Justice Inked (Cowboy Justice Association 7) Page 10

  He didn’t give her the opportunity to second-guess her answer. Wrapping his arms around her waist, she felt herself pulled onto her tiptoes as his lips descended onto hers. Her own fingers anchored into his shoulders, digging into the hard muscle while his tongue gently swept her mouth, playing tag and tickle and driving her slowly crazy with want.

  She didn’t feel the chilly wind or the dampness of their clothes. Her world had narrowed to the two of them and the wild beat of her heart beneath her ribs. Dare’s kisses were pure sin and she didn’t want salvation.

  When they finally pulled apart, his cheeks were flushed and his blue eyes dark with desire. His hands were splayed, one on her back and the other behind her head, his fingers tangled in her hair. The heat from his fingers seeped into her flesh despite the layers of clothing between them and it was all she could do not to throw herself at him again, taking his mouth with her own until they couldn’t remember their names. Or why it was too soon.

  Too soon. Too fast.

  A few days ago she hadn’t even liked him much, and now she was planning how to get him out of his clothes with the precision of a military offensive. Slow down. Savor the buildup. She’d had too many relationships that rushed to bed but only ended up at the finish line.

  Dare’s palm cupped her jaw and his thumb caressed her swollen lips. “So…tonight was…good.”

  “It was. Thank you for dinner.”

  She sounded breathless but then again, she was. He’d kissed the heck out of her and she was still recovering.

  “Thank you for being so understanding. Would you maybe want to go out again?”

  He sounded unsure and nervous, which was laughable really. He’d turned her knees to jelly.

  “Sure, give me a call.” Neither one of them seemed to want to end the evening but eventually she reluctantly pulled away, unlocking the door. “Well…good night. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Soon. Good night.”

  She entered her home and slid the deadbolt into place before peeking out of the front window. He must have seen her because he gave a brief wave before climbing into his truck and driving away.

  Shedding her wet clothes, she quickly drew a hot bath, adding some fragrant oil before sinking down into the water and letting the heat chase away the cold that had settled into her bones.

  Dare Turner had turned out to be someone different than she’d thought. Someone sweeter. Kinder. Not to mention their chemistry was off the charts. She hated to hope – she’d only been let down in the past – but he might be a man she could fall for.

  This relationship just might have a future.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dare drove up to the old barn on the outskirts of Harper where Tanner and Seth were waiting for him. Moulson’s truck had finally been found in an old abandoned building and Dare was hoping there might be some clue as to the identity of the shooter. He was tired of coming up to one dead end after another.

  Exiting the truck, he found Seth and Tanner standing in front of the wide open doors of the dilapidated barn that was practically falling down around their ears. One stiff breeze could have collapsed it and Dare wasn’t so sure he wanted to spend much time inside. Search it and then have it taken into custody.

  “Good job finding it. I was beginning to think it had disappeared into thin air.” Dare slapped Seth on the back. It was only due to the cooperation of the local sheriffs that he’d made any headway on this case.

  The smiling blond lawman led the way into the barn. “Glad I could help. I had one of my deputies out checking for a missing teenager and he came upon the truck. Looks like they intended to come back for it. The keys are still in the ignition.”

  Hesitating a few feet from the vehicle, Dare gave Seth a questioning look. “Has the forensic team finished?”

  “They dusted for prints and everything they found was bagged for evidence.” He pointed to the tailgate of the truck. “They put the items there. I figured you’d want to get a look and maybe some photos before they take them back to the lab.”

  Dare and Tanner perused the small bags, pretty much what Dare would have expected. Vehicle registration. Truck manual. Fast food and gas receipts. A parking ticket from Salt Lake City. A set of keys on a bottle opener keychain.

  Tanner picked up the bag with the keys to take a closer look. “Looks like his truck key is on here but there are three other keys. They might be helpful if we could figure out what they open.”

  Dare peered over Tanner’s shoulder. “I’d guess at least one is to his home.”

