Page 36 of Hollywood

Diesel stepped out of the clubhouse first, holding the door open as Winter stepped out behind him. “Here she is.”

Winter’s eyes bugged out even though I was sure Diesel told her the Sheriff was here to talk to her. “Good evening, Sheriff. You wanted to talk to me?” She wrapped her arms around her body and kept a solid distance between them.

“Yeah.” He introduced himself and offered up a friendly smile. “I received an anonymous tip that you’re the victim of a harassment campaign and I wanted to check on you, make sure you were all right.”

Her body relaxed visibly but she kept her arms tight around her waist. “I’m fine. Since when does an anonymous tip warrant a visit by the Sheriff?”

“When I hear that a victim is in need of personal protection.” His gaze landed first on Diesel and then on me.

“Who the fuck called,” I asked again.

“What part of anonymous don’t you understand?”

“Bullshit,” I shot back. “You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t think the threat was credible.”

Cross didn’t have shit to say to that. “Any reason anyone might be harassing you, Winter?”

She shrugged. “I mean not that I can think of, but you know how guys are these days Sheriff, they can’t handlerejection. You have no idea the names I’ve been called or the threats I’ve been subjected to just for turning down an offer to take my number, take me on a date or fuck me.” Her words came out easily but the look in her eyes told me they were rooted in truth. “My guess is some limp dick college guy but otherwise I have no idea.”

Good girl.I made a note to reward her later for keeping the law out of this.

Cross studied her for a long moment, and I knew he didn’t believe her, but he was out of options. “Is that the story you want to stick with?”

She nodded. “It’s the truth. I don’t have any enemies and if I do, they’ve done a damn good job of keeping their opinions to themselves. Maybe theanonymoustip was meant to make you harass the Steel Demons?”

His lips quirked. “Maybe, but I don’t harass these guys. We go way back.” Something she would know if she wasn’t here just for protection. I was sure that thought crossed the Sheriff’s mind too. “If you’re in trouble, I only want to help Winter.”

“I know and I appreciate that. You’ll be my first call if I find myself in trouble. I promise.” He continued to stare at her. “My father voted for you, so I assume you’re a good cop, and we need more of those around here.”

“Okay. Fine.” He nodded and produced one of his shiny business cards. “If you want to talk or you need help, call. Don’t take the law into your own hands.” He spoke to Winter, but his gaze was fixed firmly on Diesel. “Eventually your luck will run out. Right, Hollywood.”

“Never relied on luck myself, but when you make accidents illegal then self-defense becomes a fucking crime. Fucking politicians,” I grumbled, more to myself than to the politician and cop standing in front of me. “Have a good night, Sheriff.”

“You too.” He turned to Diesel. “You know how to reach me if you need me.”

The minute he was gone, Winter turned to me. “Why not at least tell him about the scammers coming after my dad?”

“Because,” Diesel laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “If we told him that then he’d make the connection and once the law gets involved, we don’t know who we can trust.”

“Seems like you have an odd relationship with Sheriff Cross.”

“We do,” Diesel answered with a sigh. “But that doesn’t mean we can trust everybody who works for him. That’s why he came tonight instead of a deputy.”

“Okay.” Winter nodded and stared at me, at first with lust and then concern as she took in the droplets of blood on my t-shirt and just like Cross had, my knuckles. “Holy shit, Hollywood. What the hell happened tonight? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Couldn’t say the same for the three Jade Devils, but I kissed the top of her head.

“We need to talk,” Diesel growled. “Now.”

“Yep.” I guided Winter into the clubhouse and kept going, following Diesel out through the back of the clubhouse. Ready to get a lecture for doing what needed to be done.

Chapter Twenty

Winter

“You’re a very good girl.” Hollywood stood in the doorway in nothing but a towel, bruised, a little bloody, and beautiful as fuck. The towel hung low, showing off his beautifully carved physique and the art that decorated his body. The purple circles already started to appear where he’d clearly been hit with something, likely a fist even though he refused to say where he’d been or what he’d been up to.

I licked my lips while my gaze raked over his body. “Am I?” I had no clue what he was talking about but when Hollywood was basically naked and telling me I was a good girl, I would lean into that shit.

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