Close To The Edge (Westen #2) (34 page)

He felt her body shudder next to his and squeezed her hand. “But I didn’t thanks to you, Deke and most of Westen. I know how lucky I was.”

“Seems Davis wasn’t as lucky.” Deke settled into the empty chair beside the bed.

“I take it you found his body?”

“More like parts,” Deke said.

“Wild Thing” erupted from Bobby’s black bag.

“Oh, crap.” She scooted off the bed and fished her cell out of the bag’s depths, scrunching her face like a little girl. “It’s Chloe. I’ll take this in the hall.”

As she walked out of the room, he couldn’t take his eyes off her soft, jean-clad hips. He wanted to tell her to stay, but figured she’d rather talk to her sister than hear the details about Richard Davis’ demise.

A chuckle sounded from the room’s chair. “Man, you’ve got it bad.”

Since he couldn’t argue the point with him, Gage flipped Deke off with his good hand. “Tell me what you found out while she’s gone.”

“The tweaker had the meth lab wired for anyone coming up from that secret room who didn’t know the right places to step to trigger it. The DEA and hazmat units will be here for a few weeks cleaning up the mess.”

“At least Davis didn’t get away with his crime spree. Have the hazmat people said how long those chemicals will contaminate the area?”

Deke coughed hard, the effort shaking his body, a residual affect from the fire he’d nearly died in years ago. “There’s where we caught a break.”

“How so?”

“Seems your tweaker, Rusty, had used up most of his chemicals. Instead of a chemical reaction, the explosion was from some C4 he’d managed to get his hands on—probably from his days as a demolition expert in the Army. The DEA people think that once they clean out any remnants of the meth from the area, we can bulldoze the remains of the vacant house and the land will be clean for use again.”

“Honestly, Chloe, I’m fine.” Bobby entered the room with a disgusted look on her face. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, still listening to her sister. Apparently younger sister was giving her grief. If she knew how close Bobby came to being trapped underground with him, she’d be even more upset.

“There’s no need for you to come up here. I’ll send you a full report tomorrow. I’m pretty sure the bank will be happy to drop whatever lien they have on the property since it was illegal anyway once the whole story comes out.”

Wanting to hold her once more, Gage patted the empty space on his bed. Without thinking she sat beside him and the simple act felt perfectly right. She continued to listen to her sister and he shot Deke a knowing glance. “We’ll talk more tomorrow when I get out of here.”

Deke gave him a half grin. “Try to get some rest. You both look like death warmed over,” he said before walking out of the room.

Bobby yawned as she placed her phone on the bedside table.

“You didn’t say goodbye to your sister.” He pulled her down to lie beside him, wrapping his uninjured arm around her to hold her close.

She snuggled into his side, her hand resting on his chest. “She’s turning into nag sister. I’m too tired to listen to it anymore. You’d think I wasn’t capable of taking care of myself after all these years of raising them.” Another yawn escaped her. “I should go so you can get some rest.”

“Stay.” He pulled her a little closer and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll sleep better with you right here. And you’re as exhausted as I am.”

A few quiet minutes passed.

“You scared me so bad when you went in that tunnel.”

“I can’t believe you crawled in there to bring me the air tank.”

“Told you, I love you. Didn’t want you to die because I was scared of closed, dark places. Seemed…” She yawned. “…stupid to me.”

“I’ve made a decision.”

“Yes?” She tilted her head back until he saw the question in her dark, sleepy eyes.

“I’m going to run for sheriff again.” He held his breath wondering what her reaction would be.

“Figured you would.” She smiled, snuggling back against him.

“You did?” Surprised his news hadn’t surprised her. “How?”

“Oh, you talked a good game about leaving, but your actions showed how much you love this town and all the people.” She yawned again and moved her hand to lie over his heart. “Your mind might’ve thought it was leaving, but your heart knew better.”

“That means if they re-elect me I’ll be staying in Westen for at least four more years.” He lifted a strand of her hair with his uninjured hand and rubbed the silken strands between his fingers.

“Makes sense. You can’t be sheriff long distance.”

“Will you stay with me?” he asked, holding his breath as he waited for her answer.

