Page 16 of Protected By West (San Antonio S.W.A.T. #1)

Surprised, he looked over his shoulder for a quick second. "How-"

"She's tough as nails." Fox laughed. "Hell of a right hook."

"Well, shit," Duval was on a roll with his cursing, "I've got to hear that story later."

Weston wanted to hear it, too, but it seemed as though Jaclyn's words had flipped a switch inside of the entitled woman.

She went from petty witch to raging bull, pawing the ground with her glitter-laden heels as she lost even more of her temper. "This is my show! I'm the bride!"

She took a step forward and reached for the bouncer, her nails looked like bloody claws.

"You ruined my fun!"

Before she got a good hold on the bouncer’s arm, the grasp was reversed and with one hand on the bachelorette's wrist and the other on her shoulder, the bouncer had her down on one knee.

The bachelorette shook her massive head of blonde curls. "You can't touch me, you bitch!"

Weston saw movement out of the corner of his eye and put his arm out to stop it.

He saw Trooper Bonner draw up short, his head turning to look at Weston.

"Stand down." It was softly spoken but a command nonetheless.

The trooper didn't move any further, but Weston knew he was ready to go if he was given the order.

"Look. You really should have switched to non-alcoholic drinks while you were here. I bet you and your bridesmaids pregamed this. Do you even have a designated driver?"

The blonde shrieked and Weston had to shake his head, hoping he wasn't going to have any hearing damaged from the drunk woman.

"Who needs a d-designated driver? We have a party bus!"

Weston groaned in sympathy with the deputy.

Jaclyn Morgan really did have the skills he was looking for on his team.

She had great hand-to-hand fighting skills, and she wasn't afraid to wade into any situation if it meant helping someone, but her assessments did say that when it came to interpersonal skills, she wasn't anywhere near the top of the class.

When they said it took her time to warm up to people, Weston had heard from her current superior officer that she rode the line of cold and off-putting like she did her motorcycle... hard.

"I want to see the manager!"

Dally sighed. "Does she ever stop?"

"Ma'am," Jack helped the woman back up to her feet, "I'm afraid this show is done for you. You can wait out here for your bridesmaids and-"

"You let me back in!"

"You're going to make me deaf if you keep yelling in my ear, ma'am."

"Good," the blonde bride snarled at her. "Then you'll be deaf as well as dumb, you bitch!"

The woman raised a hand to strike, but even though Weston knew he couldn't get there in time to stop it, he took a couple of steps in that direction.

Jack had it in hand.

Literally.

She intercepted the wild attempt at a slap and in a little more than a moment, she had the woman turned around, with her hands behind her back.

That's when Jack turned to look at them with one dark eyebrow lifted in their direction. "Which one of you is going to lend me your cuffs?"

Trooper Bonner was on the move, but when he reached out to take the woman into custody, he was treated to a look that could have been as cold as ice, but even though Weston was standing a good ten to twelve feet away from the action, he saw the look for what it was, a big ol' STOP sign.

The visual equivalent of crime scene tape, only this time It didn't matter that Trooper Bonner was another LEO, he knew Jack didn't want or need his help.

The trooper held out the cuffs and Jack turned her hand palm up to take them.

They were all treated to a show then.

A picture-perfect example of how to cuff a belligerent drunk.

Even Duval had something nice to say.

"I wouldn't want to meet up with her in a dark alley."

Yes.

That was a compliment.

Of sorts.

It was as good as Duval gave at least.

Weston felt someone clamp a hand down on his shoulder.

It had to be Fox.

"West-"

BINGO.

"Yeah?"

"You want Bonner to take her to lockup? Or..."

Weston had to think about it for a moment. Most of them had arrived together and Myles had come in his personal vehicle.

He turned and looked at Fox. "Can you take her? Or at least take some of the others with you so I can have space?"

"Major?"

West wanted to say he was surprised but...

"Trooper Bonner?" He smiled at the other man.

"I'll take her to the jail and do the processing. It's on my way home."

West would put money on the men behind him smiling like idiots. None of them wanted to take the woman in the car. Hell, he didn't either.

And if they had a say in it, they'd likely point out the fact that he was the last one as far as seniority went on the team.

"I would be glad to have you do it, Trooper. Just understand that you might not get overtime for this."

Bonner shrugged. "Y'all came in the same car and the cowboy likely doesn't have his credentials on him."

"Asshole."

That came from Myles, who wasn't exactly quiet about it.

A fleeting smile passed over Bonner's lips and Weston was glad to know the man had some bite to him. He was at least more politic about it.

"I'll go with."

Everything went quiet then.

Well, except for Over-the-limit Barbie. Weston doubted if the woman even had an off-switch.

"Well," she spat, "sounds like we got ourselves a fuckin' party!"

Jack didn't seem to notice the woman's ongoing meltdown as she looked up at the Trooper. "Your car outside?"

Trooper Bonner nodded. "Department issued."

Jack looked him over from top to bottom and back again. "I bet everything about you is department issued." Then she took his hand and put it on the connecting chains of the handcuffs. "You want to take her out to the car, and I'll meet you there."

She walked away without a backwards glance, but stopped when she came up beside Weston, shoulder to shoulder. "You here about my application?"

Weston nodded. "I've got a space on my Special Operations Team, and I think you'd fit the bill."

She lowered her gaze for a moment and then lifted it to meet his. "You serious? Or are you yanking my chain?"

"I'm serious." Then Weston shook his head. "I don't yank chains, but I bet anyone who's tried it with you before needed stitches after."

He saw the moment she believed him.

It was when her expression went from hard as stone to a real smile. It took years off of her face.

That wasn't a criticism, just facts.

Jack, or Jacklyn, as her paperwork said, had grown up too damn fast in anyone's estimation.

She was hard as nails on the outside and in.

She'd be an incredible edition to the team, but he was wondering how well she'd fit. It was a tossup. She could fall in line with no issues, or they might have some scuffles along the way.

No matter what happened, Weston knew that it was worth it.

"Okay, Boss." She straightened and gave him a snappy salute. "When do I report?"

"I'll send you the information on your cell later tonight."

She nodded and gave him a nudge with her arm. "Thanks for letting me ride with Blue Bonnet, tonight."

Weston frowned for a moment before she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at where the State Trooper had gone. "What did you-"

She shrugged. "It was hard to hear with the banshee screaming.

I thought you said his last name was Bonnet.

My bad!" Then she walked past him, stopping at the door to the club where she turned and waved at all of them.

"I’ll see you later, boys! I hope y'all don't suck too hard! I don't want to be embarrassed."

Jack used her butt to hit the button to open the doors and then she was gone.

Dally stepped in front of Weston, smiling. "I like her."

Fox lifted a curious brow. "She's... interesting."

Duval shook his head. "She's a ballbuster."

Oxy smacked him on the arm. "Hands off."

"Me?" Duval lifted his arms. "The last woman I'm going to touch is one I work with."

"I'd be too afraid to try."Myles whistled low under his breath. "I bet she bites."

Duval chuckled at that. "Then maybe I'll have to rethink my no."

Weston sighed. "Okay, that's it for us tonight. Any more of this... banter between you and I might start with a clean slate and pick other people."

The men started to disperse into the club. Fox was the last one standing there with him.

"West?"

"Hmm?"

He watched through the still open doorway as women started to surround the others.

Fox sighed. "No one believes your threat."

Weston turned around and gave his friend a hearty smack on his shoulder. "That's why you're going to do the talking."