Page 101 of Wild Card
“Heyyyy, Dalton,” he crooned, lips tipping up. “Where’d the hot chick go?”
“You’ll refer to Deputy Parks by her name and with respect,” I said sternly.
“Oops. I meant to say, where’s Hot Chick Deputy Parks?”
“I’m right here,” she answered, shifting forward to make eye contact. “You ready to take that breath test?”
“No can do. Just give me a warning, and I’ll be on my way.”
“Not this time, Dallas,” I said. “If you refuse to submit to the test, we’ll arrest you for noncompliance, and the court will suspend your license.”
Nebraska had an implied consent law, which basically meant when you got a driver’s license, you agreed to submit to a test if you were suspected of driving under the influence.
I sure as hell suspected Dallas. There was little doubt by the redness of his eyes, the heaviness of his eyelids, and the slurring of his words that this man was far beyond the legal limit of alcohol.
He’d gotten started early to be so drunk by seven thirty, but that wasn’t much of a surprise either. Ever since he’d gotten caught harassing Emory and lost his job at City Hall, Dallas had been growing more erratic by the day.
And he wasn’t exactly the most upstanding citizenbeforethis latest spiral.
“Fuck off,” he said.
“Dallas, we suspect you’ve had too much to drink tonight. We can’t let you drive away.”
“Fine!” He shoved open the door so fast he caught my thigh even as I jumped back.
“Fucking shit,” I growled, rubbing at the spot that would surely bruise.
Chloe moved in, grabbing Dallas’s left arm. He didn’t put up much resistance, as drunk as he was, and she had him in cuffs in seconds. She frisked him, ignoring his inappropriate comments, and turned to me. “No weapons.”
I reached for his arm. “I’ll take him in.”
Chloe followed while I read Dallas his rights and shoved him into the back of my cruiser.
“Suck my dick, man!” Dallas shouted. “Wait, you like sucking dicks, don’t you? Come in here with me and you can?—”
I slammed the door on his crude comments. Usually, Dallas played straight for his father’s sake, but it was no secret I was gay.
“Go back to the station,” I told Chloe. “I got this.”
Her forehead creased. “I didn’t call you to dump my responsibility on you. I can book him. I just wasn’t sure…” She winced, tone turning harsh. “I shouldn’t have called. I should have just done my damn job.”
“Sheriff Hale doesn’t make it easy sometimes.”
“I’ve heard the rumors, is all,” she said. “About the sheriff having a blind spot for his son, and Dallas seemed so sure I wouldn’t take him in.” Her shoulders crept up with tension. “I shouldn’t have pulled you into it, though. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.”
I chuckled. “Chloe, you handled Dallas just fine when push came to shove.” Literally. “You called for some backup, and I backed you up. Nothing wrong with that. Hale already hates me. Just let me take this hit, all right?”
She sighed. “Fine. I can tell I won’t change your mind.”
“You won’t, and Dallas is in my back seat, so finders keepers.”
She laughed. “Oh, lordy. I wouldn’t want to keep that one.”
I grimaced. “Just long enough to dump him in a jail cell.”
“See you at the station, then.” She walked to her cruiser and got in.
I opened my door and dropped into the driver’s seat. Dallas started running his mouth immediately. “You’re so fucking screwed, man. When my dad hears?—”
