Cabal directed a chiding look to Cassa before turning back to Lacey.
“Come on, Danna, you know how it works. We spy on them, they spy on us. No one was armed, no one was hurt.”
Sheriff Lacey grimaced at the comment before directing her attention back to Cassa. “Then where does the violence come in?”
Cassa knew immediately that the sheriff, though sympathetic and likely prone to disagree with or outright disbelieve Cabal, wasn’t about to involve herself in investigating something Cabal was so clearly warning her away from.
“I was ambushed in the forest,” Cassa stated, hiding her anger now. “I thought you should be aware that Coyote soldiers are roaming the area and I did feel threatened. Had Mr. St. Laurents not been in the area, then the three soldiers I faced could have become dangerous.”
Lacey’s eyes narrowed. “Do you know who they are?”
“Only one.” Cassa shrugged.
“It was Dog and his two lieutenants, Butch and Mongrel.” Cabal spoke up with a cold smile.
Sheriff Lacey shook her head at the information, her expression becoming sober as she gave a sharp nod. “I’ll alert the forest rangers to be on watch for them,” she promised. “As well as the local police and my deputies. We can’t throw their asses out of the area, but we can keep an eye on them.” She looked back at Cassa. “How much longer will you be here?”
Cassa crossed her arms over her breasts, aware that the sheriff was probably hoping her stay would be brief.
“I’m not certain,” she stated. “Should it matter?”
The sheriff grimaced. “You’re like gas poured on a Breed fire,” she said. “You could be the reason the Coyote soldiers are here, Ms. Hawkins, as you’re well aware. The few times Dog has shown up in your reports, you’ve not exactly been tactful in re
gards to your opinion of him.”
“I’m not paid to be tactful.” She felt like a ten-year-old being taken to task for causing trouble.
“And I’m not paid to babysit reporters who go looking for trouble,” the sheriff shot back. “Stay out of the forest until the Coyote soldiers are gone, that’s the best advice I can give you.”
In other words, it would be really nice if she just packed up and left town. Cassa mentally scratched the sheriff off her list of persons to contact should she actually need any help in her own investigation.
“Thank you so much for your time, Sheriff.” A patently false smile spread her lips as she strode to the door and opened it for the other woman. “I’ll be sure to let you know should I need any additional help.”
Sheriff Lacey breathed out wearily as she shook her head and moved to the door. “Ms. Hawkins, Breed Law states that I can’t run these guys out of town, nor can I officially protest their presence. As much as I hate it, I have to put up with the likes of men like Dog and his lieutenants until they actually mess up and give me a reason to contact the Bureau or throw their asses in jail.”
“Until then, I’ll just hide in my room and pretend I’m having fun,” Cassa stated sarcastically. “I’ll be sure to mention that in the pleasant little story I had planned about the area.”
“And while you’re mentioning that, please mention that you created this situation for yourself by plastering Dog’s picture all over the damned air at that station you worked for last year,” the sheriff reminded her. “ ‘The once anonymous Coyote Breed, suspected of drug and weapons smuggling, violence against Breeds and stealing candy from little children,’” the sheriff quoted her mockingly as she shook her head in amusement. “Really, Ms. Hawkins, did you think he was going to be pleasant when you met up with him in the forest? You were lucky Cabal and his team were there.”
At the moment, lucky wasn’t exactly how Cassa felt. But she kept her mouth shut, kept her opinion to herself.
“Good day, Sheriff.” She smiled tightly at the sheriff, then she turned to Cabal. “You can leave now too.”
Her body was still humming. Sexual need was still a hunger that ached to be assuaged, even as anger poured through her. He had to have known she had contacted the sheriff. That was why he was here, the nosy bastard. She should have filed a damned report about the attack the night before and she should demand an investigation now. But to do that, she would actually have to come up with a reason why she had been in the forest herself.
Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem. But she wasn’t normally so aroused that her brain refused to work.
“Come on, Breed,” Sheriff Lacey ordered, her voice firm. “Let’s see if you’ll be any more forthcoming about the reason you’re here as well, while you file the report you obviously forgot you’re supposed to file when conducting exercises in my county. I have a feeling you two are going to be more trouble than Dog and his men.”
The look he shot Cassa promised retaliation of a kind that would no doubt leave her screaming in pleasure and begging for more.
“Getting rid of me for a while isn’t going to make this situation any better,” he warned her softly as he moved closer, his gaze locked on hers now. “Don’t fool yourself, Cassa.”
“Bet me,” she muttered.
“I’ll bet you.” He stopped in front of her, his head bending until his lips rested at her ear. “I bet you, sweetheart, one hard, hot kiss. I bet you ignoring it is something you won’t be able to do.”
Jerking back, Cassa glared up at him. The blood was thundering through her veins again, and she could have sworn the fresh, winter-night smell of him was a taste against her tongue.