Chapter 29
Cal’s cell phone woke him the next morning, and he dragged himself from slumber to find Jules still draped across him, her thick hair tickling his chin.
He smiled to himself remembering the pleasures they’d shared and the erotic sounds she’d made as he’d loved her.
But when she stirred, obviously also woken by the buzzing of his phone, he begrudgingly slid away from her to reach for it on the bedside stand.
“H’lo?”
“Don’t tell me you were still in bed,” Wyatt said accusingly. “I might have to hurt you. I’ve been up all night, thank you.”
Jules rolled away from him, freeing his left arm to stretch and sit up on the mattress.
“You have an update for me?” Cal asked.
“Several. First, Matti is fine, and the boy’s—Sam’s—injury proved less serious than we feared. He was treated for a surface wound and kept overnight, largely because Matti hasn’t located a foster family yet.”
Cal twisted at the waist and looked over his shoulder to Jules.
She’d tucked the sheet up to her chin and seemed to be dozing again.
Her tumble of hair spread out on the pillow, and her fringe of eyelashes fanned across her ivory cheeks.
Damn, but he could wake to the sight of her beside him for the rest of his life. She was—
“Cal, did you hear me?” Wyatt asked, interrupting his romantic woolgathering.
He cleared his throat. “Yeah. Sam spent the night at the hospital, but he’ll mend.”
He heard Wyatt grunt. “That’s what I thought. You stopped listening after the first update.”
“Uh. Sorry, what?”
“I’ve had my men scouring the city all night for the shooter.
The shots seem to have come from some point across the street from the station, but so far, nothing of note has turned up.
Not casings, not trash to indicate where he’d waited, no sightings by people in the area. He’s disappeared into the wind.”
“A professional, then,” Cal said darkly. “Knew what he was doing. Good aim, too, seeing as how he got Hamilton from a distance.”
Now, Jules turned her head quickly, her eyes flying open.
He held up a finger, indicating he’d talk to her in a minute after he finished with Wyatt. “And Officer Rutledge? Did he survive his surgery?”
“Thankfully, yes. He’s stable and awake last I heard, but he’s got a long road ahead to recover.”
“Look, I’m sorry I bailed on you last night rather than helping with the search,” Cal said, “but… I had other business that I had to handle. Personal business.”
“I get that.” Then after only a brief pause, Wyatt said, “How did Jules take the news about Hamilton?”
Jules sat up now, raking her hair back from her face with her fingers. The sheet slipped enough that he could see the swell of her breasts, and he instantly wanted her again, despite hours of lovemaking the night before.
“Cal? You there?” Wyatt asked.
“Yeah. I, uh—”
“She’s still there, isn’t she? She’s with you now. Probably naked. Am I right?” Wyatt asked, his voice low and conspiratorial.
“I’ll talk to you later. Let me know how I can help with the search for the shooter. I’ll make any resources you need from the sheriff’s office available to you.”
“Your nonanswer is an answer,” Wyatt said and chuckled. Sobering, he added, “Thanks for the offer of assistance. We issued an APB, of course, but without a description of the shooter, we’re kinda at a loss. I asked Forensics to rush the ballistics report.”
“Good.”
Wyatt sighed. “Ted called earlier.”
“Oh? And what did the good mayor want?”
“You have to ask? While he was in my custody, I lost a key witness in the drug trafficking investigation and had an officer nearly die in the same shooting. Ted wants a meeting. My guess is he’s gonna tear me a new one.”
The bed jostled, and Cal watched Jules slide from under the covers and pad into the en suite bathroom. He heard the shower turn on and tried not to think about her body slick with soap and—
“Want to come with me?” Wyatt said, pulling him from his sensual fantasy.
“To see Ted? Why? Don’t tell me Teddy scares you.”
Wyatt scoffed. “Hell no. Ted’s not the issue. I want you in on the conversation about what happened last night. You were there. You were one of the few people that knew who and what was being negotiated behind closed doors. I think you could offer a helpful perspective.”
He only had to consider the request a moment to know he would help his brother however he could.
That’s what he did. How he’d always operated.
He took care of his family. He jolted then, realizing that was exactly what had driven Jules to pursue Chase Hamilton with such fervor.
A love for her sister and compelling need to fulfill her duty to protect her closest family member when their parents had failed.
He set aside his conclusion for the moment, knowing he’d want to address it later.
“Cal? You still there?”
“Yeah, sorry. Sure, I’ll go with you. What time?” Cal swung his legs out of bed and checked his bedside clock. It was almost 9:00 a.m.
