Justice Healed (21 page)

Tanner stepped back quickly.  "We're not naked yet."

His voice sounded raw with need, and she had more than enough of her own.

"I need you now.  I can't wait."

This time he didn't pull away when she lowered his boxers, letting his hard cock spring free.  She wrapped her fingers around it, wrenching a tortured groan from Tanner's lips.

"Aww fuck, honey.  That feels so good."

"It's going to feel better, cowboy.  Just stay still."

Madison knew her man well enough to know he wasn't in the mood to be teased.  Instead of lightly licking him all over, she took him into her mouth as far as she could.  His fingers tangled in her hair and she sucked and laved her tongue on the underside until his balls had drawn up close to his body.  She pulled off with a pop and looked up at him.  He'd closed his eyes, but now he opened them.  His hands caressed her face, cupping the jaw and rubbing his thumb over her lips.  She marveled for the hundredth time how a man so big and strong could be so gentle.

Tanner bent down and lifted her to her feet.  "You're a dangerous woman, Madison Shay."

She smiled and ran her arms around his lean middle.  "How so?  I'm perfectly innocent of any crime, Sheriff.  Butter wouldn't melt in my mouth."

"I can say with certainty it would."  Tanner chuckled.  "Your mouth is hot and lethal.  Not to mention this sexy underwear you've got on.  If I'd known you had that on all evening, we wouldn't have made it through dinner."

He was fingering the delicate lace on the garter belt Sherry had convinced Madison to buy that first day she'd taken her shopping.  At the time she couldn't have imagined standing here in front of Tanner wearing nothing but garters, stocking, a camisole, and a scrap of panties.

"You have Sherry to thank for this.  I never would have bought it by myself."

Tanner knelt down and tugged on the sides of her panties until they were around her ankles. 

"I'll send her a handwritten thank you note.  Now off with that thing."  He pointed to her camisole and she pulled it over her head, leaving nothing but the garters and stockings.  He stood and grinned stepping out of his boxers and kicking them behind him. 

"I think I need to show you what those garter things do to me." 

He picked her up and swung her onto the gleaming wood of the kitchen table, spreading her thighs until his hard cock was nestled right against her clit.  Madison sat back on her elbows and let her gaze drift over Tanner.  Every inch of him was beautiful, from the sculpted muscles to his square jaw that spoke of his integrity.  She'd had a crush on him as a girl, but she now loved him as a woman.  She opened her mouth to tell him, but the words caught in her throat.  She was terrified he didn't feel the same.

He leaned over her, balancing on his palms and captured a nipple between his lips, nipping and licking until she was squirming on the smooth surface of the table.  He repeated the process on the other side then kissed a wet trail down her abdomen straight to where she needed him the most.  He sat down in a chair, his breath on her wide-open pussy, his fingers playing with the garter buckles.  She hooked her high heels on the backs of the kitchen chairs on either side of him and lay back on the table.

"You're going to scream my name, Maddie."

His wicked tongue made her moan, tremble, and groan.  He explored every inch of her cunt and teased her clit until she was begging for release. Her fingers clawed at the table but there was nothing to hold on to.  When his mouth closed over the swollen pearl, she did scream his name.

"Tanner!"

The world seemed to tip and spin as the waves ran through her.  She heard him rummage in his pants, and then the snap of elastic.  His cock pressed into her welcoming pussy and his arms lifted her up so she was in a sitting position.

"I want to fuck you and look into your eyes.  I'm fucking you, Maddie.  Me.  No one else."

No one else existed on the planet besides the two of them.  Tanner pulled from her pussy and she whimpered, needing to be filled again.  He thrust hard and her head fell back as pleasure filled her to her core.

"Yes," she hissed.  "More."

He gave her everything she asked for.  He fucked her hard and fast, one arm behind her and one wound in her hair.  She wrapped her legs around his waist to keep up with the rhythm he set.  Every powerful thrust of his body sent her closer and closer to another climax.  

"Come with me, Maddie." 

Tanner's voice was a whisper in her ear but her body responded.  She was already going over when he reached between them and rubbed her clit.  She cried out at the sensations colliding inside of her so overwhelming it took her breath away.