“Mmm…” she snuggled into his side more. “Couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be,” she murmured.

After a minute her breathing grew regular. She’d fallen asleep. Had she really meant what she’d said? Did she know what he was asking?

Her body’s warmth seeped into his and the long night’s events finally took their toll on him. Content, with her sleeping almost on top of him, his eyes drifted closed.

Minutes later, Clint paused just inside the door, cell phone to his ear.

“Sorry sweetheart, you’ll have to talk to your cousin later. He’s sleeping. No, I don’t think Bobby wants to come spend the night at our place. They’re both just fine.”

He turned the light out and closed the door. Walking to the nurse’s station, he asked for the chart. He crossed out the sleeping pill orders he’d left. Didn’t look like Gage was going to need those tonight.

Chapter Nineteen

J
ason Clarke pulled the cruiser up in front of the Peaches ‘N Cream café at noon the next day. Several news stations from all over the state had trucks parked on Westen’s Main Street with groups of reporters and cameramen milling about.

“Just take us over to my house, Jason,” Gage said as they came to a stop. Last thing he wanted to do was talk to the press today.

“No can do, Sheriff.” Jason jumped out and ran around to open the back door for them. “I’m under strict orders to bring you both here.”

Gage struggled out of the cruiser with his good arm, turned and held his hand in to help Bobby out. “Orders? From whom? Last time I looked, I’m still your boss.”

The café door opened and Lorna stepped out onto the sidewalk. “I told that boy to bring you here, Gage. Now get on in here. There’s people wanting to talk to you.”

Before they could make their way inside, the horde of newsmen swarmed the Westen Inn at the far end of the next block. Moira Dudson stepped out onto the porch, camera lights flashing all around.

“What’s she doing here?” Bobby asked.

Gage could only imagine. He clenched his good hand into a fist. “Trying to get the credit for the capture of a major drug supplier, if I know Moira.”

Ignoring Lorna, Bobby tucked her hand beneath his casted arm and tugged gently in the Inn’s direction. “I think we should go hear what your ex has to say.”

The innocent look on her face didn’t fool him for a second. Maybe it was the pain pills, but he wanted to find out what Moira was up to, and he
really
wanted to see what Bobby planned.

As they approached, Moira was reading from a piece of paper in her hand. “Working hand-in-hand with the DEA, I’ve been building a case against the leader of this drug crew.”

“More like she was working by mouth to get her information,” Bobby muttered beside Gage.

He couldn’t help but laugh, which caused several reporters to turn and stare. Bobby took the opportunity to wedge them closer.

Moira continued. “Today’s DEA raid resulted in the collapse of a major Methamphetamine production lab here in the heart of central Ohio. Unfortunately, due to the volatile state of the chemicals used in the making of meth, the key operatives were killed in the effort.”

Reporters raised their hands for questions.

“So why were you involved in this investigation, Ms. Dudson? Is there a connection between this drug ring and crime in Franklin County?” a young male reporter in front of them asked.

Moira glanced in their direction, visibly blanching when she noticed Gage, but flashed the highly impressed reporter a million-dollar smile nonetheless. “I’ve been following this ring from Franklin County back to the general area of Westen at which point we contacted the local authorities. So bringing down this meth lab will help reduce the available drug in the capitol.”

Bobby reached in and scooped the mic out of the stunned reporter’s hand. “Perhaps you can tell us why you knew about this drug connection to the area for months, Ms. Dudson, but chose to keep the information to yourself until last night?”

“I’m sorry,” Moira looked back their direction. “What station are you with?”

Before Gage could stop her, Bobby moved forward another step. “I’m with the local authorities. We have reason to believe that you withheld information in an investigation that resulted in the increased danger to the community, continued meth production, and quite possibly the murder of at least two people. Is that how an Assistant District Attorney is supposed to uphold the law, Ms. Dudson?”

Suddenly, the cameras had turned from Moira to Bobby. Gage stood behind her, damn proud she’d taken up the defense of his town.

“I assure you that as soon as the meth source’s location was known, Sheriff Justice was notified of the situation.” Moira looked around her for some help and found none.

