Skeeter Read online

  “How old was this girl?” Janice wanted to know.

  “I’m not sure but I don’t think she was any more than fifteen herself, at the time.”

  “Fifteen?” Janice whispered. “Fifteen? That’s a crime in this country.”

  Skeeter nodded. “That’s what I told him too. But all he did was laugh at me. Then he told me he was glad we weren’t in our country then, wasn’t he? In Mexico, it was legal, maybe not moral, but they didn’t care about that down there.” He shook his head. “Lelanie was our snitch at the time. She gave us more info on the cartel than we would have gotten on our own. Trace used her and threw her away. Hell, he threw them both away when he left.”

  “So how are you going to prove she’s not your daughter?”

  “Before we went undercover the Rangers made us do a blood test. A DNA test. I can prove I’m not her dad. I sure as hell never slept with an underage girl, in this country or any other country.”

  Janice was quiet the rest of the trip to Dallas. She had a feeling that this wasn’t the end of it and it wasn’t as black and white as Skeeter thought it was. She’d seen that same look in Calista’s eyes in so many of her defendant’s eyes and it usually, meant they were hiding something.

  Back at the clubhouse, Bart was seething. How dare these minions question his family? When he got back to New York, he was going to ruin this Calista Jones. He was just a little peeved that his daughter was willing to represent this man, the MC called Skeeter. What the hell kind of name was that anyway?

  “What’s wrong now, Dad?” Jackson asked with an exasperated sigh as he walked over to where Bart stood.

  “What the hell is your sister doing?” Bart snapped. “She shouldn’t even be here with this riffraff.”

  “Excuse me?” Jackson stared at him.

  “You heard me,” Bart insisted. “These men are not the sort I want to be associated with and neither should you, or your sister.”

  “Dad, these men are good people,” Jackson replied. “You don’t even know them. So how the bloody hell, can you just dismiss them like that?”

  Bart shook his head. “They're are bikers, son. You don’t know what they do under the table. They could be running drugs, guns or just about anything. They could be suckering you in to exploit you. You won’t know until it's too damn late.”

  “Dad, they’re bonded bounty hunters. They run the risk of their business if they break the law. Use your common sense here.” Jackson shook his head.

  “That’s another thing.” Bart snarled. “What kind of man is a bounty hunter?”

  “It’s an honorable job,” Moose spoke up from behind Jackson. “We hunt down dangerous criminals and bring them in to face justice. We work with the police, the US Marshals office, and the Rangers. What’s wrong with that?”

  “And you’re telling me the police, the Marshals and the Rangers always trust you to do the right thing?” He shook his head. “Why would they trust bikers? Isn’t it usually the bikers breaking the laws?”

  “So your problem with us is that we’re bikers?” Moose asked.

  “Well, even you have to admit bikers are notoriously bad news,” Bart reasoned.

  Moose nodded. “That’s true enough but then, we’re not your regular bikers.”

  “So you say.” Bart snorted.

  “Dad, these are the men who rescued Brinn. Moose vowed to protect her, when he didn’t have to do that. He could have walked away but he didn’t,” Jackson pointed out.

  “And he probably took her to his bed without her consent too,” Bart griped. “She’ll end up being a whore like her mother. The only difference is she won’t have anything to call her own, whereas her mother at least lived the life she wanted until you smartened up to see her for what she was.”

  Moose curled his large hands into fists as his rage grew.

  Jackson looked over at Moose and said, “Allow me.” Then he turned to his father, reared back his fist, and let it fly.

  When it hit, Bart flew back a few feet and ended up in a heap on the floor. He groaned and stared at the ceiling for a long moment then sat up. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth as he gaped at his son. “What the hell did you do that for?”

  “My daughter is not a whore, nor will she ever be a whore.” Jackson seethed. “She’s with him because she wants to be with him. All you have to do is look at her to see that. He didn’t force her. You have misjudged these men and you have worn out your welcome here. Even if they have allowed you to be here, I demand that you get the hell out! Go home and live in your ivory tower, old man. I’m so done with you and your ideas of what is acceptable and what is not.” Jackson then turned his back on his father and stormed away.

  Bart huffed as he got to his feet. He calmly dusted off his slacks and walked to the front door. He knew he’d just lost his son’s respect. And that bothered him slightly. It bothered him because he felt like he was losing his family and he’d be damned if he was going allow that.

  He might walk away for now, but he would be back.

  Chapter Three

  Skeeter and Janice walked into the Rangers offices in Dallas.

  Calista and Dallas were both waiting for him as well as several other officers.

  Dallas seemed agitated but he didn’t say anything, instead he motioned for them to follow him down the hall to the questioning rooms. He opened the first door and ushered them inside.

  Calista joined them and she took the seat on the other side of the table from where Skeeter and Janice were sitting.

  Dallas looked unhappy as he pulled the only other chair in the room up to the table.

