Chapter Four
Rance walked into the sheriff’s office, the laptop tucked under his arm. Once he had reached the cabin again and shifted, he dressed and did a quick scan of the structure. The only thing of importance in the whole place was an ancient laptop. Rance shoved it into an evidence bag he found in the deputy’s car and then stowed it in his duffel bag along with his clothes. Roger was doing more than hiding in Bull Creek; he was hiding from life. He only had a few changes of clothes, no other electronics, such as a music device or television, no books to mention, which made Rance wonder what the man did out in the middle of nowhere to keep from going off the rails. Bull Creek was a quiet getaway, but Rance wasn’t sure if he could last without something to distract him besides watching the hands of a clock tick.
He grinned as he walked up to the receptionist’s desk. Of course, if he had Lainie Everest in his cabin, he could let time pass without worry. Spunky, sassy even, but it suited her. He couldn’t wait to get her off this case and see where the two of them could go. His wolf already made his claim, but Rance knew there was no way the deputy would give him the time of day if she still thought he intended to steal her case away from her.
“Can I help you?” the gray-haired lady behind the desk asked, looking up at him over the rim of her glasses.
“Rance Culpepper here to see Sheriff Chet Einstein. Is he here?”
“One moment.” He watched as she picked up the phone and hit a button in the middle of the ancient rotary device. Rance just stared at it, wondering where in the world they dug it up, and then realized it probably came with the building. He tapped the laptop with his thumb, his impatience making him jittery. “Yes, sir,” she said, then hung up the phone and peered back at Rance over her glasses again. “He’ll be right out.”
Rance nodded and then turned to wait, his thumb still tapping against the laptop. He had assumed Lainie wouldn’t have time to search the cabin with the Serpent in her custody, so while the place was still open and not locked down, he took it upon himself to search the cabin. The laptop was all he came up with, but he hadn’t opened it yet. As much as he wanted to see if the video was on the thing, he didn’t need a wall to come up between him and Lainie just because he took a sneak peek. His future with her held other plans.
“Detective Culpepper, right?”
Turning, Rance saw the sheriff, his leathery hand extended for a handshake. “Yes, Sheriff Einstein, thanks for coming out.” He handed the man the laptop wrapped in the plastic evidence bag. “I discovered this at Roger’s cabin. Your deputy should be behind me shortly with a prisoner in her custody.” He then started to relate the tale of what transpired at the cabin with the Serpent member.
The sheriff took the evidence bag with the laptop but gave Rance a skeptical look. “Lainie permitted you to go with her to the cabin? Last I heard, she didn’t want you anywhere near her case.”
Rance gave a slight shrug, not really wanting to admit to the sheriff how he had tracked the deputy and followed her to the cabin from the crime scene. “Let’s say I turned up at the right time. The gang member who probably killed Roger was sneaking into the cabin to attack the deputy. I arrived in time to give her a heads up and assisted in the guy’s capture.”
The sheriff nodded slowly, his expression clearly showing he knew he was missing something. He held the laptop up. “And you didn’t go through this? If I remember correctly, you were searching for a video for your case.”
Rance shook his head. “As tempting as that was, I decided to go the proper route through channels.” Then he gave his own weak shrug. “I’m pretty sure I’ve already pressed my luck with your deputy as far as is safe.”
“There you are, you son of a bitch.” Lainie’s voice came from behind them, her tone making it quite apparent she was not happy about his search of the cabin. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”
The sheriff chuckled, giving a shake of his head. “Yup. I’d say you pretty much pressed your luck. I’ll hold onto this.” The man then turned and headed back to his office, leaving Rance to deal with the irate deputy.
“Watch him,” Lainie ordered as she shoved the Serpent member toward another deputy.
Rance watched as she stormed toward him, her expression dark and thunderous. “Look, I can explain,” he said, holding his hands up in front of him. He didn’t think she’d strike him in a room full of witnesses, but he wasn’t taking that chance. “I’ve already given your laptop to the sheriff. I didn’t even open it. Just bagged and tagged it.”
“And you think that gives you the right to steal my evidence?” She jabbed him in the chest with her finger as she continued her tirade, her nail digging into him. “I told you I didn’t need your help or even want it on this case. I told you to stay away from it, but oh no, you just had to go and dive right in.” She kept stabbing him with her finger, making him back up a step each time until his back was against the receptionist’s desk and he was forced to stand there and take it.
And take it he did, his wolf purring at her temper and the way she came at him like she did. This was no weakling in front of him, and his wolf more than approved. He wanted her and almost busted through Rance’s flesh to take her, not caring that they were in the middle of the sheriff’s department. Every eye in the place had turned, everyone halting whatever they worked on and gawking at the spectacle in the foyer.
While Rance was being berated in front of the entire sheriff’s department by a woman an entire head shorter than him, he couldn’t stop thinking how sexy she looked in her anger. Her nostrils flared a bit, her eyes narrow slits, and her mouth was pinched even as she yelled at him, and instead of wanting to argue back, all he wanted to do was take her out of there and bend her over, ramming his cock into her from behind and claiming her for all to see.
Something in his expression must have suggested his thoughts were not on her outrage because she stopped yelling, her hands thrust onto her hips, and glared at him. “What the hell are you smiling at?” she asked, her fluster now a confused annoyance.
He felt the grin spread across his face, knowing he should stop it, but unable to do so. “You look cute when you’re pissed off, that’s all.”
“What..?” She shook her head, her dark hair swishing across her back. “Are you fucking kidding me? You think flirting with me is the best way out of this situation?”
He gave a slow shake of his head. “No, but I wasn’t really flirting. I meant it. And for the record, I was just trying to help back there. I already gave the laptop—untouched by me—to your sheriff, all nice and tidy in an evidence bag, which I found in your car.” He leaned back on the receptionist’s desk, his hands gripping the edges. “I assumed you would be busy with the Serpent kid and didn’t want to take the chance of someone else from the gang being around and searching the cabin before you had a chance to send the crime unit out.” He shrugged. “I didn’t even open it, just bagged it and brought it here.”
She stood there, her hands going across her chest as she glared at him, and he could tell she wanted to find something else to yell at him for but couldn’t think of anything. His actions surprised her, he knew, keeping her off-guard, which was to his advantage if he was going to give his wolf what the animal wanted. Her breathing was ragged, the heaviness of it causing her breasts to rise and fall under her arms, her cheeks flushed. He’d kiss her if he didn’t think she’d slap the hell out of him.
With a tilt of his head, he offered what he hoped was a disarming smile. “Maybe we can go look at that laptop?” he asked. “Perhaps both of us will find what we need for our cases, and then, if you really want, I can get out of your hair. Or, perhaps, we could get a drink or something.”
Her eyes widened, and he could smell the effect his offer had on her, the pheromones of her—panther?—shouting to him that her animal gave her the same urges his wolf gave him. “You’re unbelievable,” she said.
He nodded. “I’ve been told.” Then he grinned. “But you didn’t say no.”
She blew out a frustrated breath, the rush of air flapping her bangs over her forehead. He couldn’t take his eyes off her lips, wanting to kiss her with a hunger he never before felt.
She dropped her arms to her sides as she turned and walked toward the back of the department. “Fine. Come on. The sooner we get you your damn video, the sooner I get you out of my hair.”
He watched her storm away, her ass sashaying, drawing all eyes to her, and she probably didn’t even know the effect she had on the men around her, especially him. He grinned as he pushed himself off the desk with a bump of his ass. You may get me out of your hair, but you and I both know you won’t get me out of your mind. Not with your panther feeling what my wolf feels. This was definitely going to be a fun mating.