Page 39 of Wild Card (Foster Bro Code #2)

Dalton

I thought I’d seen all the shades of red that Sheriff Hale’s face could turn, but purple was a new one. He went apoplectic when we rolled up to his house with the search warrant.

“This is harassment!” he called out as we trailed through the house to gain access to the garage. “It’ll never hold up in court! I’ve still got some friends in this town.”

“This is a legal warrant, sir,” Chloe explained. “It’s signed by Judge Roberts.”

Hale batted her hand away with a scowl. “This is an outrage!” he blustered on, pulling out his cell phone. “I’m going to call my lawyer!”

I ignored his blustering, intent on my goal.

To finally nail down the evidence I needed to lock up Dallas.

I went into the garage, and sure enough, there was a car hidden under a tarp.

When I pulled it off, there was obvious damage to the front fender.

Streaks of blue paint I was sure would match the car Dallas had hit.

I pulled out my phone and took photos. Then called Forrester Auto.

“Forrester Bros Auto, this is Holden Cross. How can I help you?”

“Hey, it’s Dalton,” I said. “I’ve got a tow for you all. Need a car taken to our impound for evidence.”

“Sure,” he said, voice concerned. “I thought you were meeting Axel for dinner?”

“Running a little late,” I said. “This car I’m impounding? Belongs to Dallas.”

“No shit? What about Sheriff Hale?”

There was shouting in the background, and Chloe ducked her head through the doorway. “I had to cuff the sheriff. Er, former sheriff, sir.”

I laughed. “No shit?”

She winced. “Is that bad?”

I grinned as a sense of vindication swept through me. “No, it’s fucking perfect,” I said with a chuckle. “Good for you, Deputy.”

I lifted the phone to my ear, hearing Holden exclaiming and the sound of his brothers in the background.

“I gotta go,” I said. “Send a tow truck to the sheriff’s residence, will you?”

“Gray’s already on his way.”

“Great, thanks. I tried to call Axel, but he didn’t answer. If you hear from him…”

“I’ll let him know what’s happening,” Holden assured me. “Go. Sounds like your hands are full.”

The next hour was hectic. We arrested Hale for obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting a misdemeanor, then headed for Dallas’s apartment with him ranting and raving in the back seat.

He’d get a fine, maybe a few months of jail time, but the real punishment would be the stain to his reputation. That and watching his son get arrested when he had no power to intervene.

Dallas wasn’t home, but a neighbor told us he usually got back from work just after six. While we waited, I called Axel again. Nothing but voicemail. Damn it.

Where the hell was he, and why wasn’t he answering? My chest tightened with worry.

Axel had been a little distant ever since all this sheriff shit started, but he’d been so supportive when I was trying to decide what to do. Surely, he wasn’t upset with me?

“I guess I missed you again,” I said into the voicemail. “If you’re waiting for me at Ball Breakers, I got caught up with a work thing. I’m sorry. Call me back as soon as you get this.” Dallas pulled into the apartment parking lot. “I have to go, but I’ll talk to you soon.”

I tossed my cell phone into the front passenger seat of the cruiser.

“How do you want to play this, Sheriff?” Chloe said.

It took me a minute to remember that was me. I grinned. “You got the father. Let me handle the son.”

She nodded. “I’m here if you need backup.”

I jogged toward the parking lot.

“Hey, Dallas!”

He turned, eyes widening when he saw me. “What do you want?”

I grinned and pulled the cuffs off my belt. “You’re under arrest for hit-and-run.”

He scoffed. “You’re trying again? Really? Didn’t my dad make it clear that you were wasting your time harassing me?”

I strolled up to him and grabbed his right arm, tugging it behind him. He didn’t even struggle. Too surprised, or maybe just too sure his daddy would set everything right.

“Didn’t your dad call you with the news?”

He scowled. “What news?”

I yanked him in the direction of my cruiser. “There’s a new sheriff in town.”

“There’s no way,” he said, fear coloring his voice. “My dad is going to fire your ass. When we get there, he’ll finally see that you’re out of your mind!”

He was digging in his heels, resisting as the truth set in. I manhandled him toward the car.

“We’ve got the evidence, Dallas. No more get-out-jail-free cards for you.”