Thrusting one more time, Tanner froze, his expression a mask of pain, pleasure, and then something like serenity.  He held her close for a long time, his lips brushing hers over and over before trailing across her jaw and down her neck. 

She leaned
against him, letting her body relax and come down from the heights he'd sent them both to.  Finally she pressed a kiss to his chest and looked up into his eyes, so soft and warm.

"Happy birthday, cowboy."

Tanner kissed her slow and sweet, taking his time.  When he lifted his head, she was sure she saw love in his expression. 

"Best damn birthday I've ever had, Maddie.  You're the best thing in my life."

The bed felt too warm and comfortable.  Madison was pressed up against Tanner, one arm thrown over his chest and a leg thrown over his thigh.  The insistent ringing of his cell phone wasn't going to let him go back to sleep, though.  Someone wanted to talk to him right now.

He peeked open an eye and saw it was eight in the morning.  It wasn't an ungodly time to call considering Tanner was a morning person.  He was usually up long before now even on his days off.  However, most days he hadn't spent the night making love to a fiery red haired witch. 

After they'd finished on the kitchen table, they’d gathered up their scattered clothes and taken the party into the bedroom.  Considering he turned forty-five yesterday, Tanner couldn't complain about his stamina last night.  He couldn't do that every single day, of course.  Shit, that would put him in the hospital.  But once in awhile was still doable.

Tanner groaned and rolled over carefully, trying not to wake Madison.  He should have known her years of being on call would make her sleep with one eye open.  She sat up in bed, practically wide awake in seconds. 

"What?  What's that noise?"

"My phone."

Tanner reached for his pants on the chair and pulled out his cell.

Chris.

He swiped the screen and put it to his ear, settling back on the pillows while Madison padded to the bathroom wearing nothing but a smile.  Despite last night’s debauchery, his cock, already hard with morning wood, twitched with interest. 

"Uh, yeah son.  How are you?"

Tanner hadn't heard from Chris in a few days but so far so good. 

"Good, Dad.  I called to wish you a happy birthday.  I'm sorry I didn't call yesterday but I was in meetings all day and then the program had a dinner for the families.  Stacey got to meet my counselor and some of the other people in the group."

"Don't worry about it, Chris.  When you get to be my age, you don't care as much about your birthday."

"Annie drew you a picture and it's in the mail.  Of course, it's really just a blue blob made with crayon."

Tanner chuckled.  "I'll put it on the refrigerator.  How are Stacey and Annie?"

"They're good.  Stacey's been great and so have Grandma and Grandpa.  Things are good, Dad.  Thanks for sending me here."

Tanner cleared his throat, a lump lodged there made it hard to speak.  "Thank you for going.  I know it isn't easy."

Chris blew out a breath.  "It isn't.  I'm struggling, but I want this to work.  You're right.  Being with Stacey and Annie is better than being drunk.  But I still crave it.  If I was in Springwood right now, I know I'd go drinking with my friends."

"You will want to drink for a long time, son.  But it gets better.  I promise you.  Keep focusing on the things you want to do that alcohol gets in the way of.  After some time, you'll find the craving to drink wasn't about the booze.  It was about whatever reason you drank.  Once you get to the bottom of it, the urge to drink, well, it won't control you anymore. "

Madison came back and slid into the bed next to him, cuddling close.  He gave her the thumbs up sign which drew a smile from her. 

"Chris?" she mouthed silently.

Tanner nodded.  "You stay there as long as you need to, Chris.  Don't rush back here before you feel up to it.  Old habits will be easy to fall in to."

"Thanks, Dad.  Listen, I talked to Mom and she said she isn't with Fenton anymore.  She didn't want to talk about it.  Do you know what happened?"

Fenton's a fucking idiot, that's what happened.

"I don't think it would be right for me to comment on it.  When your mother's ready, she'll talk about it.  Until then, just be supportive of her decision."

"I will.  I need to get going.  Annie wants her breakfast and then I need to get to a group meeting."

"Give her a kiss from me and call me in a few days.  Love you, son."