  Tanner held up a small silver key through the plastic. “This one is different. Smaller. Maybe a safe deposit box or a locker of some sort. Those are good hiding places for stolen cash.”

  “You think they hid it?”

  “I would if I stole it. Lay low and wait until the cops move on to another case.” Tanner placed the keys down on the tailgate and picked up the receipts. “Looks like he liked junk food. There are at least a dozen receipts here for hamburgers, fries, and soda. The first one is dated, coincidentally, five days before the bank robbery.”

  “Based on the dates and times, we could see if the restaurants in question have any surveillance tapes,” Dare suggested. “We might be able to see if he has any friends. Your bank robbery had four men. so that means if Moulson is one of them there are still three to find.”

  Tanner nodded grimly. “And at least one of them is probably your killer.”

  Dare heaved a sigh and shook his head. “Nothing here gives any indication why Moulson would break into Rayne’s shop.”

  Tanner placed the evidence bag down on the tailgate and rubbed the back of his neck. He seemed to be struggling with his thoughts. “Listen, I don’t want to tell you your business but I agree with Reed. I think Moulson was looking for something specific in Rayne’s shop.”

  “I think so too. But what?”

  “That’s a good question. I only wish I had the answer because I think it would go a long way as to solving this case. But at least now we have something to investigate. I’ll have one of my deputies start working on these receipts right away.”

  “I don’t mind telling you, Tanner, this one’s got me stumped. What does a bank robbery, a tattoo shop break-in, and a murder all have in common? I can barely sleep. It’s driving me crazy. What am I missing?”

  “I’m not sure, my friend, but I think when you have the answer to that question we’ll have your murderer. And my bank robbers. We’ll find the connection.”

  Dare only hoped it was before anyone else ended up dead.

  * * * *

  Rayne sipped her iced tea and perused the menu of the local Italian eatery. She had a two-hour break in her schedule today and she’d decided to spend it having a leisurely lunch and then doing some grocery shopping.

  Never go food shopping on an empty stomach.

  She’d done it too many times to count but today she’d do better. She’d written out a list. A list, for cripe’s sake. It was tucked inside the pocket of her jeans and not left on her kitchen counter as usual. It made her feel organized and put together today. Her earrings even coordinated with her sweater. She was hitting on all cylinders. She ought to buy a lottery ticket.

  She was deep in thought deciding between chicken parmesan and lasagna when a shadow fell over the table.

  “Rayne?”

  Looking up, her eyes widened in surprise. James was the last person she’d expected to see today. Or ever, actually. She’d run out of their date abruptly without exchanging phone numbers, so she’d figured she’d never see him again which was fine since she’d started to see Dare.

  “James! Hello. What are you doing in Valley Station?”

  “Consulting with another vet. I was heading back to Springwood but my hunger got the best of me and I decided to stop for lunch. I’m really glad I ran into you. I’ve been worried about you since that night.”

  The concerned way he was looking at her, the plain sincerity on his face, made her d
o it. Later when Misty asked, Rayne would tell her friend that her brain hadn’t been functioning correctly. Hunger had made her delirious and she’d used up all her common sense making a list for the grocery store. This was why being organized was overrated. Rayne waved her hand toward the other side of the booth. “Would you care to join me?”

  His face split into a huge smile and he nodded eagerly, scooting onto the padded bench.

  “What’s good here?”

  They discussed the merits of different dishes, and when the waitress came Rayne settled on the chicken parmesan and he ordered the cannelloni. With lunch business squared away she couldn’t delay speaking any longer.

  “It was a robbery,” she offered. “And then they found a dead body out back. So it was a nasty business all the way around. But I’m fine. They didn’t steal anything except my apparently false sense of security.”

  James’s brows shot up. “A dead body? That’s terrible. Was it a friend?”

  “No, I didn’t know him. He was from out of town but I still felt terrible for him. He was shot down like a dog in the street. That’s no way to go.”

