Justice Reborn (Cowboy Justice Association Book 8) (19 page)

Good news in the middle of so much bad. He would have his hands full keeping Josie out of jail and off the radar of whomever wanted her dead. He’d promised but his word wasn’t the only reason he wouldn’t waver from his mission; it was how he felt about Josie. She’d become so important – so much – in such a short time. In the past it would have scared the hell out of him but this time was different. Josie was different. Their relationship was more than he’d ever had or hoped to.

He was falling in love.

And it felt better than anything ever had.

It wasn’t just the sex, although that had been pretty terrific. It was about how she made him feel. She didn’t care that he was in this crazy transition part of his life because she was in one too. Maybe together they could figure out a future that included the two of them.

First, he had to keep her alive and out of prison. He had a feeling it sounded much easier than it was actually going to be.

Chapter Twenty

J
osie stretched her arms as the sun began to peek through the curtains and groaned as her muscles protested vehemently. Clearly, they were not happy about being asked do things like…move, but she was too happy to care about something so inconsequential. She was too busy focusing on the man lying right beside her.

Evan.

Last night he’d shown her what all the fuss was about and frankly, she couldn’t wait to do it again. If the hardness poking into the back of her thigh were any indication, she wouldn’t have to.

“Morning,” she whispered, reaching back behind her to tangle her fingers in his hair. He leaned down to drop kisses on her shoulder and then began nipping at her ear.

“Morning, baby. I don’t have to ask if you slept well. You barely moved all night.”

She pressed her ass back, grinding against his hard cock and drawing a chuckle from him while his hands wandered up her belly to cup her breasts and brush at the hard tips.

“Did I snore? Or talk?”

Laughing, he slipped his hand down her abdomen and between her legs, parting them so he could toy with her swollen clit. Already wet with anticipation, his fingers easily circled the button until she was a panting mess.

“I couldn’t shut you up,” Even declared, teasing her to the edge of climax. “You kept muttering all night long and when you weren’t doing that you were snoring like a buzz saw. I didn’t get a wink of sleep.”

Her leg was thrown back over his and her arm was curled around his neck as he peppered kisses on her jaw and ear. Pleasure ricocheted through her body and she moaned her approval with a deep kiss to his lips.

“You’re a liar. I don’t snore or talk. You don’t look like a man who didn’t get any sleep.”

“You’ll never know what the truth is. Now relax and enjoy, honey.”

He pressed forward, sliding in easily this time, pumping in and out lazily as if they had all the time in the world despite her impending orgasm. She’d whimpered and wriggle, trying to get him to speed up but his hold on her simply firmed as his steady rhythm began to drive her ever closer to the goal.

The fingers of one hand pinched at a nipple while his other fingers stroked over her clit and that gorgeous cock of his rubbed all Josie’s sensitive spots deep inside. It was all too much and she went into sensory overload, her breathing heavy and her body on auto-pilot. Her brain had melted down into a puddle and coherent thought was impossible. Consumed by flames, she heard herself call Evan’s name a few times before tumbling over that cliff, awash in pleasure.

He groaned his own completion as she clamped down on his cock, his last thrust going deeper than she’d ever thought possible. A couple of expletives fell from his lips and then he was kissing her again until all the breath in her lungs was gone and she was a clinging mess.

A happy clinging mess.

They were both smiling as he pulled her close, her head nestled on his chest and her hand curled around his jaw, those whiskers she’d grown to love under her palm. There was something so inherently masculine about this man and she allowed herself to revel in it for a few minutes while she felt very feminine indeed. It wasn’t a feeling she’d had in any other relationships and while the modern woman in her balked slightly, she couldn’t deny how safe and adored he made her feel.

His tongue traced the swirls in her ear. “We have to get up and go into Ocala. I need to get some things to make the house more secure.”

Was he saying they weren’t secure now? She didn’t have the guts to ask and decided to leave his remark alone. The bottom line was she trusted him to take care of her.

“I need a shower and breakfast. In that order.”

“I think we both worked up an appetite. Let’s get cleaned up and head to the diner. I’m planning to eat my weight in bacon.”

That sounded like an excellent idea although she’d add on a stack of fluffy pancakes and syrup on the side.

Despite all the shit she had going on in her life, she had this good thing. Evan was the kind of man she’d wanted in her life but never thought she’d be lucky enough to find.

Somehow there had to be a future for them together, but she had a feeling it wasn’t going to be easy.

*   *   *   *

Evan snagged his keys from the table by the front door and cast his gaze up the staircase. Normally Josie didn’t take long to get ready but she’d been messing with her hair this morning, muttering under her breath that she needed a haircut or some hedge clippers. When he’d made a hasty retreat from the bathroom, she’d been yanking her hair into a ponytail and he’d inwardly sighed at the crime of restraining her gorgeous tresses. He had vivid memories from last night of her long, messy auburn curls against the stark white of the pillowcases.

Breathtaking.

“Honey, are you almost ready?”

“Just a minute,” she called down. “I’m trying to find my backpack.”

Quickly he scanned the living room and saw it sitting on the floor by the couch. She must have left it there last night when they’d come home from dinner.

