Page 18 of Warrant (The Berserker’s Rage MC: Wyoming Chapter #1)

Ainsley

S haking my head, I sighed. “Harlow, I already told you, I’ve done my part. It’s in the court’s hands now.”

“But you’re keeping track of how it’s going?” she insisted.

“Of course I am.” No way I wasn’t going to follow the piece of shit who’d done a hit and run on a kid, in what I now considered my town, until he was in prison with a lengthy sentence under his belt. It was just going to take time. His trial was coming up soon though.

Then the Rice family would have justice. It wouldn’t bring their son back, but at least they would know that the man responsible was behind bars where he couldn’t hurt anyone else. And if the inmates found out he killed a kid? Whew. It wouldn’t go well for him.

“Thanks,” she said with a wry smile. “I just want to make sure.”

“How about this,” I told her with my own smile. “I’ll text you any and all updates I have.”

“I’d really appreciate that. These people…” She paused then shook her head. “They’ve become mine. You know?”

“Actually, I do,” I told her. She hadn’t grown up here. Neither had any of the women I’d met the other day. Yet they all considered Sentinel home. I was already more than halfway to that sentiment myself.

A knock on the door had both of us looking up, and my brows shot up when I saw the president of the Berserker’s Rage MC standing there.

Cypher was an imposing man. Had to be six-five, dark hair, and a long dark beard.

Then there was the muscle. He was in a tight fitting gray Henley that clearly showed all the muscle in his chest and arms, or the parts that weren’t covered by his leather cut.

His jeans were tight, because who could fit tree trunk legs like that into denim and have it be loose?

“I should go,” Harlow said, turning back to me and giving me a wide eyed glance.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I tried to tell her—silently—to behave. She’d been stopping by, nearly daily, to just chat, and honestly, I was starting to enjoy her company.

“Hi, Cypher,” she chirped as she squeezed past him while he stepped further into my office.

“Harlow,” the man rumbled. His voice was deep and gravelly.

I made the mistake of looking at my new friend. She was standing behind Cypher—who was facing me again after greeting her—and she had her fist held up to her mouth. She was biting her knuckle, as if to keep herself from squealing over the fact that he’d said her name.

It took every ounce of professionalism to keep from laughing. I stood up and leaned over my desk, holding out my hand. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“You too, Sheriff Zimmerman,” he said with a twist of his lips. It wasn’t quite a smirk.

“If any of that is from Warrant, he lies,” I told him, shaking his calloused hand.

Cypher laughed. “Only when his lips move. But no, just what I’ve heard around town. Everyone is happy to have you here, including me.”

Letting go of his hand, I motioned for him to take a seat as I did.

I cringed as the chair let out a squeak of protest as he lowered himself in it.

He was a big man. If he ended up on the floor I had no idea what that would do for law enforcement/rogue biker club relations.

So far, we seemed to have some unspoken, tentative agreement that we wouldn’t get in each other’s way.

As long as they kept their noses clean, I was willing to continue on with that arrangement. I had other things to do.

“Well, thank you for that,” I said. “I wouldn’t have thought that would be the case,” I admitted.

He chuckled. “No one liked Denison. The man was a fuck up.”

“Allowed you to do whatever you wanted, though,” I pointed out. Cypher seemed like a straight shooter, so I took a chance and told him the truth.

He grinned. “That’s true. But it wasn’t good for the town overall.”

That seemed to matter to him. He was another transplant here. Seemed like he also considered Sentinel his home. Just like Harlow and the others. This town, its people, had that effect on everyone.

“What can I help you with, Cypher?” I asked.

He studied me for a full minute before speaking. “Just wanted to come introduce myself. See if Warrant’s been causing you too much…trouble.”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” I said with a wry smile.

“If you need any help,” he continued, “the Berserker’s Rage is at your disposal.”

My eyebrows shot up at that. “Really?”

“This is our town,” he said, his stare hardening. “We take care of it.”

“So I’ve seen. What about Sentry Securities?”

“What about it?”

