“You’ll be doing the breaking.”
“Okay.”
“It’s illegal.”
A dimple creased one corner of his mouth. “Did you expect me to try to talk you out of it?”
“No. Well, maybe. A little.”
“The way I see it, if I get caught breaking into a house with the sheriff’s kid, my part in all of it will get swept under the rug.”
“You think my mother would sweep a third-degree felony under the rug?”
“Yes, I do. You’re her daughter.”
She scoffed. “You don’t know my mother very well.”
“I’m not saying you won’t get in trouble. I’m saying I won’t. Because you compelled me.” He tucked the strand of hair behind her ear. “I’d be under your spell. That’s something your mom will understand. I promise. Also, she likes me.”
Auri tilted her head. “She does, doesn’t she?”
“She let me stay in your room when she could’ve arrested me.”
“That says a lot.” Something dinged on Cruz’s small desk and Auri looked over at the clock perched atop it, the red digits forming the numbers eight zero zero.
“Oh, my God.” She catapulted to her feet. “Is that the time?”
“Did you sneak out again?”
“I’m so sorry.” She twirled around, looking for her things even though she didn’t have any. “I have to go.”
“I thought you were going to cut back.”
“My grandparents went out on a date. They’ll be back any second. Is that really the time?”
“Yes,” he said, casting her a sideways smirk.
“I’m dead. I am so dead.” She ran to the window and practically fell out of it. “Oh,” she said, turning back to him once she gained her footing, “wear comfortable clothes tomorrow and shoes you can sprint in, just in case we have to run from my mom.”
“Okay,” he said, watching her from the window.
Auri jumped on her bike and sped off. A light came on in the kitchen as she rode past and blind panic spurred her faster. She could only hope she didn’t get Cruz into trouble.
10
Forecast for tonight:
Alcohol, low standards, and poor decisions.
—SIGN AT THE ROADHOUSE BAR AND GRILL
It wasn’t that late when Sun and Quincy got back. Part of her felt bad considering her parents had wanted a date night. But another part, a bigger part, didn’t feel the least bit concerned. It was their fault she was sheriff.
After checking in at the station and finding out they’d recaptured Randy the raccoon, rescuing him from inside a vending machine, Sun headed home for a much-needed shower and a glass of wine. She would have made it, too, had her fuel light not come on.
She pulled into the Quick-Mart and parked beside her favorite gas pump: number three. Humble. Nondescript. Unassuming. But because the credit card machine still wasn’t working on pump number three, she had to go inside to pay.
She stepped into the small convenience store and slammed into a brick wall. When she bounced back, she looked up into the face of the brick wall. A wall named Levi Ravinder. For some reason, her hand immediately went to her gun. Thankfully she had the wherewithal to leave it holstered, but he’d tracked the involuntary movement with his caramel-colored irises before refocusing on her face.
She did the same to him. The bruising had only gotten worse. His left eye was swollen with dark, puffy splotches. His jaw was a combination of several shades of blue under the scruff, yet somehow the damage only added to his appeal.
When he questioned her with a minuscule lift of a single brow, she dropped both her hand and her gaze. The latter landed on the items he’d just bought: a large coffee and a giant bottle of painkillers.
Concern rocketed through her, but she slipped into her best poker face and stared him down. Or up, as the case may be. “I see you’re still alive.”
“Disappointed?”
“Did you ever get checked out?”
“I checked him out,” the cashier said, a twenty-something named Lottie, who stood staring at Levi like he’d just saved the world from an alien invasion. Lottie was the younger sister of a classmate and had been destined for stardom. The fact that she was working at the Quick-Mart for Mr. Walden was a little depressing.
Sun didn’t respond to her. Instead, she waited for Levi to answer.
“I’ve been busy,” he said at last.
“Right.” She nodded, unconvinced. “Did you find them?”
“I found where they aren’t.”
“That’s one way of looking at it.” She glanced over her shoulder toward the parking lot. “No wonder we haven’t picked you up yet. You switched trucks.” She recognized the only other vehicle on the premises, a dark gray F-150. It belonged to Levi’s distillery, Dark River Shine, but she’d never seen him drive it.
“Don’t bother,” he said when she made a mental note of the truck. “I won’t be driving it much longer.”
“No, you won’t.” She turned back to him. “Because I’m taking you in.”
He graced her with a pitying curve to his mouth. “No can do, Sheriff. I’m still looking for the men who attacked Seabright.”
“As are we.”
“And how far have you gotten?”
“About as far as you have from the looks of it.”
After a lengthy stare-down during which she tried to assess the damage to his left eye, the hemorrhage alarmingly dark, he started around her. “I’ll be on my way.”
She blocked him with a sidestep and her palm once again landed on her duty weapon. The reflex spoke more to her years of service than to any question about how dangerous Levi Ravinder was. He was very dangerous, just not to her.
Or so she’d thought until he closed the distance between them and glared down at her. “Are you really going to try to stop me?” he asked, his voice deep and even.
“Only if you make me.” Her mind raced through the plethora of offensive moves she could use to subdue the man, the same man who stood a head above her, but the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him any further. Still, if he forced her hand, she would have no choice. “I’m taking you in, Levi. And then I’m taking you to urgent care.”
She reached for a plastic tie on her belt, hoping it wouldn’t come to that, when a loud crash reverberated from behind the counter. Sun looked over and jumped the barrier. Lottie was having a seizure, her dark head thrown back, her arms stiff, her back arched.
“Call 911!” she shouted to Levi as she cleared the immediate area of anything Lottie could hurt herself on. Then she pressed the TALK button on her mic when she realized Levi hadn’t answered her.
She rose onto her feet. Both man and truck were gone. When she looked back, Lottie was coming out of it. She scooted against the liquor case, her knees drawn, hands cradling her forehead.
Sun squelched the dubious scowl threatening to break free. “Stay put. I’ll call an ambulance.”
Lottie’s eyes widened, but she recovered quickly. “Oh, no. I just need some water. I’m much better now.”