Chapter Two
Boone groaned as he rolled over and felt around on his nightstand for the ringing cell phone. When he caught a glimpse of the clock and realized he’d only been in bed for a couple of hours, he had half a mind to throw the damn cell phone across the room.
He felt as if he’d been steamrolled. Sometimes, being the sheriff of Potter’s Creek just wasn’t worth it. It certainly wasn’t worth getting a busted nose from breaking up a bar fight. And it definitely wasn’t worth phone calls in the middle of the night.
“Hello?” he asked in a groggy voice.
“Sheriff Marshall?”
“Yes?”
“This is Jackie, Jackie Lee.”
Boone was fully awake in an instant. “What’s wrong, Jackie?”
“I think someone followed me home,” Jackie whispered. “And now I’m hearing noises outside. I thought you’d want to know in case it’s the same kids who vandalized my shop.”
“I’m on my way,” Boone said as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and reached for his jeans. “Is the door locked?”
“Yes, I checked everything. The doors, the windows, the garage, everything.”
“Okay, stay inside and away from the windows. I’ll be there as quickly as I can.”
Boone slid his jeans up his legs and then stepped into his boots. He pressed the phone between his ear and shoulder as he grabbed the edges of his boot and pulled it up. He went to the dresser and grabbed a clean shirt. “Jackie? Did you hear me?”
“Yeah,” Jackie whispered in a low tone. “I’m in the butler’s pantry. It’s off the kitchen. I figured it would be safe here since it doesn’t have any windows.”
That was actually pretty smart.
Boone grabbed his gun, car keys, wallet, and Bluetooth and then headed for the door. “Do you want to stay on the line with me?”
“If you think it would help.”
“Okay, give me just a minute,” Boone said as he left his room. “I’m going to get some backup.”
He paused down the hallway from his room and knocked on the door. It took more knocks before the door was wrenched open and an angry—and tired—looking Neumus stood there glaring at him.
“What?” the man snapped.
Boone pressed the cell phone to his chest. “I need your help.”
Neumus blinked for a moment before nodding. “Let me get dressed.”
“Hurry. I’ll be in the truck.” Boone continued down the hallway after Neumus closed the door. He ran down the stairs and then outside to his truck. He climbed in and started it, warming up the engine. He wanted to take off the second Neumus joined him.
Boone connected the Bluetooth to his vehicle and then slid his phone into his pocket. “Jackie, you still there?”
He hadn’t heard anything.
“Yes,” Jackie whispered.
“I’m bringing my brother-in-law with me to help. He’s the one I told you about, the one with Kye.”
“Why?”
Crap. He couldn’t very well tell Jackie he was bringing Neumus because the guy was scary big and had a better nose for sniffing out trouble. “He’s done this sort of thing before.”
“Okay.”
