Keller County Cops Book Seven: Code of Vengeance (25 page)

"Yes, I do." He chuckled. "Better tighten your seatbelt, then. It's time to go for a ride."

"Following up on a tip, WHBZ News has learned that Sheriff Rick Blaylock has become personally involved with a key witness in a murder investigation."

"Oh, no," Keegan murmured, her heart fluttering. She glanced at Rick, who sat next to her on his plush leather couch, his body rigid and a scowl on his face. "This is bad."

"Shh. Listen." He put his hand on her knee while Mindy Ravens stared straight into the camera with a smug look in her eye.

"The witness in question, Keegan Riley, works for the citizens of Keller County as a court artist," Ravens continued as the director cut away to a video of Keegan arriving at Rick's suburban residence. "Ms. Riley visited the sheriff at his home in Hunter's Bayou this afternoon, not long after he was released from Mercy General after being wounded yesterday by a sniper's bullet outside his campaign manager's office.

"Sheriff's deputies apprehended the gunman last night after he allegedly entered Sheriff Blaylock's hospital room and held him and Ms. Riley hostage for approximately forty minutes. Thankfully, neither the sheriff nor his girlfriend were hurt in that exchange, although the gunman did receive several serious injuries when he jumped out the window."

"Oh, my God. I don't believe this."
She called me his girlfriend?
Keegan bit her lip as a clip of the broken window and then the entire hospital appeared on the screen.

"Thank you, Mindy," her fellow anchorwoman said. "We also received word right before this newscast that sheriff's deputies have arrested a suspect in the case in question -- the murder of Dirk Woodward -- after identifying him using surveillance video. If that is the case, Ms. Riley's involvement in the case is moot."

"That remains to be seen," Mindy said, a sneer on her face. "Stay tuned to WHBZ for more information on this important investigation."

"Well, at least the other reporter inserted the part about the surveillance video." Rick gritted his teeth. "As far as the rest of it goes, you and I were never together before today."

"Yes, but she made it look as if we've been seeing each other all along. Surveillance video or not, people will believe we did something wrong." Her stomach roiled. "I can live with that, but can you? It's bound to hurt your campaign."

"Well, perhaps we should--" The blare of the house phone cut him off, and he turned to glare at it. "Damn it. Bet that thing will ring off the hook all night."

"You'd better check the display before you answer it."

"Right. Can't be work. They always call my cell." He snatched the receiver off the base on the end table, read the display, and blew out a heavy sigh. "My campaign manager. Damn. She's gonna be furious. I never told her I was out of the hospital, and now this."

"Might as well deal with her now." Her heart in her throat, Keegan patted his knee. "We need to do whatever she says."

"Yeah, I know. Even though we might not like it." He pressed
talk
and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello, Willa." He paused. "That's true. It's a real mess."

Not wanting to eavesdrop on his conversation, Keegan got up and wandered back into the kitchen. She was thirsty, so she opened the refrigerator. All he had to drink was beer. Not her favorite beverage, but after the day they'd had she figured they both could use the alcohol. Then she remembered Rick's pain pills. He hadn't taken one since she'd been there, yet after their acrobatics in the bedroom he'd probably need one at least at bedtime. Better not encourage him to drink. She dropped ice into a couple of glasses and fixed them each some tap water instead.

She re-entered the living room just as he hung up the phone. He had a worried look on his face but brightened when she handed him his water.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." She reclaimed her place on the couch as they both sipped their water, and then she turned to face him. "Well? What'd she say? Was she upset?"

"You could say that. She chewed me out for spending so much time with you and letting Ravens catch us together." Looking like a little boy who'd just been chastised, he set his glass on the end table and rubbed both hands up and down his solid thighs. "I did my best to explain, and that seemed to mollify her. Then she... um, came up with an idea I'm not sure you'll like."

"What kind of idea?" Keegan frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"About a way to spin our relationship that will help my campaign. I told her she was crazy, because we only met a few days ago. She still thinks it's a good idea. I don't--"

"Slow down, Rick. What did she suggest?"

