“Anything Shelby asks me for, I’m willing to do.” I laugh as I put my arm around Shelby’s neck.
“She’s a lucky lady.”
Glancing over at her, I feel the soft smile sliding across my face. “Nah, I’m a very lucky man.”
Chapter 30
Sullivan
“Domestic dispute at The Café,” dispatch advises, causing me to do a double-take when I hear the location.
“The Café?” I verify.
“Yes. Caller states two patrons are having a disagreement.”
I can hear Leigh screaming on the call. “It’s Montana and Frank Gentry. He’s cornered her here.”
Son of a bitch. “I’ll be right there.”
I’m driving a Charger today instead of my customary SUV. As it responds to the way my foot presses the gas, I kind of hope they let me have it for the long haul. Even though I started out halfway across the county, I’m in front of The Café within minutes.
There’s a crowd, and I can see Frank standing very close to his wife.
“Frank, back away, or I’m going to have to take you in. You’re aware there’s an order of protection against you.”
I don’t mention how it’d be my pleasure. I’m still fucking pissed at the way he treated the woman in my life.
“Go ahead and take me in,” he screams at me.
“Ya know what? Turn around, put your hands behind your back.”
“For what?”
“Do I really need to count the goddamn reasons?” I push him so that he’s facing the wall. “You’re violating a protective order, first of all.” I press him further into the solid structure, shoving my knee in between his thighs, leaning my weight against him. “Second of all,” - I lower my voice, getting closer, speaking low in his ear - “you think you’re gonna touch my woman and her not tell me?”
“She’s lying,” he grunts as I press harder.
“Don’t even think about it,” I growl. “You say one more word about her, I’ll clock out and beat your ass. Not as an officer of the law, but as a man pissed because of what you did to his woman.”
“Should you really be bringing your personal feelings into your job, officer?”
“Shut up.”
I reach over to my radio, calling for backup. When I’m done, I look over at Montana. “Are you okay? Do you need anyone to come and check you out.”
“She’s breathing hard, Sully,” Leigh says from where she has her arm wrapped around the younger woman. She’s handing her a glass of water.
“Probably just scared, but it won’t hurt to have someone come and check.” I reach back over, keying my radio. “Dispatch go ahead and send an ambulance over to The Café too.”
“You okay, deputy?”
“Fine, it’s for one of the people involved in the domestic. I’m good and I see back-up pulling in right now.”
Ransom comes in, holding Rambo on the leash. His eyes take in the situation. “You straight?”
“Yeah, can you check on her?” I motion over to where Montana sits. “I called for an ambulance. They should be here ASAP.”
“Pulling up right now.” His gaze watches the street outside The Café. “You taking him in?” He dips his chin at Frank.
“That’s the plan.”
“He hopes it’s the plan,” Frank sneers.
“It is, turn around and shut up.”
“I see you take her side over mine.” He looks at Montana.
“No, you don’t look at her,” I jerk him around. “You can wait out in the car until we’re ready to go.”
“I’ll be speaking with your supervisor about this.”
“Go right ahead.” I walk him out, putting him in the back of the car. People gawk as I close the door, thankful I don’t have to listen to him any longer. Looking over at the ambulance, I see my sister hop out of the back with her go bag.
“Hey, sis!”
“Hey.” She comes over, hugging me around the waist. “How’s it going?”
“Pretty quiet day until this piece of shit.”
She laughs. “If I had a nickel for every piece of shit both of us have dealt with, we’d be millionaires.”
I watch as Rowan goes over, kneeling in front of Montana. Following her, I stand behind, observing. “She was in the hospital until a few days ago because of him.” I let her know.
“What happened?” Rowan asks as she takes Montana’s blood pressure.
“He beat me,” she whispers.
“There’s an order of protection against him, and he shouldn’t have been here,” I answer.
“Your blood pressure is high, which is understandable. Is your chest hurting?”
“Slightly, but I’m starting to calm down some,” Montana sighs, taking slow breaths in and out. She leans back against the chair.
“I think you’re having an anxiety attack. Let us go put you on the EKG machine for a little while.” Ro helps her get up.
“Is he going to jail?”
“Yeah,” I tell her.
“Even if I was the one who came here after he did?”
“It doesn’t matter where you are or when you walk in. He knows he’s supposed to keep his distance from you. If you walk in, he walks out. That’s the way it works. None of this is your fault. You need to remember that.”
She looks at me, her eyes meeting mine. “I know.”
And for the first time I feel like she does. “I’ll see y’all later. I’m taking his ass to jail.”
Chapter 31
Shelby
“I hadn’t quite thought how I would feel to be up for auction when this idea was presented.” I pull at the hem of the dress I’m wearing.
In front of me Sullivan wears a suit, along with a smirk. A fucking smirk. He looks way too good in the white dress shirt, and dark blue blazer. It sets off the color of his eyes, and the perpetual tan he seems to have.
“You look damn good.” His gaze eats me up.
“So do you.” I grab hold of the lapels of his jacket, tugging him into me. “Wish I had enough money to spend on you. I’m sure you’re gonna go for a ton.”
I giggle, tilting my head toward him, as he reminds me. “That would be beside the point. Instead of raising money, we’ll be spending it.”
He slides his hand down my back, cupping my ass with his palm. I grin up at him, loving when a smirk spreads across his face. White teeth flash against his skin. “I’d give everything I had for you.”
“Sullivan Baker, you’re too sweet.”
He dips down, putting his lips to my neck. “Only for you.”
Glancing at the clock, I see it’s time for us to leave. “We gotta go.”
“After you.” He ushers me out of the apartment, holding my hand as we head down the stairs to his Mustang.
He opens the passenger side door, grinning like a wolf ready to eat his prey.