"I love you too, Dad."

Tanner felt like a hammer pounded his chest.  It had been too long since he'd heard those words.  He would love his children until his last dying breath.

"Talk to you soon."

Chris hung up and Tanner put the phone on the end table, and then pulled Madison closer.  She settled her head on his chest.

"Chris is doing better?"

"He is.  It's going to be hard and he may still have some setbacks, but at least he's realized he has a problem.  That's the biggest step."

Madison traced hearts on his skin sending tingles straight to his cock.  "If he has half your strength, he'll be okay."

Tanner rubbed his stubbly chin on the top of her head.  "You're good for my ego."

She looked pointedly at the tent his dick had made under the sheet.  "I'm good for more than that, apparently.  Do we have time before you have to catch that flight for your super secret spy adventure?"

Tanner was flying out of the secret airfield where Marshal Evan Davis had brought in Presley last fall.  Tanner and the other lawmen would be taking a charter flight to the prison on the Canadian border where they would be picking up the prisoner for transport.  They’d escort him to Florence outside of Denver, then fly back to the airfield sometime Sunday.  The approximately twelve-hour drive would take place tonight under the cover of darkness when the roads weren't as crowded.  It would be easier to spot a tail that way. 

"Very funny.  It's not a spy adventure.  Just a field trip of sorts.  And the flight doesn't leave until noon.  We have time for some fun and some breakfast."

"A field trip you can't tell me about."  Madison sighed dramatically.

"I'll tell you all about it when I get back."  Tanner paused.  "I'd like you to take Scout with you to your house tonight."

Maddie frowned.  "I've already invited Sherry to spend the night because you didn't want me to be alone.  Are you that worried?"

Tanner rubbed his chin.  He didn't want to scare her, but she needed to take this seriously.  "Yes, I am.  Someone needs to watch Scout anyway.  Normally Sam watches him for me, but he's in charge while I'm doing this.  I'll feel secure knowing Scout is with you.  He'll keep you safe."

"Then I'll take Scout with me.  He's such a good dog.  He'll be a pleasure to have around.  I'm more worried about you, Tanner.  If that coffee cup really belongs to Fenton, won't he be trying to hurt you?"

He wants me dead.  Period.

"I'll be heavily armed.  That reminds me.  Does your father have a gun?"

Madison levered up on her elbows.  "You really are worried, aren't you?  What's going on tonight?"

"Let's just say I'm helping transport something that Fenton would like to have.  In fact, many people would like to have it."

"Then they'll be going after you, not me."  Madison poked a finger in his chest.  "Maybe you should take Scout."

Tanner shook his head.  "Scout is retired from real police work.  I'll be with several heavily armed and well trained men.  You will be here.  Now do you have a gun, Maddie?"

Madison exhaled slowly.  "Yes.  Dad has a shotgun in the hall closet outside the exam rooms."

Dr. Greg Shay wasn't as much of a pacifist as he put on.

"Loaded?"

Madison nodded warily.  "You're not going to tell me to keep it next to me are you?  I couldn't shoot that thing if my life depended on it."

Someone unfamiliar with firearms shouldn't handle guns.  Tanner shook his head.  "No.  Does Sherry know about guns?"

"She's gone hunting with her dad."  Madison was looking at him like he was crazy. "Tanner, I'm not going to need a damn gun."

"As long as you have Scout, I'm sure you won't.  Put the gun in your bedroom though, okay?  It will make me feel better if you do."

Madison gave him a put upon expression.  "Fine.  Why don't you just post an armed guard at my door?  Wouldn't it be easier?"

"Now that
, Madison Shay, isn't a bad idea.  Let me call Sam and see if any deputy wants some overtime.  If I don’t have any men, I can at least have a deputy drive by there every few minutes or so."

With a deputy
watching the neighborhood and Scout inside the house, Tanner wouldn't have to worry about Madison at all.  He could concentrate on the job he had to do tonight.  He would need to be completely focused just in case the worst happened.

"My boyfriend has gone completely insane."   Madison pouted.

"Humor me.  Call it my birthday present, okay?"

