Chapter Seventeen #2
Silently cursing himself, and her, he jumped out and hurried around the truck, barely beating her to the entrance of the bank. He opened the door and let her go ahead of him. A couple of steps in, he leaned down and whispered, “Next time, wait for me. Someone shot at you this morning.”
“Could have been at you, not me. And they could have taken out the windshield if they’d wanted.”
“Bulletproof glass,” he muttered.
She stopped halfway across the lobby. “Seriously?”
“I’m a bounty hunter, remember?” He was also a wolf and incredibly difficult to kill, but it didn’t pay to get cocky or stupid. A direct headshot would end him.
Shaking her head, she walked up to an available teller, a redhead in a short-sleeved yellow blouse wearing bright red lipstick. “Afternoon, Maureen.” The woman wasn’t looking at Vinnie but at him. When he crossed his arms and stared back, she paled and quickly glanced away.
“Hey, Vinnie, I heard Adam is home. You must be relieved. How’s he doing?” News traveled fast in a small town. It wasn’t surprising Adam’s return was making the rounds.
“Adam’s doing well. Thank you for asking. Listen, Maureen, I need to close out my safety deposit box.”
The abrupt change in conversation shifted the woman’s attention in a hurry. “Really? Why?”
“If you don’t mind, I’m in a hurry.”
The teller waved her closer. Sighing, Vinnie leaned in.
A human male wouldn’t have been able to hear the whispered conversation, but he could.
“You’re not under duress or anything, are you?
One press of the button and I can have the entire sheriff’s department here.
” It upped his respect for the teller. It was a needed reminder that there were good people living here, people who’d look out for Vinnie.
“I’m fine. No need to call anyone.” Vinnie’s tone softened, “But thank you for your concern.”
“If you’re sure?”
“I am.”
“Mr. Grandy has to take you back to the boxes. I’ll get him.” She scooted to the end of the counter and into one of the offices, returning with an older gentleman in a gray suit and matching tie.
He nodded at Cyrus, speculation in his eyes, before turning his attention to Vinnie. “How can I help you, Deputy Grant?”
She stiffened when he used her former title. Seemed word of her resignation hadn’t become public knowledge yet. Likely wouldn’t until she’d officially handed in the paperwork. “I’m closing out the safety deposit box, Mr. Grandy.”
He frowned and adjusted his wire glasses. “Your granddaddy signed for that box. It’s not my place to offer advice, but I knew your parents and feel it would be remiss for me not to suggest you rethink this.”
“I appreciate your concern, but I want to get this done today.”
“Very well. If you’re set on it, come with me.”
They followed the bank manager into his office where, over the man’s continued objections, Vinnie signed some papers before heading to the vault. Opening the box and loading the contents into a tote bag she’d brought with her took no time. When it was done, she held her hand out to the manager.
“Thank you for your help, Mr. Grandy.” She turned on her heel and walked away before he could launch into another attempt to get her to change her mind.
Alert to potential threats, Cyrus escorted her to the vehicle. When they were both inside, she pressed her hand against her stomach. “That was harder than I thought.”
“You’ve got strong roots in the community.” While he’d known it, learning her granddaddy had signed for the safety deposit box and that it had passed down through the generations illuminated just how deep those roots went. It made her treatment by the people she worked with all the more egregious.
“Not as strong as I’d thought.” She stuffed her purse into the tote bag with the contents from the box. “Sheriff’s office next.”
Cyrus started the vehicle and pulled out into traffic, not needing directions after having been there before. “You sure you want to do this?”
One corner of her mouth quirked. “Having second thoughts about your offer? I’m sure you never anticipated getting shot at when you made it.”
“You think I haven’t been shot at before?
Felons aren’t exactly agreeable when I try to take them in.
They’ve been known to get testy a time or two.
” He downplayed the danger but given her line of work, she had a good idea of what he dealt with on a regular basis.
“I want you and Adam in Kentucky, but I dislike the way you’re being pushed out of town.
” He didn’t want her to feel railroaded into going with him because it was her only option.
“I’m not happy about it myself.” She pinched the bridge of her nose between her eyes and sighed. “It all fell apart so quickly. All this because Adam ran away from home.”
That one act had started a cascade of events, but... “It shouldn’t have gone this far.” And certainly not this fast.
She dropped her hand back into her lap. “No, it shouldn’t have. The foundation I thought I had here is rotten to the core, and I honestly don’t understand why.”
“Wilkes.” Cyrus took the final turn toward their destination.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s likely been undermining you for years.”
“This is about the phone conversation, isn’t it? Tell me.”
“Wilkes told Deputy Winslow to downplay the entire situation. He implied you were in trouble with the sheriff over Adam’s disappearance. Said questions were being asked about your suitability as a parent. He suggested this was nothing more than a stunt to gain sympathy.”
“That son of a bitch. Takes the heat off him and puts it on me instead. If I complain, I come off as angry and vindictive while he pretends to be the good guy.”
“Gotta admit, it’s a smart move.” Wilkes was a clever and manipulative bastard. It would be a mistake to underestimate him.
“And it ties my hands. I don’t dare voice my suspicions about him. That would only make me appear guiltier in their eyes. It doesn’t matter that we both witnessed the window being shot out. You realize they assume you’re lying for me.”
