Stealing Dallas (Search & Seek Book 2)

by Amanda Mackey

  STEALING DALLAS

  Search & Seek Series, Book Two

  By Amanda Mackey

  STEALING DALLAS

  Copyright © 2016 by Amanda Mackey.

  All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: October 2016

  Limitless Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  www.limitlesspublishing.com

  Formatting: Limitless Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1-68058-840-8

  ISBN-10: 1-68058-840-0

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter One

  Jagger

  Freedom. Different meanings for different people. For me it was a gift bestowed upon me by the strong, selfless woman sitting beside me, driving me to that very liberty. My savior. My teacher. My lover. Rose McAllister. A few short months ago when she’d graced the prison with her arrival, I never would have imagined the role she would play in my life. I would never have imagined I’d be sitting in her car, my twenty year sentence having been overturned because of her unwavering belief in my innocence.

  “What?” She turned briefly, offering me her full attention for only a moment before she focused her eyes back on the road. It was long enough to revel in her beauty, the light through the window catching the highlights in her long brown hair. Her pea green eyes were accentuated even more by the sun’s persistent rays. Her smile melted my hardened heart.

  “I can’t believe this is real.” Minutes ago I’d been bound by cuffs, incarcerated within the medium security penitentiary that was Arizona State Prison.

  Turning down the air conditioning a notch, she laughed before indicating to turn left.

  “Believe it. The truth always wins in the end. Whatever you were doing to protect your brother was very noble, but you could have avoided the last eighteen months locked up if you’d just let the system do its thing.”

  I balked at that. “Pff. The system stinks and you know it.”

  “I don’t disagree, but I’m just annoyed that you’ve wasted so much time in that place.”

  “Yeah, well, I intend to make up for lost time.” I placed my hand on the back of her neck and squeezed, hoping she’d understand my innuendo. Now that we weren’t teacher and student, we were free to continue seeing each other without having to sneak around. Two consenting adults, hot for each other. Rose had presence. No doubt about it. That certain something that was undefinable but oh so real. It wasn’t one thing but everything,

  Turning into the driveway of an average suburban one story home, I asked, “Ah, Rose?”

  “Yes?” She killed the engine and twisted in her seat.

  “Why are we here? I thought we were going straight to Prescott to get Dallas.”

  Rose let out a long sigh which had me on edge. Her shoulders tensed. “I thought we’d go tomorrow. There’s something we need to discuss about the case and…well, other things.”

  What the fuck? She had my full attention. “Other things? Like hell!” My hands were curling into loose fists. There was something she was keeping from me and I didn’t like it. “I have waited eighteen goddamn months for this. You of all people know I want to go get my brother. Now!” My fury was erupting. There were no walls keeping me contained any more. No guards telling me what I could and couldn’t do. It was me. Just me. Rose had been nice enough to pick me up but I didn’t have to answer to her. “Switch the car on, Rose. Don’t make me wait until tomorrow.”

  Her lip trembled as she controlled herself. It was a dick move to take it out on her, but I was focused on one thing only.

  “Let’s just go inside. I’ll make us a coffee and we’ll talk. After I’ve told you everything, we’ll go to Prescott, okay?” She opened her door and took a pause before she got out.

  Not knowing what was going on, I attempted to simmer as I got out, following her inside. While getting to my brother was top priority, I needed to cut Rose some slack and humor her for a moment. She’d been the one to make all this happen. My release. My liberty. The fuse on my patience was burning quickly, but I’d have to try and suck it up for now.

  Her home was plain inside, yet welcoming. Light and airy with a cozy feel to it. She led me through the living room to the kitchen where she sat her purse down, and proceeded to put a pot of coffee on.

  Weird didn’t even begin to describe sitting in a kitchen, freely able to move about without a guard or another prisoner intervening. To be able to walk out into a backyard just because I felt like it, which is exactly what I did.

  The space was small but easy maintenance for a woman living on her own. The back fence bordered a thicket of trees, which kept the yard private. It had been mowed recently and I couldn’t help but wonder if Rose had done it.

  A washing line butted up against a brick wall of the house but apart from that, it was sparse.

  Rose stood in the doorway, watching me.

  “So…how does it feel? Being out in the real world again,” she asked, angling her body slightly and crossing her feet.

  A goddess was she. A creature needing my touch. Stalking across the short distance to her, I gripped her face in both of my large hands, feeling her warmth and softness.

  “You have no idea. It’s…like being reborn. Getting a second chance. One I’m not going to squander.” My thumbs brushed under her eyes before I plunged forward, taking her mouth hungrily.

  She responded instantly, giving me the green light to feed on her luscious mouth and tongue like a starved man. Her fingers gripped my shoulders, digging in with each wide scoop of my lips against hers. I rumbled with pleasure, nailing her into the doorway, pressing my deprived dick against her welcoming heat.

