Stealing Dallas (Search & Seek Book 2)

by Amanda Mackey

  I had to ask, “Are you going to keep working at Arizona State?”

  She gave me a look of confusion. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Now that I’m not there to keep an eye on those other assholes, I’ll worry about you.”

  “You sound like my mother.”

  “Well, she sounds like a smart woman.”

  “Pfft. Please. She’s given me grief since I began working in LA. If she had her way, I’d be teaching grade schoolers.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” I watched her while I brought the mug to my mouth and drank.

  Her eyes hardened. That spitfire temperament was about to rear its head. A part of her I admired. “I don’t want to be a school teacher. I make more of a difference to the inmates. Writing is therapy. You should know that better than anyone.”

  Reaching over and clasping her hand, I lowered my chin slightly so our eyes were aligned. “I do and you’re amazing at what you do. I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but knowing you’re going into that place every day will be on my mind all the time.”

  Clasping her fingers through mine, she relaxed. “Thank you for caring. That’s what this is all about, right?”

  I didn’t get to answer because our food was brought out just in the nick of time. My burger was huge with a side order of fries. Food fit for a king.

  There was nothing to do but gorge ourselves. The sooner we finished, the sooner we could hit the road again. I’d try and stop for the night somewhere around Salt Lake City, Utah, giving us the longest stretch today with only seven-eight hours driving tomorrow. My gut was telling me that even if Mrs. Radcliffe had moved on from Great Falls, it wasn’t going to be too far away. I wasn’t sure what had me thinking that but I couldn’t imagine her wanting to drive for days on end with my needy brother in the car. It didn’t make sense.

  “When we get moving again, can you find us a room for the night in Salt Lake City?”

  “Wow. We’re going that far today?”

  “We have to. I want to be in Great Falls tomorrow evening. No later.”

  “I can do some driving, you know. You don’t have to do it all yourself.”

  “I know. I’ll be fine today. Maybe tomorrow?”

  “Just sing out when you need a break.”

  We visited the bathroom before we left, then Rose paid the bill and we headed out, ready to tackle the last long haul to Utah.

  So far the weather had been on our side, but who knew what we’d run into up in Montana. It would definitely be cooler than Arizona. Something told me I was going to be buying warmer clothes. More money I would owe Rose. At the rate I was going, I’d be paying her back until I was thirty.

  We would drive through five states to reach Montana, but thankfully only two today. Once we hit our destination, I’d be contacting the local police and working with them to find the bitch who had my brother. I needed to see him more than anything and let him know I would never leave him again. I should have thought through the whole, ‘playing the hero’ card to begin with and things would be different now. Dallas wouldn’t have had to live with strangers. He’d be safe with me.

  Rose dug her cell from her purse and began Googling accommodations for us. I wasn’t fussy as long as the bed was clean and comfortable. By the time we reached Salt Lake City, my ass and legs were going to be numb. I only wanted to stop once more for a bathroom break if I could help it. We had too much ground to cover.

  “There’s the Econo Lodge, downtown? It’s not flashy, but it’s central. Basic facilities.”

  “Sounds good. I think by the time we get there, anything with a roof and four walls will suffice. Compared to prison, it will be a palace.”

  “One room or two?” she eyed me challengingly.

  “Oh, come on. We had hot sex last night. You’re not going to suddenly become all ‘morally correct’ on me, are you? You fucked a student, namely me again, in the back room of a prison classroom. I think we’re way past separate rooms.”

  She was blushing gloriously at the image.

  “Fine,” she gushed, pushing one side of her hair back behind her shoulder. “You don’t need to make it sound so…wrong.”

  Roaring out a laugh, my shoulders shook. “Oh it was wrong, sweetheart. On so many levels.”

  I caught her eye roll and the cluck of her tongue caused me to chuckle harder.

  She didn’t add to the conversation, merely let her thumbs work simultaneously on her cell to make the booking.

  “Sooo, how about that head job?” A man could only hope.

  That caused her face to lift and angle toward mine. “Seriously? You know what? No. I’m going to make you stew in your own arousal until we reach the motel, Mr. Cocky. I don’t jump whenever you say.”

  I loved the feisty side of Rose. I’d first witnessed it in class when she’d had to put on her brave face in front of ten hardcore criminals. Not an easy task for anyone, especially a female.

  “Oh, you’re only delaying the inevitable. By the time I get you inside and on the bed, you’re going to be so horny, you’ll be begging me for it. You love my big, hard cock.”

  She gasped and brought her hand to her throat, eyes wide and blinking. She squirmed on her seat, threw her cell back in her bag, and turned her head out the window…but not before I got a quick peek at her hardened nipples jutting out from her shirt. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. Well, I’d just turned the tables because even if she caved and wanted to pleasure me while driving, I was going to deny her. Ha. Two could play at her little game.

  Suffice to say, my dick was now straining in my jeans, but if there was one thing I’d learned while being locked up, it was the art of restraint.

  ***

  Rose had her seat reclined back and her eyes shut. The stress of leaving in such a hurry and taking on my demons was taking its toll. As strong as she was, she wasn’t invincible no matter how hard she tried.