“Yes.” They assumed a lot more, which was likely what pushed Wilkes to such drastic measures.
Cyrus couldn’t get her and Adam out of town fast enough to suit him.
He pulled the SUV into the lot and parked.
“He’s likely been sliding little things into conversations for years to undermine your position with your coworkers.
There’s no telling what he’s said to other people in the community. ”
“All he’d have to do is drop a hint of some imagined impropriety in his aunt’s ear. She never liked me and loves to gossip.” Her jaw tightened, but he glimpsed the flash of hurt in her eyes. It shouldn’t have been that easy to damage her reputation, and they both knew it.
“Let’s get this done and get you home.”
Anticipating she was too fired up to wait for him to come around, he jumped out and locked the door.
He noticed she had the tote bag with her.
Probably a good move. They couldn’t depend on the vehicle being safe because of where it was parked, not considering who they were up against. Wilkes had already proven he’d use his position of power to manipulate and hurt Vinnie.
Deputy Winslow looked up from his desk when they entered and came over. She didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “Is the sheriff in?”
“Why do you want to see him?”
“That’s between me and the sheriff, but I’m sure your good buddy Wilkes has filled you in on the latest rumors.”
“Damn it, Vinnie.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“The sheriff,” she repeated.
Cyrus had watched the deputy make a quick call while glancing in their direction and wasn’t surprised to see the door to Sheriff Kingman’s office open and the man to come striding down the short hallway toward them.
“What’s going on out here?” Cyrus didn’t like his tone, or the unspoken implication that Vinnie was somehow causing problems by her mere presence.
“I need to speak with you if you have a moment.”
“We’re busy around here. A lot of extra work because of the incident at your house this morning.”
Her shoulders were tight and her fists clenched at her sides, but her tone was level when she addressed her former boss. “Have you filed the final report in Adam’s case?”
The sheriff rocked back on his heels. “After this morning’s incident, I’m reconsidering my options.”
Vinnie stiffened beside him. Enough was enough. “We can deal with this now or you can deal with our lawyer.” Cyrus deliberately used the word “our” to let them know they were no longer dealing with only her. “We all know there’s no real reason to pursue this beyond sheer meanness.”
“I know you didn’t just threaten me,” Kingman blustered.
“I don’t make threats. I’m simply laying out the facts. You might want to stop and consider what might come out in an investigation if outside authorities start digging into this department and the people who work here.”
Sheriff Kingman’s face turned a dark red and his breathing became labored.
His heart was pounding hard. Personally, Cyrus didn’t give a shit if he had a heart attack and dropped.
He’d used and abused his position for years to bully townspeople into dropping charges against his thieving son, and he had the nerve to call Vinnie’s integrity into question.
“Sheriff? You sit down. Get some water, Forman,” Winslow called out to the dispatcher while helping Kingman into a chair. “Why are you making trouble?” It wasn’t Cyrus he accused but Vinnie.
“I came in here to close the file on Adam and hand in my resignation. I’m not the one doing anything wrong.” Her quiet dignity spoke louder than if she’d yelled. She was right, and they all knew it.
The sheriff waved his hand in the air. “I’m fine, Winslow.
Don’t make a fuss. Get the file from my desk.
Go on now,” he added when the deputy hesitated.
Winslow quickly returned with the file and handed it to the sheriff.
He grabbed a pen from a nearby desk and signed the report before handing it to Vinnie.
Cyrus read over her shoulder, wanting to ensure there weren’t any loopholes to come back to bite them in the ass at some future date.
Everything seemed to be in order. The gist of the report was that Adam was a teenager who’d simply taken off for a week in the woods on his own before returning home.
No abuse found in the home. Teenage misadventure cited.
Case closed. Vinnie tucked the file in her bag.
The sheriff held out his hand. “You have something for me.”
She gave him the letter of resignation Zach had helped her write.
It thanked everyone for their help and support over the years, reiterated how much she’d enjoyed serving the people of the county, and gave her reason for leaving as moving to allow her son to spend more time with his father.
There was no mention of her being forced out of the department, no anger or accusations.
Winslow surreptitiously read it over the sheriff’s shoulder. He glanced at Vinnie before giving Cyrus a curious look. So, he hadn’t known Adam was his son. That tidbit wasn’t public knowledge yet. Interesting.
She took her badge out of her purse and placed it on the counter, her hand hovering over it for the merest second. Doubtful anyone else noticed, but he did.
“I’ll expect my final paycheck to be deposited to my account and any paperwork emailed.” With those parting words, she turned to leave.
But Cyrus wasn’t quite done yet. “Word of warning. Anything happens to Vinnie or Adam or their house, I’ll be back.
Anything happens to me, I’ve got six brothers just like me who won’t stop until they uncover the truth.
Something happens to them, I’ve got friends in low places who won’t care how they go about getting justice.
Deposit Vinnie’s paycheck, go about your business, and we’re gone in another day and you can forget all about us.
” He allowed enough of his wolf’s power to surface to make everyone in the room uneasy.
“I understand,” the sheriff said, his color returning to a more normal hue.
“I sincerely hope you do.” Now he was ready. Hand on the small of Vinnie’s back, he guided her out the door.