Page 48 of Riding Danger

Lilly hit her turn signal and made her way to the Marina De Ferrier offramp. “Let’s talk about this tomorrow. Meet me at my office at ten.”

She ended the call before Agent Newton had a chance to disagree.

We both looked at each other. The case had just taken on a new level of complication which neither of us were prepared for. And neither of us got the chance to talk about it, as another call rang through the car. This time it was my phone.

I fished it out my purse and frowned as I saw the station number on the car.

“Hello.”

“Bauman.”

The voice on the other end gave me pause. “Captain?”

“We’ve arrested three of your friends.” The captain sounded oddly calm about the fact. “Along with the two Ripper boys who are not imprisoned. Some sort of fight broke out at the Reverse Cowgirl.”

Aah. That explained a lot. Except I could not think who I was an emergency contact for. Everyone had family. Unless Maggie had been arrested, too. “Who did you arrest?”

“Theo Snow, Jason Wilder.” I could hear the smirk in his voice at Jason being arrested. He looked like a pretty boy and behaved like a dancer. No one ever expected the man to fight. But the man could throw down with the best of them. “And that rockstar guy you’ve been seen with. Ryder Hawkins. Did you know that was his real name? I thought something as pretentious as that would be a stage name.”

“Sir, I am about fifteen minutes out.” When the captain got chatty, he could go on for hours. “Did you call Maggie and Tiffany?”

“Ms. Snow is on her way. Ms. Ripper is here, doesn’t want to press charges, but she does want them all to sit for a little bit.”

I had to smile. No doubt Maggie had warned Theo and Jason to ignore her asshole in-laws, but Theo had… I had no idea what was up with him. He had warned Maggie about Fred and then after Fred’s arrest, he had gotten even worse. To the point that Maggie and Theo almost needed a referee each time they were in a room together. They were friends. Good friends who I knew would do anything for one another. But he couldn't let go of the idea that she ignored his advice and she hated that he was right.

Which was weird because we all told her the Rippers were bad news. Cat had dated Charles in high school and he broke her heart in the worst way possible. And since then, the Rippers had done nothing to endear the town to them.

I ended the call with the captain and turned to Lilly. “Can you drop me at the station please.”

“Sure,” Lilly nodded. She changed lanes needing to take the route to the station. “Give me your car keys. I’ll pick up Oliver and we’ll make sure your car gets to the station. I have a feeling no one will be in a state to drive. Not even Maggie if she’s as mad as I imagine she is.”

By the time I arrived at the station, I was mad at the guys and I didn’t even know what had happened. No doubt the Rippers made some derogatory comment and the guys all got offended on Maggie’s behalf. A fight broke out and Maggie called the cops to get everyone arrested because she was mad at them for defending her. Or some such nonsense. Either way Jason and Theo should have known better. As for Ryder, who the fuck knew what he was thinking getting involved.

I hopped out of Lilly's car not even bothering with my jacket. We had rules when we were in plain clothes, but I was off duty and in a mood.

I knew that both my badge and gun were on display along with my holster. Even my cuffs were exposed but none of that bothered me. I stepped into the station, determined to get to the cells without being interrupted.

“Oh, child, slow down.” Immediately my face softened as I heard Millie Brewster. “Nothing can be more important than a freshly baked cookie.”

The old lady who lived on the border of Walker Lake and Marina De Ferrier smiled up at me. She was easily in her late sixties and a do-gooder if ever there was one. She even filled in as the Salinger Security receptionist for a few years. Now, she baked and mended for the station and the hospital.

“Mrs. Brewster, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, child, you don’t think I just make cookies for the day shift, do you?” She smiled and held the container up to me. “The night shift deserves my love just as much.”

“You’re right.” I smiled and took a cookie knowing that no one made a better peanut butter choc-chip cookie. “Thank you.”

“Now, what has that frown wanting to peek out?”

She lightly touched the tip of my nose with her finger.

“I just need to check out how much trouble my friends caused.”

“Best you be off then.” She turned and offered her cookies to the desk sergeant.

I continued my stomping through the station until I got to the back cells. The concrete floor and metal bars were never a welcome sight. Even less so when you saw the man you were falling in love with on the other side of them.

His eyes widened as soon as he saw me and I couldn’t help but notice the slow perusal his eyes took down my body. I alsocould not help but notice his smirk widen just a bit at the cuffs. Seemed my man had a kink.

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