"That we should announce we're engaged, so folks won't think I'm just screwing around with a witness." His face turned bright red. "She claims the public would love it, and that it would give me a big advantage over Maillet, who's kind of a hound."

"Wait a minute. She wants us to tell people we're
engaged?"
Keegan gaped at him. Her heart dropped to her feet. "I know we just... we just slept together, but we haven't been out on a date or talked about having a relationship. I don't have any idea where this is going, or if you even
want
it to go anywhere."

"Believe me, I know." He raked an agitated hand through his hair. "I told her to forget it, but she kept on pushing. That's why I brought it up."

"Are you... are you considering it?" Her voice shook, and she hated it. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down. She was attracted to Rick, sure. Yet...
marriage?
Did he even want to get married? Hell, she didn't even know if he'd ever been married in the past.

He scrubbed both hands down his face. "I-I don't know. Well... hell. Maybe we... no. Yeah, maybe I am. Except that we haven't--"

"You don't sound too sure about it."

"No. I'm not too sure about anything right now." He barked a rough laugh. "Why are we even discussing this? I know you don't want to be engaged to me, so--"

"Don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say that."

"Excuse me?" This time,
he
gaped at
her
.

She laughed. "Would our engagement be for real or just for show?"

"Just for show." He said the words as if they scared him to death. "Unless, of course, you'd rather... which you wouldn't, ever. So... yeah. Just for show, I guess. We can--"

The ringing of his house phone cut him off again. He cursed and snatched it up. This time, instead of answering it, he glared at the screen, shook his head, and turned off the ringer.

"Not someone you want to talk to?"

"Another damned TV station." He dropped the receiver back into the cradle. "I have no comment."

"You're a smart man."

"I don't know about that, after what I just asked you." He looked down and scratched at his arm in the sling. "I must've lost my mind to think you'd even consider going along with such a crazy plan. We barely know each other."

"Doesn't matter. I'll do it."

"Wait. What'd you just say?" He jerked his head up so fast he had to have popped his neck. "Damn, Keegan. Have you thought this through?"

"No, not really." Energy fizzed through her, and she chuckled. "That's the beauty of it, though, right? What does it matter anyway if it's just for show?"

"I guess it doesn't. I just can't believe you said you'd do it."

"Believe it," she said. "I do have one question, though."

"Fire away." He cracked his knuckles and fixed her with a level gaze.

She chuckled. He was such a
guy.
"Have you ever been married before?"

"Never. I've had a couple of serious relationships, but that's it." He frowned. "Have you?"

"No." She couldn't stop the smile that broke out over her face. "Well, at least we know that much about each other. I'm assuming our
engagement
will last until the election, and then we'll have a big fight or something -- in public would be best -- and break up."

"Yeah, I guess that could work." He drew his brows together again and slid to the edge of the couch. "I mean, whatever you think would be best. If you're sure you want to do this."

"I damaged your campaign." She put her hand on his arm. "Let me help you get out of this mess. We can fight Mindy Ravens and her big mouth together."

"Only if you're sure."

"I am."

"Keegan, you're amazing." He caught her hand, and his stormy gray eyes filled with gratitude. He tugged her toward him. "Come here."

"Gladly." She smiled and met him halfway to accept a kiss so sweet and tender, her toes curled. She wrapped her hand around his neck and deepened the kiss.

By the time they broke apart, his eyes had glazed over. "Wow. That wasn't just for show."

"No, it wasn't." She kissed him again, a quick brush of lips. "I thought I'd already established that I like you, Rick. Let's do this to help your campaign and see how it goes."

"I guess I need to buy you a ring."

"That would certainly make our engagement look more official." She bit her lip and peeked up at him through a curtain of dark hair.

He wrapped his good arm around her and pulled her into a gentle half hug. "A ring it is, then. Want to help me pick it out?"

"No," she said with a shy smile. "I'll leave that up to you."

"If you're sure." He released her.