  “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He looked down at the table and then up at her. “I’ve been wanting to call you, ask you out. I was going to call Jared and get your number but things have been pretty busy at the clinic.”

  Months without a glimmer of a man in her life and now she had two that wanted to date her. When it rains it pours. That’s what her mother used to say.

  James was a nice man. A good guy. He didn’t turn her on in the least. Her feelings were more friendly or brotherly than lover-like. She couldn’t picture herself kissing or having sex with him. She needed to let him down gently. This wasn’t his fault.

  It was Dare’s.

  And that sexy son of a gun was walking in the front door of the restaurant at this very minute, his sister Sophie right beside him. His gaze quickly settled on Rayne and then those steely blue eyes narrowed as he took in her dining companion.

  James’s gaze followed her own as she watched Dare and Sophie settle into a table on the other side of the restaurant.

  “He’s the sheriff?”

  Rayne dragged her attention from Dare back to James, who was giving her a quizzical look. “Yes. Dare Turner. I was just wondering if he had any new information on the case.”

  She wasn’t the best liar and James’s expression said as much. He glanced at Dare and then back at Rayne. “Is that his girlfriend? She looks young for him.”

  “Sister, and she is young. Just eighteen. She wants me to do a tattoo for her.”

  It was a desperate gambit to change the subject but James seemed to take pity on her.

  “Eighteen seems awfully young. Tattoos are for life.”

  “You sound like Dare,” Rayne laughed. “He was livid when he thought I had given her one. I thought he was going to blow a blood vessel in his head.”

  I can’t go two seconds without talking about that man. What is wrong with me?

  “I’d say I have to agree with him.” The waitress slid their entrees onto the table. “This looks delicious. I’m glad I ran into you today. I hate to eat alone.”

  Rayne was used to it. All through lunch she kept sneaking glances over at Dare and Sophie, sometimes catching him looking right back. Glaring would be a better word for it. He didn’t look happy which wasn’t all that unusual, but right now he looked grumpier than usual. With his job there was no telling what his problem was today. Or perhaps Sophie was finally telling him that she was leaving town. Rayne wanted to be far away when that happened. Dare was going to go ballistic. And then he’d get really upset.

  The waitress brought the check and she reached for it, but not as quickly as James. He held it up and shook his head. “Please let me get this. I have a feeling this is my last chance to buy you a meal.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  James looked over at Dare, a rueful smile playing on his lips. “A man knows when a woman isn’t interested. I’ll be graceful in my defeat.”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks and her hand flew to her throat. Hopefully everyone didn’t see through her this easily. “I’m sorry. I just…oh crap. I’m just really sorry. It’s not you. You’re a great guy.”

  “You’re a nice woman.” James placed some bills on the check. “I’d offer to be your friend but…”

  Wrinkling her nose, Rayne groaned. “Believe me, I get it. Can I apologize again?”

  James patted her hand. “I wish you wouldn’t. It’s no one’s fault. It just wasn’t meant to be. But I’m still glad I ran into you today. I truly was worried about you.”

  Now she really felt guilty. She’d barely given James a thought since that night. As a person, she sucked.

  “Thank you. I’m really fine. I’m just so–”

  James held up his hand. “Really. Stop. It’s just one of those things. I’ll survive. Hey, maybe you have a cute friend you can set me up with.”

  That pulled a smile from her. “Most of my friends are married but I’ll keep it in mind.”

  James slid out of the booth. “Then we’re good. Thanks for having lunch with me. It’s my turn to apologize but I do need to get going. Maybe we’ll run into each other again.”

  “I’ll walk you out. I have a few errands to run before I head back to the shop.”

  Rayne and James exited the restaurant and she would have sworn an intense blue gaze followed her the entire way, boring a hole into her back. It was a relief as she bid James goodbye and headed down the sidewalk.

  She didn’t owe Dare an explanation about her lunch with James. It was completely innocent and she and Dare had only had the one date. They hadn’t discussed being exclusive either. Besides, the jerk hadn’t even bothered to call her yet.