  Glad of the quiet, I watched the miles tick by, passing over the state line into Utah. The radio would have been a great distraction but I didn’t want to wake up Sleeping Beauty.

  She was gorgeous in sleep. Her face relaxed, her hair fanning around and cascading down her shoulders, neck at an angle, giving me more of a profile view than front on. The big question I kept asking myself was, how had I got so lucky? She could have a better man to spend her time with. A lawyer or doctor. Not some punk ass mechanic with a crappy past who didn’t have anything to show for his life.

  I wanted to do better and be better. For her. For Dallas. Maybe even for myself. I wanted to begin by making better choices.

  Rose’s cell began ringing, causing her to rouse from what looked like a deep sleep. She peered around as if wondering where she was before finding her phone and answering it.

  “Hello? Don?”

  Her lawyer cousin? Why was he calling? I tuned everything else out and focused on Rose’s responses.

  “We’re on the road to Montana. Yeah…I know…because I’m in this until the end. I’m not going to let him down. Okay?”

  She stole a glance my way and then back out the window as she returned her seat upright.

  “Uh huh.” There was silence for a minute or two before her back became ramrod straight and her voice rose. “She what? When? Why would she do that?”

  I was tempted to pull over to the side of the road to find out just what the hell was going on but instead I gripped the wheel and pushed my foot a little harder on the accelerator.

  “No, I’ll tell him. What does this mean?”

  It definitely involved me and I didn’t like it one bit. If it was bad news about Mrs. Radcliffe and my brother, there would be nothing to stop me from boiling over.

  Ending the call, I didn’t let Rose begin. “What the fuck was that? Has that bitch done something to Dallas? Huh? I swear to God, I’m going to take her down!” I yelled. I didn’t give a shit. My heart was attempting to break my rib cage apart and my adrenalin had found its way to every muscle in my body.
<
br />   “Calm down. It wasn’t about Dallas.”

  Minor relief, but still, I needed to find out what was going on now.

  “Dallas’ mother, the crooked cop. Her name is Marcy Dewhurst. She was meant to appear in court today to face her charges of withholding vital information at the scene of the crime, but she was a no show. As if that isn’t enough, no one has heard from her since the day before yesterday. Car’s gone from her house. They think she’s made a run for it.”

  I pounded my fist on the wheel. “Christ! Doesn’t she know by running, she’s admitting her guilt?”

  “Is that all you’ve got to say about it? Jagger, if you hadn’t pled guilty for murdering your father, you still would have been locked up because she was always going to make sure of it. The fact you wanted to take the blame doesn’t factor into it. What she did was wrong, and either way, your life was going to be ruined, and Dallas was going into foster care.”

  The reality of it all began to sink in. My brother never stood a chance. His own mother was going to make sure of it. I didn’t know if she was punishing me or Dallas. What a witch! “Jesus! Well, do they know where they think she might have gone?”

  “Don didn’t say. She had other people in her pockets, though. The huge question is, why? What did she have to gain by making sure you were locked up and Dallas was put into care? I can’t work that part out.”

  “I can’t work any of it out. I’m not even going to try or my head’s going to explode.”

  If the woman who abandoned her son at birth wanted to dig the hole deeper for her own grave, I was going to let her. The sooner she was locked up, the better. Shame I wouldn’t be there to salute her when the guards cuffed her and led her away.

  “How far away are we? I must have slept for a couple of hours.”

  “A sign back there said we’re five miles from Holden. We can stop and freshen up. Grab another bite to eat, but this time we’ll be chowing down on the road. Next stop after that, Salt Lake City. There’s only another hundred and thirty miles or so. We might as well finish it off as fast as we can.”

  “It’ll be good to stop for the night. It already feels like we’ve been traveling for days.”

  Wasn’t that a fact? As great as it was to be free from prison and hit the open road with Rose, it would be even better to spend a few hours out of the car. Confined spaces made me feel trapped, which I suppose was a fair reaction after spending eighteen months locked up in a shoe box.

  Veering off the highway at the sight of the ‘Welcome to Holden’ sign, it didn’t take long to find an eatery. Five Buck Pizza stood out, so I pulled into the lot. It was four p.m. We could have an early dinner and then get plenty of shuteye once I’d taken Rose every which way in our motel.

  “You happy with pizza?” I asked, praying she didn’t want something else. We’d had pizza for dinner the previous night, but I could eat it for days and still not get sick of it. Making up for lost time and all.

  “Yeah. Sounds good. What do you like?”

  “Anything. As long as it’s got meat on it. None of that vegetarian bullshit.”

  “Noted.”

  We both got out, as I had to use the bathroom. Rose waited in line to order and pay while I found the restroom.

  Washing my hands, I peered into the mirror at the face staring back. Who was I, really? My life had not gone according to plan. In fact, it had veered so far off course, I wasn’t sure I’d ever find the same path again. It would be hard to get work after being in prison. What employer would welcome me with open arms? Without any formal qualifications, it would be difficult. My mechanical experience might help, but again, who would employ an ex-prisoner?

