Chapter 20
TAYLOR
“You’re telling me that Rod was messing with my car?”
Colt and Shep nodded in unison. They stood side by side and looked so much like brothers, even though one wore a sheriff’s uniform, the other mechanic’s coveralls.
It was the next day. We’d finally gotten to Cam’s bed where he made love to me–not fucking this time–once more before we fell asleep. I wasn’t sure if he held me all night for my sake or his.
Shep called Cam an hour ago and told us to meet him at the station. That he found out something about my car. Nothing else.
That hadn’t made Cam happy. It made him irritable, but also very, very protective.
He didn’t let me out of his sight, except to pee, which was when I put my foot down.
Otherwise, he’d been touching me in some way.
Holding my hand, his palm at my lower back or like now, his arm around my waist pulling me tight into his side.
We were in Colt’s minimal and not exciting office at the station. To make room since it was so small, Shep had moved around the desk to stand next to Colt. Now, we looked like we were in a face-off.
“Someone did,” Shep said. “You said it’d been hard to start for a while, then finally stalled while you were driving.”
Cam’s fingers tensed on my waist at his brother’s recap.
“I’d say they put sugar in the tank,” Shep tossed out, like a glitter bomb that was going to be a mess to clean up.
I blinked at him. “Sugar. In my tank,” I repeated.
Shep scratched the side of his head. “Yeah.”
“Shep gave me an update and I talked to Rod,” Colt added. “He’s in the interrogation room.”
Based on his office and the small lobby, this station wasn’t anything like what was on TV. I imagined Rod handcuffed and sitting at a table with a one way mirror on the wall.
I guessed reality was probably just a tiny room with a table and recording equipment.
“Shep’s right,” Colt added. “That’s exactly what Rod did.”
I frowned, trying to understand. “Why? What does that even do?” I knew absolutely nothing about how a car worked.
“It was supposed to keep your car from starting,” Shep said. “Putting sugar in the tank will clog the fuel injectors or maybe the fuel filter, but he didn’t put in enough and it didn’t affect your car and stall it until yesterday.”
“That’s been weeks!” He’d been close enough to me to mess with my car all this time?
Colt nodded.
“After the fair and drugging the horse, he went into hiding. Like we suspected, at Two Rivers Ranch with the Trout sons. I went there with Trig and Beau to find him. Lainey, too,” he grumbled.
“But he wasn’t there. We didn’t have a warrant to search the place and the guys we talked to were Rocky Trout and two friends. Not Rod.”
“Except he’d hidden the drugs he used to dope Lainey’s horse, Junior, in your bathroom,” Colt said.
I couldn’t help but stare at him wide eyed. “He… we… I broke up with him that night.” After he took my winnings from the barrel racing and told me what he’d done, I’d given him the middle finger and told him to fuck off.
Colt shrugged a broad shoulder. “It was extra, I guess.”
“You’re telling me Rod coincidentally stuck the illegal drugs he used to mess with the barrel race at the fair in my box of tampons?”
Shep scratched his neck again.
“Did you, um, use the box and find it?” Colt wondered.
“You think I’d keep a stash of drugs I found in with my tampons a secret?” I asked. I glanced up at Cam who was trying not to smile.
“Red, unless you’re trying to tell me we’re having a baby because you haven’t had a period since the fair, then–”
“Oh my God!” I said, flinging up my hands.
“Yes, it’s a box of tampons, but I don’t use the entire box in one go–” I wasn’t explaining it better than that to a bunch of guys “–it’s like one of those fake safes that looks like a head of lettuce or a soda can.
Dad would never touch that box and even if he opened it, he’d have to get past the scary tampons themselves to find the money I hid in there. ”
“Well, it seems like Rod had the same idea. I’m sure whatever cash you had in there is long gone.”
I tipped my head back, stared at the ceiling, then closed my eyes. I hadn’t checked. Shit.
“Keep going,” I told Colt. “I can’t wait to hear what you’re going to say next.”
“He figured if it was found, that you’d be implicated.”
My head whipped down and I nudged Cam with my elbow to step out of his hold. “What the fuck?” I practically shouted. “That little shithead set me up by hiding the drugs in my things, in a place I admitted to you was where I used to keep things secret?”