“It’s down here.”

The roar of an engine diverted his attention from the stairs and the beautiful woman getting dressed to the front door where a dark SUV was pulling up in front of the house. Frowning, he reached for the Glock 22 tucked under his light jacket, his fingers brushing the leather holster and his body on high alert. Any vehicle that wasn’t familiar was automatically suspect in Evan’s current world.

The three passengers spilled out of the truck and Evan’s face split into a grin when he realized just who his visitors were. They all had better things to be doing and yet these guys had taken the time to come down here and help him. Money couldn’t buy loyalty and friendship like that. Throwing open the door, he was down the steps and shaking their hands within seconds. He hadn’t known how tense he was until they had showed up. It was like the weight of the world was off his shoulders. He didn’t have to face this all alone.

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, what are you doing here? How did you even find me?”

Three of his best friends in the whole world and possibly the finest lawmen he knew stood in his driveway with mischievous grins on their faces. They’d intended to surprise him and had managed it spectacularly. Evan hadn’t a clue they were on their way. They must have taken a red-eye flight.

Sheriff Reed Mitchell.

Sheriff Dare Turner.

Sheriff Seth Reilly.

There were handshakes, hugs, and some back slapping as Evan greeted men he hadn’t seen in months. Although he knew he’d done the right thing quitting his job as a small town lawman, he’d missed the camaraderie he’d found in their tightknit group.

“We wouldn’t be much of a cop if we couldn’t find you,” Seth shrugged carelessly, his gaze sweeping the property. “Besides, you told me your location. As for what we’re doing here, well, that seems self-explanatory. Reed says you’ve got yourself into quite the pickle with a girl wanted for murder. You sure know how to pick ’em, my friend. You’ve got taste in the ladies a lot like mine.”

“I didn’t kill Amy. I didn’t kill anyone.”

Evan whirled around to see Josie standing there, hands on her hips, sporting an unwelcome expression. In direct contrast to his reaction, she didn’t look happy to see his friends in the least.

*   *   *   *

Josie stood on the top step, trembling with a combination of fear and anger. She wasn’t guilty and Evan believed her. But it didn’t appear that his friends felt the same way. If they were here to convince Evan to turn her in? She was screwed.

From the greeting the three men had received they were close friends. Josie had seen less warm hellos between family members. Evan had a prior relationship with these guys and he’d known her a week and a half. She’d be behind bars before nightfall.

The man with the sandy blond hair who had spoken stepped forward. “No one here is saying you did. Evan says you’re innocent and that’s good enough for us.” His face broke into a grin and she felt herself relax slightly. “Besides, I’ve got no room to talk. I was on the run with Presley from arms dealers and the federal government. No one here is going to judge you.”

She descended the steps but stayed a few feet away. “You ran from the government?”

The man slapped Evan on the back. “Specifically I ran from Evan here but we don’t talk about that much.” He moved closer and stuck out his hand. “I’m Seth and you must be Josie. I’m pleased to meet you. We’ve come to help.”

She didn’t extend her arm. Not yet. “Help? By help do you mean put me in jail?”

A dark haired man stepped forward, leaving the scowling man near the vehicle with his massive arms crossed over his chest. If Seth believed in her, that unhappy guy looked like he wanted her executed.

“No one is going to jail,” the handsome man with dark hair replied. “We saw the recording and we believe your story. In fact, we have a few things to tell you about Lydell. He’s no saint, that’s for sure. I’m Reed Mitchell, by the way. Glad to meet you.”

“What about him?” Josie pointed to the mountain of a man with an unhappy expression. “Did the airline lose his luggage? He doesn’t look like he believes anybody is innocent.”

To her surprise everyone burst into laughter, including the sour giant. Evan stepped closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. “Honey, that’s Dare Turner and he’s an ornery son of a bitch with a permanent scowl on his face. But I promise you he’s a good guy. Christ, get over here, man, and say hello. And wipe that pissed expression off your face. You’ve got nothing to be unhappy about since Rayne took pity on you.”

Dare had to easily be six-foot-four in his stocking feet with shoulders wider that a yardstick. He shook her hand but held it gently as if he was aware that he could crush the fingers without a second thought. Josie didn’t know who Rayne was but hopefully the poor woman was an Amazon. If this giant rolled over in his sleep, he’d squash his bed partner.

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am, and no they didn’t lose my luggage but the flight was delayed. We’d planned to be here much earlier this morning.” He gave Evan a hopeful look. “I don’t suppose there’s some place to get some breakfast? We haven’t eaten in hours and the peanuts on the plane was just enough to piss a body off.”

“That’s where we were headed actually. Why don’t we go to the diner and then we can get some food while you get to know Josie.”

“We have a lot to tell you,” Seth replied, opening the car door for Josie. She hesitated for only a moment before murmuring her thanks and sliding into the back seat. Before he could turn around she held out her hand.

“I think I forgot to do this,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

He smiled and took her much smaller hand in his. “It’s a pleasure, Josie.”

Reed slid into the seat on her other side and she shook hands with him too. If Evan said these guys were the real deal then she had to trust him…and them.

Chapter Twenty-One