Fighting Chance (Misty Grove Book 1) (18 page)

“All right,” Colt acquiesced. “I’m sorry about Anderson.”

Trent walked back to her and gripped her elbow, backing them away from the rest of the group.

What is he doing?

Lucas eyed them warily.
 

“Go,” Trent told the rest of the group while keeping a firm grip on her arm.

“We’re not leaving Cassie with you,” Lucas growled.

“She’s with me,” Trent stated resolutely. Then something seemed to have snapped inside him as his face darkened in fury. “I trusted you all to keep her safe, and then I see her used as bait and almost shot to hell!” His voice had steadily risen until it ended with a roar. Trent expelled a drawn-out breath, staring at his feet as if trying to regain control. When he looked up, his jaw was tight. “Get the hell out of here before I change my mind and arrest the lot of you.”

Cassie looked away from Trent, even when she felt his eyes burning holes on top of her head. She exchanged glances with her twin. And in their silent communication, she let him know she would be fine.

*****

The audacity of that man.

After making her wait through all the crime scene processing and after barely speaking to her all the way back to Edington, he finally removed the handcuffs when they arrived at the sheriff’s office. He then turned her over to a female deputy so she could wash off the grit and grime in the department locker room, which had a separate shower and dressing room for females. After a cleansing spray of hot water and soap, she changed into a navy blue Buckland County Sheriff’s department T-shirt, not bothering with a bra since her boobs weren’t that big anyway. The female deputy also found clean shorts for her to wear. She rolled her stuff in her dirty shirt and she was walked straight into a cell.
 

That was three hours ago. Brooks, at least, brought her a tray of food and water.

“Where’s the sheriff?” Cassie asked.

“He’s talking to the DA and the GBI and God knows who else. He’s in hot water because of you and your town,” Brooks said. There was a rueful twist to his smile.

“Oh.”

“I think he got the charges dropped against you though.”

“So, technically, I can walk free?”

“Yup.”

“Well, can you let me out then? I need to get back to the ranch.”
And see Kate!
Cassie had been dying to hug her, but with her in handcuffs and Matt having sequestered Kate to himself, it was an impossibility at that time. Twins could be protective like that. It was a wonder Lucas let her go with Trent without much of a fight.
 

“Sorry, no can do, Cassie,” Brooks said. “I’m under strict orders from the sheriff to keep you in jail. Under no circumstances can anyone spring you out while he’s busy trying to keep your entire town from getting arrested.”

He was exaggerating of course.

“I’m sorry about Anderson.”

“Yeah, it’s going to be tough on the psyche of the department losing a rookie like that,” Brooks said sadly. “You need anything? You comfortable?”

Cassie smiled in self-derision. “Since when are prisoners supposed to be made comfortable?”

“The sheriff locked you up to keep you out of trouble,” the deputy offered and there was no amusement in his tone. “He’s got enough problems right now. From what I’ve learned from Betty, there are a couple of alphabet agencies on a conference bridge with him. I had to do the unwanted job of letting the Andersons know their son is dead.”

Cassie nodded and backed away from the bars with her tray of food.

“You may be pissed at Trent right now, but cut him some slack.”

“He shouldn’t have gotten mixed up with me. I warned him about that,” she muttered.

Brooks didn’t say anything, but his eyes said it all. He agreed with her. The deputy inclined his head and left the block of cells.

*****

“You have one dead deputy, four dead unidentified subjects, and an investigator tampering with evidence because he’s working for an unknown entity. Riley sang like a canary to my partner and told us Colt Montgomery, Lucas Reed, Matt Foster, and, surprisingly, Millie Cross, were at the scene and yet you refused to acknowledge their involvement. Tell me how that’s not obstructing an investigation, Sheriff. Tell me why I don’t push for having your ass thrown into jail.”

Trent stared stonily at Art Jacoby, the GBI investigator assigned to Buckland County. He and Jacoby had butted heads a couple of times, especially when the GBI director gave Trent the go-ahead to investigate the former sheriff’s murder. Jacoby hadn’t been pleased to have the case taken away from him, and it was obvious from his relentless attack on Trent since this interrogation started that he was out for blood.