I whirled on Cam. “You believe me, don’t you?”
“I’d never go in my sister’s box of tampons.” He cringed, and when I glanced at the other brothers, they were shaking their heads. Shep even had his hands up in a stop motion.
“If you can’t deal with what comes out of a vagina, then you’re not ready to stick your dick in one,” I told all three of them with a glare.
They burst out laughing and I glared even harder.
“Not me,” Shep admitted. “My siblings are dropping to love like flies. I doubt it’s gonna happen to me.”
I wasn’t sure why because he was attractive. Had his own business. An amazing family. He was a catch. For some reason, he didn’t think so.
I set my hand on Cam’s forearm, looked up at him. “You do believe me, that I had nothing to do with any of this, don’t you?” I asked him again, this time my voice softer. Was I really here because Colt was going to arrest me?
“Of course, I do,” he murmured. “Colt said Rod admitted to the set up.”
I sighed. “You’re not going to arrest me?” I asked Colt.
He looked at me like I sprouted a second head. “No.”
I sighed and Cam pulled me back into him. Kissed the top of my head. He whispered so only I could hear. “Red, the only time you’re gonna wear handcuffs is if they’re in bed.”
I flushed hot at that thought. We hadn’t done anything too kinky this past week. While everything I’d done with Cam had been better and more inventive than I ever imagined, we hadn’t touched on things like him tying me up.
I had to admit, I liked the idea.
But Shep and Colt were staring at me, so this wasn’t the time to tell Cam that.
“Why put sugar in my car?” I asked, steering the conversation back to Rod.
“He wanted you to need him,” Colt said.
I blinked. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“But from what Rod said, when he was in your bathroom last, the box was gone.”
“I took it to Cam’s.”
“I guess he put enough in to finally get your car to stall so he could confront you. You’d find the drugs… eventually,” Colt began. Meaning when I got my period I’d find the drugs in the box. “And figure it out.”
“He was already wanted for drugging an animal and hurting Pops,” Cam reminded.
“Possession would be added,” Colt replied. “It wasn’t just a cocktail to amp up a horse. He was dealing.”
“To people,” Cam added.
Colt nodded, then looked to me, eyebrow raised. “Like your father.”
My mouth dropped open. “Holy shit. That’s why he’s been so crazy lately.”
“Probably. Your house is also a great place to hide.”
Rod had moved into my house with Dad to hide from the cops? The one place they wouldn’t look for him.
“I lived there. How had I missed him?”
Colt shrugged. “He might not have been there all the time. Probably didn’t spend the night. I still have to ask him about that. Get your father to confirm.”
“You work a shit ton,” Cam said, reminding me I wasn’t at home all that much. In fact, I went out of my way to stay away for as long as possible. Still, it seemed strange I’d missed Rod.
“What about my dad?” I asked. “He’s… unpleasant because he’s so caught up in his grief for my mom that it’s destroyed his life. Mom wouldn’t have wanted him that way.” I shrugged. “I don’t think he’s in on this, even though he obviously made friends with Rod.”
“I’ll bring him in for questioning, but I agree,” Colt offered.
Dad had made this mess, a little at a time over the years. One sip, one bottle of beer or vodka, one day at a time. He had to choose to get better and until then, I was done.
“Think the Trout boys are in on it?” Cam asked.
“He hasn’t rolled on them yet, but if he’d been working there for most of the summer, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
“He’s not even from here,” I reminded.
“Exactly. My guess is the Trout boys are the true masterminds behind this. Got a scholarship kid to work for them at school, then offered him a summer job he couldn’t refuse and got him dealing here in Devil’s Ditch.”
“Should I feel sorry for this kid?” Shep asked.
“No!” Colt, Cam, and I said at the same time.
“Unless Rod specifically names the Trout boys, or anyone else for that matter, this is all on him,” Colt said.
“Even if he gives names, we’d need more proof than Rod’s word.
I’m sure Rocky and Chase learned something from their father about keeping their hands clean and have kept this all on Rod. Just like Rod put it on you, Taylor.”
“How come the Trouts keep coming up dirty and always seem to get away with it?” Cam asked.
Colt took a deep breath, puffed up his chest, then let it out. “One of these days, we’ll get them. One of these days.”