Madison's eyes went wide.  "Shit, I forgot to give you your present.  Dammit, it's at my house."  She slapped her forehead.  "How could I forget something like that?  It was those damn garters cutting off the oxygen to my brain."

"Totally worth it."  Tanner grinned.  "I'll come by when I get back into town and you can give me my present then.  In the meantime, this will be my gift."

Her lips twisted.  "Okay, cowboy.  You win.  I'll pretend to be Fort Knox tonight.  But you're going to feel pretty silly when nothing happens."

Tanner hoped with all his heart that would be the case. 

* * * *

Tanner leaned back against the armored truck and squinted up at the sky where the sun was already starting to set.  It had been a long afternoon of preparations, but the Canadian authorities should be here any minute with the prisoner, Howard Kerr. 

They were on the American side of the Canadian-U
.S. border and within an hour or so of Highway 191, which they would take south toward Billings.  At Billings they would pick up US 90 and then on to US 25 to Denver.  Florence was located just outside of Denver and the drive should take about twelve hours.  Once they turned Kerr over to his new home, they would fly a charter back to Montana.

They'd planned every stop for fuel so that nothing was left to chance.  Every man had an assignment and a place to be, along with some heavy government issue artillery.  The Marshal Service had assigned
eighteen men to this detail along with the six sheriffs Evan Davis had deputized today.  With two motorcades, that made twelve men for each. 

Two
cars, each with two men, would be in front of the armored vehicle, and then two cars to the rear.  One would have two men and the other would have three men.   The extra man was designated as a communication hub.  He would keep in contact with every other vehicle in his motorcade in addition to the other communication hub with the other team. 

Two men would ride in the
front seat of the armored truck and one in the back with the prisoner.  The Federal Marshals had insisted that they ride in the very front and rear chase cars as it was their mission.  Consequently Tanner, Reed, and Logan would be directly behind the armored vehicle and Jared and Griffin would be directly in front. 

One motorcade, Red Team, would take the back
roads and the other, Blue Team, would keep more to the main.  Marshal Evan also had a crew at an airfield about fifteen miles from their location as a decoy.  Opposing force expected Kerr to be flown to Florence.  Tanner and the other sheriffs, along with Marshal Davis, had planned a little "now you see him, now you don't" for the Jackson and Warner cartels.  If everything went according to plan, they would never know which motorcade Kerr was in.

"It's
getting fucking cold out here.  Shit."  Logan stuck his hands in his pockets, his rifle slung over his shoulder.

Jared pulled up his collar.  "Damn straight.  The sun isn't even down yet.  Let's get this show on the road."

Tanner chuckled inwardly at their impatience.  He'd taught two teenagers algebra and how to drive a stick shift.  He had patience to spare. 

Reed laughed.  "Welcome to Canada.  It's colder than a brass witch's tit, but hey, they've got hockey."

Evan shook his head and smiled.  "Technically we're still in the U.S. and Montana is just as cold."

"No way," Griffin replied.  "This is colder.  I didn't think it could get any colder, but hell if it isn't."

Seth grinned.  "You asked for them, Ev.  I guess I should have told you they whine a little."

Marshal Harry Morey stepped out of one of the vehicles, his lips a grim line.  Tanner had met him on the plane and so far the dour man hadn't cracked a smile once.  Morey kept talking into his cell phone and scowling.  Apparently he wasn't happy about being assigned here or that Evan was in charge.  When they'd gone over the plans on the flight up here, Morey kept interrupting Evan trying to make changes.  Finally, Evan had to basically tell the guy to shut the fuck up.  No modifications were going to be made this late in the game unless warranted.

"They're late," Morey said flatly.  "Call them."

Evan, to his credit, didn't bat an eye at the other man's gruff command.  He simply shook his head.  "They're on their way."

"You can't know that unless you call them."  Morey had a mutinous expression. 

Evan leaned against the
truck.  "They'll be here."

Morey turned on his heel and walked several paces away pulling out his phone.  Again.

"What crawled up that guy's ass?" Logan asked with a grimace.  "I think someone pissed in his Wheaties this morning.  Everyone else doesn't seem to have an issue."