Chloe opened the back door, and Dallas saw his dad in the back. In cuffs.

His face, red with outrage, paled so quickly I thought the asshole might pass out. He sagged in my grip. “Fuck me.”

“No need,” I said smugly. “You’re already good and fucked.”

The drive to the jail took only minutes, thankfully. The sheriff blustered about how I’d regret this come election time. But I knew better. This arrest would send a signal to the public. Hale would never be sheriff in this town again.

We took father and son in through the side entrance to the jail and started the booking process with the clerk there.

My cell phone rang.

“I got this,” Chloe said. “Go ahead and take your call.”

I nodded my thanks and left her to attend to the booking details.

The Hale men would have to be fingerprinted, have mug shots taken, and be thoroughly searched before being processed into jail.

Because they were being booked for something more serious than drunk or disorderly, they’d be relieved of their belongings and given jail uniforms to wear.

Unlike most of our arrests, they wouldn’t go into a holding cell for a night. If things went the way they should, the Hales would spend months in these cells.

I checked my phone, disappointed to see it wasn’t Axel returning my call but a sheriff’s department number. “Harvey here.”

“Sheriff, it’s Deputy Sing. I, uh, have some bad news for you.”

My gut tightened. “What is it?”

“I made an arrest over at Ball Breakers.” He paused, and my heart tumbled.

“Axel?” I guessed.

“Yeah. Sorry, boss, I didn’t know he was your friend.”

“Boyfriend,” I corrected.

“Oh, shit. That’s even worse.”

“It’s not good,” I agreed, “but I’m not Hale. Don’t apologize for doing your job. Is he booked already?”

“Yeah, but listen, I don’t think it was his fault. He got into it with some asshole at the bar. The bar owner called it in.”

I swore quietly under my breath. If I’d turned up for dinner on time, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.

“Is he okay?”

“Yeah. He’s going to have a few bruises, but he should be all right. The bar owner is pissed, but I doubt he files formal charges. We just dumped them in holding. They won’t spend more than a night in jail.”

Not even that. I couldn’t look the other way like Hale or twist the law to serve my personal wishes, but I’d sure as hell bail Axel out ASAP.

“He stopped that other asshole from assaulting me,” Deputy Sing added. “My old ass would probably be bruised worse than him if it weren’t for that. I think he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

I appreciated Deputy Sing’s assurances, but I didn’t need them. What I needed was to lay eyes on Axel and make sure he was all right.

I swiped my key card and pushed through the heavy metal door that gave me access to the jail cells.

Someone swore up a blue streak loudly in the back. I headed down the corridor between cells, most of them empty. “Axel?”

“The dick-sucking cavalry has arrived!” a guy called with sharp, angry laughter following.

That wasn’t Axel. I strode up to his cell, eyes narrowing. Jett. Well, that wasn’t too surprising. He was a hellion I’d tangled with a time or two.

“Are you the asshole who fucked with my man?” I demanded.

Jett’s laughter cut off abruptly. He eyed me warily. “You gonna come in here and beat my ass for it?”

“He wouldn’t do that,” Axel said from one cell over. His tone was thin and flat, as if he was too exhausted or defeated to speak any louder. “I’m not worth it, anyway.”

The hell he wasn’t.

I forgot about Jett. I could deal with him later. Axel needed me now.

I got out my key ring and went one cell over, where Axel was sitting against the back wall. His hair was a rat’s nest, hanging around his face, and a bruise was blooming along his jawline.

“Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

“Don’t bother,” he rasped.

“I’m sure as hell bothering,” I snapped. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m a fuckup,” he said, eyes on his knees instead of me. “You oughta just leave me in here and throw away the key.”

“Fuck that.” I unlocked the cell and slid open the heavy door. I strode inside and crouched in front of him. “Axel, darlin’, haven’t we been over this? I’m not leaving you. Not for anything.”

I put two fingers under his chin, lifting his face. His eyes glittered. At first, I thought it was anger, but then I realized there was nothing but pain darkening his blue eyes.

“I messed everything up,” he said. “You can’t run for election with me dragging you down. I’ll ruin your reputation.”

“He’s right,” Jett called from the next cell.