“About eleven? That work for you?”
“Hmm, sure. I want to go by the Rogers’ first and give them the news about Hamilton in person. His name hasn’t been in the news coverage, has it?”
“Not yet. I know you drove Matti’s car to the emergency room when she rode with the boy in the ambulance, so you weren’t there when the media circus arrived.
Local stations showed up at the police station twenty minutes after the shooting, demanding details.
Heard about it on their damn police scanners,” Wyatt groused.
“Bismarck TV station even sent someone, probably because an officer was involved. Media loves a police shooting.”
Cal rolled his eyes, dismissing his brother’s familiar grumpiness and complaints about reporters. They finalized plans to meet at city hall and arrive at the mayor’s office together, and Cal hustled to the shower in time to help Jules…wash her back.
Jules accompanied Cal to the Rogers’ house, wanting to be present to offer her support to the family when they learned the emotionally charged news of the shooting and Hamilton’s death.
While she was relieved to have the threat to her sister eliminated, she was also riddled with a sense of guilt, as if she’d been party to his death and Officer Rutledge’s injury.
How could she rejoice over the end of Abby’s worries, when it came at such a high price?
Zoey Rogers could easily have similar conflicted feelings.
Cal did an admirable job breaking the news gently, but the shock and muted relief the family expressed were largely what Jules expected.
“He was offered a plea deal?” Zoey asked. “On what charges? Stalking me? Breaking into our house?”
“Zoey,” Cal said, his tone soothing, “you are not to blame for anything that happened. Don’t go there even for a minute.”
Jules appreciated his attempt to ameliorate any strife for the teenager, but Jules heard a different truth in the girl’s questions. She’d lived with the same feelings for too long not to recognize the sense of betrayal behind Zoey’s inquiry.
“I know it doesn’t seem fair,” she said, placing a hand over the teenager’s, “but the police needed his help on a case with bigger stakes and further-reaching consequences.”
“So what he did, the way he scared me and violated our home, doesn’t matter?” Zoey asked, her anger rising.
“Of course it matters. The way he terrorized my sister matters, too.” Jules squeezed Zoey’s fingers.
“They mattered enough to be useful in the big picture. The plea deal had more weight because of the numerous charges the police had accumulated against Hamilton. Not an ideal solution for either of our families, but one that was meant to be of greater benefit to the community in the long run.”
“The important thing is he’s not a problem anymore, honey. You’re safe now,” Mrs. Rogers said, her tone clearly meant to buoy her daughter’s mood.
She and Cal left soon after that, driving directly to the Red Grove city hall, where Cal and Wyatt were meeting with Ted Barrett.
Jules reflected on the Colton family party earlier in the month, when she and Ted had been teammates for several rousing rounds of volleyball, and she grinned.
As Cal parked and climbed out of his Jeep, she said, “Tell Ted I said ‘hi’ and that I’ve been working on my spikes.
I’m ready for the next volleyball match. ”
“Will do. I shouldn’t be too long. Cup of Joe is just down the block, if you want to get a coffee while you wait. Their iced latte is the best in town.”
“Good to know. I’ll meet you there,” Jules said, eyeing the other shops along the small-town-vibe thoroughfare.
When was the last time she’d shopped for new clothes?
Shoes? Too long ago, she decided, savoring a buzz of excitement that she hadn’t felt the freedom to enjoy while the question of Chase Hamilton hung over her.
Her gaze followed Cal as he squared his shoulders as if marching off to do battle, then set off with her own mission to find a new sundress and sandals.
“Before we see Ted, I want to talk to you about something,” Cal said as he and Wyatt took the stairs in city hall.
“About Jules?” Wyatt asked.
Cal pulled a face. “No. Will you stop about Jules?”
“Sorry. It’s just obvious to everyone around you she makes you happy, and we don’t want to see you mess it up.”
“How would I mess it—” Cal shook his head and raised a hand to cut off that conversation.
“Never mind that. What I mean is… I’m wondering how the shooter even knew Hamilton was at the police station.
If we’re working on the assumption the shooting was a targeted assassination to take Hamilton out before he named names or as retribution if he’d already named names, how did the news get to the drug traffickers so fast?
My God, the man hadn’t even left the police station! ”
Wyatt frowned. “That’s bugged me, too. I can name the people who knew about his arrest and the plea deal on two hands and have fingers left over.”
“So there’s a leak within the inner circle of the task force?” Cal asked, but it could have been a statement instead of a query. Wyatt’s expression confirmed his belief.