Besides Jacoby and Trent, DA Grimes was in the room together with FBI and ATF agents on conference call. First they’d studied the Route 11 photos and evidence for hours, while Jacoby’s partner interrogated Riley after he’d been patched up for his leg wound. The FBI were looking into the backgrounds of the four dead unsubs while Jacoby started his interrogation of Trent.

“I was on my way to Misty Grove,” Trent stated carefully. “I heard the call-out from Anderson and I responded.”

“Am I right to assume you were on your way to see Cassandra Reed?” Grimes asked.

“Yes.”

“After I’d expressly told you to stay away from her.”

“I was acting on time-sensitive information that led me to believe she was in danger.”

“Where did you get this information?” Jacoby asked.

Trent’s nostrils flared. “I’m not at liberty to say.”

“Not at liberty or just simply won’t?” the GBI investigator sneered. He looked over some paperwork. “She seems to be in the middle of a lot of the trouble lately here in Buckland County. Attempted abduction at the hospital, and I’d say I’m 90 percent sure that’s what went on today as well. She’d been at odds with Bowman and Walker, who now are both dead.” Jacoby looked up and turned to Grimes. “Looks like we’re interrogating the wrong person.”

“You stick with me, Jacoby,” Trent grated through his teeth. “Leave Ms. Reed out of it.”

Jacoby gave a short, derisive laugh, leaning back against his chair. “I’ll have to agree with Riley on one point. Your relationship with Ms. Reed is certainly interfering with your job.”

Grimes rubbed the area between his brows. “As much as I hate to agree with Jacoby, he’s right, Sheriff. We need to bring in Ms. Reed for questioning. If nothing else but to understand who’s after her, so we can keep her safe. Don’t you want that?”

“I’m keeping her safe,” Trent responded roughly. “No offense to anyone in this room, but after what’s gone down with Riley, I don’t trust anyone.” Whether he liked it or not, he’d probably offended everyone judging from Grimes and Jacoby’s expression and the sudden disbelieving snorts from the conference phone. It was the only excuse he had left, because if he wasn’t involved with Cassie or keeping the town off radar, he’d be interrogating her too.
Fuck.
 

“Be careful with your words, Sheriff,” Grimes warned quietly. “That’s sounding a bit too personal and you’re already treading on dangerous ground with your handling of the Route 11 shooting.”

“The only thing that stands out is Ms. Reed’s relationship to Wyatt Stratford III,” the FBI agent on the bridge spoke up. “He’s been on the fed’s grid for rumored illegal businesses. Could she be targeted by one of his enemies?”

“Good point,” Jacoby said. “Should we bring in Stratford for questioning then?”

Trent would love nothing more than to have that manipulative landowner in an interrogation room, but the whole investigation was veering off course. “I think, gentlemen, the priority here is identifying the four dead unsub. We find out who they are, where they’re from, and, more importantly, who’s paying them, then we’ll probably have most of our answers. You feds should probably be looking into Riley’s bank records right now.”

“I already have a subpoena out for Riley’s information,” Grimes acknowledged.

“Or you can save us a lot of trouble, Stone, if you just tell us why you let Montgomery and the others go,” Jacoby taunted.

Protect the town. But keep its secrets.

The governor’s words came back to remind him where his loyalties lie. Even without it, he wasn’t going to expose Cassie and the secrets of Misty Grove, even if his job was on the line. There was a bigger picture, and it definitely expanded past the frames of this room. His job was inconsequential compared to the consequences if all were revealed.
 

“First of all, I’ve never confirmed Montgomery or anyone else, except those who are deceased and Riley, was there.”

“But obviously other people were there because you couldn’t have single-handedly saved Ms. Reed,” Jacoby pointed out.

Trent responded to the GBI investigator’s mocking tone in kind. “Ah, Jacoby, I think you’ve just hurt my feelings.”

“All right. Enough!” Grimes growled. “Trent, you have to give us something. Might I remind you that Internal Affairs will be all over this in the morning. I’m just trying to establish that you’ve acted according to protocol, but your actions are too contrary to protocol. You leave us nothing but to suspect a big cover-up.” The prosecutor stared him straight in the eyes. “Who are you protecting?”

