12. Ledger #2
“No, Sterling, I’m not kidding. She needed help. I offered. Leave it alone,” I mutter.
“Good old Ledger, knight in shining armor.”
I shrug and hold my hand out for a beer before dropping onto the couch. He’s not going to leave anytime soon. Might as well get comfortable. He’ll probably end up passing out on the couch anyway.
Sterling drops onto the sofa next to me and I focus on the game, ignoring my best friend, who I want to kick out at the moment, but that cat is out of the bag now.
“Come on, man, you know I won’t talk. Why is Shiloh Sullivan living with you and wearing a wedding ring?” he asks.
I groan and lean my head back on the cushion. “No. We … no.”
“But —”
“No buts. I need you to seriously keep quiet about this.”
“Why?” he asks.
I glance in the direction of her room and keep my voice low. “I’m sure you've already heard what Grey did to her.”
He nods and his brow furrows. “How has he not been arrested?” Sterling asks.
My gut twists. “She didn’t press charges.”
His jaw drops. “Why?”
“I don’t know, other than she wanted … her own version of justice.”
He hums. “What like she wants to kill him?” he asks.
My eyes flick to the hall again. “Something like that. She definitely made him pay. But not the way you and I think he deserves.”
“So is she hiding with you and trying to divorce him?” he asks.
I bristle at the thought of her being bound to that pissant. “She’s not married to him, and she needed a place to stay. It’s really that simple.”
Sterling chuckles and goes back to watching the game. “I love you, brother, and I commend you for being so pure of heart you think it’s that simple. But it’s not. I saw the way she looked at you. I don’t know what your plan is, but be careful and let me know if you need me. Okay?”
I nod and take a swig of my beer I’ve barely touched.
We sit on the couch watching the game, and while Sterling pounds a couple, I sip on my beer because my stomach is churning and my heart feels like it’s going to come out of my chest because I know he’s right.
It’s not that simple. It might have started out that way, but it’s not anymore.
It wasn’t the moment we said, ‘I do’. The longer she stays here, the more we’re exposed to each other, the lines are going to blur.
I like lines. They keep things organized and ensure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to.
They keep criminals at bay and people safe.
But the lines didn’t keep Grey off the streets or his fists from hitting Shiloh.
They aren’t stopping the rest of the Kensingtons either.
And within all the blurred lines, Shiloh sits in the middle.
The next morning, with coffee and lunch in hand, Sterling is still passed out on the couch, and I didn’t hear Shiloh. Maybe she doesn’t have a shift at the diner.
When I get to the station and wind through the bullpen, Luke and Will rush behind me into my office and close the door.
“Good morning to you too,” I grumble.
“Boss, we have something,” Will says.
That makes me sit up.
“We made an arrest yesterday for attempt to distribute. We worked him. He told us where he got his drugs, and a meet-up he heard about, which led us to this,” Luke says, tossing me a folder.
It looks like a meeting with old man Kensington and a known Irish mobster all the way from Chicago. Countrywide bulletins are put out to look for people like him, and we have a picture of Kensington shaking his hand.
“How did you get this?” I ask them.
Will shrugs. “I was going to meet Kate, and I saw them while I was waiting for her.”
“Is this enough for a warrant?” Luke asks.
I frown, staring at the Irish mobster. This guy is big time, and if Kensington is making deals with him, that means he’s ramping up production. None of which is desirable for Paxton.
“Yeah, this is enough,” I rasp, and I can’t stop thinking about Shiloh.
Does she know something she shouldn’t about this or the Kensingtons? Should I be more concerned about her safety than I already am? What if she knows something she doesn’t realize she knows?
“Have you talked to Shiloh yet?” Luke asks.
I shake my head, realizing I’m going to have to put my reservations aside. This went from bad to worse, and my gut tells me it’s about to get a lot worse before it gets better.
“I’ll call the DA. We’ll get the warrant for the wiretap.”
They both nod with pained expressions.
“You know … we’ve heard things in town,” Luke says.
I scowl at him. “What things?”
Luke glances at Will. “We heard Shiloh Sullivan is married, and she’s living with you. So we assumed you…” Luke trails off.
“We assumed you married her, boss,” Will says.
My jaw tightens as my teeth clench. I knew it was only a matter of time until someone started connecting dots, but that doesn’t mean I have to confirm anything.
“Don’t worry about what I’m doing. I need both of you to be on high alert. I think it’s time we bring everyone into the fold. If we have a Chicago mobster coming to Wyoming, the Kensingtons are bigger than I thought.”
“Yeah,” they say.
“Will, I need you to tread carefully with Kate. In fact, I think you should break it off.”
He guffaws. “Boss, this is the perfect opportunity to get in with them. If they are preparing for bigger production, they’re going to need more men. I can be one of them.”
My stomach churns. “One thing goes even slightly wrong, I’m pulling you out.”
He grins, giving me a salute. “Loud and clear.”