  Dressed down from her usual classroom attire, her jeans formed a barrier to what I really wanted, so I kept my hands northward, knowing if I let them, things would spiral out of control and I really, really needed to get to my brother.

  Focus, Jag. Plenty of time for this later.

  When her hands moved down my chest and under my shirt, my skin sparked from the contact, driving me toward a lust-fueled stupor I wasn’t going to be able to crawl out of.

  With every shred of control I had left in me, I seized both her hands and pulled them away, disengaging my mouth so I could seek out her eyes. They were dark with desire, her lips plumped up from my assault. Fuck, she looked so edible, I almost said “to hell with it,” and took her there in the kitchen.

  “Stop! We can’t,” I puffed out heatedly. “My brother…” God, my body was telling me to keep going, at war with my head.

  “You started it,” she whispered, her warm breath rippling across my cheek.<
br />
  Indeed I had and I should have known kissing Rose wasn’t enough. I would always want more. “Rain check. I plan on resuming this after I’ve seen Dallas, and after you’ve enlightened me with whatever was so important.”

  She blinked out of her haze and pushed me slightly, walking to the coffee pot. “You’re right.” Pulling two mugs from the cabinet, she poured two coffees. “Cream?”

  “Nah. Black and no sugar.”

  As we stared, the attraction between us hissed to life again. For an intense moment, neither of us spoke. Then she broke away and turned to pour the coffee. I felt a jolt of satisfaction at the way her hands shook. “Sit and we’ll get started.”

  Chapter Two

  Rose

  My mind had a hard time catching up after that kiss. Feeling him. Tasting him. Now that we were both on equal terms, it was even better. If Jagger hadn’t stopped, I would have let him carry me off to the stars.

  His eyes chased me around the kitchen. Even when I wasn’t peeking at him, I could sense his gaze stripping me bare.

  Planting myself on a chair at the table, I sipped my too hot coffee and began. “So. While Don was investigating your case, he came upon some interesting facts.” I watched his reaction go from nonchalant to intrigued. “You’re obviously aware Dallas was adopted.”

  He nodded but didn’t speak, focused on me completely. “His birth mother was one of the officers working the case. She deliberately withheld information from the police. She wanted you to go to prison.”

  Jagger’s eyes expanded, his pupils dilating, mouth twisting. “She fucking what?” He stood, pushing out the chair before leaning over the table with his closed fists resting on the wood. His entire body had changed into a warrior’s pose, primed and ready for battle. Veins bulged in places they normally wouldn’t, and blood colored his face. “Why would she do that, Rose? Why would she want me in prison? She gave up Dallas when he was a baby. She gave up all rights to his life. What could she possibly gain by putting me in prison and sending him into foster care? Did she not think I was capable of looking after him?”

  His reaction was justified. He’d just spent the last eighteen months of his life barely surviving in prison and it all could have been avoided if the case had been handled better. If evidence had been presented. It didn’t make sense to me, either. What would Dallas’ mother have to gain?

  “I don’t know. I really don’t, but I’d like to find out. I just wanted to give you a heads up now so you could rage, or do whatever you need to do to get your anger out before we pick up Dallas.”

  Jagger was pacing, gripping his neck.

  “I’m going to help you. I promise. We’ll work with Don to bring Dallas’ mother down,” I added.

  He looked at me like I had two heads. “You want to take on a cop who obviously has her hands in others’ pockets? How? How do two ordinary people, one who has just got a crumb of his life back, do that?”

  Standing, I moved toward him. “My cousin will help us. He knows people in the industry.” I waited for him to stop moving about so I could place a hand on his arm. At my touch, I felt his muscles tense even further before they relaxed. His shoulders sagged.

  “I’ve still got full custody of Dallas, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then that’s all that matters for now. We’ll deal with the rest later. Finish your coffee and let’s get out of here.”

  “Wait!” I sputtered as he moved to get past me. “We haven’t discussed the other things.”

  He paused. “There’s other stuff about the case?”

  “No. It’s um…personal.”

  “Make it quick, Rose. We’re wasting valuable time.”

  “I figured you’d need somewhere to stay until you got settled. You and Dallas. You can both stay here.”

  He turned fully, facing me, a look of disbelief flowering over his features. “Rose. You’ve done enough. I can’t let you house us both for God knows how long. I need to find work and then save money to move out. It could be weeks. Or more.” His head was lowered to my level, his mouth just an inch away. Taking on two guys would be a hard task when I was so used to living on my own, but it’s not like I didn’t have the room. And Dallas was amazing. I wanted nothing more than to spend more time with him. They’d had it so tough while Jagger was in prison. No way on Earth would I have them living on the street.

  “I’m serious. I want you both here. For as long as you need. You’ve got nowhere to go. It would sicken me to think you were sleeping on a park bench or under a bridge.”