  Calista made a big deal of turning the recorder on and then she sat back and glared at the two of them. After a moment of silence she cleared her throat and started, “I’m obligated to inform you that you are being recorded and anything you say here may be used against you in a court of law. I am Officer Calista Jones. I’m interrogating Officer Franklin Howard and his attorney, Janice Morgan, who by the way is not certified by the state of Texas yet. Also present is Acting Chief, Dallas Brinkman. We will be discussing a report made by a minor child. A young girl born from an incident when Franklin Howard raped this minor child's mother, seventeen years ago. Leaving her in Mexico with said child not yet born. He turned his back on her and returned to the United States with no support for said woman or the child she was going to give birth to.”

  Skeeter glared at her for a moment then looked over at Dallas. “Are you going to sit there and allow her to say whatever garbage she likes?”

  Calista growled herself. “I am just stating the facts as we know them. This will be your one chance to make your case before you are arrested and charged with rape of a minor.”

  Janice sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “It almost sounds like you’ve already made up your mind about the fact he’s guilty or do you plan to let him prove his innocence?”

  Calista glared at her and stated, “I’m just stating the facts as we know them ma’am.”

  “Watch your tone Jones, or you are out of here,” Dallas stated. “She’s got a point here and you well know it.”

  Calista turned her head slowly and glared at him. “To my mind, she shouldn’t even be allowed in here. As I stated before, she’s not certified to practice law here in Texas and she’s only here due to the pressure her father brought down on the governor. That smacks of something less than legal and you know it.”

  Skeeter turned to Dallas. “I will answer any questions as long as she’s not the one who asks them. She doesn’t seem to want the truth here and I will not be railroaded into something that isn’t mine to carry.”

  Dallas knew he wouldn’t either. He’d known Skeeter a very long time. Calista Jones was usually a good agent for the Rangers but even he had to admit she was very close to crossing an invisible line here. “Jones, maybe you should stand down here.” Dallas suggested.

  “No sir, I will not,” she argued. “I don’t care if he like
s me or not, that’s not the issue here.”

  “No, you are the issue here,” Dallas countered. “Like he said, you have already tried and convicted him and we don’t know the facts yet. I said stand down.”

  “If I go, so does she.” Calista pointed at Janice.

  “You cannot make demands here.” Dallas got to his feet and glared down at her. “He’s here to answer questions and so far, he’s not under arrest. She’s here as his legal representative which has been given to her as a courtesy by our governor.”

  “As his legal representative, I would like to request a copy of the tape covering this Q&A session,” Janice requested.

  Calista made motions as if she were going to tell her no.

  Dallas then overrode her objections, “One will be provided to you, as it’s the law.”

  “Thank you.” Janice acknowledged his statement.

  “Now that we got the pleasantries all sorted out, can we get this questioning started?” Calista stated snidely.

  Skeeter sat back in his chair and glared at her. He then crossed his arms over his large chest.

  Dallas could tell Skeeter would refuse to cooperate with this woman. Calista Jones could ask all the questions she wanted to but Skeeter wasn’t going to answer them. Dallas shook his head, he didn’t really blame him, but he had to follow the rules too. “Jones, I don’t think you should ask anything. Frank has already said he won’t answer your questions and honestly, I don’t blame him.”

  “Captain,” Calista argued. “As you know, I took the girl’s statement and this is my case. You can’t kick me off because the subject is one of our own. If he did something wrong years ago, then he has to pay for his crime, just like the next guy.”

  “And if I didn’t commit any crime? Then what?” Skeeter wanted to know. “You plan to browbeat me until I plead guilty to something I didn’t do?”

  “I don’t have to browbeat you. I have the statement of the girl you left behind.” She sneered.

  “Lelanie knows the truth. She’ll straighten this out.” Skeeter nodded.

  Dallas frowned. “It wasn’t Lelanie that came to us. It was her daughter Mercy.”

  “Mercy?” Skeeter frowned. “The last I knew Lelanie was still pregnant. After Trace was killed by the cartel and I was still in the hospital. I never heard from Lelanie again. I never knew what happened to her or the baby.”

  “Your daughter?” Calista sneered.

  Skeeter ignored her. Instead, he looked at Dallas. “So Lelanie had a little girl huh? That’s nice. Did she get out and come here too?”

  Dallas shook his head. “No, she didn’t...”

  “Your underage girlfriend died five years ago.” Calista snarled. “She left behind her eleven year old daughter. Before she died, she made the girl promise to find her way to you and let you know she was your daughter.”

  Skeeter ignored her outburst and just stared at Dallas. “When did she get here?” he asked quietly.

  “She crossed the border two weeks ago,” Dallas told him. “She found her way to us three days ago.”

  “She was alone out there for almost two weeks trying to make her way to this office.” Calista sneered. “She didn’t even have your phone number. Way to go there, daddy.”

  Again, ignoring Calista and her attitude, Skeeter asked Dallas, “Where is she now?”

  Calista looked angry about being ignored. She slammed her hands down on the table and shouted, “I have her in a safe house. She’s a scared kid and she needed to know she was safe. She thinks the cartel will come after her, even after all this time.”

  Skeeter’s eyes never left Dallas’s and he growled. “What the hell is she talking about? What about the cartel?”