“Is that at my disposal?”

He chuckled. “We’ll start with the club. If you graduate to needing my security firm’s help, then we’ll tackle that problem when it comes.”

I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by that, but I knew I wasn’t getting anything else out of him. “So this was just a courtesy, get to know you, call?”

He searched my face then nodded. “Wanted to stop by and see what kind of person you were.”

“Hope I passed the test,” I said, standing as he did.

“You did,” he replied with a smile. “Something tells me we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other, Sheriff.” With that, he left my office.

I had no clue what that was all about, but soon enough the paperwork on my desk sucked me back in. I completed the monotonous task and tried to forget all about bikers. As gorgeous as Cypher had been, it was a different man who kept interrupting my thoughts.

Sighing, I shoved the stack of folders a few inches toward the edge of my desk and glared at it. I couldn’t focus. My phone rang.

“Thank God.” I picked up the receiver. “Sheriff Zimmerman.”

“You have the sexiest voice.”

Rolling my eyes as I recognized the speaker as Warrant, I sighed. “What do you want?” I frowned. “And why didn’t you call my cell?” He had the number. I’d given it to him before we’d gone on the date together.

“Wanted to do this in a way that is less…traceable,” he said.

“That sounds like you’re up to no good, Warrant.” I bit back a smile.

“I need a favor.”

“What kind of favor?” I asked, wary.

“One that I need you not to question or look further into.” There was a pause. “Can you do that?”

“What kind of favor?” I insisted.

“Can you run a vehicle plate for me?”

I hesitated, thinking it over. “You in trouble?”

“Not me, but some friends,” he replied.

At least he was being honest. As far as I could tell. “This going to blow back on me?”

“Shouldn’t,” he said, “as long as you don’t look into it further. Look, Ains, I could have my guys get this information, but it would be faster and easier if it was coming from you.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t ask Owen,” I told him.

“I don’t want to get him into trouble. You’re not going to put yourself in the doghouse.”

“Going straight to the top,” I said with a grim smile.

“We’re just trying to help someone. Promise,” he said.

I eyed the door where Cypher had walked out not twenty minutes ago and wondered if he’d been sussing me out to see if I’d help with this. “This is the kind of stuff that makes it to where we can’t have a relationship, Warrant,” I told him.

He was silent on the other line so long, I almost thought he’d hung up. “We’ll deal with that later.”

“There’s nothing to deal with, I-”

“Ains, this is time sensitive. And important. Really important.”

I shut my mouth and tapped my fist on my forehead. “Yeah,” I finally said. “Okay. Give me the damn plate number.”

Grabbing a pen, I wrote down what he said. “Texas-” I frowned. “Wait, this is a Texas vehicle?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Why are you searching for a-”

“Woman. No questions, remember?” he said, his tone patient but strained.

Grumbling under my breath, I bit back the rest of my question. “What’s the rest?”

He gave me the rest of the plate and I tapped the pen on the notepad. “I’ll text you the information as soon as I have it.”

“Thanks, Baby Girl.”

I hung up the phone, calling myself an idiot.

It was the sincerity in his voice when he assured me he was helping someone.

But this really was why I couldn’t start anything up with him.

I’d end up helping him do God knows what and my moral code would be the one to be impaired.

How could I be a sheriff and help a boyfriend who may or may not be a criminal?

Picking up the phone again, I dialed a number and waited. As soon as it was picked up, I smiled. “Hi, Todd. I have a plate for you to run.” I listed off the state and numbers. “Any chance I could get a rush on that?”

If Warrant was using me to do something terrible, something that could get me in hot water, I’d figure it out later.

And at least then I’d know if he was willing to use me for any means necessary.

I really hoped that wasn’t happening here, but all I could do was wait and see.

And trust. Did I mention that? I was trusting that this guy I hardly knew wasn’t going to put me into a sticky situation. I was an idiot.

Still, I’d given my word that I’d help. So I’d follow through and see what kind of man Warrant really was. This was a test for us both. I just really hoped we didn’t get burned.