear. If you need to get out of town and live away from here then I’ll live with it. You better write and not email. I can’t accept email.”
Vicki laughed. Zoe hated technical equipment, and it took everything to get her to have a cell phone.
“I will. I promise.”
There was a knock at the door.
“That’s probably Connor. I swear that man doesn’t know how to wait.” With Zoe pregnant her men were more protective than usual.
Vicki followed behind her wiping at the tears on her cheeks.
“Are you okay?” Zoe asked.
“I’m fine. I wish you could stay a little longer.”
“My men won’t let me have two minutes’ peace let alone stay the night.” Zoe opened the door, and Vicki gasped. Tristan stood with his fist raised to knock at the door. “You’re not Connor.” Zoe folded her arms over her chest.