Page 10 of Ferocious Protector

“Damn. I’ll let everyone know. We can meet out here and decide what we want to do about the situation,” Cole says.

Patti Ann inhales a deep breath as I disconnect with Cole. “Guess I better call it in. I can’t believe I didn’t even suspect Tucker of being part of the Chicago boys. How stupid!” she says, connecting with the local sheriff’s office.

The minute the sheriff gets on the phone she explains the situation as I plug Cole’s address into the GPS on my phone. She covers the phone. “He wants to know if we can meet him here.” I shake my head. “Tell him we have to be out at Cole’s but if he has any questions for us, he can meet us out there. Just leave your key somewhere.”

She relays the information to him and hangs up a few minutes later. “Thanks for your help, yesterday and today. You must think I’m a wilting violet who can’t protect herself but I’m really not. I’m just mad that he got the upper hand. Now that I’ve got his number, I’ll be more alert to the potential danger, you can count on that.”

Patti Ann may think she’s going to go up against Tucker and his guys by herself, but she’s not. I’m going to be dealing with them, whether the little lady likes it or not. “Let’s see what happens. My guess is it wasn’t Tucker. Like I said he was too drunk and pretty knocked out. His cronies probably wore gloves, could have even sent those messages, but we may get lucky. If not, we’re going to have to flush them out.”

Her eyes go wide. “What do you mean?”

I mean what I said. “Flush them out and get rid of them. I’m not leaving you to fend for yourself with men like that walking right into your house. That’s not who I am.”

10

Patti

I hear every word he says but the only ones that really stick in my mind are I’m not leaving you to fend for yourself. A sharp reminder that as much as I like this man, he is leaving after the wedding whether we call this a roll in the hay or a date. It really doesn’t matter, because Mr. handsome will be on a jet plane and out of my life sometime after next weekend’s wedding.

Blake drives us out to Cole’s and by the time we arrive the whole gang is there. Damian and Dereck walk to the vehicle and talk to Blake quietly. I take my time getting out, giving them time to talk before he joins me at the door and walks with me up to the massive house that Cole started building about five years ago before he even moved to town.

Krissy meets us at the door holding a toddler on her hip. “Come on in, don’t mind the toys, just step around them and try not to slip on anything with wheels. You know little boys and their toys,” she says, laughing as she leads us toward a big country kitchen with a large rectangular table where most of the gang are already seated.

They slide closer on the bench seats to make room for us. “I just made a fresh pot of coffee and there are some sweet rolls in that box,” Krissy tells Cole, who grabs it and brings it to the table.

PJ gets up and grabs the glass coffee pot and brings it to the table while Krissy sits the little one down in a walker. Krissy does a quick head count and starts pulling cups out of the cabinet and I help her bring them to the table and hand them out before Krissy brings some more.

Lacy takes a big bite of a sweet roll and holds it up to Garrett so he can take a bite. “Good, huh,” she says. “Cole was just filling us in on what happened last night and out at your place today. What the hell with Tucker. You’re sure he’s running with the Chicago boys?”

I pour a coffee for myself and one for Blake before passing the carafe off to Jules. “Yeah, the messages they left couldn’t have made it any clearer.”

Mason looks down the table at me. “We knew if they were coming back this summer it would be right in the middle of our wedding, but we sure as hell didn’t suspect Tucker of anything like this.” He looks at Beckett across the table, but Beckett looks guilty about something. “What, what was that look?” I ask.

Beckett looks sheepish. “We actually had Tucker checked out when you first went out. Ran a background on him. Not one thing came up suspicious, everything he said checked out. Independently wealthy and there was nothing to doubt. Until now.”

I’m surprised, but the fact they cared enough to look into him for me means something. My eyes meet each of my friends. “I didn’t realize you guys did that. Thank you. Maybe that was the plan to send someone in who would pass all of your scrutiny and tests. I mean, it’s not like they haven’t tried everything else.”

Krissy takes a seat, and Cole holds out his arms for the little one and gives him a smooch on the cheek. “Well, he’s on our radar now. Sheriff Cates just sent me a message. He and his deputy were just at your house. They’re on their way here.”

The doorbell rings and Krissy gets up. “You want to get his stuffed monkey and blanket from the living room while I round up everyone for the babysitter?” she asks Cole.

“Sure thing,” he says, standing from the table and hefting the little one onto his hip to go in search of the stuffie in the next room.

When Krissy and Cole returns, Krissy smiles. “I love them to death but all day Saturday and Sunday this weekend and next, all to ourselves with a double wedding planned for our friends, yes, please.”

“I asked Blake if he wanted to go for a horseback ride, is that okay with you?”

Krissy nods. “You know you’re welcome to take the horses out anytime you want, Patti.”

Lacy clears her throat. “It’s Patti Ann.”

Krissy, PJ, Jules, and Lacy start laughing while my cheeks flame. I hold the mug to my face, but the way Blake turns to look at me is not helping at all. Thankfully, a car door outside draws all of our attention back to the matter at hand.

Cole goes to answer the door, and Krissy passes around the box of pastries again. When it comes to Blake, he takes another one. “Would you like one?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No, I’m full after the sandwich and the donut.” He grins sinking his teeth into his raspberry pastry. “Energy.” No doubt he burns a ton of that up in his job because I know for a damn fact there’s not an extra pound on that man anywhere.

Sheriff Cates walks in jostling a set of keys. “Morning everyone.” He eyes the men at the table and settles on Damian, Dereck, and Blake. “Whenever you bodyguards come to town, trouble seems to follow.”