  Rose had visited my old boss in Prescott, who had supposedly believed in my innocence all along, but he was two hours away from where I’d be living. Not a drive I could handle every day. It would need to be part time anyway, so I could take care of Dallas.

  Scrutinizing my reflection, I took note of the dark circles under my eyes and the two day growth on my cheeks. My features had hardened and set. I wasn’t sure if it was permanent or temporary, but I truly did look like I’d been locked up. It was a wonder my hair wasn’t gray, although it would no doubt happen quicker than normal after all the stress I’d been under.

  Finding Rose sitting at a table waiting on our order, I slid in opposite her. She looked up from her cell and smiled. “There’s a ten minute wait.”

  “All good. You need to freshen up?”

  “I’ll wait until we get to our destination and then shower.”

  I beamed at her. “You’re incredible, you know that, right? I know I may have told you before, but I mean it. What woman would put her life on hold to help one of her ex-prison students?”

  Her gaze floated down to the table and then back up to my face. “One who cares, that’s who. You’re a good person, Jagger. I know that with everything I am. I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you see your brother again.”

  Not caring who was nearby, I leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her pouty mouth, hovering for a few extra moments, reveling in her femininity.

  She immediately responded, not opening her mouth, but pressing it firmly to mine, our lips fusing perfectly. My heart skipped at the gentleness of it, a sensation I had never been too familiar with.

  With only a couple of girlfriends in the past, neither of which had lasted longer than twelve months, I had preferred casual sex without commitment. I’d fucked too many to count. Hookups from clubs. Girls I’d never been able to take home to my screwed up mess of a father. Ones who were only out for a good time.

  Rose was different. There was way more to her than first met the eye. She genuinely cared about people. I loved her authenticity. The way she never gave up. Her fight and spirit. Her fire in the bedroom and the ability to change that into something more delicate.

  Inching away from her mouth, my hand still clasping her jaw, my thumb working the soft skin backwards and forwards, I knew I was falling for her with absolute certainty.

  She held my stare, her emotions giving me a read on her. She felt it too. The more that had always eluded me.

  “Number twenty-five,” a voice called out from the counter.

  Breaking her hold on me, she looked down at the receipt in her hand. “That’s us.”

  Letting her go, I got an eyeful of her hot ass as she walked to the counter and picked up the large pizza box. Fuck. I was in deep with this woman.

  Chapter Six

  Rose

  Hauling my bag through the doorway into our room at the Econo Lodge in downtown Salt Lake City, I took in the surroundings. Clean. Basic. Small. It didn’t matter, though. It was 6:30 p.m. and I was ready to crash. Being up so early and traveling all day had taken it out of me.

  We still had a long day of driving the next day until we reached Montana.

  Jagger and I had eaten the whole pepperoni pizza, leaving nothing but a crust. With my belly full, all I wanted was a hot shower and a bed.

  “You go first, Rose.” Jagger nodded toward the bathroom door as he placed his own bag down.

  Not arguing, I walked in and closed the door, aware that there was only a thin wall separating us. His rarely seen soft side while waiting for pizza had surprised me. Under the tough exterior I knew there was a gentle heart waiting to be nurtured. As tired as I was, I wondered if he were to offer himself to me, would I take him? I’d denied him the blow job while driving in order to bring down his massive ego a notch, and while the earlier sexual tension in the car had abated, knowing how ripped and strong his body was under his clothes had my hormones crying out.

  Naked and standing under the spray didn’t help. Something about Jagger sparked my insides like a match to dry tinder. His raw, masculine energy combined with the fine package he was wrapped in was a magnet to my libido.

  With only one bed in the room, it was doubtful I would sleep like a baby with him next to me. It was also doubtful that he would let me sleep without attempting to se
duce me. That thought alone brought vivid pictures of our heated sex session at my house. He was so confident in the throes of passion. The way he took over my body and mind so expertly―I’d never had a guy bring me so much pleasure. He knew exactly which buttons to press, strumming my body like a finely tuned instrument.

  Switching the faucets off, I reached for a towel and dried myself off before wrapping it around me and stepping out into the room to find my pajamas.

  I stopped short at the sight of a semi-naked god lazily sprawled out on the bed. One arm rested behind his head. His jeans were unbuttoned below a gloriously bare torso. His bare feet were crossed at the ankles. My eyes raked over the length of him, coming to rest on his sinful mouth that lifted into a devastating smile.

  I couldn’t move. He was too insanely beautiful to comprehend. The dim light he’d switched on beside the bed dappled him in suggestive shadows.

  “It’s rude to stare, sweetheart,” he drawled, causing me to lift my eyes to his.

  “I…”

  His chest shuddered with the quick rumble he let go at my ineptness.

  “Come and put your hands on me, Rose.”

  Oh my. An invitation to trace every hardened striation bubbling from his chest. My pulse thrummed faster, heat scorching my inner thighs.

  My feet moved of their own accord until I touched the end of the bed.

  “Stop,” he ordered. “Drop the towel.”

  The only thing that had changed on him was his fierce eyes, blazing with passion and debauchery. Now that I was closer, I could see how expansive his black pupils had become. I felt powerful and sensual while he watched me slowly undo the towel and drop it to my feet.