“I got an hour before I need to be in Meadow Glen, let’s get to it.”
Derry was going to follow up with the security company that installed both Lauren’s and Bailey Joe’s systems, before joining Sonny and Jessie on patrol.
Cutter would be pulling extra hours, overseeing prisoner transport to court with Deputy Evans, another part-timer.
“The council meeting has been moved to tomorrow, Sheriff,” Audrey informed him. “The mayor will suddenly be out of town for a week, and he wanted to push it up for sooner than later.”
Santiago gritted his teeth. Time constrictions were squeezing him from all directions; but he wouldn’t regret taking his day off and spending it with Lauren.
The change in the meeting though, likely meant Lauren wouldn’t have the time she needed to prepare and present her findings to the community and the council. It wasn’t really a secret, but he had to wonder if the mayor found out he’d hired Lauren to do a forensic audit; wondered if that was the real reason the meeting was changed.
He took a breath, rolled his shoulders, and donned his sunglasses.
“Roan and I will be meeting with the prosecuting and defense attorneys before appearing in court.
“Copy that,” everyone said, standing or gathering their belongings.
The front door opened, and Lauren walked into the space looking shifty and scratching her arms and neck like she’d developed a virulent rash. She walked toward him in twitchy jerky movements, sidling up to him and leaning in like she was gonna tell him a secret, eyes darting around at every one in his staff as they watched her.
“Say man say,” she whispered loudly, scratching at the skin of her inner elbow. She sniffed and pretended to wipe her nose. “Talk on the mountain is you got that 3x’s—S’s. I’m in a bad way, man, I need a fix. I’ll do anything, man.”
Santiago frowned at her; then understanding dawned.
He threw back his head, laughing from deep in his gut. Lauren started laughing alongside him, doubling over and pressing her weight against him as he wiped tears from his eyes.
“Get your crazy ass out of my station! Better yet, you’re coming with me and Roan. It’s the only way I can make sure you stay out of trouble,” he said kissing her quickly, then smacking her ass.
“What the hell has been going on up there on that lake?” Cutter frowned.
“If you gotta ask, your decades in this department have been wasted,” Roan said with derision.
“He’s been eating cake,” Sonny added.
“Looks like he’s been eating more than that,” Audrey muttered.
“Audrey!” Lauren gasped. It was fake. So fake.
“Yeah.” Derry snorted. “Even I can see what’s been brewing between them.”
“I know damn well I’m not the only one who didn’t see this coming.” Cutter frowned.
“Roan, pull your car around, we’ll meet you out there.”
Roan nodded at Lauren and exited the building as Cutter moved toward the holding cells. “I’ll get the prisoners ready for transport and meet y’all over there,” Cutter stated. “Don’t you harm our fearless leader. We’ll need him in one piece after you leave our beautiful mountain.”
Santiago wrestled down the spark of anger; not at his deputy, but at the thought of Lauren leaving anytime soon.
“Deputy I don’t really know you, and you may not have heard this through the Shrouded Lake grapevine, but when people tell me what to do, I tend to get a bit?—”
“Violent?” Derry offered.
Lauren’s eyes widened. “Where did my sweet Derry go?”
Derry’s brown faced flushed.
“Violentisa strong word,” Audrey stepped in. “Though somewhat accurate. I would use stubbornly resistant. She’s only become violent on a few occasions, but that stubbornness…her mama said she’s had it her whole life.”
“That’s colluding with the enemy.”
