Page 96 of Indecent Lies

Texas knew what he was doing. Sort of.

He was taking his guilt and laying it at someone else’s feet in hopes of absolving his own conscience.

Plus, he hated the whole Russian crew just on principle.

In his heart, Texas was and always would be aSouls.

“Why isn’t Rider the one delivering this?” The Sheriff inquired, cup in hand, and the porn warehouse photos in the other.

Texas stayed over by the door, his hands in his pockets, he rose a pithy eyebrow to the cop. “Charlie, you have your ear to the ground, you’ve probably known for a while that I’m not patched in anymore.”

He rumbled a noise in agreement. “I never knew your brother was Malachai Hunt. He’s been through here a few times, making noise.”

Texas shrugged. “He does that.”

“You could take this to him.”

“Mal doesn’t give a fuck about the mafia, any mafia. Right now he’s got a hard on for MC’s. Mine in particular. If I can take down the Russians and get them off the club’s back, that’s one less thing for the boys to worry about.”

Another rumbling noise from Charlie, he went on looking over all the photo’s Texas had taken. Some were disturbing. Others were eye opening seeing as how Grigori had connections here that went all the way to Washington.

“Can you use it?”

“Don’t know yet. But it can’t hurt to have it, I trust someone over at the DA’s office.”

Texas nodded and turned on his boots. “Hey, Texas?” He turned back.

The cop’s eyes were shrewd and watchful.

On the outside, Charlie Timmons was just your regular blonde guy who did good things, he had a nice family with a wife and kids, he participated in the church, played touch football, coached little league and always got re-elected unchallenged.

He was a good guy, but Texas would bet his last dollar the guy wasn’t all the way clean.

Not that he was a crooked cop, he’d probably break his own neck if he ever got tempted by a bribe. But no one was ever so good that he couldn’t bend the law sometimes to do the right thing.

The shit in those photos, the compromising things those women were doing for the camera, would turn anyone’s stomach and make him do what he could, even bend the law, to make it right.

“Don’t get yourself so deep in this shit that you can’t see the light,” Charlie offered in his deep timber, native to Colorado. “I’ve seen it happen too many times, then you forget why you started in the first place.”

Texas didn’t offer words, mainly because he wasn’t about to get into being besties with the cop. He was a means to an end but he inclined his head, appreciating the effort. “Later, sheriff.”

He trusted that if there was anything that could be done to kick thebratvaback home, then Charlie Timmon’s would do it. He was one cop who couldn’t be bought. If he got dead… well that was the chance they were all taking.

He took the back entrance and walked the block back to his bike.

He didn’t know the little girl was getting into some of her own trouble right about the same time too.

* * *

Doused in shame was Poppy’s only emotion that day, for what she made Tait do last night.

She’d heard him leave the loft early, assuming he was heading down to the bottom apartments, but his bike rumbled and headed off. Unsure if he was coming back soon, she rushed through a shower, despite feeling like crap from the events of last night, she called Roux in response to all the messages her friend left her and then she walked down to the bakery. All the while shame walked with her.

Her feelings for Tait were so real that looking at him for longer than a nanosecond robbed all her air and made her feel tingly, like she couldn’t function until he was in her eyesight.

Her feelings were absolutely real but she wished last night didn’t happen.

She wished she hadn’t put him in an obligatory position.