Bobby took another step closer. “Ms. Dudson, can you explain how you came to Westen last night to inform Sheriff Justice,” she pointed back to Gage, “of a potential meth lab
outside
Westen only
after
he and his men discovered it on their own? And while the local authorities were closing it down, you and the state agencies were nowhere to be found?”

“I was here…” Moira stammered.

“Were you here while the lab exploded?” Bobby stepped onto the porch’s bottom step, like a huntress with her prey cornered. “Were you here while the sheriff was trapped underground?”

“Gage?” Moira looked pleadingly at him.

He’d be damned if he’d call Bobby off. It was nice to see someone make his ex squirm.

“If he’d died,” Bobby climbed the steps, her voice lowered, but nonetheless threatening and every news camera focused directly on her, “would you find some political angle for your career in that, too?”

The statuesque blonde’s face contorted into a mirror of her ugly inner self. She grabbed her bag, shoved her sunglasses on her face, then elbowed her way through the crowd, which contained not only the media, but most of Westen’s citizens.

A reporter raised his hand to get Bobby’s attention. “So you’re saying the sheriff’s department closed this lab by themselves?”

“Yes,” Bobby said, waving for Gage to come join her on the porch.

He shook his head and motioned for her to continue, curious to see what kind of spin she’d take and if she’d advertise her burgeoning PI business.

Bobby faced the group of reporters still flocked around the porch. “Sheriff Gage Justice, his deputies and Fire Chief Deacon Reynolds detected the presence of the meth lab this week. They worked quickly to shut down the operation.”

“You say there were two murders connected to the drug operation?” another reporter asked.

Bobby looked to Gage for permission. He nodded for her to continue. She proceeded to fill the media and town in on the details.

“That’s one helluva spokesman,” Tobias said beside Gage.

He glanced to his left. “Yes, she is. By the way, you know she’s going to find that public indecency arrest of yours the further into Ruby’s files she searches.”

“I was barely over eighteen back then, Gage, and drunk as a skunk.”

“When she finds it, I’ll make sure she buries it once more.” Gage grinned. And he would once she got to laugh at Tobias like everyone else in town had.

Tobias blushed clear up to his slightly receding hairline. “Thanks.”

“And Tobias?”

“Yeah?”

“She’s mine.”

The mayor chuckled. “Always knew you were a smart man, Sheriff. By the way, it is still Sheriff, right?”

“You can’t get rid of me that easy, Mayor.”

“For the record, miss,” another reporter asked, drawing Gage’s attention back to Bobby’s news conference, “what is your affiliation with the local authorities?”

Bobby’s gaze met Gage’s once more and she flashed a big smile. “I’m just a deputy, sir.”

***

“You had a chance to get free publicity for your PI business,” Gage said, once the media interviews had ended and they were seated in the Peaches ‘N Cream’s corner booth.

Most of Westen’s citizens, happy to hear Gage planned to run for a second term, had drifted back to their homes or jobs. Gage’s cousin Emma and Clint, Deke and all the deputies except Jason, who was still on duty, sat in the café, talking over the night and day’s events. Even Cleetus had managed his crutches into the adjoining booth.

The news trucks had packed up and vacated Main Street for other parts of the state. The head of the DEA working the destroyed lab had apologized for not contacting him personally. Apparently, Moira, using her ADA credentials, had convinced them that she was keeping Gage in the loop from the beginning.

Bobby still seethed at the woman’s audacity and cruelly selfish ambition. “I’m not sure I’m really cut out to be a PI.”

Gage gave her a surprised look. “Sure you are. We couldn’t have solved the case without you. Hell we didn’t even know we had a case until you came to town.”

She laughed. “Oh, please. The only thing I managed to do on my own was dump trash on you.”

“Really?” Emma said, grinning at Gage. “I’m thinking that’s a story I’d like to hear.”

As they all laughed a silver BMW pulled up outside. Wes let out an appreciative whistle. “Oh, baby!”

“Will you look at that?” Deke said.

Bobby’s heart sank as the front doors of the very familiar vehicle opened and out stepped a tall gorgeous brunette from each side. “Oh, crap.”

“You know them?” Gage asked.

“My sisters.”

Everyone turned to stare at her.