At Trent’s continued silence, the DA added, “The feds and IA will go after your financial records and your security business. Do you want your clients to know you’re a subject of a criminal investigation?”

“I have nothing to hide.”

“Be it as it may, it’s not going to make a difference, other than casting doubt on your integrity. Your actions today don’t make any damned sense, Stone.” Grime’s expletive signaled he was at the end of his patience. “I have no doubt you’re protecting Ms. Reed, and I understand that the others who were present at the scene were doing the same, but you’re the law, Trent. You’re supposed to uphold it, goddammit! What are you going to tell Deputy Anderson’s parents why their son is dead?”

Trent’s head jerked at the attack. Every word out of the DA’s mouth were like daggers piercing into his flesh. Into his damned soul.
 

“Deputy Anderson prevented Ms. Reed from getting abducted, but the reasons why she was targeted are under investigation,” Trent replied as calmly as he could. “That’s all we can tell them.”

“So you’re just gonna lie.” Jacoby shook his head. “Because according to the tire tracks and the position of his vehicle, he was running away from the scene, abandoning Cassandra Reed.”

The thread holding Trent’s fraying nerves snapped.
 

“You bastard!” His voice shook with anger. “Fuck you, Jacoby! God forbid you end up in a situation where four assault rifles are pointed at you. Let’s see you not back away on instinct then. Anderson called for help, and because of him, I was able to get there in time to save Cassie. So yes, he prevented her abduction, and if you put anything to the contrary in your report, I’m taking you down. Mark my words. I’m going to fucking take you down and I don’t give a shit how I’m going to do it.”
 

 
Trent’s breath sawed through his lungs and he didn’t realize he had gotten to his feet, glaring down at a surprised and cowed Jacoby. It was all he could do to quiet the pulse of his blood roaring in his ears.
 

There was silence for a beat.

“Sheriff, please take your seat,” Grimes muttered finally.

There was a knock on the conference room door, and without waiting for a response from its occupants, it opened. Betty poked her head in. “The governor is on the line and is requesting to be patched through.”

Grimes and Jacoby looked surprised as their gazes swept toward Trent.

Trent didn’t know what the governor wanted to say. Nonetheless, he exhaled a measured breath of relief. “Patch him through, Betty.”

*****

It would be another three hours before she was let out of her cell. This time it was Frank Briggs who came for her. Her old friend looked at Cassie with a resigned expression.
 

“Where’s Trent?”

“He’s waiting for you in the parking lot,” Briggs said.
 

Cassie frowned as the uncertainty between her and Trent roiled in her stomach. Did he still want her or was he just keeping her out of trouble to make his job easier?
 

“He couldn’t come fetch me himself from where he’d left me for six freaking hours!” she burst out suddenly. “I could have asked Lucas to pick me up, and Trent wouldn’t have to bother with me again.”

Briggs sighed. “Cassie, it’s not my place to explain. You need to talk to Trent. Just don’t jump to conclusions right now and make it worse than it already is, okay?”

“Is Trent in trouble?” Cassie asked worriedly.

Briggs simply answered her with another sigh.

“Do the other deputies hate me?” She never really cared what they thought of her before, but ever since Trent started spending more and more time with her, she found out she wanted some form of acceptance from his colleagues at least.

“They hate Riley,” Briggs replied, his voice hard. “Nothing worse than when you’re betrayed by one of your own. They have their reservations about you for a different reason.”

Cassie spotted Trent immediately. It was impossible not to because he was an imposing figure with his tall and muscular build. Leaning against the front of his Silverado, he had his arms crossed over his chest. Even in the dark, she could feel his eyes trained on her. Cassie didn’t back down from anyone, but for some reason she wanted to run the other way. But she was glued to the intense energy pulling her toward him.

“Thanks, Frank,” Trent said curtly.

“Anytime,” Briggs replied. “You take care of her.”

“You bet I will.” His voice held a note of challenge directed at her that raised her hackles.
What’s his problem?

When Briggs was a few steps away, Trent turned from her and walked to the driver’s side. “Get in the truck.”

All right, now she really had to put her foot down until he started talking to her like a normal human being and stopped barking out orders.

“Not until you tell me what’s going on.” Cassie folded her arms in front of her.