  Moving in, I thought he was going to meet my lips, but instead he lifted his chin slightly and planted one on my forehead.

  “You have no idea how much I owe you. Thank you. I promise, as soon as I’m able to, I’ll get my brother and I a place of our own.”

  Relishing in the feel of his gorgeous mouth, I agreed. “Fine. Now give me a minute to freshen up and we’ll be on our way. Grab some snacks from the fridge or cupboard for the road trip.”

  He brightened the room with his smile and made me jump when I turned to go and felt a slap on my butt. “Those tight jeans are going to be the death of me, Miss McAllister. I’m going to have that ass before the day is through.” He winked as he opened the refrigerator, essentially blocking my view.

  I was in so much trouble.

  ***

  We were on the road again, bound for Prescott, Arizona. Apparently, Lena Radcliffe, Dallas’ foster parent, had been notified earlier in the week that we would be arriving either today or tomorrow, so she needed to be home. We hadn’t called beforehand, as we wanted to show up somewhat unprepared. Jagger didn’t like Mrs. Radcliffe, and my impression of her wasn’t much better. Her way with Dallas was one of duty and not of love. For whatever reason she was in the foster care system, it appeared to me to only be about money.

  I couldn’t be happier that Jagger and his brother were finally being reunited for good. All the hard work had been worth it and I was so glad to be a part of it.

  My passenger was unusually quiet. “You okay?” I asked, slanting him a casual glance.

  His gaze was fixed out the window. “Just remembering when Mom was alive.”

  Placing a hand on his arm, I squeezed. “I’m here if you want to talk.”

  He looked at me then. Really looked at me, then he slumped into the seat and exhaled sharply. “She was pretty amazing. Warm smile, kind eyes. I can’t ever remember her raising her voice. When I was little, we used to play a game. I’d have to shut my eyes real tight and she’d pick me up and carry me some place around the house and I’d have to try and guess where we were.” Jagger laughed softly in remembrance, his face lighting up as if he were truly back in that time and place. “If I guessed right, she’d plant big raspberries all over my face and give me candy.”

  “And if you lost?” I pictured a small Jagger, giggling and carefree. A far cry to the man who’d suffered after his mother’s death.

  “That’s the thing. When I was with her, I never really lost any games. She never let me feel that way. I got kisses no matter what.”

  His hands were squeezing and releasing, his leg jittery.

  “She must have been wonderful.”

  “I don’t know what she ever saw in my father. They were polar opposites. He was never emotionally there even when Mom was alive, but things got worse after her death. He couldn’t handle Dallas.”

  “It must have been hard on you when she died. Having to take care of your brother.”

  He smiled. “Nah. I did what I had to. Seeing my father’s downward spiral, I tried to shelter Dallas from the monster, but when I started work to pay the bills, I couldn’t be there…”

  His jaw clenched right before he punched his thigh a few times.

  No young guy should have to shoulder that much responsibility because their father was too weak to step up to the plate and take care of them.

  I didn’t want the rest of the car trip to be an angry one, so spotting a gas stat
ion up ahead, I pulled in. “You want a coffee and something to eat? You forgot to grab snacks from home.”

  The car had barely stopped before Jagger was out, slamming the door, storming inside.

  I shouldn’t have brought the subject up. He was hurting. His father was dead. His mother was dead. He’d been in prison, and his brother had been sent to live with a stranger. Things couldn’t really get much worse. My heart went out to him. I was surprised he’d kept it together as well as he had.

  Giving him a moment to compose himself, I waited before getting out and walking inside, only to find him with an armful of chips, chocolate, and other snack foods. He was planning on drowning his sorrows in junk.

  He lifted his eyes to mine when I neared. “You want me to grab the coffees?” I offered, knowing he was already loaded up.

  Nodding, he lifted his mouth, offering me some semblance of a smile, but I knew it was forced.

  “Give me a moment and then head to the counter.”

  In five minutes we were back on the road. Jagger was shoving the chips into his mouth like it was the first time he’d tasted them.

  “You look like you have a lot of catching up to do.”

  “Junk never tasted so good.” After swallowing, he cleared his throat. “Rose. I uh…I’m sorry for earlier. I wasn’t angry with you. Just the whole thing. I know you’ve done everything possible to get me to this point, so I shouldn’t have stormed off.”

  “I think you’re keeping it together pretty damn well, considering. No apologies needed. I’m here, like I said.”

  “You’re amazing, you know that?”

  “No. I’m really not. I’m merely doing what’s right. You’d do the same for me.”

  Handing me the bag of chips, I grabbed one quickly, not wanting to take my eyes off the road for too long. “Thanks.”

  Keeping the conversation light, the rest of the trip sped by. The sign for Prescott came into view and my anticipation heightened. This was it. The moment we’d both been waiting for. Jagger would be feeling all sorts of emotion.