“Shut the fuck up, Jett,” I called. “I won’t tell you again.”

He grumbled under his voice but quieted down. I turned my attention back to Axel, speaking softly. “First off, I’m already sheriff, so let’s not worry about the election for now.”

Axel’s eyes widened. “ What ?”

“A lot has happened,” I said. “Hale and Dallas are being booked in right now.”

“Are you serious? What happened?”

I chuckled. “It’s a long story. How about I take you home and tell you all about it over dinner?”

Axel licked his dry lips. Shook his head. “What about what I did? The sheriff can’t date a criminal.”

“Says who?” I challenged.

He scoffed. “Come on, Dalton. Be real. Even if you’re sheriff now, it won’t last if I fuck it up for you. This is who I am. I didn’t go looking for trouble, but it still found me.”

I cupped his face and met his eyes. “Be honest with me, Axel. Did you start the fight today?”

“No, but I didn’t stop it either. I haven’t always chosen the right crowd to run with.” He swallowed hard. “It came back to bite me in the ass tonight, and I can’t promise it won’t happen again.”

“Well, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

His eyes searched mine. “You shouldn’t have to do that. I should just let you go.”

He sounded reluctant. I could work with that.

“Axel, I won’t lie. It’ll be awkward if you break the law while I’m sheriff. I can’t be like Hale and protect you from the consequences.”

“I’d never ask you to do that.” He swallowed. “I’d let you go if you needed me to. I thought maybe that’s what you meant by things having to change.”

“No,” I said softly. “That’s not what I meant at all. I’m so sorry if you ever thought that.”

“It made sense.”

“Nothing about that makes sense. Because I love you.”

His breath stuttered. “You really love me? Even after I fucked up like this?”

“One mistake won’t change how I feel. A dozen mistakes won’t. Okay? I’m not going to leave you. I can’t do that. Don’t even suggest it. Because I love you too fucking much.”

He looked stunned, and then he wrapped a hand around the nape of my neck and pulled me into a desperate kiss. I gave him everything he needed, ignoring the gagging sounds coming from Jett’s cell.

“I don’t deserve it,” Axel choked out as we broke. “But I’m gonna take it, anyway.”

“Darlin’, you of all people deserve all the love in the world, and I’m going to keep on loving you until you believe it.”

He blinked hard, face twisting, and I got to my feet so he could have a moment to compose himself. I extended a hand down. “You going to let me bail you out now, or are you determined to stay in here and punish yourself?”

He grasped my hand, surging to his feet. “I’ll come if you let me say one thing, and don’t argue with me.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m going to try harder,” he said. “I’m going to be a better man. One worthy of a sheriff.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he rushed ahead. “You say you love me, and I believe you, but I want to make your life better, Dalton. I want to be a stand-up guy that you can be proud to have at your side. I’m going to clean up my act. I promise.”

“Can I speak now?” I asked.

He nodded, looking braced for impact.

“Just don’t change who you are, Axel,” I said. “I fell in love with a fun-loving, chaotic, wild man, and I don’t know if I could handle being the one to dim that flame.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he murmured, crowding close. “I’ll always burn plenty hot for you.”

“Seal it with a kiss?”

“I’ve got a better idea,” he said. “Let’s skip dinner and go straight to my place.”

I smirked. “I like the way you think.”

“You two are disgusting,” Jett groused from next door.

“Shut up, Jett!” we both yelled.

I took Axel’s hand and led him from the cell. We walked down the corridor, out through the heavy metal door, and made a stop at the clerk’s window.

“I need to bail out Axel Wilder,” I said.

The clerk blinked. “Oh, that’s not necessary. You can just?—”

Axel leaned in over my shoulder. “Do it by the book. No special favors.”

My heart squeezed, and I nodded. “You heard the man. We won’t be cutting corners around here anymore. Hale is gone.”

“Yes, Sheriff. I’ll get started on that.”

I squeezed Axel’s hand, heart full. This was my life now. An imperfect man at my side, but a good one who’d support my principles, even if they cost him. The road ahead wouldn’t be smooth, but that was half the fun.

Loving Axel would be a bumpy ride, but if I held on through the hairpin turns, the skids, and the potholes, we’d get through it together.

I couldn’t wait to get started.