  And that hurt more than it should.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Are you listening to me?”

  Sophie smacked the table, dragging Dare’s attention from Rayne’s retreating figure. He’d come here with his sister to have lunch only to run smack dab into Rayne…and her date. The man looked like a decent guy, too. Well dressed and nice looking. Probably educated and successful. The man had paid the check and then they’d walked out of the restaurant with his hand on the small of Rayne’s back, guiding her out. It had to be a date. Dare didn’t buy lunch and then put his hands on women he wasn’t dating.

  “Of course I’m listening to you.” Dare struggled not to sigh in frustration. “Tim’s wonderful. Tim’s amazing. I get it, sis. He’s the greatest. Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?”

  Sophie’s cheeks colored but she looked more annoyed than embarrassed. “I know how wonderful Tim is and that’s what I’m trying to tell you. He’s great and he takes good care of me.”

  Snorting, Dare bit into a breadstick, trying to concentrate on his little sister instead of thinking about Rayne and that guy. Dare had searched his memory banks but he was positive he’d never seen her lunch companion before today. He also couldn’t help but wonder why she’d gone out on a date with him when she had a guy like that on the line.

  “You’re not listening again,” Sophie hissed. “What is your problem?”

  “I don’t have a problem.”

  Rayne Dunn wasn’t a problem. He didn’t care that she was having lunch with another man. It was fine. Okey dokey. No issue here.

  “I’m trying to tell you something important. That’s why I suggested we have lunch.”

  “Then spit it out. I’m not getting any younger.”

  Sophie laughed and pointed at him, her finger wriggling playfully. “You certainly aren’t my older brother. One foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. You practically creak when you walk.”

  “I’m a geriatric, now talk.”

  Dare dug into his fettuccine with an enthusiasm born of clawing hunger. He’d missed breakfast and Sophie’s idea to meet for lunch had seemed like a godsend at the time. Now he was annoyed as hell.

  “Like I wa
s saying…Tim is a great guy and we have so much fun together. He makes me really happy and we get along well. I think we have a real future.”

  That wasn’t the best news Dare had heard today, or even this week. He wanted Sophie to get over Tim as soon as possible. The guy could barely take care of himself, let alone Dare’s sister.

  “Your future is wide open. It doesn’t have to have Tim in it.”

  “But I want it to.” Sophie’s chin lifted in defiance. “I’m trying to tell you something and you’re interrupting me.”

  “You keep hemming and hawing. If you have something to say you should just say it.”

  Sophie’s eyes bugged and she emitted a long, pissed-off groan. “You are such a butt. I knew you’d be like this, which is why I didn’t say anything until now. So here it is. I got into school in Denver. I’m going to start in January. Tim is going to get a job down there and we’re going to live together. There. I said it.”

  Dare kept running the words through his head over and over as if to make some sense of them. It sounded like Sophie was leaving and moving in with that little prick Tim Wallace.

  “Can you say that again?”

  Sophie took a big breath and let it out noisily. “I’m moving to Denver for school. Tim is going with me.”

  “You can’t–”

  “Stop there,” Sophie interrupted, her voice firmer than he’d ever heard it before. “The decision has been made. I’m of age and I’m going. Girls all over this great nation of ours go off to school when they’re eighteen and the world keeps on spinning. I want this, big brother, and you will not stop me.”

  “But–”

  “No. The decision has been made,” she repeated in a no nonsense tone, although her lower lip trembled slightly. “You can either make the rest of my time here in Valley Station pleasant or you can be a dick. Those are your two choices. That’s it.”

  Dare wrestled with emotions he wasn’t used to dealing with and avoided as often as possible. Fear. Love. The pain of separation. Mostly fear, though. Sophie was a young girl and she had no idea what evil there was in this world. He’d seen it, been up close, and the visions still haunted him at night. If she wasn’t close by he couldn’t protect her. She’d be out there alone.