Sovereign Sheriff

She stretched out her legs. “I want your brother to invite me into his investigation, to work with him and find Amir. How should I approach him?”

“With a baseball bat to knock some sense into his stubborn head. Forget about Jake. Tell me how you ended up in Beverly Hills.”

“While I was in boarding school in Switzerland, I made friends with a girl from Los Angeles. Since I was already in love with American movies, California seemed like a natural destination for me. I begged until I was allowed to go to a private high school in Los Angeles.” She smiled at Maggie. “Now it’s your turn. You grew up on the reservation. What was it like?”

“So boring. Actually, I’m kind of like you. By the time I was in high school, my older sister was working in Denver. That’s where I went to high school.”

“In a way, we’re both expatriates.”

“In a way.” Maggie nodded. “Why did you come to our house as soon as you got into town?”

“I looked Jake up on the internet. He seemed like someone I could trust. When he was running for sheriff, there was an interesting endorsement from someone named Oscar.”

“Poor little Oscar.”

In his endorsement, he hadn’t sounded poor at all. The accompanying photograph was very Armani. “He’s an attorney in Cheyenne, right?”

“When Jake met him, Oscar Pollack wasn’t what you’d call a success story. He was a skinny little runt, too nervous to take his eyes off his own toes. He and Jake were both in their first year of college at UDub and—”

“Wait.” Saida held up her hand. “UDub?”

“University of Wyoming in Laramie,” Maggie said. “That’s where I’m going, too. Anyway, Jake was on a basketball scholarship and joined the coolest frat on campus. After the first game of the season, everybody knew him. Jake Wolf—the Wolfman—was a star. Oscar was an insignificant speck.”

The college hierarchy was much the same everywhere. Though Saida had never lived on the UCLA campus or bothered with sororities, she was one of the in-crowd. “What happened?”

“One night, Jake went to a bar with his buddies, even though he doesn’t drink. Oscar was working there, bussing tables. He accidentally spilled beer on a big ape who took it personally. He and his pals followed Oscar after his shift was over. Oscar made it to his car, but that didn’t stop the apes. They kicked dents into the car doors and threw rocks. They busted the windshield.”

Saida guessed what came next. “Jake stepped in.”

“Oh, yeah. To hear Oscar tell the story, you’d think my brother was some kind of superhero, taking on three big guys at once. According to Jake, they were stumbling around and drunk—but not so smashed that they didn’t recognize the Wolfman. It turned out that one of the ape’s pals was in Jake’s frat.”

Noble actions often came with a price. “Did they try to kick him out?”

“Jake quit before they could ask him to leave, and he was glad to do it. He didn’t want to be part of a group that condoned bullies.” Maggie beamed a smile. She was proud of her big brother, deservedly so. “It all turned out for the best.”

“How so?”

“You can’t tell Jake I said this, but he was never destined for the NBA. He moved to a different frat that was more focused on academics than sports. His good grades served him better than a nonexistent sports career.”

“And Oscar went to law school,” Saida concluded.

“He turned out great, has a wonderful family. And he’s a big deal in state politics,” Maggie said. “He thinks Jake can be the first Native American elected governor if he learns how to play politics.”

Diplomacy was something Saida understood. “I could teach him a thing or two.”

“He’s going to need a boost,” Maggie said. “With everything that’s happened recently, Jake’s reputation as a lawman is at an all-time low.”

Saida regretted the trouble caused by the COIN royals. It was enough to stir up turmoil and strife in their own nations without spreading their problems to Wyoming. “When I find my brother, we’ll make amends. I promise you, Maggie. Amir and I will make this right.”

She heard someone coming up the stairs and hopped off the bed as Jake pushed the door open. His clenched jaw and the parallel frown lines between his eyebrows told her that he wasn’t in the mood for a reasonable chat.

“You can both come downstairs,” he said. “I have a deputy posted out front and another by the barn. Nobody but a damn fool would attack when they are so sure to be caught.”

She picked up her sandals by the straps. “I’m sorry to have added to your problems.”

“Forget it.”

He gestured for them to leave the room. Maggie went first, and Saida followed. Her brain was in high gear, trying to figure out a way to convince Jake that she was worthy of participating in his investigation. If she could get him to listen, just for a moment…

She looked up at him. Trapped in the door frame, they were standing close together—much too close. She hadn’t meant to seduce him, but there was a definite attraction between them. The heat radiating from his body sparked a flame inside her, and the fire spread in a whoosh, consuming the air in her lungs. With an effort, she pushed out a question. “Did you find out how those men knew I was coming to town?”

“The leak,” he said.

“Yes.”

“We’re considering several possibilities.”

So was she, but her considerations had nothing to do with investigating and everything to do with his lips, his chest, his scent. She’d been around handsome men before—actors, athletes and male models—but she’d never been so affected.

She took a step into the hallway, putting distance between herself and the sheriff. “I have an idea. A way we can find the leak.”

“I spoke to Sheik Efraim. He’s coming to pick you up.”

That bit of news hit her like a splash of ice water. As soon as Jake delivered her to Efraim, she’d be trapped in a velvet prison, surrounded by bodyguards. She needed to take action, to force Jake to listen.

In the middle of the living room, she spotted the two suitcases that had been in the backseat of her rental car. In a few minutes, she’d locate her weapons. If nothing else, she’d be armed. But first, she needed to get Jake’s attention.

“There’s something I need to discuss with you, Jake.” She went to the door and opened it. “Can we talk on the porch? You said it was safe.”

“I did say that.” And he looked like he regretted it.

She stepped outside into the night. Her gaze swept through a stand of pine trees and bushes on the opposite side of the driveway. Her plan was almost certain to tick him off, but he wasn’t leaving her another option. If she didn’t do something, he’d ship her off with Efraim and never speak to her again.

Standing under the porch light, she tilted her chin so her features would be clearly illuminated. She’d been photographed hundreds of times and knew how to pose.

When he joined her, she set aside her natural attraction to him. Now was not the time for lust. Not real lust, anyway. With the skill of a choreographer, she positioned him.

“What’s this about?” he asked.

“Finding the leak.”

She reached up and stroked his cheek. Looking up at him, she leaned closer, closer, closer.

She heard a clicking noise coming from the trees and a flash. Then a second flash.

Jake reacted instantly. Shielding her with his body, he yanked her arm and shoved her through the open door into the house. He pivoted and crouched. In two steps, he crossed the porch and vaulted the railing.

Saida bit her lower lip to keep from grinning. Her plan had worked.