She kissed him one last time, and then got up. "I'd better go so you can get some rest tonight -- and so everyone will know I didn't stay over. I think that's for the best right now. Shopping can wait until tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan." He rose, caught her hand, and led her into the kitchen, but halted before opening the door to the garage. "Be careful. The press might be outside, or even over at your place. Don't let them trick you into saying anything. I'll call Willa and ask her to draft a press release about our engagement to send out first thing in the morning."

"Okay. I'll just say 'no comment', then."

"That'll work." He dipped his head and kissed her one last time.

As he pulled back, she drew in a deep, shaky breath. "So... I guess now I have a fiancée."

"Me, too." He gave her a lopsided grin. Then his smile faded. "Don't say anything to anybody else, not even your family, until we send out that press release tomorrow, okay?"

"I-I won't," she promised, shaken to her core once his words sank in.
Oh, God. My family. I'll have to tell them I'm engaged, and then take it back.

The idea rocked her. After all they'd been through, her parents would shout with joy at her good news. Bursting their bubble of glee after the election would hurt. Then she remembered the guns and knives she'd stashed at their house, and her stomach sank even further. She was already deceiving them. If her father found the weapons, they'd get a double whammy.

Unaware where Keegan's thoughts had gone, Rick stepped aside and let her into the garage. Still reeling, she climbed into her car and started it before he opened the rolling door. Sure enough, two remote vans from local TV stations sat at the curb. She pressed the accelerator to the floor after she backed from the driveway and got out of there before they could give chase.

To her relief, no reporters waited at her house, maybe because not many people knew where she lived. Mindy Ravens had found her, however, so she figured others might be lurking in her neighborhood by morning. So she parked inside the garage and lowered the door.

She sat in the car for a while before going inside. Foremost in her mind was the time she'd spent in Rick's bed. The man certainly knew how to make love to a woman. Her face heated as she recalled the way he'd kissed her, how reverently he'd touched her, and the way their bodies had fit together, as if they'd been rocking together for a lifetime.

"And now we're engaged," she whispered, pinching herself so she could believe it was true. "Even if it's just for show... oh, God. I like it. And maybe, I want it to be for real."

Her heart ached with longing by the time she eventually exited the car and made her way into the house. Only forty-eight hours ago, her life had been set on the no-less-frightening course of revenge. Always a tomboy, she'd never been a woman who liked frilly things, who wanted pink clothes and perfectly manicured nails. She'd had a good many boyfriends over the years, but had never really considered settling down with any of them. Nesting and making a family had been only a vague future possibility, even though her parents had bugged her about it for years.

Then Jenny had given birth to Haley, and they'd quit asking.

Rick was right. Keegan could handle a gun and a knife. She could also kick ass in her martial arts classes and sketch people at the drop of a hat. Yet she had no clue how to be anyone's wife or fiancée, even if it were
just for show.

She'd never been so scared in all of her life.

*****

"You heard what I said, Willa," Rick barked into the phone early the next morning. He hadn't been up for long, and he already wanted to crawl back under the covers. His shoulder stung like a bitch, and now his campaign manager wanted too damned many details. "I'm not giving you anything more than that. Keegan has agreed to be my fiancée for the duration of my campaign. End of story."

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day. How'd you get her to agree to my scheme?"

"I told her about it, and she jumped at the idea."

"Are you sure you two haven't been together all along?" Curiosity dripped from the older woman's amused words.

He quirked his mouth. "I'm sure. We just met a few days ago."

"Amazing." Paper rustled. Then she said, "Okay. I think I've got everything I need. I'll get the press release out as soon as possible so we can counter last night's news report."

"Sorry about all this." He sat on the edge of the bed and blew out a disgusted sigh.

She laughed. "No problem, Sheriff. I've dealt with worse."

"Yeah, I suppose you have." He thanked her for all her hard work and then hung up. Almost immediately, his cell phone rang again. He glared down at the contraption in his hand. Not many people had this number, and he'd already had three calls this morning. C.J., Jonah, and Willa. "Damn it. Who the hell wants me now?"