  Dallas turned his head and stared at Calista. “I’m not sure. Ms. Jones has been in charge of the girl and no one has seen her for the last two days. Calista won’t even tell us where the girl is.”

  Janice turned her head to study Ms. Jones. “Where is the girl? He has the right to face his accuser.”

  “His accuser?” Calista snorted. “Don’t you mean his own damn daughter?”

  “Where is she?” Janice asked again.

  “She’s safe and that’s all he needs to know for now.” Calista crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the other woman. “I’m not about to subject her to his temper or allow him the chance to intimidate her.”

  “Officer Jones.” Dallas sighed. “The Counselor is correct. Franklin has the right to face the girl. She also has the right to face him. I’ll give you an hour to produce the girl.”

  “And if I refuse? Refuse to subject her to this man? What will you do then?” Calista challenged.

  “I will arrest you,” Dallas assured her. “And then you’ll get to spend time in a jail cell until you turn the girl over. If Franklin is her father, he deserves the chance to get to know his child.”

  “He doesn’t deserve to meet this girl!” Calista snarled. “Her mother was fifteen years old when she gave birth to his daughter. He had sex with a child and that’s against the law. Why would she ever want to meet a man like that?”

  “That’s not your call to make,” Janice informed her. “She’s made some serious charges against my client and she has to back them up.”

  “She’s a minor child and she doesn’t have representation by an attorney,” Calista argued. “I think before she sees him, she should have legal representation, don’t you think? After all, he has legal representation, she should have some too. It's only fair.”

  Janice nodded. “I agree. Do you have anyone in mind?”

  “Not right off hand.” Calista shrugged. “It takes time to pick the right attorney. She has to trust them and it isn’t easy to trust someone you’ve never met before.”

  “I can recommend some great attorneys who deal with kids all the time,” Janice offered.

  “That won’t be necessary, besides isn’t that a conflict of interest, considering who your client is?” Calista scowled at her.

  “Then you better work fast Jones,” Dallas demanded as he glared at her. “You now have fifty minutes to produce the girl.”

  “That just isn’t going happen.” Calista shook her head. “I will not subject that girl to any more trauma.”

  “Then I want your gun and your badge,” Dallas informed her. “You’ll be booked and put into the system. I’ll try to get you a single cell but I can’t promise anything.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!” Calista narrowed her eyes at her boss.

  Dallas crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh yeah, I would. And you know any arrest would go on your permanent record and you would essentially lose your job. Is it really worth it?”

  Calista refused to say anything.

  Dallas glanced down at his watch. “Tick tock Jones, what’s it gonna be? You now have forty five minutes.”

  She looked over at Frank and seethed. “You are a bastard aren’t you?”

  Skeeter just stared her down.

  Calista got up from her chair and stomped over to the door. “I’m doing this under protest, I want that on the record. This is just so wrong!” She opened the door.

  Dallas got up and accompanied her to the outer office.

  He grabbed two officers and told them to go with her and then bring them both back within a timeline.

  Calista nearly hissed with disgust but there was nothing she could do.

  Dallas shook his head and went back to the interrogation room. When he closed the door and sat down at the table with Skeeter and Janice, he shook his head. He turned the recorder off. “What the hell did she think she was doing?”

  “I have no fucking clue,” Skeeter grumbled. “You know that girl isn’t my daughter. I would never sleep with an underage girl and what Jones is accusing me of is horrible.”

  “Is the girl Trace’s kid?” Dallas finally asked the question.

  Skeeter nodded as he ran his hands over the back of his head. “Yeah, I think so. Lelanie was our informant at the time we
were down there. She gave us a starting place to investigate the cartel. When they hooked up, I told him he was playing the wrong game but he said he was playing the cards he was dealt.”

  “What happened the day you guys left?” Dallas wanted to know.

  “Lelanie wanted to come with us. She told Trace her baby deserved to know her father and Trace laughed at her. He told her the baby wasn’t his and he wasn’t taking either of them home with him. He knew if someone on this side of the border asked her how old she was, he’d be arrested. We were almost home when someone started shooting at us. We thought it was the cartel but we weren’t exactly sure about that. They got him in the back and put a bullet in my leg. I tried to get to him but I was pinned down on this side of the border. I could hear Trace’s screams but I knew he was caught the same as me. I heard more gunfire and Trace’s screams got louder. I tried to get to him and picked up two more bullets for my trouble. It was damn near dawn the next morning before I could try again and when I got closer, I could see he was dead already. I got him home and I found help before I passed out. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital and Trace’s parents had already claimed his body.” He shook his head. “I never did hear anything about Lelanie after that.”

  “In the statement I read, Mercy told us her mom showed her a picture of you and Trace and she identified you as her father,” Dallas told him. “I don’t know why that pissed Jones off so much but we both know she’s had a hard on for you ever since she started way back when.”

  “Well, I guess we’ll find out when they get back huh?” Skeeter replied. “Besides, this can all be settled with a DNA test. The Ranger’s made us get one before we left, just in case we didn’t make it back.”