Page 22 of Sheltered by the Lawman

Chapter 7

THE TINMAN KEPT a keen eye on the cars that passed until the black Escalade with the tinted windows pulled up and the back door opened. Out stepped a tall, beautiful blonde draped in fur and diamonds. She wore wide sunglasses although the sun was setting.

He tossed his toothpick onto the grass and felt a twinge in his leg. The bullet wound still smarted, but he’d done a damn good job of treating it himself.

The woman finally dragged off her sunglasses as she approached, followed by her driver, a.k.a bodyguard. He was as big as a house and looked like his face had been run over by a truck. What Tinman couldn’t understand was why the rich chick didn’t have her watchdog bodyguard take care of the job?

“I can’t believe you asked me to come here. This neighborhood isn’t fit for rats to live in,” she growled.

With a sniff, Tinman slid from his perch on the table and slowly lowered his shoes to the ground. He squinted at the pain in his body but gritted his teeth against the need to sit back down. “Should I have come to that fancy neighborhood of yours?”

With a half-hearted shrug, she dropped the glasses into her glitzy purse. “She’s not dead.”

One thing he liked about the rich broad, she didn’t waste time with small talk. “News travels fast.”

“I’m glad you can take this so calmly, but because you’ve seemed to forget something, I’ll remind you.” She took a small step closer that brought her within several inches of him. He caught her scent—rich bitch perfume. “Ten grand and ten thousand reasons why I thought you could handle the job.” Her crimson lip curled in disgust.

“My capabilities haven’t changed.” He inhaled deeply. What was it about uppity broads and their incredible scent? His cock hardened and he grinned, glad that his tool still worked. It had been a while since he’d been turned on.

“Really?” she snapped. “Then why is that fucking whore still a pain in my ass instead of six feet under? Did you think my people wouldn’t find out that you botched the job?”

“We have a little problem,” he swiped his hand down his whiskered jaw. “Little being the operative word.”

“I’m sure little is a word used in reference to you quite often,” she slurred, glancing to his zipper. “I was told you were smart and skilled.”

“She’s under the protection of a lawman,” he growled. He hated when any job didn’t go full circle, but he also had patience.

“I don’t care whose wing she’s under. She must be eliminated. Now,” she insisted. “If you can’t handle the bitch, then step aside and let me find someone who can. While you’re at it say goodbye to the wad of cash you were promised.”

“Did I say I couldn’t handle it?”

“No, you didn’t, but you’ve fucked up. You said she’d be worm bait in two days.”

“If you could have found someone else to do the job with my skill set you would have. Hell, why didn’t ask your goon?” Tinman pointed at the bodyguard then took out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, lit one, and took a long drag before he said, “I’ll get the cunt. I always follow through.”

“Yeah? When?”

“Soon. It’s best we back off some and allow her to think she’s safe—allow the lawman to make a mistake. I know that I can do this without being sloppy.”

“Take them both out!” she hissed.

He chuckled. “Trust me, Cull Cade isn’t an easy target. I take the woman out and he’ll be pissed. I take a Cade out and I’ll have his siblings and every fucking badge after me in Wyoming. No thank you.”

“You’re missing something. The longer she’s alive the more chance that half-wit will spill what she knows. It has to be soon,” she slurred, probably already dipped into her cocktail.

“Look, sweetheart, leave the heavy work to the professional. I’ll get my chance to take care of her and when I do, if it makes you feel better, I’ll cut her tongue out and place it in a gift box for you. Sound good?” He couldn’t hide his loss of patience. “As long as I get that money, I’ll even deliver the bitch and let you do the dirty deed.”

“I’m losing my tolerance, and when I start to lose it…”

“Are you threatening me?” the Tinman said quietly, grinning.

“Oh, but I never threaten. I say it just how it is. I’ve dealt with…” she rolled the word around her tongue, “bigger issues and see where that got me? I get what I want, when I want it.”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist. When I decide the time is right…” She opened her mouth, ready to say something that he really didn’t care to hear and he placed his finger over her lips, “Just listen. Got it? When the time is right I’ll make sure no one will ever find her body. There won’t be another fire or a fucked-up ending. I know what I’m doing.”

“There are no second chances. Fuck this up again and there will be no forgiveness. Right, Jonesy?”

The large bodyguard grunted. The brute could scare some men, but some didn’t scare easily, and that was Tinman.

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